This week we got caught up in a Pacific Northwest winter storm.
At least once a year an arctic front rides the jet stream over a rainstorm and turns Portland’s streets to skating rinks.
Trouble is , , , this storm was an Atmospheric River and the jetstream turned on some gale force winds.
On our side of the mountains, the ice storm was minimal, but we did get three feet of snow to go along with the freeze. It pretty much closed down the whole Pacific Northwest for nearly a week.
Only a few days ago the gas stations and grocery stores around us were still waiting on trucks from PDX to re-supply.
“Out of fuel” signs were common and empty grocery shelves were another casualty .
Inevitably these cold snaps are followed by warming and an accompanying slush and flood cycle.
Unlike many, our neighborhood did not experience any power outages.
The worst of it was the numerous snow shoveling excursions as we attempted to keep ahead of the accumulation.
In the end, we had shoulder-high berms on either side of the driveway.
We don’t require daily access to the transportation system and are quite content to stay at home.
As we write this post the view out our window is more springlike rather than a winter scape.
With all this “stay at home” time, we hit our reading lists pretty hard and finished up some fly tying.
We finally ventured out and managed to top off our supplies (including a trip to See’s Chocolates),
But most importantly, we headed to the Crooked and had a walk along the river. . . . We may have been experiencing a little cabin fever.
Yeah, so hearing the river and being outdoors again was just what we needed.
We tested some new recipes and cooked and baked quite a bit . . .
Tried Indian Butter Chicken and got numerous canning and freezing projects shelved.
The weather report calls for more mild rainy days, so it looks like we’ll have time to get ahead on our reading and do some more recipe testing while we wait for this ‘El Nino’ to move on.
Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tso baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 14 TB unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups thick old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and both sugars at medium low speed to medium and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl as needed.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated and smooth, about 10 seconds. With mixer running, gradually add oats and mix until well incorporated, about 20 seconds. Give dough final stir by hand to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls and space them 2 1/2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are golden brown and crispy on the edges. Let cookies cool on wire rack.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani Indian Butter Chicken)
Ingredients
MARINADE
- 3 pounds chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1/2 TB Ground Tumeric
- 1/2 TB Garam Masala
- 1/2 TB Cumin
SAUCE
- 4 TB unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled, divided
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tsp grated ginger
- 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 1 TB garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tso pepper
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 TB sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Marinade
- Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, and cumin in a large bowl.Put the chicken in and coat with the marinade. Cover and marinade chicken up to a day.
Sauce
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and serrano and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is softened and onion begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garam massala, coriander, cumin and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add water and tomato paste and whisk until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Add sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Off heat, stir in cream. Using immersion blender or blender, process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Return sauce to simmer over medium heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Remove saucepan from heat and cover to keep warm (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; gently reheat sauce before adding hot chicken.)
- Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade and place on wire rack set over foil-lined baking sheet. Broil until chicken is evenly charred on both sides and registers 175º, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. While chicken rests, warm sauce over medium-low heat. Cut chicken into ¾-inch chunks and stir into sauce. stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and season with salt to taste. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve.
Jam Crumble Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup jam of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour muffin tins. Set aside
- Cream butter sugars and extracts together for 1-2 minutes. This will be used for both the cookie bottom, as well as the topping.
- Add in the flour and salt, and mix just until combined. The mixture will still be crumbly.
- Scoop the mixture into each muffin well. Press into the bottom and up the sides a little, forming a well. Pressinto the pan, but do not over pack.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of jam into the center of each cookie.
- Sprinkle each cookie with 1 heaping tablespoon of the remaining cookie mixture.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Let cool completely, then remove from pans. You may need a knife to run around the edge to help in coping them out. These will freeze really well for up to 3 months.
Freezer Hashbrowns
Ingredients
- 3-5 baker potatoes
- 1 egg
- 1 TB cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel potatoes. Cut into quarters and place in a pot of water. Salt and bring to a boil.
- Parboil potatoes for 10 minutes, drain allow to cool.
- Grate cold potatoes. Whisk egg and add to grated potatoes, then sprinkle and toss with cornstarch. Place mounds of grated potatoes onto parchment covered cookie sheet and shape to the size and shape you prefer. Freeze for 1 hour.
- Heat avocado oil in skillet, a couple inches deep. Bring oil up to frying temperature. Place frozen hash browns in pan and brown on both sides.
- Once brown, cool on rack. These freeze well and only require a little bit of heating up for those dash and go days.
Where the Fremont Highway drops down the southeastern edge of Paulina Peak, a bank of low clouds covered portions of the desert. Inside that fog the temperature dropped ten degrees.
Three streams with access all year are the Fall River, Deschutes River (middle and lower stretches) and the Crooked River.
Closer to home, the Fall River wanders through a forested landscape and it’s banks hold snow much longer.