Wednesday Winddown: Sunflower Caffe

Let's try something new here. A monthly feature sharing some of our favorite spots.

As much as H and I enjoy cooking and experimenting in our own kitchen, once in a while, our fondness of foods leads us on culinary adventures. Whenever we're travelling, either locally or internationally, my what-to-do research isn't complete without restaurant and food research. Here's us sharing some of our findings with you.

First up, one of our favorites in Sonoma, CA: Sunflower Caffe Espresso & Wine Bar. It's our happy place.

In addition to our love of food, we've also become wine lovers. Being so close to beautiful California wine-country certainly has its advantages. What started as a New Years tradition, soon became a quarterly retreat. We have since joined a wine club at Eric Ross Winery (a charming winery that produces some really great wine), and opted to pick up our quarterly shipments - as if we needed the additional excuse for a Sonoma getaway.

On one of our first trips to Sonoma, we ended up at Sunflower Caffe for a bite to eat. It was crowded, and although it was freezing outside, we ended up sitting in the (heated) porch area. We ordered cappuccinos and bread pudding. Our order was right on the money. Their bread pudding is out of this world. Warm, gooey, perfectly baked. It's topped with warm chocolate sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It. is. amazing. The cappuccinos were also delicious, complete with cute foam art.

In subsequent trips, we've tried numerous other menu items. Our standard order is now a grilled cheese (on focaccia with pepper jack cheese), bread pudding, and two cappucinos. On one recent visit, we were in the mood for brunch, rather than lunch, and opted for a pecan waffle (in addition to our standard order), and it didn't disappoint. It was the fluffiest waffle I've ever had.

Really, everything we've had on the menu is delicious. So, whatever you order, you probably can't go wrong.  Protip: get there early enough to get a slice of bread pudding before it's sold out (yes, it happens, and when it happens, you will be sad). They close a bit early, so it's an ideal spot for brunch or lunch.

Let us know if you make it there. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Tortilla Soup

It's been a rainy few days here in San Francisco. Rainy days mean soup cravings. Here's another gem of a Blendtec recipe. It's foolproof. And super delicious.

We added a little avocado and Sriracha love to complete the dish.

 

Tortilla Soup
recipe slightly adapted from Blendtec cookbook
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Yield:
~4 cups of soup.
Enough for a hearty meal for 2. More servings if serving with another dish.

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup bell pepper, cut in big slices
1 avocado, divided in half
1/4 small onion
2 tbsp pepper jack cheese
couple sprigs fresh cilantro
1 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cup warm water
1/2 cup tortilla chips

Method:
Add ingredients in order listed to blendtec, except 1/2 the avocado and the tortilla chips. Press "Soups" and let the bledntec run its course. Once done, add the tortilla chips to the jar and "Pulse" 3-4 times until the chips are incorporated and the soup has reached the desired consistency.

Serve soup in bowls. Add remainder 1/2 avocado (diced) for a nice texture and garnish. We also added a few drops of Sriracha, for an added spice.
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Braised Chicken Tacos

Here we go, my first post to our blog. Found this recipe a while ago on Pinterest and decided to give it a shot. At first I was skeptical about this recipe because the chillies used were authentic latin chillies which I had to google where to buy from. Once we found them, the suspense continued because I have never puree'd chillies before.
But this recipe just turned out to be simply delicious, S was out for drinks with her friends so I had the whole kitchen to myself (good and bad)... the good? have beers while cooking, the bad? I have to chop the onions myself ;)
Well anyway, two and a half hours later and three beers down - there I was, nervous and hungry as S walked into the door tipsy and starving. Oh I almost forgot, since S is a vegetarian (or so she claims to be on the outside), I did decide to throw win some tofu into the tomato and pepper puree  and cooked it ready for her in ase she decided this was one of the vegetarian days for her.
Enjoy!

Braised Chicken Tacos
recipe from No Recipes
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Yield:
10 tacos

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 small onions, sliced thinly
6 cloves of garlic, minced
3 dried ancho chiles
3 dried guajillo chiles
2 medium sized tomatoes, cut in fours
2 bay leaves
juice of 1 lime
corn tortillas
Chicken rub mix: mix salt, peper, taco seasoning or pizza seasoning (or similar ingredients)
1 ripe avocado

Method:

Generously rub the chicken with chicken rub on both sides. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to a large heavy bottomed pot and heat until the oil is very hot. Brown the chicken in batches, until they turn a golden brown on one side before flipping. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate.

Turn down the heat to medium low, add the onions and garlic to the pot, and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. When you remove the lid, the onions should be wilted and cooking in their own juices. Use a wooden paddle to scrape up all the browned bits (a.k.a. chicken flavor) from the pan, then turn up the heat to medium high to burn off the liquid. When most of the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat back down and stir and continue to caramelize the onions until they are brown and glossy (another 20-30 minutes).

Meanwhile, tear up the chiles into small flat pieces and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast in a 350 degree oven until they are fragrant, but be careful not to burn them as they will become bitter. Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl and cover them with very hot water. Once the peppers are soft, transfer them to a food processor or blender (make sure to not add the seeds from the roasted chillies -- otherwise the puree will be bitter) adding in about 1/2 cup of the water they were soaking in along with the big chunks of tomato. Puree the peppers and tomatoes until they form a smooth sauce.

When the onions are done caramelizing add the pepper puree, along with the chicken, bay leaf and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, partially cover with a lid and cook until the chicken falls apart when prodded with a fork (about 1 hour).

When the chicken is done, use 2 forks to shred the meat. Serve with sliced avocados, fresh cilantro, lime wedges and tortillas.

Pecan Pie

Let's talk about pie. That delectable flaky crust. A filling of sugar and buttery goodness. And a dollop of ice cream to top it off.

Here's a favorite of hubby's. A treat for him for being extra supportive in our first few months as newlyweds.  

Clearly my pie-crust creating and rolling still needs a little work, but this pie filling is delicious enough to distract from a perfect crust. Add a scoop of toasted almond ice cream on top, and you have the ultimate indulgence.

 

 

Pecan Pie

pie crust recipe & directions courtesy Smitten Kitchen

filling recipe adapted from Allrecipes

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Yield:

1 9-inch pie. I'll leave it up to you to determine how many that will actually serve ;)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

Rather than re-post, please follow the recipe & directions on the link posted above. Smitten Kitchen never fails me.

For the filling:

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

Method:

Prepare your crust first. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 400*F. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until foamy and then stir in melted butter. Add the sugars and flour, and mix until combined. Then, mix in the milk, vanilla, and pecans.

Once pie shell is assembled, pour in the pecan mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 400*F for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350*F and continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is a nice golden brown and filling is set.

Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

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Asparagus + Tomato Tart

Even after making the delicious green soup, we had about half of our asparagus bounty remaining. After turning to Pinterest for some recipe pin-spiration, I noticed a trend of beautiful asparagus tarts. Most of the recipes I found involved puff pastry, but we had a box of phyllo that was feeling a little neglected in the freezer. So, after a lot of browsing, reading, gawking, (and becoming really hungry, as always seems to happen when I'm on Pinterest...) I went in the kitchen to make my own asparagus tart creation.

Working with phyllo dough is a labor of love. My patience in the kitchen was definitely tested. But, the as the end result shows, a few tears here and there are no cause for frustration. Channeling Paula Deen, I also realized a bit of melted butter fixes any torn-phyllo woes. And really, apart from the phyllo prep, this tart comes along so easy and it's so, so tasty. All the fuss is worth it. The result is a bit like a light, crunchy, sauce-less pizza. Cut into little squares, it's a great appetizer. Cut into bigger squares, it's a perfect dinner. And with toppings like tomato & asparagus, it screams SPRING.

  
Asparagus + Tomato Tart
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Yield:
3-4 servings as main course, more as an appetizer

Ingredients:
9 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted according to package directions
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 oz asparagus
2 tomatoes, finely sliced
3/4 cup grated cheese, I used a mix of gruyere & white cheddar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp italian or pizza seasoning

Method:
Preheat oven to 350* and lightly butter a baking sheet (I used a pastry brush). Gently place one sheet of phyllo dough on the baking sheet. Brush melted butter on phyllo sheet, and lay another on top. Repeat with three phyllo sheets. After brushing melted better on the third sheet, sprinkle with some cheese. Repeat this process until all 9 sheets of phyllo are layered. Once the tart base is made, roll all sides of the tart a couple times, to contain all the ingredients you're about to place on the tart. To build the tart, start by evenly spreading garlic and onion. Then, layer tomato on top. Sprinkle with all seasonings. Line asparagus on top of tomatoes, and lastly sprinkle the remaining cheese over it all.

Bake for about 30 minutes in the oven, or until phyllo is a golden brown color, and all the cheese has melted. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
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Asparagus Soup

Spring is here! Here in SF, here's how we decided to celebrate the arrival of spring: with a hot cup of soup. We used asparagus, though. That makes it spring-like, right?

H introduced me to the idea of asparagus soup. And, while I'm a big fan of my green veggies, green veggie soup seemed like a wild (and weird) concept. I went with it anyway. Life is an adventure. Plus, we used the Blendtec, so no matter the end result, at least I knew the process of making it would be exciting.

The soup was a-mazing. Beyond all expectations. We gulped down every sip and licked our bowls clean.
Put any reservations aside, and make this. It's as delicious as it is healthy!

 

Asparagus Soup
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Yield:
2 servings (as a stand-alone dish); it will serve plenty more if using as an appetizer or side dish

Ingredients:
6 oz asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 avocado
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Sriracha, to taste
1 tbsp gruyere cheese, for garnish

Method:
Heat oil in medium-sized skillet, and add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent. Add asparagus to pan, and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. Pour vegetable broth into pan, and cover with lid. Cook until asparagus is tender (you can test the tender-ness by piercing the asparagus with a fork; when it pierces easily, it's done). Salt & pepper the mix. Once cooked, pour into Blendtec (or food processor, or use an immersion blender). Add avocado and hot sauce, if using, to Blendtec also. Press "Soup" button on Blendtec, and let the magic happen. If using a food processor or immersion blender, you'll want to continue to use them until you have a puree-like texture. Pour into bowls, and garnish with more hot sauce, if desired, and sprinkle with gruyere cheese.
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Baked French Toast

Enjoying a lazy Saturday morning? Haven't had breakfast yet? Go make this. Even if it's the most productive thing you do all day, you will not regret yet.  "Baked French Toast" basically means you get to eat bread pudding for breakfast.

Every bite is heart-warmingly delicious. It's all the goodness of french toast without gloopy fingers and sticky pans.

Chocolate & Banana Baked French Toast
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Yield:
2-4 servings

Ingredients:
4 slices bread (we used sourdough), torn into pieces
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar (white or brown, your preference. I used a little of both)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 bananas, sliced
1 tsp powdered sugar, for dusting

Method:
Preheat oven to 375*. Butter your pan of choice (I used a 9in pie pan). Arrange bread in single layer along pan. Place banana slices over the bread pieces, again in a single layer, if possible. In a medium sized bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Pour mixture over the bread & banana, coating every piece. Push bread slices down into mixture with fork or spatula, to soak up as much liquid as possible. Place into oven and bake for 30min, or until a fork poked in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for a minute or two, then dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.
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