Take A Bite Out of Boca

A South Florida Foodie's Guide to Culinary Adventures In & Out of the Kitchen

Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushroom and Bok Choy

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Alessi Foods. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Switch things up by using protein- and fiber-rich farro instead of arborio rice for your next risotto dish. Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushroom and Bok Choy is a simple dish that’s on the table in under 20 minutes!

Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Bok Choy #AlessiFoods

Farro is my favorite grain. It’s from the Tuscan region of Italy and boasts some pretty serious nutritional benefits — so many that it was known as the “Mother of all wheat” back in ancient Roman times. It has high levels of fiber, protein and iron, and is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, making it great for post-workout recovery meals. It’s nutty in flavor, chewy in texture, and tastes a bit like brown rice — but much better. I’ve used it in warm salads, as stuffing for tomatoes, and I’ve cooked it risotto-style — which I’m doing again today.

Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Bok Choy #AlessiFoods

This time around, I made Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushroom and Bok Choy, and mixed in a little lemongrass for some extra zing and fragrance. I used new Porcini Mushroom Farro from Sicilian family owned and operated Alessi Foods, as the base for my dish. Alessi Foods’ products are inspired by the family’s Sicilian recipes. All of Alessi Foods farro is pearled, which means the grain’s hull has been removed, which results in a faster cooking time, making it ready to serve in just about 20 minutes! How’s that for an easy weeknight meal?

Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Bok Choy #AlessiFoods

Usually risotto takes times — at least a half hour of constant ladling broth and stirring — but not this time! Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushroom and Bok Choy will be on the table in just over 20 minutes. All I did to spruce up this already-delicious one-pot dish was add chopped bok choy and lemon grass. This is a quick and easy meal that will appeal to those with crazy schedules, like me, and who often find themselves looking for shortcut dinner options. Farro has a mild flavor, allowing it to be an ideal choice for a base option for people who like to meal prep. Alessi Foods farro comes in two other flavors — beets and spinach, and butternut squash and kale. There’s also plain farro that you can gussy up however you’d like!

Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Bok Choy #AlessiFoods

Farro can also be used as a healthier choice for traditional comfort food — like veggie burgers or vegetarian meatballs. If you’re looking to up your intake of superfoods, farro is a great choice. When paired with other foods high in nutritional value, farro is good for those on high protein, low carb diets. So many positive things about this tiny little grain… Bring on the farro!

For recipe ideas and more information on Alessi Foods, click here. Make sure to follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too!

Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Bok Choy #AlessiFoods

5.0 from 1 reviews
Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushroom and Bok Choy
 
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Cook time
Total time
 
Switch things up by using protein- and fiber-rich farro instead of arborio rice for your next risotto dish. Farro Risotto with Porcini Mushroom and Bok Choy is a simple dish that's on the table in under 20 minutes!
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 7oz. package of Alessi Foods Porcini Mushroom Risotto
  • 2 heads baby bok choy, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemongrass
Instructions
  1. In a medium sauce pot, bring 1¾ cups water to a boil.
  2. Add the farro and stir for one minute while boiling (optional: add butter along with the farro).
  3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
  4. After 20 minutes, stir in the chopped baby bok choy and lemon grass.
  5. Serve warm or chilled.



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Herb-Marinated Mushrooms with Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile #winePW

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Dress up your main entree with a tasty side or serve as an appetizer or tapas-style dish. Herb-Marinated Mushrooms are versatile and full of flavor!

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I love going out to eat and trying a little bit of everything. Tapas-style restaurants are definitely my favorite — and marinated mushrooms are something I always order. There’s a restaurant in Delray called Papa’s Tapas that serves the most delicious marinated mushrooms. I found myself craving them recently and instead of driving all the way out there for a simple bowl of ‘shrooms, I decided I’d try making them myself. All you do is throw a bunch of herbs, oil and vinegar in a jar along with your mushrooms and keep in the fridge overnight. Piece of cake!

