Posts tagged meals

Simon’s Sushi, a return

June 12, 2008 · Filed under restaurants, review · Tagged , ,

When I started this blog it was mainly to share my thoughts and fascination with food and cooking.
One of the first blogs I read that was based in DFW and had wonderful food to look at and read about was http://donnacooks.wordpress.com/. I loved her entries and was pretty happy that she ate somewhere near to my place. So many nights when I was looking for places to go and chow down I turned to her blog for ideas. One particular find that made me very happy and quite often fills the cravings of my girlfriend and I was Simon’s Sushi.

Simon’s must be one of the best kept secrets in Plano. This entry http://donnacooks.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/essence-of-dallas-on-one-plate-simons-sushi/ of Donna’s is great and really catches the description of the place well.

After the third time there I have sampled enough of the menu to say that is one of the best I have ever been to. Now that being said, I haven’t been to all of the top Sushi Places in DFW http://dallas.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/sushi, but I have been to a few and tasted around.

The first time we went we were a bit anxious about a new place and all and we had recently come off a bad trip to another place http://enlargedtoshowtexture.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/afghan-grill-midweek-meal/. But it was very nice. From when we walked in and Simon greeted us and raised a beer I was sold. Small and friendly usually means good eating to me.  The next time we went we sat at the bar and got a little personal touch. The last time we visited we came on a busy night and didn’t want to mess up the flow of the Friday night regulars so we didn’t hit the bar but sat a booth.

The menu has the standard items, some things that are seasonal and  their take on average items offered everywhere else. But the real magic lies in the specials. There are nightly specials  that all appear to come in spicy or non spicy varities.
If you have any friends you want to impress or out of town guests who want some good food from Plano, then they have to try the BTS roll. A  roll wrapped with salmon filled with fried tempura flakes, crab mix, and seaweed, then covered in pico de gallo and sesame oil. What part of that is not good? 
BTS is short for better than sex, and if that is that case for you, then something is wrong.  Although food and sex are cloesly related, be careful in mixing and comparing them.  For those truly advanced in mixing these two I say next try this.  Leave a trail of chicken fried steak from the door to the bedroom and laddle some gravy on the bed, when your victi..partner asks “where are the biscuits?” you say “WE are gonna BE the biscuits” 

BTS roll
BTS roll up close for texture

The other must have may not be for everyone but if you like to have some variety I recommend doing it. Simon’s choice is just that. You tell the server of your preferences. Raw or cooked, roll or not spicy or mild and he creates a unique item for you.  The last time we went we had a roll filled with a slaw of
cabbage and some quickly made mayonnaise, some masago and crawfish, rolled into rice and covered with toro and a pineapple sauce.
We had a wonderful picture but a party the next night and several beers and Rockband made it vanish.
Trust me when I say it was beautiful as it was delicious.
So if you get a chance to, go for whatever the chef whips up and you will not be let down.

Smoked Tuna and Halibut Nigiri
Smoked Tuna and Halibut

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quick eats for the last week.

June 6, 2008 · Filed under meals, recipes · Tagged , , , , , ,

Meals of the last few days.

Chickpeas and Sausage Close up
Chicken Roulade with Spinach Chipotle and Feta Cheese. Asparagus risotto and Cornbread muffins.

Spanish Tortilla with sliced ham, black olives, potatoes and potato chips.

Chickpeas and smoked sausage

 

Chicken Roulade with Spinach,chipotle and feta cheese
Chicken Roulade was made by pounding out some chicken tenderloins flat. Filling them
with a mixture spinach, one extremely hot canned chipotle pepper and some crumbled feta cheese and lemon juice.
rolled them up and cooked in a covered baking dish with a splash of chicken broth and butter.
Risotto was made with some frozen asparagus and the usual suspects.

 

Tortilla with ham and potato
The tortilla was made with 8 eggs, some sliced ham, I normally use smoked sausage or cure 81 ham, but this time I didn’t want that much meat with it. I mixed my eggs, my sliced olives and ham with lots of basil, cayenne pepper paprika and garlic and some sliced small potatoes. Added in a hand full or two of lays potato chips and mix up, let that sit and soak up the egg. Heat up large oven safe skillet and preheat oven to 400.
add olive oil to skillet and pour in egg mix with a bit of cheese, and stir for about a minute and a half. Then finish in the oven for about 8 minutes, When it looks to be getting set on top, I add more cheese and a lot of dried dill. Then let it brown nicely on top.

Chickpeas and Sausage
Chickpeas and sausage is one of Appleheads favorites. So fast and can be made southern, as she likes it or Spanish with Chorizo instead.
I french one medium yellow onion and break the slices apart. Slice sausage on a bias and set aside. I warm up olive oil in my trusty skillet, not to hot, no smoking. Add onions and let them cook till softened, I don’t want them to take on too much color so I move them often and watch them. then I add in paprika, cayenne pepper, basil and lemon juice. Then the sausage and mix get them coated in the sauce that’s being made from the oils, seasonings and lemon juice. Cover and let the sausage really cook through. While they are cooking I open one can of chick peas and place in a bowl, I add minced garlic Or garlic powder if you ran out like me, basil oregano and lemon and lime juice to those beans and mix well. Uncover sausage and move around a bit. Now I am trying to get some brown bits made on the sausage while making sure not to over cook the onions.
about 3- 5 minutes more. Then I spoon the meat and onions over the chickpeas fold together and done.

 

 

 

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