Monday, June 22, 2015
A Midday Break at San Antonios BIRD Bakery
BIRD Bakerys decor is warm and inviting, and the food is delicious! They pride themselves on using only the best ingredients -- including Plugra butter, Valrhona cocoa, and Madagascar vanilla. That commitment to using only quality ingredients really shows in the taste of the baked goods. Whether you try an espresso, a sandwich, or a cupcake...you can feel confident that its made by expert bakers who use only the best ingredients! How adorable is the BIRD logo egg carton filled with mini cupcakes?!?!?
Just about then, my lunch arrived. I am an avocado lover, so the California Turkey immediately caught my eye. Moist turkey breast, creamy avocado, peppery arugula, juicy tomato, and Havarti cheese worked perfectly together! The sandwich came served on hearty seeded bread that was slathered with raspberry-chipotle mayo. My sandwich was served with a pickle spear and potato chips on the side. This was truly one of the best sandwiches Ive had in ages. The flavors worked so nicely together!
BIRD Bakery is known in San Antonio for its delicious signature cupcakes, so I had to make sure to give them a try before I left. They brought me a trio of cupcakes on a plate that looked like it couldve come straight out of my own grandmothers kitchen...which I mean as a sincere compliment. I sampled the BIRD Blue Vanilla -- reminiscent of birthday cake, Salted Caramel, and Luscious Lemon. Talk about cupcake nirvana...the cupcakes were moist and dense, and they had the perfect amount of perfectly sweet icing on top. Sigh.
If you live in the San Antonio area -- or you find yourself visiting our city -- make sure to check out BIRD Bakery. Theyre open on Monday through Thursday from 7 am - 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 7 am - 8 pm, and theyre closed on Sunday. In addition to being a great grab-and-go dessert destination, they also serve a fantastic breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is served from 7-10 am, and options include: muffins, scones, quiche, and granola parfaits. Lunch includes a wide range of creative sandwiches...and there are even a few vegetarian-friendly options available. Some of the comforting options on the lunch menu include Pimento Cheese, Tuna Melt, and even Peanut Butter and Jelly. BIRD Bakery is great place to enjoy a leisurely midday break. If youre pressed for time, its also a great place to pop in and pick up a cookie or cupcake after work to enjoy during your commute home. I wont tell if you dont...Disclosure: BIRD Bakery hosted me for lunch to facilitate this feature. All opinions express are solely my own.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodle Salad A Perfect Summer Potluck Dish
Hard to believe, but it’s just under a week until July 4th! Between now and then, I’ll be sharing recipes that are perfect for celebrating with family and friends! I’ve got a fun twist on potato salad to share for this week’s #SundaySupper...as well as a firecracker of a burger recipe and a fun vanilla treat...coming up in the next few days. Today, I’m kicking things off with a flavorful Spicy Thai Peanut Noodle Salad. It’s perfect for taking to summer potlucks, because it’s delicious both cold and at room temperature...and it contains no dairy products.
As soon as I saw this recipe on the Cooks Country website last week, I immediately added it to this weeks menu! Cook’s Country is part of the America’s Test Kitchen family, and their recipes never disappoint! What’s not to like? They do all the trial-and-error work for you. All you have to do is make the final kitchen-tested, no-fail recipe and enjoy the compliments! I used their peanut-based dressing recipe and prep technique, but I did make a few small tweaks. I added sriracha to the dressing instead of the suggested Tabasco, and I changed the veggies up just a bit. I used crunchy cucumber and carrot, as well as a double shot of onions This salad is knock-your-socks-off good!
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
adapted from Cooks Country
Step 1: Cook 1 lb. of spaghetti in a pot of well-salted water. While the pasta cooks, make the dressing. Add the following ingredients to a large bowl: 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 3 tbs. vinegar, 1 tbs. grated fresh ginger, 1 tbs. sriracha (or Tabasco), 1 tsp. honey, 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water, and 1 tsp. dried cilantro. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
Step 2: When the pasta is cooked, drain well in a colander under cold water. Keep rinsing until the pasta has cooled to room temperature. Place the cooled spaghetti in a large bowl and add 2 tbs. sesame oil...toss to evenly coat. Add the following veggies: 1/2 a cucumber seeded and cut into a small dice, 1/2 cup carrot cut into bite-sized pieces, 4 sliced green onions, and 1/2 cup sweet yellow onion cut into thin matchstick slivers.
Step 3: Add the reserved dressing and 2 tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley. Toss everything together with tongs. Make sure that the dressing evenly coats all the noodles and the veggies. Serve immediately at room temperate or chill. The original recipe notes that you should remove chilled pasta from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving for the proper consistency.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Spring Garden Brunch at Tre Trattoria Downtown
All of the starters were delicious, with lots of fresh flavors! While we enjoyed our starters and mimosas, Chef Dady warmly welcomed us. Then, the food started coming out of the kitchen! We sampled a wide variety of Brunch Entrees, as well as their House Cured Bacon and Molasses Pork Sausage. Everything was beautiful and expertly prepared.
