This past weekend my wife and I did some cooking. We've been trying to be healthier with our meals. So this week we made a concerted effort to have lean meats and lots of vegetables. (Not including my Tenders visit yesterday -- chicken tender sandwich, fries, and chocolate milkshake. YUM!)
This led us to look through our assorted recipe books. And after my wife decided we needed more fish in our diet, she found a Tilapia with Sofrito recipe.
If you're like me, you're first through was, "Sofrito?? What's that??"
Turns out I've had Sofrito before, but I didn't know that was the name. Think of it as a non-spicy, but VERY flavorful salsa. It has tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic. And as it turns out, it is the PERFECT compliment to Tilapia.
In addition, if you have left over Sofrito you can re-use it for other things. Add a couple of dashes of Tabasco, and you've got yourself some GREAT salsa. Or, add an additional tomato, juice from a couple of limes, and a jalapeno, and you've got a quick and easy ceveche. Add some cooked and peeled shrimp, and you've got one yummy meal! I made the ceveche last week. It was almost as good as the Tilapia.
Below you'll find the Tilapia with Sofrito recipe we used. It's from Hannaford Supermarkets (in the Northeast). Also, here's the link.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Sofrito
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and quartered
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 8 pieces
1 medium tomato, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
Tilapia
4 (8-oz.) tilapia fillets
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)
Directions:
1 Preheat grill to medium-high.
2) Put onion, bell pepper, tomato, and garlic in bowl of a food processor or blender; pulse until diced.
3) Add olive oil, and pulse for 5 to 10 seconds, until ingredients become a chunky purée. Add salt and cilantro and pulse until blended. Transfer sofrito to a medium serving bowl and set aside.
4) Brush Tilapia fillets with olive oil and grill for 3 minutes on each side over direct heat, or until slightly charred and just opaque in the center.
5) Place fillets on serving platter and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with 3 Tbsp. sofrito and serve immediately, with avocado on the side if desired.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Cookout (Huntersville)
Since I arrived in NC, I've driven by the Cook Out restaurants without venturing in. What is a Cook-Out? What do they serve? I was a little hesitant about this unknown quantity. But yesterday I finally took the plunge, and I'm glad I did.
I don't know what the other Cook Out restaurants look like inside, but this kinda had a feel of a rustic Southern lake house. The walls had wood paneling, there were fans hanging from the ceiling, and small NASCAR car hoods adorned the walls, as did maps of Lake Norman.
I approached the cashier, and locked onto the first thing I saw on the menu. A hamburger. I chose the Regular size (1/4 lb), with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and ketchup. I also got an order of fries and a Coke.
As you can tell, the menu there has a LOT of items. From burgers and BBQ, to chicken tenders and milkshakes, this place has a LOT to offer.
In just over the about the time that it took me to walk over to the fountain, and fill my cup, my food was ready! It came in a bag, so I could take it "To-Go" if I wanted to. However, I really wanted to eat immediately, so I grabbed a seat, and took at look at what was in the bag.
Inside I found a small bag or fries, and a burger wrapped in aluminum foil. As you can see, the burger looked pretty good! It was topped with a thick slice of tomato, fresh lettuce, and a thin slice of white onion. The burger was a very good size, and not pressed too thin. In addition, the burger bun was not squished. I was a little surprised it looked so good!
I took a bite of the burger and was pleased. It wasn't over-cooked or greasy. In addition, the fresh produce really added a nice bit of added flavor. In particular, that tomato was amazing. Really red, really fresh, and really good! The produce was such a high quality that it made me reminisce about In-N-Out Burger. (Which almost always has GREAT quality produce.)
I polished off the burger pretty quickly. So I went over to the fries. At first I was hopeful -- the fries were cooked with their skins still on. That is almost always a sign of a high quality fry. But I was disappointed when I took a bite. The fries weren't crispy -- they were just there. Not soggy, not crispy. They sorta looked they were apologizing for their sad state when picked up; with it drooping from my fingers.
That said, I really want to try their hush puppies. They've gotta be better than the fries. Any fast-food joint that serves hush puppies is a favorite of mine!
Score:
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
TOTAL: 11/15
Price: $ (Well under $10)
Kid friendly: Yes. High chairs and booster seats available.
Conclusion: Cheap prices, fast service, and good burgers are in abundance here. I'm not a fan of the fries. But since the burger was sooo good. I'll be back to try some other things -- including the hush-puppies.
Restaurant Info:
Cook Out
425 Huntersville Gateway Blvd
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-875-0077
http://www.cookoutnc.com/
I don't know what the other Cook Out restaurants look like inside, but this kinda had a feel of a rustic Southern lake house. The walls had wood paneling, there were fans hanging from the ceiling, and small NASCAR car hoods adorned the walls, as did maps of Lake Norman.
I approached the cashier, and locked onto the first thing I saw on the menu. A hamburger. I chose the Regular size (1/4 lb), with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and ketchup. I also got an order of fries and a Coke.As you can tell, the menu there has a LOT of items. From burgers and BBQ, to chicken tenders and milkshakes, this place has a LOT to offer.
In just over the about the time that it took me to walk over to the fountain, and fill my cup, my food was ready! It came in a bag, so I could take it "To-Go" if I wanted to. However, I really wanted to eat immediately, so I grabbed a seat, and took at look at what was in the bag.
Inside I found a small bag or fries, and a burger wrapped in aluminum foil. As you can see, the burger looked pretty good! It was topped with a thick slice of tomato, fresh lettuce, and a thin slice of white onion. The burger was a very good size, and not pressed too thin. In addition, the burger bun was not squished. I was a little surprised it looked so good!I took a bite of the burger and was pleased. It wasn't over-cooked or greasy. In addition, the fresh produce really added a nice bit of added flavor. In particular, that tomato was amazing. Really red, really fresh, and really good! The produce was such a high quality that it made me reminisce about In-N-Out Burger. (Which almost always has GREAT quality produce.)
I polished off the burger pretty quickly. So I went over to the fries. At first I was hopeful -- the fries were cooked with their skins still on. That is almost always a sign of a high quality fry. But I was disappointed when I took a bite. The fries weren't crispy -- they were just there. Not soggy, not crispy. They sorta looked they were apologizing for their sad state when picked up; with it drooping from my fingers.
That said, I really want to try their hush puppies. They've gotta be better than the fries. Any fast-food joint that serves hush puppies is a favorite of mine!
Score:
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
TOTAL: 11/15
Price: $ (Well under $10)
Kid friendly: Yes. High chairs and booster seats available.
Conclusion: Cheap prices, fast service, and good burgers are in abundance here. I'm not a fan of the fries. But since the burger was sooo good. I'll be back to try some other things -- including the hush-puppies.
Restaurant Info:
Cook Out
425 Huntersville Gateway Blvd
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-875-0077
http://www.cookoutnc.com/
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wine Wednesday: Archetype Shiraz
This weekend I walked into the local Harris Teeter and was greeted by the Bargain Carts. There were two grocery carts filled with discounted (probably discontinued) bottles of wine.
Whenever I see these I feel like a kid at Christmas opening presents! What will the cart hold? Will it be something I like?? I hope it's a pony!! Oh, wait, sorry. Got carried away!
I glanced through the bottles, most of which I've never heard of -- and a few which I won't buy. But as I was looking, I ran across a bottle of 2006 Archetype Shiraz. Moderately aged -- I like that. Australia makes a good Shiraz (a.k.a Syrah) -- I like that too. It only costs $10, discounted from $15. I like that even more!
So, I bought the bottle. And last night I served it with Four Cheese Tortellini with Marinara Sauce. It was great with this meal.
This Shiraz is a little heavier and thicker than I'm used to from Shiraz. In some ways it almost seemed more like a Cabernet Sauvignon. It has strong currant, black pepper, and spice flavors with a hint of vanilla. It goes down smooth, is slightly dry, and has a mild acidic kick at the end.
Overall a great wine, and if you are fortunate to find it, I recommend you add this to one of your meals.
Score: 3.5/5
Price: $$ (Just over $10 -- on sale)
Wine Info:
2006 Archetype Shiraz
Barossa Valley
Australia
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Next Week is Pizza Week!
Next week is Pizza Week on the Lake Norman Foodie. I'll be hitting three different local pizzerias. And I'll try to hit some places that I haven't been before.
But I'll also take your votes into account. So, be sure to vote in the poll that's located in the the upper left-hand corner of this blog, and I'll try to make it to one or two of the top pizzerias mentioned. To try to compare apples to apples -- I'll only be ordering the peperoni pizzas.
So, make your voice heard! And make sure you send me somewhere with good pizza!
-LNF
P.S. If your favorite pizzeria isn't listed, leave a comment below, and let me know what it is!
