Mojo Chicken Nachos

As a housewarming gift my parents got my wife and I a Weber grill. We christened the grill on Sunday with a couple Mojo (Pronounced: Mo-Joe) marinated flap steaks and on Monday I used the remaining mojo marinade on some boneless chicken thighs. Rather than grilling up some corn tortillas and having chicken tacos, I took the nacho route. Cheddar cheese, mojo grilled chicken thighs, and the left over salsa verde that I also made on Sunday resulted in a solid dinner. Let me break down the mojo marinade and the salsa verde for you:

Mojo marinade - fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, olive oil, salt, fresh garlic, fresh jalapeno, and cilantro all blasted in a food processor. Next time I need to add a splash of white vinegar to balance out the citrus.

I made a mild and hot salsa verde. Started out with some pablano peppers, tomatillos, red onion, a jalapeno, and a habanero on the grill to char them up a bit. For the milder salsa, I mixed the grilled tomatillos, pablanos (stem and most seeds removed), and red onion in a food processor. For the hotter salsa, I added the jalapeno and habanero to half of the milder salsa and pulsed it in the food processor. The salsa was great, but next time I need to add some salt and a little fresh lime.

Weber Genesis E-310

Those Thighs

Nachos baking on the grill

Chicken Wings

This past Sunday I had some chicken wings in the freezer that I needed to get rid of so I cooked up a quick batch for lunch. I didn't not have any propane for the new grill that had just gotten delivered so I opted to bake these. I threw them in a bowl and tossed them with some garlic powder, cayenne, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and some seasoned salt. To get them as crispy as possible I backed them skin side down on a rack placed in a foil line baking sheet for 20 minutes at 400, and then flipped them and baked for an additional 20 minutes. Now the skin doesn't crisp up like it does with a deep fried wing, but it is pretty close. Nothing compares to a great batch of buffalo wings, but I will take these any day.

The Great Dane Pub - Madison, WI

I have been away for a while, life has been pretty busy over the past year and I can fill you in on the details later.  I figured I would throw up a post real quick to get back in the swing of things.

During the 2010 college football season, my fiance (now my wife) and I flew out to the University of Wisconsin (her alma mater) for the Wisconsin vs. Ohio State football game.  We met my brother out there who drove from MN.  We arrived in town on Friday night and Sarah suggested the Great Dane Pub.  Great bar with great beers and food.  Started out with a few sampler trays of beer and to figure out what we were thirsty for and then ordered pints.  Once the buzz kicked, the food followed.  Pictured below are are the Applewood Bacon Burger which I dominated and a burger with grilled onions and a beer cheese sauce which Sarah enjoyed.  My brother ordered the hummus platter which I have elected not to show.

Except for puking on my shoes on Friday night and OSU getting slaughtered on Saturday, the trip was a success and I can't wait to get back there again.

- Lunch Pail

Pulled Pork w/ Mac & Cheese

What better way to kick off the Super Bowl XLV weekend of gluttony than with some pulled pork and mac n' cheese for lunch, although I will admit, I only got a half order of lunch to minimize the punishment by body will take on Sunday.

For not having a smoker in the cafeteria, the guys downstairs did a pretty good on the pork, although it was a bit saucy.  I added a drizzle of hot sauce and ranch dressing for some additional layers of flavor.  The mac and cheese did not meet the expectations I had for it.  It looked great in the pan, almost homemade with a bread crumb topping.  When I was able to have a closer look prior to my first bite I realized it was nothing more than boxed macaroni and cheese made with that cheese slop embellished with a bread crumb topping.  Thumbs down for the mac and cheese, but for a $4 lunch I get too upset.

- Lunch Pail



The Joe Mentalino

Turkey and provolone can get pretty old quick when you bring it to work for lunch a few days a week, every week.  So today I made some moves and turned the ordinary turkey and cheese to a legit sandwich contender.

