Frugal Floozie Friday - The Brown Jug

The annual battle for the little brown jug is tomorrow: Michigan vs. Minnesota. They compete for the oldest trophy in college football, which is literally a jug whose value is indescribable to those of us who watch the games each year. It might not seem like much to outsiders to gain possession of an ancient, scruffy container! But we take great pride in winning it.

And so, in honor of this annual event, it only seemed fitting that today's Frugal Floozie Friday post should honor the tradition. Today, we visit an Ann Arbor institution: The Brown Jug!

This restaurant has been in Ann Arbor since 1938, and its walls are lined with pictures and miscellany relating to the Wolverines. Many people who've been in town for as many decades as I have remember it as a dark but convenient place to grab a burger and a beer. But both the dining room and the menu have been updated, and many options are available for those of us who are looking for frugal finds that cost $5 or less.

My very dear friend The Other Mary (each of us is "The Other Mary," by the way) joined me for my adventure, as neither of us had been to the Jug for years and years. Mary used to work there, back in the 70s, as a waitress; oh, the stories she can tell! It was a different time ....

But I digress ....

Mary and I looked over the surprisingly extensive menu and found so many options that would qualify, whether for individual portions or as split dishes, for our mandatory $5 per person budget. Like me, she's happy to share: you can try more foods, and you can avoid over-eating due to abundance and generosity of servings.

We started with the Feisty Feta, pictured above: "A mix of feta cheese, tomato puree, green onions and Serrano chili. Served with pita bread." It was creamy, spicy, and really delicious! At $4.99, it falls within our mandatory budget for one serving. But it was also a lot of food, so splitting it was a nice option that would allow for drinks or dessert or other dishes in addition to the appetizer.

Red's Grilled Chicken Sandwich was our next course: "Grilled chicken breast topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Served on Ciabatta bread." This very large sandwich - which comes with potato chips and a pickle and costs only $6.99 (a mere $3.50 per person when you share it with a friend) - is named in honor of legendary hockey coach Red Berenson.

The Brown Jug offers many, many items which qualify for our budget: pizzas are readily shared, as are appetizers. Many of the latter are priced so well that you could even order them individually: fries or chips and salsa cost $3.99; and hummus, olive pate, tzatziki, saganaki, and fried cheese sticks are all $4.99. There are lots of vegetarian dishes, as well.

The menu is fun to peruse, especially for those of us who are familiar with the folks for whom items have been named. A sampler basket of jalapeno poppers, chicken tenders, onion rings, and cheese sticks honors former UM football player Braylon Edwards; and a Mediterranean salad pays tribute to Dhani Jones, t.v. star and former Wolverine.

Current football coach Brady Hoke receives acknowledgement in the Meat Lovers' Omelet. New England Patriots' quarterback and former UM star Tom Brady gets his tribute with a gyro sandwich. And even long-time rival Woody Hayes - infamous late coach of Ohio State - has a hot 'n' spicy Cajun chicken sandwich to remember him by (as though all the stories we still tell here in Ann Arbor aren't sufficient!).

For very friendly service, good food, excellent prices, and lots of memories and hero worship, stop by The Brown Jug for your next frugal meal.

The Brown Jug
1204 South University
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-761-3355




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Guest Post: Spicy Lamb Sausage with Beans

I'm very happy to introduce Bobby Hoffman, guest blogger du jour! I met Bobby and his friend Johnny recently, while having dinner with Johnny's and my friend Ingrid. Bobby's passion and enthusiasm for food shone brightly, and I immediately knew that all of you would want to meet him, too. Read this post enviously, wishing you'd shared in such an amazing dinner. Quite frankly, and with no shame (well, maybe a little bit - 13 years in Catholic school and all that Jewish guilt, after all!), after pining over all of this, I just simply violated every rule of etiquette and practically demanded an invitation to a future meal!

Since moving to Ann Arbor from Chicago this past month, I have been sampling and savoring everything that the city has to offer! I’m a sensualist whose passion for food and drink knows no bounds. As soon as I’m done with a meal, I immediately begin planning what, and where, I’m going to eat next!

