Happy Easter Bread

I love freshly made breads, but I don't really the time or patience to wait for the yeast to grow or the dough to rise. I was flipping through the latest issue of a Williams Sonoma magazine and saw this recipe for cherry almond quick bread. It looked delicious and simple (you don't even need a mixer!)...a perfect way to celebrate Easter. The combination of cherry and almond has always been a favorite, but sadly I really don't see it that often. There was only one thing that I needed that I didn't have on hand - dried cherries. Make sure that you have a loaf pan as well. The recipe called for a mini loaf pan , 8" x 4", however I used an 8" x 8" pan.

I am not sure why I had almond extract already, but that's probably the only other ingredient you'll need. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, butter and eggs are the other ingredients. Melt and cool 1 stick of unsalted butter. In a bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Toss in the 1/2 cup chopped cherries. In another mixing bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of milk, the cooled butter, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp almond extract. The almond extract smells delicious (much better than how raw almonds smell)! Pour the liquids into the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. I put mine in for 50 minutes, but next time I will put it in for 45 minutes as the crust got a little darker than I would have wanted it to. The bread is a bit on the dense side and the cherries added textural difference. The almond flavor added a hint of nutiness to the bread; Despite its crumbly texture, the bread was moist and not overly sweet. This smells so good when it is baking that you can't wait to pull it out of the oven. Make sure you cool for bread for 10 minutes in the pan and flip out of the pan onto a wire rack to completely. This is so good that I can't wait to make another loaf! Thank you Williams Sonoma for a super delicious recipe! Happy Easter everyone. I hope that you get to enjoy sweet treats and yummy eats with your friends and family!

The Golden Grill

I think that grilled cheese will always be one of my favorite foods. It was one of my all time favorite meals growing up and there is something about how content a grilled cheese makes me feel. When I was looking at the participants in Haute Wheels Houston Food Truck Festival, I can't begin to describe my excitement when I found out there was a grilled cheese food truck! Of course it was on my list of trucks not to miss at the festival. So after waiting in a very, very long line it was my turn to order. I decided to go for a turkey, American cheese, and pickled onion grilled cheese. I know it seems simple, but sometimes those things are the best. Plus, I have never had pickled onions before, so I was trying something new at the same time. Once you order, you have to wait and that is that hardest part when you see everyone else's sandwiches. Alas, my name was called it is was my turn to bite into my grilled cheese. It was toasty on the outside and melty on the inside, They cheese held everything together and the onions added a nice crunch. Though I didn't actually taste the buffalo chicken grilled cheese, it looked delicious. If you are in any way a fan of grilled cheese, this is a food truck you don't want to miss. I know that I will be on the hunt for it so that I can try the s'more dessert grilled cheese! 

Craft Infusions

Food trucks seem to be all about crazy combinations and Craft Fusions is no exception. This is a food truck dedicated to taking locally brewed beers and turning them into delicious cuisine. The options were limited, but we decided to try something different. I'm a sucker for bread pudding, so how could a beer bread pudding be bad. It had a subtle beer flavor, but it would have been better warm. It was a little hard to get apart and somewhat on the dry side. Unfortunately, I can't say that it was some of the best bread pudding, but I am glad that I got the opportunity to try it.

I can say that I have never ordered oxtail before, but I thought that this would be a perfect time to give it a try. How can anything in an empanada be bad? The crust was flaky and full of flavor and the oxtail was interesting. Honestly, it was a little hard to stomach that I was eating oxtail, but now I can say that I have tried it. It was not bad, but I am not sure if I will order it again. I don't think that I could eat it by itself, but I might try it in an empanada. This menu is always changing, so it's definitely something to keep on your food truck radar if you like beer. 

Fraiche Kitchen Food Truck

I was lucky enough to get to go Haute Wheels Houston again this year. This is a food truck festival that has now grown to 35 trucks. It is a great time to sample new beers, wines, and tons of delicious food! For the first stop, I visited Fraiche Kitchen for their Shiner Bock pulled pork slider. Now normally, I don't usually eat pork but I didn't want to miss out anything delicious. The pork was tossed lightly in the barbecue sauce and was served with some housemade pickles. Sometimes pickles can just taste like cucumbers, but these were yummy and added that little bit of crunch to the slider. The bun was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The pork was moist and flavorful. They also had some delicious smelling spiced donuts that I wanted to try...next time! This was definitely a great way to start off the festival. Stay tuned for foods from the next food truck I visited.

