Snack Happy...

The makers of G.H. Cretors Popcorn so kindly sent me a few bags of their popcorn last week! It was sent in a beautiful package and it made opening it all up feel like Christmas! I immediately went for the "Chicago Mix" because it would satisfy my cravings for things both salty and sweet, as it was filled with cheese and carmel flavors!

 Upon opening my the bag you could see it was perfectly filled with plump popped corn. The ratio cheesy, to caramel was spot on. I cannot say enough about how delicious this blend was. I will always reach for a bag to put n my cart when I see it in the grocery stores!

Spicy Sunday Stew and Polenta

Scott and I have been ranch bound these past few weeks. Working on projects at home and catching up on things that needed tending to. That means less dining out for Melissa Good Taste and more cooking! 

I got to break out my favorite tool in the kitchen, My Red Lodge Dutch Oven!

I felt like making something homey and comforting. I love, love Polenta and Stew so I made that, kicked up a few notches!!

I started by blending up an 7 ounce Embasa Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. I whirled it up so it was smooth. If you are not a real spice fan, only use half of this can and maybe sub in a small can of tomato paste. A 7 oz can of this will really set your mouth on fire so be careful!

I used a little over two lbs of stew meat and it was plenty for the two of us, even for leftovers. I dusted the meat with flour, salt, pepper, garlic and cumin.

Then with a little olive il in the pot, brown the meat - let it get a brown crust.

To the mix add the chile, 4 cups beef broth and whatever other spices you desire. Garlic would be fine, I just didn't have any on hand bit it would be lovely.

Now put your feet up and relax! Read a book, watch a movie... The stew has to cook under the low flame with the lid on for 3 hours. Cook long enough that the meat falls apart and the stew reduces a bit. 

Presto, chango, alkazam! 

Here it is! 

Spicy Sunday Stew with polenta.

I went the fast and easy way with the polenta because Scott and I were really into a movie. I put the polenta in a pyrex, with water and salt (always salt your polenta water), plastic wrapped it and put it in the microwave for twelve minutes. It works! Microwave temperatures vary so adjust how you need to. I mixed until smooth and added two cups of cheddar cheese. It was fantastic!

Enjoy!

Papa Lennon's - Meiners Oaks, CA

Last night I met up with a group of new friends at a restaurant that I have been driving right by for the past five years. Papa Lennon's has always been a favorite among my friends, they love the salads and out door seating. So needless to say, I was beyond ecstatic to try it for myself.

You order at the counter, grab a number and then find a seat. That makes it nice for group dining, no shared bills and less confusion. You want to grab a seat in the outdoor patio it is darling...

I ordered the Wonton Crunch Salad - it was humongous. Enough to share or even take home for a meal the next day. It is filled with chicken, bell peppers, won tons, chopped cabbage, carrots... It was just huge. I loved the peanut dressing and didn't even tear into the side of foccacia. I was too full.

This trip to Papa Lennon's was such a great one! The food lovely, atmosphere outstanding and in my case entertaining because of the new group of friends that I met. I love Ojai - Ohi, Ojay, Ojina... However it is pronounced anyway... 

Thank you Ashleigh for arranging such a fun night!

Oystermania at Lure - Ventura, CA

 

Scott and I love Lure Fish House. The Happy Hours are good, it is clean, friendly service and they have tons of fresh oysters!So we took a seat at the Oyster Bar and decided to go through the Oyster Menu, step by step.

 

They always have different varieties available, this is what they had that day.

 Kusshi's, the smaller ones of the left, were our absolute favorites. Fanny Bay's, were larger and also good, came in a close second place. There is nothing better than eating oysters, I love it!

Next up were the Charbroiled variety, they used Fanny Bay's for this preparation. With a mix of butter, lemon, garlic how could you seriously go wrong? They are served piping hot so do be careful if you tip the shell back, the oyster liquor just may be a little toasty. 

Last but not least, Fried Oysters. It seems silly to fry something so naturally delicious but who doesn't like getting a little grease on their fingers every once in awhile? The crunch is amazing and satisfies that junk food craving.