I had a few friends over for dinner the other night, and planned a menu which showcased the ingredients that I picked up at the farmers' market and Biercamp. (Mary's note: Biercamp is a fabulous shop that specializes in artisan sausages and jerky. It was recently featured on Frugal Floozie Friday.)

Blackberry Mojitos: I keep homemade simple syrup infused with fresh mint in the fridge all summer long. I’m always prepared to whip up a batch of Mojitos or Mint Juleps in seconds!

Wedge Salads: I love to serve cool, crisp iceberg lettuce on a hot summer day. I updated this classic by using Biercamp’s pea meal bacon.

Spicy Lamb Sausage with Beans: Some recipes are particularly successful, and the star of the menu was definitely this dish. It was fresh, hearty and bursting with flavor! I did all my prep in advance, and assigned the task of grilling the sausages to a friend while I began assembling the dish tableside. I kept the ingredients cool and added the hot sausage at the last minute. The last step before plating was to sprinkle the feta cheese on top.

Peach Almond Cobbler: Not wanting to get stuck in a hot kitchen while my friends enjoyed the sultry summer night, I baked the cobbler in the afternoon. I used firm peaches and grilled them first. I added finely chopped, toasted almonds to the dough, made fresh whipped cream with a couple drops of almond extract, and finished each dish with toasted almonds.

I hope you enjoy!

Spicy Lamb Sausage with Beans

• 6 links of spicy lamb sausage
• 1 can of Garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can of small white beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 medium Vidalia sweet onion (chopped)
• 2 medium tomatoes (diced)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• black pepper (to taste)
• coarse salt (to taste)
• 1 cup of crumbled Feta

Grill the sausages while preparing the rest of the dish.

Combine the beans, onion, tomatoes, rosemary and thyme. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt; pour over the other ingredients and toss gently.

Slice the sausages and mix into the other ingredients; place onto a serving platter, then top with feta.

Italian Baked Rice for International Picnic Day

It's International Picnic Day - what a perfect celebration for June!

I could have served an American-style picnic today, complete with fried chicken and potato salad.  But I thought that "international picnic day" should be interpreted not as a universal day for picnics, but rather as a day for a meal filled with foods from around the world.

So my international backyard picnic lets us travel to Italy with a baked rice and cheese dish that is reminiscent of risotto, but requires less attention.  Dream of Morocco with fragrant spiced carrots.  Enjoy vibrant Mongolian seared beef, complemented with some simple feta-topped grilled vegetables, then finish the meal with light and tender Hungarian sour cream cookies.  Add a bottle of Spanish wine, and the picnic is complete!

Since I served so many lovely foods at my picnic, I'm going to make them the focus of this week's posts.  Today I'll share the recipe for Bomba di Riso [BOHM-bah dee REE-soh], the rich rice dish, with the other recipes to follow in subsequent days.

To make this casserole - which could easily serve as an entree, served with fruit and salad - all you need to do is cook some rice, stir in some eggs and cheese, and bake ... that's it!  It's a great change from plain ol' rice or potatoes, and there's a hint of nutmeg to offer an exotic nuance.  Some fresh spring peas or asparagus would be a lovely addition, stirred into the rice before baking.

Bomba di Riso
(very slightly adapted from Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen by Joyce Goldstein, from my good friend Mary Schuman)

1-1/4 cups white rice (Arborio preferred)
2 eggs
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
very generous sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small dice
1/8 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 1-quart casserole dish.

Prepare the rice according to package directions.  Remove from heat, then stir in eggs, shredded Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Place half of the rice mixture into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.  Spread the ricotta over the rice, then top with the mozzarella.  Spread the rest of the rice mixture over the top, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and starting to turn golden.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms - Be Our Guest!

Today, I'm offering a guest post from my friend Cindy of Once Upon a Loaf.  She's a former Ann Arborite, so that alone would make her cool!  That she's also too much fun, devoted an entire week to celebrating both her birthday and the glorious PB&J, and is just a fabulous person ... well, all the better for me and for all of you who are about to meet her!


