Food Truck-O-Rama: El Corazon and Bite Into Maine

The O-Rama series returns! Remember Thai-o-Rama? Portland area food bloggers ate at all 12 Portland Thai food restaurants and had so much fun that we O-rama'ed for another year on various topics. Enthusiasm eventually waned, but now that food trucks have come to Portland, we've come out of retirement to O-rama again! 

A. of Portland Food Map coordinated the effort as usual, and I volunteered to cover El Corazon and Bite Into Maine. I first saw El Corazon at Flea Bites, the First Friday food truck and vintage shopping event at Portland Flea-for-All. It was their premiere, so they sold out while I was waiting in line. 

Not to be deterred, I sought them out for lunch on Saturday, where I found them in their usual spot on Commercial St. at the bottom of Franklin St. They were serving tacos, burritos, taquitos, tamales, and their Sonoran (bacon-wrapped) hot dog.  

I ordered a round of tacos, carnitas ($2.50) and two fish ($2.75 each), and some potato and cheese taquitos ($3.75 for 3). (Yes, tacos and fried tacos, thank you.) The carnitas filling was a little dry, but tasty and simple. The corn tortillas are substantial as far as support, but light in texture indicating that they're housemade. 

The Baja fish taco was excellent, with a spicy, creamy sauce, crunchy slaw, and small bites of lightly fried white fish. I very much enjoyed these. 

A. got a carne asada burrito ($5.50), and while it disappeared quickly, I took a bite that was very flavorful. In addition to the meat, the burrito was full of refried beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa verde. 

The taquitos were great too - crunchy and full of mashed potato (I was expecting those tiny adorable potato cubes) and cheese and then covered in more cheese, sour cream, and guac. Very decadent. 

Topped off with a pineapple agua fresca, we had a filling, inexpensive lunch that was a great sampling of Mexican food. I recommend you seek out El Corazon. They post their schedule on their website, and also use Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to announce their daily location.  

My next food truck lunch came from Bite Into Maine, the lobster roll cart in Fort Williams park in Cape Elizabeth. Bite Into Maine has been there for a while (this is their third year), and owners Sarah and Karl have been instrumental in helping to change the legislation that allows food trucks in Portland. So they're sort of the godparents of the Portland food truck movement. 

The BIM cart is parked scenically on the top of a hill overlooking the lighthouse at Fort Williams and the ocean beyond that. When I went, it was a beautiful day with many tourists lining up for lobster rolls.  

After chatting with Sarah and Karl (who are wicked nice), I ordered a picnic style lobster roll ($13.95) and a corn, cucumber, blueberry salad ($3.95). Picnic style lobster comes dressed with hot butter and celery salt and is served over a bed of cole slaw inside the split top buttered, toasted bun. Rolls are also available Maine-style with mayo and chives, Connecticut-style with hot butter, Wasabi, Curry, and Chipotle. 

This was easily the best lobster roll I've had. I don't tend to order them too often (pricey, potentially bad), but I would if they were all like this one. The lobster was tender, in bite-sized pieces (avoiding ending up with lobster meat in your lap), with a nice crunch from the cole slaw. The addition of butter was seamless, adding a nice flavor without overwhelming the meat. 

The corn, blueberry salad was good as well with red onion and cilantro, but paled in comparison to the delicious lobster roll. BIM also sells Maine Root soda, Moxie (and Diet Moxie, which I did not know existed), whoopie pies, and kettle chips—lots of great treats to round out your lunch. 

The food cart does travel (I saw them at a beer festival on Friday night), but for the most part is at Fort Williams daily from 12-6pm. Check their schedule before you go. 

Happy Hour at the North Point

After peeking inside during a failed attempt at Happy Hour at The North Point (our group was too large to find seats in the crowded bar), I knew I wanted to come back. The North Point is located on Silver St. in Portland's Old Port, and its brightly colored, quirky exterior makes it easy to spot. 

