Recommended Restaurant: Norma's Burgers, Olympia, WA

When I first began this blog in March of 2009 I was so excited to go out and try new restaurants and coffee shops. I thought it would be fun to pick a new place to eat, and write a little review, from my perspective, on the quality of food I ordered, the service, and cleanliness of the restaurant. After many visits to this particular restaurant I am going to highly recommend this place to eat:

Norma's Burgers is located in Olympia, WA. They have two locations just a few miles apart from each other, both located off Martin Way. One of their locations is right off the I-5 in Nisqually. My family has eaten there numerous times in the past few months. Everytime we walk in we are seated immediately. The place is clean, the waitstaff is always ready to serve you and friendly, and the menus look new. I always find it disgusting when you go out to eat and are handed a sticky, food-smeared-on-plastic menu (really, who wouldn't find that disgusting!). Norma's Burgers menu is simple- salads, seafood, hamburgers, sandwiches, and shakes.

When we order our food it has always come out in a timely manner and is served to us hot! The food is always so fresh and satisfying. My favorite is the cheeseburger combo (with french fries and soda). I have had the chicken fingers, and also the double cheeseburger. I have never been disapointed with anything I have ordered. You can taste how fresh the meat is, soft the hamburger bun is, and crisp the raw vegetables are on the burger. My boyfriend often orders the General Patton burger (a juicy patty topped with double cheese, bacon, jalepenos, pineapple and mustard). He is always satisfied. I asked him for his opinion and he said, "They seem to take pride in their food. If I want to go out and get a high-quality, old-fashioned hamburger, Norma's Burgers is the place that comes to mind". The prices are very reasonable for the quality, and amount of food you are served.

They serve breakfast and dinner. There are always customers inside, and the place seems to stay busy- always a positive sign of a good restaurant.

If you want to try a new place to eat in Olympia, I highly recommend you stop and try Norma's Burgers. I would love to hear what you think of the place too.

You can visit their website and take a look at the menu online: normasburger.com

Recipe: Chicken Milanese with Spring Greens

My kitchen helper pounding the chicken

Chicken ready to be cooked

3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
dash of sugar
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (I used Panko breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups packed spring mix salad greens
2 lemon wedges

Combine juice, vinegar, shallots, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and sugar; let stand 15 minutes.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallot or small heavy skillet.

Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish.

Place flour in a shallow dish.

Place egg white in a shallow dish.

Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Dredge chicken in flour; dip in egg white.

Dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place chicken on a wire rack; let stand for 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken; cook 3 minutes.

Turn chicken over; cook 2 minutes or until browned and done.

Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to shallot mixture; stir with a whisk.

Add greens; toss gently.

Place 1 chicken breast half and 1 cup salad on each of 2 plates.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Cooking Light, May 2010

Blackened Tilapia

For Fish:
4 tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 lemon, juiced

Blackening Spice:
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

In a small bowl combine all of the spices. Press a heaping tablespoon of the spice mix onto each fillet so that both sides are liberally coated. Allow the fish to sit for 15 minutes at room temperature prior to cooking.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is almost smoking, add the fillets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with lemon juice and transfer the fillets to serving platter.

Chilpotle Slaw

Serve: 4 Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (wear gloves please!)


• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or 1/2 cup plain yogurt plus 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, or 1/2 cup sour cream or 1/4 cup sour cream plus 1/4 cup mayonnaise)


• 1 tablespoon honey


• 1 tablespoon lime juice


• 1/4 pound shredded white cabbage (about 1 cup)


• 1/4 pound shredded red cabbage (about 1 cup)


• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions


• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Make the Chipotle Slaw by combining the chipotle pepper, mayonnaise, honey and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. *If you are using the plain yogurt, put the yogurt into a strainer lined with apaper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.


2. Stir well, then add the shredded cabbage, red onions, green onions and stir to thoroughly combine.


3. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Steak and Eggs Burritos

My husband loves the steak & egg burritos from Jack in the Box. I try to copy theirs. This recipe will make a large batch of the burrito fixins that you can freeze, or store in the refrigerator so that you can make great breakfast burritos whenever you please.

Serve: 12 Cook: 40 mins.

Ingredients:
3-4 top sirloin steaks
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chunky salsa
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 cups Mexican cheese blend
15 eggs or 32 oz. egg substitute
1/2 box of frozen hash brown patties (5 patties)
12 large flour tortillas
1 can of diced tomaoes & green chiles
a pinch of chilpotle salsa

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine olive oil, salsa, cumin, garlic salt, and cilantro.
3. Place steaks in a shallow baking dish. Pour mixture over steaks.
4. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes or until they reach desired doneness.
5. Transfer the steak to a cutting board. Cover it loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in foil (about 4 in a batch) and heat in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Mean time, pan fry hash browns on medium heat, 5 minutes per side. Let it cool; cut into strips; set a side.
8. While the steak is resting, cook the eggs. Pour desired amount of eggs into non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir gently until eggs are set and slightly moist. Set a side.
9. In a small bowl, mix diced tomatoes and a pinch of chilpotle salsa.
10. To serve, divide eggs evenly among the tortillas. Add steaks & hash browns. Sprinkle each with about 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 tsp. salsa and roll up.
11. Serve with tomato Salsa and sour cream.

Aged Black Garlic

It’s matte-black and gooey-soft with a chewyishy texture. It’s sweet, mild, caramelly and reminds me of molasses. Black garlic also boasts additional antioxidants when compared to regular garlic. This article will get you going on how to make your very own black garlic by simply fermenting garlic in a warm rice cooker. Black garlic is an unusual delight to eat as a side or incorporate into a meal.

Time: 17 days

Ingredients:

• 15~30 whole garlic bulbs

Directions:

1. Make sure the rice cooker can be set to a warm setting.


2. Place the entire garlic bulb inside a rice cooker and allow the garlic ferment for 10days. Try not to disturb the garlic during the fermentation.


3. After 10 days, Black garlic is placed on wire racks to cool and dry over the course of one week. Again. Make sure the location should be dry & cool, no direct sunlight.


4. Enjoy the wonderful and tasty treat of home brew black garlic!

Random Picks: The Love for Cooking and Baking!

I love to cook! It's that simple. Having someone to cook for makes it even more enjoyable. I like to plan my meals out a week in advance- plan my menu on the weekends and go grocery shopping. When Monday comes, after a long day at work, I have all the ingredients already in the kitchen and can get dinner on the table in a short time.

Lately, I have been thinking about how I got so interested in cooking. I know I was young. I had a grandma that was an excellent baker and when she came to visit we would have a "baking day". During the holiday's, my mom would bake up a batch of sugar cookies for us to decorate and put a plate together for our friends and neighbors. At about the age of 10, one of my chores was to make dinner once a week. I remember often making my family tostadas. When a kid learns to cook you have to start somewhere, and that is where I began.

Growing up, my mom always cooked a solid, healthy meal and we would all sit down and eat together. The simply variety of food she prepared got me interested in how to cook. Soon I began getting cookbooks and looking at food magazines. By the time I moved out of the house I had boxes and boxes of cookbooks, almost too much kitchenware, and a huge passion for cooking.

I'm not much of a sweet eater, but baking is one of my most favorite things. I find it satisfying to mix a whole lot of ingredients in my KitchenAid mixer and watch it all blend together into a sweet-smelling, gooey mix. I remember as a little girl, the best thing when my mom baked was she let us lick the spatulas, mixer paddle, and swip the bowl of batter with our fingers after she was done.

Today, I have even a bigger love for food. With many years of experience behind me, I find myself so excited to get in the kitchen and cook. I am happiest when I am in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit!