Grilled Ginger Shrimp

I have been really behind in posting because I've been in a funk. You know, one of those when you aren't really motivated to do much? Yeah, one of those. I'm slowly creeping out of it, so please bare with me till I return to my normal, chipper self. Shouldn't be too much longer!

I made this recipe a while ago and I really liked it. In the original recipe, they add a pureed onion, which I replaced with some soy sauce for an Asian flair. I also added 4 shrimp onto each skewers instead of one because, well, the shrimp were going to be all for me anyways!

I really loved the flavor of orange and soy sauce together in the shrimp. They cook so quickly, so this would be a quick meal when combined with some couscous and a salad. Hey dinner in a flash!

Grilled Ginger Shrimp

adapted from Coastal Living Cookbook

Serves 4

4 (12-in) wooden skewers

16 large shrimp, peeled with tails still on

1/4 c. rice vinegar

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. orange juice

1 tbsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper

1. Soak skewers in warm water for 30 min. Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice, ginger and pepper. Pour into a shallow dish and toss shrimp. Cover and chill for 30 min.

2. Remove shrimp from marinade and thread 4 onto each skewer. Grill shrimp until cooked, about 2 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Asparagus and Salmon Stir Fry

Ok, I know, I know, you are probably getting sick of all the asparagus recipes. Trust me, there will be an end. Soon. Maybe? Ok I can't guarantee it will be anytime soon, but it will be soon. Ish.

On another note, you should try this stir fry. It was UH-mazing! Salmon and asparagus are just natural winners together, but to make them into a stir fry is heaven! Well, at least as heavenly as a stir fry can get. It ain't no chocolate cake, you feel me? Mmmm... cake....

Ok enough of the cake talk. Onto the stir fry! The sauce is based off of my favorite pot sticker dipping sauce, with some hoisin sauce and garlic added in. The salmon is stir fried quickly, followed by the asparagus, snow peas and diced red bell pepper. The sauce is stirred in and voila! An easy, one-pan meal in minutes.

Asparagus and Salmon Stir Fry

Serves 4

 3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 lb. wild salmon fillet, cut into 1" squares

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1 c. snow peas

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

veggie oil

Rice, for serving

1. Mix together first 5 ingredients for sauce and set aside. Bring large stock pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes. Put spears in an ice water bath, drain and set aside.

2. Heat wok or large saute pan over medium high heat. Add salmon, stir frying, until the fish begins to flake. Remove from pan.

3. Add asparagus, snow peas and bell pepper. Stir fry for 1 minute, then add sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes till sauce thickens. Add salmon and stir to combine.

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!



Linked at Thursday Treasures.

Middle Fork Snoqualmie

I've been doing a lot of hiking and exploring posts lately, mostly because I haven't been in the mood to do much cooking. The weather here can't make up it's mind and it's wrecking havoc with my sleep, and when that happens, not a lot of cooking gets done. It's more assembling, like sandwiches and salads or just a mish mash of whatever I have on hand for dinner. I also tend to eat out more when the weather is like this. Does any one else have sleep problems when the weather is constantly changing?

My uncle, Paul, (L) and my dad

On another note, I thought I would recap my Memorial Day adventure. My aunt and uncle were in town from Iowa, so I met with them and my parents for lunch. We visited with my grandma for a little while, then went to a delicious Thai restaurant in Bellevue. Their yellow curry was very sweet and delicious! My aunt gave me a cookbook she had found, written by Jamie Oliver, who happens to be one of my favorite chefs.

My grandma and my aunt

After lunch, we headed over to Regent Bakery and Cafe in Redmond. They specialize in Chinese pastries and their cakes are amazing! Just take a look at their gallery. Aren't those just so pretty?

My 13 yr old puppy, Cimmie

My parents and my aunt went a little crazy, buying lots of pastries and cake slices. I got a red bean bun, which is slightly sweet and very tasty. (I recently went back last Wednesday and tried their BBQ Pork bun, which was one of the best I've ever had! YUM!)

