LA/OC Eats and Beyond - Part I

I've been in the OC (and LA) a lot recently and have tried a lot of tasty eats so I thought I'd share with you all the things that have made my stomach happy. And yes, all these pictures were not taken with a camera. I've been slacking in that department. It's all about taste for me anyway.

 

Vitello's Restaurant, Studio City, California

 



 

 

Enjoyed the Lobster Ravioli and the Chicken DaVinci. Both were real treats. Also had the calamari but it was oily and had me a little woozy. A great place to hang with a few friends or go on a date. Heard the pizza is good here so we discussed coming back here for the pizza next time. I'm sure some of their other dishes wouldn't disappoint as well. I left not feeling well so wasn't sure if it was the food or not. Service was absolutely great. Atmosphere was very cool and relaxed. I'd say it deserves 3/5 hearts: © © ©

Paradise Cove, Malibu, CA

Lobster tacos. I'm a lobsta lover. Enough said. Pricy but whatever. Get them. 5 hearts: © © © © ©

 

Kagura Downtown, Littly Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA

 

 

Fresh fish. Affordable for the area. Would definitely make it back there --which you should, in my opinion, stick to a sushi place once you find a good one. Raw food isn't something to play with and get sick! I give Kagura 4/5 hearts: © © © ©

 

Tokyo Delves, North Hollywood, California

  

 

 

 Came here for the first time for a friends Dirty Thirty party. Sushi wasn't that great. Didn't taste fresh to me. And quite pricy. Entertainment was just okay. Tokyo Delves gets 2/5 hearts: © ©


Jae Boo Do, Koreatown, Los Angeles, California

 

Jae Boo Do is known for their Seafood BBQ. Not the typical AYCE Korean BBQ. I enjoyed this very much so, though my lungs did not! And major chest muscle pain but that had nothing to do with the food. There are 4 options to choose from here and we (4 of us) went with Option C, which came with:

Various Korean side dishes, Shrimp, variety of Clams, Green Mussels, Oysters, various Scallops, Abalone, Baby Octopus, Hag fish, Sweet Potato, Potato, and a warm soup to end the meal.

I enjoyed wrapping the Hag fish in the sesame leaf and eating it with a piece of garlic, onion, and ssamjang, a typical Korean eats. Seafood was fresh here. We left feeling really full but not overly stuffed to the point that we couldn't walk. The bill will be cheaper if you pay in cash. Friendly service. I'm already thinking about my next visit. 5/5 hearts: © © © © ©
 
 Miss Coffee, Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA

After all that seafood, we were in the mood for ice cream! In this HUGE measuring cup, we had green tea ice cream, ice, strawberries, sauce, malt, and all sorts of things in this concoction. Great for 4 friends to enjoy. Interesting experience. I'd come with a group. Fairly priced. I give it 4/5 hearts: © © © ©

To be continued!

New Years Resolution and Top Posts

2014. A new year has arrived. And that means many New Years Resolutions that will be made and broken! As for myself, I usually try to set resolutions that I know I will try to attain but this year felt a little different...I don't really have a resolution. I can't really pinpoint one specific thing I want to focus on this year.

Honestly, I just want one good year that I can look back upon and simply smile.

Nothing bad happening. No weight gain. :)) No heartache. No lies, dishonesty, and untrustworthy people. No injuries. No unappetizing meals. No 85+ degree F Southern California days. No clogged toilets (a major fear of mine!). :p No bugs. No bills. And anything that causes sadness and pain to anyone in this world.  

Just happiness. Peace. Love. Blueberries. ;) Great meals. Plenty of beach days. Surround myself with amazing friends and company. More rain. Playing in the snow days. Continually improving 5k times. Running, biking, and hiking, oh my! Flowers. Travel. Travel some more. Maaaybe expat living? Hopefully World Cup tickets (3rd times the charm? I'll find out in February!). Prepare fancier meals. Massages. Nights of just sitting outside and looking at the stars. Hot chocolate. Drinking more Cardamom Turkish Coffee, oh yes. Whipped cream shots. Better health. A love for life.

