April 14, 2012

Eating Out :: Chicken Scratch

On a random outing with sweet friend Lauren, we stopped in at Chicken Scratch at Lauren’s recommendation. This place, which is the newest venture from the geniuses behind Bolsa and Smoke,  is new and so fun. Even if the food weren’t spectacular (which it is), the atmosphere alone would be enough to get us coming back again and again. Chicken Scratch has a GIANT outdoor seating area including picnic tables and covered dining areas complete with bar games and vintage furniture. Chicken Scratch shares space with The Foundry bar and is a great place to catch live music. Now, let’s get to the food.

What we ordered…

Everything! Just kidding…kind of.

Fried chicken

Roasted chicken

Mac & cheese

Biscuits & honey

Mashed potatoes & gravy

French fries

Housemade popsicles *yum*

So, at Chicken Scratch you basically choose if you want your chicken fried or roasted and then go from there. We loved sitting outside and enjoying our delicious southern eats in the warm afternoon air. The only thing that would’ve made it better was a cold beer which apparently you’re only able to enjoy after 4pm as that’s when The Foundry opens. But, the sweet tea held us over just fine.

Why do we always order so much?!

Just for fun…

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April 1, 2012

Salmon Cakes.

We decided to make these the other night when we were in the mood for one of our favorite meals – Cooking Light’s salmon burgers. But, we misplaced the recipe and were missing some ingredients, so instead we winged a salmon cake! It had a lot of flavor and was a nice alternative to crab cakes!

Here’s what you’ll need…

(Makes four salmon cakes)

12 oz. salmon, skinned and deboned

1 egg

2 tbsp caramelized onions (ours were leftover from a dish we ate earlier in the week!)

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1.5 C panko bread crumbs

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt & pepper, to taste

Cut the salmon into 1″ cubes (doesn’t need to be perfect…you’re just making it easier to blend in the food processor). In a large food processor, combine the salmon, egg, onions, mustard, 1/2 C bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. At this point, it should have the texture of a thick paste. Remove the salmon paste from the processor and place in a large mixing bowl. With your hands, form four equal-sized patties. Once the patties are formed, cover each with 1/4 C panko bread crumbs.

In a non-stick pan, heat enough oil (2-3 tbsp) to coat the bottom of the pan. To check to see if the oil is hot enough, take a wooden chopstick and dip the tip into the oil and hold it there. If the oil is hot enough, bubbles will start to form around the stick (this is a great tip when you’re pan frying anything). Once the oil is hot enough, place each pattie in the pan and let cook until nicely browned on both sides and until the salmon has cooked completely through (roughly 1.5 minutes on each side). Remove from the pan and enjoy! We paired our cakes with roasted potatoes and the bok choy and apple salad. Delish.


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Filed under Amir's Tips, Entree, Seafood

March 28, 2012

Bok choy and apple salad.

I’m pretty sure this dish is originally a Martha Stewart recipe, but we had it recently at mama’s house and loved it. We’ve tried to recreate it a couple of times since we originally tried it, and I think we nailed it this time. It’s a great alternative to your normal shmormal, everyday garden salad and so quick and easy to make.

Here’s what you’ll need…

One head of bok choy (2 heads of baby bok choy is better for this recipe if you can find it)

Two gala apples

1/2 C plain, non-fat yogurt (we used Fage Greek yogurt)

1/4 C non-fat milk

Juice of one lemon

Clem Mikeska’s to taste (or other all-purpose seasoning)

Chop the bok choy and the apples and combine in a large salad bowl. Prepare the dressing by mixing the yogurt and lemon juice. Add the milk little by little, loosening up the yogurt until you’ve got a more fluid consistency. Season with Clem Mikeska’s to taste. Pour over the bok choy and apples, toss and serve! That easy…

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Filed under Salads, Sides, Vegetarian

March 27, 2012

Eating Out :: DFW Food Trucks, Little Vessels Grill

The last stop on our food truck frenzy last week was Little Vessels Grill. This stuff was so unique and really delicious. Lots of ingredients and flavors were involved, but they all worked really well together and we really enjoyed what we ordered! Little Vessels is relatively new to the DFW Food Truck scene so go check them out and give them some foodie love.

