Monthly Archives: May 2012

Memorial Day Weekend Eats

I always like to think of Memorial Day Weekend as the official kick off to summer, even though summer doesn’t technically start until June 20th. Memorial Day last year felt especially summer-like, as I was enjoying margaritas and Mexican food down in Cabo San Lucas. While there was no Cabo this year *tear* there were many good eats, which helped made up for the fact that I wasn’t laying on the beach with a tropical drink in hand.

Homemade Grape Nuts with yogurt (these things are dangerously good).

A nice glass of Pinot Grigio in San Diego with a two of my favorite people.

The Englishman’s giant club sandwich.

Tomato and Mushroom Omelet at Vie de France in South Coast Plaza.

Vegan Pecan Banana Bread which was devoured in approximately 28 hours.

Fresh Squeezed Juice from Whole Foods after a sweaty 6 mile run.

Hamburgers for National Hamburger Day.

Copious amounts of Watermelon.

Black Bean Brownies - recipe coming soon.

And while this isn’t a food picture – one of the bars we visited in San Diego (The Tipsy Crow) had old school Connect Four. How rad is that?

What were your Memorial Day Weekend Eats?

Homemade Grape Nuts

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When I was younger I definitely went through a Grape Nuts phase. Grape Nuts on yogurt, Grape Nuts as cereal, Grape Nut cookies, you get the idea. Naturally I got sick of Grape Nuts and haven’t bought a box in at least 4 years.

This week, I stumbled across a Homemade Grape Nuts recipe on Tasty Kitchen and decided it was time to re-introduce Grape Nuts into my life. Not only is this recipe super simple, it’s made with all natural ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now. And if you don’t, no sweat, you can just improvise like I did.

The end result? While the texture wasn’t exactly the same as Grape Nuts (so crunchy you feel you are going to break a tooth) the flavor was pretty spot on. And the most important part – the Grape Nuts were delicious! I’ll definitely be making homemade versions of Grape Nuts now instead of buying them in the store.

Homemade Grape Nuts (adapted from this recipe on Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:

4-½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
½ cups Scant, Light Brown Sugar
1-½ teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
½ cups Honey
2 cups Buttermilk
½ cups Coconut Oil
Pinch of Salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350F.

Mix all dry ingredients together and then slowly fold in the wet ingredients. Spread mixture into a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is done baking, remove from oven and let it cool completely. Then carefully break the “cake” into small pieces and crumble with your hands onto a baking sheet. Spread the crumbs around the baking sheet so they are evenly distributed and pop into the oven at 275F. Depending on the heat of your oven and how crunchy you want your Grape Nuts, the crumbs will bake for 60-90 minutes. Be sure to open the oven periodically and stir the crumbs around so they do not burn.

Remove Grape Nuts from the oven and let them cool completely. Sprinkle them over your favorite yogurt, or just enjoy them alone. Grape Nuts will keep in a sealed container for a few weeks.

Homemade Grape Nuts and Vanilla Chobani Yogurt. A winning combination.

Morning Treats at Rose Bakery Cafe

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I’m convinced the best mornings involve sleeping in, getting a run in and enjoying a leisurely breakfast outside in the sun. While this doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, on the days I can stop and smell the roses, I take advantage.

Recently the Englishman and I decided to have a morning just like that. We slept in (which for me is anytime past 6 most days), went for a nice run and then decided that we should have breakfast in the sun at the Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona del Mar. But first we had to pick up our breakfast provisions from Rose Bakery Cafe.

I had never been to Rose Bakery Cafe, but every time I passed it on PCH I always saw packs of people enjoying a variety of breakfast, brunch and lunch goodies, so I knew it must be good.

Rose Bakery Cafe offers a variety of tantalizing breakfast options including breakfast burritos, various egg dishes and oatmeal. Since we were taking our breakfast to go on this particular visit, we decided on more portable items which included a couple of croissants, a cinnamon sugar doughnut and a cup of fresh fruit. I’m already planning on trying some of the savory breakfast dishes on my next visit.