But I'll also take your votes into account. So, be sure to vote in the poll that's located in the the upper left-hand corner of this blog, and I'll try to make it to one or two of the top pizzerias mentioned. To try to compare apples to apples -- I'll only be ordering the peperoni pizzas.
So, make your voice heard! And make sure you send me somewhere with good pizza!
-LNF
P.S. If your favorite pizzeria isn't listed, leave a comment below, and let me know what it is!
Positano Osteria (Birkdale)
A few weeks ago an acquaintance of mine suggested that I hit the lunch buffet at Positano in Birkdale. Though Positano has a reputation for being a little on the pricey side, I was assured that the buffet was a relative bargain, and I should give it a try.
So, yesterday a friend and I hit Positano to see what the buzz was about.
We walked in, and were asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. Since it was sweltering, we opted for the inside option. We passed the buffet and were seated. The host asked for our drink orders, and wanted to know if we wanted menus. We declined, and said we were here for the buffet.
The interior of Positano is nice, and I found it to be relaxing. It's done in a restaurant faux-Tuscan style. Tile floor, dark woods, light colored walls, etc. It looks like a nice Italian restaurant should. Then I turned my attention towards more important things -- like the buffet!
So, we headed over and I noticed that the buffet is sorta a small about (two long tables). But here's what it offered.... Soup, Salad (spinach) with two types of dressing, two types of pizza, one pasta entree, one chicken entree, sliced oranges, and cheesecake. OK, now that I wrote it, it sounds like more than it looked like. (But, it's small when compared to the Indian restaurant in Cornelius, there were probably a couple dozen things to choose from.)
I grabbed some spinach and put the dressing on (the other option was oil and vinegar). As it turns out, the dressing was pinkish (I later learned that it was a Chianti vinaigrette), and I grabbed a slice of ham and sausage pizza (the other option was cheese pizza). I returned to the table.
The salad dressing was really amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was tangy from the vinegar, but the Chianti put a nice finish on it. It worked very well with the strong flavors of the spinach. Honestly, if I ever find this in a store, I'm buying it.
Next came the pizza. The ingredients were good, as was the sauce. I enjoyed the sausage and ham pizza slices. My only complaint is that the pizza was very soggy towards the middle. So much so that I had to use a fork an knife. Aside from the middle of the pizza, the crust was good, and I actually ate all the pizza crust (which is unusual for me).
After I cleared my small plate, I headed back to try the pasta. OK, I grabbed a second slice of pizza, THEN I grabbed some pasta. The pasta was sorta a standard penne entree with a tomato and basil marinara sauce. It was good. It didn't knock my socks off, but I didn't hate it either. Again I cleared my plate.
Now I was ready for dessert. I passed the orange slices, and helped myself to a piece of cheesecake. The pieces were small, but I didn't help myself to two slices (though I wanted to!). I took a bite, and I was surprised. It wasn't good. It wasn't great. It was pretty bad. I don't know how this happened, but this cheesecake was chalky. It had a dry granular texture to it. And it wasn't just my taste-buds... my friend thought the same thing!
To give you an idea of how bad it was -- I didn't finish it. It takes a LOT for me to leave a slice of cheesecake behind. Sadly, this was one of those slices.
The service was very good, and they were very attentive -- especially considering that it was a buffet situation.
Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 10/15
Price: $$ (With soda and tip, the meal came to about $14)
Kid Friendly: Yes, they offer kids menus and high chairs.
Conclusion: The food was only OK. For the price, I felt that I was either over-charged, or the food should have been a little better. I'll head back to try dinner there one of these days, to see if the buffet was representative of their standard meals.
Restaurant Info:
Positano Osteria
8625-A Lindholm Drive
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-896-2979
http://www.positano-osteria.net/
So, yesterday a friend and I hit Positano to see what the buzz was about.
We walked in, and were asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. Since it was sweltering, we opted for the inside option. We passed the buffet and were seated. The host asked for our drink orders, and wanted to know if we wanted menus. We declined, and said we were here for the buffet.
The interior of Positano is nice, and I found it to be relaxing. It's done in a restaurant faux-Tuscan style. Tile floor, dark woods, light colored walls, etc. It looks like a nice Italian restaurant should. Then I turned my attention towards more important things -- like the buffet!
