NEW BLOG ADDRESS

Hi guys! For more cool food blogs, go to:

www.eatsomethinggood.com

It's my latest website. Hope to see you there! :)

Read more...

Chicken Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

We took a little detour from our not-really a chicken ceasar - salad. I tend to garnish the basics with extra veggies and things that I have in the 'fridge. Waste not; want not. Right? It's all good for ya stuff anyway. We needed to get rid of some chicken breasts and burritos weren't on the agenda after the last bomb. So back to another staple: chicken salad. Only this time I jazzed it up with lime vinaigrette. Read on my friends. I love our chicken salad nights. They are so easy to prepare with little or no work. It's just a pain in the butt to have to buy a lot of fresh ingredients and produce because then you feel pressured to use all of the ingredients before they go bad. Then you'll have wasted money and food. So whenever I buy fresh produce, I feel like I'm under the gun. Basically this happens every time I shop. So salads like these act as a perfect receptacle for perishable foods. With a good vinaigrette, it's hard to go wrong.

To prepare. I baked the trimmed, boneless chicken breasts on a sheet pan with olive oil, cilantro (dried), s & p. For the salad, I used a bag of spring mix. Then I added the goodies. The grape tomato halves, sweet onions slices, cannellini beans (rinsed & drained) and a sprinkling of leftover asiago cheese. I added the beans because we're down to very little in the food closet and I wanted to stretch out the salad a little. I also happen to like cannellini beans. For the lime vinaigrette, I used freshly squeezed lime juice, olive oil, honey, sugar in the raw, cilantro (dried), s&p. I had a little trouble incorporating the honey because it was a little dried out. Then, upon tasting it, I realized that I needed to sweeten it up a bit more to cut the tartness of the limes. And I used a generous amount of dried cilantro in it.

The verdict. Steve & I really enjoyed the chicken salad. He said it was delicious and that the chicken was tender and juicy. And we both loved the lime vinaigrette. Because I added the extra sugar in the raw, the dressing was a nice balance between sweet and tart though it wasn't really what I'd consider to be really sweet dressing like french or honey mustard. A great meal all made possible because fresh limes happened to be on sale. 3 for $1. How could I have passed that up? Sometimes my best inspirations come from just looking at our grocery store circular. And then it makes me extra happy that it's on sale. Alrighty folks. As always, Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Texas Taco

So in my last post, I mentioned we went on a drive up north and found the Round Tuit restaurant. What I didn't mention is that we also stopped off at Texas Taco on the way home for, yes, a taco. Steve has a thing about the place. Every time he drives by there, he has to stop in and get one even if he's just eaten. And we had both just eaten. He usually gets a fiesta pup which is a sabrett hotdog with chili, cheese and onions on a steamed bun. The tacos (as well as the burritos) are either beef or bean, shredded cheese, lettuce, onions and a bit of hot sauce. (There isn't much more than guacamole and stuff on the menu.) And at $2 each, even if they were terrible, it isn't a huge loss. The first time I had a taco there, and speaking just about the food, well...I was disappointed. To me, it tasted as though she opened up an Ortega taco kit. I later read that it was her grandmother's recipe. A texan thing. When I tasted it this time around, I have to say that the flavors were a little more diffused than what I remembered. And it wasn't an Ortega mix (I think).

I could understand the attraction to the place. From the outside to the inside, it's hard to miss this place. I've posted a link to an article with pics. The pics don't even show how vivid some of the colors are and the crazy things on her lawn. And on the inside, there was a general strange, dark feel to the place. (And do take a trip to the bathroom. Yes, do.) She has a strange collection of weird goods with mismatched tables and chairs to go along with it. The last time we went, I was sitting at the table (right next to the real life hot dog cart she stands behind) that had purple frillies hanging over the sides and onto my lap. Speaking of purple, there is a good deal of it on Rosemary Jamison, the owner. Her eye area is penciled in an exaggerated fashion. And she used to have purple hair, but this past weekend, it was just dark. And yes, with the crazy, purple eye make up. If you read up on her, she has had quite an interesting life and met many famous people. She plays a mix of alternative, funk and punk. WXCI 91.7 (Western Connecticut State University "Wescon") was on the radio playing "Now I want to be your dog" by the Stooges. So if you got a few bucks in your pocket, stop by Texas Taco just to see Rosemary and her place. Just a note: She no longer allows you to photograph the inside of her restaurant. So grab an eye full & a cheap snack and Eat Something Good!