We sampled one of their wood fired oven pizzas, as well as savory and sweet entrees. Many of the items we tried were vegetarian-friendly, which is a nice touch. We had a great time chatting with the other guests as we passed the plates around the table. Take a look at the wide variety of dishes that we tried that afternoon.
All of these creative dishes were absolutely fantastic, but our favorites were the Nutella Stuffed French Toast and the Fried Chicken & Polenta Waffles. Im a huge Nutella fan, and both of the items featured the chocolate-hazelnut spread front and center. The creative wood fired pizza was very creative as well, featuring pistachios, goat cheese, and tangy-sweet balsamic cipollini onions. We left promising ourselves that we would return soon to enjoy our favorites, as well as more of those $1 mimosas!
Disclosure: Tre Trattoria provided us with a complimentary brunch to facilitate this feature. All opinions expressed are mine, and all photographs are copyrighted by The Weekend Gourmet. They may not be copied or shared without permission.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Just In Time for Memorial Day Nuevo Latino Layered Dip Featuring Wholly Guacamole Products
Simply assemble this appetizer in a pretty pie plate a few hours before your party and refrigerate until serving time. When your guests arrive, open up a big bag of sturdy tortilla chips, and let everyone dig in! This dip is also perfect for transporting to a potluck if youre a guest instead of the host. I was really impressed with how much time the Wholly products saved me. The salsa was fresh and chunky...and the avocados were creamy and perfectly ripe. Sometimes I think an avocado is ripe when I buy it, then I bring it home and it’s not the right consistency inside when I go to use it. This pre-packaged avocado was the perfect chunky consistency for the guacamole layer of this dip.
Step 1: Using a spatula, evenly spread one can of refried beans in the bottom of a pie plate or pretty platter. Note: my preferred brand is Amys Organic. Next, combine one package Wholly Guacamole 100% fresh chunky avocado, the juice of 1/2 lime, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. dried cilantro. Evenly spread this rustic guacamole over the beans in the dish.
Step 2: To make the crema, combine 1 container fat-free Greek yogurt, the juice of 1/2 lime, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder in a small bowl. Carefully spread the chile-lime crema over the guacamole in the dish. Next, drain the excess liquid from a container of Wholly Red Pepper Mango Salsa. Spread the salsa evenly over the crema, but dont fret if it doesnt quite reach the edges.
Step 3: At this point, you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until youre ready to serve. Just before serving, top the dip with: 2 sliced green onions, 1/2 cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese, and 3 slices crumbled bacon. Serve with a big bowl of sturdy tortilla chips...I use Frontera Grills Thick and Crunchy chips. Thin chips are no match for this thick dip...trust me!
This dip is a total fiesta of flavors: creamy, spicy, salty, smoky, and sweet...all at once. The bacon may seem out of place, but it provided a nice smoky counterpart...and it played really nicely against the beans and feta. I hope that you’ll give this dip a try at your next cookout or family get-together. To find out where you can purchase Wholly Guacamole products near you, please visit the store locator at their website.
While you’re there, you can find all kinds of yummy recipes...and be sure to Like them on Facebook to receive a coupon for $1.50 any Wholly product for the holiday weekend. And...I’m going to be giving away three Wholly Guacamole Prize Packs during the long holiday weekend. Pay attention to my Facebook and Twitter feeds...you never know when you’ll get a chance to win!!
P.S. Lucy sez, "Come back on Sunday for a FANTASTIC recipe for Sparkling Watermelon Sangria as part of #SundaySupper!!"
Nuevo Latino Layered Dip
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Step 2: To make the crema, combine 1 container fat-free Greek yogurt, the juice of 1/2 lime, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder in a small bowl. Carefully spread the chile-lime crema over the guacamole in the dish. Next, drain the excess liquid from a container of Wholly Red Pepper Mango Salsa. Spread the salsa evenly over the crema, but dont fret if it doesnt quite reach the edges.
This dip is a total fiesta of flavors: creamy, spicy, salty, smoky, and sweet...all at once. The bacon may seem out of place, but it provided a nice smoky counterpart...and it played really nicely against the beans and feta. I hope that you’ll give this dip a try at your next cookout or family get-together. To find out where you can purchase Wholly Guacamole products near you, please visit the store locator at their website.
While you’re there, you can find all kinds of yummy recipes...and be sure to Like them on Facebook to receive a coupon for $1.50 any Wholly product for the holiday weekend. And...I’m going to be giving away three Wholly Guacamole Prize Packs during the long holiday weekend. Pay attention to my Facebook and Twitter feeds...you never know when you’ll get a chance to win!!
P.S. Lucy sez, "Come back on Sunday for a FANTASTIC recipe for Sparkling Watermelon Sangria as part of #SundaySupper!!"
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