Author Archives: emilybrandsma

Rosemary & Garlic Brined Pork Chops

Posted in Main Dishes, Stuff My Kid Eats by

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Brining, for those of you who have never heard this term before, is the process of steeping food in a saltwater solution, thereby locking in moisture and a crazy amount of flavor. You see, meat typically loses about 30% of water when it’s cooked, but when it’s soaked in a brining solution for the better part of the day, it’s able to absorb extra water into the muscle fibers, building up a reserve that is retained during cooking. Now, when you add seasonal aromatics (rosemary, garlic, and peppercorns) to the mix, you’re simply ensuring that those flavors will be imparted into the meat as well. Brilliant, right? So how do you get such wonderfully juicy and flavorful pork chops, you ask? Simple! Just follow this 4-step cooking process thought up by the brilliant minds over at Bon Appétit. Seriously, these pork chops are no joke, people! Yes, it does take 4-steps (only three of which are actual cooking though) to achieve this juicy goodness, but I guarantee that this will be the most delicious meal you’ve made in forever! And I promise that if you take the time that this hands-on method requires , I’ll reward you with super easy, super fast recipes for the rest of the week. Deal? Continue reading →

Blueberry Port Wine Sauce

Posted in Cookies & Desserts, Main Dishes, Sauces, Vegetarian by

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Now that September is here and all the kids are back in school, I’m starting to notice a shocking amount of fall items popping up all over the place. You know what I’m talking about: pumpkin spice lattes, autumn-inspired wreaths, and Halloween costumes on every store shelf. Although autumn is my favorite time of year, it’s hard for me to think about fall when we’re still experiencing 100° temperatures here in Texas. Now, with that being said, I’m fully aware that many parts of the world (like my drizzly home state of Washington) are already feeling the change in seasons, so I’m willing to strike a compromise, ya’ll. But, instead of going full bore with the cinnamon & nutmeg and carving out a big, fat, orange pumpkin, I’ve decided to take a summer fruit (blueberries) and combine it with subtle, warming flavors like cloves, coriander, and port wine to create a sauce that you can serve hot or cold – making it perfect for any climate! Continue reading →

Fireside Mussels

Posted in Appetizers & Sides, Eating Healthy, Main Dishes, Seafood by

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Almost two years ago my parents decided to add a deck onto the back of their kitchen, and somehow in the planning process, my dad miraculously talked my mom in to allowing him to build a brick pizza oven along with it. I don’t know how he managed to convince her, but I’m pretty sure a bottle of Merlot was involved. Regardless, I was delighted. By association, I became the proud owner of a beautiful cooking device that I use almost of every time I’m home. In addition to crafting homemade pizzas (of which we’ve made dozens), we use it to cook calzones, empanadas, and, just recently, mussels. Now, I realize that a brick oven isn’t something you can just go out and buy, like a waffle iron or a ice cream maker, so I’ve also included cooking instructions for these Fireside Mussels using a regular outdoor grill (which is how I cook them whenever I’m not visiting my parents). No matter what vessel you use to bake these succulent bivalves, they’re going to taste amazing! Just promise me you’ll serve them with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the extra cooking liquid – believe me, you’ll thank me for it! Continue reading →

Fun Bonfire Treats

Posted in Cookies & Desserts, Travel by

As I mentioned in my last post, my family and I just returned from our annual trip to the Oregon Coast, where we spent three (rather chilly) days making sandcastles, eating massive amounts of saltwater taffy, and warming ourselves next to smoldering bonfires. Our beachside dinners are nothing special; just the typical grilled hot dogs, store-bought potato salad, and, of course, s’mores. But the s’mores, mind you, we take very seriously. Between my nephew’s raging sweet tooth and my dad’s brilliant homemade bonfire forks, s’mores have quickly become the main attraction of our trip. This year I decided to shake things up a bit with two different flavors of s’mores, which we started referring to as G’mores (gourmet s’mores). Both variations (Strawberries & Cream and Triple Chocolate) got the seal of approval from my sugar-obsessed nephew (and the rest of the clan), which was all the taste-testing I needed. So with tomorrow being Labor Day and the vast majority of us camping or grilling out, why not try a new twist on this all-American favorite? Continue reading →

Soup Bowl Recipes Goes to the Beach!

Posted in Travel by

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Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! I’ve been a little slow to post this past week because we just returned from vacation and I’ve been buried under piles of laundry and welcome-home-chores, however, I’m back and I’m ready to share our trip with you.

