Providence Restaurant Week, July 2015 - Siena - Smithfield, RI

Hello!  Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!  As you can probably tell - we are enjoying ours so much that we haven't blogged much at all.  (Guilty, so guilty!)

Summer being as busy as it is, one highlight we always look forward to is Restaurant Week here in Providence, RI!

This week we visited Siena in Smithfield, RI.
We have both dined at Siena, Providence and it has become a favorite place for us to frequent. So we were excited to check out their sister location.

The menu intrigued us and we also wanted to try a venue that was outside of the city for a change.

Here is the dinner menu for Siena Restaurant Week, July 2015:

  COURSE ONE

Choose One
Caesar Salad
romaine lettuce tossed in a homemade lemon Caesar dressing with Tuscan croutons,
topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Cozze Rosso
Prince Edward Island mussels steamed in slow roasted tomato broth,
finished with extra virgin olive oil & fresh herbs

Insalata Pomodoro di Cimelio
heirloom tomato salad with basil infused olive oil & sea salt,
garnished with a balsamic reduction

Polpette
Anthony's famous meatball made from ground sirloin, veal and pork,
topped with San Marzano marinara, ricotta cheese, parmigiana-reggiano cheese and fresh basil


COURSE TWO

Choose One
Salmon d'Elba
grilled salmon fillet topped with sliced zucchini & grape tomatoes,
sauteéd in chive butter sauce

Pollo al Rosmarino
two semi-boneless chicken breasts marinated in rosemary, garlic and lemon rub,
grilled and oven finished with roasted tomatoes, garlic, butter & white wine

Penne alla Vodka
penne pasta in a spicy (mildly hot) pink vodka sauce topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese,
available with grilled chicken breast or shrimp

Maiale de Estate
grilled pork loin served over parmigiano-reggiano polenta and topped with tomato jam,
served with cipollini onions and scallions

Rigatoni al Brasato
rigatoni pasta tossed with shredded beef short rib braised with wine, vegetables, tomato, garlic and stock,
topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese


COURSE THREE

Choose One
Cannoli
traditional Italian cannolis with sweet ricotta filling,
garnished with shaved chocolate

Torta di Fruitta
Short dough tart filled with lemon custard & topped with fresh berries,
served with fresh whipped cream

Torta di  Lucca
chocolate tort served with toasted hazelnuts & cappucino creme anglaise
served with vanilla bean gelato

Gelato
choice of vanilla bean or chocolate hazelnut,
served with a pirouette cookie and whipped cream

$29.95 pp
*Beverages, Tax, and Gratuity are not included*

We both ironically were eyeing the same menu items...so we did what any friends would...order one of each and split! 

Our picks for Course One:

Cozze Rosso
Prince Edward Island mussels steamed in slow roasted tomato broth,
finished with extra virgin olive oil & fresh herbs

Insalata Pomodoro di Cimelio
heirloom tomato salad with basil infused olive oil & sea salt,
garnished with a balsamic reduction


We found the mussels to be very fresh and cooked to perfection. The tomato broth was creamy and did not overpower the taste of the mussels.

The tomato salad was absolutely delicious and tasted just like summer on a dish...however it could have used a little more seasoning.  Ask for fresh ground pepper!

Our Picks for Course Two:

Salmon d'Elba
grilled salmon fillet topped with sliced zucchini & grape tomatoes,
sauteéd in chive butter sauce

Rigatoni al Brasato
rigatoni pasta tossed with shredded beef short rib braised with wine, vegetables, tomato, garlic and stock,
topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

The salmon was also fresh and the dish we found to be over all light and classic in style.  We were served polenta with our dish and this was our absolute favorite part even though it was not listed on the actual menu. Hope yours comes with it too! If not ask!

The rigatoni dish was a little more on the heavy side, and the flavor was robust.  If you are hungry order this dish...we ended up not finishing ours even though we split.  

With that being said we took our dessert to go...so much food!  The waitress was kind enough to let us!

Overall the meal was very good but we both agreed the atmosphere was for an older crowd.  We both enjoy Providences atmosphere and will probably visit that location if given the choice.

Love, Stylish Mama and Organized Chica xo

Plated

The latest trend in home cooking is ordering boxed meals and have them shipped right to your front door.  I have seen a few companies adds and pictures of plated food on Instagram and most bloggers I follow have tried either Plated or Blue Apron. And it looked fun and intriguing.  For months it has had me really curious if it is something I would like.

I decided to go ahead and order a box through Plated.  The reason why I chose Plated is because their food is described as Farm to Front Door.  Their website states that their ingredients come from local sources whenever possible, and that their beef is antibiotic and hormone free. They also use carbon-neutral packaging, and their boxes are made from 100% recycled material.

Now that I found a company to use...my trouble was finding a meal that was somewhat adventurous and out of the norm for me to make.  To make this a true learning experience. But the meals also had to be appetizing for my family of three...well two and half...and that posed an issue that they only will deliver plates for four servings or more.  This to me was too much food, or so I thought... The food quantities was actually not a whole lot.

My choice for my first box was Indonesian Beef Randang...which is basically a beef cooked in lime and coconut curry.  (I love curry!!)

My box arrived on the date it was promised.  (a great start)
And the packaging was just as promised.

Organized, clean, and refrigerated with dry ice.

Here is the layout of what was inside the package:

I found the ingredients to be all very fresh and high quality with the exception of the beef.  I was not impressed with the cut of beef they included in the meal.  It was an inside round??  Whatever the beef cut was, I found it to be tough and not full of flavor.  And this dish is meant to cook for a while...so when I googled this cut of meat the first thing I noticed is that it states to NOT overcook that cut of beef.

