Safura's Mediterranean Cuisine

Have you ever found a pair of shoes that just screams YOU!?  The perfect style, perfect color...everything about them makes you want to like them...maybe even love them.  But alas, there's just one fatal flaw...they don't fit and no matter how hard you try to force your pretty lil' foot in there, it's just not going to happen.  That's, unfortunately how I felt when I dined at Safura's in Lacey, WA this past weekend.  There were so many things to like about this Mediterranean restaurant.  The staff was warm and genuine, the prices were very reasonable, and there was a variety of entrees to choose from.  The fatal flaw...the food just wasn't that good. 

The restaurant itself is clean and inviting.  I loved the Arab teapots and other authentic Middle Eastern pieces that decorated the walls.  Our waitress was extremely kind and was quick to take our orders.  The prices generally ranged around $7-$10 per plate.  Kid's meals were also a good price at $3-$4.

For our appetizers we ordered the dolmas, which are grape leaves stuffed with rice, parsley and other herbs and spices.   The dolmas had a nice bright flavor to them, but they were served on a plate swimming in a pool of some unknown congealed substance.  It was very off putting to say the least.  We also ordered some hummus and pita bread.  The hummus had a super creamy consistency, but I could have used a little bit more lemon juice to liven up the flavor.  My husband loved the quart of olive oil they poured on top, but I thought it was a bit too much.  The pita bread delicious.  Warm and tender and yes, you'll need to order extra.

For our main courses we decided to go with a Gyro combo (pronounced yee-roh) and a Chicken Shawarma platter.  I'll just let my 7 year old do the critiquing of the gyro....

"Mom, this gyro meat tastes like beef jerky.  And mom, my mouth is starting to hurt."


Although the gyro meat flavors were delicious, especially when combined with their cool, creamy tzatziki sauce, the texture of the meat was unforgivable.  At least the french fries served on the side were a little bit more "jaw friendly".  The Chicken Shawarma platter had a really good display of flavors.  The grilled spiced chicken was mixed with chopped bell peppers and onions and served with an overwhelming side of rice.  Again though, the dish had all the inspirational Mediterranean flavors but lacked the succulent, juicy meat.  I seriously had to slather each bite in hummus or tzatziki sauce so I wouldn't choke trying to get it down.

I have a personal love and strong connection to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food because I spent part of my childhood in Saudi Arabia.  Every time I eat it, I feel like I know where my roots started to grow. When I saw that Safura's offered potentially great authentic Mediterranean food I, just like with the shoes, wanted to love this place.  But when it all came down to it, the fit just wasn't right for me.  Maybe it will be good for someone else, but I'm not going to force it.  That would just be painful...EAT WELL MY FRIENDS!

Checkered tablecloth is on it's way!!

It's Spring time!  Time for grilling, BBQs, and frolicking in the sun...oh wait, I live in WA.  That won't happen for another 3 months.  Well, even though the weather in WA doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me, I'm going to lure the sun out with the idea of a big family picnic.  Imagine tables lined with red checked table cloths, filled with tantalizing BBQ beef, crisp veggies, chips, dip and an assortment of salads, ranging from the infamous Jell-o salad to a refreshing spinach and strawberry salad.  Kids running through the sprinklers with squeals of laughter.  Ahh, I have seen the light!  Spring is on it's way to WA whether it likes it or not!  Here's a great recipe to get us started on the path to fun in the sun!

BBQ Beef

3 lbs beef or pork roast
1 cup ketchup
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Cut the roast in half and place in slow cooker.  Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl.  Pour over the roast.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Remove roast from the sauce, cool slightly.  Trim off fat (no one wants wiggly meat!) Shred meat with two forks.  Pour sauce into separate bowl.  Add shredded meat back into slow cooker.  Slowly coat with sauce until it's as "wet" as you like it.  Cover and cook on high for another 15-30 minutes.  Serve it up on a heavy duty bun with a serving of cool and creamy coleslaw and a side of Spring time lovin'!

Eat well my friends!!

