Sunday, June 9, 2013

Built your bowl and grill your veggies

 
Built my bowl
What’s more fun than building your own bowl at Genghis Grill? Enjoying the finished product. The new restaurant at 8425 Memorial Blvd. in Port Arthur is packing them in. Diners are packing selections like raw shrimp, sprouts, peas and sauces into bowls cooked in front of your eyes. After the protein station, season your choices from labeled bowls, then proceed to dish up your own veggies. The sauce bar is next and I picked honey soy. Then it’s time to pick brown rice, noodles or some other starch. Line up your bowl for one of several chefs to stir fry on a big, circular hub. It’s dinner and a show for all ages. Everyone has been waiting for this new eatery to open and now patrons can get their fill.

Grill your vegetables

Make Uncle Sam proud: Grill fruits and veggies in June.
Okay readers, it should come as no surprise that June is June is National Fruits and Veggies Month and National Grilling Month. The Mushroom Council conducted a survey and found that the vegetables that Americans most often throw on the grill are corn, potatoes, onions and peppers.
My friend makes me mushroom pizzas in the oven all the time, but they’d like her and other gourmets to consider other ideas:

1.       Build a better burger. Finely chop mushrooms and add them to the meat in the patty to make a healthier, craveable backyard burger with added veggies. Top burgers with grilled mushrooms and onions for extra flavor enhancements.
2.       Packet up. Fold veggies like asparagus, squash, green beans, potatoes and mushrooms into foil packets and grill for rich, roasted flavors. Serve these as individual sides or mix together with a light vinaigrette for a warm veggie salad.
3.       Go direct. Larger vegetables like corn on the cob, summer squash, eggplant and portabella mushrooms cook well when placed directly on the grill. Make them the star of the plate as hearty meatless mains. Plus, research shows that swapping mushrooms for meat is an easy way to cut calories while still feeling full and satisfied.
4.       Skewer an assortment. Use marinated and grilled peppers, onions and mushrooms to add savory flavors to pizza, pasta and warm grain salads. Try pineapple, peaches and mangoes for a taste of the sweeter side. 
5.       Pile on the pizza. Load up the veggies on pizza – try grilled mushrooms and peppers and fresh spinach and tomatoes – but trade the oven for the grill to cook it over the flame.
Look for the “Swap It or Top It” Recipe Contest to showcase how cooks are transforming their meals with mushrooms for a chance to win $8,500 in prizes. For official rules and contest details, visit MushroomInfo.com.


Komplete treat
I’ll start with the flavors: Cocoa FudgeVanilla Bliss and Jav’a Latte.  I love what pours out of little boxes of Komplete by Kate Farms. Now I’ll break it to you: It’s a meal replacement shake. Boring, right? If that’s what you need, these are the ones to get. They are billed as “the world's first dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free ready to drink meal replacement shake™ that brings you everything your body needs and leaves out unwanted ingredients.” Makers say this shake is Non-GMO, made with organic ingredients and also allergen-free. With 24 fruits & vegetables, a high-level of plant-based proteins and 21 superfoods (like acai, mangosteen, black currants, raspberries, green tea extract). It’s so rich that just some of the serving, over ice in a little glass, seemed like a decadent dessert drink. That’s not the original intent, but the good taste lasts longer that way.
ddoiron@panews.com

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