herb marinated mushrooms #winepw

I’m participating in this month’s Wine Pairing Weekend and my Herb-Marinated Mushrooms were just the thing to pair with a nice smooth glass of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. This month’s theme is “New Wine Resolutions for the New Year.” We are all choosing a specific wine, region or grape varietal that we want to learn more about in the new year. I’ve recently tried a few different wines from Chile and have been pleasantly surprised — especially with the chardonnay, a wine I don’t always love. I was gifted a bottle of Alto Roble Vina Caballero during the holidays and upon noticing it was from Chile, was pretty excited to try it. I did some research to see what kinds of flavors complement this medium-bodied red wine. The bottle itself says to pair it with BBQed beef, but uh…that obviously wouldn’t work for me. I needed a second opinion. Various websites listed mushrooms as a food pairing. Lucky for me, I was already planning to make my Herb-Marinated Mushrooms — perfect!

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The wine has very strong notes of strawberry and raspberry and a hint of cacao, it’s a beautiful deep red color and has an enticing aroma from the berries. And the mushrooms?! I’m thrilled to know how easy it is to make my own Herb-Marinated Mushrooms at home.

herb-marinated mushrooms #winepw

If you want to make them into a meal, they would be great over a bed of polenta, mixed in with quinoa, rice or pasta. They can be eaten alone as a side dish or pile ’em high onto a piece of crostini and serve as an appetizer. Herb-Marinated Mushrooms are restaurant quality but super simple to make and use ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now.

herb-marinated mushrooms #winepw

4.5 from 2 reviews
Herb-Marinated Mushrooms
 
Print
Dress up your main entree with a tasty side or serve as an appetizer or tapas-style dish. Herb-Marinated Mushrooms are versatile and full of flavor!
Author:
Recipe type: Side Dish/Appetizer
Ingredients
  • 8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice)
  • ½ small yellow onion, small diced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp champagne vinegar
  • ½ tbsp Gourmet Garden Garlic Paste
  • 1 tsp fresh basil
  • 1 tsp fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp fresh oregano
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients together in a jar with a screw top lid and shake well.
  2. Keep in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Shake well before serving.

 

Here’s what the rest of the Wine Pairing Weekend crew have paired up for you!

  • Sue from It’s Okay to Eat the Cupcake is pairing “Fiery Red & Icy White” – will the wine be red or white?
  • Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla has Argentina on her mind and is sharing “Empanadas Mendocinas + ’10 La Posta del Vi Ratero Malbec”.
  • Cindy of Grape Experience suggests starting the year with “Wine & Dine: Fontana Candida Terre de Grife 2012 Frascati & Slow Cooker Artichoke Dip”.
  • William of  Wild For Washington Wine is giving us  “ A Resolution for Greek Wine, A Recipe for Avogolemeno”.
  • Martin from Enoflyz Wine Blog is shaking things up with “Skillet Kale Pasta & Seitan Pizza with Querceto Chianti Classico”
  • Jade from Tasting Pour is pairing “Halter Ranch GSM and Duck with Cherry Sauce”.
  • Sarah that Curious Cuisiniere  brings us “Chicken Cacciatore & Washington Merlot”.
  • Wendy from  A Day on the Life of the Farm has a “New Year’s Wine Resolution of Prime Rib Roast with 2010 Cotes de Bourg”.
  • David of Cooking Chat Food is going Greek with “Greek Lamb Stew & Wine Pairing”.
  • Jennifer from  Vino Travels  it taking us to Puglia and sharing “Typical Dishes and Wine Pairings from Puglia”.
  • Jeff from food wine click is focusing on “Wine & Food Resolution 2015: Italy Deep Dive”.
  • Michelle from Rockin Red Blog will be tempting us “My 2015 Wine Resolution: Diversity!”
  • Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva, we are focusing on the “Rhone Rangers & Paul Bocuse”.

One Dish Dinners: Spicy Lentil Mushroom Ragout

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Before I share today’s recipe, I have to give a huge shout out to my parents. It is so cool to see how my blogging has inspired both of them to cook more and try new foods. I’m so proud of them! They’ve always cooked, but it feels like only recently they have taken a new liking to it. It isn’t just about merely throwing together ingredients and putting a dish on the table; they’re understanding the idea that Food is Love. The more passion you have, the better it tastes. When you really get into the process, you see how much fun it can be, and cooking takes on a whole new meaning.

