Datz What We’re Talking About!

What do you get when you mix some of the best food in the bay with some of Tampa Bay’s best bloggers? You’re guaranteed conversation and food that leaves you craving for more.

Last Saturday, the Tampa Bay Bloggers (Top left to right Running Betty, Gone Bananas, Fit Kids Playground, Digital Running and Run DMT) met to share blogging conference experiences and current projects. Though everyone always learns so much from our meetups, the food truly set this meetup apart from all the others as Chef Jason of Datz created a special menu full of fall flavors just for us.

Our four course meal started with Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque topped with a five-spice froth, an item not currently on the menu. The froth melted before any of us could capture it, however, capturing everyone’s expressions as they sampled the soup (or “Fall in a Bowl” as we coined it) would have been equally momentous. Surprisingly less sweet than anticipated, the spices added an unexpected and pleasant savoriness to the soup.

Next, Chef Jason served us family style platters of Figgy Piggy Salad followed by equally ginormous portions of Roasted Beet Salad. The combination of the dried mission figs and the pumpkin seeds of the Figgy Piggy Salad offered such an unusual crunch and texture to salad. Try as we might to replicate Chef Jason’s creation in our own kitchens, we would need to learn the secret to his warm bacon vinaigrette first.

*Photo provided by Datz*

The peppery arugula topped with pickled onions offered such a lovely tartness to of the Roasted Beet Salad. The goat cheese and the balsamic glaze added just the right sweetness and balance to finish the salad.

*Photo provided by Datz*

For our final course, Chef Jason presented his newest addition to the Datz fall menu, Harvest Ravioli. Pillows of squash raviolis served with sage and brown butter sauce and shaved parmesan are the finest of fall comfort food and Chef Jason highly recommended trying the raviolis with scallops, which sounds unbelievable. Unfortunately, I had to take everyone’s word as to how wonderful the raviolis were because they contained walnuts and an epinephrine shot would have really ruined the evening.

*Photo provided by Datz*

Since I missed out on the raviolis, I ordered the famous Datchos, a pile of Datz homemade potato chips served with chili, cheese, jalapenos, sour cream and blue cheese drizzle and scallions. I added pulled chicken to my pile of Datchos, a suggestion from our server, Maite, whose knowledge of craft beers and food pairings made an already spectacular meal even better.

We couldn’t end the evening without sampling some dessert, such as the Peanut Chocolate Explosion and a Seven Layer Chocolate Cake. Two large slices of rich, heavenly cakes shared between us because apparently someone in the bunch had a chocolate craving.

*Photo by Kirsten of Gone Bananas*

My only regret is that we didn’t have a larger turn-out for the event but I’m blaming it on the FSU/USF game and not the location nor the food. Hopefully, Datz and the Tampa Bay Bloggers can team up again.

In the meantime, I’m asking Santa for more Datz during the holidays. Is it too soon to add Datz to my Christmas wish list? Because nothing says Christmas like a Figgy Piggy pudding Salad from Datz!

Want to join our next Tampa Bay Blogger meetup? Join us on Facebook for updates on food and fun with your favorite local Tampa Bay Bloggers.

Tweet @datz4foodies to tell Datz you fell in love with the fall menu and you read about it via Run DMT @denisermt.

For inquires or reservations, visit Datz at datzdeli.com.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Curried Chicken Salad

Photobucket As I mentioned before, I love using leftover chicken from my mojo roast chicken to make chicken salad. But this time, I had a craving something different other than the usual chicken salad I make. I was craving a curried version.

Believe it or not, I did not search Pinterest for a recipe. *gasp* Crazy notion, I know. Instead, I looked in this old school object called a cookbook. Remember those? To make the curried chicken salad I craved, I searched through the pages of the Joy of Cooking because in a time before Pinterest, it was like a bible in this house.

So I dusted off our very old, very worn, still beloved cookbook to find a Curried Chicken Salad and of course, it contained one.