The recipe and steps were all included and very easy to follow.

I am a girl who likes picture cookbooks.   So I love that they gave you a picture of what it should look like when its done.  As well as on the back of this card there was all steps broken out and pictures above each step.

The meal itself smelled glorious in the home when cooking.
However the cooking time which was posted was not accurate.  It took me longer than what was anticipated.  (which could have resulted in the tough meat).

Here is my end results...photos of what I made:

And the plating:

Sorry for the messy plating...but I actually sat down and started to eat and forgot to make a pretty plate up...so here is a rushed one I took after a few bites in.

I walked away feeling like it was a fun thing to try.  But the pre-made box meals are not for me.  I did not like being able to choose the cut of meat and the food outcome was just ok.  I was not blown away by the actual end result.   (would have been cheaper to order takeout!)

On a positive note...I will say I am making turmeric rice more often!!! This was a simple one step of adding turmeric to my jasmine rice to give my rice more flavor.  Who knew?!

Happy Cooking and Love,

Stylish Mama

Cooking for my family brings me so much joy

Food - food represents much more than just sustenance.
It represents so much - but cooking food with love- that speaks much more.

When I can - I enjoy cooking and hosting meals in my home for family and close friends.
It brings me much joy to cook a warm meal for those I love.

This past weekend I was able to do just that.

We had my parents over for a Sunday dinner...and I wanted to make it a little special for my parents as they do so much for us on a daily basis.

I made sure to have a good bottle of red wine on the table.
My daddy loves his red wine.
And Sangria was made for my mom and I - a recipe that was given to me from my aunt in Guatemala.

The menu consisted of a family favorite. Seafood marinara (with shrimp, scallops, lobster, swordfish, clams).  But I also wanted to push myself and try two new recipes.

I like to challenge myself in the kitchen.
If you don't try new things - you never can grow as a cook!

First thing I made new was an appetizer - Roasted Artichokes with Lemon

The prep work for this dish is so simple.

You wash and clean the artichoke - discarding any leaves that look browned or tough - I took off about two layers of leaves on the ones shown above.
Cut the stems down so that artichokes can stand upright in a roasting pan.
Then you take a mixture of olive oil, garlic paste, and white wine, and liberally spread all over the artichokes and inside each layer you can get your little fingers into.  Then I took half of a lemon and squeezed it over the artichokes...and the other half I sliced up and put inside the roasting dish with the artichoke.

I placed them in the oven at 425 for 40-45 min until they are roasted on the outside - but tender on the inside.

The intense taste of lemon and garlic made these so fantastically delicious.

The second new dish I tried was Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa has become a little bit of a staple in my home in the past year.
Its full of nutritious benefits (including being high in fiber) and I find it to be so flavorful - almost nutty in flavor.

To make this the recipe is a little more detailed:

ingredients needed:

3 acorn squash, halved lengthwise, strings and seeds removed 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup quinoa 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ onion, finely chopped

½ cup chopped red bell pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers, drained and finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

Directions:

Step 1.

Heat the oven to 400ºF. Sprinkle the cut sides of the squash with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ⅛ teaspoon of the pepper. Place the squash (cut sides down) on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Put the pan in the oven and pour ¼ inch of hot tap water into the pan. Roast the squash until it is almost tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove it to a work surface and carefully discard the hot water from the pan.

Step 2.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer under running water until the water runs clear, 1 minute.

Step 3.

 Add the oil to the pan and when it is hot, add the onion and bell pepper and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the rinsed quinoa, chipotle peppers, paprika, cilantro, toasted pine nuts, and remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper. Cook for 1 minute; then stir in the broth and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer the quinoa until it is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 4.

Set the squash (cut sides up) on the baking sheet and fill the hollows with the quinoa mixture. Place the stuffed squash in the oven and roast at 400ºF until it is tender and the tops are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Tip: You can cook the squash and quinoa ahead of time and refrigerate them for up to two days. Then just stuff the squash and roast it as directed, adding five minutes to the final cooking time. 

It is such a great fall dish. I imagine this alone could be a great vegetarian meal if you used veggie broth.  

My family loved this one - its a keeper!

And so speaking of cooking for your family - I like this quote so I had to share it:

Happy Cooking!

Love, Stylish Mama

Jamie Oliver is the man - if he can't do it - well I sure can!

Oh Jamie!

Any one else have a culinary crush on the British Chef - Jamie Oliver?  I have been a fan for almost 15 years now.  I am fascinated with his laid back / chill personality in the kitchen.  He makes the most complicated dishes look "easy peasy."  I also kinda like how he has his own dialog and comes up with his own words!   Which I have adapted as I have followed his career throughout the years.  Ok enough talking about how cool this guy is.

The point of this post is to tell you - if you haven't tried his recipes yet...you gotta start!
He currently has started a channel on YouTube called Food Tube.  Its a fun way to watch a recipe come to life as he will go through it step by step.  I also follow him on Instagram - when he posts a pic of a dish that looks tantalizing - I just have to go watch the coordinating video!

So when I saw him post this dish on Instagram, I was sold!

Sticky Traybaked Chicken - Just click here - Jamie Oliver - Sticky Tray Baked Chicken

I will tell you - I made this for dinner for the family this week.
And it was a super easy  (or how Jamie would say -easy peasy)  - cheap, and TASTY!

Here is how mine turned out.

This is how I plated it - I served it with Basmati Rice and Balsamic Glaze from Trader Joe's

 

 

Mmm Mmm Mmm!

 

Hope you can give this one a try!

 

Love,  Stylish Mama