Award-winning honey lavender grilled pork chop comes to Mimi’s
Mimi’s, which offers French-inspired American comfort food, recently asked its guests to develop the eatery’s next great entrée for a chance to win a trip to France. The winner, honey lavender grilled pork chop, is offered in all Mimi’s cafes.
Ellise Pierce, author of “Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent” and CowgirlChef.com, took the lead as guest judge for Mimi’s, choosing among the finalists of more than 175 recipes developed by Mimi’s guests.
The recipe was submitted by Michael Watz of Evanston, Illinois, and he will visit France, where Mimi’s parent company, Groupe Le Duff, is based.
“This one-of-a-kind dish brings the lavender of the French countryside to America’s beloved grilled thickcut pork chop,” Pierce said. “We went looking for an original French-inspired, American comfort food recipe to feature at Mimi’s cafes and we found dozens. In the end, the light honey and herb glaze with the smoky grilled pork won us over.”
To perfect the winning entrée for guests, Mimi’s took the center-cut pork chop lightly glazed with honey, herbs de Provence and lavender and paired it with a mixed green salad with green apples, cranberries, goat cheese, toasted walnuts and roasted potato croutons tossed with balsamic dressing.
Mimi’s chief marketing officer, Stewart Slocum, explained the appeal of the recipe and why Pierce is the
perfect guest judge for Mimi’s.
“The honey lavender pork chop fits right in at Mimi’s and complements our offerings, all of which are simply prepared and authentic. Our guest judge, Ellise Pierce is a Texan by birth and Parisian by choice and embraces the heritage of two great culinary worlds. We knew Chef Pierce, an American chef and writer living in Paris, would find the perfect marriage of
Chompie’s
3481 W. Frye Rd., Chandler (480) 398-3008
www.chompies.com
Children 10 and younger receive one free item from the kids’ meal menu with an adult meal purchase of $8 or more on Tuesdays. Dine-in only.
Copper Still Moonshine Grill
2531 S. Gilbert Rd., Suite 101, Gilbert (480) 656-1476
www.CopperStillMoonshineGrill.com
Kids ages 10 and younger eat for free on Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult meal.
El Palacio Restaurant & Cantina 2950 E. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 802-5770
www.epfamilyrestaurants.com
Kids 12 and younger eat free when adult meals are purchased on Wednesdays.
Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta
590 N. Alma School Rd., Suite 35, Chandler (480) 812-8433, www.floridinos.net
Kids eat free from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays. Receive one free kids’ meal per $8 adult purchase when customers dine in only.
The Hungry Monk Andersen Fiesta Shopping Center, 1760 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler (480) 963-8000
www.hungrymonkaz.com
Kids eat free on Mondays with every purchase of an adult entrée.
America and France in a single dish.” Mimi’s is located at 2800 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler. For more information, call 480-899-5612 or visit mimiscafe.com.
Founded in 1978 by Arthur Simms, who was stationed in France during World War II, Mimi’s Cafe is a neighborhood cafe offering Frenchinspired American comfort food. In February 2013 Mimi’s Cafe was
purchased by Le Duff America Inc., the North American subsidiary of Groupe Le Duff, a global bakery and restaurant company headquartered in Rennes, France. Since then, the team has launched new dishes reflecting the culinary traditions of fresh ingredients, bistro classics and American comfort food. There are 97 Mimi’s Cafe locations throughout 18 states in the United States.
NYPD Pizza
2580 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler (480) 722-0898
www.aznypdpizza.com
Kids eat free on Wednesday and Sunday after 4 p.m. with the purchase of a small or medium pizza. Dine in only.
Pittsburgh Willy’s
48 S. San Marcos Pl., Chandler (480) 821-3197
Every day, except Sunday breakfast, one child aged 10 and younger eats free with each paying adult, while additional kids eat for 50 % off, when they order from the Wee Willy menu only.
Planet Sub
1920 W. Germann Rd., Chandler (480) 245-6503
www.planetsub.com
Kids eat free with a paying adult on Mondays.
WHERE KIDS EAT FREE
Social Box 1371 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler (480) 899-6735
www.socialboxeateries.com
Kids 12 and younger eat free from the kids’ menu with the purchase of an adult entrée on Mondays.
Sidelines Grill
2980 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler (480) 792-6965
www.sidelinesaz.com
Kids eat free from the kids’ menu after 4 p.m. Thursdays with the purchase of an adult entrée. Dine in only.