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=18&RefID=18

Roadfood.com is a great site. I suggest you peruse it at your leisure. You may just salivate.

Texas Taco
2588 Route 22
Patterson, NY

Read more...

Round Tuit Restaurant

Yesterday, we were bored and didn't have anything pressing so we decided to go for a drive. We contemplated taking the motorcycle, but I wasn't up for it. Anyhow, we decided to take a drive up Route 22. We had to get through street closures and detours just to get out of our town because they were having a St. Patrick's Day parade. Steve was unhappy with that. Nonetheless, we got through it. We drove far up north and entered another county. There were lotsa farms; lotsa cows. We'd noticed the restaurant on the way up. It looked like a single-level, dark green house-like structure. There was a sign out front saying they served breakfast all day long. It was an unattractive sign. The kind where you can change the letters around and not custom-made. It was sort of cheesy. I was unimpressed by its appearance and decided it was a dive. I believed it even more when this very leathery, older gentleman wearing plaid came out just as we were about to go in. And on the inside - Surprise, surprise but it wasn't a dive at all. It was lighter green on the inside and cute. They had hand-written specials up on the wall and signs about yogurt, eggs and milk being from local cows. It was like a little country kitchen on a medium budget.

After reading a review about this place after the fact, I realized that I should've ordered breakfast. One reviewer had the blueberry pancakes and said it was overflowing with blueberries. Steve commented that the place looked like it'd be swarming with farmers and workers coming in for a hearty breakfast early in the morning. We just had cheeseburgers (made with white american) and what they called camp fries. It's fries with cheese and gravy. Again, the cheese they used is white american and the fries were made there. The fries were brown and very soft. It was pretty to look at and surprising that it came from this little place. They were sorta fancy looking. To drink, I had a large diet coke and it was a large diet coke. Steve had a cup of coffee. For dessert, we grabbed a chocolate milkshake and oatmeal raisin cookies on the way out.

Steve loved the burgers. I thought they were just your average little 1/4 lb burgers but Steve said I had too high of an expectation. But I'd eat one again because it was well-cooked, not dry and hot off the griddle. Steve wanted to order more and said he's going to order 2 or 3 next time. The camp fries were okay. They were on the limp side with not one bit of crisp and I wasn't liking that. Again, they used white american cheese. I'd only had cheese fries with either mozzarella cheese or that fake, yellow cheese sauce. I'm good with either. The white american didn't taste bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting. (I know yellow american cheese tastes the same or does it? If it does, psychologically, it would've tasted better to me if it were yellow.) The gravy was decent and I took that as a good sign. Steve liked it. He also liked the coffee. He said it was way better than diner coffee. I tasted it and I'd have to agree. The milkshake was a little thin. I didn't like that so much but the flavor was good. The oatmeal raisin cookies were very, very good. I believe they were freshly baked. They put a hint of coconut in them and I thought that complimented the soft, chewy cookie a great deal. All in all, the experience was positive. On the way out, a couple in a big truck pulled into the parking lot. They were wearing cowboy hats and lookin' mighty farm'ish. And there was this little black & white cow baby (more like teenager) tied to its home on the property. I wanted to go pet it but I didn't. Anyway, we'll definitely go back there and try breakfast one day. Perhaps on the motorcycle this summer. Take a trip, explore, discover and of course, Eat Something Good!

Round Tuit Restaurant
5523 Route 22
Millerton, NY 12546

Read more...

Quaker Oats Meatloaf

This is a prizewinning meatloaf. Strangely enough, when you go to Quaker's website, they don't provide the recipe. (Unless I didn't look thoroughly enough.) Anyway, I'm not certain but I think I have an early childhood recollection of this meatloaf. My friend wasn't sure but she thought her parents used that recipe. I liked it very much. It was unlike any other meatloaf I had. It was really good. I started making meatloaves after I met Steve. It seemed like a nice down home meal that I thought he'd really enjoy. Though we both like trying new fancier foods, we mostly like a good down to earth, hearty meal. We joking call meals like this, Heartland representing middle america. I don't know. I guess it's silly. Anyway, this is the only recipe I've ever used for meatloaf. There's a lot of pre-made ingredients in this meal so don't cringe.

