Eat Archives - Popsicle Blog

2/13/19

Silva’s Fresh Eatery and Brazilian Churrascaria in Santa Ana

Looking for a new eating experience? Then I recommend Silva’s Fresh Eatery + Churrascaria in Santa Ana! This new Brazillian steakhouse is located just around the corner from South Coast Plaza in South Coast Metro – an international bistro serving Churrasco and modern Brazilian favorites buffet style.

Silva’s is open for lunch and dinner daily. A buffet experience where you can enjoy all their amazing Brazillian foods for just $22.95 for all-you-can-eat at lunchtime. This includes includes a customized meal from their Chef’s Table as well as other ordering options depending on how hungry the guest is. Or you can stop in for a power lunch for only $15 that includes one time through the buffet, a visit to the Churrascaria and a drink. Dinner starts at just $30 and reservations are available.

Silva’s freshly prepared, serve yourself Chef’s Table is full of made to order items from the kitchen. It includes daily chef’s specials such as Feijoada, fresh broccoli and cauliflower, butternut squash, Brazilian fried rice known as Biro-Biro and even vegetarian plate options. You will also find delicious Brazilian appetizers – Coxinha de Frango, prosciutto & cheese rolls and Kibbeh. Silva’s only uses locally sourced meats and vegetables, and work closely with local vendors, creating incredible Brazilian flavors using modern cooking techniques. I am pleased to share that Silva’s only uses sustainable greens, a variety of heirloom beans and farm fresh organic vegetables to accompany their churrascaria.

One of the favorite parts of Silva’s is the Churrascaria. Here you can choose from fresh roasted Brazillian style meats and sausage. The Picanha…similar to top sirloin and the Skirt Steak are some of the favorite’s of foodies who visit Silva’s. The chef carves it fresh for you!

With their kitchen led by respected Chef John Vega, formerly of Roy’s Newport Beach, Silva’s serves up eclectic Brazilian dishes, appetizers as well as decadent desserts. Rooted in New York and Brazilian Clubs of the 60’s, Silva’s gives local foodies and diehard churrasco purists an exciting, authentic Brazilian dining experience that locals have been raving about.

Silva’s not only serves amazing food, it’s restaurant brings together beautiful elements of polished casual decor, comfortable seating, a sleek bar, and an elevated environment. It’s a great spot for the perfect for date night, large groups or even taking food to go. They also host happy hour offerings at the bar, which includes fine wine, beer and signature Brazilian influenced and mixologist created cocktails.

Silva’s prides itself on it’s freshness and authenticity. “Our recipes are authentic, fresh and put together using the best organic, locally grown vegetables and highest quality proteins” says GM Alex Ferreira. “This is a family operated business and the care we put into every detail of the restaurant can be seen and tasted by our customers.”

Silva’s Fresh Eatery + Churrascaria Scratch cooking and the freshest organic and locally sourced ingredients in a casual yet upscale setting that’s perfect for a quick meal, hand-crafted bar favorite or a stylish dinner. Experience one of Orange County’s favorite hidden
gems.

Posted by Jill | 2/13/19
Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews

4 Comments

1/15/19

Easy Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Bowl Recipe

Our family has been on a smoothie bowl kick lately. I have been trying so hard to get them to eat breakfast…and more fruit, actually…just food in general. They just don’t eat, and it’s been a huge challenge…especially my toddler Dani. She is beginning to try to be in control of what she eats. Luckily, I have been having some luck with these smoothie bowls. So I thought I would share my recipe for this easy Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Bowl. One recipe is enough to feed my three youngest, and is a great way to use up all the fruits in my fridge. Also, it tastes like a blueberry muffin. So they really get gobbled up!

To make a Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Bowl, you will need 1 frozen ripe banana, blueberries, vanilla Greek yogurt, milk, steel cut oats and cinnamon.

Now it’s time to make your Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Bowl. Trust me, it’s super easy.

First, combine bananas, blueberries, Greek Yogurt and milk in a large blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Next, add the steel cut oats and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.

Pour into bowl, and top with toppings. Serve cold, immediately. You can put in the freezer for a few minutes if you need too. Doesn’t it look delicious! My kids love it for breakfast or an afternoon snack. It’s a great way to use up any leftover fruit, or a good way to get your kids to eat more fruit.

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients
1 frozen ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 (5.3 ounce) container vanilla Greek yogurt (or about 1/2 cup) – frozen
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup steel cut oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Toppings
Fresh blueberries
Fresh whole strawberries
Fresh chopped strawberries
Granola
Sliced banana
Coconut flakes

More toppings for your smoothie bowl could include – almonds, pecans, chia seeds, or dried fruit, or other fresh fruits like cherries, or kiwi.

Directions
Combine bananas, blueberries, Greek Yogurt and milk in a large blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Combine remaining ingredients – steel cut oats and cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Once smooth, pour or spoon into a bowl. Top with desired toppings. Serve cold, immediately. Makes 1 large smoothie bowl, 2 small, or 3 mini.

TIP – To make the smoothie bowl thick, more like soft serve ice cream consistency and easier to eat with a spoon, be sure to freeze the yogurt beforehand.

Enjoy!

Posted by Jill | 1/15/19
Filed Under: Eat

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11/16/18

Egg Cloud English Muffins Recipe

This is a sponsored post.

Our family just became English muffin lovers. We thought we knew English muffins, but we were recently introduced to Bays English Muffins and are hooked. Bays English Muffins are fluffy, tasty…and have a freshness you can taste. Once toasted, they are filled with crispy edges that are so good, especially when filled with melted butter. After more than 80 years of family tradition, adhering to the authentic, original recipe My boys are begging for them at every meal…they are good for breakfast, lunch and dinner and pair perfectly with many of our meals.

So where do you find Bays English Muffins? You will NOT find them on the bread aisle. These English muffins are carefully chilled for freshness. Look in the REFRIGERATED DAIRY CASE NEXT TO THE EGGS AND MILK. There are sourdough, multi-grain and cinnamon raisin varieties of Bays English muffins, so the options are endless.

I am always looking for new and exciting meal ideas for my boys, and since we are all on an English muffin kick, I’ve been trying a bunch of recipes available on the Bays English Muffin website. You can definitely enjoy English muffins anytime of day – not just for breakfast. Bays chefs are proving the versatility of English muffins with creative recipes for appetizers from Bacon, Beer & Cheddar English Muffin Wedges, mini pizzas, sandwiches, melts, paninis, burgers, and sides like garlic bread. Of course, we are still enjoying our English muffins at breakfast. They are perfect for on the go…and can be filled with anything you’d like.

Last week, for dinner, I made a new recipe for our family dinner – Egg Cloud English Muffins. They are sort of a twist on avocado toast and an ELEVATED English muffin sandwich…and were so good, I wanted to share the recipe.

check this out…

Two fluffy cloud like eggs seasoned with parmesan cheese and topped with a runny yolk, set atop two tasty toasted Bays English Muffins, with smashed avocado and bacon, and garnished with chives. we are obsessed!

so, how do you make Egg Cloud English Muffins? They are pretty easy if I do say so myself.

Egg Cloud English Muffins

In a bowl, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. You will need one egg for each English muffin half. Save the egg yolks for later.

Next, season the egg whites. As you probably know, egg whites are pretty tasteless, so season them now with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese if you’d like.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until fluffy and they make peaks.

Now, preheat the oven to 450º.

Spoon the fluffy egg whites onto a greased sheet pan.

Place the egg clouds into the oven and bake for 2 minutes. Then remove and place the egg yolks on top. Bake for an additional 4 minutes.

Remove from oven. They will be slightly browned and ready to eat immediately. Have your toppings and English muffins toasted and ready to layer the toppings on.

Start by spreading avocado on top of each buttered Bays English Muffin half, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place two slices of bacon on the muffin. Then finish off with an egg cloud. A sprinkle of chives completes the Egg Cloud English Muffin. Of course you can add whatever you’d like on your muffin sandwich – veggies, tomatoes, meats, etc.

