Acai Bowls from Choice Health Bar, Maui

September 6, 2013 by 2 Comments

I was in Maui last week, and on the recommendation from our waiter our first night (then also verified by the consistently pleased reviews on Yelp), we checked out a place called Choice Health Bar in Lahaina. We came back two more times because if their amazing acai bowls! I mean, just take a look at these beautiful bowls!

The big menu: they have it spread across 8 chalkboards (there’s another one listing the specials of the day by the register just out of the shot)

Choice’s Green Buzz Bowl: acai, banana, berries, spirulina, caramel, topped with banana, bee pollen, goji berries. The acai is extra thick and topped with granola and fresh local fruits.

Choice Health Food's Green Buzz Bowl: acai, banana, berries, spirulina, caramel, banana, bee pollen, goji berries in Lahaina, Maui Choice Health Food's Green Buzz Bowl: acai, banana, berries, spirulina, caramel, banana, bee pollen, goji berries in Lahaina, Maui

Visit #2 got the one I had my eye on (the Green Buzz was F’s favorite, this was mine): the Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs. Wow right?

Choice Health Food's Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs in Lahaina, Maui Choice Health Food's Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs in Lahaina, Maui

F also tried a “healthy plate lunch”, which included a plentiful kale salad, one of 3 soups, and the quinoa of the day along with a little fruit bar as a sweet treat to end with. One day the soup was smokey split pea soup, another time it was a cream of kale soup, or a choice of red bean chili. The quinoa I loved (that they topped with the thick creamy kale soup as part of their option of Vegan Soup and Grain) was a coconut garlic quinoa.

Other options included a raw PB&J with almond butter, fresh berries, coconut and honey on banana date bread, a papaya bowl that was half a papaya stuffed with granola, goji berries, bee pollen, and coconut… and an intriguing item (which they were out of unfortunately) of “raw vegan oyster shootersz”. The waiter who recommended this place had convinced us as we were chatting at dinner by raving about the time he had a “cheese” plate here where it wasn’t really dairy cheese but still seemed like he was eating a blue cheese and cheddar cheese.

And then there’s this video showing a wrap!

Clearly owners Chefs Emily Kunz & Kathryn Dahm are really bringing it, putting together amazing flavors using the fresh local offerings of Maui, all vegan and vegetarian but with a focus on celebrating bright flavors rather than the often blander, earthier food I usually associate with a health food store. Ok, I will admit there are crystals in here and there is a pretty large fantasy mural on the walls, but the bright light streaming through the big windows made it seem like a local cafe rather than a hippie joint. This was F’s favorite food all week in Maui. Since I am not vegetarian, I reserve that crown for some fresh seafood I had during the week, sorry.

Choice Health Bar's Plate Lunch with kale salad, soup, and quinoa in Lahaina, Maui

I would heartily recommend this for a healthy option for breakfast or lunch if you are staying on that West part of Maui!!

Choice Health Food's Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs in Lahaina, Maui

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Elote Pasta Salad

August 30, 2013 by 6 Comments

I had some leftover light sour cream from making the Chilled Vegetable Pizza, and it happened to be about 1/3 cup. Immediately I was able to rationalize making a version of another Pinterest recipe I had pinned in the same board, Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad from the blog Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice. Mmmm Elote Pasta Salad.

I am a huge fan of elote- I first had it when I lived in Chicago, from the New Maxwell Street Market which actually is not on Maxwell street anymore since being relocated (twice!), but still offers an international array of goods in an open market on summer Sundays that is a mix of flea market with Asian and Hispanic vendors and also Mexican street food fair.

Examples of Elote from my past… the first set of 4 are actually from the New Maxwell Street Market in Chicago, the next two from the farmers market at Pike Place Market in Seattle, and the last from Elote Cafe in Sedona. I wanted to combine the stronger bursts of flavor from those two market experiences with the less scary visual presentation of the last one.
5/18/2008 New Maxwell Street Market, where I saw a few people ordering this roasted corn. You could have it two ways- with the stuff rolled on the cob, or they could cut the corn from the cob and serve it to you in a cup. I chose the latter. You could choose which corn you wanted, lots of black or not so much... 5/18/2008 New Maxwell Street Market what the corn looks like rolled in the butter cheese and chile when still on the cob. 5/18/2008 New Maxwell Street, my roasted corn in a cup, topped with everything: mayo, cheese, parkay butter and chile, for $2 5/18/2008 New Maxwell Street Market, don't know why they were surprised I asked for the chili- what, I can't take it? I totally can, no sweat. It was the mayo and butter that I paused at but since that's how the other people in line had it, so did I.  Elote in progress at the Pike Place Market in Seattle in 2009 Elote at the Pike Place Market in Seattle in 2009 Sedona's Elote Cafe's Elote= Fire roasted corn with spicy mayo, lime and Cotija cheese

