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Weekend Eats: Hometown Goodies

June 21, 2016

In case you didn’t catch it last week, there’s a new thang going on here on NCK: a weekly post in which I delve into my real life, recapping either how much I cooked or ate out over the weekend. It’s a fun behind-the-scenes peek to spark discussion about your weekend eats, inspire you for next weekend, and help me remember the awesome restaurant dishes I’ve eaten that I really need to turn into a recipe.

Starting last Wednesday, Steve and I sadly dropped this face off at day care but joyously headed to my hometown in Minnesota.

Silly puglet

We came for a one-of-a-kind evening at Spoon and Stable with chef Michael Anthony (which will get a post all its own soon), to spend father’s day with my dad, and to hit old and new favorite restaurants over what can only be described as a gluttonous five days. Here’s the rundown spanning our long weekend.

The Recipes

  • Creamy veggie enchilada pie
  • Macadamia butterscotch cookies (one bowl/gluten free)
  • Cilantro and green lentil salad: cooked up the remainder of a bag of French green lentils. Once cool, I mixed them with halved baby tomatoes, chopped (mini) cucumbers, lots of cilantro (leftover from the enchilada pie), a bit of feta, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. It was really interesting with lime juice, and completely flavorful without any garlic or onion.
  • Sorghum spinach salad: While I let sorghum cook slowly on the stovetop, I mixed some minced garlic, lime juice, and salt. After about 10 minutes, I added halved baby tomatoes, chickpeas, lots of chopped spinach, and some olive oil. I refrigerated that mixture until the soghum was cooked and cooled, then I stirred in the grains along with more seasoning to taste.

Enchilada pie and green rice

Macadamia butterscotch cookies

The Restaurants (and Recommendations)

Judging by this extensive list, you can tell we were in vacation mode!

  • Broders’ Pasta Bar – fettucini con gamberi (without shrimp)
  • The Good Earth – anything off the seasonal specials list (we had the ricotta and cherry flatbread), baked artichoke dip, almond tuna melt, crustless cheesecake
  • Spoon and Stable – something off the cocktail list and ANYTHING on the menu
  • Dock Café – Sweet potato avocado sandwich (with tots!)
  • Maple Island Brewery – Maple Island Bock
  • Sebastian Joe’s – Oreo ice cream (not pictured)
  • French Meadow Café – I have high standards for huevos rancheros, and theirs met every last one. (not pictured)
  • Pizzeria Lola – ALWAYS the seasonal veg, crispy cauliflower starter, and any pizza (they’re all stellar)
  • Jensen’s Café – apple cinnamon bread and the Cajun breakfast
  • Noodles and Company – mac and cheese!
Fettucine con gamberi at Broders Pasta Bar
Cherry ricotta flatbread at The Good Earth

Green gazpacho from the Michael Anthony Synergies dinner at Spoon and Stable

Sweet potato and avocado sandwich at Dock Cafe
Dock Cafe table

Crispy spicy cauliflower

Maple Island beer sampler
Pizzeria Lola table

Seasonal veg, summer 2016

The Cajun breakfast at Jensen's

Noodles and Co. mac

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Happy. Healthy. Homemade…

...my food philosophy in a nutshell. I'm Tessa, the comfort food lover, Minnesotan at heart, and home chef behind Natural Comfort Kitchen. Find out more about me, NCK, and my love for healthy, delicious food here.

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Happy. Healthy. Homemade.

My food philosophy in a nutshell.

I'm Tessa, blogger and chef behind Natural Comfort Kitchen. Find out more about me, NCK, and my love for healthy, delicious food here.

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