Shabbos Menu 4/13-4/14

Shabbos Menu 4/13-4/14

KOSHER kosher Kosher

Friday Night:
Chicken Soup
Couscous
Salad
Honey Roast Chicken Over Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pecans

Shabbos Lunch:
Mini Lamb Meatball Fauxlafel
Cholent With Eggs and Chickpeas
Chicken Shwarma
Chicken Shnitzel
Israeli Salad
Couscous
Yerushalmi Kugel
Israeli Pickles
Humus
Eggplant Dip
Homemade Chocolate Rugelach

I Finally Made it to Milt's

I finally made it to Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.  There has been a lot of hype around this place, and it lived up to all of it.  The decor was amazing.  Almost every detail was considered.  The walls are covered in distressed wood paneling and green subway tiles, giving it a warm feeling.  The water pitchers are large swing top bottles, the fries come in the cutest little mini fryer baskets.  The portions were good sized, although the plates were a little small.  They served house made pickles as a starter.  They tasted like a sweet vinegar pickle, which weren't bad, though I prefer a naturally fermented one.  They served 3 different types of sauce: a spicy Memphis tomato and vinegar based sauce, a sweet Kansas City molasses and tomato based sauce, and a Carolina mustard based sauce.

I had the smoked ribs, which were excellent.  They had a tasty rub, a good bark, and pretty looking smoke ring.  My wife and brother-in-law had the Milt's burger which they thoroughly enjoyed, although wife found it a bit over complicated.  My mother and grandmother had the smoked chicken and found it very flavorful.  I had a side of beef bacon, which was tasty, although it could have been a bit crispier.   My wife had sweet potato fries and my brother-in-law had a regular fries and I tasted them both.  They were delicious.  They seemed fresh, well-seasoned, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  My mother had roasted green beans and my grandmother had grilled white asparagus, which seemed well thought out and well prepared.

The staff was cheerful and attentive, sometimes a bit too attentive.  My guess this was because they were so busy, and the waitresses were probably trying to turn tables as fast as they could.  There was classic rock playing at a low volume, which I love.  There were several TVs on the walls which I dislike in  a restaurant.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I give the ambiance a solid 8, the food was a 9, and the service was a 7.  Overall I would give it an 8.  I am planning my next trip to Milt’s.  Do you think they are already taking reservations for Father’s Day?

Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries With Tarragon Aioli

Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries 

With Tarragon Aioli 

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As hard as I tried I could not get the crunchiness I was looking for without breading the eggplant.  The crunchiness of the panko along with the creaminess of the eggplant makes for great contrast.

Egg Plant Fries

1 Medium Eggplant Cut into 1/2"X1/2"X4" Fries

3 Large Eggs Beaten

8oz (1 box) Panko Bread Crumbs (I use Kikkoman)

1 Cup of All Purpose Flour

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Season the fries with salt and pepper to taste, and let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out some or the moister and bitterness.  Coat the fries in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.  Coat the bottom of a sheet pan with olive oil and spread the fries out on the pan evenly, so they are not touching each other.  Then drizzle more olive oil on top of the fries.  Bake at 425F for 15 minute, then turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes, or until browned.

For the aioli I got lazy and just took some store bought mayo and added garlic powder, black pepper, and tarragon to taste.

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

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This is a quick little dessert that I thought of a while ago, but I needed to wait for girl scout cookie season.  Just take a scoop of you favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream and sandwich it between two thin mint girl scout cookies.  The chocolate syrup drizzle is optional. Super easy and delicious.

Leftover Lesson: Pulled Guinness and Thyme Braised Beef Sandwich

Pulled Guinness and Thyme Braised Beef Sandwich

A Lesson In Leftovers

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The other week I braised some top of the rib beef in Guinness and Thyme along with some other aromatics.  I sliced it and served it for dinner that Friday night.  I had a decent amount leftover.  The thing about leftovers is they are always better when you augment them in some way.  I warmed it back up on the stove in the braising liquid, then using two forks I shredded the meat and made a sandwich on a toasted hamburger bun with some red leaf lettuce, sliced pickled hot peppers, and Open Pit BBQ sauce. It was mighty tasty.

Honey Roasted Chicken With Red and White Pearl Onions

Honey Roasted Chicken with Red and White Pearl Onions

Kosher

This is a super simple recipe that is my go to when I want a fast and delicious Friday night dinner. I dressed it up with the pearl onions but you can use sliced regular onions instead.

Take a whole chicken and cut out the back bone using a heavy knife or a pair of kitchen shears and flatten it out, cracking the breast bone, also known as the keel bone, if necessary.  Don't be afraid to use a little force. Put a layer of onions in the bottom of your roasting pan. Lay your bird flat over the onions, skin side up.  Drizzle the chicken with honey and then sprinkle with a healthy dose of seasoned salt.  Roast at 350 for an hour, then crank the oven to 425 for 10 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy.

Tip: To peel pearl onions easily cut the tops and bottoms off and blanch in boiling water for a few minutes, and the skins should slip right off.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

About a week ago, Busy In Brooklyn, a fellow kosher food blogger, posted a great post about Smoked Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower.  It reminded my of the fact that I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge, that was begging for a similar treatment.  I pretty much did the same thing as she did, but I used a hot curry powder instead of smoked paprika.  This makes a great healthy snack.  I usually end up eating the whole head when I make it.  I cut the cauliflower into florets, hit them with olive oil and the curry powder, and roast at 425 until they start to  brown on one side.  Then I flip the pieces and continue cooking until it starts to brown on the other side.

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Friday Night Menu for 2/8/2013

We are having our neighbors over for dinner Friday night.  I wanted a menu that was homey and easy but still packed at lot of flavor:
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Spinach Meatball Soup

French Fried Orzo

Sauteed Green Beans with Shallots

Honey Roasted Chicken with Pearl Onions

Guinness and Thyme  Braised Beef

Mango Ice Cream

Peanut Butter  Brownies

Hamburger of the Week

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Hamburger of the Week

Top of the bun

Heinz Ketchup

Pickled Hot Peppers

1/2 lb All Beef Patty Seasoned With Salt and Pepper

Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms

 Fresh Spinach

Homemade Russian Dressing

The Bottom of the Bun

Served with a side of roasted sweet potato rounds

Superbowl Snacks- A trio of Popcorn

I was looking for something simple and tasty with big impact.  Enter homemade flavored popcorn.  Popcorn is cheap, quick, and easy.  It can be sweet, savory, or spicy.  Stay away from the  microwave stuff.  All you need in a little oil and a  heavy pot over medium heat.  Cover it with some foil with a few holes poked it it to prevent it from going everywhere.  Be careful not to put too many kernels in the pot, it will fill up quickly once they start to pop.  Shake the pot every few minutes to keep it from burning.  Once most the kernels are popped kill the heat and let it finish with the residual heat so nothing burns.  As soon as it is done, while it is still hot, sprinkle on salt and any other flavorings you would like.

This year for the Superbowl I am going for: chipotle lime, garlic onion, and maple walnut.