Mother's Day Menu Breakdown:Veranda Edition

So as everyone knows, Mother's Day is quickly approaching. If you forgot, here is your heads up! You are welcome. That being said, some of you may be wondering where to take your dear, sweet, special, amazing mom. Sure, you could go to Olive Garden like you do every year, you could even get adventurous and try someplace new. Whether your plan is to go to "the usual" or to branch out, I have a place that should definitely be under consideration. If you are in the DFW metroplex, especially the Plano, Frisco, or The Colony area, you should try Veranda Italian Bistro at Austin Ranch.

(Yes, I admit that I promote it very frequently, but that is because it is good, and because my future husband works his booty off in that kitchen to provide quality, fresh, and delicious meals. If he wasn't working there I would not promote it as much, but I can guarantee I would still stuff my face there just as frequently if not more! (I can't embarrass him too much at work after all :P)

Not only is Veranda worth the try and possible commute, but they are being super business savvy and helpful to all of the Mommy's out there by offering a Mother's Day special! Ohhhh, Ahhhh! Look at all of the choices!

 Now I know what you are thinking. Something along the lines of, "Are these those gimpy choices restaurants give that are cheap and not the good stuff?" or, "What if I order the wrong thing?", or "What is good?". Well friends, I am here to save you the inner conflict as well as the awkward "What is good here?" exchange with the sweet and well meaning waiters that never seem to be comfortable answering that question. Anywhere. I'm going to break down the Momma's Day menu coarse by coarse and let you know what I have tried, what I liked about it, and why!

Note*** If I do not list something, it is because I have not tried it...YET. And, to be honest, I am not a fan of seafood so that element of the menu is lost on me. I have heard great things though, and Chef Lou has a restaurant in Cape May that is very popular and is dedicated to seafood. That should clarify any concerns on that part. And I have heard good things from people who do enjoy seafood :). 

Primi (Appetizers)
Bruschetta
-  Had it. Loved it! The bread is tasty, and the fresh cherry tomatoes drizzled with aged balsamic is amazing. It has a light, fresh taste, and it is on the sweeter side with the tomatoes. The bitterness of the balsamic evens that out though and it is a perfect pairing.
Polpette di Carne (HUGE meatball)
- A big meatball. Covered in their delicious HOMEMADE marinara. They make it from scratch I've seen proof :). It is a really good, flavorful starter, and it is fun to share...if you want to!
Zucchini Fritti 
- Ahhh fried zucchini. One of my weaknesses and one of the foods I dream about. Seriously. No judging. At Veranda they cut them into little strings and lightly fry them. The batter is so good, it makes me want to try the calamari (remember, not a seafood person). You get a big amount of fried baby zucchini slices and marinara to dip it in. Tasty and another good one to share. 
Insalata Mista
- This has become my favorite salad hands down. It doesn't seem like much,but it packs such harmonious and yummy flavors. It has the more robust salad vegetation, and the veggies paired with the cheese and the balsamic make a winning combo. The salad and cheese balances out the sweet of the veggies, and the balsamic just adds its own signature flavor. It is one of those salads that you can start with without feeling guilty!
Calamari- I have not had this, but the Fiance LOVES it.

Secondi
I have to admit, the food I order the most at Veranda is the Pizza. (Have you seen the pictures?!?). That being said, I have tried several of the pasta dishes and I was very very very pleased. This might be the portion of the menu that you go it alone and try something new! Especially the meat dishes because on Mother's day you will get a great deal on the price!

Sphagetti and Meatballs
- The traditional go-to at Italian restaurants. It is delicious just like everything else involving their marinara!
Fusilli Tricolored Primavera
- This one was an eye opener for me. Before this dish I did not realize that you could put something on your pasta besides marinara, cream, or picatta sauce. Apparently, there is this sauce called brown butter sauce, and it is insane! It is light, but packs a lot of flavor and compliments pasta and all of the veggies in this dish. If you want a lighter tasting pasta and you love veggies go for this one.
Penne Alla Vodka
 - This is another one of my very favorites. I am in love with vodka/pink sauce. There is nothing better than combining cream sauce and marinara, or any variant of that combination. I always ask for chicken on mine and it is superb! The noodles are so fresh, I am not 100% sure, but I do believe that these are the noodles that they make in house. (If not they might as well be! So fresh and yummy!).

