Boxed Macaroni Grill

JP made me some delicious pasta last night that came from a box! It was Macaroni Grill's Creamy Basil Pasta. We added shrimp, fresh spinach, and red bell pepper and enjoyed a glass of 2009 Alexander Valley Vineyard Cabernet. The entire meal was so scrumptious that we finished the entire meal between the 2 of us! It's a way of making a quick meal that is also price friendly. I highly recommend making this... Don't let the box trick u!

FuFu got a new menu!

JP and I have always been major fans of FuFu in Bellaire... In fact, I'm sure you can find an earlier entry about FuFu.
FuFu is open late which is really great for us since we work in the restaurant industry and get out hungry past 10 and 11pm. FuFu is open til 3am!
Before the new menu, JP and I would order the same entree every.single.te! They even approached our table knowing what we were going to order, "Mongolian beef with Chinese broccoli with wonton soup."
Then they came out with a new menu that includes pictures of each item listed and we branched out. We have tried each kind of clam and mussel dish that they have and it has become part of our regular ordering since I am obsessed with seafood! JP still orders his Mongolian beef with Chinese broccoli and they even added Vietnamese Eggrolls... Which if you have never had you should really give them a try... DELICIOUS! I took a few pics of our visit last night and as usual it was great!
The pics will include the Vietnamese Eggrolls and the Clams with Black Bean Sauce.
If you ever get a chance to try FuFu let me know! It's low prices and delicious food will have you thanking me for years!

Happy Eating,

Chez Beignets

So JP and I were craving some beignets last night and it was pretty late so I start calling up some places to find one.
We ended up going to Chez Beignets in Bellaire. It was really great and the prices super low.
We got a 1/2 order finger beignets and one regular beignet as well as some hot tea for our sore throats. The total came out to about $12 and we really enjoyed ourselves. We decided right then that Chez Beignets would become a regular hangout for us.
Great snack, low prices, and a comfortable atmosphere.

Let me know if you know of a better beignet place in Houston or your experience at Chez Beignets!

Happy Eating,

CILANTRO LIME SHRIMP

I found this recipe online and had to give it a try! I just absolutely love all seafoods, especially shrimp! I am always trying to cook lots of shrimp just because it is inexpensive and I feel like it is relatively healthy.

This next recipe is actually one of those healthy recipes so if you are on a diet or health-kick this recipe is one you can try, enjoy, and I think it would be perfect with any side. The shrimp can put on a salad, into a pasta, as a main dish with a couple of side dishes… or really however you like. The first time I made this I ate it just as and the second time I put it on a caesar salad. Both were excellent.

Hope you enjoy!

CILANTRO LIME SHRIMP

INGREDIENTS: (4 servings)
2 tsp olive oil
2 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan, when hot add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper.
2. When the shrimp is cooked on one side, about 2 minutes, turn over and add garlic. Sauté another minute or two until shrimp is cooked, careful not to overcook. 3. Remove from heat.
4. Squeeze lime all over shrimp and toss with cilantro.
5. Serve hot.

Don’t forget to tell me what you think once you try it out! And if you have any suggestions on recipes or have anything to say please don’t be shy!

HAPPY EATING!

GINGER AND CILANTRO BAKED TILAPIA

My favorite fish is tilapia. I am always looking for new tilapia recipes when I came across one on Pinterest.com that just blew my mind away! This recipe is not only one that you must try, but I promise it will end up being one you will make over and over again!

When I first decided to make this dish I was a little reluctant since it called for 'ginger' and I am not too familiar with cooking with that ingredient. I decided to go for the meal anyway just because it looked so great in the picture and I had a few tilapias just waiting to be cooked!

(The original recipe came from http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-ginger-and-cilantro-baked-tilapia-024737)

My version of this amazing recipe is as follows... plus as I always say... when you find a great recipe WRITE IT DOWN! you never know when/if a website might disappear.

GINGER AND CILANTRO BAKED TILAPIA
serves 2, or 1 with leftovers

2 large fillets (I use the frozen packaged kind from Kroger or WalMart)
1 jalapeno pepper (this gives it the perfect amount of spicy!)
3 garlic cloves (I had actually used a 1/3 cup amount bc I misread the recipe and it still turned out great!)
1 inch grated ginger (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine (I used a chardonney that I wouldnt mind drinking the rest later)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Green onions, chopped for garnish
Extra cilantro, to garnish

Heat the oven to 475F. Pat the fish dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish.

Chop the pepper and garlic, and grate the ginger. Put in a small food processor with the soy sauce, white wine, and cilantro. Whir unitl blended. Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through.

Serve immediately over brown rice, garnished with chives and cilantro.

I served this meal on a bed of Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil. Which was actually my firs time cooking Uncle Ben's rice and it was so great! The rice alone is just so full of flavor, soft, moist, a perfect fit for this entree.
I also prepared Sauteed Garlic Spinach as another side. I always love this side dish.

Upon eating the meal I was very nervous because I forgot to buy a back-up meal. (I always prepare myself!) But this meal was spot on amazing. It blew my mind how jam-packed full of flavor this fish had. Every bite was another treat for my taste-buds and I was very excited about my extra fish I had prepared. NOW I HAD A GREAT LUNCH FOR TOMORROW! I had the leftovers the next day and again, amazing. I even reheated it in the microwave which is something I try not to do very often.

This recipe is def going to be one for the books! I shared it with my sister-in-law who plans on making this dish as well. I will update this entry when I find out her opinion of it!

Let me know if you try this recipe! And when you do share your pics and comments!

HAPPY EATING!

she's a VEGAN-izer.

So I have these 2 incredible friends (Sarah and Ryan Patterson) who have recently decided to go Vegan. I myself am too much in love with Milk, eggs, meat, butter, seafood, etc. to ever go vegan. So because of my lack of ever wanting to be vegan I have never ever made a Vegan meal in my life. Well Sarah & Ryan were in town and I decided to make us a Vegan meal. I was very weary of the idea, I was even trying to come up with some backup meal (you know when you burn dinner you order pizza...?) but pizza has cheese and that is not vegan. so I couldn't even think of a backup meal... so this dinner had to be good!

I went to Kroger and bought a bunch of veggies. I mean things I have never bought, cooked, or even thought of making. Afterwards I looked online for eggplant ideas. I have cooked eggplant before and knew that about "sweating" them but the dishes I have made before were vegetarian, not vegan. The recipes online called for items I have never heard of, time constraints that I didn't have, and to be honest, I wanted to use what I already had... so long story short, I just decided to just throw something together. Then I tried to find vegan stuffed mushrooms. I actually found a recipe online that looked easy, had great reviews, and I had all the items required. (That recipe is at: http://www.veganpiggy.com/2010/05/vegan-stuffed-mushrooms.html) and my side dish I had already thought up. It was time to get busy in the kitchen!

So my menu ended up being Baked eggplant with spinach, tomato sauce, topped with sprouts; stuffed mushrooms; and a vegetable medley side dish. When I make this next comment I am not trying to be cocky whatsoever about my cooking skills but DANG! if being vegan taste like this then sign me up! haha Seriously... this meal was stellar. It was so good in fact that I made it again for lunch and have even considered trying to go vegan just because its a healthier choice. have I officially gone mad??

Stuffed Mushrooms:
the recipe is under the link above. but since I didn't use all 1.5lbs I will go ahead and list my recipe. besides, who knows if that recipe will somehow get lost in the future. and this recipe is one you def don't want to lose!

6 baby portobello mushrooms (2 for each person, although they were so good that I probably should have made more!)
bread crumbs (I used whole wheat ones... and I didn't measure... I just kind of added what I felt looked good)
extra virgin olive oil (again, sorry, I just don't measure things)
I took my red onion, chopped up about 1/5 of it
I used more garlic since I LOVE garlic... I actually used 3 cloves (1 pressed, 1 chopped, 1 sliced)
sea salt (didn't measure just sprinkled it)
dried parsley (not fresh only because I didn't have it and again, not exact measure)
dried basil (no exact measure again)
(on the parsley and basil I just sprinkle what I think looks good... you will see on most of my recipes I just don't measure things... I apologize if it is an inconvenience)

Preheat oven 375 F.

Remove stems from mushroom caps and chop them up and set aside.
Sautee chopped up red onion and garlic with olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes.
Add chopped mushroom stems, salt, basil, parsley, and bread crumbs and stir together in the skillet for about 2-3 minutes.
(be sure not to add too much bread crumbs or they will be dry... add slowly and discreetly)
Bake for 30-45 minutes, keep on eye that they don't get too brown. Crispy on top is good!


BAKED EGGPLANT:

1 medium eggplant (sliced lengthway 1/4 inch and then "sweated" them for an hour- sweated will be described later)
2 tomatoes sliced 1/5 inch- you can slice them however large or small you want
1/2 bundle of fresh spinach sauteed with sprinkle of salt (very lite on the salt!!)
1- 8oz can of Hunt's tomato sauce
dried basil (just a few sprinkles)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp of Nature's Seasoning (the measurement is an educated guess of what I think I used)
spicy sprouts
bread crumbs
extra olive oil (or water)

Preheat oven 375 F

On medium heat stir together your 8oz can of tomato sauce, basil, bay leaf, and nature's seasoning for 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to Lo and let it simmer while you work on other parts of your menu.

I took my already "sweated" eggplants and patted them dry with a paper towel.
I used extra virgin olive oil and dipped them in that and then dipped them in the bread crumbs.
I placed them on a non-stick cooking tray and placed them in the oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes take out the eggplant and add your tomato, spinach, a spoonful of tomato sauce (you don't need too much), and top with some spicy sprouts.