Warm with yellow walls, sepia-tone photographs, and lots of throw pillows, it's very comfortable and welcoming inside. The staff is very friendly and the tables are close together, creating a convivial atmosphere. This is not where you go if you're seeking privacy or a close conversation (head to the Armory Lounge down the hill for that). 

A. and I started to order cocktails (around $11 each) - she was going to have a Gin Rickey and I was going for some Champagne St. Germaine ginger cocktail, but then we spotted the happy hour deals. Draught beers are $3 and wines are $4 from 4-6pm. We quickly switched our order to take advantage of this great happy hour deal (seriously, that's half price!). 

We also ordered a meat and cheese plate from the 'Make Your Own' selection, with Manchego, Taleggio, and Prosciutto ($4.50 each, so $13.50 total) accompanied by baguette slices, fig compote, green apples, and strawberries. 

I thought the price was steep for the portion (see the one piece of Taleggio in the back?), as we'd recently been spoiled by the bounty of a charcuterie plate for the same price at Outliers Eatery. 

When LBK arrived, we ordered the bruschetta of the day, the particulars of which escape me now. It was artichoke, tomato, Parmesan? It was good with a substantial portion for the price ($10?). I also enjoyed a medley of olives ($8). Their menu also has a wide selection of stuffed flatbreads, some salad, soup, and several paté options. 

So maybe the food is a little pricey for what it is and the vibe they're going for. But the drink specials at happy hour may ease the pain, and the place is fun with friendly staff. 

Note: has anyone else noticed that I only write about happy hours anymore? This girl needs to get out and order an entree, dammit! 

Dishcrawl Portland

I was invited to tag along on last night's Dishcrawl  - think pub crawl, but with restaurants, and strangers instead of your posse. Dishcrawl is a national event, but was brought to Portland by local Mary Soule. She's very enthusiastic about Portland and its food community, so she was a perfect, welcoming host. 

We started the evening at The Porthole, with the rest of our stops remaining a secret. We were given about 20 minutes to mingle and to get a drink, and Mary did a nice job of circulating and introducing people to get the crowd warmed up. There were 20 of us on this tour, as one of our stops was small, but Dishcrawls normally can accomodate 30 people. 

To begin our program, Mary introduced herself and Dishcrawl, which aims to highlight an area's food culture while creating community. There isn't much more of program other than that provided by the chefs (which varies depending on the chattiness of your chef), so chatting up the other Dishcrawlers while you wait and then eating is the majority of your evening. 

At the Porthole, Chef Jesse Poirier introduced their new menu items, which include locally produced food wherever possible. We were served a veggie bean burger, adorable fish tacos, and a "Surf and Turf" burger topped with lobster tail. Everything was delicious, with the burger as the standout item - the patty was cooked medium and the sweet lobster meat and brioche bun were a nice compliment. 

Next, I was delighted to head up the hill to The Thirsty Pig, one of my favorite watering holes. I ordered an Allagash Blonde, which I'd never seen before and thought would pair nicely with whatever meats Allison was going to serve us. (Alcohol is not include in the ticket price.) 

After Allison told us about The Thirsty Pig and her involvement with Maine Beer Week, we were served a trio of meat - a Lithuanian sausage with Morse's sauerkraut and grainy mustard, a chicken sausage with caramelized onions, and Allison's dad's recipe for pulled pork, which includes grape jelly and Bourbon in the sauce. Again, all are housemade and use local products when possible. 

I didn't have a favorite here - they were all equally delicious. Yes, I say that even including the chicken sausage. The Lithuanian sausage was nice and sweet, the pulled pork everything that it should be - sweet, tender, spicy. 

After heading up the hill more and then down the tiny alley to Dana Street, I knew we were headed to Blue Rooster Food Company and that tot-tine was in my future. 

After crowding into the small lunchtime and late night eatery, we were treated to an introduction by the friendly chefs, Dan McCarty and Damian Sansonetti. Dan explained their culinary backgrounds (impressive) and their concept of high-quality "low brow" food at reasonable prices. 