Everyone loved them!

Trust me, Bays English Muffins are worth a try. Next time you are getting some eggs are milk, check your grocery dairy case and try a pack. I can’t wait to try the he cinnamon raisin Bays English muffin variety. I bet I could create a yummy recipe around them.

And in the meantime, here is the Egg Cloud English Muffins Recipe and a short video at the end.

Egg Cloud English Muffins

Ingredients
1 pack Bays English Muffins
8 eggs
1 Avocado
Bacon
Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper
Chives

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450º.

In a bowl, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. You will need one egg for each English muffin half. Save the egg yolks for later. Next, season the egg whites. As you probably know, egg whites are pretty tasteless, so season them now with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese if you’d like.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until fluffy and they make peaks. Spoon the fluffy egg whites onto a greased sheet pan.

Place the egg clouds into the oven and bake for 2 minutes. Then remove and place the egg yolks on top. Bake for an addition 4 minutes.

Remove from oven. They will be slightly browned and ready to eat immediately. Have your toppings and English muffins toasted and ready to layer the toppings on.

Check out this Egg Cloud English Muffin Video:

{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. }

10/20/18

Easy Vegan Fall Wild Rice and Vegetable Soup Recipe

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

It’s finally Fall…which is both crazy (where did the summer go) and exciting! The weather is starting to cool down here in Orange County….well kind of. and even though it barely feels like Fall, I’m ready to start enjoying soup for dinner every night.

There’s a reason Fall is the favorite season of many – the slightly brisk air, pumpkin patches and of course, that autumn glow everywhere you look. Fall is when things start to slooooow down from the crazy summer and we finally get to enjoy all the fruits and veggies of the summer harvest. I know a lot of us have summer gardens. so how about a Fall soup recipe to use those veggies in. Our family just loves soup – and it’s easy to make too. here, I am sharing one of my new favorite soup recipes for Vegan Fall Wild Rice and Vegetable Soup.

Many of you may already know that I am vegetarian. and when I can, I like to eat vegan. This recipe is creamy, savory and full of hearty vegetables and wild rice. it’s dairy-free and uses Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk. whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just looking to get more plants into your diet, Silk is a great dairy-free, plant-based option AND when you buy it at Target, you’ll get savings to fit your lifestyle. Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free products are available at Target. and if you download and use the Target app, you can get 10-15% off on them between 10/14 – 11/11 – this includes Silk Half Gallons & Silk & So Delicious Dairy Free plant-based yogurts.

You don’t have to ask me twice to go to Target…it’s my FAVORITE store. Everything you need for this recipe is available at Target. plus, with the savings you get with the Target app, you can head over to the seasonal section and pick out some cute Fall decorations.

Now that we have gathered all our ingredients at Target, let me share with you this plant-based soup recipe.

How to Make Vegan Fall Wild Rice and Vegetable Soup

This soup is full of family-friendly vegetables and has a great Fall flavor. Earthy and savory. What’s great about this soup, and most other soups, is that you can prepare and make it ahead of time to have an easy family dinner on those busy nights. It’s also pretty easy to make many of your soup recipes dairy-free. just substitute the milk for Silk for So Delicious Dairy Free products.

The most time consuming part of this recipe is the chopping. Once you get everything chopped, the rest is easy. first step, in a large pot on the stovetop, sauté onions, celery and mushrooms with oil until onions are translucent using medium heat.

Add carrots, potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, chicken seasoning and garlic. If you are using uncooked wild rice, add that too. but i choose to use the precooked wild rice found at Target because wild rice is hard to find. don’t use brown or white rice. stir everything together and bring to a boil. once boiling, turn down heat to low and simmer.

Once the carrots and potatoes are tender add the cooked wild rice. Then it’s time to make the roux. tmelt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Let the mixture cook for two minutes. whisk in the almondmilk, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth, thickened sauce. Remember, you can use cashewmilk or coconutmilk instead.

The final step is to mix the roux with the soup in the large pot. stir until combined and soup starts to thicken. remove from heat. enjoy! I love this soup so much…one because i love veggies, and too, because it’s so flavorful and creamy. If you like mushrooms, that’s a plus too…although they aren’t overwhelming in flavor.