 

Dolce
-Chocolate Mousse
- OH.DEAR.GOD. Chef Edmund makes this fresh every day and it is heaven in your mouth good. It is like thick chocolate icing but all chocolate tasting with homemade whipped cream on the side. And strawberries. This is one you better order fast though, it might run out! I haven't tried anything else yet. I can't betray this dish!
Cheesecake
- Although I have not tried the cheesecake, I have heard that it is insane. Besides read the description! This is definitely on my to do list ladies and gents.

In general, the ingredients are fresh, you are required to get something with mozzarella on it due to the fact that it is soooo fresh and sooooo good. Also, the marinara is a potential requirement. And the chocolate mousse. AND if you go on Mother's Day don't forget her free glass of wine!


If you do attend post your "Spoiling Mom on Mother's Day" Pictures on our facebook page,  https://www.facebook.com/MjFoodFanatics.

We want to see those happy Mommas!!! God Bless :) and happy Mother's Day wherever you choose to be spoiled at! It may be off of the beaten path, but that means less crowds, more attentive service, and of course amazing food! Enjoy :)

Adventure Day!

Today started off slow, but it turned into a very nice and adventure filled day! Joel and I started working on our wedding guest list, we took Ty-Ty to a new dog park, and we finished the day by testing a new restaurant. We decided to try a dog park by our house that has been advertised in the area. Ty-Ty LOVED it! There was the typical fenced in area, but there was also a man made pond just for the dogs to play in! Needless to say it was a very fun and entertaining event!

After the dog park we decided to go on an impromptu culinary adventure. We tried a restaurant called TruFire and we were very pleased! We wanted food that was unique and high quality, and that is what we got! Joel got the ribeye sandwich, I ordered the Diablo Pizza, and my father, who came along, ordered the pasta with Diablo sauce. Of course I tried all three dishes, and all three were tasty! The steak sandwich had a crispy bun and the steak was tender and well seasoned, the pasta had a distinct taste that was bold and creamy, but not too bold. I do wish it had been a little spicier. The pizza was delicious, I loved the creamy avocado, beef tenderloin, diablo sauce combo. The pizza also had cilantro and some sort of ranch type sauce on it as well, and honestly I could have done without it. The flavors were wonderful,but they did not quite mesh together completely. That being said, I would definitely eat it again! I think that I am still partial to Veranda and their excellent flavor pairing choices. Their pizza is still the one to beat. Fresh mozzarella is makes such a difference! There are several other items on TruFire's menu that I am intrigued by, there are several salads and sandwiches that seem unique and flavorful. I plan on telling y'all about them when I go back to try them! Overall, I would say that this is somewhere to go for a nice change of pace and a cozy atmosphere. A far as food originality it is below our other favorite Whiskey Cake, but way above typical chain restaurants. The ingredient freshness seems good, however the freshness doesn't stand out compared to Veranda and Whiskey Cake, our ultimate favorites. All of us enjoyed the food, the service, and we will definitely be coming back. I think that exploration of the menu will help to bump it up even higher than it already is in my book.

PIZZA PIZZA!

       As I mentioned in the previous post, Joel has started working at an Italian restaurant called Veranda. He cooks whatever they need him to, but his favorite thing to make is the pizza. I have tried two of the pizzas so far, not because I don't go there EXTREMELY often, but because I just can't stray from my first two favorites! I love the Veranda which has grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella. I also love the sausage pizza (I don't remember what it is called). There is Italian sausage, spicy marinara, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes. All of the pizzas at the restaurant have winning and unique ingredient combinations. I am on a mission to try all of the pizzas! The pasta dishes are amazing as well. I might have to tease you all with those pictures at another time! If anyone is in The Colony,Plano or the surrounding areas, you need to try this place. If you try a different pizza than my two favorites, let me know what you think!

To see the rest of the menu and the website visit  https://www.facebook.com/verandaitalianbistro?fref=ts

Update!

        It has been quite a while since either one of us has posted anything. So, it is time for a quick update on what has happened! Since the last post we are no longer long distance, I am about to graduate from college, and Joel is starting his culinary career. He has been working at a very nice Italian restaurant and he has been gaining so much experience through this! Between Joel working and me doing student teaching, we have not had very much time for much of anything. It is summertime now though, and that means it is time to start baking and coming up with new concoctions for your viewing, and hopefully tasting! We have decided to start this blog back up, and to add a new element to it. Instead of just giving recipe ideas, we decided that we wanted to review and give kudos to our favorite eateries. We love eating good food just as much as we love making it! For those who have followed us or are following us now, thank you! We are both very excited to share our passion for food and exploring with you, and for those of you in the DFW metroplex, we hope to give you good information about restaurants that you NEED to try. We will also be throwing in randoms here and there, whether it is ridiculous Ty-ty pictures or silly stories. I hope everyone has a great start to their summer, and I hope we can help you to kick it off right!

