Day 21: Paleo Potluck & Zucchini Lasagna

I was invited to a Paleo Potluck and honestly had no idea what to make!  I first thought of the sloppy joes, but knowing how messy that could be I decided to scratch that idea.  I checked the invite to see what other folks were bringing and figured I could make my zucchini lasagna.  I also had some Brussels sprouts and decided to bring a side dish as well (yes, I was really busy in the kitchen that day).  

We had a lot of fun and the food was awesome!  There were salmon, curry meatballs, chicken stir-fry, chicken wings, almond butter, cucumber water, and apple crisps!  The food was so delish that we might have another potluck this weekend.  Anyway, on to a recipe: 

Zucchini Lasagna (adapted from The Food Lovers Kitchen):

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground meat (beef or turkey - I've tried both and loved it equally)
• 1 cup of green bell peppers, diced
• 1 cup of onion, diced
• 1 tbsp of basil 
• 1 tbsp of parsley
• 1 tbsp of oregano
• 1 Zucchini, julienne (thinly sliced)
• 1.5 cups of mushroom, sliced
• 15 oz of tomato sauce
• 6 oz of tomato paste 
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Red crushed pepper flakes (optional - if you want it spicy)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Brown the meat over medium heat - breaking it into pieces.
3. Add garlic, onion, and green peppers and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in tomato paste and tomato sauce.
5. Then add parsley, basil, and oregano.  Bring sauce to a boil, then remove from heat.
6. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed. 
7. Grab a 9" x 13" baking dish and layer the sauce thinly in the baking dish.
8. Then layer the zucchini and mushrooms over the sauce - repeat and alternate the layering of sauce, zucchini and mushrooms. 
9. Bake the lasagna for 15 minutes - covered.  Then, remove the foil and increase the temperature to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes.  
10. Remove and enjoy!

The Capital Grille- Houston Restaurant Week

Just the other night, I took my family to The Capital Grille for dinner.  It was Houston Restaurant Week (HRW) and I was thrilled to see The Capital Grille on the list again!  Here, I had absolutely the BEST SERVICE EVER!  We came over here for two reasons (1) daddy's birthday and (2) HRW, but really it was daddy's birthday so that's why I made reservations here (he never heard of The Capital Grille, so why not?!).

Anyway, what's awesome... because they knew it was a birthday celebration, the table was decorated with confetti (ribbons and ballon confetti - pretty awesome!!).  Once we sat down, the server, Susan, wished my dad happy birthday!!! (Okay, fine... I did say "celebrating dad's birthday" on the reservation, but still... it was really nice!  

So some of us ordered off the HRW menu and others ordered off the regular menu.  Regardless, the food was amazing!  My mom tried their filet mignon- she states "this is the best grilled filet mignon I'd ever had in my life!" (and she's had plenty too).  She even started cutting her steak up for everyone to try.  

My brother ordered their Ahi Sear Tuna... umm... YES SIR, I'D LIKE ANOTHER ORDER!  The tuna steak was plump, juicy, and seared perfectly!  It was even sprinkled with sesame seeds.  The tuna came with ginger rice (yumm) and three dipping sauces.  Honestly, you don't really need the dipping sauce, but! the honey-ginger one is fabulous!  The other two were wasabi (which was very light) and soy sauce.  I didn't hear her tell my brother the green one was wasabi, so I had fun when I dipped it in and took a bite =/ 

Our table also ordered their Carpaccio- very, very good!  The carpaccio was sliced perfectly and seasoned well.  The arugula salad served on top was paired perfectly with the carpaccio.  It's a must try!  

I tried their 14 oz bone-in kona sirloin... it was not as good as the filet, but it was still yummy.  The Sam's mashed potato was also a delight.  The creamed spinach was definitely creamy!  The only thing I wasn't to thrilled of was their french green beans.  We weren't sure if there would be enough food, so that's why we ordered another side dish.  

Now dessert... yumm... I tried their home-made ice cream, which was vanilla mint... my three-scopes were gone before someone could tell me to breathe.  My dad had their espresso cake, which paired well with my ice cream (I know... it's his birthday and I stole a few bites!).  What was absolutely amazing for anyone to order is their cheesecake!  The cheesecake here has a caramelized top (yes, creme burlee style).  It was light and delish!  Honestly, I'm not a big cheesecake fan, but I will go back and order that!  

So... after my adventures of trying out a few HRWs, I'd have to say this was the best of out of 4 places I tried.  It's also a place I'd drag my boyfriend to for a romantic dinner (yup... you've read it correctly mister!).  Sorry! I didn't take any pictures :(  by the time I remembered to... it was too late and my plate wasn't very presentable, but I will next time!