The meatloaf recipe is purty darn easy to follow. There are several wet and dry ingredients to add to ground beef. Tomato juice (we used tomato sauce - not the prepared kind), oats (5 minute cooking kind), an egg, chopped onion, s & p. See? Easy. Then you shape it into a loaf. It called for a loaf pan but we didn't have a good one so we just hand shaped a loaf and put it on a sheet pan. It worked just fine. So ya bake for an hour and that's it. Oh, I put ketchup (yes, ketchup) on top of the loaf before cooking. I do this for two reasons: I like ketchup and I once saw my neighbor, who used to tutor me, do it to hers. And I remembered that I really liked the smell of it. So on it goes. On the side, I served mashed potatoes (russet potatoes mixed with lotsa butter, a hint of milk, and a little cream cheese) and store brand french style canned green beans. Oh, and Steve almost freaked out cause I forgot about the gravy. Well, all we had was a little pouch of McCormick's powdered gravy so I made that.

The verdict. Steve loved it. He said it was delicioso! Tender, moist and yummy it was. A very satisfying meal. And yes, the ketchup crust added something nice to it. The mashed potatoes were a little on the lumpy side. Little lumps that I couldn't seem to mash out. But the flavor and overall consistency was good. A guest tried a little of it and loved it. The canned green beans. Ever since I was a kid, I liked canned green beans. I like em fresh too but there's something about the mushiness and semi-saltiness that I fantasize about often. I don't have it alot but I think about it alot. So there have it, take a little time to make something traditional and you get to Eat Something Good!

Quaker Oats Prizewinning Meatloaf Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup oats, uncooked (quick or old-fashioned)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Ketchup for top (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Combine all ingredients except ketchup. Mix lightly but thoroughly.
3. Press into an 8x4-inch loaf pan (or free form it and throw it onto sheet pan like we did.)
4. Spread some ketchup on top of it.
5. Bake 1 hour or until juices run clear
6. Drain (if in loaf pan) and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Read more...

Sweet n' Tangy Pork Chops

I got this recipe from a fellow blogger. All I know is that her name is Mary. She often posts food centered blogs and her recipes always have an interesting name. So, this one appealed to me because they're pork chops and I liked the word 'tangy'. I have an obsession with needing to learn how to cook pork chops properly. So I force pork on Steve. I've had good pork chops in the past. All made by others - chefs & home cooks. I've experienced tender delicious chops so I know it's possible to make a regular pork chop into something fantastic.

The 1" chops I purchased were on sale and that made me happy. They came two in a package. They were also beautiful. Perfect looking center cut chops with the bone in. Nice pink color. Mary's recipe wasn't difficult to follow at all. The only real preparation involved the sauce. The ingredients are as follows: Tomato sauce (the kind in a can - not a prepared sauce), packed brown sugar (ours was hard as a rock and I couldn't incorporate it into the sauce so I used sugar in the raw), cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt (I used celery seed and added salt because I didn't have any celery salt), ground nutmeg (mine was freshly ground) and I'm assuming she meant black pepper. So I browned the chops on both sides and added the sauce and let it simmer for a bit. And that's it!

The result. *deep breath*. Okay, I don't want to criticize this recipe because I didn't follow it correctly. As you know now, I switched around a lot of ingredients. I also played around with the amount of sugar. I didn't (and still don't) know whether brown sugar is sweeter (or less sweet) than the sugar in the raw. So I totally blew that measurement. I used less but it wasn't enough. The sauce was really sweet or maybe it was supposed to be that sweet. I'm uncertain. Another concern was the celery salt. I've never used it before and therefore I don't really know how it tastes. As for Steve. I should start by saying that he doesn't love pork chops. He says they're too tough and chewy. He did, however, admit that my chops were better than they have been in the past. I thought the texture was pretty good. It's not tender like if you were eating a steak and I understand Steve's commentary. But I don't mind. I kinda like the texture. So for me, I pat myself on the back for not overcooking them. The sauce. I didn't love it. There wasn't that much tang but alot of sweet. It was reminiscent of a sweet n' sour sauce but with less sour. And every now and again, I'd hit a celery seed and wondered if it belonged there. It wasn't an undesirable taste but unexpected. On the side, I served Spanish rice. Camilla brand, I think. I messed up the rice. Steve's been on a mixed vegetable kick. You know, the very common carrots, peas & corn combination. Anyway, when we go to our salvadorean restaurant El Dorado (Brewster, NY) - they sometimes serve their rice with those veggies in it. Well, not only did I overcook the rice, I added too much of the vegetables. Steve ate his with butter and didn't complain. He was kind to me last night even though I knew I'd messed up dinner. I didn't put up a pic because the meal was a little cheesy looking. I want to thank Mary for giving me the opportunity to try her recipe. In the future, I'll be sure to stick to the recipe and not attempt to substitute which I believe is the whole reason why my dinner failed. Oh well. So today, it'll be my mission to Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Freschetta PizzAmore 10-Topping Supreme