Middle Fork Snoqualmie River

After I said goodbye to my parents and my aunt and uncle, I headed back home. Well, in the direction of home anyways. And I took the long route. By the time I got to the interchange to take the highway that goes to my place, I decided I was going to drive up to Snoqualmie Pass. I hadn't been there since early May, and I wanted to see how much snow was still there.

Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road

I stopped in North Bend to get some gas, then headed east. I only got to exit 34 before I decided to go explore somewhere else. I had heard about the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail from Jamie Samoyed on Facebook (yes, I follow a dog on Facebook!) so I decided to give it a try. I had a vague inclination as to which way to go to get there, but I was in exploring mode, so I just drove around till I found the road.

Bend on Middle Fork Snoqualmie River

And then I followed it all the way to the end of the road, where it was closed off by a gate, the whole 12 miles! The road is notorious for huge potholes, but they had recently regraded the road, so short cars like mine could get through. I got out of my car at a few points along the way to take some pictures and to walk around a little bit. I wasn't exactly prepared for any hiking, but I still walked around.

Fishing in the Snoqualmie River

In the process of this exploration, my car got really dirty. I was very pleased with it (because then it shows I've been somewhere exciting!), but the only problem is that my car is gold colored so from far away you can't even tell that it's dirty! I was rather dissapointed.

I had a fun time exploring this area and I found where a lot of different trail heads were. I think I need to go exploring more!

Thanks for reading!

Mud Mountain Rim Trail

I've been really enjoying planning lots of hikes to go on with my meetup group. A few of the gals asked me to share my hiking list with them, and they were all surprised at how long it is. I love to collect data. Probably one reason why I became a chemist, eh?

Anyways, one of the hikes I had read was the Mud Mountain Rim Trail. I first heard about it from Hiking with my Brother and my interest was piqued. Also, Mud Mountain is a dam and I have this weird fascination with dams, airplanes, boats, bridges, buildings, etc. I just think they are so cool!

So on a cloudy (but not rainy!) Sunday, we all carpooled to Mud Mountain Recreation Area, just outside of Enumclaw. The trail follows along the road for a little ways before diverging deeper into the forest. Soon, you end up close to the bluff that goes down to the White River.

Whiskey, our leader

The trail was rather easy to follow, except there were a few parts where you crossed old roads and you could either follow the road or the trail. Our leader, Whiskey, wanted to follow the trail, so we followed.

At the very end of the trail, you end up on a logging road next to a clear cut. It was a rather depressing end to the hike, but we decided to hike down to the river to make up for it. I'm sure glad we did!

The river is running a little high because of the snow melt, but it looked so pretty with the mountains hidden behind the fog.

The trail definitely lived up to its name. There were plenty of mudholes that Whiskey would dash through as if they were pure energy. That dog was so fun to watch!

Yes, I was talking..

 

We hiked back up the road to the trail and then made our way back to the parking lot and stopped at a view point to see the actual dam.

Not that exciting, right?

Left to Right: Susan, Beverly (with Whiskey), Tonya, Julia, Crystal and me

Beverly and I with our matching backpacks :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Snoqualmie Falls

I have been up to Snoqualmie Falls several times thoughout my life and I highly suggest that anyone who visits the Seattle area make a special trip up to the Falls.

From Left to Right: Holly, Sherry, Prathiba, Jennifer and Tonya

As you can see, the falls are quite large. We had a lot of snow this year, so the water level is even higher than normal!

Crystal, Laura and me

Look at all that mist!

After we took pictures and walked around the area near the falls, we headed in to the town of Snoqualmie for lunch. The Woodman Lodge looked rather interesting, so we stopped in. It was so cute!

There were lots of animals on the walls and it really felt like something from the early 20th century. The food was delicious too. Some gals had brunch items, others had lunch. I had a pulled BBQ pork sandwich with rosemary fries! YUM!

Snoqualmie River upstream from falls

After lunch, we walked around the town, going in and out of candy shops, toy stores and window shopping.

We headed back to North Bend and did some shopping at the Factory Stores. I definitely had to get some chocolate at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory! I love me some chocolate!

I had a great day with some great gals, touring around the Snoqualmie Valley. Next time, I think I want to explore to Fall City and Carnation. Hmmm.... another meetup! Anyone want to join? :)

Have a great day!