Let "Uncle" Leo Cook For You!

Once upon a time, I would have some eats at a place called Moe's Southwest Grill. Located at 4151 Miller Road in Flint Township  between the freeway and the mall, it was a great stopping off place after the gym, with wifi (one of the earliest to offer it locally and free!). They did something really dumb. They decided to upscale themselves with beer and margaritas altho they really were only slightly more than fast food. The good thing was I could get anything vegetarian and the spicy tofu salad called the Close Talker was my fav. Sadly the lights went out and they closed in 2007 .

Then I saw construction and had the normal contest between family members trying to guess what it was going to be. With a burger joint next door, another southwest menu next to that and a stir fry on the other side, I was resigned to a coney island and not much more. I was right on the coney island but it turned out to be Leo's! I had eaten at a couple in the Detroit area when either dropping off or picking up hubby at the airport but not enough times to really give them a try out. Until they came to Flint.

And yes, they are very veg friendly! On recent trips to the Flint location I have been able to select a variety of  vegetarian items and usually have something left over to take home without breaking the bank.  Many of the sides or appetizers are suitable for vegetarians and with tweaks, also vegan diets.  Everyone loves baked potatoes, right? I just leave off the sour cream and request margarine or go bare. They really bake the potatoes here! There is nothing worse than a microwaved jacketed spud.

On an occasion where I was really hungry, I ordered spinach pie (Spanakopita) which included  Greek rice flavored with golden saffron and a chunky tomato sauce that is similar to the heavenly topping  called Domatorizo. There are discernible chunks of tomatoes, onion, green peppers and spices with  a hint of cinnamon. I had this red sauce served on the side. Also a small side of tzatziki sauce (cooling Greek yogurt with cucumbers and onions, quite similar in construction to an Indian  dip called Raita) accompanied the spinach pie, which was hot, very spinachy with feta cheese and a crispy crust of phyllo dough browned to yumminess. The serving was very large and I took at least half home for another day.

The egg salad sammy would actually be a good choice for protein sans all the added fat gobs of mayo that other places use to prepare it with. At Leo's the boiled eggs are prepared fresh daily and sometimes the eggs are still warm on the bread. There is so little dressing on this, I often believe none is added. Just chopped up/mashed hard boiled egg. Tomato slices and fresh lettuce complete the dish, and you have your choice of breads. I love this on toasted rye because it doesn't get soggy. The only thing I would personally do to this sammy is add some onion or green pepper for crunch.

I am not a fan of french fries. I would love that more places offer something besides them, as I think they are pretty boring. Maybe sweet potato fries would work. Until that happens, I have become devoted to American fries or home fries. Most breakfast places offer hash browns, which are often undercooked, soggy or a combination of both. The waitress  at Leo's one night offered me American fries but with a twist. She had the cook cut up a baked potato  and deep fry it! Now wait before you think unhealthy. It is the same as the regular fries but with the skin (very healthy) and they are not greasy!  Since the potato is already cooked, it only takes a few seconds to get this golden look and is a good "share" side. I don't order them often but they are a "cut" above soggy hash browns.

For dieters and health nuts and all in between, if you want a truly fresh salad, look no farther than Leo's. There are up to 4 sizes available for each style from mini to extra large. The Michigan salad with dark dried cherries, fresh mixed field greens, walnuts and mandarin oranges is unique to what most coney islands offer. A vegan could omit the cheese and buy a larger serving as this salad is quite filling and all salads usually come with toasted-on-the-grill pita. I sometimes get a mini Greek or a Village salad (which has no lettuce) both of which shore up with just about any sandwich. Veggie pitas are another offering.

Another savory selection  is the Gardenburger. You will get this grilled (not microwaved as a burger chain in the area is notorious for doing), served with tomato and lettuce on a toasted bun. I always have onion added and sometimes it is a 10 cent charge for a huge slab and ofttimes, not so. I guess it depends on who  the waiter is. I imagine you could get cheese added to this but as it's served, it is vegan and kosher. With a small or mini Michigan salad, what a great lunch or light dinner!

