Valentine's Day at Truxton's

Yesterday, my friend Sujata invited me for Valentine's Day early dinner at Truxton's American Bistro. This was after our Tai-Chi class, and we could hardly concentrate because we were both starving and looking forward to dinner. 

Sujata has never been to Truxton's, and when she suggested we order an appetizer, I recommended the Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese; this is a must. It is so delicious. We had a lot of time in our hands, so we didn't order our entreés till we were almost done with our appetizer. I have been in restaurants where they bring you your food before finishing the appetizer, so we waited while we enjoyed our champagne. 

We ordered the Fish Tacos and the Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Tacos. Since an order had 2 tacos, we split them, so we had one of each. We enjoyed them though we both thought the Shrimp Tacos took the cake. 

Our server talked us into ordering the special Raspberry-Almond Tart. It was actually terrific, and we only managed to eat half as it was a big tart!

I tend to forget about Truston's American Bistro in Torrance since it is close to home. Sometimes, the best things are just under your nose, and this one happens to be one of them.

Almond Croissant from Sweet Wheat

This is by far one the best Almond Croissants I have had. It is flaky outside and nice and soft inside. I usually am not fond of almonds, but this is an exception. So, if you like almonds, I guarantee you will love the almond croissant from Sweet Wheat. It was worth the drive going there this morning after my walk and before any lines at the counter. 

I love that the bakery opens at 7:30 a.m., and like I said, going early is best, and this also guarantees you a parking spot.

Their baguettes are excellent, and so are their many sandwiches on their wonderful French Bread, which will have to be blogged separately. 

Sweet Wheat is located at 1430 S. Pacific Coast Hwy. in Redondo Beach, California.

Roasted Red Pepper Skillet Chicken

This recipe is a real keeper. It is delicious and is always a crowd-pleaser. I invited Lydia, aka Sugar, Zohreh, and Mike over to be the new guinea pigs. I served a salad which they loved, but I couldn't take credit for that because it was one of those ready-made ones that come with all the ingredients and dressing. The Thai Chili Mango Chopped Kit from Taylor Farms was a perfect pair. 

My guests loved the chicken. I altered their recipe a bit. Instead of 4oz. low-fat cheese, I used the regular cream cheese and doubled the quantity. 

I forgot to take a picture of the Yogurt Pie I made for dessert. That was also a hit and very easy to make with cool whip and yogurt, and I called this a healthy dessert even if I used the "extra creamy" cool whip. 

I've included the recipe below if you would like to try this dish. Bon Appetit.

Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix

I guess I'm really into Krusteaz right now. After my morning walk, I decided to bake because it was either blueberry muffins or bland cereal; muffins won! I still can't get over how easy it is to make. I turned the oven on to 400 degrees. When the oven reached the temperature, the mix was ready to be put in the oven. And in precisely 19 minutes, they were done. 

Unlike the Banana Mix, these had the blueberries in a separate can. The directions suggested adding orange rind, which I had, and it also recommended sprinkling sugar on top to make the tops of the muffins a bit crunchy. I didn't put too much since I didn't want the muffins to be too sweet.

They came out perfect. The sugar on top made it a bit crispy but didn't make it sweet. The orange rind was a nice addition, though I would probably put a bit more in the next time. The muffins were moist and went well with butter. One muffin didn't do it for me; I had to have two! I have to investigate and see what other flavors are available. So far, I love them all.

Chantrelle Mushroom Chowder

I came across this recipe from the Wall Street Journal, and it looked good, so I decided to try it. The problem was I couldn't find Chantrelle mushroom anywhere. The local supermarkets, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods didn't have it. I have seen them before, but apparently, it's out of season. I decided to buy Crimini mushrooms instead. When I got home, I read the first part of the recipe, saying, "mix of mushrooms" so I really didn't need the Chantrelles.  I also had some dried Shitake mushrooms, so I ended up using the liquid I used to soak the mushrooms for mushroom broth. Since I also could not find mushroom broth at the market, I substituted this for chicken stock, though I think the beef stock might be better next time. 

The soup turned out to be super delicious. My friend, Sujata, loved it. It is straightforward to make, and I made it the day before, refrigerated it, and added the cream the following day. I served it with a salad and got the best French bread from Sweet Wheat. What a perfect meal on a cold day! I have included the recipe below for those interested.

Krusteaz Banana Nut Muffin Mix

Since my friend Sandi is no longer in California, I have had to tend to myself when it comes to baked goods. She loved baking and cooking, and I miss her baking and cooking. I now wander in the aisles of Ralph's Market to see what I can bake and cook and does not take a long time to make. I got a box of Krusteaz Banana Nut Muffin Mix to see if it was any good. 

The best part of this mix is that you only have to add eggs, oil, and water, and you don't even need a mixer. After a few minutes, the muffins were done. The house smelled divine. I enjoyed them with butter since everything tastes better with butter. I could not eat just one since it only yielded four bites, so two for breakfast was perfect. The muffins were truly delicious.

I since then bought another box of it, plus I will be trying the Blueberry Muffin next.