First, I had to make the curry mayonnaise. Who knew there were so many steps to make this?! Since I only needed a small amount for my chicken salad, I halved the ingredients to prevent from having to store the leftovers but halving the ingredients didn’t prevent my house from smelling like an Indian restaurant. Also, since I was too lazy too hungry, I omitted the steps for the blender mayonnaise.

When I combined all the chicken salad ingredients, it seemed a bit dry to me, so I added an extra bit of plain canola mayo, which also balanced out the strong curry seasoning. Even though I didn’t make my own mayonnaise from scratch, the chicken salad still satisfied my curry craving. Even Iron Chef Allan was impressed.

I chose to eat my curried chicken salad on whole grain bread, but it would also make a wonderful wrap or a tasty topping on a mixed greens salad.

Curry Mayonnaise
(adapted from Joy of Cooking)
Ingredients
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
¼ cup canola mayonnaise
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp honey

Directions
Whisk the curry powder and oil together in a small skillet on a low heat for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool. Then, in a small bowl, whisk curried oil with the mayo, lime juice and honey.

Curried Chicken Salad
(adapted from Joy of Cooking)
Ingredients
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
2 Tbsp golden raisins
2 Tbsp red onion, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped
½ apple, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped
Curry mayonnaise
2 Tbsp canola mayonnaise (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine chicken, nuts, fruit and vegetables in a bowl. Mix in curry mayo, canola mayo, salt and peppers. Serve on toasted whole grain bread topped with arugula.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!

*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Saag Aloo and Kachumber Salad

It’s no secret that Allan and I love Indian cuisine, but for whatever reason, it’s so hard for us to replicate in our home. That was true until we discovered some of our favorite dishes on Pinterest and then we realized they weren’t really that difficult to do.

One of our favorite vegetarian dishes, Saag Aloo (Potato and Spinach), packs all the wonderful aromatic flavors and heat of Indian cuisine without all the clarified butter and fat. The potatoes add heartiness to the dish which also makes it rich and filling.

I submitted the recipe and all its secret ingredients to Iron Chef Allan for approval. Then, while he prepared the Saag Aloo, I worked diligently as his sous chef by preparing the Kachumber Salad to accompany the main entrée.

The meal was like eating Indian take-away without having to leave our home. Of course, our kids wouldn’t eat it, but at least we didn’t have to pick up fast food on the way to the Indian restaurant, like we normally do. The kids ate loaded baked potatoes as Iron Chef Allan and I dined on our own five star Indian cuisine in the comfort of our kitchen.

Saag Aloo
(Adapted from Quick Indian Cooking)
Ingredients
4 medium waxy potatoes (Yukon Gold or red)
1 – 10 oz package of frozen leafy spinach, defrosted and completely drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green or red chili pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Directions
Par boil the potatoes until still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice the potatoes into small one square inch cubes.

Mix the chili pepper, spinach lemon juice and leave to sit in a bowl.

Heat oil in a medium-sized pan. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until onions are soft. Then add the potatoes, cumin and coriander and stir for five minutes. If the spices stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon of hot water.

Add hot (not boiling) water to the pan until it covers the potatoes halfway. Lower the heat and cook the potatoes until soft are done, about ten minutes. Stir often.

When you can easily insert a fork through the potatoes without breaking them, add the spinach mixture. Add salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Finally stir in the garam masala.

Kachumber Salad
(Adapted from Chef in You)
Ingredients
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 green or red chili
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
Juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 tsp zest
Dash of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Few sprigs of cilantro for garnish

Directions
Mix lemon juice, spices and sugar in one bowl. Toss in all the vegetables and combine until well coated. Cover and chill for about 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!

*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+;

Strawberry Spinach and Kale Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette {and Giveaway}

Lately, kale has been getting a lot of attention and not just as filler decoration on plates or buffets. Before spinach and broccoli and even before meat, kale is the primary item that should be on everyone’s grocery list. Kale’s curly, crisp greens are rich in vitamin A, K and C, as well as high in calcium, fiber, iron, folic acid and omega-3 and therefore, it’s commonly referred to as the “beef” of the vegan world.