As I said, we just returned from our annual summer trip to the Pacific Northwest (home for us) and our yearly pilgrimage to the beach. Every summer my entire extended family packs up their shovels & pails, camping gear (although we never end up camping out on the beach), and my dad’s custom campfire forks (more about that in a later post) and heads south to the Oregon Coast. Although there are many salty, windswept towns to lodge in, we always stay at Cannon Beach. Located just 80 miles NW of Portland and 200 miles due South of Seattle, this seaside town provides miles and miles of beautiful beach, tons of great restaurants, and more shops and art galleries than you can shake a stick at. Take a look at some of the highlights of our trip…

A panoramic view of Cannon Beachimage Continue reading →

Chocolate Cake Cookies

Posted in Cookies & Desserts, Vegetarian by

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Do you remember those Birthday Cake Cookies I posted last month? Well the other day while I was shopping for inspiration in the baking aisle of my grocery store, I spotted a particularly tempting box of chocolate cake mix and thought, “Man that looks good! I want some of that.” (In my defense, it was before lunch and I was starving.) So I bought the cake mix, brought it home, then later that day (once I had eaten) I realized that I was not going to bake a cake any time soon, and whipped up a batch of cookies instead. After eating one cookie (three cookies) and feeling guilty for a few minutes (for the rest of the day), I packed up the remaining cookies and sent them to work with my husband (because really, who was I kidding with thinking that I could resist eating every single one?). Now what’s the moral of this story, you ask? Hmmm…I’m not quite sure, other than you should never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Or maybe it’s that Birthday Cake Cookies can quickly become Everyday Cake Cookies when the mood strikes. Regardless, these easy-to-make morsels can be whipped up for something as small as a mid-afternoon chocolate craving, or for something as big as a celebration, like maybe…the celebration of your 100th blog post?! Yep, you read it correctly, folks, this is Soup Bowl Recipes’ 100th post! (Applause and cheering in the background.) Continue reading →

Shrimp Ceviche

Posted in Appetizers & Sides, Eating Healthy, Main Dishes, Seafood by

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Ceviche is a traditional Peruvian dish made of chopped seafood (usually shrimp, scallops, or geoduck), citrus juice, and a few other salsa-like ingredients. It’s delicious, it’s refreshing, and it’s really easy to make. So easy, in fact, that it cooks itself! You see, by combining citric acid with raw seafood, you’re able to cure the shellfish in a flavorful lemon/lime bath and essentially “cook” it without actually using heat, making it the perfect summer snack food during these hot August days. Now, I’m not sure what it is in the acid that causes the little fishy proteins to magically change, but it’s pretty cool to watch the uncooked shrimp slowly turn pink before your very eyes. I considered doing some extensive online research on this cooking method and then blowing you away with my vast knowledge on the subject, but that sounded exhausting. Instead, I’m including a link for some extra credit reading for those of you really interested in learning something new today. Continue reading →

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich

Posted in Main Dishes, Sandwiches by

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I’m a little embarassed to admit it, but this recipe was inspired by a sandwich that I used to order whenever I ate at Red Robin (which was twice a week when I was in college… a million years ago). After I graduated and had to support myself on my meager wages as a wedding planner, I was forced to stop my over-indulgent bi-weekly dining habits, and learn how to feed myself. This teriyaki chicken sandwich was probably the first copycat recipe that I ever attempted, and because it’s so easy and delicious, it’s also the longest running copycat recipe that I’ve ever attempted. Over the years I’ve tweaked the teriyaki ingredients a little, but the other components (pineapple, Swiss cheese, and mayo) have all stayed the same. And you know what? Call me sentimental, but this oldie-but-goodie is still one of my favorites! Continue reading →

Chocolate Martini

Posted in Beverages, Cookies & Desserts, Vegetarian by

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Well congratulations, friends, it’s Friday and we’ve made it through yet another busy work week, which means it’s time to celebrate!  But tonight, instead of opening a bottle of wine and polishing off that bag of Chips Ahoy, why not class up your routine a bit and concoct something more interesting – like this super decadent dessert in a glass?! Continue reading →

Tomato-Watermelon Gazpacho (with a kick!)

Posted in Appetizers & Sides, Eating Healthy, Main Dishes, Soups, Vegetarian by

When I created this blog nearly 8 months ago, I was living in Kansas and knee-deep in one of the bitterest winters the Mid-West had seen in years. At the time, my family and I were surviving on weekly soups and hearty meals to keep ourselves warm, so it seemed perfect to name my food blog SoupBowlRecipes! It was an obvious choice for someone who was freezing and didn’t have the foresight to consider that they would eventually move to one of the hottest states on the planet, where, for at least 6 months out of the year, the thought of making soup is unbearable. And now here we are in Texas, in mid-August, where the temperature for the past few weeks has been hovering around 100°F and shows no signs of breaking. So what’s a girl supposed to do? Well, what every good soup blogger does when life hands them lemons – make lemonade! Or in this case, I’m taking my farmers’ market tomatoes and making a refreshing gazpacho! Continue reading →