Houston Restaurants & Food

For diners searching for a great meal for a good deal, the FOX 26 Morning News Extra resident diva of dining, Cleverley Stone, has the dish for you!

Eat Free! Did you know that the IKEA home furnishings store on Katy Freeway has a restaurant in it? The store will give you two free Swedish meatball dinners and all you have to do is complete a survey on their web site at http://www.ikeahouston.com/en/5dollarsurveyoff3.php. The coupon is valid through October 31st.  (Value of the 2 dinners is $8.58.)

For a date night deal, Willie G’s Steaks & Seafood on Post Oak Boulevard just completed a renovation of their patio, lounge area and new oyster bar. The location has a fantastic dinner deal, available every night, that includes 3 courses: Gumbo or Caesar Salad to start, Cajun Mahi Mahi with crawfish etouffee; Chicken Florentine; Fried Seafood Trio or Shrimp Marinara for your entree and Key Lime Pie or Cheesecake for dessert. For just $23.99 per person!

Special Occasion Dinner: Birthday, Anniversary, In-Laws in from Out-of-Town? Monarch Restaurant in the Hotel Zaza just introduced their new fall menu.
It’s a very elegant restaurant with a cool vibe. It’s draped in opulent fabrics and has a beautiful view of the Mecom Fountain, that’s lit up at night. Executive chef Aaron Neely is presenting a 3 course dinner with wine pairings for $68 per person.

Houston restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone shares ideas for splurge and budget New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day dining.

Watch Cleverley suggest New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day dining options on FOX 26 Morning News.

For more New Year’s Eve and Day dining suggestions, visit Cleverley’s
11th Annual Houston New Year’s Dining Guide.

Source: Chef Bradley Manchester of Hotel ZaZa Houston

FOX 26 News has shared the health benefits of green tea and ginger in many stories. Now Chef Bradley Manchester of Monarch restaurant in the Hotel ZaZa shows radio, TV and online restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone how to use these items when cooking a steak. Click here to watch video of the preparation…..

Entree Ingredients

• 4 Beef Tenderloin filets, 8 ounces each
• 10 Fingerling Potatoes, 1/4 inch cut
  
• 8 ounces Green Tea Demi-Glace Sauce
• 4 ounces Pickled Vegetables
• 2 bunches Enoki Mushrooms
• 1 ounce Ginger Butter
• Cooking Oil
• Salt & Black Pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Season filets with salt & black pepper.
2. Sear in frying pan on high heat for 2 minutes on each side.
3. Finish cooking in a 400 degree oven to desired doneness.
4. Wash potatoes. Pat dry. Season potatoes (skins on) with salt, pepper and oil.
5. Roast in 400 degree oven until done.

Serving Directions

1. Place potatoes in center of the plate.
2. Place filet on top of potatoes.
   
3. Place pickled vegetables on top of filet with some ginger butter.
4. Place demi-glace sauce around filet.
5. Garnish with enoki mushrooms.

Ginger Butter Ingredients

• 3 pieces of Ginger Root, minced
• 2 Shallots, minced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 pound Butter, room temperature
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons Sugar

Ginger Butter Directions

1. Sweat ginger, shallots and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter.
2. When shallots are translucent add sugar and fold in, let cool.
3. Once ginger mixture is cool, add to room temperature butter in a bowl and mix with paddle mixer.
   
4. Add salt to taste.

Green Tea Demi-Glace Ingredients

• 10 Garlic Cloves, sliced
• 3 Shallots
• 25 Shiitake Mushroom stems
• 1 gallon Demi-Glace sauce (store bought OK)
• 3 tablespoons ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 quart Green Tea Marinade

Green Tea Demi-Glace Directions

1. Sweat garlic, mushrooms & shallots until shallots are translucent.
2. Add demi-glace and pepper.
   
3. Bring to simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add soy sauce and green tea marinade (see below).
5. Bring back to simmer for 10 more minutes.
6. Strain mixture and then cool it in an ice bath.

Green Tea Marinade

• 2 cups of Sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 3 Green Tea Bags
• 1 bunch Lemon Grass, crushed
• 1/4 cup Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

Green Tea Marinade Directions

1. In a sauce pan place the sake on low heat.
2. Add lemon grass & green tea bags & let steep for 20 minutes.
3. Strain & let cool.

Pickled Vegetables Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 English Cucumber, sliced thin
• 1 Carrot, sliced thin

Pickled Vegetables Directions

1. Simmer sugar & vinegar for 1 minute.
2. Let cool.
3. Add vegetables.
4. Let steep for 2 hours.