Monthly Archives: June 2012

California Grown Wants to Hear From You

Remember a few weeks ago when I made that delicious Cherry and Blueberry Clafouti made from CA Grown produce?

As you know, I am a huge fan of eating locally grown food whenever possible, and am always on the lookout for produce with the blue CA Grown sticker on it at the grocery store. And after attending the Farm to Table dinner at the Taste of OC, I am even more convinced than ever to buy produce from in-state as much as possible and support California Farmers.

The lovely people at CA Grown want to know what YOU think when it comes to CA Grown produce and if it impacts your any of your purchasing decisions at all.

So if you could pretty please with some fresh CA Grown cherries on top, take the survey below to help our CA Grown team out it would be much appreciated. The survey does NOT gather any personal information and it’s super short and sweet. You can access the survey here, or just click the link below:

http://californiagrown.polldaddy.com/s/survey-on-california-grown-blog

Thanks so much for helping out!

Back to Bluewater Grill

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A few years back, Bluewater Grill used to be my family’s go-to seafood restaurant. The fish was always fresh, the service on point and the warm crusty bread was enough to keep me coming back.

Then we had a few less than stellar experiences there and found ourselves discovering other seafood restaurants such as King’s Fish House and House of Big Fish. We decided recently it was time to give Bluewater Grill another try, so agreed to have dinner at the Bluewater Grill at the District in Tustin.

I had never been to this location before, and I have to admit I was quite impressed by the restaurant when I walked in. The interior was quite big, with a nice bar at the front and separate dining rooms for larger parties. We were seated in a comfy booth in the back and were immediately served bread the minute we sat down. I was pleased to discover that the bread was just as warm and delicious as I had remembered.

After ordering our drinks (beer for the Englishman, wine for the parents, and of course a martini for me), we began perusing the menu. The Englishman is a big Clam Chowder fan, so he ordered a small cup of it to start.

Clam Chowder can be a tricky soup to get right, and Bluewater Grill nailed it. It had the perfect balance of clams and potatoes and the texture of the soup was very nice.

For entrees, I decided to go with a grilled shrimp and scallop skewer with a side of vegetables and fries (yes, I got veggies AND fries).

The scallops were cooked perfectly and were loaded with flavor. The shrimp was slightly overcooked, but still tasted quite nice. The vegetables were prepared nicely without too much oil or butter, and the fries were piping hot. It was a delicious meal.

My mom got the grilled salmon with rice pilaf and vegetables.

I am NOT a salmon fan at all, but I did enjoy the flavor of this dish which is saying a lot. I wouldn’t go so far to say that I would order my own order of salmon, but I found the flavor nice and the fish was light and flaky.

My dad ordered the sandabs with vegetables and roasted tomatoes. He loved his dish and enjoyed every last bite.

The Englishman ordered fish ‘n chips and thought they were quite good but could’ve used a little more salt. I tasted the fish ‘n chips and thought they were good as well, but I’m not a fish ‘n chips expert like he is.

I’ll have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by Bluewater Grill. The service was great, the food was prepared well and served in a timely fashion and the District location has a good vibe to it.

Bluewater Grill, you are officially back in my seafood restaurant rotation.

Taste of Orange County Part II – The Great Farm to Table Dinner

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To read Taste of Orange County Part I, click here.

After some wandering around and enjoying our drinks, it was time for the Great Farm to Table Dinner. The dinner was initially supposed to be on the stage of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, but at the last-minute the event organizers decided to have it on the lawn area outside the stage instead. At first I was disappointed we wouldn’t be eating on stage, but the lawn turned out to be quite lovely.

The Great Farm to Table Dinner was an additional cost to the regular entrance ($150) and all proceeds helped to benefit the Culinary Liberation Front, which was one of the main contributors to the dinner. Before the meal started, we enjoyed passed appetizers from the participating chefs and Francis Ford Copolla Sauvignon Blanc.

All the appetizers were fun, delicious, and the perfect amuse bouche. One of my favorites ironically enough was the beet and goat cheese skewer, and I’m usually not a fan of beets.

Other highlights included the nut-encrusted goat cheese with a fruit infusion, sun-dried tomato tapenade on baked crostini, and the fresh oysters with a green salsa on top.

