Sunday, September 30, 2012

Happy Rooster - San Juan Bautista, CA

San Juan Bautista will also be home to me. I went back this weekend to help my Mom sort through some things because she is re-molding her kitchen. It is a lot of work! Anyhow, she informed that there was a new restaurant in San Juan so we took a break from cleaning to meet my dad and brother for supper. The Happy Rooster is located on the main drag in San Juan just doors from the San Juan Bakery.

As I browsed the menu I asked for a glass of house Chardonnay. It was very good and only five dollars. Light and refreshing!

You all know i love soup and have ordered a cup of the it from everywhere I eat. It usually determines the quality of the rest of the meal. And, their soup was amazing! I ordered the Lentil and it was just outstanding. My brother fought for the last few spoonfuls. My dad had the Minestrone and said he could just have that for dinner with French bread and be happy. 

I love Sand Dabs so when I saw them on their menu I was sold. The fish was cooked wonderfully and I enjoyed the cream sauce that was served. I just wished there was more of it. On the side there were vegetables and a large serving of mashed potatoes. I would most definitely order this again.

My mom ordered the Chicken Marsala because she always does. Everywhere she sees it on the menu that is what she orderes. The chicken was pounded finely and cooked to perfection. The creamy wine sauce with sauteed mushrooms was done very well. A healthy serving of rice and vegetables loaded up her plate.

My dad wanted the Beef Ravioli and that is what he got. Lots of it! He only had half but only because he was too full. The rest was boxed up and taken home for tomorrow's lunch.

I was so happy to have had such a wonderful experience. San Juan Bautista is so lucky to have two great Mexican food restaurants but it is now complete with this eatery as well. Look forward to lots of steak, chicken, seafood and pasta dishes on their menu. 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Eating the "Weis" Way - Ojai, CA

I started this blog four years ago for my deep appreciation of food. Other people cooking it for me, of course, so I could review it and document my experience that day. A hobby, if you will. It has now blossomed into a peek into my life as a horse trainer's wife, a cutting horse competitor and amateur cook. We have turned into quite the duo in the kitchen and I would love to share this end of summer dish that we both enjoy so much.

Salmon
So healthy for you and the easiest thing in the world to make. Ask your fish monger to make sure the bones are removed from a 5 - 6 oz filet. It is a perfect portion of fish that I manage to gobble up just fine. In 425 degree oven, let cook for 15 minutes. I vary the spices each time I make the dish but make it a play on salt, pepper, lemon, chile, or brown sugar and you will be doing great, I promise.

Corn
My husband is crazy for corn. Not the frozen or canned stuff either. Just buy an ear of corn, slice the kernels of the cob, and whirl it around a hot pan. Besides a little love from salt and pepper not much else is needed to make it perfect. If you are up for a little bit of butter you could add that but really fresh corn doesn't need it.

Watermelon Salad
I made this dish one day this summer and my husband has been hooked ever since. I have posted the recipe on Melissa Good Taste many times but it is basically watermelon, cilantro (can use mint or basil as well), jalapeno (totally optional if you don't like spice), feta cheese, just a kiss of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix it up and let rest in fridge as long as you like. Last night, I threw in bacon and served the salad on top of arugula and it was amazing!

On another note I was featured in the Cutting Horse Chatter - a beautiful ad showcasing my great horse, "Hallowed Be"... So cool and such a surprise!

Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Sakura - Ojai, CA

Sushi. I have been craving it for awhile now. We have settled into home cooking life at home but both Scott and I were itching to get out and have some fun. So we grabbed Kat and wandered down the hill to get our grub on. 

The chef sent us over a complimentary treat. They were deep fried tuna balls, tasty and a great start to our meal.

Edamame is a basic start to any sushi meal and so we started off with them. 

And then there was this. I was having fun doing most of the ordering for the table. When I saw "Uni Shooter" on the menu I had to be adventurous and try it. How does sea urchin, quail egg in a citrus ponzu sauce and topped off with fish eggs sound? It sounds very scary. It was actually buttery, rich and something completely velvety. I am such a food nerd!

Next up, Baked Green Mussels. I love the steamy hot filling of crab and mayonaise. It pretty much is my favorite way to eat food too, out of a shell! Makes dining fun!