That's all I want. I've never been into 'things'. All I care about are people, their happiness, and living a good life while making this magnificent world a better place. So this is what I hope to see and experience in 2014. And wishing the same for everyone. :)
          

 Here are the top 20 posts with the most views for Peace. Love. And Blueberries.! I love looking back and seeing what I've done in the past. :)

1) Sean's Cafe, Venice Beach Boardwalk, and the Factory
Spending the day in Los Angeles.

2) 3 Cities in Ecuador
The three cities I spent time in while on my travels in Ecuador.

3) Mi Quang, Banh Mi, and A Vietnamese Flan too
Vietnamese cuisine at a local Venice restaurant.

4) Sounds of the Amazon - Part II
I could fall asleep to the sounds of the rainforest every night.

5) Tortas Ahogadas - Las Originales
An authentic Mexican cuisine experience in Southern California.

6) Baltra, Los Gemelos, and the Wall of Tears
Time spent in the Galapagos Islands.

7) Fruit for Thought
A new fruit found on the Caribbean island of Curacao at the Floating market.

8) Mollusks
New Zealand Green Mussels in Dynamite Sauce and Clams with Parmesan Recipes.

9) Sinful Seducción
A chocolate lovers dream. Bring to the states please!

10) Pizza of the Sea
Seafood pizza...YUM!

11) Bolivian Cuisine
What is in the Bolivian cuisine? This is what I ate in Bolivia.

12) Pista Kulfi
An Indian ice cream delight.

13) Peruvian Coca Cola Chicken
Moist and melt in your mouth Peruvian Chicken recipe that I received from a Peruvian Grandmother. You must try this!

14) La Historia de Machu Picchu - Pt II
The English version of the history of Machu Picchu.

15) La Historia de Machu Picchu
The Spanish version of the history of Machu Picchu.

16) Cotopaxi
The tallest volcano above sea level is in Ecuador.

17) A Day on Death Road
The day I biked on Yungas Road in Bolivia. The most adventurous thing I have ever done in my life!

18) Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas BBQ
The best BBQ joint in Southern California.

19) Passionfruit Banana Ricotta Flan
A tropical twist on one of my favorite desserts.

20) The Best Thing I Ever Ate In...
My favorite treats in all of my travels....so far!

Here's to a great 2014!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

While waiting for some family to head over to the house the other day, I decided to just chill, flip through some channels, and settle down a bit.

 

And naturally, I stopped on the Food Network.

 

I rarely watch TV nowadays and even the Food Network has less and less captivated me now that the shows aren't as innovative but I still love some of the competitive shows when I get a chance.

 

Before I go any further, I just have to say I still love Ina Garten. Possibly the only one on that channel that can actually cook pretty darn well and keeping it classy in the Hampton's.

 

So to continue my 'hang out time' story, Ina Garten's show was on and I decided to make a pit stop and watch it.

 

She announced she was going to make one of her favorite recipes, the fantastic:

 

Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese.

 

I took one look at the lobster....

 

And had a major foodgasm.

 

I am not even kidding!

 

Even just thinking about it now...

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

 

 I just had to have it baaad!

 

Lobster is one of those delicacies that I WISH I could have everyday. I promise I won't get bored of it! Of course it's expenisve to buy out here in the wonderful sunny state of California so I rarely get to enjoy it. So in the case of wanting to make Lobster Mac and Cheese right then and there, it was impossible.  

 

What is a girl to do?

 

Well I didn't let it stop me. I just made my own Mac and Cheese, just sadly without the Lobster.

 

My Macaroni and Cheese is pretty darn good, moist, cheesy, and comforting. Everything it is supposed to have and do. It's open to most pastas. Any cheese you'd like. Perfectly seasoned. Each bite was made to be loved.

 

PLEASE DON'T BE MAD AT ME! I forgot to snap a pic before the dish was served. I did however get a picture in for Instagram so just find me on there if you need to match the picture with the recipe!

 

Below I just mention cheese. You can use any of your favorite combinations. This time around, I used Muenster and Mozzarella and sprinkled Parmesan and Crumbled Turkey Bacon on top. Go with what you love.

 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

 

Serves: 8 people

 

1 - 1 lb (16 oz) pasta

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp flour

4 cups of milk

1 egg (optional)

~ 4-5 cups of cheese

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/4 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Parmesan OR Breadcrumbs OR Crushed Unsalted Pretzel, for topping

Crumbled bacon, for topping (optional)

 

Directions:

 

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

2) Boil water on the stove, salt it, and cook the pasta noodles. Take off stove after cooking for about 5-7 minutes, drain, and place back into the pot.