Not having had any of their sandwiches, I was excited to try the biscuit I'd heard so much about - this time with fried chicken, house made Ranch dressing, and a root vegetable slaw. It was fantastic. Unfortunately, this sandwich only appears as a special, but you can try the biscuit with their Red Eye breakfast sandwich. 

We were also served a Tasso ham Bahn Mi, tot-tine, and my favorite (more than the tot-tine!): fried Brussels sprouts with sweet chili sauce. 

To finish the evening, we headed to The Salt Exchange, where I've never spent much time. We were served a dessert of goat cheese cheesecake, with a strawberry rhubarb coulis and honey-sweetened whipped cream. It was fantastic and gone in no time. 

I finished the evening chatting with some Dishcrawlers while I enjoyed a cocktail from the bar. The tour finished at about 10pm.

I enjoyed my experience, and heard from a lot of participants that they were in places they'd never been or never would have thought to try. So Mary is accomplishing the mission of Dishcrawls to connect locals with new restaurants. These tours are aimed at locals, with Dishcrawls being offered more frequently in the winter when the restaurants aren't as busy.

Just like the Maine Foodie Tours, this would be a fun thing to do if you live in Maine and have out of town visitors. You might even make new friends and you will definitely have some good food. 

Dining on Portland's Commercial St.

I had an unusual experience Saturday evening. Someone asked me where they should eat. That's not the unusual part - as a food blogger, I can talk about eating out in Portland at length. You might actually get more than you bargained for in that conversation.

I was on my way into Sapporo, a fairly standard sushi restaurant on Commercial St. The group in front of us was lingering at the menu, and as the last person in the party, I got the question, hey, is this place good? The unusual thing then was that I was kind of stumped. (Fortunately these people were strangers and didn't know I'm a food blogger!)

My half-hearted shrug then elicited a plea for a better dinner recommendation, and after trying unsuccessfully to see if they could get to Fuji on Exchange St (they wanted sushi and hibachi), I realized that the group was from way out of town.

So my attitude changed, and I declared, no, you shouldn't eat here. And this is nothing against Sapporo - I ate there that night, after all. But rather, if you're coming to Portland for the weekend, a fairly generic sushi restaurant that could be in any city or town is not where you should be spending Saturday night.

Well, we've heard of Fore Street... they said, after my (admittedly half-hearted) suggestion for Vignola/Cinque Terre was met with a lukewarm response. But I couldn't in good conscience send them there. They were young, one of the guys was already kind of drunk, they'd spend way too much money without realizing what hit them.

So I looked up and down Commercial Street and could not come up with a place nearby to send them that'd I feel good about.

I was thinking, what restaurant will make you feel like you're in a seaside town, that will serve you a good meal that isn't primarily fried, maybe some good seafood, some nice cocktails, that feels fun and a little bit fancy...

And in my head I'm thinking of all the restaurants down Commercial St, supposedly the "It" spot for tourists. The Farmers' Table? No, reportedly not good. J's Oyster? No, too divey. Andy's or RiRa? No, both too pubby.

Photo by Corey Templeton of PortlandDailyPhoto.com

And then I hit on it: Old Port Sea Grill. A good mix of fried and not-fried seafood, a nice environment but one where Mr. Already Drunk would still fit in, good cocktails, and a big fish tank. Perfect.

I sent them down the street promising them a good Dark and Stormy in their future and felt that I'd done a bunch of tourists right by Portland.

So how'd I do? (Writing this now, I realize that In'finiti would have also been a nice option, although I think the food is mixed.) Where would you send someone to eat from Commercial Street (keeping in mind that they were directionally impaired)? Isn't it kind of odd that they aren't better dining options down on our main tourist drag?

Happy Hour at Outliers Eatery

Outliers Eatery sits quietly at the bottom of Brackett Street in Portland's West End, overlooking the Casco Bay Bridge. Apparently it's not very well known yet, but if you add that it used to be that bar with the plane tail sticking out of it, you might get some nods of recognition.

The small restaurant and bar are beautiful - I gather the place was extensively redone, because it looks new. The dining room has banquettes on one wall, and a few tables against a half wall that separate it from the bar area.