Sugar Donut Muffins

I had to admit that I love donuts, but tend to stay as far away as possible because they are really quite bad for you. However, when I saw this recipe for a donut muffin, I definitely needed to try it. This is a super simple recipe, but it only makes about 10 regular muffins. The recipe is super simple and the best part was I had everything on hand. Like usual, you beat the butter and sugar together and separately mix together all the dry ingredients. Then you add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar until mixed. Add in the liquids and you are ready to pop them in the oven. They cook at 350 for about 15-18 minutes. Usually my oven, takes about 5 minutes less than the suggested cook time, but this time it was exactly 15 minutes. Once you pull them out of the oven, you brush them with a bit of butter and roll in sugar. You can roll the whole thing or just the tops. I opted for sugaring just the tops an in half of them added a dash of cinnamon to the sugar. They are a dense muffin that doesn't crumble. I would say it has a very close consistency to a cake donut and was a perfect morning pick me up! I will definitely be making these again as they are fun and something different then just a regular muffin, so be sure to give it a try.

Saturday Brunch at Backstreet Cafe

Every time I get to go to brunch I get really excited. There is something magical about the breakfast and lunch combinations that are on the menu. This brunch visit took my friend and me to Backstreet Cafe. Tucked away this quaint little has a shaded private patio that is a perfect way to enjoy a Saturday morning. After enjoying the mini muffins, scones, and an Italian mimosa, it was time to get to the main meal. Luckily for me, my friend let me taste hers so I got my little bit of sweet and a little bit of savory. She ordered the stuffed french toast with bananas, maple syrup, and a caramel sauce. There was just a touch of crunch on the outside and the bananas maintained their texture, so it wasn't just a melted blob. The caramel sauce added a interesting twist to the maple syrup. The bread was able to hold all the delicious filling without getting soggy.

I ordered the migas. This was a scrambled egg mixture with tortillas chips, peppers, black beans, bacon, a toasted tortilla and some salsa. This is a fun dish because you can mix it all together, eat it all separately, or make your own little tacos. I did a little bit of all those options. This way I got to try everything on it's own and then together. The salsa was spicy and fresh. I was surprised at how yummy the tortilla was. It was toasted so there is just a hint of crispiness to it. The eggs were some of the best I have had in a while. They were well seasoned and fluffy. The tortillas chips weren't at all soggy and the veggies in the eggs added some textural differences. I would definitely recommend this as a fun brunch place. But be sure to make a reservation as it gets pretty busy.

Red Truck

I am still trying to acquire a real taste for red wines. Since I am not a fan of the big, bold reds, I have been trying some Pinot Noirs. I found this Red Truck Pinot Noir for a budget friendly $10 at Trader Joe's. I think that this is a wonderful introduction to red wines, as it is full of fruit and not very tannic. It is a great wine with food or one its own. The interesting part is that it has paired fairly well with chicken and seafood, even though those are the not usual food pairings for red wines. If you are looking for a lighter red wine, this is definitely one worth trying.

Mediterranean Yogurt Dip

I love dips, but most of the time they aren't very healthy for you and can taste really artificial. I was wondering the aisles of Trader Joe's which is always dangerous and found this....a Mediterranean yogurt dip. It is blend of feta and yogurt, topped with traditional spices. The texture was similar to a whipped yogurt...lightly, fluffy, and fresh. You could really get the feta flavor and the spice combination was exotic and unique. It was definitely a change from the hummus I usually eat. The acidity of the yogurt and cheese helped to keep it from tasting to heavy. It was a nice balance to the sweetness of carrots and the sweet small bell peppers. For those of you looking for an alternative to hummus, this is a great option. Be sure to pick this up on your next trip to Trader Joe's.

Farewell Rodeo Houston!

As I made one final trip to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, I thought about what I would like my last rodeo meal to include. There were so many choices and I kept finding new fried treats that it became very difficult. However, I opt for some barbecue because you can't go to the rodeo and not have some type of barbecue. I chose a chopped beef sandwich with some Texas taters. The chopped beef was good, but I wasn't really a fan of the sauce. I am very picky about the sauce as I usually don't like barbecue sauce. I know I'm pretty sure that I am one of a few people that says that and I will probably be outlawed because of it. The Texas taters on the other hand were really delicious. They were handmade, fresh, super thin potato chips. They were crunchy and crisped to perfection, with just a touch of salt. Honestly, they were so much better than regular potato chips you buy at the store, though I haven't quite figured out why. I am not sure if it is because they don't have to be made to withstand being on the shelf or what, but they were gone in an instant. I think perhaps that dessert at the rodeo is the thing that I think about the most. We walked past this stand that was all about chocolate chip cookies and I had had their cookie dough before which was beyond words, but it was the smell of the cookies baking that was so intoxicating. So we decided on an order of chocolate chip cookies. These literally tasted like the cookie dough that I had before! They melted in your mouth and were addictive. Though it wasn't something super crazy, it was a comfort dessert that just made you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my "rodeo season" this year. Thank you Rodeo Houston for another wonderful year.