After the appetizer hour, we were seated at two long tables and the participating chefs came out to speak about how important it is to use locally grown ingredients whenever possible and how they incorporated sustainable food into our meal this evening. Chef Patrick Glennon from the Culinary Liberation Front came out and gave the crowd a bit of background regarding his organization. Then it was time for the feast!

The meal started out with a salad course courtesy of Chef Paul Hancock from Avalon Grill and freshly baked bread from Dean Kim of OC Baking Co. The salad was made with a variety of mixed greens and garnished with a light vinaigrette.

The bread from OC Baking Co. ranged from lavosh to sun-dried tomato and a baguette. This course was nice and light, which was the perfect segue into the seafood courses.

Chef Patrick Glennon presented the crowd with fresh mussels prepared with almond milk, which literally made the mussels melt in your mouth. I had never tried mussels prior to this evening, and I have to say I loved them.

Chef Craig Connole from K’ya Bistro and House of Big Fish created a beautiful sea bass dish that came with a lovely citrus marinade that included small white strawberries and Chef Ryan Adams of Three Seventy Common served yellowtail that was seared to perfection.

Steve Escobar from Dory Fleet came up during the meal and spoke to the crowd about how he catches all of his fish off the coast of California and then sells it at the Newport Beach Fish Market every Saturday. It doesn’t get much fresher than that.

The meat course followed next, and Chef Rob Wilson from the Montage Laguna Beach served his unique take on short ribs by having them glazed with a blackberry reduction. Chef Greg Daniels of Haven Gastropub and Taco Asylum also took a more unique approach to preparing his meat, and had his pork shoulder slow-cooked in cola. I honestly couldn’t get enough of the short ribs and found myself coming back for seconds of that dish.

But the real star of the show was the roasted vegetables (from LBC Urban Farm) that was prepared by Chef Paul Buchanan of Primal Alchemy Catering. The vegetables tasted about as fresh as you could get and had amazing flavor. I wish they had presented these earlier in the evening because people were barely touching them because they were so stuffed from the other courses.

Chef Justin Monson of Vine & St. Roy Chef’s Pub ended the evening on a high note with his Meyer lemon tart topped with lavender cream and garnished with fresh strawberries and blueberries. The Englishman and I were pretty full at this point so we only had a few bites, but it was quite good. I pretty much love anything Meyer lemon, so I knew it would be delicious.

Overall the dinner was a success – the food was prepared nicely and everyone seemed to have a great time. I wish the chefs would’ve come out more often and talked to the crowd because I definitely had a lot of questions for them about how they got their inspiration for their dishes.

Thanks OC Menus and the Taste of Orange County for the experience!

Taste of Orange County Part I

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After a 16 year hiatus, the Taste of Orange County made its triumphant return to Irvine over Father’s Day weekend. Since the Englishman’s birthday was earlier in the week, we decided to celebrate at the Taste of OC and enjoy some good food and drink.

Because I am also a blogger for OC Menus, we had the opportunity to participate in the Great Farm to Table dinner that featured a fantastic 7 course meal with dishes made from locally grown ingredients by OC’s top chefs. But more on that later.

The Taste of OC was held at the Verizon Wireless amphitheater in Irvine and featured food from Orange County restaurants, wine pairings and live music, with all proceeds from the event going to the Orange County Food Bank and the Culinary Liberation Front. The Englishman and I decided we would cruise over to the event in the late afternoon, so we could enjoy some of the food and beverage vendors and then head into the Great Farm to Table dinner.

It had been 16 years since the Taste of OC was last held, and while the overall event was nice, there were definitely some logistics that still need to be ironed out.

Parking:

Because the event was held at the Verizon Wireless amphitheater, parking was an additional $10 on top of the event entry fee ($25 was the cheapest option) and if you spent any additional money to buy food and drink credits, and you could easily be down $50 bucks or more in a blink of an eye. I didn’t mind this too much since the proceeds were going to a great cause but may I suggest somewhere with free parking next year?

Registration/Entrance:

Since we had bought a special deal online (that included 40 food and drink credits apiece), we figured we would just show up, show our ticket voucher and get inside. Unfortunately, the volunteers had a hard time finding our name on the list, and we ended up having to go to the VIP area to make sure we got sorted out properly. Fortunately, the VIP area was awesome and we got our wristbands and tickets and cruised right in (thanks Vanessa!).

Food and Drink Credits:

I’m a big fan of the food and drink credit concept at events like this. You pay upfront, don’t have to worry about carting around a lot of cash to pay for food, and the credits are easy to keep track of. The Taste of OC tried to take it to the next level in simplicity by giving you a wristband that was just scanned, but sometimes the wristband didn’t work at various food/drink stations and you either had to find paper credits or pay cash. I ended up just using the paper credits since my wristband never really worked.

Then there’s the matter of cost. For small food samples (think 2-3 bites max), it would cost you roughly 3-9 credits, which isn’t too bad at all. But for any sort of alcoholic beverage, it costs you a whopping 20 credits! (tequila based drinks were 24). So if you went into the event with 40 credits, you would instantly lose half of your credits on a glass of wine or a beer. I totally understand the reason to mark up the drinks, but I felt that 20 credits was a bit excessive. And I wasn’t the only one – many people ended up turning away from the drink stations due to the cost. Since the Englishman and I were going to the Farm to Table dinner where we knew we would be treated to a delicious meal, we decided just to get a couple of drinks and use our credits that way.

Even though there were some issues that needed to be improved, the event itself was a lot of fun. It was nice to walk around outside and check out some of OC’s top restaurants, watch chef demos and listen to live music. There were plenty of areas to sit and relax, and there were also vendors selling items you could take home such as gourmet balsamic vinegar (I was tempted to get the vanilla fig flavor).

Now the real highlight of the event was the special Farm to Table Dinner that the Englishman and I attended, but let’s get to that in the next post…

Summery Delights at Paul Martin’s New Weekend Brunch

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It’s been no secret that I am a big fan of Paul Martin’s American Grill. I have written about their delicious burgers and waxed poetic about their martinis. When I recently had the opportunity to try out their summer weekend brunch, I knew I’d be in for something good. And good it most certainly was.

Paul Martin’s just started introducing their weekend summer brunch (10am-2pm on Sat/Sun) so I was excited to give it a try. The Englishman and my parents also accompanied me to brunch since they are big fans of Paul Martin’s as well. The brunch prixe fixe menu includes a beverage (cocktails included) an entrée, fruit and bread all for just $19! Considering most restaurants charge an arm and a leg for brunch, this is an incredible steal. We decided to kick off our brunch experience with some Bloody Marys and Peach Bellinis.

Paul Martin’s Bloody Mary isn’t your standard Bloody Mary since it comes with bacon. Yep, bacon. And you know what? The bacon is a nice component to the drink. I’m not the biggest Bloody Mary fan, but I did enjoy sips of this one, bacon and all.

The Peach Bellini was light and refreshing and was made with peach, honey syrup and sparkling wine and garnished with raspberries.

If you are looking for something different from your standard mimosa at brunch, I highly recommend the Peach Bellini.

While waiting for our food, we had the opportunity to chat with Chef Partner Jorge Estrada who told us some of his favorites off the brunch menu (the Shrimp Omelet and the French Toast with Maple Bourbon syrup) and gave us a sneak peek at Paul Martin’s Summer Menu which will be debuting in a few weeks (it’s going to be quite good with nice summer flavors). It was nice to chat with Jorge, especially since you can tell he puts a lot of pride into all of his dishes at Paul Martin’s.

Then it was time for the food. Everyone decided to order something different so we could share and try a little bit of everything. I decided to go with the Cheddar and Applewood Smoked Bacon Omelet, but ordered it with egg whites.

One of my biggest gripes is that many restaurants put the omelet fillings on top of the omelet, which in my opinion makes it no longer an omelet, but this one had the melted cheddar cheese, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes all nicely folded inside and tasted excellent. The roasted potatoes were also nice and not greasy at all.

The Englishman ordered the Eggs Benedict which came on an English Muffin and a side of roasted potatoes.

The Englishman is very particular about his poached eggs and thought these were cooked perfectly – just the right amount of runny yolk and not rubbery at all. The Hollandaise on top had a nice lemon zing to it as well.

My mom and dad decided to go with Chef Jorge’s recommendations and got the French Toast and Shrimp Omelet and raved about them both.