First, I'd like to heap an enormous amount of thanks on the Food Floozie for asking me to guest post for her today. I could not be more thankful that I have connected with her through food, and found a new friend in the process. My family has followed Mary via her column for some time, and when my mother first turned me onto her I was, I admit, a bit intimidated by the thought of contacting her. I was in the process of launching Once Upon a Loaf and wanted to be taken seriously - just wasn't ready yet. She had it all, in my mind - she was funny, talented, endearing - and I can say now that I was dead-on about the Floozie. Thank goodness I eventually chucked my self-consciousness and can now enjoy her irreverence almost at will.

Things have been getting hairy around Casa Loaf - spring school, sports and extra-curricular activities for the kids, work and personal travel for their parents, races for me and the approaching boating, lawn care and gardening season have all converged on a super highway of busy-ness around here. You likely have your own highway running through the middle of your life.

As a result, I recently started searching for meatless weeknight meals that pull together in a snap - when I'm short on time, I don't want to have to chop and mix 100 different ingredients and clean up 10 different pans. I'd like plenty of real nutritional value, please - I won't trust my meatless ventures to a mysteriously manufactured commercial veggie option. I'd also like it to wow me with flavor, thank you. And since I'm training for marathon and half-marathon season and want to up my family's fiber intake at the same time, I want to focus on whole grains.

Enter portobello mushrooms and bulgur. I've got a love affair going with the former and had a box of the latter in my kitchen cabinet, intending to research recipes to start adding to the rotation using it, as I'd been reading up on its nutritional benefits (check out this article for a decent overview on bulgur if you're not well-versed). I'm also looking for iron via leafy, dark greens like spinach and kale.

With that, I'd like to introduce you to Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Feta and Almonds - not too many ingredients, and the mushrooms can be roasted while the bulgar simmers on the stove. Feta, chopped, roasted almonds (use slivered if you're really in a rush) and scallions kick things up a notch, and a salad of simple greens (spinach and kale here) with lemon and olive oil accompany it perfectly. If you'd like to add a bread component, pair these with Pesto Parmesan Dinner Rolls, made from a cold-rise dough that can be refrigerated overnight, and left to rise while you prepare the portos and greens.

Voila!

A hearty and healthy weeknight dinner is now served.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Feta and Almonds

Approx prep: 25 minutes Bake: 10 minutes (mushrooms) Serves: 5

INGREDIENTS

Mushrooms:
1 cup bulgur
2 chicken boullion cubes
3/4 cup chopped, roasted almonds
4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green portions separated)
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt, black pepper (to taste)
4-5 large portobello mushrooms
4 TBSP olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 cup feta cheese

Greens:

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

6 cups mixed greens

1/2 English or miniature cucumber, thinly sliced

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Cook bulgur according to package directions but add two chicken bouillon cubes and stir occasionally as it's simmering to ensure bouillon disolves completely.

2. Transfer cooked bulgur to a bowl, cool completely. Chop scallions and almonds.

3. Add white portions of scallions, almonds and thyme to bulgur. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste.

4. Place mushrooms (stems removed) on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Rub with oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Roast, stem-side up, until tender - about 15-18 minutes.

5. Divide bulgur mixture evenly and fill with bulgur mixture, sprinkle with feta. Return to oven and roast until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes more.

6. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/4 tsp each of kosher salt and pepper. Add greens and cucumber and toss to combine. Sprinkle mushrooms with scallion greens and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with greens.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple magazine.

Lentil Salad with Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

I was poking through my pantry recently, and I found I have a lot of lentils ... 3 bags of lentils - brown, yellow and red.  And it seemed to me that if I have this many lentils at my disposal, perhaps I should actually make something with them!

And so, on one of our recent warm, sunny, Spring-y days, I made a light and nutritious salad rather than a warm and hearty soup which might have been the option had I cleaned out the pantry only a few days earlier when the high was 40F rather than 70F.

