Category: food

Recipe: Mexican Muffins

Ashley Bischoff2 Comments

I saw this recipe on the WhatsInTheFridge mailing list (and I would have linked to the specific post, but it seems that archives are only viewable by subscribers).

Mexican Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 pkg. (1 1/4 oz.) Taco seasoning mix
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 5 English muffins, split
  • 1 c. grated Cheddar cheese (4 oz.)

Preparation

Brown beef; drain well. Add seasoning mix and water; simmer 15 minutes or until lliquid is absorbed. Place muffins on baking sheet; top with meat mixture. Sprinkle cheese evenly over tops. Bake at 350° F., 10 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 5.

Note: For a Mexican hamburger, substitute hamburger buns for the muffins. Do not bake.

At first, the idea of a Mexicanized English-muffin seemed a bit odd to me, but I think I’ve warmed up to the idea. Of course, I’m now also contemplating whether guacamole & sour cream would improve the dish or if that would overdo it ;).

Low Fat Peanut Butter: Not as Healthy

Ashley Bischoff16 Comments

Many people buy low-fat peanut butter in an effort to eat healthier. However, I’ve recently learned that low-fat peanut butter is created through replacing the fat with corn syrup. So, you may be getting a bit less fat, but the corn syrup is pure carbs. And since carbs don’t have the satiety of fats or protein, it’s easier to gain weight since you won’t feel as full from a given amount of food.

But, there’s no need to feel guilty about the extra fat — peanut oil is one of the good fats :). As a monounsaturated fat (just like olive oil and canola oil), it helps to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and raise HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).

Most regular peanut butter is made through hydrogenating the peanut oil (which makes the peanut oil semi-solid at room temperature). However, the hydrogenation process creates trans fats — the worst kind of fat. Trans fat tends to raise the bad cholesterol while not raising the good cholesterol (even saturated fat, which isn’t particularly good for you either, raises both the good and bad cholesterol).

In terms of peanut butter, choosing full-fat peanut butter would be a healthy decision. Or, if you’re up for it, full-fat natural peanut butter would be even more healthy (since, without the hydrogenation, it has no trans fat).

Katz’s in Austin

Ashley Bischoff1 Comment

I enjoyed many of the restaurants in Austin while I was in town for SXSW, but I particularly enjoyed Katz’s. I went there a couple times and, as an all-night deli, it fit in well with our schedules.

I had a cheeseburger one evening, but only after ensuing that I could get it with blue cheese ;). The burger arrived quickly and they weren’t stingy with the blue cheese — there was about a cue-ball sized mound of crumbled blue cheese on the side.

I had trouble piling on all the blue cheese, but I was only too pleased to have such a problem. The patty was moderately thick and warm (though it could have been a touch hotter). Upon taking a bite, I was delivered a massive blue-cheese-and-beef sensation. It was incredibly delicious and among the top three burgers I’ve ever had.

On another occasion, I was in more of a sandwich mood and I went with a turkey club (with avocado, natch). The turkey was succulent and piled high, and the bacon — an often overlooked component — was well cooked with a satisfying crunch.

It was a tasty sandwich, decidedly above-average as club sandwiches go, but the bread didn’t seem to live up to its potential. It was wheat, I believe (a good thing), but it tended to slightly dry out my mouth. Usually, mayo or other condiments in the sandwich would counteract this effect, but not so much this time.

And, just last night, I went after the DFWBlogs / H-Town Blogs Cocktail Event. I wasn’t counting on fitting in a proper dinner that evening, so I had a few protein bars earlier in the evening (Zone bars, specifically).

Nonetheless, I was a tad peckish by the time we arrived (which was close to midnight, if I recall). On previous visits to Katz’s, I had eyed their dessert menu but I hadn’t had room — but now was my chance.

At first, their ice cream / brownie caught my eye, but it had both vanilla and chocoalte ice cream. Not being a fan of chocolate ice cream, I crossed that off my list. Though I don’t like chocolate ice cream, I’m still a raging choco-fiend in general — so, I went in search of other chocolatey items.

Quickly, I narrowed it down to two chocolate cakes: “Chocolate Eruption” & “Death by Chocolate”. A food’s texture lends to its enjoyment for me, but that’s where both of those fell a bit short…

The Chocolate Eruption was described as chocolate-cream cake with nuts and chocolate shavings, while the Death by Chocolate was made up of white & dark chocolate mousses. Chocolate can be delicious in many forms, but I never had much of a hankering for squishy chocolate (well, except for ganache, I suppose). Really, a chocolate cake would have been perfect.

Of the two, I settled on the Chocolate Eruption; I figured that the crunch of the nuts would play well off the soft chocolate cream. The slice arrived and, though it was tasty — I had no trouble finishing it — the creaminess was almost overwhelming. Of course it was probably no creamier than most other chocolate-cream cakes, but that evening I had a yearning for a Real Cake cake which this slice didn’t entirely fulfill.

With so many good dishes, Katz’s is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. I look forward to eating there again next year.

