Quinoa Burrito Bowls

Somehow, I always forget about quinoa. And as a vegetarian, that's pretty sad. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, it's versatile, and it's [usually] very affordable (especially at Trader Joe's).

I saw a recipe in Vegetarian Times that inspired this dinner, but really, I mostly just winged it. That's why I'm calling these "Quinoa Burrito Bowls," because burritos can really be filled with whatever ingredients you desire - although beans, salsa, and sour cream should always be involved, am I right?

Basically, I cooked the quinoa according to the package directions (I made enough for four). In a separate pan, I cooked down some chopped onion, then added a can of black beans (drained and rinsed), some chopped pickled jalapenos, and some leftover grilled asparagus for the last few minutes of cooking time. Once the quinoa was done, I added the onion and bean mixture, then seasoned everything with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and some dried oregano. Then, I added about 1/4 cup of chunky salsa and gave it all a stir.

Serve with fresh avocado slices and sour cream.

Easy, right? And so, so satisfying. The beans and quinoa provided great protein, while the vegetables, seasonings, and salsa added great flavor and spice. Feel free to make this with whatever meat and/or vegetables you want!

Are you a fan of quinoa? If yes, what's your favorite quinoa recipe?

Honeymoon: The Lodging

Airbnb is where it's at, people.

That's the site we used to book our rentals in San Francisco and Napa. Renting an apartment can be more affordable than a hotel, not only due to price per night, but also because you don't have to buy food every single time you're hungry. Another bonus: No housekeepers are knocking on your door at 8 a.m. to start cleaning.

In San Francisco, we stayed in an adorable one-bedroom apartment in Noe Valley. It was bright, clean, and in a safe, quiet neighborhood - yet still within walking distance to all of the action.

In Napa, we rented a gorgeous cottage in Calistoga. The cottage is only a few yards away from the sweet couple who rents it out, but we rarely saw them. Oh, and they also let us use their inground pool. Our four days there were seriously heaven.

Our Napa cottage didn't have a full kitchen, but we made eggs each morning in the microwave. We also bought a styrofoam cooler and ice, and used that as a fridge. 

After four days in Napa, we returned to San Francisco for our last night, since we were flying out of Oakland. We booked a hotel in Union Square - Parc 55 Wyndham - so we'd be within walking distance to AT&T Park, where we had tickets to a baseball game. Well, when we arrived at Parc 55, the woman who checked us in told us we got "upgraded," and to go to floor 32. Um, yeah...I'm not sure why we got upgraded (they had no idea we were on our honeymoon), but this hotel room was larger than our home. It also had spectacular views of San Francisco.

First bathroom.

Second bathroom.

The view from one of many windows.

Which do you prefer: rental or hotel? 

Apothic Wine + Discount on Cooking Classes

The day before my bachelorette party, this arrived on my doorstep:

Coincidence? I think not.

I've been a fan of Apothic Red for quite some time now (I even blogged about it back in 2011). When the folks at Apothic caught wind of my love for their Red, they kindly sent me a bottle - along with a bottle each of their White and Rose. I had never tried the White or Rose, and considering the impending heat wave at the time, I was excited to.

The Apothic White is a blend of chardonnay, riesling, and sweet moscato. Chilled, this wine boasted subtle fruit flavors (think peach and pineapple), and was only slightly sweet, which I love in a white wine. 

The Rose - which is a limited edition wine - blends zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon. The aroma was pretty acidic, but thankfully the flavor was not. This wine punched a refreshing strawberry taste with a not-too-sweet finish. It even had a hint of effervescence, which was welcome on a humid day.

I was a fan of both new-to-me Apothic wines that I tried, and I still love the Red. They're all just very drinkable, not to mention affordable (each bottle costs $14, on average - although I've seen the Red for less at many liquor stores). 

Have you ever tried Apothic Wine before? What's your review?

This wine was complimentary, but all opinions are my own. 

Also: The Herbal Academy of New England in Bedford and Woburn - which offers a ton of health-conscious cooking classes (including vegan-friendly classes) and workshops - is offering EE readers 10% off ALL CLASSES through October 10th! (Online classes are also available). Simply use code FALL10 to get the discount. You can view all of their upcoming classes here.

A4 Pizza Bar in Somerville

I promise our final honeymoon recap will be posted later this week, but for now, get yourselves to A4 Pizza Bar in Somerville.

The latest venture from the folks behind Area Four has brought their signature brick-oven pies to my neck of the woods, and boy am I thankful they did. The smaller, newer restaurant has an also smaller menu, complete with a few non-pizza items, pizzas, a few craft beers on tap, wine, and Maker's Mark (the only liquor they sell). Oh, and did I mention they have old school Sega and Nintendo? You can play at the bar while you eat.

Z and I visited the other night, and started with a round of Slumbrew's My Better Half ($7), an imperial cream ale.

We then shared the Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Greek Salad ($12), which also consisted of cucumber, red onion, feta, kalamata olives, and oregano vinaigrette.