The porch overlooks a little park that then overlooks the harbor and the Casco Bay bridge. The restaurant began to fill while we were there, but was never packed. There was ample parking. Our server was friendly. We were smitten.

The mild weather Friday afternoon led us to the porch for happy hour, sampling some Maine beers (which were half price from 4-6pm) and some small plates. 

We started with the Rising Tide Maine Island Trail Ale, which is a great summer beer. If you can find it, you should drink it. The charcuterie plate ($12) was large, with sour pickles, mortadella, salami, prosciutto, sopressata, lavender chèvre, and pumpernickel bread. 

We also enjoyed the mussels ($11), which were plump and came with plenty of sour, crusty bread for mopping up the garlic and wine sauce. The sauce was reduced so it was full of flavor, something that was lacking in the last dish of mussels I tried at a shall-not-be-named new restaurant.

Then there's the bathrooms... you have heard about their bathrooms, right? The elegant decor of this place belies the fact that their men's room contains a tribute to Hunter S. Thompson. The Ralph Steadman prints might tip you off, but regardless of your gender, you've got to check it out. (It's a single, so you don't need to worry about it being occupied.)

The fixtures are black, the mirror is broken (intentionally), even the toilet paper is back. A case above the urinal contains a shrine to Thompson - green accountant visor, aviators, a map of Buenos Ares, Xanax...  and the pay phone plays recordings of Thompson's work when you pick it up.

In contrast, the ladies' room is done in luxe white and gold, with lotion dispensers and individual cloth towels to dry your hands on. I'm not entirely sure why the men get the fun, themed bathroom and the ladies don't, but whatever.

So despite the secret rock and roll theme, Outliers isn't necessarily your neighborhood bar (that's Ruski's, up the hill from here). The small plates and entrees are on the pricer end, which does not usually please a happy hour crowd. The beer selection and view from the porch, however, make for a great watering hole.

But I see this place as more of a 'date night out' kind of restaurant. The entrees we saw being carried through the dining room looked beautiful and made our mouths water. Whether you end up coming in for a full dinner or just stop by for nibbles and a local beer, check out Outliers and welcome them to the neighborhood.

Beers and Patios: Porthole, Maine Beer Co., Liquid Riot

Friday was so beautiful here in Portland that I pushed for an outdoor location for happy hour. I wanted to use the opportunity to check out either Liquid Riot's new deck or the refurbished Porthole. My friends are in increasing numbers reporting to... not love the food at Liquid Riot, so we went to the Porthole. 

Just like old times, I settled into a picnic table with an Allagash White on the Porthole's porch. There stands the mini-stage where the Reggae Sunday shit show goes down, the railing where the giant seagulls perch predatorily, the big blue Shipyard umbrellas over wooden picnic tables. So not much has changed aesthetically at the Porthole. 

I ordered a half-dozen wings ($6) and took my server's recommendation of salt and vinegar flavored, while adding a side of their Buffalo sauce. The wings were excellent, crispy and fat, with a mouth-puckering seasoning dusted on them. Their Buffalo sauce seems Franks-based and would be a good choice of sauce too.

A brief rain shower prompted us to move inside, where the restaurant has been cleaned up (and certainly so in the kitchen), but I was struck by how loud it was. This is certainly not a place to go if you're trying to engage in meaningful conversation with your company. 

On Saturday, rainy day trip adventures found me coming back through Freeport for an early happy hour at the Maine Beer Co. tasting room. Located just south of downtown Freeport, the new location for Maine Beer Co. apparently is a big step up for the brewery. 

The space is clean and new, with very little clutter, which really shows you that the beer is their main focus. At the bar, you can order small tastes or flights of four or eight beers. A. and I went "all in" with eight 4-5oz. pours for $18. 

Plenty of other people were enjoying the tasting room too, and we settled into a picnic table surrounded by the happy buzz of, well, buzzed beer drinkers. 

In addition to six regular brews (Peeper, Zoe, Lunch, Mean Old Tom, King Titus, and Mo) we tried Pilot 1 - a hoppy American ale and Pilot 2 - a Saison. 

All were delicious, but I chose Peeper, Lunch, King Titus, and Pilot 2 for my softball team. 

Bonus! I even made it to Liquid Riot's deck last night, although it was decidedly not deck weather by the time I got out there. We did have the place all to ourselves, and this lovely view, which is not one I'd had the chance to appreciate before (having had no reason to wander down this private pier before).  

I hear the weather is headed back up into the 70s at the end of this week, so I'll be out on a deck for happy hour again soon. 

'Flea Bites' Portland Food Truck Event

The first Flea Bites of the year, a food truck and vintage sale at the Flea-for-All thrift shop, took place on Friday night, showcasing some of Portland's newest food trucks. Both El Corazon and Wicked Good food truck debuted on Friday, while Gusto's Italian food truck was serving their famous pizza cones. 

Unfortunately for me, El Corazon sold out while I was waiting in line. But their debut effort was apparently well received. I was looking forward to trying their fish taco, so I'll be sure to follow up and hunt them down soon. 

I hopped over into the Wicked Good line, where I chatted with their friendly lobster mascot. I ordered Chicken and Waffles ($7 for a large order) and fries with a garlic aioli. I got the LAST order of chicken, which I tried to keep on the down low. I feel there were a lot of still-hungry people at that point.  

The fried chicken was excellent - boneless tenders that were very moist with a crunchy coating. The waffles were nice and thick, served with real maple syrup. The fries were good too - the garlic aioli a nice touch. We were impressed with their initial offerings. 

So far the Portland food truck scene is a success! Flea Bites will happen every first Friday of the month, featuring different food trucks each time. 

Rising Tide Brewery, down in East Bayside will also have food trucks in their parking lot every Saturday, while their tasting room is open for beers and growler fills. 

Curried Rhubarb Orange Chutney

Rhubarb is one of the first signs of spring here in Maine - the rhubarb plant in my boyfriend's yard is huge already. Because we use the big vegetative stalks of the plant, rather than the fruit, it's ready to go when all the other plants have just gotten around to setting their first real leaves. 

Rhubarb stalks from Rosemont Market, not yet local

But it's so often paired with strawberries, which in Maine aren't ready until the end of June. There's probably only a week in which the two might overlap locally. And rhubarb usually acts as fibrous filler, with loads of sugar and sweet berries dumped in to cover up its tart flavor. 

But rhubarb is starting to get the respect it deserves - just today on twitter, the Kitchn recommended a Rhubarb Crumble Pie, with no strawberries in sight. 

I am teaching canning classes now, with this Curried Rhubarb Orange Chutney as the featured recipe. So I tested the recipe yesterday at work, and was stunned to find that despite thinking I didn't love yellow curry and previously finding most chutneys good, but at a loss for how to actually incorporate them into my cooking, that I love this rhubarb chutney. 

Chutney is a mix of fruit, raisins, onions, garlic, and spices - in this case fresh ginger, ground allspice, pickling spice, and yellow curry powder. 

The recipe also includes a fair amount of cider vinegar and a double-take amount of 5 cups of brown sugar. But I assure you, the final product is very well balanced, and so you shouldn't reduce the sugar. 

The ingredients are chopped, combined, and heated for an hour or so, until the mixture is reduced and thickened. Stir frequently, as it will scorch if you don't. I wore an oven mit while stirring! You could also employ a bacon splatter screen to protect your stovetop and shoes (and hair in my case). 

You can refrigerate the final mixture, although it makes 8 cups, so you'll want to freeze or can it unless you plan on serving an Indian feast soon. 

The spices were tied up in a spice bag, which became dyed and a bit batiked from the yellow curry. 

Curried Rhubarb Orange Chutney

Adapted from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp pickling spice
4 tbsp orange zest
2/3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
6 cups chopped rhubarb
5 cups lightly packed brown sugar
3 1/2 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped gingerroot
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground allspice


If canning: wash and rinse eight 8oz. canning jars; keep warm until ready to use. Wash screw bands and lids; simmer lids in a small saucepot of water.