Kat ordered the Cherry Blossom roll and it was so beautiful. A party of tuna, salmon, yellowtail and snapper all wrapped up with cucumber in a ponzu sauce made Katherine a very happy girl. It is a rice free dish so if you are avoiding carbs or are gluten free - this could be the dish for you!

When I saw the Highway 33 Roll on the menu I had to try it because it sounded delish. Shrimp tempura, crabmeat, cucumber in the inside. On top was albacore and a duo of sauces, creamy siracha and unagi sauce. It was sort of bland but it got the job done and we were starting to get full.

The last food item of the night was the Philadelphia Experiment. It is totally sinful and packed with fat and calories for days. But it all doesn't count when your on date night so I figured why not?! Think deep fried salmon and cream cheese, then topped with spicy tuna and drizzled with creamy siracha. Spicy, crunchy, creamy and good. I thought it was an excellent ending to our meal.

The bill was very reasonable for the amount of food we received and I liked the energy of the restaurant. People all seemed to be quite jovial and added to our enjoyment. Little, old Ojai knocks another one of the park! 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Rookees - Ventura, CA

It is Football time in America and I love it! Sundays, Mondays, an occasional Thursday I will be plunked down watching the action. In Downtown Ventura there is a sports bar named, Rookee's that offers all kinds of viewing entertainment. It is set up in sections, plays all games, and caters food and drink as you watch your favorite team rocket down the field. So much fun! 

Last Sunday the Jets were playing so you know where I was headed. Go Jets!

It started at 10am so I felt like I needed some breakfast, a Bloody Mary will do! I asked for mild spice and it was perfect. 

I was't in the mood for hot wings or nachos, I mean it was just too early for that fun stuff so I went a little safe and ordered chicken fingers. As far as the fried little pieces of chicken went they were delicious. The fries were crispy just were lacking a little bit of salt.

It was one of those times that the food didn't have to be five star. I was ok with a pre-frozen food, I was ok with watching boy football and I was more than ok with the JET huge over-time win! What an awesome day! 


Sunday, September 23, 2012

Creamy Cilantro Chicken - Ojai, CA

We have been outside working a lot and the weather has been hot so when I get in the last thing I have the energy for is something fabulous in the kitchen. Salads are easy but not the kind of fulfillment I crave at the end of the day.  On that note, I dreamt up something easy, quick and simple on my way to the grocery store yesterday and surprised my husband with it last night. Read it, make it, love it!

CREAMY CILANTRO CHICKEN

Start off by chopping up a medium sized onion, yellow or white, whatever you have on hand. In a large sized pan get some butter hot and get them cooking over a low flame. We want them soft.

Once the onions have cooked down in size and have a little bit of color to them add a package of breast tenders. They are small in size and cook up fast! In the same pan as the onions place the chicken on top and brown them on both sides Salt and pepper them while they are here. Keep an eye on these as they will cook quickly because of their size.

Once the chicken in cooked through, add a half a jar of Herdez Salsa Verde. It has some kick so if spice isn't your thing maybe substitute for a similar salsa.

Add the entire tub of the 8 oz. portion size. I used Light Sour Cream because I think it tastes almost the same as the original stuff, an easy way to save some calories. Turn down the heat and make sure to mix the sour cream and salsa until it is a smooth creamy sauce.

Squeeze half a lemon into the sauce - mix.


Last but not least, my favorite part in throwing in some roughly chopped cilantro. It is so worth it and totally tasty. Give the sauce a final taste and add whatever you feel like it is missing or lacking.

 While you are cooking make sure you throw one of these bad boys in the microwave. I used one bag for two people so you may have to whip up more if you have more mouths to feed. I really enjoyed serving the chicken and sauce over the "Spanish Style"rice so I suggest you try it too.

This meal will be an easy go to recipe in my bag of tricks. I can promise you that! ENJOY!




Saturday, September 22, 2012

Dos Carlitos - Santa Ynez, CA

Yesterday was a special day, I got to spend it with my two favorite people: my mom & Scott. I love days like this! We met up in Santa Ynez at a pretty decent Mexican restaurant that I have been to many times before.

They bring the chips, salsa and black bean & corn as a standard. But if you really want to get something special ask for the "hot" salsa and you will be in for a really tasty treat. It is very hot but it is an addictive kind of spice that keeps you coming back for more, nose running and everything!