Other veg friendly dishes I have not tried but have had other family order are the vegetable stir fry served over rice, cheese ravioli with marinara, and Mac and Cheese (hubby loves this!). Leo's has the typical coney island fare from dogs, to burgers to all-you-can-eat fish fry on Friday's which will help all you Lenten observers coming up.  You can get breakfast all open hours.

Tuesday evenings is "kid's night" at Leo's. Bring in the little ones for balloon animals, face painting (you will LOVE this!!) and Disney TV on the two large screens on opposite corners of the dining area. Even the adults get in on the act often leaving with glittery painted faces and silly balloon constructions. There is a decent kid's menu along with soups, specials on the board up front and what to me is really wonderful  wait staff. I knew many of the waiters from other local restaurants and I think they have found a place to settle in for a while.

Leo's is open 7 days a week, has a well lit parking lot and outdoor dining in nicer months. All dinners are under $10 and include rice or fries with a minimal cost to add a salad. Leo's menu  is online at their website and if you sign up for their newsletter, you will get  occasional coupons for some dollars off. 

Edited 3/1/11 Free wifi and free refills. Stop by and maybe we can IM!

Kabob City-A Taste of the Middle East

Tonight for a change of pace, we decided to visit a newer restaurant in the Flint area. Kabob City has been open a few months, located in a former Chinese buffet and previous to that , the main Moy Kong Asian dining establishment. Moy Kong at one time had several satellite to-go eateries but at this time, I can't verify that any are still in business. Kabob City is the 4th Middle Eastern eating house to open within a few miles of each other. Badawest, the oldest sit down of this style in Genesee County, relocated to a larger facility (from a hole in the wall)  near the freeway on Corunna Road quite a while ago and is the one I use to judge the others for taste, price and atmosphere.  Taboon, about a half mile from Kabob City once had a twin in Grand Blanc, but this location is working for them and they are often open on holidays, too. Jerusalem Inn, about 2 miles away, sadly had a devastating fire (ruled an arson) a few years ago and was not re-opened as an ethnic dining establishment, but the area is not lacking for this type of food.

Depending on what you order, Middle Eastern dining can be quite healthy for you. But you MUST say no to the bread basket! As soon as we sat down, we were greeted by Olivia, who brought us iced tea (appeared fresh brewed but watered down) , bread and garlic spread. We nibbled as we perused the menu-I scoped out the vegetarian items and hubby chose the "other".

This bread is similar is style to Badawest, so I think it's purchased from a local bakery or brought up from the main bakery in the Detroit area. Unlike Taboon, which bakes their own bread on site, this  was warmed and had been grilled a bit-in some cases actually charred. I hope that isn't a normal way of serving it. The garlic spread/sauce pictured below, is often served with chicken shawarma dinners as a dip, too. I found the garlic sauce to be strong like I love it to be, but it was  very thin. Other eateries have more substance to their sauce, so perhaps this was made with a tad too much lemon juice or they thinned it with yogurt. It was tasty, just not thick. I personally never turn down anything with garlic! BTW-this small dish is called a monkey. I don't know why but it's one of those things I learned years ago and just adds to my trivial mind.

My menu selection was the Veggie Combo for 14.95. This is a good way to get lots of flavors, instead of ordering off the appy list. Honestly, I thought it would all come on one large platter but each item came on its own plate, so that is how I present them to you. Normally, I always try to get a salad, with dressing on the side to start a meal. I just like the crunchiness of lettuces and other raw veggies. But tonight I had a choice of soup or salad and went with the lentil soup. I started to eat before I remembered to take the photo. Oops! The soup was very warm and tasty altho I thought a bit salty. Hubby said the saltiness went away after the first bite, as he also ordered this vegetarian starter. I though it hung on, but it wasn't too much of a big deal. I did finish it and would not hesitate to order it again. I believe it to be the only vegetarian soup on the menu.

