Cafe Havanna - Sarasota, FL

Cuban was spot on and very reasonably prices, but the maduros were not quite ripe enough so they had a heavy starchy taste. Unfortunately, I question the health/cleanliness practices of the operation. The lady busing the tables was also the person making my sandwich and I never saw her wash her hands. Icky!  For that reason alone I will not be returning. That's definitely a bummer as its hard to find a good quality Cuban sandwich.

Oasis Cafe Mediterranean

Good for a quick, inexpensive bite of Mediterranean food (gyros, falafel, shwarma, baklava, etc.). Serving sizes are moderate so don't expect to leave there stuffed unless you order more than one sandwich or a side dish to accompany your sandwich. All the sides (except fries) start in the $3 range so your $6 lunch is now about the typical cost of lunch in Sarasota, but if you are looking for something besides the typical chains or a greasy burger I would recommend that you give Oasis Cafe Mediterranean a try.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites

This recipe was somewhat adapted from what the author at www.howsweeteats.com calls "Breakfast Cookies."  These are nothing like the breakfast cookies I blogged about previously (oh, how I love those cookies!).  These taste more like chocolate chip banana bread than a cookie so I named them accordingly. They are not very sweet and to me need something else...maybe walnuts, coconut, both???  

1 large egg

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 medium ripe banana, mashed

1 1/2 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2 tablespoons flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons peanut butter, melted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and flaxseed together, then set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk egg, sugar, vanilla, mashed banana, butter and honey together until smooth. Add in dry ingredients (flour through soda), mixing just until the batter comes together. Mix in melted peanut butter. Lastly, add chocolate chips and cranberries, mixing until distributed. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter, about 2 inches apart, onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone pad or parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set and golden around the edges and on the bottoms.

Demetrio's Restaurant & Pizza

Disappointing pizza. The center of the pie was soggy, the tomato sauce had little flavor and the crust was chewy and dense (also lacking flavor). On top of that, the eggplant topping was just paper thin sliced of fried eggplant!  I can't recommend the place nor will I be returning. Always a bummer to have a poor pie.

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies received rave reviews from other testers. I am a big coconut fan so while I enjoyed them, I found that the coconut really faded into the background. It seemed to be more of a textural component than a flavor enhancer, though this allowed even the non-coconut fans to enjoy them. The recipe was originally published in Cooking Light in 2010.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped (semi-sweet chocolate chips work as well)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in the toasted coconut and chocolate.

Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray or lined with silicon mats. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until bottoms and tops of the cookies just begin to brown. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire racks.

YIELD: approximately 20 cookies

Nutritional Information 

Vegetable and Spicy Sausage Soup

We love this soup (adapted from a recipe by Ellie Krieger). It is healthy, flavorful and easy to make. The use of the sausage and cheese as garnish give you the flavor without taking over the soup while pureeing some of the beans with the veggies makes it super creamy without a bunch of fat. Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS
4 oz pork sausage (recommended: hot Italian)
1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 1/2 c chopped zucchini
3/4 c chopped carrot
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
3 c chicken broth, divided
2 - 15.5oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1/3 c half-and-half
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Grated parmesan or asiago cheese for garnish


DIRECTIONS
Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add sausage to pan, and cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan and keep warm.


Return pan to medium heat. Add onion, zucchini, carrot, celery, 1/4 tsp salt, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables slightly softened, stirring frequently. Place 1 cup vegetable mixture, 1/2 c broth, and 1 can of the beans in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. You can use a large bowl and an immersion blender instead of a food processor/blender if you prefer (I do...easier clean up). 


Return pureed bean mixture to pan. Add remaining 2 1/2 c broth, canned tomatoes, red pepper and remaining beans, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables tender. Remove from heat and add the half and half, rosemary, and   salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with 1 TBS cooked sausage and a sprinkling of cheese. 

Penne with Pancetta and Spinach

This recipe is slightly adapted (more spinach, asiago cheese instead of parmesan, and panko instead of homemade breadcrumbs) from one published by Cooking Light in 2007. It received rave reviews online, but I was very disappointed as it was really lacking in flavor - it tasted mostly like a thick roux with very little of the pancetta or garlic coming through. Just goes to show that you can't always rely on other people's opinions. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup (3 ounces) chopped pancetta

3/4 cup chopped onion 

2 teaspoons minced garlic 

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces) 

3 3/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided 

1/4 cup half-and-half 

6 cups packed, chopped fresh spinach 

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1 lb cooked penne pasta 

1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add pancetta, onion, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually add 3/4 cup milk, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture, remaining milk, and half-and-half to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts.

Place pasta in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add sauce mixture to pasta; toss well. Combine breadcrumbs and butter; toss well. Sprinkle over pasta mixture. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned.