A great lunch…the food and the service were just right. We were in Roseville yesterday and it didn’t take us long to make up our minds as to where we should eat; Roseville Gourmet!
The lunch menu has been updated since the last time we ate there and now included my favorite, the Gourmet Chow Mein. That’s a dish that I usually ordered when having dinner there. The lunch version includes a chicken wing, fried rice and Lemon Chicken. It was the right sized dish and so you didn’t have to worry about taking one of those little white boxes home with you. And all with no salt and no MSG, just good tastes.
The service was quick and unobtrusive; the dining room spotless. And lunch for two was under $14.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Zahtar
Here's a recipe that I just found and it looks like a keeper. I haven't tried it yet but it does have all the good ingredients. And I suppose you don't need to use Halibut; I imagine that Tilapia would work as well.
Halibut with Zahtar and Mint Couscous
"Zahtar is a Middle Eastern seasoning made with sumac, a dried sour berry.Dried tart cherries have a similar tang.
3/4 cup dried sour cherries1 tablespoon dried oregano1 tablespoon ground cumin1 1/2 teaspoons paprika3 tablespoons olive oil6 tablespoons lemon juicesalt1 cup couscous1 1/2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned halibut (1 in. thick)1 cup finely chopped English cucumber1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
In a blender or food processor, combine dried cherries, oregano, cumin,paprika, oil, and lemon juice. Whirl until pureed, scraping containersides as necessary. Add salt to taste.In a 1 1/2 to 2-quart pan, combine couscous and broth. Bring to a boilover high heat, cover, remove pan from heat, and let stand until liquid isabsorbed, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.Meanwhile, rinse halibut, pat dry, and coat with cherry mixture. Set eachpiece of halibut on a slightly larger piece of foil. Cut foil to fit fish.Have barbecue ready with direct heat at hot. Set foil with fish on grill.Cover barbecue with lid (open vents for charcoal), and cook until fish isopaque, 8 to 10 minutes.Stir chopped cucumber and chopped mint into couscous; spoon onto plates.Cut grilled halibut into equal portions and set onto couscous. Season totaste with salt.Makes 4 servings."
Halibut with Zahtar and Mint Couscous
"Zahtar is a Middle Eastern seasoning made with sumac, a dried sour berry.Dried tart cherries have a similar tang.
3/4 cup dried sour cherries1 tablespoon dried oregano1 tablespoon ground cumin1 1/2 teaspoons paprika3 tablespoons olive oil6 tablespoons lemon juicesalt1 cup couscous1 1/2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned halibut (1 in. thick)1 cup finely chopped English cucumber1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
In a blender or food processor, combine dried cherries, oregano, cumin,paprika, oil, and lemon juice. Whirl until pureed, scraping containersides as necessary. Add salt to taste.In a 1 1/2 to 2-quart pan, combine couscous and broth. Bring to a boilover high heat, cover, remove pan from heat, and let stand until liquid isabsorbed, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.Meanwhile, rinse halibut, pat dry, and coat with cherry mixture. Set eachpiece of halibut on a slightly larger piece of foil. Cut foil to fit fish.Have barbecue ready with direct heat at hot. Set foil with fish on grill.Cover barbecue with lid (open vents for charcoal), and cook until fish isopaque, 8 to 10 minutes.Stir chopped cucumber and chopped mint into couscous; spoon onto plates.Cut grilled halibut into equal portions and set onto couscous. Season totaste with salt.Makes 4 servings."
Friday, July 21, 2006
TJ and Me
We tried the quinoa last night and it was as promised - almost. I really like the flavor, but I think I used too much water/broth to cook it in. That seems to be a problem with rice as well. Alton Brown (FoodTV) had a great show on rice awhile ago and made the observation that you can cook rice with far less water than the amount indicated on the package. I have a feeling that it's the same with quinoa.