My dad tried out my recipe for Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, documenting it the whole way through and of course sending me photos. My mom has surprised me so much by trying out all kinds of new cuisine and even attending these vegan dinners put on by the local community college culinary program. She’s experimenting in the kitchen and using her Crockpot all the time. One of her most recent creations inspired this recipe. I was already planning to make some kind of pasta and lentil dish after seeing Foxes Loves Lemons Lori’s Lentil-Mushroom Ragu, so when my mom told me she was making pasta with a lentil red sauce, I was even more motivated to get cookin’!

One-Dish Meals: Spicy Lentil Mushroom Ragout

I used Nasoya Pasta Zero Plus Shirataki Spaghetti. It’s only 15 calories and 4 grams of carbs per serving, vegan and gluten-free. I’ve seen this product in Publix so many times and always pick it up and read the stats, vowing to try it one day. Welp, I finally found a reason.

One-Dish Meals: Spicy Lentil Mushroom Ragout


This one dish meal is extremely healthy, but still fills you up. I honestly felt like I was eating regular pasta with meat sauce (it looks like meatsauce, too). There’s a ton of different flavors packed into this dish, one of the most prominent being the heat from red pepper flakes. 

One-Dish Meals: Spicy Lentil Mushroom Ragout


So many people are eating more vegetarian dishes or incorporating Meatless Mondays into their schedule. I love the idea that this totally meat-free ragout could easily pass for a meat sauce in both texture and taste. You could pair this Lentil Mushroom Ragout with whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash, too!

One-Dish Meals: Spicy Lentil Mushroom Ragout

Spicy Lentil Mushroom Ragout Adapted from Foxes Loves Lemons’s Lentil-Mushroom Ragu
Makes 2 servings

1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red lentils
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden basil
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden oregano
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden parsley
1 8 oz package Nasoya Pasta Zero Plus Shirataki Spaghetti
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add mushrooms, carrots, garlic and shallot and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add broth and water, stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in bay leaf, lentils, tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano and parsley. Heat to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook, covered, for about 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir occasionally.

Rinse and drain the shirataki spaghetti and toss in the ragout. Bring heat back up to low-medium and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Grate fresh parmesan cheese over top and serve!

 There are so many ideas out there for one dish meals, and today myself and some other bloggers are here to share our favorites with you! Check out what one dish meals my friends have come up with today. 



 
Disclaimer: I was not compensated by Nasoya for this post. They don’t even know about it. I just wanted to share with you a new product I found and enjoyed!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Wilted Kale, Mushrooms and Garlic for #SundaySupper

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I really love cooking this time of year. Summer has lots of beautiful colors and fresh ingredients, but fall and winter are just so full of flavor. The #SundaySupper team really knows how to play up the seasons’ best foods. Each week keeps getting better and better! Today we are “Squashin’ Winter” with some of our best squash recipes. Thanks to Heather from girliechef for hosting!

 I adapted this recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash with Wilted Kale, Mushrooms and Garlic from a recipe I learned at work. It’s probably one of my favorite side dishes ever. It was written by one of our chefs, Anthony, who is actually about to make his way out to Orlando to open up the newest Publix Aprons Cooking School and be the resident chef! (Shout out to Anthony – congratulations and good luck!). Thanks for everything you’ve taught me and all your inspirational and delicious recipes! 

 The original dish uses potatoes, but with butternut squash being in season I thought it would be an amazing substitute. Plus, it gives the dish a little more color and a lot of great flavor! If you’re still looking for recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner, Roasted Butternut Squash with Wilted Kale, Mushrooms and Garlic would be a great addition to your menu!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Wilted Kale, Mushrooms and Garlic for #SundaySupper



Roasted Butternut Squash with Wilted Kale, Mushrooms and Garlic for #SundaySupper




 I served this alongside tangerine-ginger marinated salmon and cous cous. Whenever I have the chance to cook dinner for my roommates, I really want to make it something special. Nothing is ever boring and I don’t usually make the same thing twice, but with a side this good, it may be making another appearance on the dinner table again very soon. 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Wilted Kale, Mushrooms and Garlic for #SundaySupper



Roasted Butternut Squash with Wilted Kale, Mushrooms and Garlic
Serves 4-6


1 medium butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
10-12 garlic cloves
olive oil
1 8 oz. package of wild mushrooms
1 15 oz. bag of kale
goat cheese (optional)


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the cut-up butternut squash onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the garlic cloves in a small saucepot and pour in enough olive oil so they are completely submerged. Cook on high for about 15 minutes. The garlic will turn a deep shade of tan and smell absolutely amazing.


Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour about 2 tbsp of the garlic oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining garlic oil, as well as the garlic cloves, and add the kale. Cook until kale has wilted.

Add the roasted squash to the mushrooms and kale. Sauté until you see char marks on the squash. Sprinkle goat cheese on top if desired.

 Craving more yummy squash recipes? Look no further – the #SundaySupper team has plenty for you! 
Breakfasts and Breads

Appetizers, Starters, and Condiments

Soups, Sandwiches, and Salads

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Desserts

Wine Pairing Recommendations for Squashin’ Winter #SundaySupper from Enofylz Wine Blog

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET.  Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Publix Aprons: What I Made

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Life at Publix has been pretty busy lately. Our summer schedule is out and packed with tons of really awesome classes. There were a few recipes from previous classes that I wanted to try, and I was able to get to a few over the past couple of weeks. The Onion Focaccia was one that I could not wait to try out on my own. I was super nervous because it was the first time I was working with yeast by myself – at least at work the other chefs are there and know what they are doing! I glued my eyes to that yeast and I swear I held my breath until I finally started to see it foam, almost 10 minutes later. Chef Rey had said in class that if nothing happens after about 10 minutes, then you know your yeast is dead. So you can only imagine how anxious I was. As soon as the movement started, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief and continued on with the recipe. I must say, my focaccia came out freakin’ awesome. I added roasted cherry tomatoes on top with the caramelized onions and it was a perfect pairing of sweet flavors. I even got Rey’s nod of approval on the cherry tomato idea and he said I did a good job! Wahoo! I can’t wait to make it again – I have a few other flavor combinations whirling around in my head… I’m thinking something with goat cheese next. Yeah, goat cheese on anything sounds good to me.


Public Aprons: What I Learned


I made the Farro Salad with Roasted Beets and Radicchio, of which I am a huge fan now. It’s so easy to make and barely takes any time at all. The first time I made it I followed Coco Frey’s recipe exactly (it is her recipe from when she came to Aprons for a demonstration.) Beets, radicchio, feta, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil… The second time I made it, I improved a little on the ingredients. I didn’t have any red wine vinegar left, so I tossed the salad in raspberry vinaigrette and then toasted some walnuts and tossed those in as well. This gave the salad a little more of a crunch to it and the vinaigrette made it a bit sweeter than the original. Both versions were delicious and it’s kind of turning into my new go-to dish to make for parties.

Publix Aprons: What I Made


 I also made the Spinach Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette. I made it as the starter for a dinner with fish, so I left out the poached chicken from the original recipe. This salad has kiwi, mango, papaya, toasted nuts, and creamy melted goat cheese. The salad was great, but I messed up something with the dressing. It tasted good, but it didn’t have the same consistency as it does whenever we make it in class. I asked Rey about it and we figured out that for some reason, the recipe I printed for myself was missing an ingredient – that ingredient just happened to be the same one that would have thickened it properly. Oops. At least now I know for next time.


I made another dish from work that is an excellent side dish to pretty much any protein – collard greens with mushrooms and potatoes. You sauté the collards and mushrooms in roasted garlic oil and crisp up the potatoes, and it all just blends together perfectly. I used a package of wild mushrooms and red potatoes. You can use kale instead of collard greens, too. I had never tried collards until we made this recipe at work and I really like them. There are so many varieties of greens that sometimes it’s hard to keep track. But you know me, I am always up for trying new vegetables and healthy dishes. This is definitely one I will continue to make time and time again.

Publix Aprons: What I Made
This last recipe I have made twice now and each time I was blown away by how awesome it is. It’s Rey special recipe that is so near and dear to his heart, I could never completely give it away on thisblog. I guess you’ll just have to come to a Publix Aprons class, or wait until you’re lucky enough for an invite to dinner when I’m making it. J Salmon with chili garlic sauce… Be warned that you will sweat while eating this sauce because it is definitely on the spicy side. But it’s well worth every drop. Everything you love is in this sauce and then some. It’s top notch, I promise. I wouldn’t lie to you.