So, we headed over and I noticed that the buffet is sorta a small about (two long tables). But here's what it offered.... Soup, Salad (spinach) with two types of dressing, two types of pizza, one pasta entree, one chicken entree, sliced oranges, and cheesecake. OK, now that I wrote it, it sounds like more than it looked like. (But, it's small when compared to the Indian restaurant in Cornelius, there were probably a couple dozen things to choose from.)
I grabbed some spinach and put the dressing on (the other option was oil and vinegar). As it turns out, the dressing was pinkish (I later learned that it was a Chianti vinaigrette), and I grabbed a slice of ham and sausage pizza (the other option was cheese pizza). I returned to the table.
The salad dressing was really amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was tangy from the vinegar, but the Chianti put a nice finish on it. It worked very well with the strong flavors of the spinach. Honestly, if I ever find this in a store, I'm buying it.
Next came the pizza. The ingredients were good, as was the sauce. I enjoyed the sausage and ham pizza slices. My only complaint is that the pizza was very soggy towards the middle. So much so that I had to use a fork an knife. Aside from the middle of the pizza, the crust was good, and I actually ate all the pizza crust (which is unusual for me).
After I cleared my small plate, I headed back to try the pasta. OK, I grabbed a second slice of pizza, THEN I grabbed some pasta. The pasta was sorta a standard penne entree with a tomato and basil marinara sauce. It was good. It didn't knock my socks off, but I didn't hate it either. Again I cleared my plate.
Now I was ready for dessert. I passed the orange slices, and helped myself to a piece of cheesecake. The pieces were small, but I didn't help myself to two slices (though I wanted to!). I took a bite, and I was surprised. It wasn't good. It wasn't great. It was pretty bad. I don't know how this happened, but this cheesecake was chalky. It had a dry granular texture to it. And it wasn't just my taste-buds... my friend thought the same thing!
To give you an idea of how bad it was -- I didn't finish it. It takes a LOT for me to leave a slice of cheesecake behind. Sadly, this was one of those slices.
The service was very good, and they were very attentive -- especially considering that it was a buffet situation.
Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 10/15
Price: $$ (With soda and tip, the meal came to about $14)
Kid Friendly: Yes, they offer kids menus and high chairs.
Conclusion: The food was only OK. For the price, I felt that I was either over-charged, or the food should have been a little better. I'll head back to try dinner there one of these days, to see if the buffet was representative of their standard meals.
Restaurant Info:
Positano Osteria
8625-A Lindholm Drive
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-896-2979
http://www.positano-osteria.net/
Monday, July 27, 2009
Bagelville Cafe Now Open
Joe Marusak with the Observer has reported that Bagelville Cafe has opened in Mooresville. Owned by native New Yorkers, Bagelville makes its bagels daily, and serves breakfast and lunch.
They can be found at:
Bagelville Cafe
247 A. E. Plaza Drive (near the Bottom Dollar)
Mooresville, NC
Get more information at: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/272/story/851407.html
They can be found at:
Bagelville Cafe
247 A. E. Plaza Drive (near the Bottom Dollar)
Mooresville, NC
Get more information at: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/272/story/851407.html
Outback Steakhouse (Huntersville)
Last week my wife and I decided to go out and splurge a little. We craved food that was tasty, salty, and generally bad for our health. So, we headed to Outback Steakhouse for their Aussie Cheese Fries, and a piece of meat. The evening was looking good!
We walked in the doors and were promptly seated. We were given a small booth, towards the back of the restaurant. Out waiter came by to take our orders (beer) and we also placed the appetizer order.
The beers arrived quickly, and the fries not much longer after that. When the fries came out, we also placed our orders -- I decided on the Baby Back Ribs.
The fries are a standard order of ours, and again we were pleased. The fries were crispy, yet tender. Not to mention the gobs of cheese and bacon, that were then dipped with the fry into a bowl of ranch! YUM!!!
Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen! (I really need to get a cardiologist on speed-dial!)
We polished off the fries in record time, and the meal was going great. For the next course I was anticipating my order of babyback ribs! My mouth was watering, my fingers were waiting to get messy, and my arteries were dilating to accommodate the latest surge of cholesterol!
The ribs came and I dug in . These were the toughest ribs that I've ever had. Really, there was nothing "baby back" about these ribs -- they tasted like they came from the oldest and toughest beast of burden around! My knife could barely cut through them. In addition, they were topped by a huge quantity of fat. I tried to cut or pick it off, but it was so thoroughly integrated into the meat, that it was hard to figure out where the fat ended and the meat began.