Elote is a popular street food in Mexico that consists of corn on the cob that is grilled and then slathered with mayonnaise, sour cream, Cotija cheese, lime juice, salt and spices, and sometimes liquid margarine. F rolls his eyes when he sees me making a beeline for this because of the ingredients, but the flavors are irresistible. You can eat this messily from the cob, or also ask them to cut the kernels into a cup to eat with a spoon for a little less messy face.

It’s hot and smoky from the grill, but creamy from the mayo sour cream mix, a bit of salt from the well salt and cheese, and has a brightness from the lime juice and maybe a bit of spice depending on the amount of chili. For my version I upgraded the call for chili powder or cayenne pepper with ground chipotle chili for more spice and smoke in the flavor profile. And, at least there is no liquid margarine. I adapted the recipe also because didn’t have corn on the cob, but I had some frozen corn kernels and took a cue from Esquites which is similar to elote but using pan roasted corn.

Elote Pasta Salad

Elote Pasta Salad - mixing pasta, pan roasted corn, cotija cheese and avocado Elote Pasta Salad - mixing pasta, pan roasted corn, cotija cheese and avocado

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces pasta
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder or cayenne pepper, or 2 teaspoons of ground chipotle chili
  • The juice from one lime and the zest, or about 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups corn kernels
  • 1 diced avocado
  • 1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled. You can also use Parmesan, Asiago, or Feta but may want to reduce the amount since the cheese flavor is more intense.

Directions:

  1. First, the pasta. Cook it the normal way in your favorite pot with boiling salted water.You can use any type of pasta you would like, but get one that has a lot of ridges that can hold the dressing- rotini, radiatore, fusilli, and I like little scoopy conchiglie shells or ditalini small tube too
  2. While the water is boiling/pasta cooking, create the elote dressing. Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili, lime until smooth. Once the pasta is al dente and rained, put one tablespoon of this dressing into the pasta and stir so all the pasta is coated and won’t stick to each other. Then I put the pasta, as well as the rest of the dressing, into the refrigerator to chill.
    Elote Pasta Salad - elote dressing with the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili, lime Elote Pasta Salad - elote dressing with the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili, lime
  3. Now, the corn. Heat the olive oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the corn. Cook 5 to 6 minutes without moving or until corn starts to char. Then toss corn, stir, and repeat to let the corn brown on both sides.
    Elote Pasta Salad - pan roasted corn kernels in process
  4. The easy part is now just bringing all these together. Add the pasta and corn together. Add the dressing a little at a time, mixing gently to coat as you go, until you achieve  your desired flavor mix. Gently toss in the avocado and cheese. If you’d like, top with a dusting of the chili powder and bit more of the crumbled Cotija cheese, and garnish upon serving with a lime wedge.
    Elote Pasta Salad - mixing pasta and corn in elote dressing, cheese and avocado are next Elote Pasta Salad - mixing pasta and corn cheese and avocado in elote dressing

You can make this without the pasta of course, but this made for a nice summer lunch dish for F and I.


Elote Pasta Salad recipe, vegetarian, summer recipe, easy recipe, pasta salad, picnic recipe, avocado, corn salad Elote Pasta Salad recipe, vegetarian, summer recipe, easy recipe, pasta salad, picnic recipe, avocado, corn salad

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Potluck Appetizer Recipe: Chilled Vegetable Pizza

August 28, 2013 by 4 Comments

This recipe for a Chilled Vegetable Pizza appetizer was for a weekday wine potluck in August. It was inspired by a photo/recipe on Pinterest from Mom on Timeout for Veggie Crescent Bites, though a guest mentioned that it also looks like a Pampered Chef Cool Veggie Pizza creation, and there is a similar recipe on the Pillsbury site for Easy Crescent Veggie Pizza!

