Friday, August 26, 2011

Food Friday Tip!

    What do you do with those left over vegetables? 

That seems to be everyone’s problem by the end of the week when cleaning out the fridge.
    I hate wasting food and it’s usually vegetables that make it to the end of the week. (I always buy more vegetables then I need for a recipe.) To prevent me from throwing them away I’ll put together a quick and easy grilled dish that I can eat alone, put in a sandwich or have as a side dish for dinner!

    You can prepare this any way and with whatever vegetables you have. For the example I have today I’m using onions, green peppers, green, and yellow zucchini...

    So the first thing I do is check the vegetables for any bruised or over ripened spots and cut them off. Then I chop up the vegetables from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. The thinner your slices the faster it will cook. I also chop my onions separately and cook them first. Otherwise all the vegetables can go together. To season the vegetables and give them that extra crunch any seasoning in your cabinets will work. Use your best judgement. I use combinations of salt, pepper, italian bread crumbs which have a few seasons mixed in already and taste great! Mix your seasonings in a large bowl with the vegetables and you can let it sit for a few minutes or cook right away.


    When grilling the vegetables I use a grill pan sprayed with Pam. Any pan will work but I like my vegetables to be cooked well with the grill marks. I cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until there semi-transparent and not in the “raw” uncooked state. You want to spread the vegetables out in a layer so they all cook evenly and you want to flip them continuously. I feel it’s easiest to use tongs to flip and mix the vegetables up.



    Once they are cooked to your satisfaction you can transfer them to a bowl and serve or wrap them up and place in the fridge for later. To add a little extra flair to your veggies I sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese to the mix and stir it together. The heat from the vegetables melts the cheese giving a extra taste and texture to your dish.


Simple. Easy. Delicious.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Fried pickles done right!

The Metropolitan: American Diner & Bar; Let me start by saying I’ve eaten there twice, and both times I’ve gotten their hamburgers, they just that good. (Next time I’m going I’m getting one of their salads.) The interior is very welcoming and family friendly. The wait staff is nice, efficient, and very accommodating...

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the hostess and her IPAD in hand taking reservations. Pretty cool. She had a big smile on her face and enjoyed seating us. The booths were very comfy and we were served quickly.

What makes this place good is the quality and quantity of the food. It serves portions as if at a real diner but the quality surpasses your normal restaurant. My personal favorite that I’ve had so far is the chipolte burger with fried pickles, and bacon. I LOVE fried pickles, and to have them on my hamburger which is fresh ground beef made to order makes it unbelievably tasty. The bun doesn’t fall apart, and the bacon is real fresh whole  slices.

Another huge plus to the restaurant is their beer selection. It makes sense now to have bar in the title of the restaurant because what they serve is above and beyond your average selection of drinks. If your just going in for a couple drinks and not dinner the bar is a nice, comfortable place to sit and chat with your friend, or a romantic date.

I have yet to try their desserts because I usually finish my meal because it’s so tasty and I end up filling myself. Another incentive to eat here is they have a rewards card! It’s awesome! Just use it when you pay and you earn points, percentages off your bill, and it’s free to sign up.

This place understands customer satisfaction.

http://www.metrodinerbar.com/index.html