We had an errand to run last evening and we stopped off for a quick slice of pizza in Yonkers, NY. I'd had the pizza before because Steve wanted me to try it. He thought it was pretty good. But when I had it, it was just okay. Last night, he took a piping hot, fresh pie out of the oven for us. I almost burnt my tongue. It was better this time than the last and I was better satisfied. Well, our appetite for pizza didn't end so when we got home, we threw in the Freschetta frozen pizza. It smelled pretty good as it was baking away on its exclusive tray that they claim bakes the crust evenly. Steve & I adore pizza. Neither of us could live without it.

This was our first time trying this variety of Freschetta pizza. I once rated the taste as being 7 out of 10 for one of the varieties I can't seem to remember. My least favorite frozen pizza so far is DiGiorno's. Anyway, here are the 10 toppings: Mozzarella, Parmesan, pepperoni, spicy sausage, bell peppers (green, yellow and red), roasted red onions, garlic and oregano. Phew. I don't think I've ever had a pizza with so many toppings. No, I definitely haven't. The crust was "interesting". It was supposed to rise as it baked. According to Steve, it did not rise. He did, however, confirm that the pizza was pre-sliced. Steve didn't like that. He's the pizza cooker and the cutter with his little pizza cutter that he's wanted for years.

The verdict. Steve thought it was alright. He ate 3/4 of it. I, however, found that there were too many peppers. Also, I didn't hate the taste of oregano in it - you know I don't love oregano in some Italian foods. Anyway, the rest of the toppings were sparse (the meats) and it didn't satisfy me. A word about the crust. I didn't like it. I'll tell you why. Despite there being no mention of cornmeal in the ingredients list, the crust had the texture of a pizza coated with cornmeal on the bottom. I'm not opposed to cornmeal like at Two Boots Pizza in NYC (East Village). I really enjoy their pizza. But on this frozen pizza, the effect of the cornmeal-like texture was not pleasing to me. The outer crust was no better. More of that weird texture. The sauce wasn't outstanding. Again, the peppers and oregano altered the taste a little . The cheese was good. It was slightly above average for frozen ones. I won't be buying this variety of pizza anymore but I will continue to buy faves and try different ones. You can do the same and Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Ronzoni Spinach Fettuccine

I haven't had spinach fettuccine since last summer when Steve picked some up from Villarina's where they make their own pasta. Well, last night, we didn't have any fresh pasta. So, I did what I could for the dried pasta. I had completely forgotten that I bought it til I went rummaging through our food closet. Yes, it's a closet that Steve threw shelves into. We store all of our canned goods, dry goods, etc...in there. We haven't gone grocery shopping in two weeks so I had to apply a little ingenuity to the meal. After brainstorming the possibilities I came up with this.

To the spinach fettuccine, I added quartered black olives, roasted red peppers with the liquid, white wine, olive oil, thyme, s & p. And then I added a little crumbled goat cheese. As I mentioned previously, I'm really starting to enjoy goat cheese after years of ambivalence. Steve's glad cause he loves goat cheese.

