Hotel Thrillist + Grilled Sea Bass with Jalapeno Citrus Beurre Blanc

30 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by Nicole Small in Autumn/Fall, Foodie Event, gluten free, recipe, summer

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autumn, cocktails, Culinary Event, Hotel Thrillist, Pool Party, Scottsdale, summer, Thrillist

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix was one of the highlights of my summer. Good food, tantalizing cocktails and great company made for a perfect weekend. Thrillist had everything on point, from the music and the vibe, to the entertainment (mermaids in the pool, drones potentially crashing into things, custom decor, etc.). It is actually difficult to sum it up in words because it was just that fun, but I will do my best.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix - cocktails

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast

For one night, 16 amazing local restaurants came together on the rooftop of the W Scottsdale to serve up some of their best dishes, including some special off-menu items. The W Wet Deck bars mixed Jack Fire with magic to make a sweet tea cocktail that tasted like autumn in a glass, even though the weekend made it feel like summer would never end in Arizona.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast - Autumn Cocktails

In my opinion the two winning restaurants were Gadzooks and Sumo Maya – not that it was a competition, but Gadzooks served a ridiculous taco. Starting with handmade half corn/half flour tortillas, they piled on tomatillo roasted chicken, sweet slaw, spicy-sweet cornbread, and drizzled creamy flavor-packed sauces on top and I just couldn’t tear myself away. But luckily I saved some room because we made it to Sumo Maya’s booth near the end of our evening, and OH man, maybe I’m just a sucker for sushi, but I couldn’t get enough. It didn’t hurt that there were flower petals on top.

Gadzooks Taco

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast - Tacos from Diego Pops

Diego Pops Tacos

Sumo Maya

Some of my other favorites included Diego Pop’s, Tabasco’s chocolate fountain (!!!), Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles, and Snooze Eatery.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix

Hotel Thrillist Pool Party

For some reason I thought the good eats were reserved for Friday night only, but I was wrong. The chefs for the Hotel Thrillist Pool Party seriously delivered, serving up roasted pork bahn mi, boozy shaved ice, a DIY taco bar, sweet corn and crab bites – and – Grilled Sea Bass with Citrus Jalapeno Beurre Blanc (recipe below). I was completely enchanted by this grilled sea bass. The grill itself was somehow a cross between a mini smoker and a grill and I now need to figure out how to make one for myself, because this sea bass needs to be a regular thing at my house.

Hotel Thrillist - Grilled Sea Bass

I want to cook everything on that grill. It had pieces of wood sending smoke straight up into the fish like grilled heaven, but it was the sauce that completed it; creamy, vibrant, and impossibly silky. You have to taste it to believe it because words do not do it justice.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Pool Party - Sweet Crab Salads & Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Sweet Corn & Crab

On this day, the W Wet Deck bars mixed even better cocktails which I did not know was possible; I was so not a whiskey person but now I am? and I know I need to keep Jack Fire and Jack Honey on hand so that I can sip Autumn cocktails and (alcoholic) apple pie in a glass whenever I feel like it. These cocktails perfectly set the tone for the beginning of Fall and I’m excited to whip them up come Thanksgiving. Check out the recipes below for an easy Autumn cocktail & grilled Sea Bass. If Hotel Thrillist is featured in your city next year, you can’t miss it!

Fiery Smashed Apple Cocktail

1 ½ oz Jack Fire
1 oz sour mix
Fill with apple juice (chilled)
Build ingredients in order in a glass with no ice.

Chilean Seabass Skewers with Citrus Green Jalepeno Tabasco Beurre Blanc

Hotel Thrillist Sea Bass

1 1/4 lb Chilean Seabass (if not readily available, Salmon, Shrimp or even Scallops make a great substitute)
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 orange (Zested and Juiced)
1 lemon (Zested and Juiced)
1 lime (Zested and Juiced)
1 diced jalepeno
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2oz Green Jalepeno Tabasco
4 tbsp cold butter
Cilantro and/or micro greens, to garnish

Directions

Place milk, cream, garlic and Jalapeno together in a sauce pot and bring to a slight simmer. Remove from heat and strain. Add to the strained cream the zest and juice from the three types of citrus and return to the stove and reduce by half.

