I made this the other day, and it was the easiest, cheapest thing ever
Mac n' Cheese with hot dogs and peas
Ingredients:
One box of mac n' cheese (cheap, kraft style)
A little extra cheese of your choice, shredded
2 hot dogs (I prefer all beef, but if you're really broke, the mystery meat ones!)
Frozen peas, as much as you like
Fix the mac n cheese according to the way you like it. I recommend a little more butter and milk that you would normally use for this version. While the noodles are cooking, microwave the hot dogs for one minute and then cut into small chunks. About 1 minute before the pasta is done, add the peas to the boiling water to warm through. Drain. After you add the milk, butter and that cheesy packet stuff, add more cheese and melt in slowly over low heat. Add the hot dogs. Mix. Eat. Enjoy.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Great Broke Food, Chapter 2
My mother has made this casserole as long as I can remember. It looks kinda weird, but its really good!
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (or you could use turkey)
1 can chicken noodle soup
1 can cream of chicken or cream of celery soup
1/2 C rice (any kind)
1 1/2 C chow mein noodles
1 1/2 soup cans water
Brown meat. Drain off fat. Add all ingredients in roaster or dutch oven. Reserve about 1/2 C of the chow mein noodles to sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
Note: I usually throw in some sort of veggie mix too, but this is optional.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (or you could use turkey)
1 can chicken noodle soup
1 can cream of chicken or cream of celery soup
1/2 C rice (any kind)
1 1/2 C chow mein noodles
1 1/2 soup cans water
Brown meat. Drain off fat. Add all ingredients in roaster or dutch oven. Reserve about 1/2 C of the chow mein noodles to sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
Note: I usually throw in some sort of veggie mix too, but this is optional.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Great broke food, chapter 1
One can of tomato soup ( I use low salt)
Salsa of your choice (today I had Herdez's verde)
Red pepper flake
1/2 can of milk
Mix these and cook until warm. Add shredded sharp cheddar on top. Crush tortilla chips in the soup. Voila! Good broke food.
Salsa of your choice (today I had Herdez's verde)
Red pepper flake
1/2 can of milk
Mix these and cook until warm. Add shredded sharp cheddar on top. Crush tortilla chips in the soup. Voila! Good broke food.
Cannon River Winery
Last weekend, we visited Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls, MN.
When you go there, there is a mini self-guided tour of their showroom space that covers their wine making process. Actual tours of the vineyard, which is located a few miles away, are sporadic.
Of course, we tasted wines here. For tasting, you have two choices. You can taste their basic wines for $5, or you can pay $7 and taste their reserve varieties as well. Because they were out of one of the three reserve wines, I decided to just do the basic taste. An interesting fact is that this winery creates a white and a red wine for Mancini's Char House in St. Paul. However, you can buy them at the winery too.
I won't comment on every wine I tasted, but I will give you my overall opinion and highlight my favorites. All in all, I enjoyed their white wines more than their reds. This winery, like many minnesotan ones, uses a lot of Minnesota frontenac and foch grapes. These add a slight bitterness that I am not very fond of, which is especially noticeable in red wines because of their higher tannin level.
My three favorite wines:
1) St. Pepin: This one uses a Minnesota St. Pepin grape. Its very light, and has a nose of citrus fruits. The flavor is dry with a citrus flavor as well. This is very light and pleasant to drink.
2) Sogn blanc: This uses the Minnesota Edelweiss grape, which I think is my new favorite! The nose of this wine is sweet like peach and mango, and the flavor is very soft, delicate and sweet in the mouth. I have never had anything like this. I can't even describe the pleasure I had in drinking it.
3) Gunflint red: This red is sweet rather than dry. However, the thing that I remember the most is that the nose of the wine smelled to me like caramel. This was nice when mixed with the sweet wine in my mouth. Very unique.
Overall, this winery puts out a great series of wines that I would recommend you try.
When you go there, there is a mini self-guided tour of their showroom space that covers their wine making process. Actual tours of the vineyard, which is located a few miles away, are sporadic.
Of course, we tasted wines here. For tasting, you have two choices. You can taste their basic wines for $5, or you can pay $7 and taste their reserve varieties as well. Because they were out of one of the three reserve wines, I decided to just do the basic taste. An interesting fact is that this winery creates a white and a red wine for Mancini's Char House in St. Paul. However, you can buy them at the winery too.
I won't comment on every wine I tasted, but I will give you my overall opinion and highlight my favorites. All in all, I enjoyed their white wines more than their reds. This winery, like many minnesotan ones, uses a lot of Minnesota frontenac and foch grapes. These add a slight bitterness that I am not very fond of, which is especially noticeable in red wines because of their higher tannin level.