Place in the oven for 30-45 minutes.

WHAT IS "SWEATING" AN EGGPLANT?

After cutting up your eggplant place each slice on a paper towel and add sea salt to both sides. Let this sit for about an hour. You will notice it to sweat (i.e. a watery discharge will appear). This makes the eggplant taste less bitter and your meal will be even more fantastic. About 1/2way through I flip them over onto new paper towels.
You can see how other people do it online by googling it.



VEGETABLE MEDLEY:

1 squash (sliced)
1 zucchini (sliced)
1/2 head of broccoli crowns
extra virgin olive oil (or water)
7spice seasoning (sprinkle in a nice amount, not too little, not too much) -sorry for no exact measurement
(I added asparagus the next day.... just 4 of them... you can use whatever veggies you prefer)

On lo-med heat stir in all of the ingredients.
I place a lid on top and watch it to stir it around.
This should be made last and at the very end. Shouldn't need to be cooked for more than 7 minutes. tops.

ENJOY THE MEAL!

Let me know what you think!!!

THE CLAY PIT IN ATX

So on my mini-circle of Texas trip I was in ATX. I had talked to a guy who told me about how Austin had many Food Trailers and that I could find just about anything including Indian Food. So when JP was getting Franklin Barbeque I kept my hunger pains for an Indian Trailer... which ended up being closed. I was completely bummed out and ended up NOT enjoying the pizza I had decided on. Later that night we were trying to decide what to eat and like we always do we were looking up online foods to eat in Austin that had great ratings. We couldn't decide what we wanted to eat and I was like ya know... I still want my Indian Food. The Indian Trailer I wanted to try wasn't open at all on Tuesdays and so JP found The Clay Pit. It had great ratings online and so we decided we would eat there. Upon arriving the outside of the building was nothing what we expected... although I am not sure what we really expected haha... I love the building it is in. We were sat in a back room, given water, and we looked through the menu. I hate that I can't remember our servers name but she was a doll and totally on top of things, I had many questions about the menu and she was super informative, and she had greeted us with a smile and told us that the wines were 1/2 priced up to $90. Before she told us that I don't think we would have ordered anything but water... but we love wine and so we decided to take a look. We ended up choosing a 2006 Jordan Cabernet that is regularly priced at $85 but on Mondays and Tuesdays for 1/2 price that would lower it to $42.50- which is the lowest price I have seen yet- you can't even go into Specs without paying $46.95! So it was a steal of a deal and quite delicious too! They served us with this flat bread chip like thing haha along side a green and red sauce... I also wish I had the name of that as well... for it was tasty! We ordered the crab cake appetizer which came out nicely with a delicious green sauce. The crab cake was an Indian perfection. Which I am not sure I should say. I say it is an "Indian perfection" only because when we were served I was quite ecstatic but JP was a little bummed out. He was expecting a traditional crab cake; however, I had no expectations since Indian food really isn't something I eat very often. We both agreed it tasted great.... I like to say that they took the traditional crab cake and made it their own because the seasonings and overall taste was just not something you usually get in a crab cake. LOVED them... and that sauce it was accompanied with was heavenly. As for our entrees I chose the Vindaloo which from their menu describes it as " a zesty curry sauce cooked with onions, bell peppers & potatoes, infused with paprika & tamarind chutney". I ordered this with the lamb and the temperature Hot, and I was quite impressed with it all. JP ordered the Rack of Lamb Medium which was packed with flavor and more tender than a filet! I have tried lamb before from other restaurants and never really enjoyed it but the Clay Pit knows exactly how to prepare lamb so that it melts in your mouth and has you begging for more. Def best lamb I have had and Indian food. We are def going to go back next time we are in Austin. We aren't much for desserts so we passed on that but we were so impressed with everything from the food to the wine and the service and the water lady! When we got our bill of $85 we were shocked- this great of a meal and only $85!?! We will be back again. And you all should def go there soon!