Once reduced, remove from heat and add Greem Jalapeno Tabasco and 4 tbsp butter. Whisk together untill butter is completely melted.

Cut fish into 1×1 cubes and place 4 pieces on a skewer.
Place skewers onto a hot grill and cook both sides till cooked through (about 3 minutes per side)

Generously coat skewers with Beurre Blanc sauce and top with chopped cilantro and/or micro greens.
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Wild Kale Salad

07 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by Nicole Small in Autumn/Fall, gluten free, healthy recipe, Holidays, recipe, salad, salad dressing, Thanksgiving, vegetarian/vegan

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autumn, food blog, food blogger, gluten free, healthy, healthy recipe, holidays, recipe, thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipe, vegetable, vegetarian

A wildly delicious kale and grain salad that has it all: sweet, refreshing and satisfying.

I love Fall-inspired salads, like my Perfect Autumn Salad. This salad is also Autumnal, and it has my heart – it is wildly delicious.

Click here to see the full recipe on Nourishing Wild.

I ate this salad for lunch and dinner one day, then made a second, larger batch and ate it for days on end and I am still in love with it. You have to try it. It’s great for lunch but it would also make a beautiful Thanksgiving salad to compliment your holiday meal.

This salad has everything; it is satisfying and filling because it features black forbidden rice as the grain. It has a refreshing and slightly sweet dressing that is complimented by plump black grapes and tangy dried cranberries. And the finishing touches – crunchy toasted almonds, salty feta, and vibrant fresh basil – add just the kick the salad needs to take it from yum to obsession-worthy. I’ll be making this all season long…

Click here to get the full recipe on my new blog!

Although this salad is perfect on its own, it would be lovely topped with grilled salmon or chicken. Enjoy!

Nourishing Wild is my new blog filled with amazing recipes and wellness tips. Check it out!

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Pomegranate Rainbow Carrots

15 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Nicole Small in Autumn/Fall, dairy free, easy recipe, gluten free, healthy recipe, Holidays, roasted, vegetarian/vegan

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autumn, autumn recipes, carrots, dairy free, fall, gluten free, healthy recipe, holiday recipe, recipe, roasted, vegetable, vegetarian

Tender roasted rainbow carrots with a sweet and tangy pomegranate sauce and fresh pomegranate seeds.

Rainbow carrots are one of the prettiest early Fall root vegetables available right now; their vibrant hues add a beautiful pop of color to your plate. I was excited to find them on sale for just fifty cents per pound at Sprouts! I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them – I love the sweet earthiness of roasted carrots, and with the hint of an Autumn chill in the air, roasted veggies have been on my wish list.

Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Vinegar* is actually surprisingly delicious just mixed with honey. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t swipe my finger across the bowl after I tossed the carrots with this bright dressing. The fresh pomegranate seeds play off of the hint of pomegranate flavor from the vinegar, and the fresh herbs add a layer of depth (and deliciousness). These carrots are super easy; just cut them up, dress them and let them roast into sweet and savory goodness.

Ingredients

2 lbs Rainbow Carrots, peeled and sliced**
3 tbsp Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Vinegar
1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
3 tbsp Honey
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, divided
Olive Oil
1/2 cup Pomegranate Seeds

Pomegranate Roasted Rainbow Carrots via Tsiporah Blog

Directions

Spread a tablespoon of olive oil all over the inside of a Corningware dish or another deep baking pan. Peel and rinse the rainbow carrots and then cut them into equal sized slices so that they cook evenly.

Rainbow Carrots Recipe via Tsiporah Blog

Chop the rosemary and take the thyme leaves off of their stems. Add the carrots to your baking pan layered with 1 tsp each of the fresh rosemary and thyme.

Mix together the Pomegranate Vinegar, balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl.

Pomegranate Honey Sauce for Roasted Pomegranate Rainbow Carrots via Tsiporah Blog

Pour the sauce mixture over the carrots and cover the pan with foil.

Bake for about 1 hour total. Take the pan out every 20 minutes or so to toss the carrots together with the sauce. They are done when the carrots have a tender bite.