As my mini plates, very  similar to Tapas ,began arriving, I felt a bit overwhelmed and self conscious because my dining partner was not getting anything to eat beyond his lentil soup. I offered him bites of my bounty but he decided to wait until his dead chicken arrived.  This falafel was very fresh and green on the inside just as it should be. Sometimes I have had falafel at other establishments where it was brownish all the way thru and very dry-meaning they were instant falafel. This was deliciously moist and served with some greens and a bit of  tahini sauce. The tahini was way too watery and almost tasteless but I can live without it with falafel. I just dipped it in the garlic sauce that was served with the bread.

One big  fail and a huge disappointment to me was the hummus. It was very dilute and I think it was because the preparers  used the same tahini from above to make the hummus. I like my hummus thick like peanut butter but creamy. I  imagine you can pick up that this hummus would not have held itself to a spoon for long. This is something easily fixable, but it's up to the cook to know that hummus is not supposed to be soupy.  Or if it was a mistake, add more garbanzos to thicken it up.

I also had a small plate of vegetarian grape leaves. These were wonderfully moist, stuffed with spiced rice, diced garbanzos and a few flecks of sweet red peppers and a bit of mint. They are very filling, so it's hard to eat more than one or two. I have leftovers for tomorrow which I will stuff into some pita bread and make a sammy! This dish is fairly common in Greek cuisine and others along the eastern Mediterranean so I assume each country has its own add-ins. The minced garbanzos were a nice change of pace.

A reason why I didn't get my normal salad is my meal included Tabouli. This ultra fresh dish is super healthy and can be made in just minutes. I tend to make this with a tad more bulgur/cracked wheat. This dish was served almost room temperature, and was not overloaded with lemon as other places tend to serve it. A lemon on the side  will give those who like this dish more lemony a chance to "pucker" a bit.

 Perhaps the biggest disappointment to me were the spinach pies (also known as fatayer). I have had this style in many a diner, and this was the worst. I don't know if it was the particular cook, the regional representation or just plain cheapness but these reminded me of canned biscuit dough. They were "doughy" not flaky. And the spinach inside was pretty much a tad of spinach and some onion. I could not discern any feta cheese as other eateries serve them. In fact, all the recipes I have include feta. Not a lot but enough for me to see it! I much prefer this made with phyllo dough as it's so flaky. But this dish would have worked if they had not been steamed. I could tell right away that they were probably reheated either in a microwave or something that would not crisp up the dough. I would not bother with them again.

Kabob City is very similar in pricing and selection of dishes that  others in the area serving this style of food  typically offer. They do present  a Buffet Salad Bar, which is unique to the Middle Eastern trio  and this is served between 11 AM and 7 PM and it comes with bread and dips for 5.95 so if you want to eat light, this might be the way to go. Also for the health conscious, is a full juice and smoothie menu.  I did not see a children's menu but with these smaller plates, you can get something for the kidlets to eat. Of course, there is the ubiquitous hamburgers and chicken strips in case the little ones object but I think you should discourage them if you can and order some grilled items. I bet they would love it!

I cannot vouch for the decor being new, a hold-over from the old Chinese buffet or a combo of the two. The last time I was inside, it was still Moy Kong and my kids were in junior high or less. I would like to see them cozy it up a bit, as it was way too bright with vast areas of empty space. Cloth lined the tables but were covered with clear plastic overlay which are a cinch to clean but kinda cheesy. If they did a remodel, they need to have the contractor come back and fix the wall paper which is coming away from the wall (I ran my finger along seams and the  glue isn't holding). There is no focal point but room for one, and maybe a demo of Middle Eastern dance or  weekend music  is a possibility.  Additionally is  room for a moderate sized  gathering off to the side. I believe they have free Wi Fi available. I hope the decor is only on the lesser side for now as they want to make sure this location works for them and isn't jinxed as the previous conceptions have been.

One other item to address: our waiter was attentive, almost to the fault of being annoying. It seemed she asked how our food tasted every other bite. Perhaps she is new to waiting and this will finesse itself. I would have liked to see the food presented to us at the same time, so we could have both eaten together. This is probably a problem for the kitchen and certainly not the waiter's fault.

