Sangria Tapas Cafe – Royal Oak

Apr 16th, 2010 by ++Mira++ | 7 Comments

Ever since I heard about Sangria I’ve been wanting to go there! They are in Royal Oak, Michigan, and just off main street. The interior was very colorful and I fell in love with the flamenco painting. They actually have flamenco dancers that come every thursday night for entertainment, and a bit of research online showed they have salsa lessons a couple times a week in their Sky Club which is club in and of itself. Next time I want to try to make it to some of the entertainment. It sounds like a blast. Has anyone been? Anyways, we went during the day since my hubby finished his work early, and we enjoy walking around in Royal Oak. Much to my surprise tapas are 1/2 off at happy hour, didn’t feel like paella, and I love lots of little things…So, I may have over ordered just a bit!

We started off with a splitting a salad.

Ensalda de Gambas – $10.95 – the pineapple vinaigrette is really fantastic. It was a pleasant surprise how good it was. I even don’t care if there was no shrimp. It was just that good.

Soon, our plates came out. We ordered a combo of hot and cold tapas. The waiter put them in pyramid fashion, no clue why,lol, but he was a sweetheart and very attentive.

This was my favorite, Salmón Ahumado – $6.95

Now, its salt cured, so it is on the salty side, but it was amazing. So was the tangy dill sauce with it. But you have to be a salmon fan to really enjoy this. My hubby wouldn’t touch it, which I didn’t mind at all! lol..more for me!

Gambas al Ajillo – $6.95 – shrimp sauteed in garlic and peppers. Did not like this. Too much liquid. Didn’t taste like much. However, they normally cook it in wine, but we don’t do alcohol so we asked for a sub. So, in there defense, I have no idea what the original tastes like, but this just felt like boiled shrimp. This was the only thing we both really didn’t like.

Tortilla de Patatas – $4.95 – traditional spanish omlette with potatoes and onions. This was on the “cold” menu, but it was luke warm and I actually would not have even minded if it was hotter. It was something I will definitely order again. I loved it. There was something very comforting about it.

Pasteles del Pez Blancos – $6.95 – this my hubby went gaga for! Fish cakes atop a mound of caramelized onions and granny smith apples. He wouldn’t even touch the onions & apples. He just loved the cakes. They were really good, moist and well seasoned. I liked the onions and apples, but there was too much cinnamon and it was a bit overpowering.

Champiñones Rellenos – $6.95 – mushrooms filled with shrimp stuffing and in garlic butter. Believe it or not, we both ate the mushrooms sans stuffing and thought it tasted much better. It was still good, but the mushrooms alone were great.

Frituras de Queso Azul- $5.95 – Deep fried blue cheese fritters. They weren’t kidding when they said blue cheese. It had a cheese punch! The flavor is enhanced on heating. It was really good, but more than one just felt like too much because of the strong flavor. I wish it was cut down with another cheese so that I could’ve enjoied it more.

Patatas Bravas – $4.95 – Fried potatoes in tomatoe sauce. Was what it sounded like. Nothing more. I wish the sauce was somehow spicier or more interesting. You will notice we didn’t get any meat dishes since my hubby eats “hallal” only, which is kinda like kosher. So, we pretty much ordered the things we could have. You should check their menu for all the other yummy stuff they serve.

Overall, it was a really good experience, and all the entertainment stuff sounds like fun. I want to make it to the flamenco dances one day. There are things I would definitely eat again like the salmon, and the fish cakes. The price depends on what you order, but like I said, it was a happy surprise we made it at happy hour. I give it a definite thumbs up and will definitely be back. Royal oak is also a great spot because of it being party central.lol. Next time, before you hit the scene, give Sangria a try. You won’t regret it.

Have you been? Do you like any other tapas restaurants in your area?

always uncut,

++MIRA++

Meatloaf Cupcakes

Feb 2nd, 2010 by ++Mira++ | 1 Comment

hey peeps! i was brainstorming the other day and i thought meatloaf cupcakes, how awesome would that be? Now, i have never had or made meatloaf in my life, and neither has my hubby so i thought what the hell, why not? so i googled “meatloaf recipe” and got one off of http://www.momswhothink.com/ . I modified it a little, but the basics are there, and let me tell u we loved it!

here is their recipe:

1/2 cup bread crumbs (i added a lil more)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (i substituted with celery seed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground sage (i also added 1/4 teaspoon thyme)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (didn’t have this)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce ( I had run out so i used Ketchup, hot sauce, honey and A1 for the sauce)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ( didnt have so i used A1 steak sauce instead)

added the A1

onions

herbs n seasonings

i added this pik cuz i LOVE how u can see each salt particle …im silly i know

breadcrumbs which i made by toasting toast in the oven for 10 min

1 egg

milk

So, i added a big spoonful for each cupcake whole, but what i would do differently is add probably at least 1/2 more, because they shrank a little when cooked.
You can also add cupcake liners, which i shouldve tried but my brain wasnt working.

make sure to make a cupcake “dome” to look like a cupcake since meatloaf doesnt rise
i used the bottom of the spoon to shape them

and voila! I only had a 1lb ground beef so i was short.

SO, i didnt put the sauce on them right away. Pop them in the oven at 350 for 30 min
this is what they look like, before saucing them and popping them back in

So, the sauce i made is 2/3 ketchup, 1/3 A1 steak sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/4 teaspoon hotsauce

spoon it on then pop back into the oven for the last 20-30 min

yummmmy

For the frosting, i wanted to use a boxed mashed potatoe. I usually hate potatoes from a box, but these are not too bad, and i wanted it to be really smooth, and i was being lazy and didnt want to bother with peeling potatoes:)

After it cooled a bit, i popped the mash into a ziplock and went to town

And here u go!

imaginging i was in a 5 star restaurant i dotted the plate with hot sauce.hehe.

I would really recommend trying this. It’s really fun, and i would imagine it would be a hit with kids. Also, use more meat per cupcake then i did, and try it with a cupcake liner (*hit myself in the ass for not doing this)

xoxo

Potatoe pie madness

Feb 2nd, 2010 by ++Mira++ | Comment

Have you ever had leftover baked, mashed or other potatoe. Well, this is a reason to make sure you do have leftovers. Some yummy easy potatoe pie for the next day!

The beauty of this is you can add whatever you want into this, even top it off with marinara sauce at the end. Here is what you need.

ingredients
===========
leftover mashed potatoes, potatoes…
1 lb ground beef
italian herbs
1 carrot finely chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tablespoon vinegar
salt pepper to taste
crushed croutons/ bread crumbs
optional: marinara sauce

1) whatever leftover you have, it needs to be mashed and made thick and creamy.
Spread half the potatoe mix at least 1/2 inch thick along the bottom of the pan and smooth it out

season it VERY well
flavor the potatoes with aLOT of seasoning and herbs or it will come out bland. I dont do bland:)

2) sautee the onion, add the carrot and ground beef. Add the vinegar and salt n pepper to the meat.you can add tomatoes too if you like, or any other veggie

3)the ground beef should be spread on top

4) spread the rest of the potatoes on top of the beef this can be tricky. Put a huge dollop of potatoes then slowly spread with a spoon without picking up meat

5) after its all ready, pop in the oven for 20-25 min at 350

6) top with the crushed croutons about 10 min before taking it out of the oven.

7) take a slice out and enjoy with a vinegerette salad (this is a must!). The sour of the salad pairs great with this

my hubby had never had this, and he loved it. My mum used to make it for me on those cold school days. And it always just makes me feel at home. What did your mum make for you that made u feel cozy and warm and puurrrfect?