The verdict. Steve loved it. He was uncertain of the black olive and goat cheese combination so he sample a little of it together and he was all, yes. Yes. The goat cheese made it a little creamy. The olives were canned and mild. They're not salty at all. The roasted red pepper gave it a little sweetness and the thyme accented the combination. It tasted almost like something Mediterranean. Yeah, we weren't minding dinner at all. Quite pleased actually cause it was all made out of odds and ends I had in the food closet and the fridge. So get creative, even on a limited budget, and Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Weight Watchers Chicken Parmesan

Once again, frozen entrees went on sale at my supermarket and I decided to buy some. Yesterday, I decided to have one for lunch. I had Weight Watchers Smart Ones - chicken parmesan. They describe it as a hearty dish of herb-seasoned, all-white meat chicken breast and tender pasta in a zesty marina sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. It doesn't sound too bad, does it? Well, let me tell you. Okay, so I ate it. In fact, I ate the entire thing and let Sid lick it clean afterwards. The chicken was satisfactory and no more. I tolerated the texture because it wasn't as bad as can be. It was doable, it was tender. It was a weird kinda tender though. Like if you cooked it yourself, it probably would have a better texture. Anyway, the sauce. It wasn't as zesty as they claim. It was herb ee. And I didn't love the herb combination but with the non-descript sauce, it blended tolerably. Wow, I sure tolerated a lot of things about this meal. The pasta. Yes, it was tender as they described. But frozen entree spaghetti is usually tender/mushy but not as much as a Chef Boyardee product. (And I like some varieties like Beefaroni. Don't ask. I grew up eating a lot of trash.) Anyway, bottom line. I would not buy this product again even if it was on sale. I would, however, get a variation of the product. I'm interested in trying all frozen foods available on this earth. And that's all she said. Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Kyedong Chicken KFC

Kyedong Chicken is one of the main chains in the business of fried chicken. This place is all about chicken & beer. (And I didn't notice til later that those words are written right on the awning itself.)

It's fried chicken not like the KFC we know but the KFC that Koreans know about. My brother sent me a link about it once and supposedly it's very popular out in California. Steve & I found a couple of places in Queens NY and one in Manhattan and Valentine's Day seemed like a perfect day for us to try this stuff that we've only been fantasizing about.

For $18 we got a large order of wings. 15 pieces. (They actually gave us 16 but who's counting?) And they were good sized pieces. They came with shoestring french fries. (About the size of McDonald's.) We got half with soy sauce and half with hot sauce - the only two flavors available. We had a long wait with fair warning. It says right on the menu that it takes 20 minutes for a hot batch. And it's always a hot batch because this chicken doesn't sit under heat lamps. It comes to you fresh out of the fryer. Same goes for the french fries. As sides, they put out some unusual things. This place being Korean, I was not surprised that some form of kimchee type thing was put out. I think they were little cubes of turnip or radish. Unsure. I didn't taste one though I should have. They also gave you a little lettuce. I was unfamiliar with the type. I bypassed the non-meat things and went straight for the chicken.

The soy sauced wings were really good. As per Steve, they were damn good. I have no idea how they make them. I mean, they're fried. When does the sauce go on? And it couldn't have been just a few bastings after the fact. The wings were flavored too well. The soy flavor was there but it was light. It wasn't too salty or strong or too sweet like a teriyaki. And the fry job they did. Wow. You could really taste that it was chicken. And pretty good quality and well handled chicken. The meat was nice and white contrasting with the brown skin/crust. The skin was lightly crunchy and definitely crispy. There isn't a thick harsh batter as can be with some fried chickens. And despite being sauced, you didn't get it all over your fingers. The sauce is in the skin/crust. The hot sauced ones were more of the same in texture. But I didn't love it. The hot pepper (I'm assuming powder) that they used was dry tasting. I guess I don't love the flavor of red pepper or cayenne raw. I like it infused with some acid like in a good buffalo sauce. Oh, I have to say a word about beer as this is a place for beer & chicken. They sold two types of beer: Hite and Dark. You can order 500cc or 2000cc. Steve ordered the 500cc of dark beer. I drank at least 1/3 of it. And it was really good beer. It reminded me of a Sam Adams. It was complex, smooth and with very little bitterness. I failed to ask them what type of beer it was but I'm assuming it was some sort of korean beer. Good stuff! We had a great day out in Queens and I'm so glad we got the opportunity to Eat Something Good!

Kyedong Chicken
150-54 Northern Blvd.
Queens, NY 11354

Read more...

Classic Beef Pot Roast

I have been searching for a good pot roast recipe. I came across some very interesting ones but because we've never made one, we opted for a more basic recipe. Steve actually found the recipe, I was only turning up strange things. Like how can a pot roast not have potatoes in it? Right so, he found one that's actually from Cooking Light magazine. I didn't think they'd have such a hearty meal in a cooking light magazine. Anyway, our long-time dream came true as we smelled the wonderful smells in the kitchen.

