Food Truck Adventures 11 - Winter Park Fish Company

In keeping with the Winter Park Food Truck Stop theme, I went for lunch one day a couple of weeks ago with a companion.  We were browsing the handful of trucks that were there, and settled on the Winter Park Fish Company, a truck we hadn't tried yet.  From following the food trucks on Facebook, I had received a flyer with coupons.  There were some great bargains such as the one we used, which was buy one entree get a second entree free.
This truck stems from an actual restaurant in Winter Park, FL.  Their motto is "upscale, quick service seafood restaurant that combines fine dining with the fast casual world that modern diners have embraced".  Their truck offers the same kind of quick service with elevated dishes.
For my lunch I chose to have the crabcake sandwich.  It was huge!  Fresh crabmeat mixed with light breading and some veggies and spices.  It was large, fresh, and delicious.  It was topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and served with a lemon wedge and and mustard sauce, This all sat on a tasty roll.  My sandwich came with a side, and I chose to get their coleslaw.  It wasn't really anything special, but the sandwich was.
My companion chose to order their Ahi tuna sliders.  There were three sliders, with seaweed salad, pickled ginger, and a wasabi sauce.  I took a bite of one and the fish was very fresh and the condiments complimented the tuna.  My companion enjoyed his sliders very much.
It was nice to get such a bargain lunch at a place that specializes in free seafood.  If you'd like to find out more about Winter Park Fish Company visit their website at http://www.thewinterparkfishco.com/, follow them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thewinterparkfishco, or follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/winterparkfish.
And don't forget to stop by the Winter Park Food Truck Stop if you're in the area!  There are always trucks there for lunch, and every Thursday from 5-9pm they have a fun little gathering with live music.

Picture View - Meatloaf

Meatloaf - Home Cooked Recipe 26

I've been on a comfort food kick lately.  Stuffed peppers, chili, and now we're up to meatloaf.  This recipe is inspired by two sources.  One is Tyler Florence's meatloaf with tomato relish (I've tweaked the relish, and changed up the meats).  The other is my mom, who always made great meatloaf, and the leftovers always made tasty sandwiches.

Melissa's Meatloaf

Ingredients:
Relish -
12 ounces ketchup
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tbs dried parsely
salt and pepper

Meatloaf -
1 lb ground beef
3 slices white bread, torn
1/4-1/2 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Make the relish first.  Saute garlic and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Add in tomatoes, bay leaf, and salt and pepper (to taste).  Cook 3 minutes, then stir in ketchup and Worcestershire.  Sprinkle in parsley, let simmer 5 minutes, then take off heat and let cool.
While making the relish, soak bread in milk.
When relish is cool, mix together bread/milk, ground beef, and 1 cup of the tomato relish.
Form into loaf and place on baking rack on backing sheet, or just a normal loaf pan. 
Bake at 350 for 30 mins, then top with remaining tomato relish and bake for 30 more minutes.  Let cool before serving.  Enjoy!!!
***I served mine with some roasted potatoes, pictured

Picture View - Chili

Ingredients

Sauteing veggies

Browning beef

Adding remaining ingredients

Finished chili

Chili - Home Cooked Recipe 25

For my first 2012 recipe post I thought I would give you a recipe I've been eating since I was a child.
We recently had a cold snap here in Orlando.  It made me want to cook something warm and comforting.  I picked chili, because it is the perfect cold weather food.  I used the same recipe my mom has been using for years, which involves a pre-made spice mix.  I have no shame in using certain kits for my cooking, because it can speed things up (especially on a weeknight), and also, this particular one has great flavor.  While I use the spice mix for the spices in this dish, I don't follow the package directions exactly, so my recipe is going to be exactly how I make it (with side notes on what is optional).
This meal was particularly special because it was the first meal I made for a special someone in my life.  It wasn't what I had planned to make first originally, but this meal fit the day and the weather, and still tastes great.
I also made cornbread to go with the chili, but that was from a box mix (Jiffy to be specific).  Add a couple of ingredients, bake for 20 minutes, and you have quick, tasty cornbread.

Fast, Easy, and Tasty Chili

Ingredients
1 package Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Chili Mix
2 lbs ground beef (or your favorite ground meat)
1 cup water
14.5 ounces tomato sauce (I use Hunt's) *recipe only calls for 8 ounces
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (I also use Hunt's for this) *optional
1 onion, diced *optional
1 green bell pepper, diced *optional
12 ounces beer (I use Bud Light, but use your favorite beer) *optional
*optional-sour cream (for garnish)
*optional-shredded cheddar (for garnish)
*optional-cornbread prepared according to package directions (I use Jiffy)
***You can also add in beans if you like, I am a Texas chili purist and don't use beans.  Other great garnishes include cilantro and lime wedges.

Directions
Saute onions and bell pepper for about 5 minutes in a tablespoon of oil.  Add in ground beef and cook until beef is browned.  Drain (to remove excess fat from beef).  Place back in pot, stir in big spice packet in mix, cayenne in mix, and half of salt included in mix.  Cooke for 2 minutes, then deglaze pot with beer.  Cook for two minutes then add in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and water.  Stir well.  Let chili simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir masa packet (included in mix) with 1/3 cup of water.  Add in to chili and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Serve warm, with sour cream and cheddar.  I always serve cornbread with my chili as well.
Enjoy!