A week in pics pt 2

Pancake Pantry - Nashville, TN Caribbean pancakes

Sweet potatoe pancake - as seen on Man vs. Food. 

Jeni's Ice Cream and The Peach Truck - Nashville TN 

Sweet Biscuits and Peach Jam 

(Photo courtesy of Jeni's Ice Cream) 

 

Nuvo Donuts - Hendersonville TN 

Strawberry Glazed Donuts

Dark Chocolate Salted Watermelon Slices 

(Photo courtesy of @fithealthyrecipes on IG)

My very own meat pie!!

Yesterday we spent all day grocery shopping at Sams Club and the Farmers Market. So when we got home I was pooped! I wanted to make something with ingredients we already had at home and that required little prep work! 

Meat pie came to mind! Which is weird considering I've NEVER made it before nor ate it before. I'd seen it made several time on cooking shows and what not then decided hey it seems easy enough! 

It was actually pretty easy to make and tasted delicious! It was creamy yet crunchy (from the red taters I added), warm and gooey, and really homey tasting! Perfect for a dreary day!! Here's how I made it:  

Ingredients: 

1 premade pie shell 

1 pound ground turkey 

4 small red potatoes 

1 can French style green beans 

1/4 large sweet onion chopped 

6 leaves of sweet basil 

5 springs of thyme 

1 tps onion powder 

1 tps paprika 

1 tbs rosemary 

Parsley for decoration

2 tbs flour 

1-1.5 cups of veggie stock 

2 slices co-jack cheese

Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, heat skillet on medium with oil (I prefer olive oil), add chopped onions. 

2. Once onions are translucent add chopped red potatoes, add salt and pepper to taste, basil, rosemary, thyme. Cook potatoes and onions until potatoes just start to stick to the pan. About 2-3 minutes. Stir to avoid to much sticking. 

3. Add in ground turkey, onion powder, paprika. 

4. Once ground turkey has started to brown add in veggie stock and green beans. Allow ground turkey to fully cook. Reserve some stock to use to mix with flour. 

5. When stock begins to boil mix flour and reserve stock, pour into meat and veggie mixture. Stir quickly so it doesn't get clumpy anywhere. Reduce heat to low. 

6. Once thickened add mix to pie shell, spread evenly and put in oven for 20 minutes. 

7. When edges of shell begin to brown add slices of cheese to the top of the pie. You can do this is any manner you'd like. Sprinkle paprika and parsley on top bake An additional  5 minutes. 

8. When cheese is bubbly and crispy to your liking remove pie, allow to rest about 5-8 minutes. Slice, serve, ENJOY!! 

Hope you guys like this! If you try the recipe I'd love your feedback and what you added or subtracted! 

Stay hungry my friends... 

Ray B. 

A week in Hungry pics - pt 1.

This week I ate in Nashville and in Atlanta!! All photo's taken by myself...ENJOY! 

1. Monell's - Nashville TN 

Their famous fried chicken dinner 

Chicken basket (yuuuuuum)

2. Ann's Snack Shop - Atlanta GA

Famous for their Ghetto and Hood Burger. Pictured is the Hood Burger, 2 ground beef patties, chili, coleslaw, bacon, and cheese. 

Myself and Ms. Ann

3. Chez Montier - Atlanta GA 

Poached egg, hollandaise, lump crab, sautéed spinach, thick cut BACON, southern sausage

4. Flip Burger Atlanta Ga

(Coming soon to Nashville TN) 

Oaxaca Burger 

Bacon and cheese double burger

RBQ 

Stay hungry my friends! 

Ray B. 

Mo' to tha Nell's

This post is not just about my dining experience it is dedicated to my loving grandmother Sarah H. Ball known as "Granny" to me... RIP. I love you and miss you dearly. 