Here's what I did. I took a chuck roast...one word. In my mind, I'd always thought that pot roasts were those big hunks of packaged meat, but this recipe called for a chuck roast which is sliced much like a london broil. Looked like a thick, giant steak. So I seasoned and browned the roast in the dutch oven. Then I removed it from the pan and cooked up the large diced onions. I let them get a little caramelized. The roast went back into the pan and I added the liquids and seasonings. Red Wine, Beef broth ( I used progresso from a blue box), dried thyme (recipe called for fresh but we didn't have any so I substituted), fresh chopped garlic & bay leaves. There ya have it. You bring it to a simmer, put the lid on it and throw it in the oven. After about an hour and a half, you throw in the potatoes (2" cut) and carrots (1" cut). Wait another agonizing hour and you have your final product.

We both enjoyed the meal very much. The potatoes were beautiful. Perfectly cooked. I thought the carrots were slightly overcooked but Steve thought they were perfect and loved them. Now the meat, the chuck roast. It was tender, however, not as tender as I expected it to be. It wasn't falling apart as easily as I would've liked. But it was tender enough to savor and enjoy. Some times it takes a bit of work to Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Baked Buffalo Wings

I love buffalo wings. Love them. I don't have them too often but when I do, I'm usually not disappointed. The only time I get sad is when they add spices to it like cayenne or something. I like it straight up hot sauce & butter. That's basically what buffalo wing sauce is. But because I'm not an expert at making them, I just followed the very simple directions on my giant bottle of Frank's red hot sauce. Previously, I've broiled wings and then tossed them in sauce. They turn out okay. A little crisping to the skin.

The directions suggested either frying the wings or baking them for an hour at 425 F. I chose to do the baking thing because it's way easier and it made me feel somehow a teensie bit healthier. Crazy, I know. Anyhow, I threw the wings on a sheet pan and did not do a thing to them. I threw 'em in the oven and let it go. After the hour was up, I spooned on the buffalo sauce and served them with the potato wedges that made an appearance in last week's salisbury steak dinner. I added a little more oil this time though I don't think it was necessary. I would've liked to have served this finger feast with celery sticks but we didn't have any. We did, however, have Ken's lite blue cheese dressing. Yey!

I'm not kidding when I say this. Steve said they were some of the best wings he's ever had. He totally loved them. I liked 'em a lot too. We were both so surprised at how crispy, crunchy the skin came out. It was almost as though they were deep-fried. Amazing. I had no idea. The potato wedges didn't turn out as good as last time, but as I dipped my wedge into the blue cheese dressing, I didn't mind them at all. Not one bit. Mmmm. I'm definitely making these again. Oh, we bought wingettes which basically means you don't have to go through the work of cutting them up. Steve really liked that cause I usually make him cut up them up. But look for wingettes at the grocery store and you won't have to go through much work to Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Potato Pancakes II

We went for another round with the potato pancakes. As you can see, we didn't care about the shape. Clearly, it's not round. I can live with that especially with the way it tasted. We served them with asiago cheese and sour cream. And this time we used enough salt. It was seasoned pretty well. We also made some changes and added paprika, ground mustard and finely grated carrots. It was yum.

I had a thought as I was eating the pancakes. I don't usually get cravings for imitation crab sticks, but my grandmother used to make little fritter type things with thin shreds of the fake crab. We'd dip it in soy sauce and I didn't mind the flavor. Strange, huh? But I won't eat it any other way. That's why I don't eat seafood salad because they usually add the fake stuff. Anyway, get out there today and Eat Something Good!

Read more...

My Traditional Mac n Cheese

This is officially my traditional (as I'm calling it now though I've only made it twice) macaroni and cheese. I think I goofed last night and used sharp cheddar instead of extra sharp cheddar. It was missing a slight tang. Steve noticed and I had to agree with him. He is, by the way, a macaroni & cheese expert. The texture turned out nicely. The macaroni wasn't at all overcooked and the cheese (as you can see) formed a very nice crust. Thank goodness we have leftovers to feed the macaroni monster, my honey the expert. Yey! Mac n' Cheese!

Read more...

Salisbury Steak

I talked about it and then I did it. I found a recipe for salisbury steak and I made it for dinner last night. I've only had frozen entree ones before. There's some variation in taste and especially texture amongst them. But there was always the main idea of a meatloaf ee meat covered with a brown gravy. That's how I usually picture them. Our recipe last night took a little turn after reading the comments about the dish.