3) While noodles are cooking, melt butter over medium heat, add the flour, and make a roux. Once combined, add the milk and mix. If using an egg, mix separately than add to the milk. While the milk is thickening, start seasoning with salt, pepper, mustard, garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

4)Once it starts to thicken, add the cheese and combine until melted.

5)When ready, pour over the pasta and make sure every noodle is covered in the sauce. Then get the noodles into the pan, cover with your preferred topping(s), and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy! 

Eggless Cookie Recipe

Have you ever been in the middle of creating something wonderful in your kitchen and you get to the part of the recipe when you need to add - butter, eggs, oil, baking powder...etc and when you go to reach for the next ingredient, you discover that you are out of it?

NOOOOO! This can't be happening right now!

It happens to the best of us. No one is perfect in the kitchen. I know I've made a lot of mistakes. Especially those mistakes that consist of the same missing ingredient scenario like the above problem. I can't help it though. When I have the huge urge to bake, I bake. When I am craving something bad, I'll cook it! And when I get in one of those experimentive kitchen nerd moods, nothing can stop me! Whether or not I have all the ingredients for success!

Yes, you can be one of those cooks that always makes sure you have everything in stock and if you find something low, you go and buy it just so you are prepared for future baking/cooking moments.

But most likely you can be one of those bakers that buys things at the moment of your decision to make a dish.

I'd say I'm in the middle. Yes I have the usual flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and powder in my kitchen pantry but I prefer to save my money and not always buying things just because I'm low on corn starch! Which now reminds me, I've been out of mirin for awhile now. Something that keeps slipping my mind. I usually don't mind taking a trip to the grocery store because I could be there for hours and not get bored. But there are those days that it can be inconvenient to have to make a trip at the last minute in order to complete a step in a recipe, worry about gas, AND going out in public looking like a hot mess. ;) I kid sometimes!

I know I'm not the only one who has been in a crunch like this! What's the one thing you always seem to be out of when you need it the most?

So today it happened again. I was in the middle of making some fantastic Dark Chocolate Pistachio cookies with a sprinkle of sea salt on top and when I got to the egg part of the recipe, I went to the fridge and looked....looked....and looked some more. I WAS OUT OF EGGS! AHHHHHH! WHAT DO I DO??

I'm well aware of all those vegan recipes out there, but to be honest, I really am not a fan of them. They always come out odd, too thick, and no texture. And yes, I've made a batch of vegan cookies once just to see what these recipes are all about! So when I realized I was out of eggs, that was the first thing that came to mind. The cookies were going to be ruined.

So I decided to experiment a little. Take a chance. I am a HUGE science nerd - both in the kitchen and working in a hospital setting. I have no problem saying I'm a geek and loving it!

I looked to see what I had available at that exact moment and I found corn starch and lowfat plain yogurt. The corn starch adds to the texture and binds the ingredients of the cookie with the butter and the yogurt makes the dough moist and keep together. Will this make or break the cookie?

So here's the basic cookie recipe that I came up with and then you can come up with your own cookie combinations to satisfy your craving, your likings, or for any special events and holidays. For one ingredient, 1 1/2 - 2 cups would be just fine, for a combo of two, 1 cup of each would be perfect to add to the cookie dough, and for three or more, I'd lessen the amount in order not to overcrowd the cookie, which will change the end results of your cookie. Today I used dark chocolate, pistachio, and coarse sea salt so I'll write what I did and the end result of my experiment.

Eggless Cookie Recipe

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder

1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp water

1/4 cup plain lowfat (or nonfat) yogurt
2 tsp vanilla

1 cup pistachios, chopped
1 cup Valrhona dark chocolate, chopped or any semi to dark chocolate chips
Coarse sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2) Combine dry ingredients; set aside.
3) Cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then add to the butter-sugar and mix. Then add the yogurt and vanilla. Beat thoroughly.
4) In small batches, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. (Stir in the pistachios and chocolate well.) *Add your own ingredients here.
5) Use an ice cream scoop and place the rounded cookie dough onto the baking sheets. (Sprinkle the coarse sea salt over the cookie dough.) Bake for around 10-12 minutes for Tbsp sized cookie dough and 15-17 minutes for ice cream scoop sized dough.
6) Allow to cool on the sheets for 3-4 minutes before removing onto cooling racks.