This salad could have been unimpressive, but thanks to A4's dedication to utilizing local and seasonal ingredients, it was actually quite a success. Quality ingredients make all the difference!

A4's pies are a little larger than a "personal pizza," so we decided to get two (and, as a result, we had a few slices to take home with us). I went for the Exotic Mushroom ($17), while Z opted for the Basil-Walnut Pesto ($16.50).

My mushroom pizza was topped with mushroom sauce, gremolata, and Baffoni Farm eggs.

Z's pizza was topped with zucchini, toasted walnuts, olives, feta, and pecorino (please excuse the terrible photo).

Both of our pizzas were good, but mine was definitely the winner. The runny, rich eggs with the earthy mushrooms was a fantastic combination. Unfortunately, both of our crusts were a tad overdone, but I'm sure after being open for a bit longer that won't be an issue. Perhaps they're just getting used to the new oven?

Either way, we had a great meal at A4 Pizza Bar and we are psyched that it's within walking distance to our house. Now, anytime I want to play Mario on Nintendo - while eating pizza and drinking beer - I can. Woot!

Have you checked out any new restaurants lately? 

Honeymoon in Napa: The Wine and Beer

Most of you know this already, but Napa Valley has a lot to offer in the drink department...beer and wine especially. And being a wine and beer lover who just married a beer guy, you can imagine how much fun we had on this leg of the trip.

Our first stop in Napa - before we even got to our rental - was Beringer Vineyards. Before we left, one of my aunts raved about it, so we decided to check it out. I was really surprised at how gorgeous the grounds were, and how good the wine was. We went on a tour followed by a tasting, and the staff there were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable.

During our stint in Napa, we set aside one day to check out some smaller wineries that were recommended to us by a woman at Beringer. Our mode of transportation ended up being a tandem bike that we rented from Calistoga Bikeshop (for a day, it ended up being around $65). Riding a tandem bike = a crap ton of fun, especially when you're riding it through gorgeous vineyards.

We took our tandem bike to a small handful of wineries that day, but these two were our favorites:

Summers Estate Wines: This family-owned winery has an amazing view out back, complete with patio seating. We did a tasting at one of the outdoor tables, while simultaneously playing an intense game of bocce ball...on the winery's very own bocce ball court.

Lava Vine: This was by far the smallest winery we visited, but also one of the best. The owner was pouring some of the wines during our tasting, and he was obviously passionate about every bottle he produces. I ended up buying a Petite Sirah for $54...the most expensive bottle of wine I've ever purchased. That's how good their wines are. (Note: not every bottle is that expensive!).

[FYI: Most tastings we did during our trip cost anywhere from $10-$25 per person].

When it comes to beer, we were able to find quite a bit of locally made brews that were delicious. I mentioned Calistoga Inn & Brewery yesterday (I highly recommend trying their Calistoga Porter), but Downtown Joes in Napa is also fantastic. Downtown Joes is nothing fancy, but that's part of the place's charm - and "Big John" behind the bar will take care of you, if you're friendly. (Example: He let us order our beer through him vs. our waiter so we could get the happy hour prices, even though we were sitting at a table outside). I highly recommend trying the Old Magnolia Oatmeal Stout, if they have it - like most breweries, their beers rotate often.

Next week, I'll share with you guys the places we stayed and sights worth checking out in San Francisco and Napa Valley. I hope you're enjoying these recaps as much as I am enjoying sharing them!

Honeymoon in Napa: The Food

Ohhh, what I would give to go back to Napa.

We stayed at a cottage in Calistoga (more on that later), and every minute of our time there was just blissful. Calistoga is an adorable town that's not overrun with tourists. We were only there for four days, but we were able to eat a few bites of delicious food in that timeframe. Here are some of my top picks from our trip:

Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery: This restaurant and brewery reopened a week before our arrival, after being closed for a year due to a fire. Locals seemed to still know the staff, who they hadn't seen in 12 months. This was a great neighborhood spot that boasts brand new everything, plus their very own beer on tap - and the beer is good. The food is, too - Z and I split the Bruschetta ($13), which came with local heirloom tomatoes, basil, and creamy Burrata. For my entree, I had the Fungi pizza ($15), which was topped with wild mushrooms, fontina, roasted garlic, and truffle oil. Their pizza dough is also made with spent grain and wort reduction from the brewery.

Market, St. Helena: The couple we rented our cottage from recommended Market to us, so after visiting a few wineries in St. Helena, we decided to check it out. Market is a little more upscale, but ideal for a special evening out. Market doesn't have too many vegetarian options, but on this particular evening, they had two vegetarian soup specials (corn and pea) that we took advantage of. We also shared an order of their buttery Cheddar-Jalapeno Cornbread ($6) and Bowtie Vegetable Pasta ($21). The pasta was tossed with asparagus, tomatoes, fennel, peas, pickled cipolinis, mozzarella, and basil pesto butter.

