Monthly Archives: April 2017

Super Delicious Buffalo Blue Cheese Topping for Potato Pancakes Recipe

 

Buffalo Blue Cheese Topping For Potato Pancakes

I got this idea for Buffalo Blue Cheese Potato Pancakes. Well……..The pancakes came out good but not infused with much buffalo blue cheese flavor…so I came up with a topping for the pancakes. Potato pancakes are pretty easy to prepare and you don’t really need a recipe for them. Basically for about 35 pancakes that freeze well you need about 3 lbs potatoes shredded mixed with a whole grated onion mix in with potatoes (doesn’t turn brown) squeeze out liquid and mix with about two eggs, 1/2 cup of some kind of starch and season. Potato pancakes normally get served with sour cream and chives or sometimes apple sauce. But like I said earlier I got this Buffalo Blue Cheese idea….This topping taste terrific. It’s got this amazing melty texture and it’s very flavorful. A thin spread goes a long way here. You might want to use it on bagels and other things like on sandwiches too. I’m thinking maybe it can kick up a grilled cheese sandwich in an interesting way too. Well anyways it sure makes the Potato Pancake a little more fun and tasty!

Ingredients for about 12 servings

12 oz whipped cream cheese – room temperature

7 Tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce (preferably Franks Red Hot)

4 Tablespoons dijon mustard

4 oz sweet butter – room temperature

1 Tablespoon sugar

7 oz blue cheese

Directions

Get a large bowl and mix in ingredients one at a time in order until done.

Buffalo Blue Cheese Topping For Potato Pancakes

Forking Delicious!

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

My Visit to Paradise Valley Pizza Co. of Phoenix AZ

 

Paradise Valley Pizza Co. recently opened in Phoenix AZ. They serve Arizona Style Pizza and more. I thought that Arizona Style Pizza sounds interesting so I wanted to give it a try.

This is a small family owned business. The restaurant is very casual. You order at the counter and seat yourself.

It was hard to decide on what pizza to try because they all sounded different and interesting.

I decided on ordering the one called Margarita …like the drink…..

My pizza was covered in a tangy sauce called marinara verde. Other ingredients were, spicy serrano chili pickled in tequila, queso fresco (cheese), avocado, lime and cilantro. The pizza is fresh and hot so I pick up a slice and try and started with the the crust. It’s unique and unlike any other pizza crust I ever tried. It’s shattering crisp, maybe a little buttery and sort of flaky and the crust underneath is thin and crisp. The pizza seems very light when you eat it and doesn’t weigh you down. I like the heat and the fresh cilantro. The pizza is good and tasty but a little hard to eat. The avocado rolls off and my teeth don’t cut threw the cilantro stems. All they need is a chop and all is good.

I don’t really think of this as pizza but it’s unique and different.

My husband got the Ditka Pizza.

He got house made sausage, roasted green chili marinara, oregano and fried onions.

Besides mostly non traditional pizzas they offer a short menu of wings, salads and cannoli in of Non Traditional Varieties of Lucky Charm, Oreo and Maple Bacon.

If your in the area you might care to give them a try.

www.ParidiseValleyPizzaCompany.com

The Forking Truth is that EVERYTHING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

Blazin Mongolian BBQ in Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork and Interesting People Watching

 

The Blazin Mongolian BBQ is located in a half deserted strip mall that surrounds the nearly deserted Metro Center Mall located in a busy area of Phoenix Arizona.

This is a very casual and not at all fancy………

heathy style Asian stir fry buffet. This isn’t fancy food but what I tried seemed heathy and tasty. It’s the type of place you go to when you want something better than fast food that’s fast. A healthy bowl packed with your choices of protein and vegetables , noodles that’s dressed in Asian flavors.

You have your choice of size bowl small or large or an all-you-can-eat option called the “Warrior” bowl. once you decide and pay you fill your bowl with your choice of meat…….

…………vegetables,

noodles and sauces with a suggested sauce menu.

Then the chef that operates the Mongolian grill cooks up your bowl for you.

They provide some extra add ons like a few extras like white and fried rice, soups, peanuts and fried noodles. Beverages and complimentary  serve yourself ice cream are included.

My verdict is that both bowls came out tasty!

The vegetables came out tender crisp and not boiled like from some other Mongolian BBQs. But what really matters to me is that the food did actually taste good. I haven’t had the same experience at some of the other Mongolian Grills. I am not much of a meat eater and I must add the razor thin rolled meat takes up some room in your bowl and I wound up with a very small portion of meat that pretty much dissolved into the vegetables (I picked dark chicken). My husband’s choice of beef stayed more in the dish. If you are a bigger meat eater you might be most happy with the warrior bowl. So you can go back for more meat.

Besides a tasty meal were you can control the amount of starch and fat in your meal you can also do some interesting people watching here.