What was the end result?

 

I'll be 100% honest. If someone else had made this recipe and did not tell me about the changes that were made, I definitely would not have known there was no egg in the cookie. They were absolutely perfect! And I'm not just saying this because I made them.

 

Crisp on the outside with a slight chewiness in the middle. Most definitely not like the vegan recipes you find online or in a cookbook. For the record, I know this isn't a 'vegan' recipe but I do put this cookie in a category similar to that of one. I was completely shocked by how good these cookies were. This girl patted herself on the back for a job well done. First times the charm!

 

*I'd like to point out some things in the way I usually bake and also how I baked these cookies before you try these out for yourself:

 

-When it comes to sugar, I NEVER measure accurately. I have never been a super sweet dessert fan so I loosely measure less than the right amount called for in any recipe, whether I create it myself or use someone elses recipe. I measured less sugar than what I put in this recipe. I might even go a little less next time, but I did not want to adjust that above since everyone has their own tastes.

 

-I ended up adding the corn starch/water liquid and vanilla first, the dry ingredients, and then mixed in the yogurt before the pistachio and chocolate so I could see the dough pre-yogurt and with the yogurt. Pre-yogurt, the dough was somewhat dry and only slightly moist. After the addition of yogurt, the dough resembled the regular cookie dough 'look with the addition of egg(s)'. I can assume that if you add the yogurt in before the flour, it'll be just fine?

 

-And I'm guilty of always putting more vanilla than asked...does that make me a bad girl? ;)

 

-But I ALWAYS measure the other dry ingredients accurately. Sometimes I do follow the rules. :)

 

I hope you'll try these out for yourself. And of course, please let me know what you think!

Zucchini Chickpea Burgers

Whaaaat??! Veggie burgers? Where's the meat!

 

I know, I know! Kind of strange seeing this girl post a recipe for a veggie burger but hear me out!

 

I made plans for myself to try to go completely meat-less -minus fish and 2 eggs/week, of course!- for a few weeks, starting this past Monday. Doing it mainly for health reasons and actually feeling great about it! This will be my second meat challenge this year and I'm feeling pumped about doing this again but working harder to eat better meat-less meals.

 

So how to do this without giving up, feeling hungry, and getting discouraged?

 

Get creative in the kitchen. Try new things and experiment. Figure out new flavors or combinations that you like and ones you may not but glad you at least had the guts to try. Play around with your food! Make it fun.

 

The first thing I thought of doing was buying three cans of chickpeas and deciding on making three totally different dishes I've never had before than the usual ways of delving into the garbanzo bean. Gotta start somewhere!

 

I looked online for some inspiration or even a new recipe to try and right away I locked my eyes on the recipe for Zucchini Chickpea Burgers....and that was the first new meal I was going to create with one of my cans. I was a little wary but definitely went in with an open-mind.

 

I found the recipe on Vicky's blog: http://avocadopesto.com

 

and here's the link to her recipe: Zucchini Chickpea Burgers

 

I made a couple of changes for my own preferences (and the fact I rarely follow a recipe!) but here is her recipe below:

 



Zucchini Chickpea Burgers

Recipe type: Dinner

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 6

 

Killer veggie burgers made with zucchini, chickpeas, quinoa and sunflower seeds. This will be your new favorite burger. Vegan and gluten free too!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1½ cup zucchini, grated on the largest setting of a box grater
• ½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• ¾ teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper to taste
   
• 1½ cup canned chickpeas
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup dry)
• ⅔ cups water
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• ½ teaspoon smoked and spicy paprika
• To serve::
• 8 hamburger buns or sliced bread (Udi’s gluten free for gluten free version)
• red onion, thinly sliced
• large handful arugula
• 4 tablespoons wasabi mayo (omit for vegan version)
• 4 tablespoons edamame hummus
• 3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, and saute until zucchini is cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Grind pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add quinoa, chickpeas, dijon mustard, lemon, dill, and paprika, to the mixture. Pulse to combine a few times and then run the food processor until the mixture is broken up but hasn’t completely lost its texture. If you need to, add a little water to the mixture.
3. Place the mixture in a mixing bowl and add the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Mix until combined.
4. Shape the mixture into 6-8 patties with your hands.
5. Heat remaining olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook burgers for five minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
6. Serve each burger on hamburger buns with a dollop of wasabi mayo, edamame hummus, sliced cucumbers, red onions and arugula.