FRANKLIN BBQ IN AUSTIN, TX

HI! So I took a mini-circle of the Texas and ate at some GREAT places and only one NOT so great place.
So ATX has a large amount of Food Trailers and so I wanted to check some out... one that was once a food trailer and within 4 months became so big that they were selling out of food before 1pm! I talked to a guy who told me about this place, which is now a restaurant, called Franklin BBQ. It has been voted BEST BBQ IN THE UNITED STATES! So we went to this place and the line was out the door with a waiting time of 1 hour! IT MUST BE GOOD! So we waited the one hour wait as well and it was well worth that wait! Inside Franklin BBQ they have framed all the magazines they have been published in... it lined the walls! This place is not only reasonably priced, friendly, and amazing... but also stayed true to it's roots of being once a Food Trailer! This place is a must try for those who love BBQ and for those who do not love it. I am one who is not usually a fan of BBQ, in fact, when we decided to eat here, JP, was the one who was going to eat here and I wanted to try an Indian Food Trailer... After he got his food and we were sitting down, he of course allowed me to taste it and it took all that I had not to take his food and make him wait in line again! He ordered the "two-meat plate" of sausage and ribs with side of potato salad and beans. The ribs fell right off the bone, full of flavor, and if you wanted they have different sauces on the tables you can try with your meal. The ribs are so great on their own that they don't even need any of the sauces, however, you must try the sauces with at least one bite! We liked mixing the Espresso sauce (the dark brown one) with the darker red sauce (their are 2 red sauces for which I do not know the names of), but like I said, the ribs are so jam packed full of delicious spices and flavor that you won't even need the sauces to enjoy this dish! I have to say that the potato salad was probably the best side dish here: Melt in your mouth amazing. I love potato salads and this would be, hands down, the best potato salad I have had yet... and I have had quite a bit! In fact, it is so good that I will probably go grab a few quarts of this before Thanksgiving dinner and pull it off as my own haha nah I can't take credit for such deliciousness! The sausage added a nice balance with the ribs and the beans were also great! I haven't tried a thing here that isn't great. We spent about $15 a person including pickled jalapenos and sodas/tea. This place will have you craving it again in no time! We ended up going back the next day before we went to Houston... it's that great!

Have you tried this place? let me know what you thought! Think you have a better BBQ place? tell me where!

EASY MEXICAN CASSEROLE

HI! So it has been quite a while since I have last written in here. I am going to try to keep up with this more. Beginning with something I have in the oven as I type this. Last night I made tacos and since I cook for one having leftover tacos for the next 4 days does not sound very appealing to me, so I decided to make it into a casserole. It is very easy to make and pretty inexpensive and you all can make it into your own unique dish.

INGREDIENTS:
ground beef
taco seasoning
tostitos chips
purple onion (chopped)
avocado (chopped)
tomato (chopped)
sour cream
picante sauce
jalapenos
cheddar cheese
mozzarella cheese
--Remember... you can include or exclude any of the above ingredients, and add what you like... like maybe you enjoy beans, black olives, etc. I didn't put measurements on above because you are just going to layer all of them

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Cook your ground beef and mix in your choice of taco seasoning
Take a pan... mine is 4x6 clear glass... and put in your chips... I crushed mine in my hands as I filled the bottom up until I couldn't see the bottom anymore.
Next, layer the cooked ground beef on that and continue with the rest of the layers. (I layered mine: chips, taco meat, tomatoes (1 chopped), purple onion (1/2 of one chopped), jalapenos (I used 3 small ones chopped), sour cream (until the entire thing was covered white), picante sauce (made a layer), avocado chunks (1 chopped- wish I had 2), layered with cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese until i couldn't see anything but cheese.
Put in the oven for 20- 30 minutes or until melted and bubbly.

ENJOY!

This meal was quite delicious... especially with my glass of milk! It not only makes a new idea of taco great but it also spices things up with your leftovers! Another cool thing you can do with this for those who cant cook because of time or some other reason is you can make this meal without cooking it and freeze it for either yourself or for a friend who doesn't get great meals all that often. Spread the good meals around to all!

Let me know what you thought of this meal!

FUFU RESTAURANT IN BELLAIRE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ATE RICHELLE ON OCTOBER 25!! It was a celebration night with some great food and amazing company!

So after work I called JP and he said they were going to a restaurant for Ate Richelle's bday and that I should come... so I did... and man was it great! I met up with them at FuFu Restaurant in Bellaire and I highly recommend anyone to check it out... and I will probably be back within a month. It's awesome!

When I got there they had already ordered and the Wonton Soup was just arriving... I LOVE Wonton Soup... and there's was great! The soup came in a large bowl enough for about 3 people to share... everything we ordered came in large portions and the service was 5 stars... always attentive, friendly, and answered questions about the menu.
Soon after the Soup arrived the food started to come out... everything that we had was:
A11: 2 Wonton Soup (4.99 each)
87: Salt Roasted Spare Ribs (8.99)
62: Chinese Broccoli with Beef (8.99) we added hong kong flat noodles
80: 2 Deep Fried Chicken (9.99 each)
Steamed Rice (unsure of price... sorry!)
115: 2 Hollow Stem Vegetable with Garlic Sauce (7.99 each)
46: Salt Roasted Squid (9.99)

Like I said before, everything came in huge helpings and we even had leftovers after 6 of us grubbed until we were completely full!
My fave was the Chinese Broccoli with Beef and the side veggies we had... and of course the wonton soup. I'm not much of a chicken fan so I wasnt really into that, but the rest of the table really enjoyed it. JP LOVES Salt Roasted Spare Ribs... but the ones that came to the table were more like salt roasted pork chops... they were also really great... and I was happier they came out the way they did than the way JP likes them haha. I also really enjoyed the Salt Roasted Squid... it's pretty much a calamari dish... It didt come with a sauce but since I LOVE LOVE LOVE soy sauc(probably more than your average person) I dipped it in the soy sauce and enjoyed it very much. I would have to say that I would reorder everything we had yesterday except for the chicken... but again, I just dont like chicken all that much.

Below you will find their information and hours... if you are looking for some great Asian food... this is the place to go!

HOURS: Monday- Friday 10am- 12am

713 981 8838

9889 Bellaire Blvd Suite E209
Houston Texas 77036

HAPPY EATING,
Ava Chino

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAVE ASIAN EATERY!
DONT FORGET TO COMMENT, FOLLOW, AND TAKE THE POLL AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE!

BOILING CRAB

So JP and I are MAJOR fans of crawfish... like MAJOR! Well as most of you are aware of, crawfish season from march to about june, and during that time we were in the Philippines. So once we returned we just had to have us some crawfish!! So we decided one Monday afternoon to hit up Cajun Kitchen in Bellaire... which is sooo good; unfortunately, we found out that they were closed on Mondays. So we looked up on the iPhone the best crawfish and 2 places came up: The Boiling Crab and Crawfish and Beignets inside the Hong Kong City Mall... We ate at the one in the mall and it was just awful... AWFUL! So we checked out the Boiling Crab and it didnt open til 3 and already there were people parked outside of the restaurant 15 minutse before opening! We new it was gonna be great... so we get to the door at 3 and there are people waiting outside and we are sat by the hostess and by 3:15 the entire place was filled.

The Boiling Crab=AMAZINGNESS PERSONIFIED!

This place has all year round crawfish and THE BEST sauce they mix it with. We LOVE spicy foods so we always order 3lbs of crawfish ($5.99/lb) in the xxx, the whole shabang and 1lb of softshell crab ($12.99- pricy, I know, but well worth it) in medium, garlic butter. Our bill is usually around $50, including beers... and even though it is a little pricy... this meal is well worth it. Everything is so full of flavor and literally finger lickin good! I took my parents here the other day and we tried the Fried Shrimp Basket ($9.99) and it was THE best fried shrimp Ive had in a long, long time! And you get a generous amount as well as cajun fries. This is a must go to place!

TRUST ME... WHEN YOU GO, YOU WILL BE THANKING ME AND TELLING EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

It is off of Beltway 8 and Beechnut, behind the bank! Info below!
(THEY DO HAVE STORES IN CALI AND DALLAS TOO!)

ADDRESS:
8300 W Sam Houston Pkwy S #268
Houston, TX 77072-5074

NUMBER: 281 988 4750

HOURS OF OPERATION:
MON-SAT: 3-10
SUNDAY: 12-10

http://www.theboilingcrab.com/index.php


Happy Eating,
Ava Chino

TELL ME YOUR FAVE CRAWFISH PLACE!

DONT FORGET TO COMMENT, TAKE THE POLL, AND FOLLOW ME!

BROTHERS PIZZA

Brothers Pizza has been a personal favorite of mine since I was dropped off at the mall by my parents. haha.

Brothers Pizza used to be in West Oaks Mall... it blew Sabarro out of the water! It was not only way more delicious... but much cheaper as well. Brothers is hands down the best pizza.

Now they have expanded outside of the mall into 7 Houston locations. The one I am always going to is the Katy, Hwy 6, location... love those guys! Not only is the pizza consistently great, but the guys that work there are just so much fun and friendly. I go so much that they know my name and order! The pizza is low priced and extra large New York style! The only downside is that they dont deliver! haha but you can call it in for carry out. Another great perk of eating here are the leftovers... when you cant eat all the pizza and you bring it home, just reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees and the pizza is so amazing all over again!


I recommend this place to everyone! Trust me, you wont want to go back to another pizza joint again!

MY FAVE BROTHERS PIZZA LOCATION:
1029 Hwy 6 North Suite 100 ( one block North of I-10)
Phone 281 398 4040
Store Hours:
MON-SAT 11AM-10PM
CLOSED SUNDAYS



Happy Eating,
Ava Chino

TELL ME YOUR FAVE KIND OF PIZZA!

DONT FORGET TO FOLLOW ME, COMMENT ON THE POSTS, AND TAKE THE POLL AT THE TOP!

LOS CUCOS (by Katy Mills Mall)

So JP and I were feeling under the weather and decided some nice Tortilla Soup would be awesome. We looked online for the 'best tortilla soups in Houston' and Chuys showed up... but we didnt feel like driving too far so we looked up 'best tortilla soup katy'... and Los Cucos seemed like the place to go.