I employed Steve last night for the parts I didn't want to deal with. Hehehe. For the steak, you mix together ground beef, egg, bread crumbs (we used japanese bread crumbs (panko)), 1/3 of the condensed french onion soup and s & p. I had Steve mix up the batch and shape them into loaves. Too cook, I changed around the directions a little. Instead of pan-frying them all the way though, I seared the meat on one side, flipped it over and poured the sauce on top. Then I threw it in the oven. Speaking of which. For the sauce, I combined the remaining condensed french onion soup, condensed cream of mushroom soup (added this as per people's suggestion - the recipe did not call for it), water, flour, ketchup (yes, ketchup), Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and s & p. As I said, I poured this mix over the steaks and let them finish cooking in the oven.

I served herbed potato wedges with them. I had Steve wash two large russet potatoes and cut them into 8 wedges each. They looked like giant steak fries with the skin on them. To a plastic bag, I added olive oil, plenty of salt, black pepper, dried thyme and dried rosemary. I put the potatoes into the bag and made sure all the wedges got herbed n' oiled. Then I threw them onto a sheet pan. I stood them upright with the skin side down. I baked them up on a high'ish heat and then later cranked up the heat to try to get them crispier. Oh, and I nuked up some frozen Bird's Eye peas and also some corn.

The verdict. Ok. Steve enjoyed it as did I, however, I didn't love it. I'll tell you why. It was all in the sauce. First of all, I shouldn't have added the cream of mushroom. Sounded like a good idea and people swore by it. I shouldn't have followed their lead. And there was sort of a gross taste to the sauce. Steve thought the tang could've been from the onions in the french onion soup. But I quickly pointed out that it was really the ketchup and dried mustard combo that I didn't love. Sometimes I have burgers or hot dogs with both ketchup and mustard on them. Sometimes I'm just in that kind of mood. Last night, I wasn't. And I wasn't expecting it in this dish. A word about the texture. It was very good. Very, very good. It was uniformly soft and tender but still had a meatiness to it. I think the panko really helped. If I were to repeat this dish with changes, I'd do the steak part the same way. It was almost perfect. I thought the texture was great.

The potato wedges were good. At first, Steve didn't like them cause he thought the outsides were too leathery. I didn't get the crisp that I was looking for. But once he hit it with the sauce, he raved about them. I liked them right off the batt. I'll definitely do the potato wedges again. The peas and corn were fine. I think, however, that canned green beans would've been a better match for this trash meal.

Settle in for some down home cookin' and Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Chicken Burritos

I had the good sense to cook up all 6 boneless chicken breasts earlier this week. I made a decent salad out of half of it. And last night, I used some for our dinner. I'd already shredded the chicken. (Pulled apart with 2 forks.) It was pretty tender. Not overcooked. And I swirled it in the pan juices before I sealed it all up in a plastic bag. I think the liquid helped to keep the chicken moist and tender.

For the chicken, I sauteed up some green peppers (small diced), red onion (small diced), and added some spices. I added a hint of chili powder, a hint of cumin, dried cilantro, salt. I then tossed the chicken in that and heated it through. To make the burritos, I had to pull out the electric griddle. Heat tortilla on both sides to desired doneness. If you leave it longer, the tortilla will become lighter and crisp. I didn't go quite that far though I wouldn't have minded if I did. I just didn't have the patience to wait. So, I threw down some American cheese. Then I added a good amount of the seasoned chicken mixture. On top of that, I added quartered grape tomatoes, diced onions (small), thinly shredded iceberg lettuce and that's it. I didn't tuck in the sides, I just sorta rolled the whole thing over. I plopped on a generous dollop of sour cream and hot salsa (Tostitos brand) on top of the thing. Along the center. It said 'eat me' so I did. We did and...

Steve loved it. I thought it was pretty darn good too. Almost as good as a decent Mexican joint. The only unfortunate part was that I didn't make enough of everything for a third burrito to share. Hehehe. I may be making this one again when we have leftover chicken. I actually have more chicken to make chicken salad with. And the celery and red onion are already diced, almost minced. Yey! Mmmm, yummy sammies. Don't forget to take a break today to Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Potato Pancakes

The only place I occasionally have potato pancakes is at Jewish deli restaurants. In our case, Epstein's. Before Epsteins, I had potato pancakes at friend's houses growing up. They were Jewish and certainly knew how to make latkes. I think they have it for the holidays. I don't remember. Anyway, Steve & I weren't celebrating anything in particular nor were we using a recipe. I looked over some to get potato to flour ratios correct.