Famous Dave's

I'mm baaack!  Geez after this past week of Spring Break madness it's amazing that I still have my head on.  It's not on straight, but at least it is on.  Kuddos for me.  So as I said, this past week was Spring Break so there was a lot of "kid choices" when it came to dining out, but come on, even Chuck E. Cheese tastes pretty good if you don't have to cook it or clean up.  But, alas, towards the end of the week I put my foot down and said, "It's BBQ time!"

Seeing how I haven't found a good BBQ place here in Lacey or Olympia WA (I'll take suggestions, please!) we decided to hit up one of our favorite BBQ places in Tacoma...Famous Dave's.  Okay call me a corporate junkie, but I love Famous Dave's.  They have consistently good food and a great atmosphere.  On our last lunch visit, we were greeted by a lovely hostess.  She was quick to smile and engage in some friendly chit chat with the kiddos.  We were seated and given a few minutes to peruse the menu.  They have some decent lunch specials that have smaller portions, but still all the lip smackin' flavor.  A one meat combo plate was $8.99 and a two meat combo was  $9.99.  A little spendy for lunch, it's worth it to save your pennies up. After we ordered our waitress brought us a bowl of homemade potato chips for dipping and explained what all the different sauces they offered were. There was the Rich & Sassy that has a great blend a tang and sweet.  The Georgia Mustard is obviously a mustard based sauce that gets your mouth watering.  The Texas Pit is great for chicken or brisket.  The Sweet and Zesty has a "right out of the pit" flavor.  And my personal favorite, Devil's Spit has just the right amount of heat.

Yeah it's a lil' sloppy, but hey, it's BBQ!

I decided to go with the Georgia chopped pork with a side of baked beans.  Hubby went with St. Louis style ribs and the brisket with a side of potato salad.  Each meal also came with perfect corn on the cob and a cornbread muffin that was to die for.  They were deliciously moist and you could see the honey baked into them.  Kid meals were your typical chicken fingers, corn dogs, mac and cheese, but my oldest was pretty stoked that they had a Rib meal.  He's a carnivore.  My chopped pork was delicious.  Fork tender and full of flavor.  I doused it with just the right amount of Devil's Spit and was in heaven...hmmm, maybe not with the "Devil's Spit".  Hee hee.  My baked beans were really loaded with chopped pork, brisket, and jalapenos.  I probably could have eaten just those, but I think the fam would have been pretty upset with me.  The ribs my hubby ordered were ultra tender and had a great bark to them.  The meat literally fell right off the bone and may I say, there was a lot of meat to those puppies.  His brisket was a bit dry and lacked in the flavor department. Unfortunately was not on my favorite list. Some how he ended up with an order of wings too.  They were meaty and juicy, but definitely not your tear jerking heat.  I like to glisten when I eat my wings.  (That's a nice way of saying sweat!) Since potato salad and I have a mutual hatred, I can only tell you that the hubby said it was rich and creamy.  Just like Mom use to make.

Great meal and to top it all off, we ordered a bread pudding to share.  Even with the five us eating, it was a huge portion a of mushy goodness slathered with a decadent pecan praline sauce.  Hello sticky fingers!

So I usually try to search out local venues and support them, but even though Famous Dave's in a "chain restaurant" I really enjoy their family friendly atmosphere and consistently good food.  Sometimes that's the benefit of going to a corporate chain.  You always know what you are going to get.

Food Stories

I love how food tells a story. I believe that's what recipes are...food stories. The sloppy PB and J I made my 2 year old the other day told the story of how absurdly busy the day had been, while the stuffed pork loin I attempted to make last night was the story of culinary inspiration and stepping outside of my cooking comfort zone. Whatever the food is, it always has a story behind it. This past weekend I was able to reflect on my own food heritage as I poured through some old cookbooks. I found my first Disney cookbook, with the page for "Sleeping Beauty's Spinning Wheels" still dog-eared. I pulled out my favorite cookbook devoted only to chocolate (can we say chocoholic?), and then I pulled out the smallest cookbook I have. While it's worn edges tell the story of frequent use and the fact that it automatically falls open to one recipe shows that I have utilized this book for one recipe and one recipe only.