I would award this newest place to dine a B- at this time. I almost gave it a C+ but waited to let the meal and experience settle in. It's always a plus to see a formerly empty place re-open and I hope they get more business as it wasn't particularly busy for a Friday night (the rib and burger sit-downs a quarter mile down the road had a back logging at the entrance areas). A better street level sign would help them immensely. Kabob City is very vegetarian and vegan friendly, especially the appetizer category. You can mix and match and make a full meal from these selections.

ETA: 3/10/11 I have received a couple of comments which you can read below. I don't know who they are from and do not reflect my opinion. I am not paid to write these reviews, nor do I receive any compensation in cash or food to write them. I am doing this because I feel there is a need to let others know that vegans and vegetarians can eat locally and get more than a plain salad. I would love it if the comments were not anonymous but the only other option would be for me to moderate. I will leave anonymous for now and I will not reject any comments UNLESS they are nasty rude. Thanks for dropping by.

Vampire Inhibitor Garlic Soup

This is my entry for the soup challenge for March-it has to be spicy!

read more here

So I had to give this a goofy name. If you love garlic as much as I do, you will be making pots of this to have on the ready when you are too tired to move. And even better, it is so low in fat that you might eat the whole pot in one sitting!

15-20 garlic cloves-peeled

2 cups of water

6 medium Roma tomatoes (blanched and skins removed) cut into quarters (don't drain-you want that tomato juice too)

two large handfuls of fresh spinach-big handfuls if you like more

2 teaspoons of smoky paprika

1 teaspoon oregano or basil

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

2-3 cups of veggie broth (homemade is best but you can use store bought-use salt free if you do)

1 teaspoon olive oil

pepper flakes (to taste)

sea salt-freshly ground-to taste

black pepper-freshly ground-to taste

Place water and fresh garlic in a pot and bring to boil-then simmer with lid off for half hour. DO NOT DRAIN!

While that is going on, boil a pot of water and blanch your tomatoes for about 1 minute. Quickly dip tomatoes into cold water and gently peel off skins (put skins in compost or mix with your dog food). Cut into large chunks. Set aside.

Remove garlic with a slotted spoon and add to a pan with the olive oil and gently sear the garlic. Cut into large chunks and add back into the garlic water, add the tomatoes and all the other ingredients and simmer for a bit with the lid off. It lets the flavors blend.

If you like spicy, add a drop of hot sauce. If you have another spice you like, add a bit and taste. There is an ease with this soup. Serve with chunks of crusty French bread or cheesy crackers for dipping.

For a more filling soup, add some leftover cooked rice or small size cooked pasta-about a cup will do.

Chick-a-Boom Chili

I love canned beans and use them a lot in my slow cook recipes. So I was playing the other night trying to make a white vegetarian chili. I ended up with something different but I was still happy with the taste and textures.

1 15 oz can (or so) Cuban Style Black Beans drained (not rinsed)
1 15 oz can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can no salt black soy beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can no salt navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.4 oz can (or so) diced tomatoes with chili (hot or mild) slight drain (drink the juice for breakfast)
Meatless "chicken" strips" 1 package-diced

Frozen Corn-half package
handful of sun dried tomatoes (dried)
veggie broth
creamy veggie bisque
1 cup diced onion
two tablespoons minced fresh garlic (use fresh if possible)
2 peppers of choice-mild to hot-diced and seeds removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (again fresh is best)
chili powder-2 or 3 teaspoons or a cupped palmful
crushed cumin-teaspoon or so
smoked paprika-teaspoon or so
cinnamon (a tad or to taste-grated)
salt and paper to taste

And the kicker! grated Valencia orange peel!

Add olive oil and butter to pan and add onion, garlic and peppers, simmering for about 5 minutes to sweat them out. While this is going on, add canned beans and corn to slow cooker, then cut up the veggie chicken into bite size pieces and add to pot. Add sun dried tomatoes either chopped or whole. Cover with a mixture of broth and bisque (I like Trader Joe's brands). Add the onion/garlic mix. Add your spices adjusting for personal taste and crank it up to high for several hours or low for 5 or more. About halfway thru, add the grated orange peel. I kid you not, this was the missing link in this. It smells so good! You can add more liquid if you want this more like soup or let it thicken up as chili.