Tie peppercorns, mustard seeds, and pickling spice in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag. Set aside.

Combine orange zest and juice, rhubarb, brown sugar, vinegar, onions, raisins, garlic and ginger in a large saucepot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes.

Add curry powder, allspice, and reserved spice bag; stir well. Boil gently, until thickened to a desired consistency (i.e. not runny) about 30 more minutes. Discard spice bag.

To freeze: Store in freezer grade containers and freeze. Use within 8 months for best quality.

To can: Pour hot chutney into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids until fingertip tight.

Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours and check for seals.

Yield: About eight 8-oz. jars

Poutine Files: Little Tap House and Blue Rooster Food Co.

Do you want the good news first or the bad news? I like to end on a happy note, so we'll have to start, unfortunately, at Little Tap House.

My first look at LTH was promising - but the poutine fell short. Namely, lacking in cheese curds (there are a few? by the fork?) and covered in beef brisket and au jus. No. I need gravy. 

I feel terrible condemning this, as LTH is a lovely place. But this "Why Can't Americans Get Poutine Right" rant covers it with #3. America tries to "improve" upon poutine. NO. 

The fries were good, and I look forward to trying them plain next to a burger (which was voted the best pub-style burger in Maine by Eater Maine readers). But I will continue my search for the best poutine in Portland.

Bayside Bowl is officially too late to the party, after months of gently suggesting *ahem* that they serve totine or tater tot poutine, now that Blue Rooster Food Co. has beaten them to the punch. 

I was surprised to not love totine as much as I imagined I would. I think soggy tots failed me - gravy-logged fries are great, but it fails to transfer to tots. That aside, this was really stellar. Dispatch Magazine writer Conner Tubbs says it best: "Tater tot poutine. Boom. Mind freak... I died. You’re gonna die guys. It’s so good."

I was more like, yeah, yeah, this is good. I can eat this (oh god, can I really eat this?), I'm doing it, I'm eating it. I ate it, I need a nap. 

Stay tuned! Still looking! Right meow, Hot Suppa! is the poutine to beat. 

BBF Travels: Eating Brooklyn

I went to New York last weekend to visit Original Roomie A., and we ate our way through Brooklyn. 

When I visit A., I always let her show me the hot food spots in town, and she takes me around while we eat, and eat, and eat... then kill time until it's time to eat some more. I'd love to say I visited museums, went to shows, saw lots of non-Maine type culture, but really it was just I Ate New York, Round 2.  

Eddie Huang's Baohaus in the East Village, where we sampled Chairman Bao, the original pork belly bao with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and relish, and a fried bao drizzled with a sweet black sesame glaze. 

Fried chicken cemita at Cemita's stand at Smorgasburg, the wonderful outdoor food fest that happens every Saturday down by the East River in Williamsburg. A half a sandwich each almost put an end to our eating plans. 

Warming up with tea and fruit at Zenkichi, a Japanese brasserie that delighted us with its terrariums, trees growing through the middle of the restaurant, and its transparent ceiling. 

The Prospect Park Farmers' Market, more baked goods from Dough (a cafe au lait donut), and a dill cheddar biscuit which we overheard contains "artisanal crack cocaine" from Cafe Grumpy. 

Dinner at Prime Meats, where the salad covered in bleu cheese and bacon was by far the lightest thing we ate or drank - Herb & Gruyere Cheese Spätzle, two kinds of wurst, banana cream pie, and Manhattans. 

And still there was more that went undocumented! I marveled at how the prices in Brooklyn were not that much higher than in Portland and how any of those restaurants could easily exist here (although not on every corner, and we would certainly fawn over each of them).

But while it's a nice place to visit, and I'm glad I have a friend there, we were very excited to cross back over the river into Maine and be home again. That pace of eating is just not sustainable.

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Quinoa

I wish I always had a healthy lunch. One with lots of vegetables, that's low-carb, and helps me avoid the 2:30PM crash that leaves me staring slack-jawed at my computer screen. 

