Monday, March 22, 2010

Restaurant Review: Killen's Steakhouse

Scott and I recently went to Killen's Steakhouse per the recommendation of a friend--a friend that likes really good food. He had claimed Killen's had the best steak he'd ever eaten and we agree. The drive to Pearland was worth every bite. From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but the inside was very tastefully decorated and the cuisine, very tasty!

We had an excellent waiter who helped steer us through the menu.

I started with a cosmopolitan that was perfectly blended and Scott relaxed with a dirty martini. We ordered a bottle of the Reynold's Family Reserve Cabernet to compliment our steaks.

Appetizer

• NUESKE BACON WRAPPED U‐10 SCALLOPS •
Jumbo Scallops wrapped in bacon served on a bed of spinach, with lemon butter sauce

These scallops were amazing, some of the best I've had. I'm sure I was influenced by the bacon but they would have still been divine without it. The scallops and spinach rested upon a thick slice of fried potato. There were 4 jumbo scallops on the platter, I could easily come back and order the scallops as entree paired with a salad.

Salad

• GARDEN •
Mixed Greens, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Cucumbers and Carrots

• WEDGE •
Fresh Iceberg Lettuce Wedge topped with diced Tomatoes, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Chives and Chef Ron’s Roquefort dressing

Both salads were good, but not the focal part of our meal. We were planning to eat a lot, and I couldn't believe Scott wanted to waste valuable stomach real estate with a salad.

Entree

• 16 oz Kobe Beef RIB-EYE •
This was one of many Rib-eye options on the menu. They actually had a 32 oz one that we could have spilt but we decided on a divide and conquer approach. I did see two men at another table each ordered their own 32 ounce rib-eye and eat all of it, let's just say they looked like they could have each eaten two of them. I had a bite of Scott's rib-eye but it was nothing in comparison to the Kobe Beef filets that I had.

• (3) 3 oz Kobe Beef Filet Mignon •
I opted for the special, fully expected all kobe beef to be equal. This flight really surprised my palette.

1. Nebraska Morgan Ranch
The Nebraska beef was fantastic. It tasted like a hunk of meat drenched in butter.
2. Texas AKAUSHI KOBE BEEF
I fully expected the Texas beef to be better, since well everything is bigger and better in Texas, but it was least favorite. Had I had it on its own I'm sure it would have been awesome but in comparison it just wasn't.
3. Australia Blackwood Ranch
The Australia beef was so good I am speechless. We were told it was the most comparable to the highest grade of Japanese kobe and I believe it.

We split a side of macaroni and cheese, which was of course delicious.

Dessert

• Creme Brulee Bread Pudding •
I don't get very excited about bread pudding, but this one was excellent. It was moist, without being wet, and also won the best bites competition at the Houston Rodeo.

This meal was a super splurge for us so maybe next time we will attemp to try some of the more affordable items on the menu.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The Weekly Menu

I plan my meals for the week and grocery shop on Sunday. I developed a spreadsheet to plan for each day and also prepare my grocery list. When planning for the week, I take inventory of my pantry and freezer to see if there are any ingredients I can use. I also mark our social activities on the menu so that my husband and I can keep up with each other's schedules. I use the other section for things such as baking for birthdays, book club, etc. This helps me stay organized and makes it easier to enjoy healthier meals more often. I hear people make excuses and say they come home from work and then can't decide what to have for dinner, then they don't want to go the store, and next thing you know its fast food for dinner. I have certain weeknight staples that I stick to during the week, and the weekend is my time to test recipes and enjoy extravagant gourmet dinners.

Also I am big fan of using the freezer. Often when purchasing chicken, meat, or pork I try to get a value pack and I'll freeze the extra pieces in the necessary quantity/serving combo to be thawed later as needed. I recommend reading "Can I Freeze It?", it provides a lot of great information on what types of food freeze well and the best freezing materials and methods. I haven't tried any of the recipes, but I use the methods all the time.


Click here to print a copy of the weekly menu plan.

Here are a few of my weeknight staples. I'll be sure to add more in the future

kebabs
You can skip the pomegranate glaze, it doesn't add flavor and isn't worth the effort to make

pork chops w/ sauteed apples

poblano & mushroom tacos

spice crusted pork tenderloin w/ roasted baby carrots