I also have to give special recognition to Rose Bakery Cafe for offering almond milk (!) as an option for all of their drinks. I was able to get an iced latte made with almond milk which is practically unheard of at any bakery/coffee shop in OC with the exception of Whole Foods.

Armed with our box of breakfast delights, we headed across the street to Sherman Gardens to relax and enjoy our food in the sun. I was quite eager to dig into the box and try one of the large croissants, especially since the last croissant I had been at Le Pain Quotidien in February.

I am pleased to say this croissant did not disappoint! It was nice and warm and literally melted in your mouth. It’s nice to know that there are a couple of places in OC that serve really decent croissants.

I also tried a few bites of the cinnamon sugar doughnut and it was quite good. The doughnut was a cake doughnut (my personal favorite) and I loved the crumbly sugar topping on top.

Overall our first venture to Rose Bakery Cafe was a success. I got to enjoy an almond milk latte, had some delicious baked goods, and most importantly, I literally got to stop and smell the roses.

Rose Bakery Cafe, I think we are going to become fast friends.

Shrimp Scampi with Lemon Pappardelle Pasta

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A few weeks back, I bought a package of Trader Joe’s Lemon Pappardelle Pasta after hearing rave reviews from friends/family/other food blogs. I’m pretty much a fan of all things Trader Joe’s, so I had a feeling this pasta would be quite tasty.

image source – thekitchn.com

Now that I had my new pasta find, it was time to find the perfect recipe to test it out. After much important deliberation, I came to the conclusion that Shrimp Scampi would most likely be the perfect complement to the Lemon Pappardelle Pasta (spoiler alert – it was).

I decided to go with a “lightened” version of Shrimp Scampi and adapted a recipe from Cooking Light. The end result was delicious, and I highly recommend that you go buy a package of this pasta right away!

Shrimp Scampi with Lemon Pappardelle Pasta (adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic (I used Trader Joe’s minced garlic)

2 tablespoons capers

1/3 cup white wine (I just used wine I had in the fridge, any type should do)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Cook the Lemon Pappardelle Pasta according to directions. While pasta is boiling, rise shrimp and pat dry.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Chop up your shallot and toss in the skillet. Cook shallot until it is golden brown. Add in the minced garlic.

Add your shrimp and sautee for one minute. Pour in the wine, season with salt and pepper and sautee for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add the parsley, lemon juice and capers and mix well to coat. Continue to cook shrimp for roughly one more minute or until done.

Top your pasta with shrimp, garnish with a little cheese (I chose goat cheese), add some vegetables if you choose, dig in, and enjoy!

Mother’s Day Brunch, or is it Lunch? At Il Fornaio

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A few weeks back my mom asked me to find a delicious brunch spot for the family to gather for Mother’s Day. After much deliberation and visits to Open Table, I finally decided on Il Fornaio in Irvine as the perfect brunch spot that was centrally located and would appease everyone’s palate.

When we sat down to brunch we immediately ordered a bottle of prosecco for the table (because why not?) and began perusing the menu.

We quickly realized that there were no brunch items at all listed on the menu, but just the traditional restaurant menu items such as pizza, salad and pasta. My mom and I were quite confused since we had both been informed when making the reservation there would be a more traditional “brunch” style menu with eggs, etc. After consulting with the manager it turns out there was no brunch menu this year due to a last-minute decision on the restaurant’s part, and instead they were serving their lunch menu. While I appreciated him explaining this, it would’ve been nice if the restaurant had informed me of this fact prior to me making a reservation, especially since I had my heart set on a delicious brunch feast!

With eggs and muffins out of the picture, I decided on a margarita pizza to split with the Englishman and the house salad with Gorgonzola dressing (they were out of antipasto which broke my heart a bit). The salad came with avocado, cucumber, tomato, cannellini beans and lettuce.

The salad was good and the dressing complemented it nicely. It was light and refreshing and definitely went well with the second glass of prosecco that was being poured.