We ordered:
Tortilla Soup $6.99
Taco and Soup $8.99
Shrimp Quesidillas $8.99

When I ordered the soup I asked if it came with avocado... the server said yes it did. However, when I received my soup there was one sliver of avocado... SLIVER!
I asked for more avocado and was charged an extra $1.59.

The soup was amazing just like we had thought and you got soooo much. IT WAS HUGE!
I just felt like they jipped me on avocado, cheese, and tortilla strips. If they are going to give you a ridiculous amount of soup (which I enjoyed) then dont skip out on the toppings... it seems like they are trying to find a way to add more charges on the bill.

Once we were done eating we asked for boxes for our leftovers... and honestly, it was so much food that it looked like we didnt even eat anything! I ate a slice of the quesidillas... which werent that great. All it had was a flour tortilla, cheese, and unseasoned shrimp. It was a huge disappointment. Another disappointment was when they brought us the boxes for our leftovers. I would rather had them take the soup bowl (because like I said before... it was HUGE!)... so when I poured the soup into the to-go cup, it poured down the side and made a mess.

All in all, I wasnt that satisfied with everything.
I would def go back for the soup... but I would only get it to go.

Happy Eating,
Ava Chino

ps- let me know what you think!

try broccolini! Eat Healthy less than $10

So JP and I had another steak dinner.
We had another bone-in ribeye left... this one was only $5.58! CHEAP!
This meal only takes about 20 minutes tops including prep time.

WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS MEAL:
bone in ribeye ($5.58 depending on how much it weighs. you can use any steak!)
7spice
salt and pepper
bundle of broccolini ($2.89)-- this is not broccoli. its broccoliNI
3-4 garlic cloves (you should still have some leftover or 2/$1)
1/4 of a red onion
2T butter
Morton Natures Seasoning (I use this stuff alot! Im not sure of the price and Im sorry about that... it shouldnt be more than $3 and it truly is an amazing seasoning for so many meals as you will see in future meals!)


The first thing I did to prepare for this meal was chop, slice and dice the garlic for the broccolini.
I put in 1T of butter in the sautee pan along with the garlic and sprinkled the Morton Nature Seasoning along in there as well before placing the broccolini in.
I allow the butter to melt and sit with the garlic and seasoning on low heat.
While the butter is melting is when you start the gas grill and let it preheat for about 5 minutes.

We seasoned it the same with the 7Spice ($4.99 at Kroger or Saltgrass) and we also have a salt and pepper mix we add as well. yum.

Once the ribeyes are on the grill we cook it for 4 minutes on each side for a medium rare. This isnt a consistent time since steaks are sometimes super thick or thin. ya know?

Once the ribeyes are flipped is when I turn the heat up to medium add another Tablespoon (T) of butter and put a lid on the pan.
While this is cooking I cut my red onion up. We cut about 1 inch pieces.
I add the onion in the last 2 minutes. Broccolini only needs about 5 minutes to cook and I really enjoy the crunch and flavor of the red onion with broccolini. yum :)

The time the ribeye is done is when the broccolini is done and your meal is ready.
DONT FORGET THE MILK :)

and yes... this may seem really quick and easy... and well... IT IS!

Happy Eating,
Ava Chino

DONT FORGET TO COMMENT. TAKE THE POLL AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. AND FOLLOW ME!

ANOTHER MEAL FOR LESS THAN $10- steaks.

So JP and I made another delicious meal. And OMG... Sooooo good :P

Last night we cooked Bone-In Ribeyes, Baked Potatoes and Sauteed garlic spinach.

What you need:
Bone In Ribeye ($6.67)
Baked Potatoes (2/$3)
Use the sauteed spinach from the other night... if you didnt make that meal then you will need to buy fresh spinach($1.48) or bagged baby spinach ($2.99)
Garlic (2/$1.. or you should have some)
Foil
7spice ($4.99)
olive oil
toppings for your baked potatoes (cheese, butter, sour cream, bacon, chives, picante sauce, etc)

I started with the Baked Potatoes. The ones I had bought at HEB were pretty large so I put them in the oven at 450 degrees for one hour. Prep them first by washing them off and placing them in tin foil. You can check on them by feeling the softness of them- Just lightly squeeze the sides... but make sure you have an oven mit on :)

After 45 minutes of them in the oven I start chopping, slicing, and dicing the sauteed spinach. You should remember this from the last blog- So I'm not going to get into it.

I then prep the steak that i had bought. A Bone-In Ribeye for $6.67. (YUM!). I rub in 7spice seasoning and let it sit for about 5 minutes. You can buy 7spice from either Krogers (4.99) or SaltGrass (for it is sg seasoning). JP likes to add this salt/pepper mix as well.

We have a gas grill. So we start the grill and let it warm up for about 5 minutes... right about this time the Baked Potatoes should be finished. So turn the oven off and just let them sit in there.

At the same time you start the put the ribeye on the grill should be the same time you turn on the stove for the spinach. Medium heat add olive oil and the garlic... you can also add some salt at this time or wait until after the spinach is in the pan. Its really up to you.