I ordered the Enchiladas Suizas filled with sauteed scallops, shrimp, mushrooms and cilantro. It was huge! I could only finish one enchilada, a small portion of beans and rice so I took the rest to go. It was tasty but I am sure I will try something new next time, it is fun to explore their menu.

We will be back next week so I am very excited to try a new restaurant to Santa Ynez... 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Just a Sandwich... - Ojai, CA

I didn't feel like making anything for dinner. I didn't want to get pots and pans dirty, or deal with watching temperatures of things on the stove. I did notice we had bacon in the refrigerator so I asked my husband if he wanted: #1 Breakfast for Dinner or #2 BLT's.

 He went for option #2 so I turned on the oven for the bacon to get crispy. I toasted the bread, sliced the tomatoes and ripped up some lettuce. I added healthy slather of mayonnaise to the toast, a sprinkle of pepper and began to assemble. Sometimes there is nothing better than just a sandwich for dinner, we enjoyed the crunch from the toast, the crispy bacon and the last of the heirloom tomatoes from the Ojai Market. It sometimes just the simple things...

Thursday, September 20, 2012

End of Summer Eats - Ojai, CA

Summer is coming to an end and that usually means our evenings BBQ's stop. I fired up the grill, dusted off the patio furniture and popped open a cold one.

Grilled chicken breasts, corn on the cob and a watermelon salad rounded out our plates. It was an outstanding meal, you know when everything tastes healthy and you just feel happy to be alive? I live for these warm Ojai evenings.

The Watermelon Salad is amazing. You should try it before it is Fall/Winter and we are all embracing pumpkins and squash!

Watermelon Salad: (Serves 2)
1/2 Mini Seedless Watermelon sliced into one inch cubes
1 handful chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno chopped
A handful of Crumbled Feta, maybe a little more (I eat it as I pour)
Olive Oil - Balsamic Vinegar drizzle
Salt - Pepper to taste

Mix it all up together and let it chill in the refrigerator. The long it sits the better it is, I promise.

Monday, September 17, 2012

CHAMPION!


Cowgirl Melissa Good Taste does it again! This time my champion mount was "This Cats Dazzlin" also known as "Winnie" to most of my friends. Winnie and I are long term friends, but let me introduce you to her current siblings... She has family!

Meet Roxy:
This is Winnie's mom! Isn't she a beauty? It is no wonder her children are little stunners...

The first baby born out of Roxy is "Roddy"- named after a great steer wrestler, Roddy Watson from the Big Sky Country. His daddy is Fresnos Ima Master.

This is Winnie if course, the middle child. (Like me!!) Her proud papa is WR This Cats Smart.

This is little "Kassie" she is the baby of the group and her daddy is Hick Chicaroo. Her formal name is "A Dazzlin Roo" and I cannot wait to bet on the grey! ;)

The El Rancho Futurity Horse Show was outstanding, I marked a 222 - My highest score ever and won my first aged event. I have never felt more accomplished in the show pen than I felt today. When your hot, your hot! These are the days I will always cherish and hold on to. Loving life...  


Friday, September 14, 2012

Glamping! - Rancho Murieta, CA

The show is going well! All the horses are behaving and we are all working towards our goals! 

During the evenings Scott and I have been hanging out at our trailer. We have a nice spot and are all settled into glamping life. 

All the comforts from home! 

We love this little trailer, it is so perfect! 

My cooking station, last night our meal was not too fancy. But notice we have the cutting playing as I cook? We love cutting! 

Spicy Brown Mustard was a hit with the sausages we bbq'ed up!

And as I ate a bag of Doritos I learned how Jessica Simpson lost her baby weight. I am so bad!

Happy Friday peeps!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

El Rancho Aged Event - Rancho Murieta, CA

We have been cutting up a storm here in Rancho Murieta! It is hot, hot, hot so I have to make this post brief to get back to taking care of the horses...

Hallowed Be and I got our picture taken by the NCHA! 

The warm weather has had me craving Chicken Waldorf salads. I have had one everyday minus the bun, when I get on a kick I just stay hooked. 

Scott and Winnie working down in the pen. It is tough out there!

I will keep you updated as time and food allow! Hope you all are having a terrific week and stay cool!