The shrimp omelet my dad ordered had avocado, shrimp, and jack cheese. If you are a seafood omelet fan, this is definitely the omelet for you. This also came with roasted potatoes.

My mom decided against eggs and ordered the french toast. I must say it was an excellent choice on her part because this french toast was pretty fantastic. I think I’ll be ordering it next time when I return for brunch.

Chef Jorge was right on the money when it came to the maple bourbon syrup that came on the side – the bourbon flavor blended nicely with the maple and was not overpowering at all.

In addition to our entrees we were served a plate of fresh fruit and warm rolls from Sadie Rose bakery, which were promptly devoured as well.

In all honesty, this brunch at Paul Martin’s was one of the best brunches I’ve had (and I have been to a lot of brunches). The food tasted great, the service was excellent and the price really cannot be beat. I’ll definitely be coming back.

Thanks for bringing a delicious brunch to Irvine Paul Martin’s!

California Grown Cherry and Blueberry Clafouti

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Thank you to California Grown for connecting me with California growers and encouraging California consumers to “Choose California Grown” when they can.

If you have been reading Sweet Potato Bites for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of locally grown produce. My favorite restaurants such as True Food Kitchen, Season’s 52 and Paul Martin’s American Grill incorporate locally grown produce into many of their dishes, and you’ll often find me shopping for fruits and vegetables at Grower’s Direct in Costa Mesa, which offers tons of California grown produce at very affordable prices.

Obviously one of the main reasons I try to buy California Grown produce is because I believe in supporting our farmers and helping the state’s economy, but another main reason is because frankly, the produce just tastes better. The fruit and vegetables are fresher, they last longer when you take them home, and you are eating food in season, which means the quality is top-notch. Admit it, fresh berries taste much better when you buy them locally and in season, rather in the dead of winter when they are shipped across country.

And if you think California Grown produce means more $$, think again! Many local farmers markets and grocery stores offer California Grown produce at very reasonable prices (like Grower’s Direct). Just be sure to look for the official CA Grown label.

Recently, California Grown sent me a giant box of delicious red cherries from Dean Devine, a cherry grower who has 175 acres of cherries in the Lodi and Modesto area. Dean is a fourth generation cherry grower who employs up to 150 seasonal workers to ensure consumers get the sweetest cherries from his farm. Dean credits the mineral rich water and perfect climate for producing cherries that are sweeter than from other states (another reason to buy from California farms!). To learn more about Dean, how he maintains his cherry farms and the importance of buying produce from California, be sure to check out his video here.

The cherries were delicious! They were nice and juicy and not tart at all. I could tell these cherries had been freshly picked since they were not mushy and still kept their firm shape.

After making my way through a few handfuls of cherries, I knew I need to incorporate them into some sort of delicious summer dessert. And what better dessert than a Cherry Clafouti a la Julia Child? (since Julia Child can do no wrong in my eyes).

I followed the recipe almost exactly, with the exception of a few modifications (I used non-dairy milk so a lactose intolerant friend could enjoy it) and added some blueberries in. The dessert ended up being light and flavorful, and the cherries definitely shined through. Even the Englishman, who claimed to dislike cherries, gobbled it right down.

Cherry and Blueberry Clafouti (adapted from Julia Child’s recipe)

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (regular milk works too)

2/3 cup brown sugar, divided

3 egg whites

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups cherries (use CA grown if possible!)

1 cup blueberries

Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

While your oven is heating, slice and pit your cherries. I have yet to master the art of this but you should make sure there are no pits remaining when the cherries go into your dessert.

Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, combine almond milk, 1/3 cup brown sugar, egg whites and egg, vanilla, salt and flour and blend well.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray (I used a glass loaf pan) and pour about a ¼ inch layer of your batter into the dish. Place dish in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the batter begins to set in the pan but is not baked through. Remove from oven.

Add in your pitted cherries and blueberries and sprinkle with 1/3 cup brown sugar.

Pour the remaining batter on top of the cherries and blueberries.

Bake in oven for 60 minutes until the clafouti is nicely puffed and golden brown. Baking time might be slightly longer or shorter depending on how warm your oven runs.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you so desire, and serve warm with your favorite ice cream!

