Lime-Paprika Cod with Chard and Quinoa

Cod with Chard and Quinoa is definitely one of the healthiest meals I've made. Chard has vitamins A, C and K while quinoa has a very high amount of protein, including some essential amino acids. Cod is just delicious!

I got the inspiration for the cod from a pdf cookbook I own called Betty Crocker Cooking Basics. There is a baked fish recipe which called for lemon juice and paprika. I had some lime juice on hand, so I used that instead. The chard was sauteed with some diced tomatoes and garlic. The quinoa was leftover from a previous night, but I will still provide the recipe for it.

Enjoy this easy, healthy and quick meal anytime of the week.

Lime-Paprika Cod with Chard and Quinoa

Serves 4

4 cod fillets

1 lime, zested and juiced

1/2 tsp paprika

1 bunch chard, rinsed and chopped

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. quinoa, rinsed

1 handful cilantro, chopped

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Put cod fillets on a baking sheet, rub with olive oil, sprinkle with lime juice, lime zest, paprika, salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes until fish flakes. Remove from oven and cover with foil to rest.

2. Meanwhile, bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. When boiling, add quinoa and stir. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until all liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro leaves.

3. While cod and quinoa are cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant. Add chard, lower heat and cover. Let cook for 5 minutes. Set aside until cod and quinoa are done. 

4. When everything is done, plate and serve.

Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary, Potatoes and Red Onions

Roasting chicken with vegetables is one of my favorite weekend meals. After a long, hard ski day, I love to come home to wonderfully aromatic smell of chicken in the oven. I first came across this dish in one of my favorite cookbooks, Roast Figs Sugar Snow by Diana Henry. I was initially attracted to this book because of the Eastern European influences, but I stayed because the food is simple yet divine.

Most of the meals in Diana's cookbook are rather simple. This roasted chicken dish, for example, required only cutting the potatoes and onions, then tossing everything in a baking dish and baking for 45 minutes. Dinner couldn't get any easier!

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary, Potatoes and Red Onions

Serves 4

1 lb. chicken pieces (preferably dark meat)

1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes, quartered

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 sprig rosemary

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange potatoes and red onion wedges in a ceramic baking dish. Lay chicken on top of the veggies. Sprinkle everything with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Tear the leaves off the rosemary stem and sprinkle them on top.

2. Bake for 40-45 until chicken is 145 degrees, using a thermometer. Let rest, covered with foil, for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Special Days

Is it just me or do you also sometimes have random memories float into your head?

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about this trip I made up to Chinook pass last fall. It was a great day I will never forget, and it makes me smile whenever I think about it. That day was a very special day to me. 

I try to make everyday a special day, but sometimes there are those days that stick in your mind. Some are good, some are bad. I tend to focus on the good special days, but sometimes my thoughts will wander onto those not-so-good days.

I just want to say thank you to those who made these special days that I'm featuring in the photos here. I'm so glad to have you all in my life. You guys are truly wonderful people and I feel so blessed. You guys are what makes a day stick in my mind and become a special day.

Thank you!

Souped-Up Pho

If you visit Seattle, one of the first things you will notice is that we have teriyaki, Thai and pho restaurants on nearly every corner. Every Seattleite has their favorite spot and they will be quick to tell you. (Ok and since you asked, my favorite teriyaki is Kiku's on 50th and the Ave in Seattle; my favorite Thai is Benjarong in Covington and my favorite pho is from Papaya in the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue.)

A lot of Seattleites eat Asian cuisine fairly often. As much as I love getting takeout from my favorite restaurants, I enjoy making the same dishes at home, adding my own twists. One of my favorite meals to make it homemade pho because it's simple and takes 15 minutes or less to make. I also tend to deviate from the traditional pho by adding more veggies other than just jalapenos and white onion slices. I usually grab whatever veggies sound good from the salad bar at my grocery store. Tonight, I added adding bell peppers, carrots, edamame and green onions.

In keeping with the traditional, I love to add a splash of lime juice and a spoonful of hoisin sauce after cooking. A few squirts of Sriracha make the meal deliciously spicy. Go ahead and try some homemade pho today!

Souped Up Homemade Pho

1 box Pacific Foods Pho Starter (Beef, Chicken or Veggie)

1/2 package rice thread noodles

1 lb. sirloin steak or chicken breast, thinly sliced

favorite assortment of veggies (I get mine precut at the salad bar at my store)

1 lime, cut into wedges

Hoisin sauce

Sriracha sauce

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 1 minute then drain and set aside.

2. Bring pho starter to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add meat, cook for 1 minute then add noodles and veggies. Cook for 1 more minute then remove from heat.

3. Serve with hoisin and sriracha sauces. 

Enjoy!

Why I Love Skiing

Whenever I meet someone new, I like to ask them what they like to do for fun. I get various answers from people, but the first words out of my mouth are almost always, "skiing."

For a while, I couldn't explain why I love skiing so much. All I knew was that I was crazy about it. Slowly, over time I've come to find the reasons why I love skiing and am pretty much addicted to it.

Snoqualmie Pass at dusk

I love the feeling of standing on top of a mountain.

The unexplainable sensation of feeling absolutely tiny in the shadow of these huge mountains along with feeling so tall, like you can conquer anything.

Snoqualmie Pass at dusk

Racing down the hill as fast as you dare go, letting you scare yourself at how fast you are going.

Flying through the air.

Silver Fir Chairlift at Snoqualmie Pass

Spending time with my dad, my brothers Steven and Andy, my sister-in-law Angel and a few good friends. 

My dad, me and Steven at Crystal

Those days when hardly anyone is on the hill and you can feel like you are almost there by yourself.

Me at Crystal with Mt. Rainier

Being able to think clearly, or not think at all.

Focusing on one thing at a time, instead of trying to multitask.

Peak to Creek at Whistler

Skiing feeds my need for exploration and my need for a challenge.

Skiing centers me, makes me feel whole.

Peak to Creek at Whistler

What activities do you love? Why do you love them?