My three favorite wines:
1) St. Pepin: This one uses a Minnesota St. Pepin grape. Its very light, and has a nose of citrus fruits. The flavor is dry with a citrus flavor as well. This is very light and pleasant to drink.
2) Sogn blanc: This uses the Minnesota Edelweiss grape, which I think is my new favorite! The nose of this wine is sweet like peach and mango, and the flavor is very soft, delicate and sweet in the mouth. I have never had anything like this. I can't even describe the pleasure I had in drinking it.
3) Gunflint red: This red is sweet rather than dry. However, the thing that I remember the most is that the nose of the wine smelled to me like caramel. This was nice when mixed with the sweet wine in my mouth. Very unique.
Overall, this winery puts out a great series of wines that I would recommend you try.
Little Oscar's
Last weekend I visited Little Oscar's Restaurant in Hampton, Mn.
This is a great little diner located of highway 52. Its a small place, with all the accoutrements of any small town diner, PLUS, a little electric train that goes around the dining room. It also reminds me of the mom n' pop places of my childhood in Iowa, with those little wooden and peg brain teaser games on the tables, except now all those games have their website listed for purchase.
But I digress....
The food we has was spectacular. I ordered the crispy chicken wrap with a cup of chili. The chili was sweet and thick. Tomatoey and very tasty. The wrap was excellent too. Used chopped rather than shredded lettuce, and it had the right ratio of lettuce to the other ingredients. And a good price too, only 7.89 for all of that.
I cannot remember the sandwich my husband ordered, but it came with mashed potatoes. They were GOOD. Real mashed potatoes with the thick beef gravy that comes standard at any roadside diner.
This was a great experience! I will totally return here again when I am on the road.
This is a great little diner located of highway 52. Its a small place, with all the accoutrements of any small town diner, PLUS, a little electric train that goes around the dining room. It also reminds me of the mom n' pop places of my childhood in Iowa, with those little wooden and peg brain teaser games on the tables, except now all those games have their website listed for purchase.
But I digress....
The food we has was spectacular. I ordered the crispy chicken wrap with a cup of chili. The chili was sweet and thick. Tomatoey and very tasty. The wrap was excellent too. Used chopped rather than shredded lettuce, and it had the right ratio of lettuce to the other ingredients. And a good price too, only 7.89 for all of that.
I cannot remember the sandwich my husband ordered, but it came with mashed potatoes. They were GOOD. Real mashed potatoes with the thick beef gravy that comes standard at any roadside diner.
This was a great experience! I will totally return here again when I am on the road.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque
http://www.smalleysbbq.com/
I visited Smalley's this evening and I enjoyed it very much. I have passed the place many times while visiting Stillwater, MN without giving it much thought. Then, I read this article in Minnesota monthly that made me give the place a try. This is a pirate themed bar with a 6 page rum menu. It's good fun.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the food and libations I had there. I started out with a drink called a "dark and stormy" which was made from ginger beer, lime and rum. VERY GOOD. I could drink these all night. Then, we got the plaintain and tortilla chip appetizer with queso and habanero salsa. Good! I love plantain chips, and these were good. The habanero salsa was hot, but tolerable.
Then came dinner. Mmmmmm. I ordered the coal fired pork shoulder plate, and my husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich. When you order meats here, you can have them made regular barbeque style, or jamaican jerk style. Go for the jerk. Its amazing. An interesting fact is that all the meats at Smalley's (and all true jerk meats) are smoked over pimento wood, which was banned from import to the U.S. until recently. Smalley's importer for the wood is a minnesota company!
My pork shoulder was very good, and an ample, but not overwhelming portion. The meat iself had a mild favor, and is served unsauced, with jerk and bbq sauces you can use at the table. The meat by itself was moist and spicy, with very little fat. The sides I chose were pork and beans and macaroni and cheese. The beans in this side were an afterthought! But still very good. The mac n' cheese was creamy and delicious. It also came with a piece of cornbread that contained some sort of mild green pepper or chile. It was good, but not spicy.
My husband got the pulled pork. It came with a pirate brand in the bun! (see above!) He got the close slaw. Very enjoyable he says.
For dessert we got a "drunken banana chocolate cake." WAY TOO RICH. Share this with 3-4 people if you get it.
I would definitely go back to this place if I was in the Stillwater area.
Cocoa & Fig
http://www.cocoaandfig.com/
A coworker brought in goodies from this bakery, located in Gavidae Common in downtown Minneapolis. Addiction has already set in.
