California Dreamin' - LA Vacation Part 1

Tall buildings.  Being up high on things.  Being up high on tall buildings looking down. Sunsets. Food.  The Ocean.  Rivers. Mountains.  Natural beauty.  Snow.  More Food.  Walking around cities. Exploring.  Animals.  Dinosaurs.  Fossils.  Flowers.  Blue Sky.  Clouds.  Big cities at night all lit up. I'll stop now, but those are all things that I really like to do, see, experience.  So, no surprise on vacations these are the things that interest me.  I love being in big cities but I also like being the only one as far as I can see on the side of a snow covered mountain, or listening to the waves of the ocean crash against the shore.  Oh and food, of course that, THAT list can go on an on. 

This past November my husband and I went to Los Angeles for 7 days, SEVEN days! That includes travel, but on both day 1 and 7 we were able to get in some great experiences.  I went a couple times as a kid to visit family and Zac also had been once as a kid, but neither of us had been as adults and certainly not together.  I love California.  So diverse - plenty of all those things I listed at the top and more.  It's been 4 months (life happened and I got behind on blogging) but I've enjoyed recounting our trip. Here you are, the McCrary tour of LA!   Zac gets a lot of credit for our itinerary, it was a team effort for sure!  This post will be Day 1 (really a half day) and Day 2 of our trip.  

View from our room of the Hollywood Hills and Bel Air areas

Thanks to all Zac's work travel, we had enough Hilton points to stay for free for 6 nights 7 days at the brand new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.  I have never stayed anywhere so swanky, and let me tell you, that is how to do it my friends.  It was A-W-E-S-O-M-E.  I felt like Kevin McAlister in Home Alone 2 when he was at the Plaza.  (Yes we ordered a dessert cart with ice cream sundaes at some point!).  They treated us very well, it was convenient to all we wanted to do, great view from the room (above), awesome rooftop pool with excellent view (remember how I like being up high on things), and would stay there again in a heart beat!  After taking in the awesomeness that was our room, we timed it right to catch our first LA sunset from the rooftop!  

It was a little smoky this first night, after that did not notice the smoke from nearby wildfires. 

Beverly Hilton was next door

Evening drinks and snacks at the rooftop bar

Avocado Toast with pumpkin seeds, poached eggs, chili flakes, lime. 

We were just a couple blocks from the Rodeo Drive area, and headed there first to stretch our legs after all day of traveling.  No, didn't buy anything, too rich for my taste!

Blurry but this pic below is the Beverly Wilshire hotel. Google it, historic and lots of movie star and famous people have lived/stayed here.  Also, Pretty Woman! 

Now time to head to the ocean!! Yes it's dark, but the ocean is cool at night!  Santa Monica Pier was fun, we didn't stay there long, it's like a big fair/amusement park, but glad to have seen it all lit up at night.

The Pacific Ocean!

Ok, time for dinner.  Zac sleuth-ed out a cool looking menu at Tar and Roses in Santa Monica.

Grilled Octopus would be near the top of my all-time favorite things to eat. This did not disappoint. 

Wood Roasted English Peas.  Man these were good.  Messy, but good.  

Crispy pig tails with sriracha, honey, and cilantro.  They were crispy alright! 

Yep, that's Bone Marrow, with red onion marmalade. 

Singaporean Chili Crab Cake 

Fried Cauliflower with lavender spiced honey and ricotta salada.  After the octopus, prob my 2nd fave dish of the night. 

We headed back to the hotel for the night after dinner (it was pretty late local time, still adjusting from Central time).  I could write an entire blog post about how awesome our hotel was, one thing I never got over was the turn down service!  Too bad someone can't come do that at my house every day.  They even coiled our chargers.

Day 2 began with our sleeping in a little bit (it's vacation after all!).  The smoke/clouds had cleared and we had a beautiful day in store!  It was Sunday, which was farmers market day in town, so our plan was to hit a farmers market, get some brunch, walk around a bit / people watch, and by late afternoon have made our way down to Hermosa Beach where we had tickets to see Jay Leno at The Comedy and Magic Club.  

We started out in Brentwood strolling through the Brentwood Farmer's Market.  I love farmers markets, so much cool stuff to see! 

succulents! 

oh, and they have lots of free samples! 

Chicken and waffles and Strawberry-Nutella waffles in one! 

These flowers were all over the place

Next up was the Brentwood Country Mart, lots of movie stars have been seen here, known for good places to eat and shop.

All of these things but the cinnamon roll were vegan!  Never would have known. They were all delicious! 

Should have bought these. 

After Brentwood we Uber'd further up the hills to Pacific Palisades.  First stop there was Gelson's market, Zac had heard various comedians and movie stars mention it.  Check out all the dragon fruit!  Bought some for a snack.  

Palisades Village area, Bay Theater

WE SAW ADAM SANDLER.  That's right, in the flesh, just wandering around the Palisades Village. The area had a lot of restaurants and coffee shops, had lots of activity, and there he was just like any other person going about his business.  Zac made a sort of head gesture hello to him, and he looked at us as he walked by and said "Hey Guys" and did a little wave.  We are BFFs now.

Closer to our hotel we stopped at Eataly LA, and Italian market/restaurant that Mario Batali started, there is one in NYC that we didn't make it to when we went there, so wanted to check this one out. It's in Century City (Die Hard Fans - Nakatomi Plaza is in Century City, you could see a part of the building from our hotel roof!). 

at Eataly

After some afternoon rest, time to go see the ocean again!  Next stop = Manhattan Beach a little sound of Beverly Hills.  The weather was perfect!

Manhattan Beach

on the Manhattan Beach Pier, Malibu way off in the distance

Manhattan Beach sunset.  Perfect! 

The beach along LA shore (there is a lot of it) is very pedestrian (and bike) friendly.  We walked a little over 2 miles down the beach to Hermosa Beach.  A personal side note - this is where my grandmother grew up.  It was neat to see areas that were there (like the pier) when she was there, and just experience the area in general.

Hermosa Beach Pier.  Back in the day my grandmother walked to this Pier to go to the library. 

And now to see Jay Leno!

The puffy shirt! 

Zac snuck this photo, glad we didn't get kicked out! No photos allowed....

After all that, we were hungry again.  We had a late dinner at the rooftop restaurant at our hotel (THE WALDORF REMEMBER), in perfect weather.  Can't describe what a fun thing it was to be on top of a building, outside, eating a great dinner, looking at views of the LA skyline and surrounding areas all lit up, temperature was perfect, dang I'd love to be there now!

Zac's dinner, pasta obviously, it was good! 

Crab cake burger and fries

Hollywood Hills

And that my friends ends day 2, look for the next chapter coming soon!! 

Not Your Mama's Chili

My husband and I just came back from a week long vacation to California (stay tuned for our adventures!). It was AMAZING.  So much good food and we ate our little hearts out.  Today I didn't want anything too heavy but really felt like cooking something.  It's almost Thanksgiving, and sweet potatoes were $0.39/lb at the store yesterday, so I bought a bunch.  No plans for them, but couldn't not pass up that price.  I know chili is not the first or second or 15th thing anyone thinks about when pondering "what the heck do I do with all of these sweet potatoes???" but for me it's at the top of the list.  I've made this chili several times and love it.  It's not your mama's chili for sure but worth a try!  It may become one of your favorites too. 

This is the first time I made it without meat, and used cooked quinoa for some protein instead.  Turned out great!  Feel free to top it with whatever you like, I'm a big cheddar-cheese-on-my-chili kind of gal, but you can skip the cheese, add some cilantro, fresh jalapeno, sour cream (a condiment I think is actually pretty gross but understand many people enjoy it, especially on chili), or whatever you feel like!