Hydro Bar & Grill: This place is anything but fancy, but it came highly recommended from a few locals, as well as a slew of online review sites. Hydro also has a great beer list, so we decided to check it out one evening. I hadn't had a burger in quite some time at this point, so I went for the Veggie Burger. My burger was clearly homemade, which I always appreciate, and the accompanying sweet potato fries - which came with a bomb dot com aioli - were delightfully salty and crispy without being too greasy.

In addition to eating, we also did quite a bit of wine and beer sampling while in Napa - mostly at "hidden gem"-type places. More on that tomorrow!

Now Open: Seasons 52 in Burlington

Sometimes, it's hard getting out of the city (or, my Somerville bubble) for dinner. You're hungry/hangry, and anything but excited to fight rush hour traffic for a meal. But sometimes, the "trip" is worth every bite.

Seasons 52 - which has over 30 locations nationwide - just opened their first Massachusetts location last week in Burlington. The restaurant focuses on seasonally inspired menus that pair with their award-winning international wine list, with a heavy emphasis on healthy food. After all, nothing on the restaurant's menu exceeds 475 calories. 

Before their official opening last Thursday, I was invited to a preview dinner in one of their handful of private dining rooms. I was also fortunate enough to get a tour of the massive space, complete with an open, sparkling clean kitchen, and the comfortable yet stunning bar area, which had a pianist playing.

Our meal was meant to showcase some of Seasons 52's best dishes, each paired with a specific wine picked by their Master Sommelier, George Miliotes. (Side note: With that being said, all meals pictured are not their actual size - they're smaller than the typical portions). 

Our evening began with Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Sainte Anne Brut Champagne and two flatbreads (not pictured). The flatbreads included Trio of Roasted Mushrooms and Chipotle Shrimp. The shrimp flatbread was definitely a crowd favorite, topped with roasted poblanos, grilled pineapple, and feta cheese.

Once we sat down for dinner, we were brought an amuse-bouche of Lump Crab and Haas Avocado, which sat atop some fresh pico de gallo. This was a lovely bite that was packed with flavor, and notes of toasted cumin were apparent throughout. This was paired with an Aveleda Vinho Verde, Portugal 2011.

Our first course was the Organic Salmon and Lemongrass Sea Scallop Roasted on a Cedar Plank (the plank is a Seasons 52 specialty). The salmon - which is farmed in Canada or the Atlantic Ocean - was flaky, juicy, and well-seasoned. The cedar plank provided a great oaky flavor without being overpowering. This dish was paired with a Mer Soleil Chardonnay, Central Coast 2010.

Next up was the Baby Spinach Salad, comprised of Asian pears, toasted pine nuts, crumbled Gorgonzola, and a white balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was tossed in just enough vinaigrette, thanks to Seasons 52's method of tossing: they simply line the bowl with some of the vinaigrette, then toss the greens from there. (Um, why have I never thought to do it that way??).

The salad was paired with Casillero del Diablo Viognier, Casablanca 2012.

My favorite course of the evening was the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli, served with harvest vegetables, black mushrooms, and roasted onion jus. I was originally afraid that the goat cheese filling would be too rich, but it was just rich enough. The tangy cheese paired with the savory jus (which also had apple cider in it) was a phenomenal combination, and the homemade pasta was wonderfully delicate. The ravioli was paired with a Retromarcia, Chianti Classic 2010.

For the second-to-last course, the rest of the group was served an Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon and Roasted Manchester Farms Quail, served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and a red wine demi glaze. Seasons 52 was kind enough to serve me one of their Vegetarian Tasting plates, featuring cedar-roasted tofu with mango chutney, butternut squash with fresh cranberries, Brussels sprouts, a portobello mushroom, carrots, and some broccolini. I also had a side of the mashed potatoes.

The Vegetarian Tasting plate was good, but nothing very impressive. It unfortunately lacked seasoning, and each component didn't really mesh well with the other. The mashed potatoes, on the other hand, were incredible - especially considering Seasons 52 doesn't even have butter in their kitchen (true story). These were rich, comforting, and full of flavor.

For dessert, we were served a tray of Seasons 52's Mini Indulgences, which are individual servings of classic desserts.

Our tray included: carrot cake; mocha macchiato; Kentucky bourbon pecan pie; chocolate and peanut butter mousse over chocolate cake; Belgian chocolate rocky road; key lime pie; pumpkin chiffon mousse; market fresh fruit; and cannoli with raspberry and chocolate chips. I tried a little bit of almost every one, but my favorite was the chocolate and peanut butter mousse.

Seasons 52 clearly cares about the food they prepare, how they treat their customers, and the wine they pour. I was really impressed with the staff, most of the food, and all of the wine we sampled. I would definitely return to Seasons 52 again.

Have you ever been to a Seasons 52 location? If so, what was your experience?

This meal was complimentary. All opinions are my own.