So here's what we did; what Steve did. He grated up three large russet potatoes using the medium hole in the box grater. To this we grated a little onions and then squeezed out the whole mixture by hand til it was somewhat dry. To it we added, eggs, flour and baking soda. The baking soda element surprised me. I had no idea. But two recipes I looked at called for it. To continue. We plopped some potato mixture into a pan with a good amount of canola oil. Then Steve would flatten the top with the spatula. We fried them til they were golden brown and crispy on the outside. Oh, we made them in two batches. For the second, we added panko (Japanese bread crumbs) to the potato mixture. Steve read somewhere that it improved the texture.

I didn't love them. I'll tell you why. Main point: Seasoning. It lacked some serious salt. The flavor was not what it could have been even with the tops being salted. For most foods, I prefer that the salt be in the food. I don't like having to add extra salt but too many times, I find that I have to. The first batch was crispy on the outside and mashed potato ee on the inside. It had a slight onion flavor that I enjoyed. It wasn't just straight potato. Steve likened the first batch to potato knishes. I saw his point.

Steve liked the second batch better. The panko created a different texture. You could taste the potato shreds. It didn't mush up as much. I thought they tasted a little underdone but Steve thought it was perfect and loved them. With a little more seasoning in the batch, minus the panko, the potato pancakes are good. Oh, we had them with sour cream though we toyed with the idea of applesauce. In the end, we put a little low sugar grape jelly on some - to be eaten with the sour cream. It was okay.

As always, Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Beef Barley Soup

All winter long I've been wanting to try this soup recipe. I love beef barley soup though I think it's possible that I've only had it from a can. Hot soups are perfect on like snowy days. And we are expecting snow again. So last night, I cooked up a quick soup. Quick because there's little preparation and mostly simmering. Here's what I did.

First, I sauteed up some garlic (minced), onion (large dice), celery, carrot rounds and sliced mushrooms in a little canola oil. Then you add the beef broth (I used Progresso - the kind in a blue box), dried barley and small pieces of stew meat. Finally, you simmer it all together for about an hour or until the barley cooks through.

Steve loved the soup. I thought it was okay but I didn't love it. Here's the part I didn't love. I was hoping that the little bits of meat would be like yummy nuggets that would impart a salty, beefy flavor. Unfortunately, the way the recipe was written, there was little hope for the beef. Next time, I'm going to sear the meat beforehand and then sautee the veggies in the same pot afterwards. I'm also going to add more barley. It's safe to say, I'm going to double the amount. With these changes, the soup will improve and I'll Eat Something Good!

Read more...

Betty Crocker Potato Spuds

I wasn't feeling so hot yesterday so Steve made dinner. He decided to make one of our trash meals. I wanted burgers for dinner but he had a different idea. He wanted to serve fried burgers with swiss cheese and brown gravy. It sounds almost like a salisbury steak which, by the way, I'm interested in finding a recipe for. I've never made it before but I like some of the frozen kinds.

Anyway, we had instant mashed potatoes with them. I had Betty Crocker Potato Spuds once in high school or younger. I made them myself and I thought I had a nice, almost creamy product to enjoy. All opinions changed last night. Despite their claim that they're made from 100% real potatoes, I noticed that it lacked something. Oh yes, that would be the actual potato flavor. I couldn't believe how bland it was. Even with gravy, salt and pepper. By the way, we used Heinz rich mushroom gravy (the kind in jars.) I've had the savory beef before and I liked it for a jarred/canned gravy. Back to the potatoes, they were very soft and I guess the texture was smooth but it was an almost unpleasant, pasty smooth kinda thing. I didn't like the texture. I'm sticking to real mashed potatoes next time. I can do without the instant stuff. By the way, I'm not a snob about processed foods. I like to try different kinds every now and then to keep up on the many food products out there - some of which are pretty good. I wouldn't want to miss a gem for our plentiful trash nights.

Til we meet again, Eat Something Good!

Read more...