Salmon & Mango Poke Bowl

This is my new favorite thing: poke bowls. Which I know is super "trendy" of me, but have you tried them?! Finding sushi-grade fish around these parts was a feat, so perhaps they also taste a bit like a well-deserved victory to me.

I called three grocery stores, none of which said they had sushi grade fish. I went to two, one were the lady said I "could" use the tuna, but the look on her face told me not to. Another where the only sushi-grade fish they had came in an vacuum-sealed, freezer package of small (too small) fillets. 

Finally we visited the Pacific Ocean Market, which is in the next town over. The woman on the phone said they had tuna and salmon for sushi, which was promising. All faith we had in the Pacific Ocean Market dropped to rock-bottom when we actually got there though, and the un-filleted fish were unlabeled, and the guy behind the counter only spoke Chinese. He made a motion, showing us to just point at what we want. How were we (two people that have never been into fishing or lived by the sea) supposed to know what was what? Let alone which was ok for sushi? (I have since learned that none of those would've been ok for sushi, so I'm glad we didn't just point at something random).  

Another customer saw we were struggling, and tried to help (she spoke Chinese). But we were pointed over to a freezer case where some mystery white fish was wrapped up in cellophane and was probably best suited for a fish fry. 

We went to the front counter and found two ladies, who between themselves could piece together some English, but they spoke Vietnamese, not Chinese, so couldn't help with the fish situation. Finally, someone found the store manager--the lady we had originally talked to on the phone- who directed us to the right deep-freeze case of fish. (Sushi fish, in a place like Colorado where it has to be shipped and stored, should be frozen to a certain temperature and for a certain amount of time in order to kill off any parasites). 

We rustled through the unorganized case: Eel, Tuna, Shrimp, Halibut. Our confidence in the quality of the fish had dropped to rock bottom when we had been pointed to the fry-fish. 

In the end I went back to store number two, and bought several tiny packages of salmon in vacuum-sealed plastics, and a box labeled "Sushi and Sashimi." At least I could read it. 

Night one we ate sushi, but when we had one packet left the next day I jumped on the poke train. AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT! Can we all just go to Hawaii now? 🙋🏻✈️

(I spent the first week calling this "poa-kee," which confused everyone. Oliver started calling it "pokemon" just to make fun of me, and finally I looked up the pronunciation: "poa-kay"). So take note and avoid looking like a fool like me! 😉

Salmon & Mango Poke Bowl

Published September 5, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 10 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces sushi grade salmon
• 2 cups mixed greens 
• 1/4 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup sliced cucumber
• 1/4 cup diced mango
• 1 diced bell pepper (I used 1/2 of a red and half of a green for color)
• 1/2 of an avocado, sliced
• 1 green onion, sliced 
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 
• Pickled ginger
• Optional: 1 cup cooked rice
• Optional, for serving: wasabi, soy sauce, hot sauce such as Sriracha 

Directions:

1. Slice salmon into bite-sized pieces.
2. Arrange bowls: If you desire, place a half cup of rice at bottom of bowl. Then arrange mixed greens, shredded cabbage, sliced cucumber, diced mango, bell peppers, and sliced avocado in bowl. Divide salmon between both bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion.
3. Serve with pickled ginger and any other accoutrements of your choice: wasabi, soy sauce, Sriracha, etc.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup

Colorado has 53 peaks that reach to 14,000 feet above sea level but up until this week I haven't summited a single one. This has been on purpose, for the most part: hiking has never really been my thing, and when I discovered I had a stress injury in my foot from running, I thought I would have to retire the idea of long hikes (and runs) for good. 

But then I had one of those days where I just wanted to be outside, in the thin air. You know the feeling: an ache for adventure. That's when my roommate started talking about doing a 14er called Mount Bierstadt, which is known for being one of the more approachable peaks in Colorado. I surprised even myself when I said I wanted to join. We packed up our bags and prepped for an early departure the next morning. 