Homemade Chile Rellenos

The first time I had chile rellenos, it didn't exactly go so well. It was so spicy that I couldn't actually taste the dish. Lucky for me, I had someone who made me the very authentic, homemade version of the dish. The funny thing was that it was completely different then the Tex-Mex version. The poblano pepper was not deep fried, but instead wrapped in an egg coating, which reminded me of an omelet. The filling was meat and veggies, instead of massive amounts of cheese. The other thing was that the rice that it was served with. Instead of the Mexican rice, this was a light and fluffy buttered rice. This experience was much more enjoyable than my first one, as I could actually taste the food. I would definitely eat this again! I think the most surprising things was how light and relatively healthy this meal was. Usually after eating Tex-Mex, I feel so guilty and full that life slows down for a bit. I can say I didn't feel overly stuffed and uncomfortable, which was really nice. I am so grateful that I was able to try the authentic version of chile rellenos because it's delicious.

Hubcap Grill

Every once in a while you come across a place that really surprises you and I can certainly say that Hubcap Grill did that. After hearing all kinds of rave reviews about it, I was skeptical that it might not live up to all the hype. However, I was proven wrong. Hubcap Grill is laid back casual burger joint that doesn't serve your average burgers and fries. Served on red plastic trays and eaten at a picnic table, this place is all about the food. The burger menu has a Cheeto burger, one with bacon, bananas, and peanut butter, and a Greek burger. I decided to try the Greek burger which had lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, an olive mixture on it, and a Greek dressing. Even though it was a burger with toppings on it, they weren't too heavy and the bun was able to hold all the yumminess together. The fries are just as out there as the burgers, but I went for the Texas fries, which had chili, cheese, hot sauce and crispy onions on them. They were almost a meal unto themselves. Usually chili on fries makes them really soggy and gross, but these fries luckily didn't turn into a complete disaster. The onions added a nice textural element to the fries and the hot sauce was just a little extra kick of flavor. Hubcap Grill is a great dive to enjoy a delicious burger and fries. Thank you to everyone who kept telling me to go try it out. I am certainly glad I did.

Red Velvet Rodeo Style

No matter how many times you have been to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, there is always a surprise waiting. This time it was another sweet treat. Red velvet funnel cake. How can a funnel cake taste like red velvet? I don't know how they didn't it, but they managed to do it. The funnel cake batter is light and melts in your mouth. The cake is topped with a healthy dose of powdered sugar, whipped cream, and a strawberry drizzle. Though the whipped cream is not the cream cheese icing like is traditionally on a red velvet, it is still heavenly. I would say that's just the HLSR twist. If you still have the opportunity to visit the rodeo, be sure you stop by and give it a try. It will be a memorable dessert, I promise you that.

The Queen Vic Pub and Kitchen

I guess you could say that I am getting more adventurous in my food choices because one day I found myself craving Indian food. However, I really mean Indian fusion food because I want to know what I am eating. Anyways, I found a friend who was willing to be adventurous with me and so we headed over to The Queen Vic Pub and Kitchen. This is a gastro pub that brings together the British and Indian food. They have a very unique cocktail menu and many different beer and wine choices. But then again if they didn't then, it probably wouldn't be a pub. We started off with some veggie samosas and chicken wings, however, the wings didn't last long enough for a photo. The samosas had nice chunks of veggies in a lightly fried wrapper. It was served with a roasted tomato chutney, which was fresh and delicious. The chicken wings were unlike anything I had tasted before. The seasoning combination was smoky and earthy and the wings had a nice crunch to them.

I tried the chicken curry which was served with naan, basmati rice, and a traditional yogurt drink. The curry wasn't too spicy and the potato added a nice texture to it. The rice was flavorful and light and was super yummy when mixed with the curry. The naan is a cross between a pita bread and tortilla, but can hold the yumminess of the curry. The yogurt drink was fresh and helped cut the smokiness of the curry. The chicken curry was warm and homey, definitely a very filling meal. I know that this isn't traditional Indian food, but it is a great way to experience the Indian cuisine. So step out of your comfort zone and give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed! I can't wait to go back see what other hidden surprises are on the menu and try out the traditional British tea tray.