What we ordered…

Blowin’ Steam (left) – chicken thigh meat wrapped in bacon in a cheesy risotto-filled parmesan cone.

Barque at the Moon (right) – smoked pulled pork with BBQ sauce topped with Asian slaw served on a tortilla with sweet potato cakes.

So, lots of stuff happening in both of these dishes. I think the Blowin’ Steam was definitely my favorite even though Barque at the Moon was definitely delicious. The chicken thighs were tender with a lot of flavor, and I’m a fan of dark meat :) . But, the best part was that parmesan cup filled with risotto! Their fries were also really good and had a very unique flavor. Definitely check out Little Vessel Grill’s weekly schedule here and follow them on twitter (@little_vessel_g) for all the updates!

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March 20, 2012

Eating Out :: DFW Food Trucks, Ruthie’s.

The second truck we checked out at Sigel’s last week was Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe – a grilled cheese experience. I love anything cheese, and I’ve been a grilled cheese-aholic since I was a kid, so I was really pumped about hitting this truck up for some goodies.

What we ordered…

Ham I Am – ham and swiss cheese on sourdough, $7

These grilled cheeses are delicious and very different than what I was used to eating as a kid (American cheese with mayo on buttered white bread – yumness). All of these sandwiches include meat except ‘The Classic’ which is American Cheese on Texas Toast. A little more traditional, but still has a twist! We really enjoyed the Ham I Am, and we’re looking forward to going back to check out more of their cheesy sammies – especially ‘The Boss’ which has BBQ and cheddar. Stay up to date on Ruthie’s schedule by following them on twitter (@ruthiesrolling) or visiting their website for the weekly updated schedule.

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March 19, 2012

Eating Out :: DFW Food Trucks, Easy Slider.

We’ve kind of been slacking off on our mission to conquer the DFW food truck scene by visiting every truck. So when we happened to pass by Sigel’s on Greenville (a regular spot for many trucks) this weekend and found five trucks out serving deliciousness we immediately pulled in to check it out. First in our series of food truck posts is Easy Slider. This was my favorite stop of the night – delicious sliders with unusual ingredients. We’ve been on a burger high lately, so these really hit the spot for us.

What we ordered…

Black and Blue – beef patty, truck-made blue cheese slaw and bacon.

Sweet & Lowdown (my favorite!) – beef patty, goat cheese, bacon and strawberry jam.

Don’t let the jam scare you on the Sweet & Lowdown. It’s was surprisingly delicious and with the goat cheese and bacon this slider was rockin’ some serious flavor. The staff at Easy Slider were wonderful as well. Lovely ladies who can make a serious burger. On our next stop at this truck, because we will be back, I want to try the Nutty Pig which has peanut butter – crazy! To stay updated on their schedule follow Easy Slider on Twitter (@easyslidertruck) or visit their website for the regularly updated schedule.

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March 9, 2012

Homemade limoncello.

Both of us fell in love with this simple, fresh lemon-infused vodka while spending time in Italy. For a recent party, we made our own homemade version that was sooo delicious, so we wanted to make sure we shared it with you all.


Here’s what you’ll need…

1 liter of Absolut Vodka (or any other brand you like)

Approx. 10-15 lemons, peeled

2 C water

2 C granulated sugar

In a large container (we used a pyrex tupperware container), empty your bottle of vodka. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the rind from the lemon being careful to only remove the yellow of the rind, leaving most of the white part on the lemon. Put the peeled lemons in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and use them for another recipe! Add the peel to the tupperware full of vodka, seal it off and let it sit for up to two weeks until the vodka has absorbed the rich yellow color from the rind.

Once your vodka is thoroughly infused with the lemon you’ll want to make a simple syrup to sweeten it up a bit. In a medium sauce pan, combine the water and sugar and bring it to a boil over high heat, whisking often and thoroughly. As the water heats up and comes to a boil, the sugar will start to completely dissolve. Once all of the sugar is dissolved, let the mixture sit at a rolling boil for about a minute. Then, remove from heat and let cool completely. At this point, add the simple syrup to your limoncello in small batches until you’ve reached the desired sweetness. Once it’s to your liking, bottle it up in these fun bottles (found here from Crate & Barrel, only $3.95/ea!) and store in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it. When the time comes, simply add some club soda and pour it over ice to enjoy. So yummy!