(In front of the Manor with my partner in crime, Justin) 

When I was younger my grandmother would fry us chicken almost every Thursday. I remember watching her use the cast iron skillet that I now use for almost every meal. I remember getting to close and getting popped by grease and her sneering at me. I can laugh about this now as an adult. She did all this cooking for no reason other than she loved us. My grandmother's love had an  affect on my life that cannot be explained by words. She passed away a few years ago and it was hard on my family to say the least. A lot of recipes I use I got from her; her recipes usually didn't include any form of measurements. I'm guilty of that too. I'd be a terrible tv cook, I sprinkle things here and there and go with 'what looks right'. 

It's been years since I've had her chicken and it saddened me that I've never been able to get her recipe just right. I have an electric old stove now so it's a def no-go on trying. I'll wait until I get another gas. 

Anywho I haven't tasted ANY FRIED CHICKEN anywhere near hers until I tried Monell's...

(Glory, glory, glory) 

First off, this location is quite special and decorated so eloquently. I feel at home as soon as I sit down. None of the plates match, they offer sweet tea and lemonade (Arnold Palmers on deck), a first round of fluffy biscuits and sweet corn bread. I love it. I don't feel like I should drink with my pinky up. 

All meals are served family style. There is a large dining table that can seat 10-12 folks. The food is served in large bowls filled with delicious authentic home cooked goodies. Monell's has a different menu everyday except for their fried chicken, it's served with every glorious meal. 

Back to the chicken... 

It's crispy and crunchy but not so crunchy that the skin breaks into pieces all over your lap. The meat...boy... Cooked to fried chicken  perfection. When you take a bite it's tender and juicy. The meat pulls away from the bone but not mushy, there's substance to this food. The main thing I noticed is when you bite into your chicken it isn't greasy. I mean yea it's fried but it literally doesn't drop grease!! All that comes out is salty briny juices. The seasoning on the chicken exterior is somewhat complex although I'm sure they use simple ingredients. The love is what makes it so good!! 

I add hot sauce and honey. Call me old school or country or old school country. Nothing beats sweet and heat. Ever. 

The main reason I thoroughly enjoyed Monell's is that it was able to replace an piece of me that I thought I'd lost for ever. The simple memory of my grandmother. My experience took me to a happy place and allowed me to remember the good times with her in the kitchen. Maybe I actually owe Monell's more than a thank you... 

But for now this hungry girl can offer a smile, support, and a thank you. That's all I got and it's not much I know. I'll always tell the world how awesome you are Monell. You are the winner. You deserve the MVP. 

Stay hungry my friends. 

Ray B. 

No Chili...whyyyyyy?!?

I went home this weekend to see my friends and fam in Cincinnati and Columbus for July 4th. Not until I made it alllllll the way back to Nashville did I realize I ate no chili while I was home. No Gold Star, Skyline, Pleasant Ridge, Camp Washington, Price Hill or Chili Time!! 

Now for all you non-Cincinnatians you may not understand the importance of chili with noodles (yes hunty spaghetti noodles) or a chili coney. You may not understand the difference between a 3,4,5 maybe even a 6 way. 

More important you may not know how awesomely simple yet delicious oyster crackers with a dab of hot sauce on it may be. Me personally, I bite the top of the cracker so it's like a mini pita pocket for my hot sauce...wow I literally laughed out loud as I wrote that lol!! 

Real quick I'll tell you why Cincinnati Chili sets itself apart. There a few ingredients never spoken of when talking about chili, they include: cinnamon, allspice, chocolate and, cloves. Let it sink in. And please don't knock it before your try it boo boo!!

But for all you local or non local folks who have had it realize what a real tragedy it was to not get a chili coney this trip!! Don't get me wrong I LOOOVED seeing my fam and friends, I just wish I woulda' stopped for a coney...or two. Who doesn't love those coney's with the cheese all melty in the styrofoam containers when you get home?!? 

Maybe my folks will get a coney crate and drive it down here when they visit next weekend!! A hungry girl can only hope. 

***I do not take credit for these photo's pictures***

Stay hungry my friends. 

Ray B.