The Lederman Kitchen

Our trip back to the US was too short to do everything and see everyone we wanted.  But it was all the time we had so we tried to make the most of it. After Lauren & Ryan's wedding in Seattle , seeing and spending time with friends and family in Portland and the Bay Area was our priority.  Along the way, we squeezed in eating the food we miss and running some essential errands - you know Costco, Target, Banana Republic. We were busy.  And I was pretty bad about getting out my camera.  I know, I can't believe it either.  It just felt so normal being home, spending time with our friends, eating at our favorite restaurants.  I'm full of regrets now. How cute are our Nephews? Seeing some of my besties in Portland Portland Boys photo, with Clara - there are a few playmates for her on the way in this group! Pho - I miss this so much in Ireland, it's hard to look at the photo Beautiful fall trees in Portland Mom's amazing homemad...

I love making breakfast on the weekends for Michelle and I.  Typically I make a simple scramble with mushrooms and onions with a side of home fries.  This is basically the same thing except all mixed together in a frittata.   The thing that I love about eggs is that you can add anything to them.  These are just some of our favorite ingredients that we almost always have on hand, but you can add whatever you want once you know the technique.   For a tasty breakfast you will need: 1 medium potato (I actually used 2 small red potatoes) 1/2 red onion 8 ounces of crimini mushrooms 4 cups of baby spinach 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used white cheddar) 4 eggs a drop of milk salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 400 degrees before you forget.  I decided to use a mandolin to slice the potatoes thin, but it's not necessary.  You can chop the potatoes along with the mushrooms and onions if you don't have a mandolin. This ...

We finally found a home for our dried fettuccine  in this creamy and delicious mushroom pasta.  The base for this recipe is a super simple bechamel sauce .  It's a great base sauce to have in your repertoire.  Trust me, it's easy, and a bit healthier than making white sauces with heavy cream.  There is of course butter though... For a delicious dinner for 4 you will need:  1lb of pasta  2 lbs of mixed mushrooms 1/2 lb of sausage (casings removed) 1/2 onion 2 cloves of garlic 4 cups of baby spinach 1/2 stick of butter 4 tablespoons of flour 2 cups of milk pinch of nutmeg olive oil salt and pepper Parmesan cheese You are of course welcome to use any types of mushrooms that you like.  I used crimini, portabello, and oyster mushrooms.   Portabellos have dark gills on the bottom that will turn everything brown.   I suggest scraping them off with a spoon to avoid any discol...

A few years ago Michelle and I had the best stuffed calamari dish at Boulevard .  I have been seriously craving it ever since.  After making the stuffed game hens last month I thought "what else can I stuff?"  (feel free to insert your own joke here...).  While it was not the same as Boulevard, it was delicious nonetheless.  I paired the calamari with some super simple sauteed veggies to round out the meal. For a delicious dinner for 2, you will need: For the stuffing:  2/3 cup wild rice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 small red onion 1/3 cup drained dried tomatoes packed in oil (about 2 1/2 ounces) 1 shallot 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves 8 ounces of sausage (I used bulk pork sausage from the Whole Foods meat counter) For the rest: 8 calamari 3 cups of spinach 1/2 red onion 1 clove of garlic 3 cups of sliced mushrooms 1 drop of dry white wine (maybe 1/4 cup) juice of 1/2 a lemon olive oil salt and pepper ...