Thank you again to California Grown for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about all of California Grown growers. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #CleverCAGrown #spon

Do you know the Muffin Man?

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Who lives on Drury lane? I don’t happen to know that muffin man, but I do know the muffin man who lives in my apartment and I’m here to share some of his latest muffin creations.

The Englishman and I have been quite busy at work recently, and have found ourselves turning to quick, healthy snacks to help fuel us through the work week. He recently came up with these 3 healthy muffin recipes that have been the perfect breakfast on the go, mid-morning snack, and afternoon pick-me-up.

*It should be noted that these muffins have little to no sugar (with the exception of the Lemon Chocolate Muffin which has chocolate chips), so to make these a bit sweeter feel free to add in a sweetener of your choice (I recommend a natural sweetener such as honey, agave or maple syrup).*

Lemon Chocolate Muffins (makes 8 muffins)

These Lemon Chocolate muffins are the perfect afternoon treat! The lemon and the chocolate complement each other perfectly and this muffin would be great crumbled over some ice cream or yogurt.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1/2 cup lemon zest

juice of half a small lemon

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix your two flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt well. Add in your egg, canola oil almond milk and lemon juice and blend completely.

Sprinkle your lemon zest into the bowl and finally fold in your chocolate chips. Mix until the dough is nice and sticky.

Scoop your dough into the muffin tins (I recommend using an ice cream scoop) and pop into the oven. Muffins will take 25-30 minutes to bake, but if your oven runs warm like mine, they may be done in as early as 20 minutes. The tops of the muffins should be nice and golden when they are done.

Banana Molasses Muffins (makes roughly 8 muffins)

These muffins are a bit heartier and have a strong molasses flavor. To sweeten the muffins up a bit, add in some agave or maple syrup.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup almond milk

1/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup pecans

2 ripe bananas

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Mash your banana with a masher or a fork. Add in the almond milk, molasses, and canola oil and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Fold in your wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Add in pecans and continue to mix.

These muffins are especially delicious when topped with peanut butter or jam.

Carrot Ginger Muffins (makes roughly 8 muffins)

These muffins are my personal favorite of the bunch – I love the carrot and ginger flavor together and since they are not too sweet, they are perfect as an afternoon snack or a quick breakfast. I recommend topping these with cream cheese or just good ol’ fashioned butter.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup grated carrot

1 large egg

1/4 cup fresh ginger

1/3 cup vanilla greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix together the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add in the vanilla Greek yogurt and egg followed by your carrot and ginger. Continue to mix until blended completely.

Let the muffins cool and enjoy!

So what kind of muffin fan are you? Lemon Chocolate, Banana Molasses, Carrot Ginger, or something else?

Vegan Black Bean Brownies

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I have seen black bean brownie recipes all over the web and nearly every recipe claims that the brownies are crazy delicious, event though the brownies have little to no butter and sometimes no eggs at all. I mean, black beans in brownies? Aren’t brownies supposed to be full of eggs and butter?

I decided to go the vegan route with my first attempt at black bean brownie making and I am pleased to say it was a success! While the texture is more dense and not as gooey as a brownie, you cannot taste the black beans at all. It’s a nice low-calorie dessert with a little extra fiber with a nutritional boost.

If you are looking for a decadent brownie, then this is not it, but if you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth while not being a sugar bomb, then bake away my friends!

Vegan Black Bean Brownies (adapted from this recipe)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and filled with new water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup of water
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add in the cocoa, brown sugar and maple syrup and blend well.

Drain your can of black beans (to remove the salty residue) and rinse well with water. Once the beans are clean you can either puree them or just add them to the mixture. I personally did not puree the beans and the brownies still came out nice.

Add the beans to your dry ingredients and blend together. Add your cup of water (you might need to add another 1/2 cup) and chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan, or you can use this nifty dessert bar pan I used from Bed Bath and Beyond.

This pan is perfect for brownies because they come out in little squares.

Bake for 25-30 minutes and make sure not to leave them in too long or the brownies will become too dry. Let brownies cool completely and cut into squares.

The Englishman loved these brownies and he HATES black beans (he couldn’t taste them at all), so if that isn’t a testimonial as to the deliciousness of these brownies, I don’t know what is!