At this time you should also take the baked potatoes out of the oven cut them open and add the toppings you like (such as butter, cheese, and bacon) and put it back in the oven so it can melt to yumminess. Once that is melted take it out of the oven and add anything else you like (such as sour cream, picante sauce, and chives).

Once the ribeyes have been flipped over to cook the other side is the time you should start on the fresh spinach. Just toss it in, sautee, and viola. (for more info read the other blog).

Once the spinach is finished the ribeye will be done and your entire meal will be complete. Just get your beverage of choice (milk for me :)



Happy Eating,
Ava Chino

ps- DONT FORGET TO TAKE THE POLL AT THE TOP OF THIS SITE! LEAVE ME COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS! AND MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW ME :)

EAT HEALTHY FOR LESS THAN $8

So I got off work tonight and decided to go to HEB to find dinner.
I didnt want to spend that much money since I didnt make that much mula tonight, so I went with fresh spinach ($1.48), salmon ($4.99), and garlic(2/$1).
The meal I made was sauteed garlic spinach, left over mashed potatoes, and a traditional salmon.

Here's what you need:
Tablespoon of olive oil
sprinkle of salt
fresh spinach (or you can get the bagged baby spinach($2.99)
3-4 garlic cloves per person
salmon
foil

First thing I do for this meal is take some cloves of garlic and chop, slice, and dice them. Since this was a meal for one, I only used 3-4 cloves... But if youre cooking for more than 1, i would use up to 8 cloves... it really depends on how much you love garlic.
So I set the stove on low/medium and place a sautee pan on the stove with some olive oil.
As the garlic is chopped, sliced, and diced I add them to the olive oil.
I do this first so that the garlic taste can sit in the olive oil. Its awesome.
I have a gas grill so I take my salmon put it in the foil and place it on the grill.
Salmon doesnt need to cook too long; if you cook salmom too long, it will dry out.
Once the salmon is on the grill, I add the fresh spinach to the olive oil and garlic.
You must move the spinach around or else it wont all cook.
This was my first time to cook fresh spinach instead of the bagged baby spinach... the difference is (1) you must for sure rinse, rinse, rinse the fresh spinach! It is for sure fresh and so its dirty! Rinse it and then rinse some more. (2) baby spinach wilts a ton and the fresh spinach is much, much larger and therefore has more texture. i love it a lot more. plus, its cheaper! :)
Sprinkle some salt over the spinach once you add it to the pan... you really dont need much salt at all.
By the time the spinach is cooking all the way, the salmon should be finished as well (5-7 minutes)
So take the salmon off the grill, take it out of the foil, add the spinach to the plate and viola... dinner is served!

I had leftover mashed potatoes and so I added that to my meal. One thing i have learned is a great thing to do is take a leftover vegetable and add it to a freshly made meal... that way leftovers arent completely awful! haha

I had taken more pictures of this meal to post; however, I accidently deleted them when uploading the pictures. yah. it wont happen again! promise :)

Happy Eating,
Ava Chino

AND DONT FORGET TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!
IF YOU HAVE ANY MEAL IDEAS LET ME KNOW!
IF YOU HAVE RECIPES SEND THEM MY WAY!
THANKS! :)

GOURMET INDIA (lunch)

So JP and I really wanted some rice for lunch... We love trying new foods and we had been wanting to try some Indian food again, so we used the app "urbanspoon" on my iPhone and it told us to go to Gourmet India. So we did.

It was lunch and so i was wearing jeans and a tee and my hair and makeup werent really done. Afterall, it was lunch. Gourmet India had a lunch buffet. I didnt feel like i needed to put on my slacks and blouse and fix myself up. I was wrong.

So we get there before 2pm and it turns out they closed at 2:30... they didnt seem to mind so we stayed.
I felt a little out of place since I was dressed down; I felt like they were looking down on us for looking so shabby. But after getting some food and digging in, the staff warmed up to me and I felt more comfortable.
The place was very lit up with the window shades being pulled away and so the natural sunlight was just really relaxing. The staff was attentive, they brought us out some warm pita-like bread called roti, and even though i was little skeptical about eating at an idian buffet... it ended up hitting the spot. delicious.

Their buffet option wasnt huge but it was perfect. Here are the foods we chose off the buffet line:
Peas Pulao (which is rice)
Tandoori Chicken (JP ate this. it was pinkish/red. i didnt try it)
Goat Masala (JPs favorite. It was very good)
Zuccini Masala (great as well)
Mix Veggies (i liked mixing this with the meat)
Chicken Tikka Masala (my fave. orange, very saucy, and delicious)

All the foods had so much flavor, the atmosphere was nice and relaxing, everything was very clean, the servers were nice and attentive, the place is very Indian, I will def dress up a bit more the next time, and I definitely recommend first time Indian eaters to go here!!

