My Favorite Recipes

Donna and Steve Holberg have been deeply involved with Hill-Ray Plaza for a number of years, and today provide the catering, with Steve also serving on the Hill-Ray board.

Linda Greenhaugh is the office manager.

Donna and Steve work in an atmosphere of casual elegance. The dining room feels like a fine dining room, the Fireside room is smaller, and the ballroom is most easily formally decorated.

Donna, Steve and Betty Edinger are the chefs. Steve explains his love of cooking simply—he has Italian roots. Donna and Steve met at the Space Needle restaurant and worked together in the dining area. One day on the patio in Seattle, they had margaritas and decided to move to Hawaii.

They also operated the Stillwaters Inn at Boyer Park when their daughter was little. They drove a semi-truck for eight years. Casino parking lots, they found, were great for parking. They returned to Colfax to catering at Hill-Ray several years ago. Staff members vary depending on the days and meals, to a multitude of waiters and several chefs for large events to just a few for weekdays.

Menu planning for seniors is important in order to meet the likes of the people they serve, plus flavor, color and texture, with a variety of dinners through the week. Many seniors who grew up in Whitman County did not have access to a variety of fish when young, so they are tentative about trying new fish dishes, for example. But Whitman County people are sausage connoisseurs.

Steve is a fanatic about plate presentation. Plates have to look attractive and have a variety of colors. He serves homemade bread every day. All three courses need to pass the presentation test.

Gala holiday buffets are prepared, and residents are welcome to host their families. Several times yearly, birthday dinners are hosted celebrating birthdays of residents over a few months’ time and families are also welcome. Musical entertainment at dinner is another occasional treat.

When Hill-Ray was in the planning stages, there was much discussion about whether apartments would be for sale or for rent. The “great recession” brought about a change and the units at Hill-Ray Plaza are now rented except for those which were owned by residents at the time the change was made.

In the 1980s, senior citizens wanted to own their own apartments, but selling the properties when they moved out became another responsibility for their families and leasing is much easier.

Hill-Ray has worked closely with Lilac Gardens, Holman Gardens and Lilac Plaza in the Spokane area on the conversion from privately-owned apartments to rental units.

Pets are allowed in apartments now. Other advantages for senior citizens are evident, too. Residents are close to medical care and those who are able can walk to the clinic and hospital.

Services available at Hill-Ray include a hairdresser, exercise classes, DirecTV and Wifi in central areas.

Tick Klock Drugs and Rosauer’s deliver to customers and Coast Transortation is available.

Apartments range from 720 to 1250 square feet, with a number of indoor garages and carports. Additional storage is available.

Recipes:

Ham and Apricot Jambalaya

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is so flavorful and colorful, a northern version of a southern dish. Feel free to use any combination of ham, sausage, chicken or shrimp. Smoky Cajun sausage is especially fun. Add southern heat according to your tastes. I like quite a bit of heat. But for Hill-Ray, I use little to no heat. I will attempt, here, to cut this recipe from 35 to somewhere around 4 servings. I usually cook by looking, feeling and tasting. Adjust to your own serving size and palate.

Hint: just a little cayenne opens up the taste buds and makes them cry for more—too much just makes them cry. This recipe was first tested in Stillwaters Inn at Boyer Park and Marina in 1987.

Two cups diced, good quality, smoked ham (1/2 to 3/4 inch dice)

Small diced:

1 cup celery

1 cup onion

1/2 cup red bell pepper

1/2 cup green bell pepper

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper

1 cup diced dried apricots (match vegetables for size)

A few pinches of cayenne pepper

Salt, garlic salt, and pepper—Do not be afraid to season and taste, taste, taste.

1/2 cup decent white wine

1/2 cup apricot brandy

Two cups fresh, diced tomato

In a big frying pan, sauté everything through the apricots, in a little oil of your choice, until vegetables and apricots soften, about 7 minutes. (Do not use too much oil. If you do, pour excess off.) I am assuming pre-cooked meat in this recipe. Season at this point. Note: the ham is slightly salty. Chicken would need more salt. Listen to Anthony Bourdain. Taste! Deglaze the pan with the wine and brandy. Let this simmer a little while, until the alcohol cooks off and the flavors meld, about 5 minutes. At the last minute, add the fresh tomatoes. Let them barely heat through. Serve over the rice of your choice. Brown rice has a real neat, nutty texture.

CAMPER’S GRILL

We developed this recipe at Stillwaters Inn at Boyer Park and Marina. It’s easy, fast and has as many variations as you can think up, for every meal of the day.

First boil, steam, or microwave medium size red jacket potatoes (not quite all the way). Use salt in potato boiling water, or directly salt them for microwaving or steaming. Potatoes can be cooked ahead, sliced ahead (or not), refrigerated and held for several days. They can be used for all sorts of other things too. Think potato salad, fried potatoes, scalloped potatoes, potato soup and etc. Pre-cooked potatoes make the final product much faster and more consistent. Fried potatoes from raw are hard to get right. My mother could do it. Me, not so much. You all know what I’m talking about. Cooked potatoes should stay fresh at least 3 days in the refrigerator.

Tip: To slice cooked red potatoes, cut lengthwise and place flat side down on cutting board. This will give great stability as you slice the potatoes into half rounds, about 1/8 inch thick, thick enough so they don’t break up in the frying. This also depends on the size of the potato. Don’t make the slices too small, or they will mush up.

Tip two: A Ginzu serrated knife is the best one ever invented.

3 cups sliced red potatoes

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced bell peppers (any or all colors)

1 1/2 cups pre-cooked, smoked sausage links, cut into dollar shape

Liberal amounts of salt and pepper—garlic salt is good too

Experiment here. We personally love hot Italian or hot Cajun Sausage—but we serve a mild version to Hill-Ray.

Toss all together into a big skillet with a little oil. Fry on medium high heat until onions and peppers are done, sausage and potatoes are all the way done and nicely browned. This is a mindless, fast and delicious dish—but . . . .

It’s the variations that make this dish fun. I learned something from my German relatives. Potatoes and sauerkraut just plain go together, like right on top. Right?

GERMAN CAMPER’S GRILL

Use good, smoky German sausage. Follow Camper’s Grill recipe to the end. Then add rinsed, squeezed sauerkraut, a few fists’ full. Poke the sauerkraut into sausage and potato mixture. Then put a lid on it so the flavors steam into the dish, and also so the sauerkraut heats up thoroughly, probably around 5 minutes.

Sausages that are good in a Camper’s Grill include:

German or Polish, smoked

Hot Cajun, like Andouille

Kielbasa (this is a little mild for my taste)

Italian (sweet or hot) (sweet Italian, my favorite for Hill-Ray)

Mexican Chorizo

Portuguese Linguica (We found this one in Hawaii at McDonald’s, served with eggs and rice. It was awesome)

Other specialty sausages (like Apple and Walnut).