Local Flavor, Vegas Edition: Amore Taste of Chicago

In Vegas, hardly anyone who lives here is from here. 

In our little group, we all hail from somewhere else: California, New England, Poland.  We love Vegas, but there are things we miss from "back home".  Food is always high on that list.  Our pal Lauren, who's from Chicago, has found a culinary Chi-town oasis here in Sin City, aptly known as Amore Taste of Chicago.

We dined there on a recent Friday evening in celebration of Lauren's birthday.  Amore serves up authentic Chicago-style pizza, which is what draws Lauren to this place on a regular basis.  She's also a fan of the staff, who were friendly and accommodating the night that Mike and I were there for the party.

 

Mike and I shared an order of cheesy garlic bread, which came with a side of marinara. The bread was toasty, the cheese gently melted: a nice appetizer.

For my entree, I chose Shrimp Diablo with crushed tomatoes and hot peppers on a bed of linguine. It's typically a pretty spicy dish, so I asked if they could tone it down for me. They agreed, and they delivered. It was still hot after a few bites built the spices up, but not nearly as much as it would have been. I adapted by repeatedly adding grated parm until the red sauce turned slightly orange. Strategic gulps of iced tea helped, too.  The sauce tasted fresh, and the linguine was al dente.

The only bothersome detail was the tails left on the shrimp. I know it looks better, but I hate it when restaurants do that, especially for hot dishes.  There's just no good way to remove the tails without burning yourself and/or making a big, saucy mess.

Mike, of course, decided on pepperoni pizza for his meal. This was no surprise. The man could live on pizza seven days a week; he loves it that much. He selected thin crust because we've been trying to cut down on carbs... or that's what we tell ourselves.  It was good.

The thick-crust pies were a sight to behold. They were huge and seemed to be packed full of meaty, cheesy, tomato-y goodness.  Here's a mushroom and sausage pie that Steve ordered.  Steve let me sample the crust, and it was delicious. 

There are not a lot of options for dessert, but that's okay.  You're probably too full from the main course to eat it anyway, or you should be.  Still, Mike couldn't resist ordering some cannoli.  He made it contingent on me sharing with him, and I agreed.  I didn't want to let him down.  Aren't I a good wife?

Having eaten two pieces of garlic bread and half the shrimp, I was no longer hungry, but I managed to have a couple of tastes of the cannoli.  It was yummy.  Sometimes, if they've pre-filled them and left them sitting, the shells can get soft.  This one was crisp, breaking off with a satisfying crunch beneath our forks.  The cream was rich but not overly so, and the sweetness was just right with the chocolate chips.

Pan Seared Scallops over Kale Salad with Mango Dressing

This recipe was inspired by a dish I learned to cook at Mon Ami Gabi's French cooking class and a recipe for Summer Dinner Salad with Scallops in the June/July issue of Cook's Country magazine.

It's perfect for any diet: low-carb, low-fat, clean, low-calorie.  You just can't go wrong with this one; it's super healthy and tastes great.

If the kale is too bitter for your taste, try it on a bed of spinach salad.  Or, you could mix the dressing with a little low-fat mayonnaise and serve the scallops over creamy broccoli slaw.

Ingredients:

• 6 large scallops
• 2-3 cups of organic kale salad (I used Harvest Sensations brand, which I found at the Whole Foods.  You can also make your own, using chopped kale, red cabbage and slivers of carrot.)
• 1/4 cup fat-free mango vinaigrette salad dressing, plus a little more for drizzling (I used Annie's Naturals.)
• Scant tablespoon of minced garlic (optional)

Directions:

• Pat scallops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. (I used macadamia nut oil, but you can use olive or canola oil if you'd prefer.)
• Sautée the minced garlic briefly before adding the scallops in a single layer.
• Cook for 1 1/2 - 3 minutes without moving, depending on size and how hot you have your oil.  (Mine took about 3 minutes.)
• While scallops are cooking, toss kale salad with mango vinaigrette.
• Flip scallops and continue to cook, for a minute or so longer, until the scallops are firm and the center are opaque.
• Transfer scallops to a plate, and scrape the garlic and oil remaining in the pan onto the kale salad.  Toss to blend.
• Scoop the salad onto a serving platter, placing scallops on top.  Drizzle with a bit of mango vinaigrette.