I noticed some people don’t pay for the “Warrior” (all-you-can-eat option) yet they fill their bowl to the sky and continue to add on soups, rice fried noodles and even the cut lemons. To take home.

No kidding I saw a different woman taking 5 or 6 bowls of fried noodles a bowl of lemons and more. Her bowl and her husband’s bowl were piled twice as high as the one in this photo. I also saw a man using a paper towel to squish the food flat to fit in as much as he could.

It IS The Forking Truth!

You might want to visit Blazin Mongolian BBQ to get a tasty inexpensive meal and to witness the actions of people. It was entertaining to me and would make for a good TV show.

NO..You are not going to drive across town to dine here…but if your in the area and want something casual and healthy you might want to give this place a try.

www.BlazinMongolianBBQ.com

In the end the food was tasty and what I thought was a good value.

The Forking Truth is that EVERY FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

Delicious Light Vegetable Stuffed South West Style Peppers Recipe

 

South West Style Vegetable Stuffed Pepper

Had a bunch of orange bell peppers and came up with a stuffed pepper that’s surprisingly light and very flavorful with pleasing texture. It’s creamy but not really creamy and I used some of the very flavorful cooking water from a pan of corn I cooked in the oven instead of more butter or cream. This is an easy recipe to prepare. Just throw everything in the oven and let the oven do the work. The size of the peppers I used may differ from yours so we might be a difference in servings. I used medium sized bell peppers.

Vegetable Stuffed South West Style Stuffed Pepper

Ingredients for about 9 servings

9 orange bell peppers – tops cut off and seeds and membrane removed – (you can use whatever color you want but they all taste different) (you should trim the tops and save the pepper and use)

3 brown skin potatoes (not large but good medium sized…my potatoes were about  7-8 oz each)

1 1/2  teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

5 corn ears (I cooked 5 but only used about 2 1/2 ears of corn….if you cook less corn the water that you use latter won’t be as flavorful)

2 teaspoons course sea salt

2 oz sweet butter

1/2 cup cooking water from corn

1 1/2 oz fired roasted hatch chile – stem, seeds, most of skin and core removed -chopped

1/2 roasted red bell pepper – stem, seeds, skin and core removed – chopped

1/2 roasted jalapeno – stem, seeds, core removed – chopped

3 1/2 oz pepper jack cheese – shredded

1/4 cup cilantro – chopped

1/4 cup scallions – chopped

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of white pepper

non stick canola or vegetable spray

Directions

Set oven at 350 degrees F

Wash potatoes well then dry well. Prick them all over with a fork. Rub the potatoes with oil and place on baking sheet.

Place peppers upside down on baking sheet that was lightly sprayed with non  stick spray.

Put peeled corn in a pan or baking dish and add water to cover the corn by about about three quarters. Add 2 teaspoon salt and the butter. Cover pan with foil.

Place the potatoes, the cut bell peppers and corn in the oven.

In one hour the peppers should be wrinkled but still have body to them. (you should check the potatoes but in my oven they needed another 1/2 hour. Potatoes will have a slightly wrinkled skin.

At one and one half hours or thirty minutes latter the corn will be very fragrant and should be done with the potatoes.

When corn is cool enough to handle remove from cob. Use two and a half cobs and put the rest in your refrigerator or freezer for something else.

When the potatoes are still warm but cool enough to handle then you peel the skin off. On my potatoes I was able to just pull the skin off. Place in a large bowl and mash by hand with a potato masher. Add warm corn water, white and black pepper, hatch pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, corn, cheese, cilantro and scallions. Mix gently with a spoon and try not to bust up the corn all the way. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Fill peppers tight as you can with the potato mixture and place each filled pepper in a non stick sprayed pan.

The filled peppers will take about one hour until they get some color on the top.

I chilled this pan and latter reheated two peppers for dinner.

They came out scrumptious! Forking yummy!

South West Style Vegetable Stuffed Pepper

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa is delicious on grilled meats and on tortillas. The Tomatillo is related to the Gooseberry and looks like a green tomato but comes in a husk you have to peel off.  Tomatillo do differ in flavor as some are very sweet and some have little flavor. Sometimes you get them when the husk is still green and fresh and seals the tomatillo completely. Most of the time the husk is very dry and comes with dirt inside. Either way you should peel and wash the tomatillos. This recipe is easy to prepare but involves  cleaned up peppers that are roasted, peeled with the seeds and stems of all the peppers removed. The produce always differs in flavor so some adjustments are to be expected.

Ingredients for about 10 servings

5 lbs tomatillos – husk removed, washed, cut in quarters

1 lb sweet onions – chopped

12 garlic cloves – shredded

1 Tablespoon oil (I used canola)

4 oz poblano pepper – roasted, cleaned, chopped

6 oz hatch chili – roasted, cleaned chopped

2 oz jalapeno chili – roasted, cleaned chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro – chopped

1/2 cup scallions – chopped

5 epazote leaves – torn very small (skip this if you don’t have it or use a pinch of very finely chopped fresh oregano)

1 Tablespoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

Turn the oven to 425 degrees F

Put the tomatillos on sheet pan (s) and keep in the oven about an hour or until the tomatoes are somewhat charred.