Serve with hard crusty bread for dipping and freeze half the recipe for later. This is thick and so filling. And simmering blends the flavors even more.

African Sweet Potato Stew

Some aromas are indescribable. This stew at full simmer was incredible. I took this photo about 2 hours into the 8 hour slow cook on low. I let it simmer all night and then added the peanut butter right at the end. I did play around with some of the ingredients as I had more of some items and less of another. Since I love garlic, I used more.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced (I used 5)
• 4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato (1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained (I wanted red beans but didn't have any) and any legume you like will work as long as they are fully cooked.
• 1 cup baby carrots cut in half
• 1 cup frozen full green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated (use less if dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• fresh ground cinnamon to taste-I used 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 can diced tomatoes drained
• a few chopped chili peppers (depends on the heat you want)
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• chopped peanuts
• one lime-wedged

Heat oil in skillet and add onion and garlic. Sweat these for 5 minutes over medium heat. Place onion mixture in slow cooker adding sweet potato and other ingredients. Cover and cook on slow for 8 hours or until tender.

Spoon out 1 cup of liquid into a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons of peanut butter,using whisk to blend out any lumps. Stir into hot stew evenly. Top each serving with chopped peanuts and a lime wedge squeezed over the top.

6-8 servings

Serve with spinach salad and crusty bread. Protein 11 grams, fiber 10 grams and 220 mg sodium based on 6 servings.

Ethiopian Berbere Stew

I love lentils (did you know in the UK they call them pulses?). There is this wonderful restaurant that used to be in Trapper's Alley in downtown Detroit. When the casino moved in, the Blue Nile moved out. I haven't been back since except on marathon day as part of the race ran thru Trapper's Alley. The Blue Nile is now in both Ann Arbor and Ferndale.

So they made these small side dishes with lentils. Until I went there years ago, I didn't know lentils came in any color but the bland brown ones most of us know. The entire dinner is served on a tray in the middle of the table covered with Injera bread-which you use as a scoop for food. You are not given forks or spoons.

I decided to try and make the Berbere stew that is so aromatic. But I had to make it vegetarian. Here is the recipe for the spices I used. Most ingredients are readily available at a quality grocery or see if you have an Indian or Middle Eastern grocery locally. Also try Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

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Berbere Spice

1 Tbs. ground cardamom
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 Tbs. fenugreek
1 Tbs. ground nutmeg
1 Tbs. ground cloves
1 Tbs. ground allspice
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. turmeric
1 tsp. cayenne
1 Tbs. ground black pepper
1 Tbs. ground sea salt

Store in a cool, dark place.

You can use this spice as a rub or for soups or rice.

Naan from the bakery (it was a bit dry so I drizzled a melted margarine/olive oil mix that was laced with roasted garlic infusion). I am not happy with my home-made Naan recipe yet. Naan can also be purchased from Trader Joe's fr0zen food section and is my fav as it comes in several flavors and each bag is only $1.99. What a deal! As a side dish, I cut up fruit-pineapple, papaya and pears. I topped this with ground cinnamon. Yum!

Mix lentils with water, garlic, onion, and spices. Cook, uncovered over medium-low heat, for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft and puffy. Add water as needed to cover. Add the tomatoes and heat 10 more minutes on simmer.This is good ladled in bowls or over whole grains like brown rice.

I wanted a more hearty bowl-so instead of adding beef or lamb as many recipes suggested, I decided to add extra firm cubed tofu for protein. I also added some boiled sliced carrots (I wanted squash but was in a hurry) and at the last minute in went some boiled, diced with skins Yukon Gold potatoes.

I served this fairly spicy dish with garlic

I have a whole pot left over and almost gave it away. Glad I will have leftovers this weekend. And my house smells incredible hours later too!

And for those of you who want to watch Naan being made, view this video.

So the recipe I made is as follows:
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 1/4 cup brown lentils
2 1/4 cups water
1 garlic clove, crushed
2-3 Tbsp. berbere spice mixture, above
1 28-ounce jar diced tomatoes