This salad offers gorgeous colors, vibrant flavors, and tremendous health benefits.  Serve it on its own for a light meal, or as an accompaniment to meats or fish.

How great is it when one simple recipe provides so much?

Lentil Salad with Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

1 cup brown lentils
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 small cucumber, seeded, chopped
1/2 small orange pepper, chopped
1/2 small yellow pepper, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons red pepper hummus
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
generous pinches of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place lentils into a medium saucepan and cover generously with water.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat to "low" and cook for 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender; drain, rinse under cold water, and place into a medium bowl.

Add onion, tomato, cucumber, peppers, and feta to the lentils.  Combine the hummus, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; pour over the salad and stir to combine.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

"Chopped" Challenge - Red Pepper, Spinach and Feta Risotto

My fabulous blogging buddies Judee (Gluten-Free A-Z Blog) and Judy (Cranberry Morning) suggested feta cheese and basil pesto, respectively, as items they wanted me to use in creating an appetizer for my "Chopped" challenge, in which I had asked readers to suggest ingredients that I would then have to use in creating something wonderful to eat.

In addition to sharing a name, despite the spelling variation, they also both eat gluten-free diets.  So I thought that this was a match made in cyber-Heaven and that I should unite my friends' items into one great dish!

I didn't want to offer a recipe for pizza or noodles or anything that could contain gluten.  Sure, there are breads and pastas which would accommodate this dietary restriction; but there are also so many, many foods without gluten that it seemed better to showcase them rather than to use substitutions.

The ingredients I was challenged to use made my thoughts immediately travel to the Mediterranean.  In Italy, it is customary to eat dishes in succession, with pasta or rice - a "primo piatto," or first course - served before the main meat dish.  So a creamy risotto, enhanced with the vibrant flavor of pesto and the zesty addition of Feta, sounded like the perfect antidote to a winter day.

I must say, this dish is simply, richly, and addictively delicious; I was so disappointed when I finished the last of it!  And isn't flavor the most important ingredient in any dish?


Red Pepper, Spinach and Feta Risotto

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup Arborio rice (the high starch content contributes to the creamy texture of the dish)
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon kosher salt
generous sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper
2" rind of Parmesan cheese (see note below)
3 tablespoons basil pesto
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Feta cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves

Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan.  Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the rice in the oil.

Heat the stock and the wine.  Add the liquid to the saucepan in small increments, stirring the rice until the liquid is mostly absorbed and then adding a bit more liquid.  When half of the liquid has been added, add the salt, pepper, Parmesan rind, and pesto.  Continue to add liquid to the rice, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been used up.  Test the rice to make sure it is just tender; if it's a bit on the crunchy side still, add a bit more liquid and continue to stir.

Once the liquid has been almost entirely absorbed and the rice is creamy, remove the Parmesan rind.  Stir in the lemon zest, 3/4 of the Feta, the red peppers, and the spinach; cook just until the spinach is wilted.

Place onto small serving dishes and sprinkle the remaining Feta on top.

Serves 4-6.

Note: Buy hunks of good Parmesan cheese, and always save the rinds!  With the last scraps of cheese on them that are beyond being grated, they add flavor and creaminess to risotto, to sauces, and to soups.

Greek Spinach Dip for the Michigan-Michigan State Game

I'm a proud graduate of the University of Michigan; my ex-husband, Stuart, attended medical school at Michigan State University. Needless to say, the intra-state rivalry has always been a lot of fun for us! When Stuart and I were married, we hosted a party each year in honor of the big Michigan-Michigan State football game.

After we met, Stuart used to follow me around, offering to take me to the game. It didn't happen that year, 'cause the tickets are extremely popular and hard to come by ... and expensive.

Stuart did get tickets for the game in 1990, when we were expecting Jeremy. I had to buy a large sweatshirt to wear to the game, to go over the "baby bump". We still consider it Jeremy's first Michigan-Michigan State game, even if he didn't get to see anything that time.

So, what to serve this year in honor of the game? My family's traditions have changed, as has the family unit itself; but the need for appropriate food for this important occasion remains a constant.

