A Simple, Affordable and Elegant Dinner Idea

Last week, I had some of my fellow Eversave co-workers over for dinner and vino. 

Photo courtesy of thedailycraic.

Each and every one of my three dinner guests (as well as myself) have different tastes in food, so it took me some time to figure out what to make. For example, one of my co-workers doesn't like cheese, eggs or beans - three ingredients I use in 90% of my meals. I had to be creative, while making the meal affordable and elegant.

And what's more affordable and elegant (not to mention versatile and delicious) than puff pastry?

After flipping through several of my cookbooks, I combined my inspiration from several of the recipes I found. The end result: Leeks, tomato, herbs, salt and pepper, all cooked in a puff pastry.

The pre-baked entree.

 I served the tomato and leek "tart" with roasted potatoes and a simple arugula salad.

The meal ended up being pleasing to all palates at the table - and it was also simple, elegant and ultra affordable.

Do you have picky eaters in your life? Or would you consider yourself a picky eater?

50 Cent Dumplings at The Ginger Exchange

On Tuesdays, dumplings only cost $0.50 at The Ginger Exchange in Inman Square (if you spend at least $6 on drinks). Guess where I was this past Tuesday?

My friend, Amy, lives right in Inman Square, and invited me out for drinks and cheap dumplings at this Japanese sushi bar and restaurant. I happily obliged, met her at the bar, and quickly ordered a Southern Tier "Unearthly" IPA ($6).

The Ginger Exchange serves pork and vegetable versions of their MaMa's Dumplings. I went with the vegetable; Amy went with the pork.

The dumplings were cooked perfectly; I fell in love with the crispy exterior. The vegetable filling, however, could have used some more spices, but, thankfully, the soy sauce helped to bring the dumplings to life. 

Since I had been having craving sushi all week, I also decided to order some Avo-cucumber makimono ($4.75) to wash down my dumplings with. 

This sushi definitely fulfilled my week-long craving. The avocado, cucumber and wasabi were incredibly fresh, and the sprinkling of black and white sesame seeds added a necessary nuttiness to the maki. 

Although we only sat at the bar, I enjoyed the vibe at The Ginger Exchange. A surprising number of younger patrons were also sitting down and enjoying a later dinner (and probably $0.50 dumplings), and our waitress/bartender was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I'll definitely go back for some fresh Japanese fare - and not just on a Tuesday.

Simple Food and Winter Brews at Beer Works in Salem

Sometimes, the simplest of places can consistently fill your belly with a satisfying meal and a few cold beers. For me, Beer Works is one such place.

I've been to the Beer Works' locations in Boston, Lowell and Salem, and for some reason, the Boston spot has fallen flat for me. The other locations, however, have always delivered decent pub grub and brews - nothing outstanding, but affordable and tasty. On Saturday night, I met up with two of my cousins for dinner and drinks at the Salem location.

I started with the Beantown Nut Brown Ale (12 oz., $4.50), which was surprisingly light, and full of toasted nut flavor.

I can never go to Beer Works without starting my meal with their Fried Pickles ($6.95), which are served with a zesty ranch dipping sauce (please excuse the terrible photo).

The fried pickles at Beer Works are consistently crunchy on the outside with a still-snappy, juicy pickle on the inside. The crispy exterior also clings to the pickle, preventing a messy, greasy disaster.

Beer Works unfortunately does not have too many vegetarian options (pizza and a portobello sandwich are just two of the few other choices), so I went with the Garden Burger ($9.95). This burger usually comes garnished with mushrooms, honey Dijon mustard, lettuce and tomato (and served with a garden salad), but I changed my order completely. At Beer Works, you can pick from a variety of sides and toppings for your burgers, which makes the ordering process a little more fun (for the customer, at least) - and only slightly more expensive ($1 for each topping and $1 for some of the sides choices).

I ended up topping my garden burger with avocado, sauteed onions and Cheddar jack cheese. I also got sweet potato fries on the side.

Served on a fluffy, buttery, slightly sweet roll, this burger was downright enjoyable. The toppings were also generous, and complemented the veggie and grain burger quite well. The bun was so big, though, that I ended up eating the second half of my burger sans bread. The sweet potato fries were simply seasoned with salt, and were beautifully crispy without being overly greasy.