For this meal I cooked a turkey thigh with Greek seasoning, 45 minutes in a covered casserole dish at 375. Then I dissected the thigh, removing all of the remaining fat and skin and setting the meat aside. I chopped up about 1/2 cup of red onion and 3 cloves of garlic and placed them in the casserole dish. I sauted that for about 2 minutes. I cut up 2 small zucchini and added those to the pot. I also added the cut up turkey and 1 cup of chicken stock to the mixture and let it simmer while I added the remaining chicken stock to the liquid I was going to cook the quinoa in. The quinoa cooked for 15 minutes, following directions on the box...but it was still a little bit wet? Now it was time to add some sliced fresh mushrooms to the casserole dish and in a few more minutes we were ready to eat.
Very good...but I might add red bell pepper next time, just for the color. And there was a spice missing? I just don't know which one...
So it's back to Trader Joe's for more quinoa and maybe the missing spice. What would I do without TJ? The only other store that fascinates me like the Trader does is Larry's Markets in Washington. Now those are good stores!
For this meal I cooked a turkey thigh with Greek seasoning, 45 minutes in a covered casserole dish at 375. Then I dissected the thigh, removing all of the remaining fat and skin and setting the meat aside. I chopped up about 1/2 cup of red onion and 3 cloves of garlic and placed them in the casserole dish. I sauted that for about 2 minutes. I cut up 2 small zucchini and added those to the pot. I also added the cut up turkey and 1 cup of chicken stock to the mixture and let it simmer while I added the remaining chicken stock to the liquid I was going to cook the quinoa in. The quinoa cooked for 15 minutes, following directions on the box...but it was still a little bit wet? Now it was time to add some sliced fresh mushrooms to the casserole dish and in a few more minutes we were ready to eat.
Very good...but I might add red bell pepper next time, just for the color. And there was a spice missing? I just don't know which one...
So it's back to Trader Joe's for more quinoa and maybe the missing spice. What would I do without TJ? The only other store that fascinates me like the Trader does is Larry's Markets in Washington. Now those are good stores!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Really Good Eats
Couscous (Koos Koos) a lovely little grain, and packaged in a box to be found at your local Trader Joe's. And with this easy to cook grain (just follow the directions on the box) you can make Tabbouleh Salad, a Middle Eastern treat. Tabbouleh (tab ooley) only takes a few minutes to prepare and then let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour; longer is better! Besides the usual chopped onions, tomatoes and green peppers, I added the chopped mint. I also added about a tablespoon of a good balsamic vinegar. (not in the recipe on the box...but worthwhile) A perfect meal all by itself for a hot summer day. Thanks, Denise!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Grilla Bites
An odd name for sure. It's a salad bar and a juice bar and they just opened up a second location in Chico.
"Organic, Natural & Local" is their claim and everything looked fresh and inviting. We tried the salad bar where the price is determined by the weight of your salad, an interesting idea. But it does make you wonder...how much does a strawberry weigh? Should I add those heavy walnuts? Ah, mushrooms are light!
I can't comment on the service as it's all self-serve, but the location and ambience are just fine. A new business center with tables available around an outdoor fountain. And we were asked if we needed "Anything else? Water?" by at least three different members of the staff. Yes, we're going to go again. It's a perfect place for dinner on a hot summer day.
According to the business card I picked up, they also have locations in Medford and Ashland, Oregon.
"Organic, Natural & Local" is their claim and everything looked fresh and inviting. We tried the salad bar where the price is determined by the weight of your salad, an interesting idea. But it does make you wonder...how much does a strawberry weigh? Should I add those heavy walnuts? Ah, mushrooms are light!
I can't comment on the service as it's all self-serve, but the location and ambience are just fine. A new business center with tables available around an outdoor fountain. And we were asked if we needed "Anything else? Water?" by at least three different members of the staff. Yes, we're going to go again. It's a perfect place for dinner on a hot summer day.
According to the business card I picked up, they also have locations in Medford and Ashland, Oregon.
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