I brought in a half of a tomato that I had left over.  I didn't want to put it directly on the sandwich when I made it because after 4.5 hrs in the fridge it would get a little mushod.  Next, I went downstairs to the cafeteria and noticed they had roasted whole jalapenos.  I grabbed a couple of those along with some salt and pepper and a mayo packet knowing they would be a great addition.  Prior to recreating the sandwich, I disassembled it and toasted the bread.  Most sandwiches, especially those on sliced bread taste better toasted.  Finally I put the sandwich back together in the following order, because the proper layering of a sandwich is key.  Slice of toasted bread, hickory smoked turkey, provolone, sliced tomato, salt, roasted jalapeno, mayo, pepper, toast.

After two bites of the sandwich, I had an instant feeling in my stomach.  I immediately thought if this was how Joe Mentalino, the character in Dumb and Dumber with the stomach ulcer, felt after taking a bite of his burger.  That didn't stop me from finishing it though.  I battled through it, it was delicious.  So far, I have no regrets.

- Lunch Pail

Joe Mentalino on the left

The Joe Mentalino

Baked Wings

With the Super Bowl coming up, I thought I would share some wings that I made a while back when visiting my brother in MN.  My sister-in-law found this crazy way to make wings and wanted to try it, so we did.  First, you steam the wings for ten minutes, then you place them on a drying rack with a sheet pan underneath, and place them in the fridge for an hour.  The refrigeration process is so the chicken can dry which should result in a crispier wing after they are baked.  Once they were dried in the fridge, we baked them in the oven.  They came out ok, no different than any other baked wings that I have made before, and if you don't have extra room in the fridge, this method could be a pain.

I served the wings two ways, traditional buffalo style with hot sauce and butter and an Asian style.  The Asian style consisted of all things Asian I was able to find in my brothers fridge with a tough of BBQ and butter.  I enjoyed them both, but everyone else preferred the buffalo style.

My personal beliefs on wings.  1) Deep frying should be the only way to make wings.  Baking doesn't make them any healthier, and they can never match the quality of deep frying. 2) When making wings at home, buy a package of whole chicken wings and split the flat from the drumette yourself.  The frozen bags of raw wings are the worst, and the size of the pre-split wings that come in a package tend to be smaller than wings that you have to split on your own.

- Lunch Pail

Fresh Pies

This year for Christmas I got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, the Professional 600.  It is pretty bad ass.  Figured I would put it to use this weekend and make some fresh pies.  I used to make fresh pies in college, but I was never thrilled with how the dough would come out.  I recently found a recipe for cold fermented dough and decided to give it a try.  Unlike most yeast doughs, the recipe called for ice water and after the kneading process it proofed in the fridge for 24 hours.  Came out great, better than any dough I've ever made. 

I made one pie with some sauteed portabello mushrooms.  Seegs made the second pie which had roasted garlic as the 'sauce' and was topped with caramelized onions and goat cheese.

- Lunch pail

Snowed In Breakfast

Another beauty from Bad Gorilla....

"BG here with a wonderful snow day creation.  I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted, but I have been reading and eating this whole time.  Got 24 inches of snow yesterday, so I stocked up and made myself a wonderful breakfast sandwich to start off a day of working from home and shoveling out.  Started off making an egg and cheese omelet and folded it up to fit the shape of a Portuguese roll.  Base of the roll had 2 slices of boars head ham, a handful of hot peppers, about 5-6 slices of fresh maple bacon, the egg/cheese omelet, topped off with 2 slices of pepper jack cheese.  Breakfast heaven….mmmmmm"

Matt's Bar - Minneapolis, MN

Matt' Bar, home of the original Jucy Lucy, is phenomenal.  It is better than the Juicy Lucy at the just as famous 5-8 Club.  It is fair to compare the burgers of the two establishments, but after that they are completely different.  5-8 turned into a mini chain restaurant with 3 locations and offers an extensive menu with a closed kitchen.  Matt's Bar on the other hand is a classic dimly lit dive bar that has the griddle right behind the bar and the menu hung on the wall.  The burger was Delicious.  It came on a fresh bun, with diced grilled onions and crisp pickles.  The patties was cooked perfectly and had a great crust seared on it from the flat top.  The American cheese was plentiful and steamed while it oozed out of the center of the burger.

When looking for a Jucy Lucy in Minneapolis, head to Matt's.

- Lunch Pail

The Menu

The Griddle

Lucy

Tasty

Lions Tap - Eden Prairie, MN

Prior to a recent trip to Minnesota for work, my older brother told me he found a burger that is better than both Matt's bar and the 5-8 Club, both of which have been featured on the Travel Channel.  Knowing how good the 5-8 Juicy Lucy was and how great Matt's Juicy Lucy was, I found it hard to believe that he found a better burger.

The menu at Lions Tap is simple, 4 or 5 types of burgers that can be ordered as a single or a double and french fries (big ups to crinkle cut).  I was told the burgers were small and to order 2.  I decided to go with the classic single cheese burger with grilled onions and pickles (decent), and a single bacon cheeseburger with pickles (delicious).  The bacon cheeseburger was great.  The patty was cooked to a nice medium on the flat top with a good outer crust.  The bacon was spectacular and added great flavor to the burger.  I was really impressed with the McDonald's style bun.  This was such a simple burger and it was the best bacon cheeseburger that I have ever had. 

I can't make a bold claim and say that Lions Tap is better than Matt's Bar.  They are two different styles of burgers.  If I were in the mood for a hot, oozy cheese burger I would belly up at Matt's Bar, but if I wanted a classic bacon burger and an ice cold root beer, I would head to the Lions Tap. 

- Lunch Pail

Ravioli Scarpariello

Quick little dinner I put together a few weeks ago.  I am a big fan of scarpariello sauce, but didn't feel like having it the traditional way with chicken, so I used some delicious ravioli.  I sauteed up some hot sausage (out of the casing), cherry peppers, onions, and olive oil until it was cooked nice.  Then I hit it with some some white wine until it reduced a little bit, and the added some chicken broth and a dribble of the vinegar from the cherry pepper jar.  Let it boil for a couple of minutes in the pan until I added the cooked ravioli.

It turned out to be a great meal, I just wish I had made more of it.

Ravioli Slider

I don't mean to name drop, but...

Teitel Brothers Cheese and Parsley Sausage, Rockland Bakery mini roll, Borgatti's Ravioli.

It was as delicious as it looks.

- Lunch Pail

Ravioli Sandwich

Swift 'n EZ Nacho Platter

What do you call a platter that is not yours.....Nacho Platter!

Here is a submission from an old college roommate of mine, Mr. Timothy A. Swift.  Mr. Swift has been making nacho platters and breaking hearts since 1982.  It seems like he has stepped his game up since college though, ditching the standard ground beef nacho platter and upping the ante with jerk rubbed New York strip steak, with grilled peppers and onions.  It is nice to see he stuck to his roots though with keeping the standard Swift like toppings of black beans, some fresh pico, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.  I would also like to point out the precision placement of the sour cream and gauc globs.  Great nachos start with the proper and even distribution of toppings.

Well done Swift.

- Lunch Pail

Swift 'n EZ Steak Fajita Nachos

The McRib is Back!

Rumor has it that the beloved McRib sandwich will be back for a limited time starting November 2nd.  Nothing screams delicious more than a molded boneless rib patty smothered in BBQ sauce and topped with raw onions and pickles.  I remember back in the day, when the Flintstones movie with my my John Goodman in it, was released, I would crush a McRib every time I had the chance at Mickey's.  The McRib to this day, still remains my all time favorite McDonald's sandwich.  Hopefully it is still as good as it was back in '94.

- Lunch Pail

General Haresh's Chicken

Like General Jensen's, General Haresh is a spin on the classic General Tso's.  I have never eaten curry prior to dating my fiance, but since then, it has become a favorite of mine and I figure I would try to incorporate a new favorite of mine, with a classic chinese dish that I have been crushing for years.  General Haresh's Chicken is General Tso's style chicken, but with curry sauce and onions.  The curry sauce is much spicier than the standard Tso's sauce and the onions are a great addition.  The fine folks at Young's Chinese Kitchen, who operate the cleanest Chinese take out restaurant I have ever stepped foot in, were able to make my General Haresh idea into a reality.