Serves 1 or 2, depending on your appetite. Or, make 6 appetizers by plating an individual scallop on a small bed of salad in a pretty dish.

This post is linked up at Mrs. Happy Homemaker "Makin You Crave Monday", My Meatless Monday, Made By You Mondays, Market Yourself Monday, Whatcha Whipped Up, and Just Another Meatless Monday.

Baked Cocoa Spice Donuts

Think a donut has to be fried to taste good?  This recipe proves that you can bake a decadent donut using healthy ingredients like whole wheat flour, cocoa, coconut oil, low-fat buttermilk, and non-fat yogurt.  No need to stop by the bakery on a Saturday morning.  Save money and calories, and still feel like you've had a weekend treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons Hershey's cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or melted butter
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly spray a donut pan with non-stick buttery spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, apple pie spice and salt.
• Add the coconut oil, using your hands to mix it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
• In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla and egg.
• Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
• Fill prepared donut pan 3/4 full.  Batter will be thick.
• Bake donuts for 6-10 minutes, until they spring back when touched.  (Mine took a full 10 minutes.)
• Top with glaze and sprinkles if desired.

Makes 10 donuts.

Note:  For a quick and easy glaze, whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of cocoa (or more, depending on taste), adding milk by teaspoons until you reach the desired consistency, until smooth.  I used Silk dark chocolate almond milk in my glaze, which gave it a deep chocolate flavor.

This post is linked up at Mrs. Happy Homemaker "Makin You Crave Monday", Market Yourself Monday, Whatcha Whipped Up, and Made By You Mondays.

Local Flavor, Vegas Edition: Jamms Restaurant

For a mid-week holiday brunch, my brother-in-law Patrick introduced me and Mike to Jamms Restaurant.  Jamms is a family-owned eatery, tucked into a nondescript strip mall, near the Dead Poet Bookstore.  This breakfast-and-lunch-only joint has been around for over a decade, but Mike and I never knew it was there 'til Patrick recommended it. 

On our 4th of July visit, Jamms was clearly a popular spot.  We saw several families and couples holding hands walking into the place in the few minutes it took us to find parking.  I wasn't sure if we'd be able to score a table, but we were seated quickly.  Food is the focus here, not the decor, but the atmosphere at Jamms is pleasant and homey.

Irish Skillet

The menu is huge. Two full pages are devoted just to breakfast.  I ordered the Irish Skillet. Packed with corned beef, onions, bell pepper, potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese, this dish could feed a single person for a week!  The corned beef was chunked, not a hash, and it was wonderfully crispy...just the way I like it.  The combination of flavors was tasty, but the size was overwhelming.  I ate only an eighth of it.  Patrick took care of another quarter or so, and the plate still looked barely touched when the server cleared the table.

 

The skillet came with something called a Pot of Bread, which is essentially a small loaf in a large cupcake tin.  It's regularly offered in Original and Cinnamon Raisin.  For the holiday, they created a Firework flavor with blueberries and strawberries.  I swear the server told me there were white chocolate chips thrown in as well, but I couldn't find 'em.  The bread was warm and doughy, perfectly suited to a nice pat of butter.  The bottom half was the best, so I left the top behind.

I also couldn't resist ordering a single S'mores Pancake.  Yeah, you read that right; the pancake pictured above is a single. Gulp.  To make this decadent treat, marshmallows and chocolate chips are blended into the buttermilk batter before grilling.  Then, the pancake is topped with more chocolate chips and a ribbon of caramel sauce.  A few yummy bites were all I needed.