Publix Aprons: What I Made

Panko-Baked Veggie Quinoa Cakes

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I promised you the recipe for my Veggie Quinoa Cakes, so here you go! These paired really nicely with the tilapia Amy cooked up for our dinner. They had great flavor; my only complaint was that they needed some kind of sauce. My bad. I should have prepared something to go along with the cakes; I think my Sweet Caramelized Onion Dip drizzled on top would have been perfect. I will definitely try that out next time I make these.

Panko-Baked Veggie Quinoa Cakes
Panko-Baked Veggie Quinoa Cakes

Panko-Baked Veggie Quinoa Cakes


2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 onion, small, diced
1 red bell pepper, small, diced
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup wild mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp Gourmet Garden basil (or chopped fresh basil)
2 tbsp Gourmet Garden chili pepper (or red pepper flakes)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
all purpose flour for dredging
1 egg, beaten
panko breadcrumbs for coating

Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Lower to medium heat and add peppers, spinach and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until all veggies appear soft. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic powder, basil and chili pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and cooked quinoa. Add the vegetable mixture and stir until well combined. Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to portion out your cakes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until cakes have hardened.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Make your assembly line: fill 3 shallow dishes with flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs. Dredge the cakes one by one in flour, then coat with egg and finish by completely covering in panko. Place back on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Disclosure: Gourmet Garden sent me free coupons for their products during my participation in Blogger Brunch Week. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

 

Birthday Celebrations: Tanzy, Boca Raton

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I told you that I love long, drawn out birthday celebrations. So naturally I started the countdown to my 25th as soon as March 1st was upon us. It really hit us in the face. February always zooms by so fast. I like that it’s a short month. March is not only my birthday month, but it’s also my mom’s and older sister’s AND my parents’ anniversary month! I have a ton of friends with March birthdays too, so it’s a busy month with lots of celebrating. Gotta love all the Pisces in my life! We’re a pretty awesome group. 

I’m totally one of those obnoxious people who tells everyone it’s their birthday…even if it is a bit early. Bubby and I went out to dinner at Tanzy the week before my birthday, and thanks to my friend and fellow food-enthusiast, Ken, I got special VIP birthday treatment. We had impeccable service and a nice visit from the manager who came out to say hi and wish me a Happy Birthday. 
Tanzy was one of the restaurants I had the pleasure of judging at the Flavors of Boca event last month. I’ve been wanting to go there for dinner since it opened at the new iPic Theatre in Mizner Park, which, as a side note, is freaking awesome. You’ll never be able to go to a regular movie theatre again after experiencing the iPic. Anyway, Tanzy has a pretty swanky look to it. There’s a very lively bar scene and a really cool little lounge area when you first walk in. The whole idea behind the decor is to resemble an outside, woodsy area…kind of like an “enchanted forest.” 
Bub and I decided to each order an entree and go halfsies. I ordered the wild mushroom risotto and she got the branzino with pecorino and sunflower couscous-stuffed tomato. It came with garlic spinach, too. Both dishes were fantastic. I loved the creamy texture of the risotto and sharp taste of mushrooms with truffle oil — I’ve said it time and time again, risotto is one of my absolute favorite dishes. If I see it on a menu, I almost always order it. I have to say, this was one of the best I’ve had. The branzino was cooked beautifully. I can’t believe how big the serving of fish was. it definitely was enough for two people to share. I liked the mix of flavors in the little couscous-stuffed Roma tomatoes.

Birthday Celebrations: Tanzy, Boca Raton

Birthday Celebrations: Tanzy, Boca Raton
Okay. Are you ready for the dessert? I can’t even describe to you how amazing the dessert was. I was full from dinner, but as soon as the waiter set the dessert menu down in front of me, the words RED VELVET BREAD PUDDING screamed out at me. How in the world could I say no to that?! I tried really hard to not devour the entire thing, but it was too good to resist. Bubby and I did share, but I think I had a little more than half. 😉 Oh well. Calories don’t count during your birthday. Duh. 

