Tag: Grub For Guys (Page 6 of 15)

Product review: Blue Bunny Birthday Party ice cream sandwiches

Yeah, I know. This is a kid’s product. And I bought these for our 4-year old. But being a sucker for new products, especially any kind of snack food, I had to try them. I mean, I want to make sure my kid isn’t eating something that doesn’t taste good, right?

Anyway, I had no intention of reviewing this product, but these ice cream sandwiches are so good that I couldn’t help but pimp them. We’re talking birthday cake flavored ice cream (what a great invention that is!) with confetti sprinkles and blue icing swirl, between two vanilla cookies (rather than the standard chocolate). Being that I don’t want to be 400 pounds and also that I need to save some for the kid, I think I will cease eating any more of these. But trust me, I could eat the whole box in one sitting. Okay, maybe half the box, but still….

So if you see these Blue Bunny gems in your freezer, go for it…..just beware of how much you will love them.

A can a week: Swanson Chicken & Dumplings

Chef JimA can a week is back! We hope to bring this feature each week, since grocery store shelves are lined with the stuff…canned food, that is. Anyway, this week we tried Swanson Chicken & Dumplings. It’s not soup, but rather chunks of chicken and small dumplings in a rich chicken gravy.

The pros–very tasty and satisfying, especially on a cold day like today; quality chicken meat and nicely made dumplings; perfectly seasoned
The cons–a bit thin, and if I would have known, I could have tried it over noodles or rice; the chicken chunks were small; and I would have liked some carrots, peas or celery in addition to the chicken and the dumplings.

But overall this is a winning can of food, and as I said a very satisfying cold weather lunch.

Product review: Taco Bell Beefy Crunch Burrito

Memo to Taco Bell–your commercials work. I was watching football on Sunday and a commercial came on for the limited time only “Beefy Crunch Burrito.” It’s a burrito with (are you ready for this?) Flamin’ Hot Fritos right in the burrito. Are you kidding me? I knew I wouldn’t want to be plucked from my comfy blue recliner while watching my Giants crush the Falcons, but dammit, I will get to Taco Bell this week. That’s what I said to myself. Monday came and went and I forgot. Tuesday morning came and a light bulb went off in my head around the time I had lunch hunger pangs. Oh yeah, it’s time, I thought.

I had to pick up our son from preschool which meant I had a short window of time to get to the Bell and then pick him up, and get home before my food got cold. The line was literally out the door, and I stood there for a few minutes, and then noticed the drive thru lane was near empty. I got in my car, cruised up and ordered, “Two Beefy Crunch Burritos, please, no sides, no drink”…..and amazingly, it was only $2.09. And I would still be in line if I didn’t do the drive-thru.

Anyway, I got some hot sauce to go with the burritos, but these babies needed no sauce–there was some saucy taco meat, rice, some oozing cheese, sour cream, and of course, the spicy corn chips, wrapped in those pillows of flour tortilla. Damn. This is as close to dude food nirvana as it gets–of course, it’s not like it’s a juicy steak, but there is certainly a place for nicely crafted and delicious fast food in any guy’s diet. (speaking of which, don’t tell my doctor I ate these).

Oh, and they did get cold by the time I got through my second one, because I was working while eating, and because I was savoring every bite. For real, yo. Go try these now…..seriously, go try these now!

Maple cheddar

Okay, so if you don’t live in Wisconsin, this might be a bit more difficult to relate to. But on a recent visit to the most awesome Brennan’s Market, I came across a new flavor of cheddar–maple cheddar. It’s cheddar cheese literally infused with maple syrup. I was a bit skeptical but when one of the employees asked me if I needed help and then saw the maple cheddar in my basket, she said that was her favorite. Okay, if I was ambivalent before, now I was sold. And I was already imagining what to do with this cheese.

I had also picked up some thick cut bacon at Brennan’s, and so my breakfast the next morning was an open faced bacon/cheese melt using the bacon and the maple cheddar. And as you might expect, it was awesome. Of course, you can make this with any type of cheese, but this maple cheese gave it that hint of sweetness, and it was subtle, as if you were eating pancakes and some of the syrup slid onto your sandwich. Yum.

And it’s simple–just cook 2-3 slices of bacon. Cut a thick slice or two of crusty Italian bread, top with the bacon and some shredded cheese, and broil or toast for about 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts and is bubbly.

Grub for Guys: beef tenderloin

Greetings and welcome to Mikey’s Kitchen in the week before Christmas. Wow, did I just say that? Anyway, we posted my recipe for beef tenderloin with a horseradish dipping sauce over on Bullz-Eye’s Grub for Guys today. I’m also pasting the recipe below. Enjoy!

If you read my column here and food blog, Mikey’s Kitchen, you know that I don’t always suggest using expensive and/or exotic ingredients. It’s more of a an every-dude column for the average guy, mostly ones who don’t necessarily cook much but who are looking for tips and ideas on how to get more comfortable in the kitchen. And so in the spirit of the holidays, since it’s a special time of year that may require a special meal or two, I am suggesting you go buy some beef tenderloin – aka filet mignon. Because sometimes you just have to, and because I made this dish last week and it came out freaking awesome. Now, you can buy the whole tenderloin as I did, and you can roast it whole and then slice it, as I did not do. You can also buy the filets pre-sliced. But I cut my own steaks from the whole tenderloin, and the result was maybe some of the best steak I’ve ever had.

INGREDIENTS:
4-5 pound whole beef tenderloin (filet mignon)
Olive oil for brushing
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons jarred horseradish
Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS
Let meat sit at room temperature for an hour or so. Meanwhile, combine dipping sauce ingredients and set aside or refrigerate until you are ready to continue.

Preheat a grill pan (or large nonstick skillet) to medium high heat. Combine salt, pepper and parsley on a plate. Slice steaks into 8 oz. portions or so (about an inch thick), brush all sides with oil and then roll in salt mixture so that the outside rim of the steak is coated. Also sprinkle some salt on both sides of the meat, then place in grill pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium (it helps to cover while cooking to seal in the juices and not set off your smoke alarm). Let stand on a plate with tented foil for about 1-2 minutes before pouring the juices back on top, and serving with the dipping sauce. Serves 3-4.

Good sides for this dish are my twice baked potatoes and sautéed spinach (heat a few tablespoons oil in a very large, deep skillet, and add a 16-20 oz. bag of spinach. Cook down for about 2 minutes, add salt, pepper and a pinch of garlic powder before serving).

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