Desire for a Culinary Masterpiece- Cheddar's Restaurant Review- Avon Indiana

Desire for a Culinary Masterpiece-

Cheddar's Restaurant Review-

Avon Indiana

Last year Cheddar's opened in Avon Indiana. Needless to say,  I have been waiting for the perfect time to visit the place everyone has been talking about.  So I walk in with my family and am greeted and immediately seated. This is a beautiful restaurant with a row of ceiling fans and a tank full of tropical fish

I opened the menu and there were lots of fun options, so I decide on the Fish Tacos. I am so excited to order but unfortunately the wait was almost too much to bare. It was about 15 minutes before the drinks were served. The restaurant was not busy, however our server seemed to be extremely interested in the 2 tables behind us. I wasn't sure we were ever going to get her attention.

So twenty five minutes into our experience, we finally received the queso and chips. The chips were stale and the queso tasted like velveeta and salsa heated in the microwave. It was clumpy and yellow. The last time I checked, Queso is white...

Sad to say that the chips were the best part of the meal.

Whatever happened to those chefs who put their heart and soul into their food. There was nothing about the food that made me feel as if I was special in any way. When I go out to eat, I make the choice not only because of the reviews but also on how packed the parking lot is.

I made a colossal mistake! This may have been the worst meal I have ever tasted. I took one bite of the taco and immediately put it right back down. The coleslaw was a culinary disaster. The flavor was clearly left somewhere in the kitchen. The tacos' were made with flour tortillas, a spicy ranch sauce and covered in cole slaw.... The same coleslaw that was served as a side dish.

First , let me just say... Fish Taco's aren't traditionally made with flour tortillas. A traditional fish taco is made with corn tortillas. cilantro, onions and a spritz of lime. Where were my wonderful fish tacos? Somewhere in a hole in the wall in Mexico!

The chef's have no heart! They have lost their love of the culinary arts. To serve what could possibly be considered "leftovers", is a disaster in my book. I wanted to see a more heartfelt display of culinary genius, but instead received a low budget meal that could have been bought in the freezer section of your local grocery store. There are no words to describe the disappointment.

Where are the Chef's of late? Where have all of those wonderful cooks and chefs who put their heart and soul into each plate served just for the pure enjoyment. Good food is nothing to shake a stick at. I am not the perfect chef, however if I had been in that restaurant, I would have made a culinary delight to satisfy any person on the planet..... Just saying :-)

A Colossal Midwest Food Blunder

Thank you all for reading my blog and as always.. Happy Eating!!



Toasted Ciabatta Bread Sandwiches-Lunchtime Fun

Making lunch for people who love to eat is divine. There is much ado about lunch these days and I have to say "I Love Lunchtime" at my house. I get to create all different kinds of things. Most people enjoy a good dish, but I think I may have a different take on things.

I think every meal should be gourmet. There isn't much I can't do with food. I love to make up my own recipes and serve them to anyone who's hungry. I have to admit that although I may not be the best writer or have the best blog, the things I can create with food are not only simplistic but amazing.

I also love to share the recipes and how it's all done here in the Midwest Food Blunders Kitchen.

Ciabatta Bread Sandwiches

1 Ciabatta Roll

4 slices of avocado

1 cup of imitation crab

3 slices of Havarti Cheese

Top it off with a roasted red pepper sauce you can find in any grocery store

 OR

Make your own with sour cream, roasted red pepper and garlic

Toast before you add the avocado and dressing

And there you have it. Not only is this a fun lunchtime sandwich but it's also very simple to make. 

Try your own recipe using the same simple things.

Bread, Meat, Cheese and add a splash of flavor!

Once Again... Thank you for reading my blog and Happy Eating!

Oasis Diner... Where they serve Butterscotch Rootbeer Floats!

Oasis Diner

The Best Diner on the Planet

 

 

They serve the "BEST" Butterscotch Root beer floats and Stuffed French Toast in the afternoon!

 

Who doesn't love breakfast in the afternoon? I know I love, love, love it. Especially from a local downhome Diner that has super awesome service.

 

The menu is genius and the atmosphere is to die for.

This little diner brought me back to Mayberry!

 

I haven't seen an authentic Diner since I was on vacation in Julian, Ca. You can't beat a diner that actually serves good food. I mean, is there anything better than a root beer float? The answer to that question is, Yes! It's a butterscotch root beer float. Add a beautiful plate of stuffed French toast and you have the best afternoon breakfast on the planet.

 

 

The French toast was cooked perfectly and they added fresh fruit to the dish as well. When was the last time you had actual "fresh" fruit added to your plate when you ate out?

 

 

The inside was covered in a cream cheese and cinnamon blend and was drizzled with a strawberry sauce. Then to top it off, they added the perfect amount of powder sugar. It was absolutely amazing. The French toast was a crunchy outside and soft on the inside. Just like Grandma used to make...

 

 

Here is my suggestion. If you are in the Plainfield, IN area, please stop by and visit this little super authentic Diner. You will not regret a moment spent with these fantastic folks.

 

 

As Always, Thanks for reading my blog and Happy Eating!