The SanTan Sun News now has a regular section, “Where kids eat free”. Restaurant owners, please email us details such as days of the week kids can eat free at your establishment, and what conditions apply, such as purchase of an adult meal, certain hours, etc. Include your restaurant name, address, phone and website and a contact name for verification.
Readers, if you know of a location that has a kids-eat-free program, email us with the restaurant name, a phone and/or email for confirmation and details. Email information to KidsEatFree@santansun.com
The honey lavender grilled pork chop recipe was submitted by Michael Watz of Evanston, Illinois. He won a trip to France courtesy of Mimi’s.
Where to Eat
Bold boosts for holiday leftovers
Transforming that leftover holiday turkey or ham from an ordinary dish you heat up in the microwave or let go to waste into an extraordinary meal may be easier than you think.
These recipes from Guy Meikle, corporate chef for Mizkan America Inc., show how easy it is to whip up a new twist on holiday leftovers with Holland House Cooking Wines. You can also find quick tips for boosting the flavor of everyday meals on the label of each bottle.
Find more recipes and tips at HollandHouseFlavors.com.
Family Barbecue Turkey Mini Flatbread Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
2 cups Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 1/2 cups roasted turkey, large diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons yellow onion, small diced
1 cup zucchini, large diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
2 flatbreads (approximately 8 inches each)
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
Heat oven to 400 F.
In small saucepan, reduce cooking wine to about 1/2 cup. Mix with barbecue sauce. Toss diced turkey with about 1 tablespoon of sauce and set the entire mixture aside.
Heat oil and saute onion and zucchini about 3 minutes over high heat. Season with garlic salt and remove from heat; mix in Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
In small bowl, mix Gouda and fontina cheeses together and set aside.
Spread each flatbread with an even layer of barbecue sauce. Top each with 1 cup cheese and half the zucchini and turkey mixtures.
Bake 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro then cut flatbreads in half to serve.
Hearty Ham and Bean Protein Bowl
Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-45 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
1 ham bone
12 cups water, divided
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1 cup yellow onion, small diced, plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped, divided 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 cup Holland House Red Cooking Wine
3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, undrained
1/2 cup sour cream
8 ounces wild rice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Holland House Sherry Cooking Wine
3 cups fresh okra, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces at an angle
1 1/2 cups grilled corn kernels
1 1/2 cups kosher dill pickle, sliced 1/4 cup parsley
4 teaspoons tarragon
To prepare broth: In 4-quart stock pot, combine ham bone, 8 cups water, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered,
about 2 hours. Strain broth and set aside.
In same stock pot, heat 1/4 cup oil and saute 1 cup onion and garlic 2 minutes. Pour in red cooking wine and reduce by half. Add in canned pinto beans; no need to drain. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer soup about 30-45 minutes, or until liquid is reduced to stew-like consistency.
Place sour cream in mixing bowl and ladle in some cooking liquid to temper it. Add back to soup while stirring. Let simmer a few minutes.
To prepare rice: In small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add remaining onion and saute 1-2 minutes. Add rice and stir until coated with oil. Pour in remaining water and cook covered about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and sherry cooking wine.
In 10-inch skillet, heat remaining oil. Saute okra about 3 minutes, or until slightly charred.
For each bowl: Place rice and stew in center and garnish with 1/4 cup grilled corn, 1/4 cup diced pickles, 1/2 cup okra, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and sprinkle of tarragon.
Scary Face Pancakes return to IHOP
This October, IHOP Restaurants invite families to stop in for a treat—a spooky breakfast at any time of day. A seasonal fan favorite, Scary Face Pancakes have returned with whipped cream, a strawberry nose and served with a side of Oreo cookies and candy corn.
Throughout October, Scary Face pancakes are included in IHOP restaurant’s Kids Eat Free offer, which allows kids 12 and younger to eat free with the purchase of adult entrées from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily at participating restaurants. And, to celebrate the holiday, on Oct. 31, kids 12 and younger can dig into Scary Face Pancakes for free from 7 a.m. to10 p.m.
at participating restaurants.
“We are delighted to bring Scary Face Pancakes back to IHOP this October and offer families a fun, interactive experience to share together over breakfast served all day long,” said Kirk Thompson, senior vice president, marketing, for IHOP. “There is something special about breakfast in that the food is perfect for mixing, matching, imagining and creating— allowing our guests of all ages to customize their perfect meal.”
Scary Face Pancakes are available at participating IHOP restaurants now through Oct. 31. Visit ihop.com for more information or to find the nearest IHOP restaurant.
Scary Face Pancakes are part of IHOP’s Kids Eat Free offer.