Wherever this Chilled Vegetable Pizza recipe came from, I love the bright colors of the vegetables. And, I love dill, so making this with the dilly cream cheese spread was right up my alley, though I suppose you could up the vegetables by using a vegetable cream cheese, or ranch it up (as in this version at AllRecipes)!

Summer Appetizer Recipe: Chilled Vegetable Pizza with dill/chive cream cheese mixture and broccoli, asparagus, baby carrots, red and orange bell peppers, corn kernels!

You can probably use any base you would like for your “flatbread” bottom of the vegetable pizza, including actual pizza dough, but I followed her lead in pinching together reduced-fat Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. This made two pizzas, and using a pizza cutter I was able to cut about twenty four 3-bite sized square slices from each pizza, so overall this yielded 48 little appetizer bites of Chilled Vegetable Pizza from this entire recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans of reduced-fat Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, or use pizza dough- including wheat, or a gluten free, your call!
  • 1 package (8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese or neufchatel cheese or tofutti “cream cheese”, softened)
  • 1 cup light sour cream or Tofutti Sour Supreme sour cream substittute
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped dill
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped chives
  • 4 cups of chopped vegetables. Pick a rainbow of colors: I chose broccoli, asparagus, baby carrots, red and orange bell peppers, and corn kernels

Directions:

  1. Combine the sour cream, softened cream cheese, dill, and chives together. You can mix this up the day before to reduce your prep work.
    Chilled Vegetable Pizza recipe: Softened cream cheese, sour cream, chives and dill mixed together. Ok, maybe the cream cheese isn't as soft as it needed to be and I used my arm to further mush it
  2. Same thing with cutting all the vegetables into small pieces. That way, when it came for my get together that evening, I came home from work and just had to really assemble everything, and it took me less than 20 minutes! You can choose how you want your vegetables. For instance, for me the broccoli and bell peppers were raw. But, I steamed the asparagus, cut baby carrots, and corn.
    Chilled Vegetable Pizza recipe: Prepare your choice of beautifully colored vegetables to top your chilled vegetable pizza Chilled Vegetable Pizza recipe: Prepare your choice of beautifully colored vegetables to top your chilled vegetable pizza
  3. When you are ready to make the chilled vegetable pizza, take out the dill/chive cream cheese mixture to let soften again for spreading. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Open the packages of crescent rolls. Unroll each can (8 triangular pieces of crescent roll) so they become one long rectangular sheet, or you can settle for two square sheets. Make sure that you pinch any of the pre-cut seams between the pieces so that everything will stay together. Put each one on a lined baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes, and then remove the two baking sheets from the oven and let cool.  Remove and let cool for a few minutes so you won’t hurt yourself during the next step, which is spreading the dill/chive cream cheese mixture onto the crescent roll sheet.
    Chilled Vegetable Pizza recipe: After baking a crescent dough roll which was rolled out and pinched at the seams, spread the cream cheese/sour cream mixture
  6. Top with fresh veggies. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut down to appetizer size pieces and serve! I did not refrigerate mine, since I barely finished before my co-host arrived, but you can chill it in the fridge if you’d like.
    Chilled Vegetable Pizza recipe: Veggie Crescent Bites with cream cheese/sour cream/dill and chives on crescent roll and topped with pretty veggies

I suppose I could have fancied it up by grilling flatbread to give it a bit of smoky flavor, and ooo done that with the corn too. But I didn’t. And it was still great, and continues my theme of super easy recipes this summer.

Oooo… or you could make this a dessert version using fruit and crème fraîche or marscarpone… the possibilities!

Summer Appetizer Recipe: Chilled Vegetable Pizza with dill/chive cream cheese mixture and broccoli, asparagus, baby carrots, red and orange bell peppers, corn kernels! Summer Appetizer Recipe: Chilled Vegetable Pizza with dill/chive cream cheese mixture and broccoli, asparagus, baby carrots, red and orange bell peppers, corn kernels!