 

 



 



 



Savory Chicken and Sausage Soup

Savory Hearty Chicken Soup

It's Dinner Time

Well, here I am again in the grocery store. I am looking for something to feed the boys and I am at a loss. I see lots of premade meals and I am thinking...NOT tonight! Tonight I am going to take some fresh ingredients and make them a healthy meal.

I ask them, "What do you want for dinner?" I knew the answer was going to be pizza. It's always pizza! Of course I said no and they did their pout face. I walked by the soup isle and said, "Hey, you want some fresh chicken soup for dinner?" 

I got a pretty fair response, so off to the veggies we went. Here is what I decided on.

Chicken and Sausage

Carrots

Celery

Potatoes

Cabbage

Canned Corn

Onions- 1 white and chives

and Chicken Broth

My kitchen in full force. I made every part of this dish separately.

I grilled the potatoes and the chicken. Then in a separate pot, I added the chicken stock and veggies along with some garlic powder, salt and a tablespoon of sour cream.

 I cut up the chicken and sausage and added them to the pot to finish off the dish.
Here is the finished dish.

My favorite part of cooking is plating the dish.

I added a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to the top of the soup for taste and presentation.

I think this is more of a stew then a soup. However, the dish was absolutely devine.  It was all cooked as perfect as any soup could be. I find that cooking things separately sometimes makes it easier to have all the ingredients cooked evenly.

Thank you for reading my blog and Have fun with some fresh ingredients tonight!

Happy Eating  :-)

Spice it up! Make ANY weekday dinner a gourmet meal for your family :-)

Spice It Up

With all of the cooking shows on T.V. today, especially Rachel Ray, you can make any meal in less than 30 minutes. I say make any dinner and spice it up in less than 30 minutes. Take plain old spaghetti for instance.

You can do so much...

Anyone who has the mind to make a decent meal, has a mind to make it gourmet with everyday thing bought from your local grocery store. I made this meal with some very simple ingredients.

1 box spaghetti noodles
1 large jar of sauce (any kind you like will do)
2 cans of turkey chili with beans
1 can of Rotel spiced tomatoes
1 bag of Quesadilla cheese
1 canister of sour cream with chives
1 bag of turkey meatballs

Take a plain roll, cut it in half and baste it with butter and Parmesan cheese to ... 

Spice it Up! Bake it until it's light brown. 

There's nothing better than a great meal on a budget. 

Make it a spicy night and Happy Cooking!  :-)

Thanks again for reading my blog.. I blog just for you!

Mini Tuna and Veggie Pot Pies.. It's What's for Dinner!

Comfort Food on a Cold Winter Day

It's about 4 degrees here in the Midwest state of Indiana and the kids are on a 2 hour delay. This morning I was thinking about what to make for dinner.....while I was eating my delicious bowl of bran flakes in almond milk. 

I knew this kids would be hungry soon after homework, so I decided on a hot single serve dish. Mini tuna and vegetable pot pies just might hit the spot. They are easy to make with little ingredients.

This is a mixture of cream of chicken soup, tuna, mixed vegetables and biscuits. 

I made 2 different size mini pot pies. The smaller size for the kids and the larger size for the adults.

This is a pretty basic method. You roll the biscuits out to fit the pan and you press them into the pan. Then scoop the mixture into the sections and cover with another piece of dough. How easy is that! Well.... it may be easy but it's time consuming. It takes about 30 minutes to get these into the oven from start to finish.

The Finished Product

Was well worth the wait...

The crust is a buttery, flaky crust with a wonderful flavor.

The middle of the pie is the perfect compliment with it's warm vegetables covered in delicious thick creamy sauce.

Typically you see chicken in pot pies. I chose to use one can of tuna to give it a more hearty sauce. The tuna is also a great compliment as well especially if you like the taste. I recommend using tuna in oil. It simply has a better flavor in my opinion.

As always, Thanks a Bunch for reading my Blog and Happy Eating!!! :-)

Dinner for Two- Roasted Butternut Squash over Cranberry Salad Accompanied by a Nice Juicy Steak

Dinner for Two

 Roasted Butternut Squash over Cranberry Salad 

Accompanied by a Nice Juicy Steak

One of the most wonderful all season dishes is Roasted Butternut Squash. I love it because it's one of the easiest side dishes I have ever made in such a short amount of time. 

I cut the top and bottom off the squash. I peeled, seeded and cut the squash in half. Then I cubed it and put a mixture of sugar, butter and spices in a bowl and mixed them up. Normally you would use olive oil, however I wanted a more buttery side dish.

 

I spread them out on the baking dish and threw them into the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. They came out absolutely perfect! Soft and buttery...It's so basic I think anyone can make this side dish. 

I spooned the roasted squash onto a spinach salad that included blue cheese crumbles, almonds, cherry's and white wine vinaigrette dressing. I can say that my guests loved the meal that I prepared for them. It's always a good day when you get a good review...

As Always until next time, Happy Eating and Happy Cooking!

Just a side note to all of my readers:

When I started this blog, It was more about Food Blunders from local restaurants. I have come to realize, a complainer is not necessarily how I wanted my followers to see me. So I decided to change it up a little in 2015. I LOVE food and I love to tell people about food, gadgets and anything else that has to do with the kitchen. 

So to all of you who read my blog, Thank You for your support!