Fajita Pancakes?

Ashley BischoffLeave a comment

MetaFilter users are known for their fondness of pancakes, but they didn’t warmly receive McCormick’s recipe for Fajita Pancakes:

Add 1 tablespoon of Fajita Marinade & Seasoning to 1 quart of pancake batter, 2 cups of corn niblets, and 1 cup of diced green peppers. Prepare the pancakes to serve with soups, stews, or chili.

I like pancakes as much as the next guy (ok, maybe more than the next guy), but that recipe still doesn’t sound delicious to me. I think it was the corn nibblets that pushed me over the edge.

Austin Restaurants?

Ashley Bischoff3 Comments

Does anyone have any restaurant recommendations for must-go-to restaurants in Austin? I’m heading down to SXSW on Friday and though I’ll probably be around Austin natives (or maybe Austin-familiars) most of the time, I’m open to other suggestions as well.

So far, Jon has recommended these:

  • Kerbey Lane, especially for breakfast:

    Kerbey Lane Cafe isn’t an Austin institution for nothing. Its winning combination of good, homecooked fare, its cozy setting and hospitable service have made it a local favorite for years. If you haven’t discovered it yet, what are you waiting for? […]

  • Trudy’s, Tex-Mex:

    The stuffed avocado ($8.95) was half of an avocado that had been heaped with spicy chicken, breaded and fried. It was topped with the New Mexican green chile sauce and cheese and served with Spanish rice and black beans that also had a little zing. […]

And, Julie passes these along:

  • Pizza Nizza, “great pizza”:

    While there are hundreds of combinations possible, there are specialty pizzas that can make the choice easy. Try the veggie deluxe — with grilled onions, marinated artichoke hearts, sauteed spinach, roasted red bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, zucchini, white sauce and mozzarella — or the classic, with pepperoni, ham, sausage, green bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, black olives, marinara sauce and mozzarella. […]

  • Chuy’s, Mexican food:

    My favorites include the Chuychanga, a fried flour tortilla filled with chicken, cheese, cilantro and green chile, and the Chuy’s Special enchiladas, blue corn tortillas stacked with smoked chicken, cheese and tomatillo sauce. […]

  • Bitter End Bistro & Brewewy has “good beer, and a restaurant there”:

    While the casual ambiance might lead you to think otherwise, the Bitter End has been a consistent source of good food and service. Standouts included the mussels steamed in a white wine broth flavored with curry crème fraîche, garlic chives, lemon grass, sliced red bell peppers and garlic and the pork loin topped with crisp onion rings and surrounded by a cilantro-mint cream sauce. [&hellip]

  • Threadgill’s, for barbeque:

    Every time I walk into Threadgills, I get this overwhelming sensation of comfort. Maybe it’s a combination of the history of the place and my personal history with it. I know the food will be delivered on time, attentively, and that it will be good. Trust me on this, there are a lot of places that serve so-called comfort food that do not evoke a sense of comfort in me. Threadgills does. […]

  • Magnolia Cafe, especially for breakfast:

    The mixed menu features salads and chicken, vegetarian and fajitas, pasta and seafood, quesadillas and soups, something for practically everyone. And if that isn’t satisfying enough, try a chocolate fudge brownie. Ours weighed at least a half pound. Forks up. […]

  • Jazz has “big Cajun food”:

    Black is the color of seriously flavorful fare as well at Jazz. Their blackened catfish resonates thunderously across the taste buds of Austin, and the blackened tuna with a zesty dill hollandaise is enough to make Jean Lafitte himself limp up to the dinner table. […]

  • Spider House, for lunch or scones & cake:

    The cool thing about Spider House is that you don’t have to take off when you get the late night munchies. There are always about four or five entree choices, from Tamales by Golly and the Pasta Plate to the Mayberry Bagel, named after a Spider House employee. The prices of the entrees range from $2.95 to $4.95. […]

  • Iron Cactus, mexican food [sample menu]

  • Katz’s, NY Style deli & open all night:

    The warm spinach-artichoke dip ($6.95) was served with bagel crisps. The half roast chicken ($9.95) was served over dressing with gravy, with the choice of two sides. The open roast beef sandwich ($9.95) featured tender, thick slices of meat with gravy. […]

  • Amy’s Ice Creams where you “pick flavor, pick toppings and they have paddles and throw it in the air”:

    On warm evenings, Amy’s can get a little loud with the percussion of ice cream paddles beating candies or cookies into scoops. Look up to catch the sight of those same scoops flying high over the tops of the employees’ crazy hats to land with precision (most of the time) into cones and cups. For obvious reasons, Amy’s has been a local favorite since it opened in 1986. […]

  • Stubb’s, “good barbeque”:

    The turkey breast had a delicate smoky flavor and was excellent. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, but the pork ribs, in contrast to the previous times I’ve sampled them, were dry and tough. For sides, the serrano pepper cheese spinach, the collard greens and the creamy cole slaw were our favorites. […]