Kale. It’s what’s for dinner.

I must admit. Before this post, I never ate kale. Upon that first bite, my taste buds needed a moment to adjust to the bitterness of the leafy filler from the buffet line.

So when, Newman’s Own Organics sent me some dried fruits to try, I thought I’d turn over a new leaf, so to speak. What better way to combat the bitterness of kale than to toss in some Newman’s Own Organics Berry Blend? The tangy, sweet dried blueberries, cherries, cranberries and raisins would help mask the kale. Plus, adding the NOO Dried Berry Blend would make this a super antioxidant salad.

And since strawberries are in season and in abundance at my supermarket and reasonably priced, I created a tangy strawberry vinaigrette to aid in making the kale more palatable. The sweetness of the strawberry vinaigrette would also compliment the tasty dried fruits of NOO Berry Blend.

Kale mixed with dried berries and fresh strawberries really was more palatable.

And it was delectable too.

Strawberry Spinach and Kale Salad

Ingredients

2 cups kale, washed and drained

2 cups baby spinach, washed and drained

2 cups romaine lettuce, washed and drained

½ cup sliced strawberries

2 Tbsp reduced fat gorgonzola cheese

2 Tbsp sliced almonds

2 Tbsp Newman’s Own Organic Berry Blend

Directions

Break romaine and kale into bite size pieces. Then, wash and drain all greens well. Set aside greens to drain and dry before adding additional ingredients.

Toss greens in a large bowl. Add sliced strawberries, gorgonzola cheese, almonds and Newman’s Own Organic Berry Blend and gently toss through greens.

Serve in individual bowls drizzled with strawberry vinaigrette. (See recipe below.)

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 cup strawberries

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

Directions

Thoroughly wash strawberries and cut tops off. Add strawberries to blender and then add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. Puree for one minute on low setting or until smooth.

This recipe was created for the FOOD.FUN.HOP giveaway event hosted by Shy Babies & Little Inspiration. As part of this Newman’s Own Organics campaign, NOO wants to offer one Run DMT’s reader three packages of dried fruits and one box of Hermits, just like the one I received.

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment to share what Newman’s Own Organic products you enjoy and follow Newman’s Own Organic on Facebook.

Contest ends 7/30. US residents only. Winner will be selected by random.org.

Better you chances of winning by visiting the other blogs participating in the Newman’s Own Organics FOOD.FUN.HOP.

For additional entries:

Like this recipe post.
Subscribe to Run DMT (Form found on Run DMT homepage.)
Follow Run DMT on Facebook.
Follow @denisermt on Twitter.
Follow Run DMT on Pinterest.
Tweet about this giveaway. Add a new comment for each time you tweet: “Enter to win a selection of Newman’s Own Organic snacks. http://tinyurl.com/7tsxkfu Ends 7/30. #foodfunhop #RunDMT via @denisermt.”

Disclaimer: *Newman’s Own Organics products were received in order to facilitate this review and giveaway, but all opinions are 100% my own*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Low Fat Classic Coleslaw

Photobucket With summer here, there are sure to be many cook-outs and BBQs on the calendar and no cook-out is complete without some coleslaw. Next to potato salad, coleslaw is my favorite side dish. I love to pile it on. Whether it’s sandwiched between buns filled with shredded BBQ chicken or stuffed in a spicy fish taco, the sweetness of coleslaw is a necessary condiment for most savory cook-out dishes.

Homemade coleslaw tastes so much better than store bought and once you realize how easy it is to make, you will never buy it again. Have you ever read the ingredients listed or even read the nutritional information on the carton of store bought coleslaw? It would make you shudder. Don’t do it. Trust me on this. It’s bad.

Now there’s need to worry! Run DMT has saved the day and your cook-out calories!

This coleslaw is totally guilt-free without substituting taste. I’ve been experimenting with homemade coleslaw for some time now and I think I have perfected a low fat version now. Based upon my calculations, this is roughly 16 grams in the whole bowl as opposed to its full fat store-bought counterpart which is 16 grams per serving. Yikes!