To end the meal, I drank my dessert - and enjoyed a Black Bat Stout (12 oz., $4.75).

Beer Works' stout was smooth and creamy, and had flecks of oatmeal, coffee and chocolate flavors. This was a great way to end the meal.

Many of Beer Works' brews are seasonal and vary by location, but you can find the full menu for each location right on their website.

All in all, I had another successful meal at Beer Works - that was also extremely affordable. My two cousins are part of the Beer Works' VIP program, which took $30 off our entire bill. Score!

Have you ever been to a Beer Works? What's your review?

Baking to End Cancer with Nutella Brownies

Remember these puppies?

Well, now you have a chance to get one dozen of these gems, all to yourself (or, to share...but that's up to you). Just head on over to Amanda's (a.k.a. Tales from a Kitchen Misfit's) virtual Bake Sale, and bid on these Nutella Brownies. Oh, and did I mention the bake sale is to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society? Amanda is running the Boston Marathon, and her goal is to raise $4,000 for this great cause.

Let's help Amanda reach her goal, shall we?

Happy bidding!

Thai-Style Tofu and Chickpea Curry

Now that the temperatures have dropped in Boston - and seem to be staying that way through the near future - I'm craving nothing but warm, spicy foods that tantalize my palate and fill my belly. One night after work last week, when I was particularly chilly and hungry, I found this Thai-style Green Curry spice blend in our pantry that my parents had given to us a few months ago.

We had a block of tofu in the fridge, along with a can of chickpeas in the cabinet, so I decided to whip up a comforting, spicy dish to warm both of our bellies.

Thai-Style Tofu and Chickpea Curry

Yields: 4 servings

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-1/2 an onion, minced

-1 tsp. minced garlic

-1 green pepper, chopped

-1 block (14 oz.) extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

-7-8 jarred jalapeno slices, minced

-1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

-2 tbsp. Thai Style Green Curry spice blend

-Palmful of cumin

-Coriander

-Turmeric

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

-1 cup vegetable broth

-1 cup cooked Jasmine rice

-Naan, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1.) Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion, and cook until soft and translucent (about 4 to 5 minutes). Add garlic, and let cook for 30 seconds; add pepper, and cook until just about soft.

2.) Add tofu to the pepper and onion mixture; stir, and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add jalapenos and chickpeas; season with Thai curry spice blend, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper. Add broth, then stir.

3.) Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the saucepan. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes; serve over Jasmine rice. 

This was one hearty, satisfying meal. It was also nice to experiment with Thai curry, since we almost always use traditional curry powder in dishes like these. 

What spices have you experimented with lately?

Giveaway Winner!

As I'm sitting here, drinking my dirty martini, I remember that I forgot to pick a winner for my Freixenet giveaway! Forgive me....

Without further ado, the winner is...Frederick Wright!

Frederick was the first to answer this question correctly: What are the three traditional cava grapes?

The answer is: Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada.

Congrats, Frederick! Please email me to claim your prize.

Have a great weekend!

Spicy Jasmine Rice

Enchiladas, burritos, tacos - they just don't taste the same without rice. That's why, when I was making my Baked Chipotle Chimichangas, I knew I had to make rice to go alongside them.

And not just any rice, because, well, let's be honest - plain rice is nothing but bland and chewy without some flavor added to it. 

Spicy Jasmine Rice

Yields: 4 servings

-1 cup Jasmine rice

-1 1/2 cups water

-1 tbsp. butter

-Cumin

-Chili powder

-Dried parsley

-Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.) Bring rice and water to a soft boil in a large saucepan; let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Take pan off heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2.) Add butter and spices (to taste), then stir. Serve alongside Baked Chipotle Chimichangas. 

The butter and flavorful seasonings used in this dish really helped kick this otherwise plain-tasting rice up a few delicious notches. The fluffy, slightly sticky rice also complemented my smoky chimichangas beautifully. 

What ingredients or spices do you add to rice to give it some extra flavor?

Side note: Don't forget to enter my sparkling wine giveaway! I'm picking a winner tomorrow morning....