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Counting down to Feast Portland: High Comfort at The Nines

August 26, 2013 by 11 Comments

This post is part of my series “Counting Down to Feast Portland” where I talk about events I plan to attend as part of this 4 day food and drink festival September 19-22, 2013. Disclaimer: I was granted a Bloggers Pass for Feast Portland 2013, and asked to help promote Feast but they did not require that I write this post and I am not otherwise being compensated.

Update – After attending the event, you can see my recap here of Day 3 of Feast

 

Previously: I highlighted the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting food festival scheduled for Sept 20 and 21 and also wrote of my excitement for the Sandwich Invitational on Sept 19 and then had to go get a sandwich to recover after writing that post. I also highlighted a free Feast event, the Best Butcher Contest and Fishmonger Face off on Sept 21.

This next Feast event I am counting down with you to is my splurge birthday gift to myself this year. It’s a food festival event which highlights comfort food that is familiar and makes you feel happy, but elevates it to a decadent level that I would imagine world leaders and only the jetset millionaires might see in terms of ingredients and execution, and so this would be a chance to spoil yourself and get a glimpse of that richness. Not to mention, I can be totally be a (secret) fangirl and see all these incredible chefs.

High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

The event is called High Comfort at The Nines, presented by Portland Monthly Magazine.  Tickets are $175 and the event takes place as part of Feast Portland on Saturday, Sept 21st 6:00pm – 9:00pm at the Nines Hotel.

Last year at Feast 2012, this event was held at the Multnomah Athletic Club, and reading some of the food from the event convinced me this was worth the price tag, as I paid for this ticket out of my own funds (not part of my Bloggers Pass). In fact, the price this year is slightly less expensive than last year’s ticket price of $200. Update: as of Labor Day weekend, this event is now sold out!

Furthermore, don’t forget that the money is going to two incredible impressive causes, so it’s a gift not only to myself but supporting Feast’s fight against hunger. Last year, it was reported that nearly 9,000 attended the September food festival on September 20-23 2012, raising $46,000 so that $23,000 was donated to each of the Feast Portland charity partners: Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. You can feed yourself and others!

Examples of the offerings from last year’s High Comfort event included

  • pork skin spaghetti puttanesca from Chris Cosentino of Incanto;
  • squab pot pie with chanterelles and corn from Stephanie Pearl Kimmel of Marché (Eugene);
  • crispy Rocky Mountain oysters with coffee purée and pink shrimp Hollandaise from Dustin Clark of Wildwood;
  • nutella panini with espresso, bacon and banana from Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink;
  • foie gras cappuccinos from Philippe Boulot of Multnomah Atheletic Club;
  • a cereal of maple pork corn flakes, smoked berry marshmallows;
  • and toasted hazelnut milk from the Dentons of Ox;

Yeah you get the point.
High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland High Comfort Event from Feast Portland 2012, all right reserved by Feast Portland
Photo Credit: Feast Portland CopyrightAll rights reserved by Feast Portland

Description from the Feast website: What happens when comfort food gets pushed out of its comfort zone? What would grandmother’s food taste like if grandma had a Michelin star, an immersion circulator, and a pantry full of Iberian ham, foie gras, and candy bars? The answer: High Comfort, the most decadent culinary event around. Last year’s event saw meat cereal, caviar sandwiches, and a charcuterie hall of fame without rival. This year, some of the best chefs from the US and Canada are going to take it to the next level: Get ready to be fed silly with help from premier Oregon wines and their European counterparts. Don’t plan anything early the next day.

The Lineup

Here’s a video showing how it went at last year’s event.

For more, you can check out a slideshow from Serious Eats or part of the photo essay of the Feast festival from the Oregonian also.

