Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Hhhmmmm — Not sure where to start regarding the above, so instead report about the Carrot Soup I made and will post the recipe when prepared again and photographed.  It was a superb combination of Roasted Carrots, Chicken Stock, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic and Fresh Thyme, puréed.  It was beautiful, complex and flavorsome.  The pictured Carrots weren’t used for my Soup, somehow it wouldn’t seem right!?  Should they put on pants?

A Bedazzled I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is the real star here — It wore more than Toast.

What are you wearing I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!?  These Fashion Experts want to know.

It’s an appetizing MENU designed by Katie Lee I’m wearing, replied ICBINB!.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is going places, and Nibbles of Tidbits will soon offer a GIVEAWAY and report about the happenings this Oscar day in Hollywood at Siren Studios.

Who, what, where and when showing soon — And related blog report(s) to be linked.

Spread your mind after Toast.

It’s happening HERE on Facebook Sunday, February 26th — We’ll be at the W Hotel in Hollywood at the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! ULTIMATE Red Carpet Viewing Party.  Come back to watch the Online Show that’ll be streaming LIVE from 3 – 4pm PST.  At this point, I don’t know a lot about it and plan to be surprised.  I do know that I like ICBINB!’s Olive Oil Spray, and the event should make for an interesting day either way, if we survive Hollywood traffic on Oscar Night.  Until then, peek at Hollywood-Inspired Recipes and we’ll report back regarding the festivities, FOOD, cocktails, celebrities, W and penthouse view, if you miss it.

A friend recently wrote…”Shelly, I just made this recipe and (if you like Brussels Sprouts) it’s SO DELICIOUS!  Just wanted to share it with you.” Thanks D, I do and you made me make them.

Mustard Braised Brussels Sprouts with Dijon and Shallots sounded good to me too.

I thought the cooking process was interesting, especially the beginning.  I like how the Brussels Sprouts are placed cut side down in Olive Oil undisturbed for 5 minutes — Most were golden brown.  Shallots and Broth are then added and all is cooked covered for 20 minutes.

The exact RECIPE is here.

Remove Brussels Sprouts, stir in Dijon Mustard until well blended, and cook 2 minutes more.

Pour the Mustard Sauce over the reserved Brussels Sprouts (add optional Parsley) and serve.

Okay, it was good, but surprisingly rich — I didn’t love ’em like these, but all is well amiga.

Hi there said the Orange.  He/she/it sure looks friendly and it’s only an Orange Peel.  It’s funny how things come alive with eyes.  Does it look easy to create?  We’re going to give it a try.  I have the feeling it’s going to be harder than it looks.  We’ll see how it turns out and report in an update.  Check back to see if we’ve got the knack to create this Cracker Jack.  Try it too.

The camera took this photo on its own — Oranges and Tomatoes on the counter, a start.

The posted RECIPE is an Award WINNER and officially named Chilled Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho.  It’s not a Mexican Shrimp Cocktail silly — Duly advised, but it reminds me of one.  Either way, it may be the best I’ve had.  It’s fresh tasting, flavorful and super easy to make.

Chilled Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho

3 ripe Tomatoes, cored and cut into large cubes [I seeded them]

1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into large cubes [I didn’t seed it; used an English Cucumber]

1/2 Green, Yellow or Orange Pepper (or tricolor combo), diced [I used half a Green, half an Orange]

1/2 Shallot, or 1 Tablespoon Red Onion, diced [Shallot]

1/2 cup Scallions, chopped

Juice of 1 Lime

1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 t. Tabasco [or other hot pepper sauce, like Red Rooster, which I now like better–use 1 T.]

1/2 cup V-8 Juice [buy one small bottle at a liquor store; grocery stores only sell it by the case!]

Lemon Pepper to taste

Seasoned Salt to taste

Instructions

Combine all Soup ingredients in blender until well blended (ingredients will retain some pulp, which is great).  Pour into chilled bowls and garnish as desired.  Makes 1/2 gallon–6 appetizer servings or 3 main dish servings.  Tastes better if you make it the night before.

Garnish (with one or more)

1/2 lb. chilled, cooked Shrimp [buy the fresh $10 Shrimp tray from Costco; scarf the leftovers with the Cocktail Sauce]

1 chilled, sliced Avocado

1 T. fresh Cilantro, chopped

Follow and vary the RECIPE to your taste — Above [brackets] indicate specifics by Arlene T., 2011 Best Appetizer Winner.  She agreed to share all on Nibbles of Tidbits and we thank her.