Roots Bistro

Roots Bistro is a unique restaurant that focuses on using fresh, local ingredients and catering to almost every dietary restriction you could possibly think of. It is the sister concept to Roots Juice, the yummy juice bar in City Center. When you walk in, you are greeted with a warm glow from burning candles and dark wood tables and chairs. The walls are a calming cream color and the flowy curtains on the windows keep everything feeling airy and bright. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I ended up being able to try two different meals. The Longhorn sliders were mini burgers topped with fresh mozzarella, a sriracha sauce, and some mixed baby greens dressed in a champagne vinaigrette on top of a warm square of bread. These burgers were juicy and flavorful. The crisp greens added a nice textural element and the half a bun helped to keep them from feeling too heavy.

 The other dish I was able to try was the raw "squashsta". What is "squashsta" you might ask? It is a very thin pasta made from squash and tossed with beets, sesame seeds, and cilantro in a ginger dressing. This was served cold and tasted like an Asian salad. The crunch of the veggies made it a light and refreshing dish, and it was gone before I knew it. I had never seen a dish like this before, but I would definitely order it again. I don't believe that I had beets before, but they were sure yummy. Using the raw ingredients, showcased their simple, natural flavors that complemented each other very well. Though we did not have dessert, they were definitely unique. I guess next time I will need to go back so that I can try the lemon thyme pound cake. If you are looking for a very unique and local meal, be sure to try out Roots Bistro.

Avalon Diner

There's something special about going for breakfast on a Saturday morning. I think it may be the fact that time seems to slow down and you get to enjoy a wonderful meal with good company before the start of a hectic day. For me, I don't get to do that very often so it makes even more special when I do get a chance to go get breakfast. I heard about a place called Avalon Diner and decided to give it a try. It is a step back in time with the traditional diner stools and wood paneled walls. You do seat yourself, so just be prepared to wait a bit. I ordered an egg white omelet with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, topped with a salsa. It was served with fruit and an English muffin. I'm not sure how they toasted it, but the English muffin was perfectly toasted. The omelet was huge and the salsa give it a kick of flavor. This wasn't the absolute best omelet I have had, but it was fun to try somewhere new and enjoy a beautiful morning.

Welcome to Rodeo Houston!

If you know anyone from Houston, you know that March is rodeo season and the whole town smells like barbecue. I will admit that country music is not my favorite, but I am a HUGE fan of the food! There is really nothing like it and literally you have to watch what you eat the rest of the year to be able to indulge in its deliciousness. You just have to embrace the fact that everything is deep fried and then you are ready to go. The best part about it is that every year they somehow manage to find something new to deep fry. Chicken fried deviled eggs. Yes, I know its a very odd combination and I will be honest and say that it really wasn't my favorite but as least I gave it a try. Really it was a texture thing for me, but the egg was coated in a chicken tender coating and I can't honestly say that I know what the filling was. If you are feeling adventurous, give them a try or you can opt for the cricket pizza... and no I will not be trying that! I just can't do it. Though the eggs weren't that amazing, the seasoned fries made up for it.

You can't leave the rodeo without trying some deep fried dessert. This trend started with the fried twinkie and then the snickers and Oreos. I can say that the Oreos were heaven in a bag, but then I discovered the fried cookie dough and it was game over. Fried cookie dough is melting chocolatey goodness sprinkled with powered sugar. The dough melts into the funnel cake batter coating and it becomes heaven on a stick. This is the perfect dessert for everyone that eats the raw cookie dough, even though the package says do not consume raw. This is probably literally a million calories, but I can promise that it will be totally worth it! Let me just say that in no way are the fried Oreos bad, I just happen to think that this is better.

Don't fret though if cookie dough isn't your thing. You can always try the fried cheesecake. This is a rich creamy cheesecake center covered in a cinnamon graham cracker crust and then covered in funnel cake batter. Like all deep fried desserts, it gets a healthy dose of powdered sugar. I think that the cinnamon graham cracker crust is what makes it so awesome because it's unexpected. Make sure that you share this with a friend as it is very filling. The cheesecake filling is light and fluffy and actually better than some cheesecakes I have had. Whether you are going for the food or the entertainment, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has something for everyone and will be a truly memorable experience.

No More Humdrum Hummus

Hummus is a versatile food that I can't seem to get enough of. Plus these days, there seem to be many different versions which makes it even more tempting. I am not sure where HEB came up with all these different ones, but I am totally digging the white bean hummus. It is topped with roasted red peppers and pesto, adding more depth of flavor. The white bean base creates a slight different taste to the hummus, but I must say that this could potentially be better than the regular one. I know, I know...how can you beat regular hummus? It's somewhat hard to explain because the difference is pretty subtle. All I can say is give it a try and see what you think. If you are looking to mix it up even more, than substitute a spoonful of hummus for your salad dressing on your salad. All you have to do it mix and eat. The best part is that it won't make your lettuce soggy. So instead of reaching for the chips, grab some hummus and cucumbers for a healthier snack.