Memorial Day Feasting on Surf and Turf

Memorial Day Feasting on Surf and Turf

By the Memorial Day I had already done the burger thing, the hot dog thing, even the soul food thing. Such a beautiful day called for something special…..

Kumamoto ( a petite oyster with a creamy briney flavor) Oysters on the  Half Shell with Lemon Zest Infused Cocktail Sauce as well as Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice

 Kobe Beef Steaks topped with Sautéed Shitake and Oyster Mushrooms with a splash of Cognac, Grilled Lemon and Blood Orange Marinated Mexican Shrimp (so large and so meaty they almost reminded me of grilled Mexican lobsters) , Roasted Corn on the Cob (done the classic way with a ton of Fleur De Sel, fresh black pepper and loads of butter), and a simple Mixed Herb Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

That day was a good day!!

Soltan Banoo~ Restraunt Review (it rhymes!)

When you work with a vegetarian you often find yourself with an interesting challenge; finding places where the menu satisfies you both!


American cuisine tends to be meat centric so when dining with people whose diets differ (vegan, vegetarian, and so many more) from mine, I think the best bet is to try ethnic restaurants as they often offer a variety of selections which appeal to varying tastes and diets.

Soltan Banoo, a charming Persian restaurant in the University Heights area, was my choice for a recent business luncheon. The restaurant has a cozy, inviting atmosphere and offers numerous vegetarian and vegan options on its exotic menu.

Our meal began with the Pomegranate Soup (a hearty lentil style soup with beans, wheat, spinach, and herbs cooked with pomegranate juice, served with pita bread). This wonderful medley of legumes made the soup familiar while the use of pomegranates added a wonderful flavor that was both slightly sweet while being very savory.

Following our soup appetizer, we tried their Potato Pancakes with quinoa and served with a yogurt dipping sauce.

I found the pancakes, though nice and crispy on the outside, lacked a bit of flavor. Luckily their great texture and “light as air” taste were well complimented by the wonderful dipping sauce.

As an entree I had the Koubideh Kabob (seasoned ground beef, marinated with Persian spices, wrapped around skewers and grilled on open-flame) served with Basmati rice. This too was not as flavorful as I would have liked but had great texture and with a little sprinkling of Sumac they turned out very nice.

The restaurant scored highly with my vegetarian friend as she ordered the Veggie Kabob (marinated tofu, mushrooms & veggies) served with brown rice and Shirazi Salad. With a large portion size and full of flavor, she was extremely satisfied.

My vegetarian friend loved the food. She and I both noted that the restaurant had numerous vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. She loved all the vegetarian options on the menu.

I am hoping they just had a bad day when it came to the seasoning on a few dishes, because with such an amazing atmosphere and selection, I’m very eager to go back and try a few of the daily specials.

P.S. Here is a coupon for your visit

Coupon- http://www.soltanbanoo.com/pdfs/lunch-coupon.pdf

A note from student...plus a recipes

Hi Jenn,


I tripled your fried vegetable dumplings recipe for hors d'oevuers to serve 12 and cooked them 2 hrs. ahead of our guests' arrival as you advised. Not a dumpling was left. I have cooked them for family to be eaten immediately and they were even better that way. I tripled the spicy sweet and sour garlic shrimp for the entree and stir fried it while our guest were here. They loved it. We also followed your advice to have fun so, as I feared,we forgot to take pictures.

Thanks again,


Pam
 
Well if Pam likes I think you will to; here is the recipes for my vegeteble dumplings.
 

Fried Vegetable Dumplings

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup Spinach
½ cup Napa Cabbage, finely sliced
1 tsp Ginger, minced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tbsp Sesame oil
¼ cup Carrots, peeled and small dice
2 tbsp Celery, diced small
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tbsp Water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 tbsp Rice vinegar
2 Green onion, finely chopped
1 Egg
12-16 Wonton wrappers
2 cup Vegetable oil


Preeat oil to 350º.
In a sauté pan heat vegetable oil and sesame oil over medium heat, add spinach, cabbage, ginger, and garlic.
Cook till spinach is lightly wilted and garlic is fragrant; add carrots and celery, lightly cook carrots and celery.
Remove spinach mixture from heat, place in a bowl and add soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, water chestnuts, rice vinegar and green onions. Allow to cool completely before stuffing wontons.
Strain spinach liquid into a bowl and add egg, whisk to combine.
Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling into wonton wrapper. To seal line the edges of the wonton with egg mixture, then press edges together to seal.
Fry until golden brown and serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

6 tbsp Sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp Rice vinegar

In a bowl stir together rice vinegar and sweet chili sauce.