I recently made the same for a Holiday Party and everyone loved it well chilled in a cup.

Seasons 52 food sure looks and tastes like it’s over 475 calories, but they promise it’s not.

First, a big thank you goes to our super awesome Server, Julianne and management for the Wine — Though there by default, at one point there was nowhere else I wanted to be.  I walked in feeling down about recent events and left well-fed, optimistic and confident.

Just sayin’ the service and food hit the spot this night, on the patio at Seasons 52 Fresh Grill.

We had Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms, a Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli, Chipotle Shrimp, and Steak and Cremini Mushroom Flatbread — Their menu changes with the weeks and seasons.

Next time I’m saving room and time for the Mini Indulgences — They’re so cute and look tasty.

The Mandarin Orange Cosmopolitan is superb and practically two with a second icy pour.

Outdoor patio view at Seasons 52, with heat lamps and a fireplace in December.

Seasons 52 occupies the space below The Capital Grille at South Coast Plaza.

This day I realized one’s perception is equal to nothing on earth and all continues to be possible for the naive.  There’s a Seasons 52, turn, turn, turn, and a time to every purpose under Heaven — A time to eat, a time to sleep, a time to leap, a time to bleeeeep, a time to get deep, a time to keep, a time to say more than a peep and a time to drive a Jeep. 😉

Word.

Continuing our celebration of food in every color, the majesty of purple food and life is evident.

An inedible purple tree that inspires play.

I’ve made a lot of Cole Slaw in my life and always appreciate having it around.

Which Eggplant do you like most?  Know yet?  I’m not sure.  Learn more here.

Are purple colored glasses better than rose colored glasses?

Do you think this Fish is scary, cute, funny, dorky, bucky, weird, sexy?  I’m not sure.

Purple Pepper exterior with a green interior — Green food is pictured here.

The Power of Purple Chart — Check out its benefits.

More about Potatoes and photo credits here — Purple ones can be mealy and bland, I think.

Have you tried Purple Carrots?  Purple food facts, Carrot and Pepper photo credits are here.

Another long road to walk down, though it looks far away from here.  Credit unknown.

Baby, baby, baby, what’s it gonna beeeee?  The post title muse is here and on Purple Rain, a delicious album.  Hope not to see the one-eyed, one-horned Flyin’ Purple People Eater.

The stunning orange photographs credited to others inspired this post — Food in every color, I say.  Thank you Lord.  And this time it’s green food that starts up-close with Kiwi, partly because I invented The Kiwi Game and got close to New Zealand for doing so.

As for the others, Vibrant Green Pea Soup by Foodie House looks amazing and probably is, since it’s on one impressive food blog — Its writer is a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, like me.

How about Green Lemonade?  Add a little green food coloring during October.

I wish to walk down this peaceful path for an Avocado, Apple, Grape and my Honeydew. 🙂

Chart of Green Fruit & Vegetables — Can you think of others?  There are more of course.

Green Tea Macaroons and the recipe — Will someday venture to make ’em.

Green Tea — I drink it often, without Mint, but it looks prettier with it.

And Green Beer sometimes on St. Patrick’s Day.

It looks like Kermit sipped the Green Beer.

My favorite flavor is probably Orange — It’s what I choose most in everything.

And I’m currently based in Orange County, made known in About and About the Writer.

In addition to cooking adventures, mishaps, discoveries and more, Nibbles of Tidbits posts about Orange County events, restaurants, happenings, living, and everything food related.

To enhance all, an Orange County Food Blogroll is set apart — Met a few about town.

Peel open the OC with the list of Orange County Food Blogs linked on the right.

Orange Art — How to make Orange Guy.

Lovin’ these photos — Thanks and credit go here, here, here, here and here.

Aetna wants you to join their Healthy Food Fight — FOOD Competitions are taking place at County Fairs and Festivals across the states.  Aetna is actively in search of the most nutritious and best tasting recipe.  All officially got cooking at the Los Angeles County Fair last week. 

Semi-finalists (48) in LA, Dallas, Atlanta and Philadelphia prepared/will prepare their recipe LIVE to hopefully be chosen “the one” to represent their city at the final competition that’ll take place in New York in December. Anyway, look it up, I don’t need to know all that.  I’m interested because my childhood friend, Denise Davidson Coulombe was a Semi-finalist.