A pitcher of sangria from our favorite local Italian Place, Veranda Italian Bistro

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

Joel's Chicken Parmesan Sandwich



Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of french bread
• 1 1/2 lb of chicken (for 3 servings)
• favorite spaghetti sauce
• provolone cheese slices
• panko Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• salt
• pepper
• Italian seasoning
• 1 onion

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Cut the loaf of french bread in half, and then cut into 3 or four sections to make buns for the sandwiches. First you cut chicken breasts in half length wise, and then pound them even thinner with a meat tenderizer. Second you sprinkle salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on both sides of the chicken. Then roll the chicken in panko bread crumbs. saute onions in olive oil in a saucepan. Once they are sauteed pour desired spaghetti sauce over them in the same pan. Drizzle vegetable oil over the chicken breasts, place them in a large pan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, or until fully cooked (NO PINK). Once the chicken is done, toast the bread in the oven for about 1 minute. After 1 minute place a slice of provolone on each slice of bread. Put the bread back in the oven until the cheese is melted. On one slice of bread put sauce, and on the other half place the chicken. Stack the sandwich and enjoy!

 - Joel

Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Cupcakes!

So this recipe is a recipe that I did a while back, and it is definitely one of my very favorites! This was one of my baking days that I just really wanted something delicious but was on a budget and time constraints. The cupcakes were just a red velvet box mix, and the icing was just store bought cream cheese icing. (I am really working on my own mixes and recipes for batter, but when I'm on a time crunch which is usually the case, I just like to alter box mixes. I figure why not just buy a box with everything already measured out?) Anyway, even though I used a box mix which is my go to for near instant gratification, I also made a simple cream cheese mixture to amp up the flavor and dynamics of the cupcakes. I also ended up chopping up leftover white chocolate chips to roll the iced cupcakes around in for some extra flavor and texture, plus it just looked that much more delicious!

Ingredients:

• store bought red velvet cake mix
• store bought cream cheese icing
• standard bag of white chocolate chips
• sugar
• 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese (there will be leftover, but hey that just means you have a delicious cream cheese and chocolate chip mixture to enjoy on gram crackers...or just a spoon!)
  
• vegetable oil  and eggs (or whatever your box mix calls for to mix with it!

Directions:
 First, Mix the red velvet cake mix as directed and preheat the oven as directed on the box. Second, in a separate bowl soften cream cheese with a hand mixer and add sugar to the cream cheese...unfortunately I don't know the exact amount, I do it so many times just by taste. I would suggest adding one table spoon at a time, and after adding 3 tablespoons taste to see where it is at. The mixture should just be a sweeter version of cream cheese, it really just depends on how much cheese or how much sweet you prefer for the filling. After you have mixed the cream cheese and sugar, fold in 2 cups of the chocolate chips.
After everything is mixed fill the baking cups with the batter as directed. Then dollop a table spoon of cream cheese mixture into each batter filled cup. Bake in the oven as directed on the box.

Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, ice them with the cream cheese icing, and then chop up excess chocolate chips and roll the edges of the iced cupcake around in the icing! And that is it! So delicious :) Enjoy friends!

 - Love, Maddy.

Joel's Loaded Mac and Cheese

 

Joel's loaded Mac and Cheese! 

So, this weekend we were obviously not cooking on the lighter side, however the food was so delicious we didn't really care! And neither did our friends for that matter! Joel decided to experiment with mac and cheese to go with some burgers and sausage he was grilling for everyone, and this experiments turned out fantastic! It was a very cheesy, flavorful amazing dish!This is the recipe as dictated by Joel :)

 Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 boxes of penne pasta
• 1 16 oz package of bacon
• 1 lb of Velveeta sharp cheddar
• 1 package of provolone cheese
• 2 cans of rotel
• Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. First, start melting the Velveeta and rotel in a crock pot, (just like you would make Velveeta queso). While the queso is warming up, bring water to a boil, and then cut the bacon into small pieces and start cooking it in a pan. Boil the pasta as directed on the box, and once the bacon is done cooking saute the bread crumbs in the bacon grease. Once the Velveeta is melted, stir the bacon and pasta in with the Velveeta mixture. Pour it all into a large baking pan. Rip some pieces of provolone and place them on top of the pasta in the pan. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the provolone and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese looks melted and the dish starts getting golden brown. 

  - Joel