As many of you know most of my blog writing is inspired by shit that pisses me off. Fortunately for Ozona Grill & Bar, the awful meal they tried to pass off in the guise of “food” was overshadowed by enjoying company with friends celebrating a birthday so they get a free pass. Seriously, if you’re thinking about going there, don’t, and they’re damn lucky that is all I’m saying.

Instead I’ve been absolutely obsessed about writing a GOOD foodie review, and our recent trip to Oddfellows in Oak Cliff for Thursday date night (ie. shit! we’re out of food!) provided the perfect impetus to give it a shot. True to Canadian form, C selected the establishment solely on the fact they have something they called Texas Poutine on the menu, but more on that later.

The restaurant itself sits on the corner of the Bishop Arts food and fashion district featuring large open air windows allowing the outdoor bar/patio seating to merge with the simply and tastefully decorated dining room utilizing natural wood to accent the exposed building structure. I had read that they really take their coffee seriously and that’s evident when you walk in, but unfortunately I was immediately sidetracked by their selection of local craft beer – next time coffee, next time. Since we were n00bs we opted to get several small plates to share and give several different dishes a shot.

First up was Mac & Cheese that C promptly declared was even better than Slows’ in Detroit (way to set the bar really high there C) – simply prepared with a nicely balanced taste and texture – followed by fried pickles with ancho sauce that were a perfectly flash fried explosion of dill and breading. Next was the much anticipated Texas Poutine. It was good, but unfortunately for us poutine purists did not live up to our expectations and ultimately was fries with bacon, pickled jalapeños, texas cheddar and homemade gravy. Ok who am I kidding I’d still eat it again, but would probably still grumble about the lack of mystery Québécois brown goodness. Next followed the surprise dish of the night, local duck quesadillas – jalapeño-ponzu marinated duck with cabbage and cilantro, and texas mozzarella served with sour cream and guacamole. Mind = blown, taste buds successfully climaxed. Apparently there was a fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil pesto salad that followed, but I was too busy making googlely-eyes at what remained of the duck quesadillas.

The tag line for Oddfellows is “Food For All”; I’m not entirely sure what that means but I’m going to just say “fucking delicious, eat here”. 4 ½ forks

Saw something similar on television a few weekends ago and this sounded good. I can’t for the life of me remember exact measurements, but this recipe easy enough to just whip up on the fly…

• Nice cut of Pork Tenderloin
• Olive Oil
• Lemon Zest
• Fresh Thyme & Rosemary
• Sweet Potatoes
• Salt & Pepper

1. In a dish mix olive oil, lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper to desired consistency and taste. Place meat & marinade into plastic ziploc coating meat liberally, place in the fridge for a few hours.
2. Preheat cash iron skillet in the oven at 400F. Place tenderloin fat side up in the pan. Cook for 45min or until internal temperature is approximately 160F. Allow meat to rest for 10mins before slicing.
3. While the meat is cooking, slice sweet potatoes into desired french fry sized slices. Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook sweet potato fries for 30min, flipping after 15mins.

Haven’t made a foodie post in a while, so here’s a great summerish pasta dish I made for C which turned out AWESOME…

Farfalle with Broccoli
Adapted from foodnetwork.com.

Ingredients

• 1 pound farfalle pasta
• 2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 5 strips cooked turkey bacon, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Maple Mustard Barbecued Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup dark amber maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons, 1/4 cup, spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your hand
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/3 palm full
• 8 center cut boneless pork loin chops, 1-inch thick
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Grill seasoning blend or salt and pepper (preferred brand McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)
• 3 golden delicious apples, sliced across into 1/2-thick inch disks

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill pan or nonstick griddle pan over medium high heat. Preheat electric table top grills to high. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine maple syrup, mustard, cider, onion, allspice and cumin in a small saucepan and cook together over moderate heat for 5 minutes until sauce begins to thicken a bit.
3. Coat chops lightly in oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook chops on hot grill pan or indoor grill 3 minutes on each side. Baste chops liberally with sauce, cook 2 or 3 minutes more. Transfer chops to a baking sheet. Baste again with sauce and transfer to a hot oven to finish cooking them. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until your apples are ready to come off the grill pan.
4. Wash apples but do not core or peel. Coat apple slices with a drizzle of oil. Season with grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Cover grill pan or indoor tabletop grill with as many pieces of apple as possible. As the apples get tender, pull them off and replace with more slices. Apples should cook 3 minutes on each side, you don’t want them too soft, just tender.
5. Platter chops with apples along side and serve.

