Things in my shopping cart
I was doing a bit of shopping the other day and noticed my cart looked, well, kind of quirky. I had some things in it that are new or that maybe not everyone has tried, or people just might even find a little weird. I like to try new stuff, and even stuff that might evoke a bit of a “eew” response. These are good. and you encouraged to seek these things out and give them a try. Here are just a couple of things from my cart:
Metromint Water: I’m funny about water. I notice taste differences between brands (they DO taste different) and tend to like it at room temperature. I’m still picky about brand, but have found that I like Metromint, and I like it cold. I’ve tried the lemon and peppermint so far. The ingredients in all the Metromint varieties (peppermint, spearmint, orangemint, lemonmint, cherrymint, and chocolatemint) are mint and water, with the addition of the “essence” of the specific variety, i.e. lemon, orange, etc…. Metromint is very refreshing; it’s like pure mint in your mouth, with only a subtle bit of the additional flavor that is added. There is a discernable change in the level of coolness between varieties, and the bottles helpfully indicate the level of coolness. I’m very fond of the lemonmint; it really quenches my thirst and tastes spectacular.
Calbee Shrimp flavored Chips: Shrimp flavored? Heck, these things have shrimp in them. Don’t be put off by the idea of a snack food that contains shellfish. These things are yummy and better for you than potato chips or Cheetos. It’s a very basic Japanese snack food, containing only a few ingredients including shrimp, and it is baked rather than fried. The taste is rather mild and light, with a hint of saltiness, and the shrimp flavor kind of builds and sneaks up on you. It’s like filling your mouth with crunchy ocean decadence, and you’ll find yourself having a hard time putting the bag away. Try these!
Fizz Ed: Apple & Eve, the juice people who have been purveyors of many 100% fruit juice products have entered the realm of crossover drinks. You know how they have crossover SUV’s, the small SUV’s which are kind of like minivans but maybe like a car? Think of this as a crossover beverage. It has the fine attributes of juice (vitamins, flavor) but with the fizz of a soft drink. Fizz Ed drinks are mostly a blend of juice with the addition of sparkling water, but no unnecessary additions like high fructose corn syrup. Fizz Ed is packaged in cans that are similar to soft drink cans, but taller and skinnier, and comes in four flavors: red raspberry, orange mango, pomegranate cherry, and green apple. We tried the raspberry, orange mango, and pomegranate cherry. The raspberry and orange mango were really good; the flavor was light and refreshing. It was a perfect balance between the fruit flavor and sparkling water. I felt it was like being a kid and grown up at the same time; you have your adult carbonation but the kid in you is getting the juice, and they would make a great substitute for soft drink addicts like herself. The pomegranate cherry was not such a hit with us. It reminded me of cherry cough syrup and Tracey said it wasn’t pomegranate cherry flavor so much as “red” flavor. The orange mango and red raspberry are delicious however, and are definitely worth a try if you haven’t already.
Ground Buffalo/Bison: I have a boyfriend who does not eat beef, and sometimes one grows tired of turkey burgers. I find that ground bison is an excellent substitute for beef. It cooks just a little faster than beef, and the taste is maybe a bit sweeter, but it fits well into any situation that calls for ground beef. There are also bison steaks out on the market, and I’ve had excellent results with those. Besides making amazing burgers, I love using the bison for Shepherd’s Pie. Sure, it may not seem seasonal with the weather warming up, but it’s an amazing dish that should not be turned away from due to the season. Here is my recipe for Bison Shepherd’s Pie (with a speedy shortcut):
1 Box of Betty Crocker Instant Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes (with the milk and butter necessary to prepare it) Note: If you make your own mashed potatoes for this, use Yukon Golds; they add a very nice richness that other potatoes cannot. Also, only use half the amount of butter you normally would.
3 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped (it’s nice to use one that has some leaves and chop of the leaves and include them in this part of the recipe)
1 pound ground bison/buffalo
2 T flour
3/4 C vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg
2 T butter, cut into small pieces
salt (always use kosher if possible, it tastes better)
pepper
The potatoes are a big shortcut that saves a lot of time and I think using the Yukon Gold instead of regular instant makes it really nice. Prepare the entire box (the box contains two packages, make them both) of mashed potatoes according to the directions on the box EXCEPT use only half the amount of butter they call for. It’s fine to prepare these in the microwave. Set the prepared potatoes aside.
Grease an 8X8 baking dish (preferably glass).
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium low heat and add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. Increase the heat to medium then add the ground bison/buffalo.
Now is a good time to start preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Cook the bison/buffalo, stirring frequently for about five to ten minutes, breaking it up and mixing it into the vegetables. When the buffalo is no longer pink, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook and stir it for two to three minutes, then add the broth, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, and however much salt and pepper you want. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened which should be five minutes tops. Remove from heat and place the meat and veggie mixture into the 8X8 dish, spreading it out so it is relatively even and covers the entire bottom of the dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the meat and veggies, creating little peaks with the potatoes. Scatter the cut up butter evenly over the top of the potatoes. Put it in the oven and cook it for about 30-35 minutes (the top should be lightly browned). Let it rest for a few minutes before you eat it.
-Yva
4 years ago • 0 notes