Not Your Mama's Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained of grease, or any meat of your choosing OR 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (I make my quinoa with stock to give it more flavor, use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to liquid. Rinse quinoa first, combine with liquid, bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups dices tomatoes, drained
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 and 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if making vegetarian)
• 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1.5 Tbsp cumin
• 1.5 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp mustard powder or whole grain mustard
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp salt (or to your taste)
• Shredded sharp cheddar for topping

Instructions:

1. Place a large pot on medium low, and drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  When hot, saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno for 3 minutes. 
2. Add all other ingredients to the pot, and bring to a boil.  
3. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook covered for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and too your liking.  
4. Top with shredded cheddar, serve with crackers. 
5. Enjoy! 

FYI It's ok to use more cheese than I show here. I actually added more after I took this picture, because, well, I love cheese. 

Recipe is inspired by Sweet Fire Chili from Pretty Little Apron.

Browned Butter Shrimp and Grits featuring Sumter County Shrimp

Doesn't this look delicious? Well, it was.  I give the credit to the fresh shrimp from Sumter County Shrimp! These puppies were alive this past Thursday morning going about their shrimp-y business.  Harvested Thursday, into my possession via cooler Friday, cleaned and cooked Saturday.   Hard to get any fresher than that folks.  I've blogged about these shrimp before (last year). This is their 2nd year of harvest and I'm a huge fan!  I made this same recipe last year, with super fresh Sumter County Shrimp, and used the photo for my blog header, check it out! ⬆⬆

Here is a link to their page - Sumter County Shrimp, if you are in Alabama reading this you should totally make the trek to their farm in Bellamy, to Tuscaloosa, or Birmingham to get them! More details on their site, on sale through the first weekend in November.  Pics from my first batch are below. 

On to the recipe.  There are a MILLION shrimp and grits recipes.   Researching the "traditional" low country method, the consensus is a simple approach.  Shrimp simply cooked in fat over morning "grits" that were common back in the day for breakfast.  That's right, this started out as a breakfast dish (Breakfast is the best, am I right?).  It's evolved over the years and now seems to be on every gourmet chef's menu across the Southeast and beyond.  I've made a more cajun version with andouille sausage, peppers, and onions, and it's great, but keep going back to this version.  The simplicity really lets the shrimp shine when using good quality shrimp like I am doing here.  

For the Grits, I used smoked gouda, freshly shredded (the food processor attachment I have is my most used kitchen tool hands down), and stone ground grits.  You can use instant or quick-cooking grits, but should seriously give the stone ground ones a try.   If you aren't using stone ground, check the type and use the appropriate grit to liquid ratio.  If you start cooking these before you do anything else, they will be done when the shrimp are done if you are going to be peeling and maybe de-heading a bunch of shrimp.   For some extra shrimpiness, use shrimp stock vs water or chicken stock to cook your grits.  I made a huge batch of shrimp stock with the heads and shells of last years harvest, froze it in 2 cup increments.  You can make a quick stock with heads and shells in 15 mins, or go all out and throw in veggies and seasonings and let it simmer a couple of hours.  

Stone Ground Grits

4 cups water or stock of your choice
1 cup stone ground grits
8 ounces gouda cheese, freshly grated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1 cup whole milk or half and half

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring the stock to a boil, then turn down the heat to low (to prevent scorching your grits).
2. Add the grits and stir for a minute or two, don't want to burn the grits on the bottom.
3. Cover, let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. 
4. Add butter and milk.  Bring back up to a simmer stirring constantly.  Let simmer again for 20-25 minutes.  
5. Add salt and pepper, stir. 
6. Remove from heat and add in cheese, stir, and cover to keep warm and help melt the cheese.  Set aside. 

Shrimp

1.5 lbs pound raw peeled shrimp

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons freshly snipped chives
2 ears grilled sweet corn, cut from the cob

Directions:

1. Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl.  
2. Mix together your seasonings starting with salt through cumin. 
3. Pour the seasonings over the shrimp and mix until evenly coated.  
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. 
5. Once it’s melted and begins to sizzle, add the shrimp in batches (don’t overcrowd it!) and cook on both sides until pink.  This will only take a minutes or so per side.  I've found once I get them all in the pan, it's time to turn the first ones. The butter will brown as the shrimp cooks and you can whisk it occasionally to prevent it from burning. 
6. When the shrimp is finished, remove them all to a plate. 
7. Stir in the garlic into the melted butter and cook for 10-15 seconds, don't burn the garlic. Remove pan from the heat.   You will drizzle this over the shrimp. 
8. To serve: Ladle the grits on a plate or bowl.  Put the shrimp on top.  Drizzle the garlic browned butter over the shrimp.  Sprinkle grilled corn and chives over the top. Eat! 