The margarita pizza had a nice thin crust (which I love) and was dripping in delicious cheese.

I only had a few slices of the pizza and the Englishman and my dad helped to finish it off. While it was good, I think next time I’ll order the vegetarian version which came with eggplant, zucchini, mushroom and artichoke.

My favorite dish of the day was the Englishman’s breaded chicken sandwich. I was happy he was so nice about sharing his sandwich with me because I definitely found myself wishing I had ordered that instead of the pizza.

The sandwich was pretty simple – breaded chicken on a ciabatta roll with a nice spread of aioli. But since the chicken was prepared so well, it came out nice and juicy and the aioli really helped to enhance the flavor. My aunt got the sandwich as well, and it was clearly a winner among the group.

Overall, brunch/lunch at Il Fornaio was a success. Even though I didn’t get my traditional brunch with an omelette station, I still enjoyed a nice lunch that left my tastebuds happy. And I got to spend the day surrounded by loved ones, which is really all a girl could ask for.

Il Fornaio – Irvine

18051 Von Karman Avenue

Irvine, CA 92612

Barry’s Bootcamp and Oikos Greek Frozen Yogurt

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Ok, so Barry’s Bootcamp and Stonyfield Farm’s Oikos Greek Frozen Yogurt don’t exactly go together, but they are two new things that I tried today and instantly felt the need to share on ol’ Sweet Potato Bites. While Sweet Potato Bites is a food blog, when I’m not enjoying good eats I like to get my exercise on either through running, Pure Barre or yoga. This week I had the opportunity to try out Barry’s Bootcamp, which is widely known as a butt-kicking good time and is popular among celebrities.

The concept of the class is pretty simple. You are broken up into two groups and while one group runs drills on the treadmill, the other group hits the weights. The treadmill drills include running sprints, jogging, and running at a 14.0 incline which was killer. The weights involve a variety of free weight exercises that work your arms, shoulders, triceps and back. You also do a bunch of bodyweight exercises such as lunges, burpees and mountain climbers to keep your heart rate up. By the time the hour is up you will have spent 30 minutes doing weight exercises and 30 minutes on the treadmill. Oh, and you’ll be dripping in sweat also. It was a great workout and hopefully I’ll be back again soon!

So what’s the perfect sweet treat after a bootcamp workout? Some Stonyfield Farm Oikos Greek Frozen Yogurt of course! I’m a big fan of regular Greek yogurt and when I heard there was frozen Greek yogurt that was low in calories and sugar and free of artificial ingredients I was sold. And the fact that there was a chocolate flavor was just icing on the proverbial cake.

Granted this doesn’t have the same richness as traditional ice cream, but when you are in the mood for something a little sweet, this definitely hits the spot. I can’t wait to try the other flavors Stonyfield has to offer including honey, vanilla and blueberry. And in case you were wondering, this frozen yogurt goes quite well with this banana bread. Trust me.

What new things have you tried recently?

Afternoon Snacks

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When I was little I always looked forward to coming home from school to a yummy afternoon snack. It was usually something along the lines of apples and peanut butter or ritz crackers and cheddar cheese but I loved it. Never mind the fact that the snack was usually wolfed down while I got my suit and goggles ready for afternoon swim practice.

Nowadays, the afternoon snack is usually eaten at my desk at work and consists of greek yogurt or almonds or a piece of fruit (sometimes with peanut butter) to help fuel me through the rest of the work day. Since weekends are much more relaxed I generally don’t have an afternoon snack unless I am out and about or meeting up with someone. And when those times occur, I make sure my afternoon snack is good.

My BFF Kristin is moving to Denmark in a week, so when she suggested that we meet up at Haute Cakes for an afternoon snack this past weekend and catch up, I leaped at the chance. The Englishman and Kristin’s boyfriend Dave also came along so it was the perfect chance for everyone to catch up and get together.

When it came to choosing an afternoon snack I found myself wavering back and forth between Haute Cake’s delicious baked goods and their savory salads and sandwiches. And since you only live once, I went with the baked good. A chocolate chip cookie in fact. And a glass of lemonade (I swear I’m not 7 years old).

