Food Photo Friday - Jack Allen's Kitchen

Aren't these shrimp tostada bites from Jack Allen's Kitchen purrrrrty? They were serving these tasty nuggets at a fundraiser thrown by the United Way Young Leaders Society last week. I went through the line a few times...enough times that Jack Allen himself finally introduced himself to me. He was extremely gracious about me eating all his food.

If you haven't been to Jack Allen's Kitchen, it's worth the drive. The food never disappoints, and they've got a terrific, open space with a large patio that is perfect for this fantastic spring weather. Here are a few bonus photos from previous visits to Jack Allen's. These were all taken with my old camera.


Their homemade pimento cheese & crackers, which is served before every meal. I didn't know pimento cheese could taste good until I had it here.


The Navaho Taco. It is ginormous. That flash fried spinach just dissolves in your mouth...I am sure it must be very healthy.


Speaking of healthy, this is the Trout Salad. Yes, they actually call this a "salad" on their menu.
My kind of salad!

Hope to see you out there, and happy Friday!

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Achiote Seared Chickpeas with Goat Cheese

I first discovered this dish years ago while dining with a vegetarian friend at Lambert's. I thought it revolutionary; most of the chickpeas I'd eaten in the past had been in hummus form or as part of a side dish, but had never really been the star of the show. I loved the spiciness...the heartiness...the tang of the goat cheese...the mellowing note of the wilted spinach...fantastic. Now I order this every time I visit Lambert's (it's on their appetizer menu).

So when the recipe appeared in Texas Monthly, I eagerly bookmarked it for future reference.

A few weeks ago, we had a little progressive dinner with a few of our neighbors. The festivities were to begin at our house, and I was in charge of appetizers. It seemed a perfect opportunity to break this out.

And so I did. I made a double batch for ten people, and several people had seconds (and thirds) and there was still plenty left over for me to eat this for lunch several times. I served them up with some lovely mini-tortillas courtesy of the super friendly folks at Jack Allen's Kitchen (thanks, guys!).

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