Michigan State's mascot is a Spartan, named for the famous warriors of the ancient Greek city of Sparta. So it only made sense to make a spinach dip - which would feature MSU's team colors of green and white - and to give it a Greek flair with oregano and lemon and feta.

This is gooey and rich, with a vibrant lemon flavor that is distinctive and shines through. And if you serve it with maize- and blue-colored chips, you've got Michigan's team colors invited to the party, as well!

Greek Spinach Dip

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
5 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 lemon
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded
5 ounces feta, divided
chips or crackers, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a flat 3-cup baking dish.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, salt, pepper and oregano; saute until the vegetables are translucent. Add the spinach; saute until wilted.

Zest the lemon, then juice it. Add the zest and juice to the spinach, then place the spinach mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Stir the yogurt, mozzarella, and 4 ounces of the feta into the spinach mixture; place the spinach into the prepared baking dish, then top with the remaining feta.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is starting to brown and the dip is bubbling. Serve hot, with chips or crackers.

Serves 4.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad for the EMU Game

Last week's game against Notre Dame was AMAZING!!! A come-from-behind touchdown with 2 seconds left gave Michigan a 35-31 lead, and Notre Dame had no time or opportunity left. This was a game so big that ESPN's "College Game Day" show was based here in Ann Arbor, the Goodyear blimp was hovering over the stadium, and scalpers were seeking as much as $4000 for some tickets! And we won!

Now, this week, next door neighbor Eastern Michigan University - from just 5 miles down the road - is coming to The Big House on Saturday.

Sadly, this isn't particularly a fair play date: Eastern is a small school from the MAC conference rather than Michigan's Big 10. Eastern also doesn't have a particularly stellar football history, though they did beat Howard University in style in their season opener, 41-9. They're also 2-0 for the first time since 1998 after beating Alabama State last weekend. I'll spare you my rant about these uneven match-ups; I'm just here for the food, after all!

So, what food to offer for a game between Eastern and U of M? And what to serve when the weather 'round here can go from morning temperatures in the 90s to thunderstorms in the afternoon, followed immediately by days of highs in the 60s?

Pasta. Everyone loves it, it's easy to make, it goes with almost everything and is appropriate no matter what the weather is. I even made it green and white to honor Eastern's team colors. A girl's gotta have some fun with feeding the masses for the football games, after all!

Eastern Michigan University at University of Michigan
Saturday, September 17 at 12 p.m. EDT
GO BLUE!!!

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

6 asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
12 ounces green and white rotini
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup jarred pepperoncini, drained, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pesto
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the asparagus and beans into a pie pan; toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized.

Prepare rotini according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water, then place into a large mixing bowl.

Add the roasted vegetables to the mixing bowl, along with the feta, pepperoncini, oregano, pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Combine the pesto, lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of oil; pour over the salad and toss to coat.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Spinach Feta Pizza

As I mentioned last week, I bought a huge tub of spinach on sale ... so, spinach being highly perishable, I've eaten quite a lot of the stuff in order to use it up before it started to get slimy.

Today's method of plowing through the supply involved a universal favorite: pizza.

I had a bit of leftover feta, as well as a lovely prepared blob of garlic-herb pizza crust dough (99-cents at Trader Joe's -- an incredible deal!), and decided that combining these ingredients would make not only a nutritious dinner but also excellent leftovers to bring for lunch at work.

So, that's precisely what I did: I placed the dough into a pan, threw as much spinach onto it as I could without burying the dough entirely, and used up the last of the cheese.

And it was an exceptional dinner, if I may say so myself ... :)

Spinach Feta Pizza

1 ball of fresh pizza crust dough
1/4 cup pesto
2 generous cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425F. Grease a 9"x13" baking pan.

With lightly floured hands, press the pizza crust into the prepared pan. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a 1" border. Tear the spinach leaves and distribute them over the pesto. Sprinkle the feta and the parmesan over the spinach, then grind pepper over everything to taste.


Bake for 20 minutes or so, until the crust is lightly browned.


Cut into 6 pieces and serve.