Staying In No. 56

Two natural wine picks + recipes for your week.

Jul 21, 2025

Welcome to Riley’s Recs! A place for people who love to talk about what they eat, cook, and do in Portland, Oregon. This is “Staying In,” a Sunday newsletter with recipe ideas for your week ahead. Every other Thursday I also publish a “Going Out” edition where I review a restaurant, bar, or activity here in Portland. Want even more recommendations? Check out pdxrecs.com and follow RR on Instagram at @rileysrecs. Enjoy!

I started listening to a new podcast this week called Wine Face (recommended via right on Franklin!). I’ve only listened to one episode, but the host pointed out something that felt like an a-ha moment for me: it’s weird that grocery store wines always taste the same. Wines shouldn’t taste identical year-after-year. They should change based on a vintage’s soil and weather conditions.

So why do grocery store bottles always have the same, consistent taste? Additives. Sugar, oak chips, grape concentrate. I’m not necessarily anti-additives, but it did make me feel like spending a few more dollars for natural wine might be worth it.

So this week, I went to Taborly Wines and got two bottles: “Jenny” from Monument and “White Ferrari” from Marigny. They’re perfect with steak and the tomato and peach salad I share in this week’s recipe plan. Highly recommend grilling on your back patio with a glass of cold orange wine and listening to the new Alex G album.

Happy cooking!

Riley

P.S. If you’re looking for more wine content, check out

Shayna of PDX Vine and Dine

! She shares a weekly wine events list and stories from local PNW winemakers.

✨ Inspo ingredients: nectarines, salmon, and chicken legs ✨

DINNERS

Grilled Salmon | Grilled Nectarine, Tomato, and Burrata Salad
Grilled Chicken Legs | Vinegar Beans
Silken Tofu with Chili Oil and Soy Sauce* | Rice
Lentils, Marinated Feta, and Greens*

BREAKFAST

“Healthy” Blueberry Muffins

DESSERT

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sugar Pine Miso Caramel

Notes:

The “inspo ingredients” this week are all items on sale at New Seasons. Whole sockeye salmon is $8.99/lb ($5 off!), nectarines are $3.99/lb ($2 off!), and chicken legs are $3.99/lb ($1 off!).
For the salmon, you’ll need to ask the New Seasons butcher to cut it for you since the $8.99 sale price is only for whole sockeyes. I’ll ask for mine filleted and skin on. Also, salmon sale ends today (Sunday 7/20).
*Silken tofu recipe is a repeat. Find the recipe link here.
*Lentils and marinated feta is also a repeat dish. Find the recipe link here.

Grilled Nectarine, Tomato, and Burrata Salad

This salad recipe was inspired by a Substack note from

Clare Langan

, a Bay Area chef and recipe developer. It’s simple to make and goes great with grilled proteins. Last week, I served with steak, and this week I’ll serve with salmon.

I mostly made this up as I went, but here’s a similar recipe if you’d like to follow step-by-step directions.

To make: slice peaches into wedges, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Grill over medium heat while your protein cooks (I had my steak on the cooler side of the grill). To assemble, toss arugula, basil, cherry tomatoes, and pistachios with a glug of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Plate it all around two balls of burrata, and then season with salt and pepper.

It was so good. This week, I’ll make again but with nectarines since that’s what’s on sale right now at New Seasons.

Salmon Marinade

Ever since

Alexis deBoschnek

shared her recipe for Mustardy Salmon with Avocado & Cucumber Salad, I’ve made some variation of it whenever I cook salmon. The formula is simple:

2 parts Whole-Grain Mustard, Sour Cream, Miso, Chili Paste, Horseradish, or other condiment (reduce amounts for horseradish and chili paste)
1 part Mayo
.5 parts Brown Sugar
.5 parts Lemon or Lime
Salt

Slather over your salmon at least 5 minutes before grilling.

Grilled Chicken Legs with Warm Spices

Carla Lalli Music | That Sounds So Good

It’s basically impossible to overcook chicken thighs and legs. Thanks to their higher fat content, they stay juicy and don’t dry out like breasts do. This recipe from Carla Lalli Music contrasts the tenderness of thigh/leg meat with a crispy exterior, achieved by oiling the chicken right before grilling. The seasoning blend includes turmeric, which gives everything a really pretty deep yellow color. It’s delicious.

YouTube video here with step-by-step directions for both the chicken and long beans.

Long Beans with Vinegar and Basil

Carla Lalli Music | That Sounds So Good

I don’t use long beans like Carla calls for. I’m sure I could find them somewhere, but I have yet to see them at the grocery store. When I make this, I use snap peas or asparagus instead. Note: you’ll need to use a grill basket for snap peas so that they don’t fall through the grill grates. Regardless of which vegetable you choose, the cooking method remains the same: coat with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill. Then toss with red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and basil. The acidity from the vinegar pairs really well with the warm spices and fattyness from the chicken. It’s a winning combo.

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“Healthy” Blueberry Muffins

Last week I went blueberry picking with my friend Kendall (who some of you might remember from her “Meal Plan for a Family of Four” guest post). She told me she added her blueberries to these muffins, which she bakes on a regular basis for her toddlers. They’re billed as being “healthy” because they use yogurt as a moisture agent and less sugar than normal. Kendall makes the following substitutions: