Little Saigon Vietnamese: Orlando, FL

Lunch at Little Saigon Vietnamese! The #53- pork with spring rolls- delicious!!!

Homemade: Cream Cheese Sausage Balls & Roasted Cabbage

Tonight's dinner was cream cheese sausage balls (a Pinterest find), and roasted cabbage.

Here's the Pinterest Link: http://pinterest.com/pin/232287293252700277/

Only four ingredients! Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sausage & bisquick. Not the healthiest thing ever, but just don't eat too many and you'll be good. 

The cabbage is even easier- cut it into slices, put it on a tray, add olive oil, sea salt and the seasonings of your choice, put it in the oven, and roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Easy and cheap! 

Homemade: Banana Raspberry Walnut Flax Muffins (so many words!)

These are from this recipe: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Banana-Bread-Muffins-Low-Carb-Low-Sugar-Recipezaar?columns=4&position=1%2F24

I added raspberries because I had some that were going to turn (I'm great at buying produce- I suck at using it). I also couldn't find almond flour, so I used and extra half cup of regular flour and a half a cup of milled flaxseed. These are pretty good!

Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen, Altamonte Springs, FL

While we are seasoned Tibby's vets, this was our first trip to their new location in Altamonte Springs. It seems roomier than the original Tibby's in Winter Park, but still pretty crowded, with lots of tables crammed together. 

All in all, the service was not great, and the food was good. I guess. Not my favorite trip to Tibby's ever, but hopefully they'll work out the kinks so we don't have to drive across town. 

Here's the dining room:

The half muffuletta, and seafood gumbo. 

We also had some bread pudding which was good, but a little dry. 

Homemade: Crockpot Lechon (Cuban Pork)

After our fabulous experience at Padrino's, I decided to make Lechon (Cuban pork) for dinner the next night. I found this recipe on Pinterest for Crock Pot Lechon http://pinterest.com/pin/232287293253823958/ 

I put it in the crockpot early in the morning and let it cook on low all day- for about ten hours

When it's done, you can pull it apart with a fork! You barely have to touch it- just shake it!

Here's the sauce, which tasted exactly like the restaurant's. Mostly just minced onions, garlic, salt, and heated canola oil that you pour over the veggies and cook in the bowl. 

We had leftover plantain chips from the restaurant the day before, so I heated those up in the oven.

And here's the finished product, served with salad & watermelon, and a Presidente for good measure!

Padrino's Cuban Restaurant: Orlando, FL

The best Cuban food I've had in Orlando was today from Padrino's in Hunter's Creek (South Orlando). Go here. Do it now. 

Your meal will start like this- complimentary plantain chips with some super tasty mojo dipping sauce

 We ordered Croquetas de Jamon for a starter- they were maybe the best I'd ever had. The dipping sauce was tasty too. 

My lunch was a Cuban Sandwich with maduros (sweet plantains). One of the best Cuban sandwiches I've ever had, by a long shot! The bread was flaky, crisp and buttery, and not to hard or dry. The meat was delicious! I saved half for lunch for the next day (mostly so we could try some dessert). Side note- it was equally good for lunch the next day. 

Flan for dessert! This was some amazing flan- soft, rich and creamy. There was none left for lunch dessert the next day.  We will be making a return trip to Padrino's for sure!