Grizzly House in Banff, Canada

Melting Pot... MOVE ASIDE! Welcome Grizzly House!  Yes... I actually found a fondue place that I enjoy more than the Melting Pot... exciting!!!

 

Ah hem... anyways, we had their 4 course-meal, which included a soup or salad, an appetizer, the main course, and dessert (what else were you expecting!?).  For the appetizer, we had a choice between the Neuchatel fondue or the Bagna Cauda (vegetable fondue).  The Neuchatel was basically cheese, wine, and Kirsch.  I remember gouda being one of the cheeses mixed in and I forget the rest.  Anyways... the Neuchatel was very tasty.  The bread that was served tasted like it was day-old-bread; however, when it was dipped in cheese... the bread could of had mold on it and it would have still tasted great. Yes, I thought it was just that good!  Just a caution tho, the cheese on the bottom will burn (see photo).  

For our main entree, we ordered their Original Fondue Dinner, which was beef and chicken.  They had 6 different types of combos to choose from: the Original, Beef and Lobster, Beef and Prawn, Beef and Scallop, Hunter Fondue (Buffalo, Wild Boar and Venison), and Exotic Fondue (Shark, Alligator, Rattlesnake, Ostrich, Buffalo, and Venison).  

 So we "played it safe" by ordering the Original.  What's awesome about this place is how our meats were cooked.  The server confused me when he placed a hot granite slab in the middle of our table.  Frankly, I was expecting a soup/fondue pot since we're at a fondue joint; however, the slab of granite was interesting.  It reminded me of Korean BBQ.  Anyways, the server told us that the granite was heated up to 500 degrees so it will safely cook the meat.  He also gave us two small containers of garlic butter to help us cook.  O.M.G. The garlic butter was amazing!  I basically used it all!  

Grizzly House provided us with five dipping sauces for our meats: teriyaki, baked potato, sun-dried tomato, garlic-herb, and thousand island.  Out of the 5 dipping sauce, the baked potato was the BEST!  It even had bacon bits mixed in it!  Yummm...  The runner up was the garlic-herb sauce.   The one sauce I didn't like was the teriyaki sauce. It didn't even taste like teriyaki!  I digress.  

So... for dessert... it was TOBLERONE CHOCOLATE FONDUE! O...M...G... I was in heaven :) This fabulous chocolate fondue was served in a copper pot.   It also came with fruits and hazelnut chocolate wafers.  It was soooooo good!  The only thing I was sad about was how small the fondue pot was!  Even then, we weren't able to finish all the chocolate.  After the fruits and wafers ran out... I was tempted to pour the rest of the chocolate in my mouth.  However, if I had done that... I think my boyfriend would have disowned me.

Overall, I have to say the 4-course meal was superb! The cost of it tho... one could say it wasn't really worth it because we didn't get a lot of meat (and that "one" was my boyfriend).  However, I thought the experience was fun and worth it.  

The table where we sat at had a view of outside, which was gorgeous!  Mountains and snow... What was also fun at our table was the phone.  During the middle of dinner, the phone rang right behind me.  So for fun, I answered.  It was a guest calling from either the waiting area or another table!  They asked about our meal and what we would recommend them to drink.  Before I hung up with the stranger, they thanked me for answering.  I assume other guests ignored their call so I was happy that I picked up that phone.  I actually wanted to call a random table, but there were no dials to push and I gave up trying to figure out how to dial out.  

Anyways, the decor of this place did not match the prices on their menu.  Grizzly House reminds me of a log cabin.  It looks like a place for you to escape the snow and warm up.  There were random lava lamps in the dining area and it just looked a bit random.  The server we had was a jerk.  That was also the first thing I wrote on my notes about this place so service also did not match their pricing.  

One last thing... with regards to finding the ladies room...  I was walking down what I thought was a hallway to the restrooms and I ended up interrupting this couple in a private table.  It looked like a table where you have to call ahead and book because it was completely separate from the rest of the dining area.  Needless to say, I apologized for interrupting and ran off to find the ladies room.  So... be careful when you venture off because you might awkwardly disturb a date.  

So if you're ever in Banff (and I do recommend going there to snowboard/ski... the town is beautiful), you must visit this spot!  Yes, it is pricy, but I think the overall experience I had here was worth it.  

Convey Sushi... yum yum!

 A sushi conveyor belt in downtown Houston... say what?!  

Anyways, this place was fabulous!  I went there for lunch AND dinner on the same day... yup, you heard me... same day (and it was worth it too!)!  During lunch, this place serves everything on the conveyor belt for $3.  I walked out with a $13 tab and that included tip!  Anyways, the fish was fresh and the rolls they had out were tasty and delish.  I tried their gyozas and it wasn't bad either (have to be honest tho, there were 3 pieces of gyozas and it was not that crispy since its been circling around the belt).  They also had katsu (fried pork cutlet) and it was fantastic (crispy and tasty)!  The only complaint I have is that most of their rolls during lunch were california rolls dressed up.  

For dinner... what I LOVE about this place is how you can order what you want on the conveyor belt.  Yup, that's right! You can "customize" your experience with rolls you like!  The server explained that since it's usually not busy during dinner, the sushi chef lets the customer choose what sushi rolls they'd like and he'll make them for the belt price.  Now, this is a great idea to just sample random sushi rolls you've been dying to try (but haven't worked up the courage to).  

The most expensive plate for dinner was $4.50.  For two people, the tab was $55!!!  And trust me... I was STUFFED!  My favorite rolls there were the Red Moon and the Congress roll.  And... on Fridays, its all day happy hour!


Now, don't come here with high expectations with service.  Our server kept forgetting our order and she also was not familiar with the menu.  I asked her about a specific roll and she couldn't answer me... luckily she was pretty.  Anyways, its a mom and pops restaurant, which is a plus in my books!  I should be back there sometime soon for dinner because I'd like to try all the rolls on their menu.  

Hillstone (formerly Houston)

Recently, we had friends in town and decided to dine somewhere "fancy." We headed over to Houston restaurant on Kirby; however, to our surprise the name was changed to Hillstone.  Now, just because the name changed does not mean the menu changed (thank goodness!).  Houston is part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group so don't worry.  

We went to Hillstone on a Saturday night (7:30pm) and to our surprise there was no wait.  We were seated promptly for a party of 5.   But... it was during Rodeo so that could be the reason why.

Anyways, the server here was pretty attentive.  Since I wasn't really hungry that evening (I know... I was surprised myself too), I ordered their Prime Rib (cooked medium rare of course).  The steak came out PERFECT!  It was tender, juicy, and just melts in your mouth!  This dish comes with a side of french fries (I think), but I subbed it with a baked potato.  Now, what made that steak so wonderful was the au jus. So if you order this, do not forget to dip that piece of goodness in the au jus! 

I also had their caesar salad prior to the meal and it was delish.   The romaine lettuce was fresh and crisp.  I forgot to request the server to place the dressing on the side; however, the salad was mixed well and it wasn't soggy.  Please keep in mind that the salad is HUGE so consider sharing it with another person. 

Regarding drinks... a friend of mine ordered Dr. Pepper and the server brought him a bottled DP (which means no refills and DP is made with imperial cane sugar).  Just FYI for those of you who must have the unlimited refills.  

Another random thing is their "check tray."  The tray felt like it was made of stainless steel or sterling silver (basically it was heavy)!  It was definitely an item to boost the ambiance of the venue and illustrate the class of the restaurant.  It was also something my table wanted to jack (but we didn't, I promise).  

I was not able to get any good shots of my meal so I apologize for no photos :(  It was dark and I was using my phone (I know... ghetto).  But, I will visit Hillstone again and I will bring a camera with me the next time I venture out there.  

Sushi King for a "princess"

My sister apparently has never been to Sushi King, so for her birthday I took her there to celebrate. Just to let you know... Sushi King is one of my favorite "high end" sushi restaurant.The food here is savory and mouth-watering. The staff definitely matches the ambiance of this place as well.

Since its my sister's birthday, I "popped" a bottle of sparkling sake. We had the Stars Kizakura Pure. This sake was fabulous! It was light, sweet, and bubbly! My sister and I polished it off by the time dessert came around.

For appetizers, wehad the Beef Ishiyaki. Omg...just typing that out is making my mouth water. This lovely (and fun) appetizer is cooked on a hot stone at your table! You get a plate of thinly sliced certified Angus beef (raw of course) and marinade. It was my first experience with Ishiyaki, so our server cooked half of it for us. The smell of the beef being seared over the stone was amazing! What's great was, it tastes just like it smells... AWESOME! This is definitely an experience one ought to try when you visit Sushi King.

For our entree, my sister ordered their Sapporo Rib Eye. This dish was yummy! The ribeye was marinated with Sapporo beer (hence the name) and was cooked to perfection (medium rare). It was served with a side of mashed yam (topped with corn) and green beans. The mashed yam was heavenly and rich. The steak itself was tender and juicy.