I had a helper this time cooking the shrimp and she did great.  You want to cook them in an even layer, not crowding them, in multiple batches. Don't overcook them!   

TIP: So how do you know if you've overcooked them?  I found this helpful - If they look like a "C" they are cooked.  If they curl up into a concentric "O" with top and bottom overlapping, they are Overcooked.  C = cooked.  O = overcooked.  They will keep cooking slightly too when taken off the heat, so keep that in mind.  

Side item suggestion - Balsamic mushrooms.  My husband suggested to add some acidity to balance out the rich grits.  Great idea by him.  Saute some sliced mushrooms, drizzle with a couple tablespoons balsamic vinegar and white wine.  Continue to saute' for a couple of minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon from the liquid.   

Crusty bread is great too! We slice ours, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and brown in the oven at 450 for 3 mins or so, until just starting to brown.  

Happy cooking!  

Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

I love Greek food.  It just generally tastes awesome.  There is no such thing as too much feta either.  NO SUCH THING.  I do NOT like olives, which can be a problem in Greek recipes and dishes, but they are usually pretty easy to find and pick out or just omit.   I am home-made tzatziki sauce challenged, so love the stuff from pretty much every Greek restaurant I've ever been too.   Oh and pita bread, can't beat the fresh stuff from a restaurant.  I have tried and have been pretty successful at making pita bread at home, but it's a lot of work. So let's be honest that doesn't happen all that often.  So other than pita and tzatziki, I'm a fan of making Greek food at home and generally eating Greek food all the time.

This recipe is super easy, which is why I want to share it, because it is insanely easy.  There is a little bit of rough chopping, some stirring, but mostly just waiting for it to cook.  Everything cooks on one pan = easy clean up.  And it is really tasty. 

If you are an olive fan, sprinkle  chopped or sliced olives on at the end when you sprinkle the feta.  I've made this with both chicken breasts and thighs, and either works great! I'm usually a fan of thighs because they are less likely to dry out, and have a little more inherent flavor.  But it's totally up to you! Photo above is a previous time I've made this using thighs, photo below is with chicken breasts.  Also I've thrown on small tomatoes, like grape tomatoes, and they roast up nicely and add a little extra something to the dish.  Not required though.

The marinade 

Ready for the marinade, coat everything well and mix.  Aren't all the colors pretty! 

 Tip: The best way to make sure everything is coated with the marinade is to use your hands.  Really. just drizzle the marinade over everything, then toss around with your hands to get a good coating on everything.  You can wash your hands as long as you want afterwards since EEK you touched raw chicken.  That is what soap is for people!

Time to eat! 

Side salad and some bread = done! 

Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Ingredients

Marinade

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons oregano, dried or 1 tablespoon fresh

For Veggies and Chicken

• 4 whole chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, or 8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• 2 red peppers, sliced thick
• 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 8 whole garlic cloves, peeled but not smashed, kept whole
• 1 pound baby mixed color potatoes, skin on, quartered
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta
• 1 whole lemon cut into thick slices or wedges (I use the one squeezed for the marinade)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine all marinade ingredients in small bowl.
3. Place sliced veggies on large sheet pan.
4. Place Chicken in and around the vegetables. Everything should generally be in one layer on the pan. 
5. Pour marinade all over veggies and rub onto the chicken.
6. Arrange mixture evenly, and nestle sliced lemons around sheet pan.
7. Place in oven and roast for 30-35  minute or until veggies are slightly brown and chicken is done all the way through.   
8. Sprinkle with crumbled feta. 
9. Eat! 

Adapted from Laughing Spatula - awesome source for healthy quick and easy recipes!