Gourmet Indian opened in 1996 and if you look them up online they get a 4 star rating! JP and I ranked them before seeing this information and we gave them 3.75 stars.
If you go (during lunch) it is about $30 for 2 including sodas.

Below is the information you will need to find them.

Sun - Thu
11:00 am - 02:30 pm
05:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri - Sat
11:00 am - 03:00 pm
05:30 pm - 11:00 pm


http://www.gourmetindiahouston.com/
281 493 5435
13155 Westheimer Road
Houston TX, 77077

Happy Eating,
Ava Chino

Captain Toms

Do you absolutely love oysters but hate paying high prices for decent delicious oysters?
Well then go to Captain Toms!!

Captain Toms is a seafood establishment that is able to maintain low prices because they go out and fish for their own supply... Seriously.
You will find amazing oysters for $5.95/ dozen and they always throw 1-3 extra oysters on your plate.
Their gumbo is the best I've had... It is loaded with shrimp and crab!
Try their stuffed shrimp and stuffed crab too.
Honestly, everything is really great... But you must like fried foods... Everything is pretty much fried.
One thing i have yet to try is frog legs... I want someone to go with me and order it and then i can try theirs haha.
You can find anything on the menu for less than $10 too!!
Another plus is their beers are pretty low priced as well.

But here is your warning...
This is not a table establishment where you can truly enjoy the company you are with... Its loud, busy, your space is invaded.
Get their early enough to sit at the bar or else it's not as fun... This is a seafood and oyster bar after all. Did I mention that?
This is another place that i can't get enough of. It's on my top 10... Now if I could only get my bf to love oysters. Hmm.

Below you will find their 3 locations. My most visited is Katy.
  13955 East Fwy (IH-10) Houston TX 77015 713.451.3700
  9651 FM 1960 Rd W Houston TX 77070 281.890.8334
  20525 Katy Fwy Katy TX 77450 281.829.6407

Happy eating,
Ava Chino

Yum Yum Cha Cafe.

I remember about 3 years ago one of brothers, Eric, told me about this place that served dumplings that I just had to try. I also remember being a little hesitant because when I thought of dumplings I thought of East Texas chicken and dumplings- which I hate. He had declined to tell me that this place was of Asian decent and had been rewarded many acknowledgements of how awesome their food is. So we go and I haven't stopped spreading the word about the amazing dumplings of Yum Yum Cha Cafe.

I am going to start off with my fave dumplings here:
1. Ha gau (steamed shrimp dumpling)
3. Teow chow fun gau (pork and Nut dumpling (shrimp))
6. Hueng sai gau (cilantro shrimp dumpling)
31. Gow choy ha bang (pan fried shrimp and chive dumpling)

Other amazing foods on menu:
37. Tong Kai jiu (eggplant stuffed with shrimp)
38. Ha chung guen (deep fried shrimp roll)
39. Ja ha yuen (deep fried shrimp ball)
B. Steamed asparagus with oyster sauce
28. Gai Lang (Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce)

So you go into Yum Yums and they tell you to take a seat.
After choosing your seat they bring you a paper and you mark what you want.
The numbers/ letters above refer to the numbers on the menu.
Yum yums is a tiny place that needs some serious remodeling; however, it seems to fit them.
Its super laid back and you def don't need to dress up and it won't break the bank.
In fact, if you ordered everything above it would still be less than $30!
A soda is $1 and they have some pretty awesome hot tea.
My boyfriend and I go on a regular basis and we hardly ever order over $30 and when we do we can't even eat it all.
As much as I love this place, I do still have my critiques. Not every place can be perfect and they do have their drawbacks.
Such as the manager could use a bounce in her step... This is my nice way of saying she isn't very friendly. She airs out her problems to the staff and not quietly. My boyfriend and I have probably eaten here about 100 times (as it is my fave place to eat) and she has yet to come by to say, "welcome back" or even a courteous, "hello!" - and well... That bothers me!
The staff is ok friendly. I would say the best server is Kiera (I'm probably spelling her name wrong) and she is almost always there.
Another drawback is they need a serious deep clean. The place is clean, but like I said earlier... They need a serious makeover.
But even with my small complaints, you will never find dim sum this amazing. Seriously. It truly is the best.
Below you will find their location, hours, and website. I urge you to go!
Let me know what you think or if you know another dim sum restaurant I'm missing!

http://yumyumchacafe.com/index.html

Located in Rice Village!
2435 Times Blvd
Houston, TX 77005

PH: 713 527 8455

HOURS:
Sunday: 11a- 7p
Monday: 11a- 5p
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 11a- 3p, 5p- 10p
Thursday: 11a- 3p, 5p- 10p
Friday: 11a- 3p, 5p- 10p
Saturday: 11a- 3p, 5p- 10p

Happy eating,
Ava Chino