This recipe, or food story, has been past down for generations, as it is a treasured pioneer recipe. I love the fact that the pioneer dishes had to be simple, yet substantial. I can just imagine these rockin' pioneer women making these beauties up after an strenuous day of walking, running, pulling, chasing, etc.  The last thing they probably wanted to do after setting up camp was to make dinner, but they did it, and they did it with love. I'm sure the chorus of appreciation was sung numerous times for those strong pioneer women. Those gals knew how to cook!

Now don't get freaked out by the name of the recipe. No porcupines were harmed in making this dish! I've made a few changes to the original recipe to reduce some calories and fat. Serve it up with a big green salad and you have a great balanced meal!

Porcupine Meatballs


Sauce:

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. sugar

Meatballs:

• 2 lbs lean ground meat (you can use turkey)
• 2 T flour
• 1 tsp. crushed rosemary
• 1 tsp. chopped onion
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Combine all ingredients for sauce in large pot.  Cover and place over low heat to simmer.
Combine all ingredients for meatballs and form into balls about the size of walnuts.  Spray non-stick spray into pan and brown meatballs evenly.  As they brown, drop them into sauce...try not to splatter sauce everywhere.  I'm totally not speaking from experience.
Cover tightly and simmer away for about 40 minutes.

*If you are using ground turkey, be VERY careful when browning.  They tend to fall apart more easily.  Still tastes good though :)

So now friends, go make you own food stories and eat well in the process!!

Deep fried what?!!

 

  Pickles!  Okay I know what you are thinking, that is gross.  Maybe it is, I don't know, but when I had these the other day I HAD to find a recipe for them.  Try 'em out and see what you think!

Deep Fried Pickles

adapted from Jennifer Clement of Maggie's Pickle Cafe

Ingredients

• 12 dill pickle spears, chilled
• Egg wash, recipe follows
• Breading, recipe follows
• Canola oil, for frying
• Ranch dressing for dippin'

Directions

Using very cold dill pickle spears, dip pickle into egg wash and then coat with breading.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.
In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Alternatively, heat oil in a large, heavy pot suitable for deep-frying. Carefully add chilled pickle spears, in batches, to the hot oil and fry for about 3 1/2 minutes or until golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve with Ranch dressing.

 

Egg Wash:

1 cups milk

1 eggs

Pinch lemon pepper

Pinch dill weed

Pickle juice

Breading:

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup lemon pepper

1/4 cup dill weed

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoons garlic salt

Pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

For egg wash: In a baking dish, whisk all ingredients together, except pickle juice. Add pickle juice, to taste, and whisk to combine.

For breading: Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.

Eat funky well my friends!

The family that eats together...eats more together!!

Do you have a person in your life that just makes you laugh so hard that you literally can't breath some times?  I am lucky enough to have 6 incredible women in my life that leave me in stitches every time I am around them and this past weekend was no exception. My crazy sisters, awesome Mom and I lived, laughed, and of course ATE it up for our "Sneak Attack" getaway.  I'm usually not one for glutenous behavior, but man, it was fun this weekend to enjoy a wide array of culinary tastes that Utah had to offer.

Siegfried's
My sister, who just happens to be 8 months pregnant with her first girl (she already has 3 boys!) and who was had no idea we were coming to visit her (we are sneaky like that) just so happened to meet us all at Siegfried's of Salt Lake City.  Siegfried's is an fantastic German restaurant that offers a huge menu of traditional German entrees, sides and a great "build your own sandwich" option.  It is also has terrific grocery selection that makes you want to hop on the next plane to Berlin.   Between all us gals, who had only eaten a handful of stale airplane pretzels and a swig of flat Diet Coke, ended up ordering a few Reubens, Bratwurst, Knockwurst, warm German potato salad, spaetzle, and rotkhol.  Oh and did I mention that we also piled on a German chocolate cake, cheesecake, and a chocolate hazelnut cake?  We know how to party!  The Reuben was the best I have ever had.  Flavorful, juicy and very filling.  Perfect meat to sauerkraut ratio and was grilled up right before my eyes.  Dee-lish!  The Brats had a great snap to them and seriously were bursting with Germany goodness.  I loved their rotkhol, which is a sweet and sour red cabbage.  It had wonderful texture and fantastic bold zing to it.  Great German food and even more amazing was the company in which it was enjoyed with.