The bakery serves a variety of things, from many types of exquisite cupcakes, to scones, housemade granola, french style macarons, and cake pops!
The macarons were a delight to me and something I have never had before. Essentially, they are a thin, sugar wafer with cream and flavoring in the middle. There are many flavors, most common being chocolate, raspberry, and my fave pistachio! These are unique in that you bite into them and you get immediately a slightly crumbly texture from the wafers breaking up a bit, followed by the creaminess, and then an unexpected chewiness afterward, which you wouldn't expect after the crumbly. These are VERY GOOD and not overly sweet. A must if you visit.
The cake pops are another interesting find. They are covered in EXCELLENT chocolate, and the cake inside is so moist that it just melts in your mouth. They come in chocolate and vanilla. I have had both and I must say that I prefer the vanilla, but both are grand.
The cupcakes are also really good, with a lot of interesting flavors that vary by the days that you visit. Very beautifully designed as well. These would be great for a fancy party.
This place is excellent. Go. Eat macarons. Be thankful you are alive!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Home made Red wine vinegar, Attempt 1: FAIL
I tend to have ends of wine bottles left over after I open them, and I am always sad to dump in down the drain! So I thought I would save them and try to make red wine vinegar with the dregs.
I used the method from here:
http://www.wine-tastings-guide.com/how-to-make-wine-vinegar.html
However, instead of a vessel with a leathery, shiny mother, I got this!
The only thing I can figure out that I did wrong is adding sweet wine. Would that cause this? Any ideas?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Tom Reid Hockey City Pub (St. Paul)
My mother and I went to this restaurant last week and had one of those most disgusting meals that I have had in a long time.
It was a busy night, so I think they had an abbreviated menu, of basic pub style fare for the most part. I ordered a buffalo chicken salad, and my mother ordered ribs, which came with fries.
My salad would have been good but for the sauce. The way it came out was all the greens on top, then a grilled chicken breast, which they then proceeded to DRENCH in buffalo sauce right on top of the salad. It ruined the salad because there was WAY too much of it.
My mother's ribs were "squishy" and the fries were so oversalted with seasoning salt that they were inedible.
I do not recommend this place. Stay home and eat a frozen pizza.
It was a busy night, so I think they had an abbreviated menu, of basic pub style fare for the most part. I ordered a buffalo chicken salad, and my mother ordered ribs, which came with fries.
My salad would have been good but for the sauce. The way it came out was all the greens on top, then a grilled chicken breast, which they then proceeded to DRENCH in buffalo sauce right on top of the salad. It ruined the salad because there was WAY too much of it.
My mother's ribs were "squishy" and the fries were so oversalted with seasoning salt that they were inedible.
I do not recommend this place. Stay home and eat a frozen pizza.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Campiello
Last week was restaurant week. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, one week every march has many of the top restaurants in the Twin Cities offering 3 course prix fixe menus for a low price. Its organized by Minneapolis-St. Paul magazine, to promote visiting a new restaurant.
We decided to visit Campiello, an Italian restaurant located in Eden Prairie.
What I had:
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Roasted chicken with spinach and mushroom risotto
Black Walnut bread pudding with cinnamon gelato
Pat had:
Fried calamari with basil aioli
Hanger steak with yukon gold potatoes
Tiramisu.
The food was wonderful!! The soup I had was flavorful, yet simple. Rich, but not so much that you can't finish. Great with the fresh baked crusty bread they brought.
My entree was orgasmic. The chicken is roasted over a wood fire, so it has a smoky flavor along with the perfectly cooked, juicy chicken. And it was a whole half chicken, so a decent portion! The risotto was perfectly cooked, but a little too buttery for my taste. I like a little more cheese in my risotti, but it was still really good.
But the dessert was the capper. The bread pudding was good, but the cinnamon gelato.... omigod that just set it off so well. Gelato is a richer type of iced dessert that takes on the flavor of what its mixed with so much better than regular ice cream(IMHO), and it is softer than regular ice cream. That part was so good I could have been satisfied with just that!!
Pat enjoyed his meal as well. The calamari were crispy, but not tough, and the batter had a slight kick to it, likely a bit of cayenne pepper that tasted really good with the basil aioli. The steak was perfectly cooked, but what he really enjoyed were the potatoes, which were creamy and cheesy. Tiramisu was adequate.
For restaurant week, these meals were affordable. However, to go to this restaurant on a regular night will be a mite expensive. Perhaps save this for a nice evening out, but I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant.