The trailhead is above tree line, so even before you start hiking the air is thin and the scenery is alpine in nature. You actually start hiking downhill which had me worried from the get go (thinking, I'll have to hike up this hill when I'm done and tired!) but then the heavy lifting starts quickly. We kept up a quick pace and summited two hours later! It was easier than I expected. My legs continued to move out of muscle memory, but I knew as soon as I stopped they'd become heavy. We had a quick snack, and then headed back down.

Back at the car, cold drinks were our reward. Back home, a real meal and some well-deserved couch time (it was Game of Thornes night, and we couldn't skip that!) 

This soup: I grew only cherry tomato plants this summer, because I love them so. I find they give great output. This soup is perfect for rainy fall days when the tomatoes are copious and weather allows you to turn the oven on to roast a few tomatoes. 

Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup

Published August 22, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 5 cups cherry tomatoes, assorted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• 1/3 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan or 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Dash cayenne or red pepper flakes
• 3 sprigs basil, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes in bowl with minced garlic and drizzle with oil. Toss until all tomatoes are coated in oil. Spread out on sheet pan. Place in oven, and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the skins are just starting to turn brown. Remove from oven.
2. Scrape tomatoes into the jar of a blender. Add cream, parmesan or nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, cayenne, and basil. Puree until few chunks remain. Pour into serving bowls.
3. Top soup with extra cheese and basil. Serve hot.

Roasted Corn & Chicken Salad with Avocado

In my neck of the woods, the mountains seem to tower over you and the city in a way that makes both feel small. Driving towards them I often wonder what it was like to be a pioneer, venturing across the plains in a covered wagon and then (then!) laying eyes on the towering Rockies ahead. What a mixture of thoughts they must've had: awestruck by the peaks, worried about the journey ahead. And just imagine how many sunsets they watched, day after day moving no more than 15 or 20 miles ahead of where they started. What a life that was. 

You would never know it from my participation in history classes, but one of my favorite things to ponder is what happened "way back when". When I consider why I am so intrigued by history, two things stick out at me.

First, I think of the afternoons my mom and I used to spend hopping from antique store to antique store. How proud I was when I bought my first antique! In proper Caitlin-fashion, it was a kitchen supply: a silver tray with matching silver glasses, meant for serving aperitifs (though in grade school I'm sure I just thought they kid sized glasses). 

But I also get hung up on something, and this is reason number two: I don't know my heritage. On my mom's side, there are guesses but nothing is fact. On my dad's side, everything has been over simplified. I want to know the details! As a teen I spent an absurd amount of time looking up surnames and piecing together random tidbits of information.  What I think I know is that most of my ancestors are Native American--something I quite enjoy thinking about. The original tenders of this very land I stand on now. But of course, this is just what I think I know. 

What doesn't escape my wandering thoughts is the history of food: What did my ancestors eat? (As hunters and gathers, when did they first eat traditional crops, like corn?) What did ancient corn taste like? (Certainly not like the corn used in this dish) Did people like jalapeños when they first tasted them? How did they ever figure out how to ferment cacao pods and create xocoatl? 

Oh how I could ponder for hours on hours! Have you ever seeked answers like these? Have you taken any DNA test to learn more? Which one? What did you think? I have been debating taking one, just to satisfy my curiosity. 

Roasted Corn & Chicken Salad with Avocado

Published July 6, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

   |     Print This Recipe

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 pound chicken, diced to bite-sized pieces
• 1 summer squash, diced
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves or garlic, minced
• 3 cobs of corn, with the kernels sliced off and the cobs discarded
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Dash salt & pepper
• Dash cumin 
• Dash paprika 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced 
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 cups baby arugula (or chopped kale, or both) 
• 1 jalapeño, sliced
• 1/4 cup queso fresco or feta, crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil over medium heat until the oil glistens. Add the chicken, searing on one side. When the chicken pieces are browned on the bottom, flip and cook them on the other side until browned. Use a slotted spoon to move the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Add diced summer squash, onion, minced garlic, corn, and red bell pepper to the pan. Sauté until the summer squash is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken back to the pan, and stir to combine. Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and cilantro.
3. To serve: lay the arugula on a serving dish in an even layer. Top with the chicken corn mixture. Then, arrange diced avocado and sliced jalapeño on top. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.