Now, I ordered two rolls (of course I did... its a sushi place!). I ordered their Poseidon Roll and their Cowboy Roll. The Poseidon roll is made up of blacken tuna and avocado and topped with spicy salmon. It was creamy and delish! The Cowboy roll is made up of spicy tuna, crunch tempura flakes, and avocado and its topped with blacken beef. Again, absolutely amazing!

Now, for my sister's birthday, the restaurant gave her fried banana with ice cream. It was cute... the restaurant prepared it to look like a dragon. The dessert hit the spot and ended the evening well. I'd have to say that my sister's birthday dinner was a success!

Okay, about the place itself. Sushi King honors their reservation so I highly recommend that you make one, especially during the peak hours/days. We went on a Thursday night and the place was not crowded; however, after dinner the place looked like it filled up some. What I love about this place is how there is a piano in the middle of the dining room and a pianist actually plays on it (hey now, sometimes the piano is just decor). It is definitely a place to impress someone on a first date or bring your significant other just because.

Gigi's Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar

I've walked passed Gigi's many times while shopping at the Galleria. Since I've only seen the "bar" side of the restaurant, I always thought it was a narrow place for one to get a quick bite of dumplings. However, this place is deceiving! It only looks small, but it actually have a nice size dining area and two bar areas.

Even so, I was wary of going into this place because its inside the Galleria and I figured it'll be expensive and pretentious. Now, I will pay for good food, but I have a problem when it comes to expensive Chinese food! One can get super good Chinese food for a good deal- trust me! However, since it was Restaurant Week (where there's a set menu and part of the proceeds goes to charity), I decided to venture in and see if I'd recommend this place.

The decor is super pretty! In the dining area, there are cherry blossoms hanging from the ceiling. The place has a chic-lounge like feel to it. It's a nice place to take someone on a first date since it does give you the sense of privacy in the dining area. However, the service was okay. My server wasn't that great. For the prices on the menu, you'd expect fabulous service, but he was not attentive and rarely paid attention to my table.

From the Restaurant Week menu, I tried the Hot Tuna Sashimi with Citrus Soy and Sizzling Oil, which was basically seared tuna. The seared tuna tasted just like anywhere other sushi restaurant. I was not impressed with it. I also tried the Tapioca-Wrapped Crawfish Dumplings, which resembles the "shrimp dumplings" one orders during dimsum. The crawfish dumpling were not good! It had a "fishy" taste to it and I could barely finish the bite I took. Again, not impressed with their appetizers.

Luckily, the entrees were better. I had the Pan Seared Filet Mignon, which I thought was a whole piece of filet, but the beef was actually diced. This plate resembled the Vietnamese "diced beef" or "bo luc lac". The filet was tender and juicy, but the pieces were too chunky. You still need a steak knife to be able to enjoy it. However, the filet was delicious. It had a tangy and sweet taste to it and it was a bit spicy. The filet was also served with diced sweet potato and watercress. Since the watercress was not cooked, I didn't try it (its usually bitter when its not cooked), but the diced sweet potato was yummy! I think I enjoyed the sweet potato more than the filet itself.

Another entree I tried was their Thai-Style Crispy Duck Fajita. This was honestly the best thing there that evening. It was very flavorful and colorful. It looks just like a fajita plate but with sliced duck. It's almost a cross between Peking Duck and Duck Fajitas. The bread that comes with this plate is not tortillas or the bread that normally comes with Peking Duck, but its the Chinese/Taiwanese crispy bread (I am sorry if its confusing, but I don't know how else to describe it!). The duck was sliced, crispy and tasty (with the skin still attached to it). The menu claims there's pineapple in the entree and there was none. However,they did bring sliced avocado on the side and it did make the fajitas even more delicious with it! This dish also comes with three different sauces, but since it was basically Peking Duck in a different "form," I mainly used the oyster sauce. If you do go to Gigi's, this is definitely something you should try.

For dessert, I tried the Chocolate Molten Cake and the Strawberry Cream Cake. The strawberry cake was not that great. It was more cake than cream, but the cake was fluffy. You couldn't really taste the strawberries and it was served with chocolate ice cream - not the best combination. The Chocolate Molten Cake was much better than the strawberry cake. It was yummy and was paired with vanilla ice cream; however, the molten cake looked like dung (seriously) and it kinda took away its appeal at first.

Now, I did compare the regular menu to the Restaurant Week ("RW") one and Gigi's menu does not have any of the RW entrees. But, if the RW's entrees were just decent, I doubt their regular menu is amazing or fabulous. Again, the regular menu is pricy- somewhat comparable to P.F. Chang's, and I'd rather eat at P.F. Chang's than at Gigi's.