I enjoyed Jamms and look forward to trying their lunch items.  Plan to head home right after your meal so you can keep your leftovers.  Otherwise, think about sharing. Either way, Jamms is a great value for the money, and it's relaxed, comfortable vibe is a nice way to chill out over the weekend.



Local Flavor, Vegas Edition: Mon Ami Gabi's French Cooking Class

Four Mushroom Soup - it was heavenly!

 

Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Puree, Brussel Sprout Leaves and Hazelnuts - absolutely fantastic flavors.

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake - it's made with unsweetened chocolate so it's not overly sweet. The whipped cream provides the extra sweetness, so you can customize it, depending on your taste.

In recent years, we've seen 99-cent shrimp cocktail fall by the wayside as Vegas has evolved into one of the best restaurant cities in the country.  With our mix of celebrity chefs and other vittle visionaries, we've become a dining destination. 

Rather than holding tightly to their treasured recipes, some of these chefs are throwing open the doors to their kitchens and teaching us to cook like they do.  The classes are terrifically good time, and I have actually learned a lot each time I've attended.  It's a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning.

You may want to have a designated driver on standby, though, because your wine glass will never be empty!

Here are quelque choses I learned this January at Mon Ami Gabi:

• When caramelizing mushrooms, don't wash them because they won't carmelize properly. Instead, brush them off. And, use pomace oil, rather than extra virgin olive oil, because it has a higher heating point. 
• The fine mesh sieve, pictured above, is a Chinois.  It's used to strain the Four Mushroom Soup after it's been blended. It's so-named because it resembles a Chinaman's hat. :)
• Sear the sea scallops only on one side to avoid making them rubbery.
• Don't pair a dessert wine with dessert. It's too much sweet, and they will diminish each other.
• Preparing the fresh cream to top the Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake, I learned the proper way to whip is with a Figure 8 maneuver.  It's a workout!

The next class at Mon Ami Gabi is July 21.  Taking no chances, I registered a month ago.  It's gonna be magnifique!

Local Flavor, Vegas Edition: Hitchcocktails

 

For one day a month, downtown Vegas is THE place to be.  During First Friday, the arts district morphs into a gigantic block party, with food and beverage vendors, music, visual performances and artists displaying their works on the street and in the local galleries.

I highly recommend that you start your wanderings at the Bar + Bistro @ The Arts Factory.  Near the entrance, you can belly up to the bar that Hitchcocktails temporarily commandeers each month for this festival.  

Hitchcocktails takes the jello shot to a new level with their edible cocktails.  These little gems are, of course, super cute, but they're also super tasty.  While alcohol is the motivator for knocking back these tiny treats, the food that delivers it is not neglected.  The flavor combinations are fresh and vibrant. Try the Cherry Cola or Peach Bellini Drunken Gummies, and you won't be disappointed.  If you're feeling really daring, go for the Jager Bear.  The pudding-based libations are thick and creamy and would stand well on their own without the liquor. 

On a hot Vegas evening filled with lots of walking and crowds, you may want to end your tour of First Friday at Hitchcocktails, too.

Cheesy BBQ Beef Farfalle

Looking for more ways to please my husband Mike's "simple man" palate, I once again turned to Progresso's new Recipe Starters.  I had some of the creamy three cheese cooking sauce remaining from the swag I received at BlogHer Food '12, and it was easy to find a simple recipe on Progresso's website.  Their recipe uses rigatoni, but I went with farfalle instead.  It's such a pretty pasta!  

He and I both enjoyed it.  It made more than enough for the two of us, and the leftovers were just as good the next day.

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups uncooked farfalle pasta
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 18-ounce can Progresso Recipe Starters creamy three cheese cooking sauce
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: 

• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package; set aside.
• Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef and green onions over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain.
• Stir in pasta, cooking sauce and barbecue sauce.
• Heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese.
• Cover; let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Adapted from https://www.progresso.com/Recipes/cheesy-barbecue-beef-rigatoni/0f8db7da-eb35-4d65-957d-7e77ec3df7bc.