Mrs. Carla Monti
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Parkland Farmer's Market!
This is definitely one of the nicer ones in our area, but they do not have it every weekend. Check their official website (here) for details. Definitely worth it - but go early, right when they open because parking can be a madhouse. They even have a bounce house set up for the kids!
Black Bean Burgers ... take 4!
Considering that this is take 4 on a black bean burger recipe... can you tell I like making these?!
One of my favorite baking/food recipe blogs, Sally's Baking Addiction posted a video of her black bean burger recipe on Facebook, and I was hooked! I immediately saved the video to my "Meals" collection on Facebook (their save feature is pretty handy!) and added the ingredients required to my weekly Walmart grocery pickup order (literally the best concept EVER, especially for a busy working mama!)
When I read the recipe on the blog, I noticed Sally pointed out a unique trick - dry out the canned black beans in the oven FIRST, before mixing all the ingredients together to bake the patties. The purpose of this trick is to produce burgers that are less "mushy", as black bean (or any veggie) burger can usually be.
I tried this method ... but I have to say the burger still came out mushy. That's ok! I was expecting that anyway, and that kind of texture doesn't bother me if I am deliberately making a veggie-based burger. The pictures aren't pretty either (are they ever? of this kind of thing!) but that's not important. :)
Having said that, the flavor was excellent! I made them a bit spicy (cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili powder, etc) and my husband and I really enjoyed them. I toasted white sesame buns in the oven, and roasted some Russet potato wedges in the oven as well to serve alongside. I prepared the burger by adding mayo, shredded lettuce, and a big of shredded Mexican cheese to melt atop the (still warm) patty. YUM!
You can find the recipe link here!
One of my favorite baking/food recipe blogs, Sally's Baking Addiction posted a video of her black bean burger recipe on Facebook, and I was hooked! I immediately saved the video to my "Meals" collection on Facebook (their save feature is pretty handy!) and added the ingredients required to my weekly Walmart grocery pickup order (literally the best concept EVER, especially for a busy working mama!)
When I read the recipe on the blog, I noticed Sally pointed out a unique trick - dry out the canned black beans in the oven FIRST, before mixing all the ingredients together to bake the patties. The purpose of this trick is to produce burgers that are less "mushy", as black bean (or any veggie) burger can usually be.
I tried this method ... but I have to say the burger still came out mushy. That's ok! I was expecting that anyway, and that kind of texture doesn't bother me if I am deliberately making a veggie-based burger. The pictures aren't pretty either (are they ever? of this kind of thing!) but that's not important. :)
Having said that, the flavor was excellent! I made them a bit spicy (cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili powder, etc) and my husband and I really enjoyed them. I toasted white sesame buns in the oven, and roasted some Russet potato wedges in the oven as well to serve alongside. I prepared the burger by adding mayo, shredded lettuce, and a big of shredded Mexican cheese to melt atop the (still warm) patty. YUM!
You can find the recipe link here!
Saiko Review!
Saiko is a new sushi/hibachi spot in West Boca (link here). I stopped by with some girlfriends to check out their happy hour. They have great food and drink specials on their happy hour menu, and the inside decor is absolutely gorgeous. I think the space is huge, and I'm curious to see how long they'll be able to stay open.
So the food and drinks were delicious - but the service was terrible! From the LOUD hostess (who I later found out was the owner), to the ditzy bartender, to the bussers and other servers who seriously did not speak any English ... it was a total cluster. I doubt I'd go back. For the price / quality of food, I'd rather go to Kanpai in East Boca.
So the food and drinks were delicious - but the service was terrible! From the LOUD hostess (who I later found out was the owner), to the ditzy bartender, to the bussers and other servers who seriously did not speak any English ... it was a total cluster. I doubt I'd go back. For the price / quality of food, I'd rather go to Kanpai in East Boca.
July 2019:
Tacos: Cauliflower Walnut "Meat"!
Another dinner, another successful Pinch of Yum recipe down!
When I heard about tacos made with cauliflower walnut "meat", I was immediately intrigued. I am not a big fan of ground beef, so I ordinarily make tacos with shredded chicken, or order fish tacos if I'm out at a restaurant. I love inventive vegetarian/vegan recipes that switch it up, so I put this on my "to do" list for the week!
You can find the recipe link here!
I took a shortcut and bought a bag of cauliflower florets instead of a big head of cauliflower. I put the bag of florets, a cup of walnuts (roasted, unsalted) and two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (can) in the food processor and make the puree. I had a hard time with this - next time I would chop up the florets first. I ended up having to take out the whole mixture, and blend half at a time. Once blended, I put the mixture in a bowl and added lime juice and spices (cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper). Stir together and spread it out on a baking sheet to go in the oven for 30 min.
While the mixture baked, I put together the rest of the tacos: flour tortillas, sliced avocado and shredded cheese. Simple and easy! My husband and his best friend devoured them!
When I heard about tacos made with cauliflower walnut "meat", I was immediately intrigued. I am not a big fan of ground beef, so I ordinarily make tacos with shredded chicken, or order fish tacos if I'm out at a restaurant. I love inventive vegetarian/vegan recipes that switch it up, so I put this on my "to do" list for the week!
You can find the recipe link here!
I took a shortcut and bought a bag of cauliflower florets instead of a big head of cauliflower. I put the bag of florets, a cup of walnuts (roasted, unsalted) and two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (can) in the food processor and make the puree. I had a hard time with this - next time I would chop up the florets first. I ended up having to take out the whole mixture, and blend half at a time. Once blended, I put the mixture in a bowl and added lime juice and spices (cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper). Stir together and spread it out on a baking sheet to go in the oven for 30 min.
While the mixture baked, I put together the rest of the tacos: flour tortillas, sliced avocado and shredded cheese. Simple and easy! My husband and his best friend devoured them!
Summer 2020:
Sugar Factory - Miami Beach!
A tourist favorite (and bachlorette party hotspot) - Sugar Factory in Miami Beach is so fun to come with a big group of friends. They're known for their huge neon-colored, candy-filled goblet drinks, and the place is half cute candy store, half restaurant. We came here to celebrate a friend's birthday over the weekend and we had a great time! If you do plan on visiting, I recommend you make a reservation ahead of time (OpenTable) and buy a Groupon (link here!)
Friday, February 15, 2019
Baha Mar Resort - Nassau, Bahamas!
My work went to Baha Mar, a new resort in the Bahamas, for a party, but for literally 30 hours. It was too little a time to spend in such a humongous resort - there were over 20 bars, cafes and restaurants on the property! I did manage to try 6 different places to eat/drink, which I think is impressive.
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