The kitchen should have never accepted these ribs, let alone prepared them. I should've known better than to get ribs at Outback, they're not the specialty -- but I figure if a place like Max & Ermas can make delicious ribs, then Outback should be able to as well!
Unfortunately, I was wrong. I should've saved the $50+ and gone to 131 Main or eaten like a king at Max & Ermas -- at least those places have good ribs.
Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 2/5 (Baby Back Ribs were a 1/5, but the fries brought the score up one)
Service: 3/5
Total: 8/15
Price: $$$ This meal came out to under $30 per person. Over-priced if you ask me.
Kid friendly: Yes. They have high-chairs, kids menu, etc.
Conclusion: This was the first time I'd ever been disappointed by Outback, but the disappointment was so great, it'll be a while before I go there again. And I'll never order their Baby Back Ribs again in my lifetime. However, their steaks, fries, and chicken have all been good in the past.
Restaurant Info:
Outback Steakhouse
16400 Northcross Dr.
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-895-1888
http://www.outback.com/
We walked in the doors and were promptly seated. We were given a small booth, towards the back of the restaurant. Out waiter came by to take our orders (beer) and we also placed the appetizer order.
The beers arrived quickly, and the fries not much longer after that. When the fries came out, we also placed our orders -- I decided on the Baby Back Ribs.
The fries are a standard order of ours, and again we were pleased. The fries were crispy, yet tender. Not to mention the gobs of cheese and bacon, that were then dipped with the fry into a bowl of ranch! YUM!!!
Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen! (I really need to get a cardiologist on speed-dial!)
We polished off the fries in record time, and the meal was going great. For the next course I was anticipating my order of babyback ribs! My mouth was watering, my fingers were waiting to get messy, and my arteries were dilating to accommodate the latest surge of cholesterol!
The ribs came and I dug in . These were the toughest ribs that I've ever had. Really, there was nothing "baby back" about these ribs -- they tasted like they came from the oldest and toughest beast of burden around! My knife could barely cut through them. In addition, they were topped by a huge quantity of fat. I tried to cut or pick it off, but it was so thoroughly integrated into the meat, that it was hard to figure out where the fat ended and the meat began.
The kitchen should have never accepted these ribs, let alone prepared them. I should've known better than to get ribs at Outback, they're not the specialty -- but I figure if a place like Max & Ermas can make delicious ribs, then Outback should be able to as well!
Unfortunately, I was wrong. I should've saved the $50+ and gone to 131 Main or eaten like a king at Max & Ermas -- at least those places have good ribs.
Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 2/5 (Baby Back Ribs were a 1/5, but the fries brought the score up one)
Service: 3/5
Total: 8/15
Price: $$$ This meal came out to under $30 per person. Over-priced if you ask me.
Kid friendly: Yes. They have high-chairs, kids menu, etc.
Conclusion: This was the first time I'd ever been disappointed by Outback, but the disappointment was so great, it'll be a while before I go there again. And I'll never order their Baby Back Ribs again in my lifetime. However, their steaks, fries, and chicken have all been good in the past.
Restaurant Info:
Outback Steakhouse
16400 Northcross Dr.
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-895-1888
http://www.outback.com/
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Lake Norman Foodie is a Twit!
If you actually know me, the headline above is not news!
However, it also indicates that I'm now on Twitter. This means that I'm "tweeting," and you can get updates to what I'm saying 24/7, 365 days of the year.
So, if you want to know what I'm eating, drinking, or doing on the website, this is a great way to find out.
Just a word of warning.... my life is not exciting. Nor is it glamorous, titillating, "off the hook," or anything else that could be remotely considered to be cool. Reading this tweet may cause sleepiness, hunger, a painful need for a glass of wine, and the occasional "food coma."
But it's here, I've joined the technological revolution. And you can get these Tweets from a Twit here: http://twitter.com/lknfoodie
However, it also indicates that I'm now on Twitter. This means that I'm "tweeting," and you can get updates to what I'm saying 24/7, 365 days of the year.
So, if you want to know what I'm eating, drinking, or doing on the website, this is a great way to find out.
Just a word of warning.... my life is not exciting. Nor is it glamorous, titillating, "off the hook," or anything else that could be remotely considered to be cool. Reading this tweet may cause sleepiness, hunger, a painful need for a glass of wine, and the occasional "food coma."
But it's here, I've joined the technological revolution. And you can get these Tweets from a Twit here: http://twitter.com/lknfoodie
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