Denise is the one prominently featured throughout and she made Turkey Vegetable Soup.

She chose an apron, was assigned a stove top, collected her ingredients and got cooking.

Judges and LA County Fair goers stopped by to watch and ask questions.

Presentation to the Judges…

More Semi-finalists presenting dishes to the Judges and Bloggers — All did a great job.

Check out the Aetna Healthy Food Fight website to view Semi-finalists’ recipes.

Denise did famously, but another was picked to represent LA — The Aetna crew will resurface at the Texas State Fair October 15 – 16, 2011.  After our healthy competition was over, we shared Pink’s Chili Cheese Fries and a Chuckwagon Beef Brisket Sandwich, and did some wine tasting to celebrate healthiness and D’s win.  Her family is proud.  Cheers and congrats!

What happens when you eat Grilled Asparagus?  The same thing that happens when you eat any Asparagus.  The answer is here.  Grilled Asparagus is so simple yet dang good!  The pictured were tossed with Italian Dressing and grilled about 5 minutes — Toss and turn ’em until nicely charred, then plate and eat.  Or how about Bacon Wrapped Asparagus?

Fresh cut Strawberries and Kiwis, if you get to them before the kids — Happy 1st Day of Summer to all and Birthday to Ami on the longest DAY of the year.  Yeah we’re hap-happy…

Colored view from the HB Pier in June — It happened the same day as this.

Unsolicited recommendation, like most here — Kind Healthy Snacks are the best Fruit & Nut Bars.  It’s the clear packaging that got me to try them and the taste keeps me buying them each week.  Unlike many Snack Bars, you can see what you’re getting and it’s even better than it looks.  The pictured Almond & Apricot and Mango Macadamia are the two I eat most, but all flavors tried have been exceptional.  Kind offers a lot of combinations to choose from.

The Slow Roasted Turkey Breast wouldn’t be my first pick at Mimi’s Cafe, but one must ease into nourishment when returning from infirmity, where I unfortunately visited a couple days.  Eating for the first time after that, it had to be something good for me.  Had nothing in-house and didn’t want to cook, drive, or shock the system with something too adventurous (the status quo) — A reproduction of Thanksgiving dinner ended up being just right for an unfilled stomach and is now recommended by Dr. Me.  It provided agreeable sustenance at the time.

The Slow Roasted Turkey Breast is served with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cornbread Dressing, Vegetables and an Orange Cranberry Relish, and an added French Onion Soup for $2 more.  Luckily a Mimi’s Cafe is within easy walking distance.  When all was picked up, the server asked if I ever had the Turkey before — I said no, and she said… “It’s so good?”  I thought GREAT, but how good could it be?  It’s just a basic Turkey dinner, right!?

What’s GREAT about it is the quality and juiciness of the tender Turkey Breast.  The server was right.  The Dressing, Potatoes and Veggies were a little bland, but necessary at the time.  Overall, each item was appreciated for lunch, dinner and mini-lunch again.

I’m rarely hungry in the morning, but know I “should eat breakfast” — If and when I do, it’s usually a V8, Jamba Juice, KIND Bar, Clif Bar, or some sort of bottled Green Juice.  It’s seldom a full breakfast, unless enjoying a special, leisurely weekend.  In that case it might be Huevos Rancheros or Eggs Florentine, but lately it’s been Plain Yogurt and Granola (with sometimes Berries).  How can it taste so crazy good?  It just does.  The tartness of the Plain Yogurt goes well with Granola and I’m really liking the Maple Pecan Granola Clusters from Fresh & Easy.

Testing out photo editing at the Huntington Beach Farmers’ Market and Art Fair happening every Friday at Pier Plaza from noon to dusk — On skates this day, thus didn’t buy anything to have hands ready for a potential fall.  Was this yesterday or 1975?  And have you ever seen Heirloom Artichokes with purple flowers?  I hadn’t, but the background looks best below.

I love a well prepared Caesar Salad, but when it comes to making one at home, I don’t want to work with Anchovies or raw Eggs, if I don’t have to.  In search of simplicity and flavor, I found a Caesar Salad Dressing I’ll keep forever.  It satisfies all criteria perfectly.