We decided to visit Campiello, an Italian restaurant located in Eden Prairie.
What I had:
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Roasted chicken with spinach and mushroom risotto
Black Walnut bread pudding with cinnamon gelato
Pat had:
Fried calamari with basil aioli
Hanger steak with yukon gold potatoes
Tiramisu.
The food was wonderful!! The soup I had was flavorful, yet simple. Rich, but not so much that you can't finish. Great with the fresh baked crusty bread they brought.
My entree was orgasmic. The chicken is roasted over a wood fire, so it has a smoky flavor along with the perfectly cooked, juicy chicken. And it was a whole half chicken, so a decent portion! The risotto was perfectly cooked, but a little too buttery for my taste. I like a little more cheese in my risotti, but it was still really good.
But the dessert was the capper. The bread pudding was good, but the cinnamon gelato.... omigod that just set it off so well. Gelato is a richer type of iced dessert that takes on the flavor of what its mixed with so much better than regular ice cream(IMHO), and it is softer than regular ice cream. That part was so good I could have been satisfied with just that!!
Pat enjoyed his meal as well. The calamari were crispy, but not tough, and the batter had a slight kick to it, likely a bit of cayenne pepper that tasted really good with the basil aioli. The steak was perfectly cooked, but what he really enjoyed were the potatoes, which were creamy and cheesy. Tiramisu was adequate.
For restaurant week, these meals were affordable. However, to go to this restaurant on a regular night will be a mite expensive. Perhaps save this for a nice evening out, but I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Brasa!
http://www.brasa.us/
To begin this post, I must say:
GET YOUR SHOES ON AND GO HERE NOW.
Pat and I visited the Brasa located in Northeast Minneapolis this week, and it was AWESOME.
Brasa is a place that serves homestyle latin american food with barbqued meats. You can order individual plates, or larger portions served family style.
You have your choice of five different meats and a variety of excellent side dishes. I chose an individual plate with the pulled chicken, with fried plantains and a corn and cheese cake. NOM! The chicken was tnder and juicy and delicious, with a light sauce that didn't overpower, but just added a nice zing to the chicken. The fried plantains were a surprise. These were sweeter than other plantains I have had, closer to a banana. However, they are served with a green sauce that is sort of salty/creamy/vinergarey/herby that cuts the sweetness and gives a great tangy flavor. I could eat about 10 pounds of these! The corn-cheese cake is a flat corn disk that is covered with cheese, a hot sauce, and fresh cilantro. Very nice. I like the crunchy with the smoothness of the cheese.
Pat had the pulled pork and red beans & rice. The pulled pork was smoky with a citrus-chili marinade to enhance it. The beans and rice were also both perfectly cooked, but a tad bland.
Go here for food, but not atmosphere. This is not a place to go for a fancy dinner. Its a place to go for stick-to-your-ribs food that will leave you more than satisfied. Its a community style place that is great for people watching as well.
Finally, one of the best things about this is that they try to cook as much local food as they can. Its a way to enjoy great tasting nosh and to support local businesses as well. Everybody wins.
To begin this post, I must say:
GET YOUR SHOES ON AND GO HERE NOW.
Pat and I visited the Brasa located in Northeast Minneapolis this week, and it was AWESOME.
Brasa is a place that serves homestyle latin american food with barbqued meats. You can order individual plates, or larger portions served family style.
You have your choice of five different meats and a variety of excellent side dishes. I chose an individual plate with the pulled chicken, with fried plantains and a corn and cheese cake. NOM! The chicken was tnder and juicy and delicious, with a light sauce that didn't overpower, but just added a nice zing to the chicken. The fried plantains were a surprise. These were sweeter than other plantains I have had, closer to a banana. However, they are served with a green sauce that is sort of salty/creamy/vinergarey/herby that cuts the sweetness and gives a great tangy flavor. I could eat about 10 pounds of these! The corn-cheese cake is a flat corn disk that is covered with cheese, a hot sauce, and fresh cilantro. Very nice. I like the crunchy with the smoothness of the cheese.
Pat had the pulled pork and red beans & rice. The pulled pork was smoky with a citrus-chili marinade to enhance it. The beans and rice were also both perfectly cooked, but a tad bland.
Go here for food, but not atmosphere. This is not a place to go for a fancy dinner. Its a place to go for stick-to-your-ribs food that will leave you more than satisfied. Its a community style place that is great for people watching as well.
Finally, one of the best things about this is that they try to cook as much local food as they can. Its a way to enjoy great tasting nosh and to support local businesses as well. Everybody wins.