We also made a fun specialty cocktail with our limoncello by mixing it with cranberry, club soda and fresh mint. So delicious! Additionally, this would be a great gift. One liter of vodka makes about two bottles (depending on how much simple syrup you add).

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Filed under Drinks

February 19, 2012

Octopus salad.

Don’t be scared! This isn’t as hard or as yucky as it looks. In fact, it’s soo good. We first fell in love with this dish in Croatia during our honeymoon. It’s a light (yet still hearty) and fresh salad and a perfect start to a meal.

Here’s what you’ll need…

1 fresh Octopus (roughly 2.5 lbs) – we got ours from new local Dallas seafood spot Becker Bay Seafood at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, more to come on that!

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 C red onion, chopped

2 tbsp capers

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

A handful of fresh oregano, for garnish

First, be sure to thoroughly rinse the octopus and remove the ink sac and the beak if that has not already been done by your fish monger (directions here). In a dutch oven (or large sauce pan), add 2 tbsp olive oil, the garlic and the cleaned octopus over medium-low heat. Cover and let cook for approximately 45 minutes. The octopus will release a significant amount of fluid and subsequently reabsorb the majority of it. To test if the octopus is fully cooked, insert a knife into the thickest piece of each part (head and tentacles). The knife should enter with a little bit of resistance, but should easily come out. At this point, remove the octopus and let it completely cool on a separate plate slowly at room temperature. Leave the remaining juices in the pot and continue to cook down until it’s reached roughly half of its volume. Once cool, cut the octopus into small, thin slices.

To assemble the salad, place the octopus, 1 tbsp of cooking liquid (once reduced), tomatoes, onion, capers, lemon juice and remaining olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together, salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh oregano for garnish.

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Filed under Appetizers, Salads, Seafood

February 15, 2012

Breakfast plaintain cakes.

We put these together with our leftover mashed plantains from the Red Snapper Fish Tacos we had recently. It was a great way to use what we had in the fridge and produce a completely different dish!

Here’s what you’ll need…

2 plantains, peeled, cut into one inch chunks

1/4 cup of black beans (canned is fine)

1 onion, diced

2 egg whites

1 egg

2 tbsp green chili salsa

1 pat of butter

salt and pepper to tasted

To make the mashed plantains, begin by bringing a pot of lightly salted water to boil.  Next, simply peel the plantains and cut them into one inch chunks.  Once the water is brought to a boil, place the diced plantains in the water to cook until tender.  This will take approximately 15 minutes.

In the meantime, place the diced onions in a pan with a pad of butter.  Cook until the onions are soft and lightly caramelized.  At this time, add the black beans to the onions and thoroughly mix the onions and black beans.

Once the plantains are soft, drain the water to remove the plantains and allow the plantains to cool to room temperature.  In a large mixing bowl, place the plantains, black beans, onions, and two egg whites (to bind the mixture).  Mix the contents thoroughly and form into patties.  This recipe will make four patties.  Once the patties are formed, simply place them in a buttered pan to lightly brown the patties on each side.  Once the patty is to your liking, serve on a plate with a pan-fried egg topper and salsa.  Enjoy!

If you don’t prefer an egg on top then just have the cakes alone – still yummy!

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Filed under Breakfast, Vegetarian

January 30, 2012

Tangerine and beet salad.

I’ve been seeing winter beet salads everywhere, so I thought I’d hop on board the beet salad train and make one of our own. This would be a great appetizer, side salad or just a snack as I enjoyed it this afternoon. And, it’s so colorful!

Here’s what you’ll need…

1/2 red beet, boiled and diced

1/2 golden beet, boiled and diced

1 tangerine

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Fresh goat cheese (no more than a couple of ounces)

A few leaves of fresh mint, chiffonade

1 tsp honey

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

Juice of 1/2 a clementine

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the honey, balsamic, olive oil and clementine juice to create the dressing and set aside. Peel the tangerine and slice horizontally into even rounds. Place on your plate and top with the beets and pomegranate seeds. Crumble your goat cheese on top and add your mint. Pour the dressing over the salad and salt and pepper to taste. The tangy citrus mixed with the earthy beets and sweet vinaigrette is scrumptious.

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Filed under Salads, Vegetarian

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