I love oysters all shapes and sizes... Where do you go to get your fix?

Ventiki Polynesian Lounge - Ventura, CA

Last week during date night, Scott and I wanted to try one of the newest restaurants on the Ventura scene - Ventiki Polynesian Lounge. It hosts a beautiful outdoor lanai area, with fire pit as well as the tiki bar inside. 

The menu is full of classic Hawaiian style drinks...

Including the Mai Tai, my favorite! The taste brought me back to my favorite Hawaiian vacations.

We wanted something to munch on so we perused the Pupu menu and were encouraged in ordering the  Rana - which was big eye tuna, mango, citrus soy and lime coconut . I was not a huge fan of this. It was light and refreshing but the tuna basically was drenched in the coconut milk making it a soupy tuna delight. 

Taco Tini was also on the menu: slow roasted pork, pineapple, chile sauce and feta cheese. I have to admit I was a little leery about the feta on the taco but it worked magically! These were delicious, I highly recommend an order of these.

All in all, the place was whimsical and fun. 

The drinks pumpin' and very cool. The food 50/50 but it is all good! I cannot wait to enjoy the lanai with friends in the evening.

Farm to Table - San Juan Bautista to Ojai

My Mom came for a short visit yesterday to shuttle some of my horses around and she brought me some bounty from my brother's garden. Vine ripened tomatoes...

Sweet red bell peppers and gorgeous lemons. What a wonderful surprise!

So this morning I topped my regular toasted, buttered English Muffin with grated parmesan, sliced tomato, balsamic vinaigrette glaze and micro basil. It was the perfect blend of crunchy, savory, salty, sweet... I could have made at least two more! I restrained myself so I would have enough to make them tonight for Scott. He is going to love them!

Thanks James, Dad, Mom and Kate! I know you all had a hand in making the garden grow!

Happy Sunday and Go JETS!

Melissa Good Taste Reviews...

I have been getting a lot of requests by companies to do reviews on their products. I love getting samples and trials of products so I gladly welcomed them to send it to me. Over the past few week this is what I have gotten in to try...

I loved this. The Sparking Ice Apple tasted almost exactly like Martinelli's Sparkling Cider minus all the calories. What a great substitution for plain when your sitting at your desk at work or if you wanted something a little jazzed up.

 Highly recommend.

We are always on the go and usually never sit down for an actual meal until dinner so when I was approached by Komplete Meal Replacement I was stoked. I loved the chocolate flavor but did not care for the vanilla. So if you are looking for a nice meal on the go, grab the chocolate!

When I saw this in the meal mail I thought, "Yee-haw! When do I get to sample this." After a party at the El Rancho Futurity of many hours of dancing, glasses of wine and staying up late - I had my opportunity the next morning. It is very similar to Alka-Seltzer tablets, same concept. And you know what, it worked! I felt revived and ready to start my day.

Enterprise Fish Co. - Santa Barbara, CA

Last week I had the afternoon off with nothing planned so I decided, "Why not head to Santa Barbara?"It is only a quick 45 minutes away and a beautiful drive at that. I wandered up and down State Street a few times, grabbed a few souvenirs and then declared myself famished.

I have had more than one friend recommend Enterprise Fish Co. for Melissa Good Taste to try so I figured today was the day to do it! Rough job, but it has to be done! I started with the lobster bisque because it is always a good way to see if the restaurant has chops. Most places fail at this, bad soup usually equals bad restaurant. The lobster bisque was nice, not the best but certainly something to be proud of.

When I see Scallops on the menu, I get pretty happy. If risotto is on there too, with the option to get them both together, I want to do backflips. I knew immediately that is what I wanted to order and I was so thrilled when it was placed before me. The pictures are just beautiful and absolutely mouthwatering. The scallops came pan fried, giving them a crunchy crust which is welcome at any food party of mine. The risotto was texturally perfect just lacked a little salt, in fact I went ahead and sprinkled some over the entire dish. 

A beautiful day it was in Santa Barbara. Great shopping and walking and with food like this at the end of the day who could actually complain!