If you are looking to eat a good curry dish outside of an Indian or Thai restaurant, give General Harsesh's Chicken a try. 

- Lunch Pail

Snow Natural Soda

I was recently sent a case of Snow Natural Soda and was asked if I would sample it and write up a review about it in the blog. 

Snow Soda is a natural soda with loaded with vitamin C and the B's.  It is  sweetened with natural cane sugar.  Currently Snow comes in three flavors, Cola, Lemon Line, and Cranberry PomRazz, with a diet lemon lime, sweetened with Stevia, soon on the way.  Snow soda can be found in most supermarkets in CT and is sold by the can (12oz) for $1.25 - $1.50 or by the 12-pack on Amazon for $12.99.

Personally prefer seltzer over soda, but I figured I would give it a try.  All three were sweet and tasted just like regular soda, except they seemed to be less carbonated (the ingredient list states, "lightly carbonated water").  Personally I am a fan of carbonation because it results in some good burps.  Of the three flavors, my fiance and I preferred the lemon lime.  The cola seemed very sweet and the Cranberry was not too enjoyable.  It might taste better mixed with some vodka and cranberry juice.

If you are a soda drinker, give it a shot.  12 ounces of Snow soda and a fistful of Flintstone vitamins is a great defense against the upcoming flu season.

For more information on Snow beverages, check out their website: http://www.snowbeverages.com/

-Lunch Pail

Chili Mac - Mark's Downtown Coney - Ann Arbor, MI

The chili mac from Mark's Downtown Coney in Ann Arbor was a filling and enjoyable lunch that ranks high in the "Good Slop" category.  The chili mac was a plate of spaghetti, topped with shredded cheddar cheese and chili.  I spiced it up with some raw onion and Frank's Red Hot.  I was unable to twirl the spaghetti with a fork, so I opted for the shovel method by cross cutting it and mixing it all together to the perfect slop consistency and then sent it down south.

Mark's Downtown is a great place if you are in the mood for some grease for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  I recommend the chili mac, but I also saw the griddle cook making some reuben's, blt's, coney dogs, and omelets that all looked delicious.

- Lunch Pail

Fresh Plate of Some Chili Mac

Soft Boiled Slider

With a bunch of mini hard rolls left over from the Rockland Bakery, I decided to make myself some mini breakfast sadnwiches a few weekends ago.  A quick note, Rockland Bakery makes the best hard rolls and everyone should experience them.  It turns a good sandwich, into a great sandwich.

Not wanting to deal with the mess of a frying pan, I soft boiled two eggs, and toasted up the rolls and turkey sausage.  I soft boiled the eggs for 5 1/2 minutes, resulting in solid whites and a thich and creamy yolk.  A few cranks of black pepper and some ketchup topped off a quick and easy clean up breakfast.

- Lunch Pail

Open Face

Finished Product

Bradford's Grill and Tavern, Stamford, CT

Bradford's Grill and Tavern has the best wings in Stamford.  Buffalo Wild Wings, Vinnie's Backyard, SBC, Bobby V's, and Tiernan's are all bottom shelf compared to Bradford's.  

They offer 50 cent wings during happy hour and 30 cent wings on Wednesday's with the purchase of a $3 beverage.  I use to go there on Wednesday nights when I lived in Stamford for a couple of beers and a plate of wings.  I miss doing this and should probably stick around after work one week and crush some wings.  My flavor of choice is the Super Hot, although occasionally, they don't sauce them enough, like the picture below.

- Lunch Pail

Order of 10 Super Hot

Captain's Table - Monroe, NY

Best buffalo wings in America.  Big, crispy, saucy, delicious, and great bleu cheese.

Bowl of 10