 The Garden
The next day of our visit, we collectively decided to skip breakfast.  Usually I advise against this, but considering we spent the entire night prior polishing off 3 bags of Cadbury Mini Eggs, coconut M&M's, and Reese's peanut butter eggs (dang Easter candy!!) it was a necessary action so we could thoroughly enjoy our lunch/baby shower at the Garden Restaurant.  Located in the Joseph Smith Memorial building in Temple Square, this restaurant had an awe-inspiring view of downtown Salt Lake City.  The environment is was so refreshing and light.  Beautiful, vibrant flowers decorated the dining area while a retractable glass roof opened to reveal a brilliant blue sky.  A perfect setting for a group of crazy sisters and their mom to gaggle and laugh the afternoon away.  Oh yes, and the food was divine as well.  I have to admit, after everything was ordered and eaten, I've decided that the BEST thing I had that afternoon was the fried pickle appetizer.  I don't know, maybe it's because it was a freakin' baby shower, but I must have been having sympathy cravings from my sister!  Regardless, these babies were so yummy!  Breaded in panko bread crumbs and deep fried to perfection, this appetizer was a pleasant surprise to my taste buds.  Mmm...

Here are a few of the entrees that were ordered.  A cool and crisp raspberry salad, which had a beautiful presentation with a crunchy fried plantain crisp.  The dressing was a vividly eye catching color, but was overly sweet for my liking .  Also a classic grilled cheese with tomato soup.  The tomato soup was warm, comforting and had a great depth to it's flavor and the sandwich was buttery and delicious, oozing cheesy goodness.  We also had the Philly cheese steak sandwich, which was good, but needed about twice as much meat for the roll it was served on.  Another deliciously spicy sandwich that graced our plates was the Cajun chicken sandwich.  It had a perfect blend of heat that was balanced with a cool guacamole.  We were provided with a wonderful meal and great service.  Our waiter even brought us a huge bowl of mints after my sister told him they were her favorite! Good man giving the pregnant woman what she wants!

I truly can not fathom how much food we ingested, and also what an absurd amount of fun we had in such a short amount of time. I also can't believe how hard I am working out this week to pay it off! Every bit worth it! I love my crazy, beautiful, jaw dropping, abundant, joyous, daring, inspiring, big hearted family! Here's to the next party! Until then, eat well my friends.

The Spaetzle, The Asiago, The Target, The German,
The Sugar High, Genghis Mom, and The Ruffle

Ode to camping

Some people may think that camping is nature's way of promoting the hotel industry, but I love to camp.  It's actually one of those things that my husband and I feel for each other doing.  Our courtship consisted of rock climbing adventures, mountain biking accidents and good ol' camping fun.  One time, a few weeks before we got married, we were sitting around the camp fire and "nature called".  I quietly muttered under my breath, "Dude, I hate peeing in the wilderness."  I went and did my thing and came sat back down next to my honey.  All of the sudden, he got icy cold with me.  We're talking wouldn't even hold my hand!  What had I done?  Was this the end of the dynamic duo?  After about 20 grueling minutes of intense silence I finally asked what on earth his problem was.  He looked me dead in the eyes and said, "I thought you liked camping and all this outdoor stuff.  You just said you hated being in the wilderness!!"   Oh the look of sheer joy and relief that washed across that poor man's face when I told him what I had really said was PRICELESS!  "Peeing Chad...not being!  Geez, man!"  Ah good times.  Here's to more stupendous camping memories to come!!

Smore's Bars

3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
18 whole graham crackers, crushed, about 3 cups
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 milk chocolate bars, approximately 1 1/2 ounces each
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in crushed graham crackers, flour, and salt. Reserve 1 cup of the graham cracker mixture and press remaining mixture over the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Arrange chocolate bars, in a single layer, over graham cracker crust mixture in the pan. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Crumbled reserved graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars. 


It's not the best camping weather here in WA just yet, but it's right around the corner...I can feel it!  Hopefully I can bribe the weather gods with these treats!  Eat well my friends!