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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2015)
Page 4C EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE East Oregonian IUHVKLGHDVIRUVORZFRRNHU SXOOHGFKLFNHQDQGSRUN By ALISON LADMAN Associated Press Lots of people love their slow cookers. Just as many folks don’t. We tend to be in the latter group. Not because we don’t appreciate the dump-and-go convenience. And we certainly enjoy being greeted at the end of the day by delicious smells before we’ve even taken off our coats. Our objections come down to taste and texture. Too many slow cooker recipes taste just like every other slow cooker recipe, no mat- ter what the ingredients. And after bubbling away for so many hours, most recipes end up with that just- shy-of-mush texture. No thanks. So we decided to see whether we could come up with a stack of slow cooker recipes that didn’t VDFUL¿FHHDVHEXWVDWLV¿HGRXU need for variety. Our inspiration? Barbecue pulled pork and chicken. The process is simple. You start with either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or country-style pork ribs or rib chops. Throw them in the slow cooker with a KDQGIXORIDURPDWLFVDQGDÀDYRU- ful liquid. Put your cooker on low and head off to work. When you get home from work, you’ll have a tender meat ready to shred and turn into an easy dinner. WKLQJVZLWKFURFN SRWVKUHGGHGPHDW No time for a slow cooker? Combine all the ingredients plus an extra 1/2 cup of liquid in a large saucepan. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour, then proceed with the recipe. 6WDUWWR¿QLVK 4 to 5 hours on high, 8 to 10 hours on low 6HUYLQJV 4 • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced • 1 cup white wine, low-sodi- um chicken broth or apple cider • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or coun- try-style pork ribs or rib chops • 1 teaspoon whole black pep- percorns • 2 bay leaves • 1 tablespoon Italian herb mix • 1 teaspoon kosher salt In a 4-quart slow cooker, com- bine the onion, liquid of choice, meat of choice, peppercorns, bay leaves, Italian herbs and salt. Cover and set to cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. The meat is ready when it is fork tender and falls apart easily. Remove and discard the peppercorns and bay leaves. Shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding any fat or bones. Use the meat in one of the following dinner ideas: ²4XHVDGLOODV Drain any extra liquid from the meat. Spread over large tortillas, sprinkle with shredded cheese, black olives, scallions and diced jalapenos. Top each with another tortilla. Toast on Fresh-faced, yet utterly jet- lagged. That’s how I arrived in )UDQFHIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH$QG that’s how I was introduced to Belgian endive. Madame Gabillet was hosting me for my college semester abroad and she welcomed me pretty much right off the plane into her chilly, dark home. Dinner was waiting, so we sat right down and rather silently (since I didn’t yet speak a word of French) began the meal. That’s when I saw a vegetable I didn’t recognize. Was it cabbage? No. But whatever it was, it was bathed in a luscious cream sauce with Gruyere bubbling on top. It ZDVD¿WWLQJZHOFRPHWRZKDW would be a cold and rainy few months. I understood precious little of what my host family said to me that night, but I did catch the name of the tender, slightly bitter, delight that we ate — Belgian endive. Madame Gabillet loved Belgian endive (and luckily, as I discovered, so did I). She served it chopped and sauteed in sweet butter, or sliced and tossed raw in a mustardy vinaigrette, or — my favorite — baked in a white cream Mardi Gras in New Orleans: glitzy balls followed by parades Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Rev- elers danced into the wee hours Tuesday at glitzy balls, kicking off the annual Mardi Gras bash that spills cos- tumed merrymakers into the streets of New Orleans for partying, parades and trinkets WRVVHGIURPSDVVLQJÀRDWV Al Johnson, singer of the catchy Mardi Gras tune “Carnival Time,” served as grand marshal of the Red Beans and Rice foot pa- rade, a Monday prelude to the all-out revelry known as “Fat Tuesday.” He and others downed traditional fare of spicy red beans and rice before attending the Orpheus Ball, one of several as the partying began in this Mississippi River port. Johnson told The Asso- ciated Press his catchy song — now synonymous with the annual Carnival seasons — got its inspiration from the Lower 9th Ward, a New Orleans district devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “It all started down there,” he said of the Louisiana neigh- borhood where levees broke and surging stormwaters splintered wooden homes. But after Katrina, he said, “Life is going on.” Celebrities and celebrity watchers are also around at Mardi Gras and this year was no exception. The cast of the CBS crime drama “NCIS: New Orleans” got to experience Mardi Gras ¿UVWKDQGDVWKH\URGHLQWKH Orpheus parade late Monday, tossing beads to revelers lining city streets before heading off to the ball. Their Mardi Gras episode airs Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CST. Other celebrities joining in this year’s revelry were comedian Ron White and country music star Dierks AP Photo/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune, David Grunfeld The parade rolls through on Mardi Gras Tuesday in New Orleans. The crowd was thick along St. Charles Ave- nue, where the route of Zulu, the day’s first big parade, merged with that of Rex, one of the most elaborate. Rex was followed by two long “truck parades,” floats built up from flatbed trailers and decorated by costumed riders. Bentley. Ordinary folks took to dressing up. Friends Alex- andra Sergutin and Ashley Dornier of New Orleans said donning elegant gowns for the Carnival balls is one of their favorite Mardi Gras activities. “It feels good to be a part of that tradition. It really does. It touches your heart,” said Sergutin, draped in colorful beads. “ ... You’re a Caribbean escape AP Photo/Matthew Mead Slow cooker pulled chicken coconut curry. part of something amazing and big.” Around daybreak Tues- day, retired clarinetist Peter Fountain was to help kick off the citywide party. The Na- tional Weather Service said some early rain was expected to clear out shortly before IRUWKH¿UVWSDUDGHVZLWK temperatures in the upper 30s to the lower 40s by midday. Now 84, Fountain no longer makes the walk of 10 miles or so of his Half-Fast Walking Club, which he helped found more than half a century ago. Celebrations also were scheduled throughout south Louisiana and in coastal Mississippi and Alabama, sharing the traditions brought by French Catholic colo- nists in the 18th century. In Louisiana’s swampy bayou parishes, costumed riders on horseback go from farm to farm, collecting ingredi- ents for a huge community gumbo. After Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club, parade groups were to follow, including the “krewe of Rex, king of Carnival,” who wears a golden crown and carries a golden scepter. That group features some of the season’s PRVWZLOGO\IDQWDVWLFÀRDWV After Rex two groups were WRIROORZLQ³WUXFNÀRDWV´² KXQGUHGVRIÀDWEHGWUDLOHUV topped by costumed riders — whether families, clubs or other social groups. The parades wind down late Tuesday afternoon and outdoor celebrations cease at midnight, when the solemn Catholic season of Lent begins. New Orleans police ride horseback down the French Quarter’s Bourbon Street to clear the last tipsy revelers at the end, signaling the party is over for another year. EAT SHOP PLAY Exploring Pendleton, Milton-Freewater, Mission, Pilot Rock & Walla Walla AP Photo/Kavitha Surana This January 2015 photo shows Bottom Bay in Barbados. The Caribbean island is relatively easy on the wallet, with easy-to-use public vans to beaches around the island, plus dining options like Oistins Fish Fry, an outdoor bazaar of restaurant shacks serving heaping plates of food. Slow cooker pulled chicken pesto pizza. both sides in a dry skillet. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa. ²6ORSS\-RHVMix in 1 cup barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Serve on bulky rolls. ²&RFRQXWFXUU\ Stir in 1 can of coconut milk, 2 cups chopped cooked vegetables (such as broccoli and roasted red pep- pers) and 2 tablespoons red curry paste. Serve over rice. ²8SVLGHGRZQFRWWDJHSLH Whisk together 1/2 cup half-and- half with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Drain the liquid from the meat into a saucepan. Stir the half-and- half mixture into the meat liquid and cook over medium heat, stir- ring continuously, until it simmers AP Photo/Matthew Mead and thickens. Stir in 1 1/2 cups thawed corn kernels and 2 table- spoons chopped fresh thyme. Stir together with the shredded meat and serve over mashed potatoes. ²3HVWRSL]]D: Stir 1 cup purchased pesto into the shredded meat. Spread over 2 prepared pizza crusts. Sprinkle each with grated Parmesan cheese, then top with slices of fresh mozzarella and sliced roasted red peppers. Bake at 450 F until golden and melted, about 20 minutes. ²0DUPDODGHQDFKRV: Drain the meat and stir in 1/2 cup orange marmalade, 1/2 teaspoon red pep- SHUÀDNHVDQGWDEOHVSRRQFLGHU vinegar. Spread over tortilla chips. Top with sliced scallions, sliced Peppadew peppers or pickled Slow cooker pulled chicken Greek pitas. jalapeno peppers, and shredded cheese. Heat in a 350 F oven just until the cheese is melted. ²3LFDWWDSDVWD Add the meat to a pound of pasta, cooked according to package instructions. Stir in 1/4 cup capers and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese. ²*UHHNSLWDV: Drain the meat and mix with the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Combine 1 peeled, diced and seeded cucumber with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese. Serve in pita pockets with chopped fresh tomato. ²6HVDPHQRRGOHVCook an AP Photo/Matthew Mead 8-ounce package of udon or soba noodles according to package directions. Whisk together 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil and a splash of hot sauce. Toss with the meat, 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper, 1 thinly sliced bunch scallions and the noodles. Top with 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds. ²/HPRQJLQJHUEDUOH\ VRXSAdd 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, and 3/4 cup quick-cooking barley to a large saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the meat and its cook- ing liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Getting to know Belgian endive with the help of cheese By MELISSA D’ARABIAN Associated Press Saturday, February 21, 2015 sauce with onions and cheese. Back in the U.S., I saw Belgian endive slowly make its way into supermarkets. 7KHVHGD\V\RXFDQ¿QGLW pretty much all year. They look like a cross between an elongated oversized Brussels sprout and a very small head of compacted romaine lettuce, but more yellow. Both Belgian and regular endive are part of the chicory family and sport a VOLJKWO\ELWWHUÀDYRU Each Belgian endive has only 15 calories, but packs WRQVRI¿EHUYLWDPLQ&DQG calcium. And for something that sounds so exotically European, it’s downright inexpensive. So grab a few and try them in some of your favorite recipes that star other greens — raw in place of escarole, sauteed instead of cabbage or kale, simply grilled or roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper and squeeze of lemon. Or try my version of the dish that started it all — Madame Gabillet’s Belgian endive gratin. ——— Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.” BELGIAN ENDIVE GRATIN 6WDUWWR¿QLVK 45 minutes (15 minutes active) 6HUYLQJV 4 By KAVITHA SURANA Associated Press ROSALIE, Dominica — “Are you sure this is the right ZD\"´,DVNHGP\OHJÀDLO- LQJWR¿QGDQRWKHUFUHYLFH in the tree knots below me. Luca, my husband, respond- ed with a grunt — not very reassuring. Luca and I are not exactly avid hikers or adrenaline MXQNLHV²QRVNLLQJVXU¿QJ or bungee-jumping for us on a typical vacation. But when the urge to escape the winter grind struck, we didn’t just want to relax on the beach. We also wanted some element of inspiration and adventure — however mild. Only question: Where to go? We decided to make RXU¿UVWWULSWRWKH&DULEEHDQ to two islands, Dominica and Barbados, each with its own allure. And that’s how we ended up hanging over a cliff face in Dominica. *HWWLQJGLUW\LQ 'RPLQLFD • 2 tablespoons butter VPDOO\HOORZRQLRQ¿QHO\ chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon WDEOHVSRRQVDOOSXUSRVHÀRXU • 2 cups reduced-fat milk • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • Salt and ground black pepper • 4 small to medium Belgian endives • 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a medium (9-by-9-inch) baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tarragon, then cook until fragrant, DQRWKHUPLQXWH:KLVNLQWKHÀRXUDQG cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Cut off the woody stems of the endive and slice them in half lengthwise. Season them with salt and pepper. Place the endive in the 'RPLQLFDDGYHQWXUH%DUEDGRVUHOD[DWLRQ Belgian endive gratin. prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce over the endive halves. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the endive is tender. If desired, increase heat to broil and broil the gratin until the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 1 minute. AP Photo/Matthew Mead Be careful as the cheese will burn quickly. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Nutrition information per serving: 230 calories; 120 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 14 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 45 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 3 g ¿EHUJVXJDUJSURWHLQPJ sodium. A rugged, hard-to reach, self-proclaimed “nature is- land” dropped into the Lesser Antilles, Dominica is as far away from the all-inclusive Caribbean experience as you can get. Instead of bands of tranquil beaches crawling with tourists, it’s covered with lush rain forest and enough trails to keep you hiking for weeks. We were climbing down :DYLQH&\ULTXHRQRXU¿UVW day, a vertical trail of tangled mangrove roots and impro- vised rope ladders. And we had, in fact, managed to lose our way. There was nothing to do but keep going. But as we learned throughout the trip, Domini- ca always rewards a struggle. Safely reaching the bottom, we found ourselves on a scene straight out of “Pirates of the Caribbean” with a secluded black sand beach, a waterfall shooting off the cliff into the rough sea and a coconut tree swaying lazily in the breeze. Dominica was full of AP Photo/Kavitha Surana This January 2015 photos shows Victoria Falls on the Ca- ribbean island of Dominica. Dominica, sometimes called the “nature island,” offers hiking trails, lush rain forest, cliffs and black-sand beaches. small astonishments like that. After scrambling over muddy rocks and wading through rivers for an hour, we’d VXGGHQO\¿QGRXUVHOYHVIDFHG with a powerful waterfall emptying into a basin of turquoise water — perfect for swimming. Snorkeling, we not only enjoyed watching QHRQ¿VKDQGVHDFXFXPEHUV but thanks to the island’s volcanic activity, we were surrounded by sparkling bubbles that give the spot its name: Champagne Reef. I couldn’t have felt farther from my usual busy sched- ule. In the morning, we’d start the day with a refresh- ing jump into the river. At night, we curled up in a comfortably furnished yurt at a property called Mermaid’s Secret, falling asleep to the calls of crickets and frogs. But sometimes, as they say, you need a “vacation from the vacation.” Domini- ca’s isolated natural beauty HQFKDQWHGXV%XWDIWHU¿YH days of exploring, our mus- cles were tied up in knots and our legs were crisscrossed with scratches. Before we headed back to snow, we were still dreaming of a perfect beach day. Luckily, Barbados was next on our itinerary. %HDFKRQDEXGJHW LQ%DUEDGRV Soon, we were crammed into a white van, Luca scrunched up next to our suitcase, reggae music mak- ing us want to dance. For one U.S. dollar, we were heading from the airport to the home of our Airbnb hosts. We chose to visit Barba- dos because it was on Dom- LQLFD¶VÀLJKWSDWKÀLJKWV also pass through Antigua) but also because we’d heard it was relatively easy on the wallet. Its postcard-perfect beaches are free and public transportation is simple to navigate. Almost every time we stepped onto the street, a van pulled up next to us, ready to whisk us away. $W¿UVWZHZHUHDELW dazed by the crowded beach- HVRYHUÀRZLQJZLWKIDPLOLHV on vacation. But thanks to the vans, with a little legwork we found perfectly secluded beaches in Barbados too. Juma’s Restaurant, in Speightstown, was an easy favorite. Pool-calm waters, an immaculate stretch of sand and free use of lounge chairs and umbrellas make it the island’s best-kept secret. On the Saturday we visited, the lounge chairs didn’t even ¿OOXS)RUDQLQH[SHQVLYH lunch you can buy a sand- wich for $5. On the other side of the island, try Bottom Bay. With its dramatic cliffs and foamy waters, it was clear to see why it’s popular for fashion shoots. There are no restaurants nearby, so pack a picnic, but you can buy a pina colada in a fresh coco- nut onsite. Still, there’s a time and place for crowds in the Caribbean. On Friday nights, tourists and locals alike de- scend on Oistins Fish Fry, an outdoor bazaar of restaurant VKDFNVWKDW¿[XSRYHUÀRZ- LQJSODWHVRI¿VKSODQWDLQV and macaroni for $15. As the night went on, the music turned up, more locals joined in, and the stage became a freewheeling dance scene where everybody showed off their moves. On our last morning, we woke up with the sunrise. As ZHWRRNRXU¿QDOGLSLQWKH warm waters before head- ing home to face the rest of ZLQWHU,IHOWVDWLV¿HGWKDW we’d accomplished our goal: the perfect introduction to the Caribbean. ³$QGZHDUHGH¿QLWHO\ coming back,” Luca said. Supporting local businesses, will also support members of your own community that pay taxes, serve on committees, teach our children, and serve our needs. Every dollar that is spent locally helps retain our local businesses, and benefits the future of our community. DG gifts & Screen Printing 430 SW 2nd Street, Pendleton, OR 97801 541-966-0974 www.dggifts.com Elite Guns & Bows 213 SE 2nd, Pendleton OR 97801 541-276-1243 Mon. - Fri. 9am-6pm, Sat. 9am-3pm Kelly Lumber Supply Inc. 1211 Tutuilla Road, Pendleton, OR 97801 541-278-4446 www.kellylumber.com “Proud to Support our Community” DG gifts & Screen Printing Elite Guns & Bows Kelly Lumber Supply