We went to Costco this weekend and stocked up on some meat to freeze and use for dinners over the next month or so. I picked up some absolutely GIGANTIC filet mignon steaks for $6.00 each, and with a couple fresh veggies and other items on hand, I threw together this delicious dinner for the 2 of us for under $18.

Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze

INGREDIENTS

• 2 filet mignon steaks
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry red wine

DIRECTIONS

1. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over both sides of each steak, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place steaks in hot pan, and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add balsamic vinegar and red wine. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes on each side, basting with sauce when you turn the meat over.
3. Remove steaks to two warmed plates, spoon one tablespoon of glaze over each, and serve immediately.

Baked Asparagus

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch asparagus
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Break the asparagus from the weak point on the stem.
2. Place the asparagus in a plastic bag with the olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook at 400°F for 12-16min to desired tenderness.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large russet potatoes, cleaned & sliced, skin on
• 1 Tbsp butter
• splash of milk
• 1 glove garlic minced
• a bit of fresh dill

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil the potatoes for 15-20mins or until tender.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and smash the potatoes in the pot.

It’s cold in the Ferndizzy, ball chillingly cold, so I made C some nice winter comfort food – Shepherd’s Pie modified from a Rachael Ray recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients
* 2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
* 2 tablespoons sour cream
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
* 1 3/4 pounds ground turkey
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
* 1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
* 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and broth. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan, season meat with salt and pepper, and brown and crumble meat for 5 minutes. Add chopped onion to the meat and continue cooking another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

You find a box of individually wrapped snacky food products (think pretzels, chocolate wafers, and potato chips) with an expiration date over 2 years ago.

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It has been a while since I’ve posted… sorry. Lots of strange and borderline exciting things have been happening (OMG House is back on!!) and as a result blogging hasn’t exactly been at the top of my list of things to do.

Still, most of you don’t give a shit about that, so here’s some food.

Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and Black Beans
-or-
$7 For 2 Dinners For 2 People
-OR-
A Modern Take on Frugalism for a Modern Economic Crisis

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 10 Minutes, Cooking Time: 15 Minutes, Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:
2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes or Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes, Italian
1 (15 oz) can Bush’s black beans, rinsed and drained
10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
8 ounces Barilla penne pasta, cooked
1/2 cup Athenos reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese (we substituted Mozzarella because of C’s aversion to icky Goats)

Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and beans in a large non-stick skillet. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Add spinach to the sauce; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over pasta, and sprinkle with feta.

Pulled some ground turkey out of the freezer & combined $5 worth of stuff I didn’t have on hand to make this awesome 1-pan dinner!^*

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 chopped onion
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook turkey and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary.
Stir in taco seasoning, water, zucchini, tomatoes and corn; bring to a boil.
Add rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese, cover, and let stand until the cheese is melted.

^*Brought to you by allrecipes.com & their nifty ingredients search engine

Amazing goulash…

1/2 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3-ish pounds ground sirloin
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Fresh ground Black pepper & Salt
1 cup beef stock
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped dill (or more!)

Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook pasta 12 minutes (package time) to al dente.

While water comes to a boil and pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil then ground meat. Break up meat and crumble for a few minutes. Add garlic, onions, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and seasonings to the beef. Cook a few more minutes then add beef stock and sour cream to the pan. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Add cooked pasta and stir. Let pasta absorb some sauce, a minute or so. Adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish the prepared dish with chopped parsley, and..

PREPARE FOR FOOD COMA.

Not only does this make a metric crap-ton, but it tastes amazing.