No-Egg Caesar Dressing (Rachael Ray’s) – Just mix all ingredients in a blender & enjoy!
1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
1 Lemon, juice of
1 teaspoon of Tabasco
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup of Olive Oil
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese, shredded or shaved
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

This Salad Dressing doesn’t lack for anything and can be tossed with any greens.

Once the Salad Dressing is prepared, only two more ingredients make this Caesar amazing.

Toasted Parmesan Cheese sprinkled as Croutons put this homemade Caesar over the top.

To prepare the Cheese-Tons, just add grated or shredded Parmesan to a dry skillet on medium.  Heat until each Cheese consortium crackles and pops together, then remove from skillet to cool on a paper towel.  Crumble over fresh Romaine tossed with this delicious mock Caesar Salad Dressing.  It’s made in minutes and tastes like it’s from a restaurant.

After much experimentation, I found the best combination/ratio of ingredients to make Hummus using (1) Can of Garbanzo Beans aka Chickpeas.  I always have at least one can on hand, plus all necessary components to prepare a flavorful Hummus — Garlic (1 Clove), Tahini (2 Tablespoons), Lemon Juice (3-4 Tablespoons), Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons), Salt (1 Teaspoon) and Pepper (to taste).  And the best part is… All is simply blended together to produce instant homemade Hummus in minutes.  With warm Pita Bread, it’s my current snack preference.  Recipe doubles well, if you want more.  Opa!

Who sent these to me?  I don’t recall being asked to try them?  Let me know if it’s you?  In any event, they are timely.  Just this day I told someone how much I like freeze dried fruit — I usually eat it out of the Cereal before pouring the Milk.  I like ’em crispy.  Thanks Crispy Green.

These Fruitzio Kiwi Snacks are outstanding.  There were a couple tart bites, but I still want more.  I’m not hinting or begging, I’ll be buying.  Most dehydrated fruit I see is fairly expensive.  I hope these aren’t, because I’m eager to try the Pineapple, Peach, Mango and Asian Pear options.  Q’s: If one eats a snack pack and drinks a lot of water, what happens?  Does it grow like capsule dinosaurs, into 10 Kiwis?  Unrelated, have you heard of The Kiwi Game?

After a party, I’m often left with a fair amount of washed and trimmed vegetables — I love it because it’s a convenient, healthy snack to have ready, but after a few days it gets a little boring, thus I hunt for other ways to use ’em.  I TRY to make something different each time.

This time with Iceberg Lettuce and an abundance of Cucumbers on hand, I made a simple Salad with a Cucumber Dressing — I’d link the recipe, if it was good, but it wasn’t.  I’ve yet to master the flavor I’m searching for in a Cucumber Dressing.

After the latest party inspiring this batch of ideas, I cooked Eggs over leftover Salsa, which I loved having (over and over again) with a side of Sour Cream.  I’ve since made and purchased more Salsa to make the same.  I can’t stop eating Eggs Over Salsa for breakfast and dinner.  It’s simple and fabulous with or without Tortillas, Chips or Toast.

This time I roasted the Carrots with a little Olive Oil and Spice Blend I found locally.  Carrots are always good roasted in the oven, but were better last time with Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and S & P — Past ideas are linked here.

A tasty Artichoke Heart, Olive and Tomato Bruschetta Dip that was leftover from the same party was cooked and served over Angel Hair Pasta — Why not?

And then there’s Celery, which always stumps me — The best thing I’ve made thus far is Cream of Celery Soup and this time I made a Braised Celery and don’t see its appeal.  I followed a highly ranked recipe, but yawn was the consensus.

If not in a Soup or a mirepoix, I might prefer good old-fashioned Celery with Peanut Butter.

Peppers roasted in the oven with Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and S & P.

Asian Cucumber Salad made with Rice Wine Vinegar, Canola and Sesame Oil, Honey, Soy Sauce, fresh grated (or powdered) Ginger, Red Pepper Flakes and S & P.

And with the leftover sliced Oranges, bar garnishes from the night before, I made Candied Orange Slices.  I’ve always wanted to make them — What better time?

Here’s the recipe I used from The Repressed Pastry Chef — Candied Orange Slices

Candied Oranges – I’ll use this recipe again.  They turned out great and weren’t bitter at all, as some are reported to be.  I think one key is to cook them for a fair amount of time.

Until the next leftovers…