 

Here's my end result:

 



 

And my changes:

• I ended up replacing the sunflower seeds with pine nuts. 
• No need to add any water to the mix. It was perfectly moist.
• The olive oil was kind of low for only 2 Tbsp and splitting it for the first steps and when cooking the burgers but I stuck to it.
• I had no dijon mustard in my kitchen so I used regular mustard but cut it down to less than 2 Tbsp. I got a hint of it when I tried the burger but not overpowering at all. I wouldn't mind using this again or just buying some dijon.
• I used dried dill instead of fresh. I don't use it that often to buy fresh so dried came in handy today.
• I had smoky paprika on hand already so used that though it isn't spicy at all.
• I added 1 tsp of red pepper flakes for a kick!
• I was out of arugula. :)
• Instead of making wasabi mayo, I made wasabi yogurt instead. Just made about 1/2-1 tsp of wasabi and added to about 1/2 cup of plain low-fat yogurt. It was more than perfect! That and I'm trying to avoid mayo as much as I can.
• And I didn't have edamame hummus - which I absolutely love, by the way!

My thoughts?

 

I actually really like this burger. I forgot that it wasn't meat for a second! I wouldn't mind making this once in a while. I was able to get 7 burgers out of the mix, which I ended up freezing them to enjoy on another day. So far it's been about 5 hours since I had lunch and I'm still feeling full, no appetite at all, and I'm not missing meat...so far! I encourage you to try this out and taste for yourself!

 

 



Best thing I ate on my travels in 2013

Welp we are closer to the end of 2013 and I already posted my favorite recipe of this year. So I thought I'd add the best thing I ate while traveling in 2013. This one was an easy one...I only went to Guatemala this year! I was itching to book plane tickets SO BAD but I ended up getting a Cross Country Coaching job that I did not want to pass up. Probably one of the best things I did for myself this year. Not only am I a better runner now than when I first started 13 years ago, I worked with high school students instead of my little ones and it was an experience I'll never forget.

Definitely had a great group of students to run with and despite working in 'The Valley' (I did find (smell) some pretty authentic restaurants to eat at while running!) and the commuting everyday (I will not miss the drive!!), it was a learning experience that I needed and appreciate the opportunity I was given. I also learned that I need to toughen up a little! :)) I was constantly told that "I'm too nice." If someone yelled at me, I wouldn't want to go run 8 miles!! Maybe that's why I sometimes get taken advantage of but I'm glad the teams respected me and listened to what I had to say. My boss at my other job just told me the same thing. :/ Even when I wore my 'tough cookie' shirt. He didn't by it!

So anyway, that was my reason why I didn't purchase a plane ticket this year but I will be doing that soooooon.... :)

So with all the wonderful meals I ate in Guatemala, this was the best thing I ate while traveling in the year 2013:

Marshmallows roasting over an open and active volcanoooo! ;)

 

Just kidding...that was one of my favorite things to do in Guatemala. I AM A SUCKER FOR MARSHMALLOWS! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!!

 

Ok the best thing I ate was...

 

 

Pollo Asado con tortillas, tomate, y cebolla!

 

It was simple, filling, made with love, and enjoyable to eat while chit chatting it up with the locals around the asado. It was actually the first meal I could eat and felt normal again after my sleep deprivation experience ...that won't happen again! It felt so good to eat this comforting meal. I almost went for seconds but ate at the asado right next to this one..to be fair! :) I also enjoyed the rellenitos! I didn't get a chance to love up on the Guatemalan tamales and chile rellenos but my best friend is Guatemalan and her mom makes the best! And I love the Guatemalan restaurant Guatemaltecos to get my fix when I need it.

 

So there you have it! The best thing I ate while traveling in 2013. Until next year.... :)