Vegan Fall Wild Rice and Vegetable Soup Recipe

For the Soup:
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
5 stalks celery, chopped
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
5-6 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes or 8-9 baby dutch potatoes
3 tsp minced garlic cloves 4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chicken seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups water
2 cups of precooked wild rice (found at Target) or 1 cup of uncooked

For the roux:
6 tablespoons vegan butter (regular butter can be used)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups Silk unsweetened almondmilk (So Delicious Dairy Free Cashewmilk or CoconutMilk can be used too)

Directions: In a large pot on the stovetop, sauté onions, celery and mushrooms with oil until onions are translucent using medium heat. Add carrots, potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, chicken seasoning, garlic, thyme and water. If you are using uncooked wild rice, add that too. stir together and bring to a boil.

Turn down heat to low and simmer. Once the carrots and potatoes are tender add the cooked wild rice.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Let the mixture cook for two minutes. Whisk in the almond milk, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth, thickened sauce. Mix the roux with the soup in the large pot. Stir until combined and soup starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Posted by Jill | 10/20/18
Filed Under: Eat
Tagged With: Fall Recipes, Family Friendly Recipes, Soup Recipes
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9/6/18

Fun Ideas on How to Organize Breakfast for Back to School

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt and Danimals® Kids Smoothies. The opinions and text are all mine.

so, finally my kids are back to school! we had an entire summer of fun, and the time spent together with the kids was great. but now i’m ready for some alone time (well almost…obviously i still have little miss Dani Kat home with me). i always use these first few weeks of back-to-school to get our lives back organized and our daily routines going again. that includes stocking up the fridge with food so everyone can eat around their busy schedules. this is my favorite job because i get to go to my favorite place…TARGET!

this year, i have three different drop-off times at three different schools. mornings are going to be rough. so breakfast organization is key. i stocked up on all the kids favorites so they can easily grab and go in the mornings. yogurt is a big hit with the kids, they all like it. i’ve got all ages, so i bought a few different varieties including Activa, Danimals Smoothies and Happy Baby Organics. i also picked up some granola, fruits, cheese, breakfast sandwiches and hard boiled eggs. this is the very reason i love Target…everything i need in one stop!

they all have their own likes, so i make sure to cover all the bases, getting varieties of everything. then i prepare it so it’s easy to transport. this way, if we’re running behind, they can still take nutritious food with them while we are driving.

when it comes to organizing the refrigerator for the school year, i love using these clear plastic bins…which can also be found at Target. it keeps the food together in groups and i don’t have to worry about a stray yogurt getting lost in the fridge. the bins make it easy for the kids to see what we have and to grab their breakfast in a hurry. i also love clear glass containers for storing food.

see! nice and tidy.

this year, my kids are really into parfaits. so i made a little granola station where they can get the granola they like and layer it with yogurt and berries. i keep my fridge stocked in sections to keep us organized. i can easily see when we are running out of certain items, and the kids can easily find what they want to eat.

for the granola station, i keep little jars, spoons and granola on the cupboard so the boys can make their parfaits quickly. the berries i keep in the refrigerator in glass containers which keep them fresher longer. one cup of Activa yogurt is the perfect amount for one parfait that is layered with granola and berries.

my boys and little girlie are thrilled to have their favorite breakfast foods ready each morning. and i am happy that they are getting a full tummy with nutritious food to keep them satisfied throughout the school day.

these Danimal Smoothies are so cute and easy to drink in the car. Vann loves to have them along with some toast and fruit.

and my teen will eat anything!

i especially love the small sizes of the Happy Family Organics yogurts for toddlers. the perfect size for her to feed herself and not have any wasted yogurt. a little messy still…but she is doing great. and the flavors are yummy too!

by organizing our breakfast foods (thy also love them for snacks) we are off to a great school year. we haven’t been late yet, and i haven’t heard any complaints of not having any good food to eat. now that is a win in my mom book!

Happy Back to School!!!