Monthly Archives: February 2017

Getting my Shawarma on at the new (old!) Sahara Cafe

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

The Sahara Greek and Lebanese restaurant (formerly on E. Lafayette Street in Tallahassee) has been a reliable option for an affordable, delicious lunch. However, the building was definitely aging, and the restaurant needed more seating and parking.

(An aside: the original building used to house a fantastic Pizza Hut when I was growing up. Sit-down Pac-Man game and a jukebox, yes!)

img_7436

They recently moved into a new location, across the street, in the shopping center facing Apalachee Parkway, with New Leaf Market, Cabo’s, Ross, etc., with a lot more room and much more convenient parking.

One big change is that you now have to go to the counter to order before sitting, and they then bring your food out to your table. This change appears to have streamlined their lunch service, and worked great for me as I have been ordering the same thing for years. (Chicken Shawarma, please.)

As you can see below, the Shawarma is always a good choice.

The Chicken Shawarma features well-seasoned and charred chicken with the best tzaziki in town. The Greek salad is solid, though on the small side, and I am completely addicted to their lentil soup. They have great options if you are looking for low-carb or gluten free eating as well.

The Hubs got the gyro platter (yum!) and the hummus is very creamy with a nice garlic kick.

The new location provides more parking, added convenience and plenty of seating space. The new ordering system seemed to make the process much faster, and the staff was very attentive on drinks and making sure we knew about the new procedure. Not fancy, but a great choice for a solid lunch.

 

 

Breakfast Egg Bites (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-Free, Oh My!)

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Breakfast

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

My biggest challenge when attempting to eat healthier is breakfast. I don’t have time to make anything, and I don’t really get hungry until about 9 or 10.

One eggy dish that has saved me are these Breakfast Egg Bites. You can basically pick any combination of add-ins, such as toppings you like in omelets or quiches, add eggs and bake.

I tried a couple variations this time:

  • Ham, Caramelized Onions and Cheddar
  • Broccoli, Caramelized Onions and Cheddar
  • Spinach, Bacon, Caramelized Onions and Feta

img_7533

I used a non-stick muffin pan, and used a generous amount of cooking spray to make sure they didn’t stick.

For the ham ones, I put the ham in first to make a “cup.” For the rest I just filled the tins about halfway with toppings. (I steamed the broccoli first, but the spinach can be added raw.)

In a large bowl I whisked 7 eggs (with 2-3 tablespoons of water, you can use milk if you want) for 12 muffins, but the egg amount depends on your preferred ratio of eggs to add-ins. Remember to add salt and pepper to the egg mixture.

You can substitute egg whites for some of the whole eggs or use egg beaters, if you want to cut some calories. You can also omit the cheese if desired.

Pour in the egg to about 3/4 fullness in each cup and use a utensil (I use chopsticks for pretty much everything, very useful here) to move the ingredients around a bit and make sure the egg gets in everywhere. Do not fill to the top or they will overflow. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. (I let them cool some after baking, then used a knife to run around the edge and loosen them before taking them out.)

img_7535I keep these in the fridge and grab a couple each morning. I’ve eaten them hot or cold, you could also put them in an English Muffin if carbs aren’t a consideration.

I have to say the spinach ones were my new favorite, but all of these were good.

Here are some recipes around the web if you want to get more ideas:

 

img_7538

Sous Vide or How I Leveled-Up My Meat Cooking

19 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Miscellaneous

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

There is a saying that “Perfect is the enemy of good.” Which is also my not-so-excusable reason for the delay on posting. (Whoops!🙃)

BUT I have been having so much fun with my new cooking toy and can’t wait to share my adventures so far. 

So here she is, my Anova Precision Cooker. In brief terms, “sous vide” is the process of cooking food sealed in plastic (vacuum-sealed or just freezer bags with the air squeezed out). 

And just FYI, I have a cool little vacuum sealer (Waring Pro Pistol Vac), which I love. Completely not necessary. (It’s so fun though!)

​​
My first attempt was cooking 1 1/2 inch thick ribeye steaks heavily seasoned with salt/pepper and rosemary sprigs. Because I had to run around town that evening, I cooked them that morning at 129 degrees for 2 hours. (Here are some lovely charts from The Food Lab on the effect of different temps and times on steak.) That night I was able to pull them from the fridge, pat dry, and sear them quickly in a very hot pan, and have them on the table in minutes. The color was gorgeous and the texture was much more tender than when cooked with mostly high heat. 

Note: because they absorbed so much of the seasoning in the bag, there is no need to season again before searing.

After that first use, I realized that there are some serious advantages to the sous vide process.

  • Can pre-cook meats to exact desired doneness, refrigerate, and sear/serve whenever you want with 2-3 days.
  • No clean up. Just dump the water out of the plastic bin. (Nice!)
  • Easy to cook (gorgeous) chicken breasts for the week’s lunches.
  • Can put the bin and cooker on the porch or in the garage, so it doesn’t necessarily take up kitchen space.
  • Is operated via app, so you are alerted at every step (can’t overcook.)
  • No need to “rest” after searing.
  • Can completely skip defrosting, just add 30 minutes to 1 hour to the cook time (depending on six of meat).

(For cons, the only real drawback is the cost, but at about $150 it still costs less than a good blender or mixer and would potentially see much more use.)

Next up, I put frozen pork tenderloins (sealed with Greek seasoning, oregano, garlic) in the water – a few minutes before the water was fully preheated to defrost the pork a bit. (Cooked for 2 hours at 135 degrees – halfway between medium-rare and medium.) Then seared in hot skillet on all sides. Here is an article detailing the temps and any food safety considerations. Even the food safety cautious Hubs was good with the final product. This was really nice, great texture and it was easy to get a nice crust.


For an extensive look at sous vide recipes and techniques, The Food Lab over at Serious Eats has all of the information you need to get started.

I can honestly say that this has completely replaced the slow cooker for me, and has quickly become essential in my weekly meal planning, both for quick dinners and easy lunches. Let me know if you have any questions, and will keep you updated as I try new recipes.