Top with fresh pomegranate seeds and additional fresh thyme and rosemary (optional) to serve.

Pomegranate Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Enjoy!

*This is not a sponsored post for Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Vinegar.

**Note – this is a fairly large batch, it would serve 4-6 really enthusiastic carrot lovers as a side dish. I like to make a big batch to keep in my refrigerator as an easy side dish for my meals throughout the week, but if you are making a small dinner for your family you can cut this recipe in half.

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Apple Pie Bars

08 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by Nicole Small in Autumn/Fall, dessert, dessert recipe, Holidays, sweets, Thanksgiving, vegetarian/vegan

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apple, apple pie, dairy free, dessert, dessert recipe, food, food blog, food blogger, gluten free, holidays, pie, recipe, recipe blog, recipe blogger, sweets, thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipe

Apple Pie is one of the most traditional Autumn and Thanksgiving dessert recipes, alongside Pumpkin Pie and Derby Pie (at least in our house!). The combination of apples with warming spices, a buttery crumble topping and flakey pie crust to hold it all together is just dreamy with these upcoming chilly Autumn days. My suggestion? Cozy up on a Saturday afternoon, bake a batch of these and enjoy them alongside a warm mug of chai tea or coffee with cardamom.

Apple Pie Bars Recipe for Thanksgiving via Tsiporah Blog

Pies in bar form are brilliant, truly. They are easy to eat, they’re great for on-the-go (think bringing lunch to work, or packing a special treat in your kid’s lunch boxes, or a snack while running out the door…), and they re-heat beautifully. After I made my Derby Pie Bars last year I fell in love with the idea and proceeded to create these Apple Pie Bars.

Autumn Apples

These have all of the flavors of traditional apple pie, yet they are more convenient and easier to eat. They would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table (dessert deserves its own table, obviously). They would also be nice to bring to a party during the holidays, or as a sweet housewarming gift.

Apple Pie Bars

Ingredients

Crust
Whip up a half batch of my favorite cobbler/pie crust recipe

Filling
5 cups apples, peeled and chopped
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp melted butter

Crumble Topping
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cups oatmeal
2/3 cups brown sugar
6 tbsp butter
2 tsp cinnamon

Butter, for the pan

Apple Pie Bars for Autumn via Tsiporah Blog

Directions

Prepare crust as directed and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and chop 5 cups of apples, which is about 6 large apples. Place the chopped apples in a bowl and combine with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and maple syrup.

In a large skillet with tall sides, melt 3 tbsp butter. Pour the apple mixture in and sauté over low heat just until the apples begin to soften slightly (not more than 10 minutes).

Apple Pie Bars recipe for Thanksgiving Dessert - via Tsiporah Blog

This is obviously not a big enough skillet, which I realized after I took this picture and then I switched pans

While the apples are cooking, combine all ingredients for the crumble topping in a food processor and pulse just to combine. Butter a square or rectangular pan. I used a nice, deep square pan but you can even use a brownie pan.

Roll out the dough and place it in the bottom of the pan, with the sides folded over the edges of the pan.

Tip: The easiest way to do this, which my great grandmother taught me, is to loosely roll the dough onto your rolling pin, hover your rolling pin above your pie pan, and gently unroll the rough so that it falls softly on top of the pan. From there you can gently maneuver and press it down into the bottom.

Apple Pie Bars for Thanksgiving

Pie crust recipe via Tsiporah Blog - how to get pie crust into your pan

Once the apples are done, pour them straight from the skillet into the prepared pan. Press the apples down with a rubber spatula to flatten them and then top with the crumble mix. Trim any extra crust around the edges, or fold it down to create a little bit of a rim around the apple pie bars.

Apple Pie Bars Recipe - Thanksgiving Dessert

Apple pie crumble topping

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until the crust and crumble topping are both golden brown. If the crumble begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the pan with foil.

Baked Apple Pie Bars

Once they are done, let them cool for about 10 minutes before digging in. You can top these with vanilla bean ice cream, or enjoy them as is!

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Category Archives: Autumn/Fall