Birthday Celebrations: Tanzy, Boca Raton

Birthday Celebrations: Tanzy, Boca Raton


Disclaimer: I was not compensated to review this restaurant. All opinions are my own!

Pasta-less Lasagna, Stuffed Mushrooms, Autumn Salad, Oreo Cupcakes and Wine…Perfect Potluck!

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Planning dinner parties is becoming one of my absolute favorite things to do. I can’t wait until I have a nice dining room set and can really go all out. For now, I do my best with what I’ve got. And ya know what? I am pretty happy with it. Bubby’s card table and chairs as my stand-in for the time being is being put to good use. Of course, those chairs are really extremely uncomfortable because they’re so hard, and metal, and have no real cushioning. Yeah… anyone have a dining room table and chairs they’re looking to donate?! 😉
Anyway. Back to the amazingness that is having a dinner party. Pot luck style is definitely the way to go. it takes all the pressure off of the host as far as having to make everything and makes it more fun for everyone coming to dinner, too. Lauren, Jaime, Shannon, Tyler and myself were each in charge of one aspect of dinner and all came through very successfully. Shannon made the appetizer: stuffed mushrooms! Fresh parsley topped the cute little ‘shrooms, stuffed with a mixture made from 2 eggs, toasted Challah bread, sea salt, oregano, sauteed garlic, and diced mushroom stems. 
I made an autumn-inspired salad. It had apples, pears, dried cranberries, feta and toasted pumpkin seeds. I even made the dressing, too! Honey apple vinaigrette…its tartness meshed perfectly with all the components of the salad.
Jaime was in charge of the entree. Originally she said she’d make a veggie lasagna, which we were all excited about. But then surprised us with a pasta-less veggie lasagna made with eggplant instead and the excitement just exploded from all of us. Layers of eggplant instead of pasta — genius! Zucchini, spinach, carrots, tomato sauce, mozzarella… it was an awesome main dish. The mushrooms, salad and “lasagna” all went so well together! Tyler brought us a really nice bottle of Pinot Noir and Lauren satisfied our sweet tooth with a yummy chocolate cupcake with Oreo cookie frosting! The cupcakes were actually gluten-free. I honestly would never have known the difference if Lauren hadn’t told us. They were moist and rich and tasted great. The frosting was the best part. You can’t go wrong with anything involving Oreo cookies! 
I love being able to bring everyone together for nights like this.  We’re going to make it a habit to do more often and give each night a theme, with one ingredient we all have to use in our dish. Next up? PUMPKIN! 
Autumn Apple & Pear Salad
Baby arugula
Baby spinach
1 can sliced pears, each sliced in half
1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thinly
Dried cranberries
Feta cheese
Pumpkin seeds
1/2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt
Honey Apple Vinaigrette
2 tbsp fat free plain greek yogurt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp honey
To toast the pumpkin seeds, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the seeds in olive oil and salt and spread out onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until seeds are browned. 
To make the vinaigrette, mix all ingredients together in a blender.

A Little Taste of Italy: Lunch at Maggiano’s

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By now you should know my friend, Kristy, who has been mentioned in quite a few of my posts. It’s great having her in Florida with me. We are both complete Jersey Girls at heart, but we love our new lives down here. While we both love to cook and bake, we never shy away from going out for a good bite to eat. We love the guacamole and drinks at Rocco’s Tacos, the Fuji Apple Sake wine and sushi at Yakitori, and sharing all of our baked goods recipes with each other. It’s good to have a bestie with the same interests. Not to mention, we both just moved into our very own apartments, so not only do we have food and cooking to talk about, but decorating too!