Seriously, I love this stuff. I could eat the whole bowl and that would be totally o.k. Other than, no one else would get any and it’s more fun to share good food.

Classic Low Fat Coleslaw

Ingredients

½ cup plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt

¼ cup canola-based mayonnaise

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp honey

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp celery seed

1 – 16 oz bag shredded coleslaw mix with carrots, red cabbage and green cabbage

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and celery seed until well combined and creamy. Add the coleslaw mix and toss with tongs until well coated. Let chill in fridge for a couple hours before serving.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!

*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Progressive Picnic: Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Roll out the picnic blankets and bring an appetite for the blogosphere’s first ever Progressive Picnic Blog Hop!

For this virtual picnic, each foodie blogger listed below is offering a different menu item. Click on the links and be prepared to lick your lips as your eyes feast on an assortment of delicious dishes.

Camille from Growing Up Gabel is offering an appetizer, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates.

Courtney from Peace, Love, Recipes is bringing the beverage, Red, White and Blue Sangria.

Ruthie from What’s Cooking With Ruthie is supplying the side dish, Picnic Perfect Potato Salad.

Heather of Hezzi-D’s Cooks and Books is dishing out the dessert, White Chocolate Brownies.

And yours truly is serving up the main dish, Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips

½ tsp Kosher salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 large yellow or white onion cut Asian style

1 red bell pepper cored and cut into thin strips

¼ cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp honey

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

1 cup cooked Jasmine rice

Leafy green lettuce (Romaine or Bibb)

Directions

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet on a medium high heat. Add chicken strips and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for a few minutes to sear the meat at the edges. Then, add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for two minutes more. Add the red bell pepper and cook until softened. Add onions and stir fry for few minutes. Once onions are soft, add tamari and honey. Together, they should form a caramel colored sauce as they deglaze the pan. Stir to coat chicken with the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in basil. The heat from the pan will cook and wilt the basil.

Using the leafy part of the lettuce, drop a Tbsp on cooked Jasmine rice in the center of the lettuce. Then, add spoonful of the Thai Basil Chicken and gently drizzle some sauce from the skillet over the mixture. Roll lettuce to form wrap and place on a serving platter. Continue with remaining stir-fry and serve. If any sauce is remaining in skillet, pour it into a ramekin to use as a dipping sauce.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Mini Caprese Salad Skewers

Photobucket Some days on a healthy kick and some days I kick healthy eating habits to the curb. Healthy eating was definitely curbed from October to December, which you probably observed if you follow this blog.

The week after Christmas, I decided was to get back on the healthy wagon and it started on New Year’s Eve. So when our friends invited us to their home to ring in the New Year, I wanted to bring a dish that would help ring in a healthy New Year.

I’ve read that the best way to control your eating habits and not kill your diet at potluck parties is to 1) eat before your show-up and 2) bring a healthy option to share.

But what healthy dish would I share that wouldn’t spoil the evening?

With a quick Google search for “healthy appetizers”, I found a dish on Eating Well that looked good and would most certainly taste good. Plus, this dish would spare our wallet because our local supermarket, Publix, had grape tomatoes as a “buy one, get one” special that week and I already had mini bamboo skewers. (Total coast of this dish cost for me was $9.48.) With this dish, we would be starting the New Year by saving money and calories! WOOHOO!

Mini Caprese Salad Skewers

Ingredients (adapted from Eating Well)

16 mini fresh mozzarella balls

16 grape tomatoes, sliced into halves (I used red and yellow just for presentation purposes.)

10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Balsamic vinegar to drizzle

Directions

Thread one half grape tomato, basil, mozzarella and other of the tomato onto skewer. Then repeat step so that each skewer has two servings of a mini Caprese salad.

Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper just prior to serving.

(Makes 32 servings)

BTW…This dish was so easy to assemble even Emmalynn got in on the act.