Disclaimer: I was granted a Bloggers Pass for Feast Portland 2013, and asked to help promote Feast but they did not require that I write this post and I am not otherwise being compensated. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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Potluck Dish: Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms

August 23, 2013 by 2 Comments

Attending a neighborhood potluck/bbq earlier this month, I signed up for a vegetarian main dish that could feed the possibly 24 people who had signed up as a yes. The potluck/bbq was occurring on a Thursday evening, a night which I also have a regular scheduled call with someone at work in India after my normal full work day, so I wanted something that was very easy to prepare. I love sharing food to entertain, but mentally I just haven’t wanted to “cook” as much and seem to keep picking recipes that are more prep heavy than on cooking execution. This is pretty much why you never see any dessert recipes- I am NOT a baker. I always admire the photos and how beautiful they are, and then my eyes glaze over when it comes to the recipe portion, much less the directions. Heh heh, glaze…

At the same time of wanting something easy to make, I wanted it also be healthy, as well as satiating since I was unsure there would be enough hearty filling food for those who are vegetarian. Besides, all omnivores can always eat a vegetarian dish: it’s a win win for everyone. I had a few options to choose from, and then let F select the final dish. This recipe for quinoa with roasted cauliflower and mushrooms was the winner.

Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms

I quadrupled up on the Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms recipe in order to make enough, and when I brought it back there was probably only enough for two servings left! The original recipe makes enough for 4-6 depending on whether it’s a main or side, and what you see below is what I used to make enough for a crowd at a potluck. This is a very adaptable recipe based on your own tastes and preferences.

Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms

Weather-wise, it was one of the few days this summer where we have had rain in Portland, and it was because of that a little bit cool, so I thought having the dish hot (it could be served cold as well) was the way to go. The leftovers were great the next day, and even the next day after that, just eaten cold straight from the refrigerator!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of Quinoa, or a Sprouted rice and quinoa blend like I used that included sprouted brown and red rice, quinoa, and wild rice from truRoots
  • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 stock or water- see directions on your quinoa
  • 2 heads of cauliflower
  • 16 ounces mushrooms
  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon thyme
  • 2 tablespoon rubbed sage
  • 2 tablespoon dill weed
  • 2 tablespoon coriander
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • Optional: sprinkles of Parmesan
  • Greens of your choice- I used radish sprouts, but you can bed the entire thing on top of sauteed or fresh spinach, kale, lettuce, etc!

Directions:

  1. Heat up a vegetable stock: the amount depend son your quinoa so check your package: mine uses 1 3/4 cups liquid for every cup of quinoa. I prefer to use vegetable stock to impart flavor- other options might be to use water, or water with added flavorings like tomato paste. Rinse the quinoa. When the vegetable stock is boiling, add the quinoa and cover, lowering the heat or whatever the instructions are for your quinoa or quinoa/rice. This part can be prepared beforehand if you wish. I did this step the evening before, and then after the quinoa was done, I put it in the serving container and put in the refrigerator overnight. It’s one of the great things about quinoa- besides being healthy, you can easily prepare a cup or two that you can utilize to add to dishes all week!
    Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Making quinoa/wild rice in vegetable stock Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Quinoa/sprouted and wild rice in vegetable stock
  2. When you are preparing to roast, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put aluminum foil on two baking sheets in order to make cleanup easier, and then put the baking sheets in the oven during the preheating.
  3. While the oven is heating up, cut the cauliflower into florets. Also slice the mushrooms. You want to try to have flat surfaces to it can lie flat on the pans in one layer. In a large mixing bowl (I had to use two), put mix the cauliflower and mushrooms with the olive oil and seasonings from above. If you are using two mixing bowls like I did, obviously you split 1 tablespoon in one bowl and 1 in the other in terms of the oil and seasonings. You can use any combination of seasonings you would like to your taste, or keep it simple with salt and pepper. Roasting the cauliflower makes it tender and you get lots of caramelized edges, so it will be guaranteed good flavor already! Mix everything well with your clean hands.
    Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Preparing for the roasting the cauliflower and mushrooms
  4. Once you are ready, take out the hot pans and place the mixed cauliflower and mushrooms on top so they are arranged in one flat even layer. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes: however long it takes until they get tender and golden brown. Make sure that halfway you turn them over to evenly brown them. If you’d like, during that turn you can add more flavor by sprinkling in the lemon juice, and also parmesan. I went with just lemon juice.
    Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom
  5. When they cauliflower and mushrooms are done, add them on top of your hot or cold quinoa. I used radish sprouts that I mixed in throughout, and I used an amount that gave a greater ratio to the cauliflower and mushrooms and quinoa so it was more a hearty dish than a salad. But you can salad this up as well by adding the greens of your chocie! Or, leave the greens out and it could easily be a main course also!
    Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms

   Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms Recipe: Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower and Mushrooms

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