Anyway, our most recent dining adventure was for lunch at Maggiano’s Little Italy of Boca along with her boyfriend, whom I was finally meeting for the first time. Gotta get the BFF approval, which she did! 🙂 The restaurantreminds me of Carmines at the Tropicana in Atlantic City — very family-style Italian and comfortable. It took us forever to order as we sat and talked for a while. Every time the waiter came over, it was like “One more minute…” until finally we just shut up and ordered. For starters, we shared the stuffed mushrooms (bottom left). This was a huge portion for an appetizer; it came with 6 jumbo mushrooms caps, stuffed generously with spinach and seasoned bread crumbs in a garlic white wine sauce — VERY good. It’s hard to believe I used to scoff at mushrooms and think they were disgusting; they’re one of my favorite foods now! 
Kristy ordered the chicken torellini (top right), baked in garlic and white wine cream sauce with smoked ham, Asiago cheese and fresh spinach. I tried a piece of the pasta, which was very good. It was definitely homemade; you could taste how fresh it was. Her boyfriend ordered the chicken franchaise (top middle) and I got the chicken and apple salad served with granny smith apples, iceberg lettuce, arugula, red grapes, celery and walnuts in a bleu cheese vinaigrette (top right). I love salad with fruit, and the dressing was really good. It had a strong flavor, so there was no need to drench the salad. We finished off lunch with a little cup of cappuccino and all shared the toasted pound cake with caramelized bananas for dessert (bottom right). We collectively agreed that the high point of the dessert was definitely the banana. The pound cake was very dry and the ice cream and fudge didn’t really help moisten it up enough. My favorite part of dessert was the mini-biscotti that came with our espresso. The portions were huge, and the food was very good. There were a lot of great sounding pasta dishes on the menu, but I’m not usually a big pasta eater — I have to be in the mood for it, and I just wasn’t feeling it. Maybe next time… (and there definitely will be a next time).


Dinner at Wave 2700

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NOTE: This restaurant has since closed.

Dad’s visit was the perfect excuse to go out for a good dinner. After much deliberation on what kind of food we were all in the mood for, the cuisine chosen was seafood. The destination? Wave 2700. Bubby, Aunt Patty and I went here a while back when it first opened, and really enjoyed our meal, so I was automatically looking forward to it.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated inside and has a real nice outdoor dining area as well. It was a little too muggy to eat outside, but if you have the chance to do so, I highly recommend it. Our waitress, Lauri, was really friendly and accommodating and made some good suggestions. I started out with a drink, the dragon berry mojito, which Lauri assured me I would love, and love it I did. Mojitos are one of my favorite drinks. I’m a fan of the cool, refreshing taste of mint and in this particular drink, the sweet taste of dragon berry rum really made it the perfect summer cocktail.
As for the menu, there is certainly a lot to choose from. Everything looked so good that making a decision, at least for me, wasn’t easy. Everything from chilled shellfish to various fish entrees to chicken and steak to pasta. There is something for everyone. They even have a vegan and vegetarian menu.
We decided to stick to appetizers since none of us were hungry enough to indulge in a full meal. Besides, we knew the freshly baked garlic rolls on the table would be a nice filler-upper before our food came. The rolls were crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside and dripping in garlic and olive oil — just as a garlic roll should be. They were so good that my dad even asked for another basket once we had finished the first! Surprisingly, I wasn’t too wishy washy when it came to figuring out what I wanted. I chose the first appetizer that jumped out at me: crab stuffed mushrooms. This was honestly one of the best seafood appetizers I’ve ever had. When the plate was set down in front of me, I was pleased to see the heaping pile of jumbo lump crab meat pouring out of  each of the six small mushroom caps. I couldn’t wait to dig in. Dad started with a bowl of the lobster and crab bisque, a natural choice for most seafood lovers, and Bubby got her signature dish, oysters on the half shell. She made a big deal about the size of the oysters and said she would be sending them back if they weren’t as big as she was hoping for. Luckily, she was happy with their size and even happier with their taste! Both of them each got the jumbo lump crab cake, as well.
Everything was presented beautifully and tasted great. I would definitely go back to Wave, whether just for appetizers and drinks or for an entire meal. The array of seafood options on the menu made me anxious to get back there for a return visit. There is plenty on it that I would like to try. The crab, hearts of palm & avocado salad, the coconut and almond shrimp combo, and the best sounding entree on the menu, in my opinion: the seafood risotto with halibut shrimp and scallops.
As someone who loves a great seafood meal and is always scoping out good places to find them, Wave 2700 is definitely on my list. If you haven’t been to Wave yet and you are a seafood fanatic, you must try this restaurant.
Sunday Supper Movement