My lunch reality is a little removed from that. But this lunch is virtuous without being boring - a nice quinoa bowl (I promise to flog myself later for saying 'quinoa bowl') with sweet roasted root vegetables made exciting by tossing the whole thing with pesto and topping it with sliced red onion. 

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Quinoa
Adapted from New York Times

Root vegetables of your choice, washed, peeled, and chopped
(Suggested: pasnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, shallots)
Olive oil
Spices (suggested: cumin, cayenne, thyme, and chili powder)
Salt and pepper
Handful of arugula
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1/2 cup basil pesto (I used Giovanni Rana brand)
Sliced red onion

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Drizzle your cubed vegetables in olive oil and sprinkle with spices, salt and pepper. Toss with your hands and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast vegetables for 20 mintes, turning halfway, then reduce oven heat to 375*F and cook for 10 minutes more or until vegetables are fork tender.

While vegetables are roasting, cook quinoa as you would pasta - none of this steaming like rice BS - by boiling in a plentiful amount of salted water. Drain quinoa.

Toss hot vegetables, as many handfuls of arugula as you'd like, pesto, and quinoa until combined. Top with sliced red onion to serve.

Serves 2.

Disclosure: Pesto sample was sent to me by Giovanni Rana, and I chose to mention the brand because I enjoyed the product. No other compensation was received for this mention. 

Dehydrating Beef Jerky

While I was teaching a canning class recently, I was discussing the upcoming drying class with some class participants who were also coming to the drying workshop. One said, are you going to talk about making jerky? I said, ...yes... why yes, of course! (Ahem.) 

So then I had to learn how to make beef jerky. I found the process to be so simple and the results so great, that I'll definitely be making it again for myself. 

Because I was teaching from an Extension (thus food safety) perspective, I had to be sure to give the safest, most up to date recommendations for dehydrating meat. But my sources all varied on the topic - specifically whether to cure the meat before drying it or not. 

I felt like many must before taking a canning class. I read conflicting advice all over the internet. I just wanted someone to tell me definitively what to do, since the word "botulism" kept reappearing in my reading. 

So I turned to my friend Evan who makes and sells his own jerky (Mobtown Meat Snacks). He recommended curing the meat first, to avoid microbial growth and the risk of botulism. I was sold. 

To keep things simple (and since I was short on time), I went to Cabela's and purchased a package of jerky seasoning and cure. This is nothing more than ground spices and cure, so you can very easily (and cheaper) make your own. 

I used local beef, a pound of London Broil ($9.99/lb.) from Rosemont Market. Lean meat is recommended, since fat doesn't dehydrate well and can cause the jerky to go rancid. I froze it for about an hour, to make it easy to slice, and then sliced it very thinly (1/4" inch or less). You can slice it thicker, but it will take longer to dry, and I was in a hurry. 

I laid the beef slices out on paper towels to dry it and sprinkled it with the recommended amount of seasoning and cure. According to my package directions, I used 2 teaspoons of cure and 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning for 1 pound of meat. 

If you aren't interested in these pre-packed cure and seasoning mixes, you can make your own seasoning mix (out of whatever spices you want) and use curing salt or pink salt (dyed pink because it's toxic in large quantities) and use 1/5 teaspoon per pound of meat. 

Then I bagged up the beef and marinated it for 24 hours in the fridge. The next day, I spread it out on the trays of my electric dehydrator. I have an Open Country 1,000 watt unit (oh heyyy, which is on sale at Cabela's right now!) and dried the beef at 155*F for 3 hours, which for how thin I sliced it was plenty of time. If it's a thicker slice or if you like it crispy, keep drying until it's to your liking. 

So to totally brag, someone in the drying class declared it the best jerky they'd ever had. And it was so easy! I hardly feel like I can take the credit. But I will definitely be making some again, since for $10 a pound, this stuff is way cheaper and better than store bought. 

Bonus dried tomato shot: 

Dehydrate these grape tomatoes for 12 hours at 135*F after sprinkling them with a dried Italian herb mix. I eat them like candy, but I'm sure there's plenty of uses in cooking.