Meritage Resort

Have you been scrolling through Pinterest and overwhelmed with the number of recipes at your fingertips? We’ve been there too! Lucky for all of us, the Meritage Collection has tapped all of their executive Chefs—from Hawaii to California—and they have compiled their favorite recipes (cocktails included!) for you to make at home. Time to spice things up first with Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa Chef Vincent Savignano!

Chef Name: Vincent Savignano
Property Name: Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
Recipes: Vegan Corn Chowder, Nosh Bars & Baja Spritz and Green Goddess

VEGAN CORN CHOWDER
Ingredients:

• 4 cups Yellow Onion, small diced
• 3 TBS Chopped Garlic
• 2 cups Celery, small diced
• 2 cups Carrot, small diced
• 3 cups Red Bell Pepper, small diced
• 3 cups Poblano Pepper, small diced
• 3 quarts Yukon Potato, peeled & diced
• 1 TBS Ancho Chile Powder
• 1 Canned Corn
• 1 TBS Smoked Paprika
• 1 TBS Ground Cumin
• 1 gallon Water
• 6 cans Of Coconut Milk
• ¼ cup Fresh Thyme chopped
• 3 TBS Cornstarch
• 4oz Cold Water
• Salt & Black Pepper to Taste
• 5 dashes of Tabasco

Instructions:

• In a large pot, heat 2 oz olive oil, sauté the first seven ingredients for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the ancho powder, cumin, paprika and a little salt.
• Add the can of corn with juice, the water and coconut milk. Stir to mix thoroughly, bring up to a low boil for about 4 minutes.
• Add the potatoes to the soup and the fresh thyme, bring back to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
• Mix the cornstarch with the water to create a slurry, this should be the thickness of heavy cream.
• Turn up the heat and boil the soup, add the slurry making sure to keep stirring until it begins to thicken (add enough slurry to achieve a thick chowder consistency).
• Simmer for 3 minutes, remove from heat. Stir in the tabasco and salt & pepper to taste.

NOSH BARS
Ingredients:

• 1.5 Cup Ripe Banana (mashed)
• 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats (Pulsed)
• 1.5 Cup Dried Cherries (rough chop)
• 1.5 Cup Walnuts (rough chop)
• 1.5 Cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1.5 Cup Pepitas
• 1.5 Cup Sliced Almonds
• 1/4 Cup Hemp Hearts
• 1 TSP Cinnamon
• 1/4 TSP Sea Salt

Instructions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Mold dough into small rectangular bars
• Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes
• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to the cooling rack for an additional 30 minutes

BAJA SPRITZ
Ingredients:

• 1oz Mezcal
• 1oz Grapefruit Juice
• 1oz Aperol
• 1 Grapefruit
• Sparkling Water
• Chipotle/Sugar (1/3 Chipotle Powder & 2/3 Sugar)

Instructions:

• Combine mezcal, grapefruit juice and Aperol in a tin and shake hard.
• Wet the top of a wine glass with citrus juice, we use lime juice & then rim the glass with chipotle & sugar.
• Strain into a wine glass.
• Fill with ice and top with a grapefruit and sparkling water.
• Garnish with a large grapefruit twist.

GREEN GODDESS COCKTAIL:
Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Blanco Tequila
• Chopped Cucumber
• .75 oz Triple Sec
• 1.5 oz Lime Juice
• 1.5 oz Simple Syrup

Instructions:

• Muddle Cucumber, Lime & Simple Syrup
• Add Tequila & Triple Sec
• Add Ice and shake hard
• Strain into Collins glass
• Fill with Ice
• Garnish with Cucumber Ribbon and or Edible Flowers