And it was delicious. And hit the spot. And wasn’t too filling that I spoiled my appetite for dinner. The Englishman however, took a much more grown up approach to the “afternoon snack” and had some Pinot Gris and a croissant.

I tasted the croissant and had a sip of his wine and figured he was onto something. The combo was perfect and felt Parisian chic. Noted for next time.

It was great to catch up and I found myself thinking that I should do this weekend afternoon snack deal more often. It’s cheaper than a full meal, you can get together pretty much any time of day, and it’s an excuse to eat a cookie in the afternoon. Does it really get any better than that?

Farm to Table Dining at Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine

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Since I moved to Orange County 2+ years ago I feel like I have driven by Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine at least 50 times. It’s located smack dab in the middle of a business park in Irvine close to the 405 freeway so it’s hard to miss. After hearing many good things about the restaurant, I figured it was about time I check it out.

Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine focuses on incorporating locally grown produce and sustainably raised meats and seafood in all of their dishes, and 100% of the restaurant’s profits go to the Andrei Foundation, which was created when the owner’s son passed away from an eye degenerative disease. Pretty awesome huh? If only more restaurants donated to charity…

Andrei’s offers a happy hour every Mon-Sat from 5-7 pm, so the Englishman and I decided to hit up the tail end of happy hour on Saturday to check out the menu. The happy hour deal includes 6 of their “small bites” that are offered at $6 each. The small bites range from fried risotto balls to brioche grilled cheese, so there is a wide variety which is nice. As we perused the menu I ordered one of my favorite martinis, complete with blue cheese olives.

For our happy hour plates, we decided to go with the Pommes Frites and the Barbecue Chicken Flatbread. First up was the Pommes Frites.

The potatoes had just the right amount of crisp and didn’t taste fried or super oily. I also enjoyed the fact that they were cut into bigger wedges, instead of the shoestring potatoes that you normally see at restaurants. The pesto and ketchup dipping sauces were a nice touch as well.

The Englishman inhaled the Barbecue Chicken Flatbread and declared it his favorite dish of the night. This was the one dish I didn’t taste, but it looked and smelled delicious.

For our entrees, we decided to continue the small bites/tapas theme and ordered the Mediterranean Tasting, the Monterrey Bay Calamari, and the Tuscan Caesar Salad with Chicken. All three dishes were delicious and each had their shining points, but the real standout was the calamari.

Most of the time when you order calamari in restaurants it is usually battered, fried, and comes with some sort of aioli. This calamari dish came grilled with squash, peppers and capers. I usually shy away from grilled calamari because it can taste quite rubbery if not prepared correctly, but this was grilled to perfection. The Englishman felt it could’ve used a bit more salt and pepper, but other than that it was a great dish.

The Caesar Salad came with grilled chicken, tomatoes, a Parmesan cheese crisp and Caesar dressing. The salad was nice and refreshing but nothing to write home about. I’ve had Caesar Salads at many restaurants before and this was on par with the rest of them.

Last but not least was the Mediterranean Tasting which came with Cucumber-Mint Tzatziki, Basil Hummus, Olive Hummus, and Baba-Ghannouj. Oh, and pita and flat breads as well.

I enjoyed the hummus (especially the basil) and the Baba-Ghannouj, but loved the Tzatziki dip. It had the perfect amount of tang and you could really taste the cucumber. Next time I think I’ll have to ask for seconds of that dip! The pita and flat breads were good but nothing super memorable.

Overall I was impressed with Andrei’s. The food is nice and fresh, the portions aren’t huge so you don’t feel like you need to be rolled out of the restaurant, and the staff is incredibly nice. I was surprised how quiet the restaurant was for a weekend night, so I’m thinking this may be more of an after work hotspot, especially based on it’s location. Regardless, it’s a must try if you are in the Irvine area.

Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine

2607 Main Street

Irvine, CA 92614