While the Tomatillos are roasting……

Tomatillos

Put on a sauce pot on medium high heat and add the oil. When it’s hot add the onions and when they start to look cooked add the garlic and continue to cook till onions are translucent.

Turn down the heat to medium low.

Add all the peppers.

It should be aromatic by now.

Around now or soon the tomatillos are done.

Add them to the pot.

Add all dry spices and simmer about a half an hour. Stir occasionally.

Shut the heat off and add the fresh herbs and lime juice.

Taste and adjust.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

This is a bright light salsa…The sweetness of the Tomatillos cuts all the heat from the hot peppers.

The Forking Truth

 

 

Sadly Two People Died This Week from Competitive Eating

 

Sadly Two People Died This Week from Competition Eating.

According to International Business Times via Yahoo.com and NYDailyTimes.com 20 year old Caitlin Nelson college student died 4-2-17. It was three days after participating in a charity pancake eating contest. It was reported by The NY Times that Caitlin did have allergies and went into convulsions after consuming a few flap jacks. People did come to her aid but they couldn’t clear her throat.

Tragically her father was one of the many victims that perished in the 2001 9-11 attacks.

Also on 4-2-17 42 year old Travis Malouff dies at a competitive eating challenge at Voodoo Donuts white trying to eat a 8 oz. or 7 in. doughnut in 80 seconds for only a free meal and a button. (.www.TorantoSun.com reports the doughnut was the equivalent of 6 doughnuts and was 1/2 a pound). Unfortunately nobody in attendance knew how to do the Heimlich correctly and help wasn’t there in time according to www.Newser.com and www.TorantoSun.com

Sadly Two People Died This Week From Competitive Eating.

The Forking Truth

Doughbird Restaurant Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork! – Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

 

Fox Restaurant Concepts New Restaurant Doughbird just opened this week in the Arcadia parts of Phoenix AZ. This is a full service Free Range Chicken Rotisserie and Organic Pizza Restaurant. (Get it Dough …..  Bird …….Doughbird) I’m not an interior decorator but the interior reminds me of the near by Ikea Store…..I’d call the decor a sort of Swedish Farm House type of decor mixed with touches of retro but I read in the local newspaper it’s California Style.

The dining areas include a mix of high top tables, low top tables, some with banquettes and booths. Doughbird also has a full bar and a narrow patio that wraps around the restaurant.

We start by sharing a smart sized Truffle Cheese Stromboli.

It’s indulgent bursting with creamy rich Italian Cheeses and completely flavorful and laced with truffle. The dough also has a nice great crisp crust.

Of course we have to try the Chicken……Do we get a half or a whole….well the whole seems to be the right answer value wise…..it’s only a few dollars more than the half…Both the half order or the whole order include one side and one sauce. For a small amount more we try an extra side and an extra sauce.

We tried Delicious juicy Rotisserie Chicken with Jalapeño Pesto and Spicy Buffalo Sauce, Quinoa Tabbouleh and Macaroni and Cheese. I have to say the Chicken is really melt in your mouth delicious…..it was a nice very light smoke….nicely seasoned good meaty chicken……both sauces are good but I think the unique Buffalo Sauce is extra special….and far more complex…You get a lot of mild mustard kinds of flavors and a good zing of apple cider…..I don’t think I’d call this sauce buffalo sauce but who cares…It’s Forking Delicious! The Non-Traditional Quinoa Tabbouleh hits your mouth with quality ingredients….My mouth can taste those expensive sweet vine ripened tomatoes in there…..yum……While this isn’t my style of Macaroni and Cheese…I do have to say it’s better than most macaroni and cheese I’ve eaten out at a number of restaurants……If you like American Cheese then you will love this Macaroni and Cheese….

As it turns out food wise a half Chicken here is enough for two people because they use plump chickens and not those little tiny chickens…….but I’d say you need to have – one side and one sauce a person for dining portions. I took home a half chicken and some of the sides….because I was saving room for dessert.

The desserts from Fox Restaurants are usually worth the calories…so I tried the Butterscotch Cream Cake.

It’s a not too sweet sort of corn cake soaking in butterscotch and topped with high quality vanilla bean gelato. This was impossible not to like…..

I’m so happy to say that all the food was delicious! Service was great and atmosphere is nice! Can’t ask for anything else except a new location closer to my house!

www.FoxRC.com

Worth a Fork!

Winner winner Chicken Dinner….Doughbird is Worth a Fork!

I note that EVERY FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may…or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth