The Daily Dish

For Those Of You That Don't Go Meatless

2012-02-28T14:02:00.002-06:00

I feel like I have been super good at posting a bunch of meatless recipes here lately, but I haven't exactly provided anything for the meat lovers. As I have mentioned before, I have not gone completely meatless, and these meatballs (made with beef) are here to prove it. These are so good you will want to make extra to freeze for a later date. I promise. I am already kicking myself for not.

Italian Meatballs

(makes 12)

Ingredients:

- 1 lb of lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
- Cooking spray
- 1 jar of tomato sauce of your choice, for topping
- Optional: Shaved Parmesan, for topping
- Optional: Spaghetti, to serve with (rice could also be a good alternative)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spray the bottom with non-stick cooking spray, and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the onion, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, Parsley, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, with the beef. Mix together thoroughly (I use my hands as the easiest way to do this step).
4. Then shape the meat mixture into 12 evenly sized meatballs.
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes (or until they are cooked through).
6. Remove from the oven and serve over a bed of spaghetti (optional). Pour the tomato sauce of your choice over top and garnish with some shaved Parmesan cheese (optional).

Shiso

2012-02-28T06:30:00.006-06:00

Saturday night was the first time in what seemed like forever that I finally filled my sushi fix. When I lived in Florida I used to have sushi pretty much once a week. Now it happens once every few months. I need to make this happen much more frequently, and Shiso may be just the spot to do so. On to the review...

Restaurant: Shiso

Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi Bar

Neighborhood: Old Town

Ambiance: A small, inviting space.

Things You Should Know:

1. Shiso is BYOB, with NO corkage fee. I love BYOB's, and I love this one even more for the fact that they don't charge you for bringing your own alcohol in. Amazing.

2. The place gets packed! You definitely want to make reservations, so it's a good thing they take them. I've heard if you don't have a reservation.. they may not have a space for you on the weekends.

3. They have a nice variety of sushi rolls.

4. This spot is perfect for time with friends, or a date.

My Menu Picks: When my friend and I sat down we both agreed we were starved. We picked out an appetizer we knew we'd both enjoy and started there - the Crispy Shrimp Rolls (whole marinated shrimp, seaweed wrapped with rice paper and deep fried).

Since it sometimes takes a lot for me to get full off of sushi, I decided to throw in some veggies and had a house salad to begin my meal with.

The salad was very pretty to look at, and the ginger dressing they topped it with was absolutely delicious. Then we went on to the sushi. Oh, the sushi. There were so many tasty sounding rolls to choose from that we ordered quite a few. We almost finished all of them, so I guess we didn't order too much. Starting clockwise - Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese, and avocado), Mexican Roll (deep fried shrimp, cilantro, avocado, masago mayo, jalapeno, and unagi sauce), Spicy Tuna Roll (tuna, masago, spicy mayo, and chili oil), Veggie Tempura (deep fried sweet potato, mayo, and unagi sauce), and last but certainly not least in the middle we have the Spicy Calamari.

Favorite Bite: While recapping all of these sushi rolls, I definitely am wishing I was going to be eating sushi in the very very near future (read: tonight), BUT there was one roll that I am still raving about, and that was the spicy calamari. I have never had calamari in sushi before, but oh.my.goodness. it was amazing. Hands down, it wins my vote.

Final Thoughts: I am so glad to have been introduced to Shiso. There is no need to say much more than it was great, and I will definitely be back!

Shiso

449 W. North Ave.

Chicago, IL 60610

http://shisochicago.com

Overall Rating: CCC

Price Range: $$

A New Meatless Monday Favorite

2012-02-27T10:27:00.000-06:00

If you've been reading for a while, you know I love to experiment with all different types of pizza ideas. Pizzas are super easy to throw together any day of the week, and never ever disappoint. When I came across this recipe, I immediately thought - "why didn't I think of that?" This is good. Really, really good. And not only do you have a pie of carbs with cheesy deliciousness, but you also have a nice addition of veggies. A complete win in my book. Here's what you should be making for dinner tonight.

Cheesy Zucchini Pizza

Ingredients

- Pizza dough of your choice (I use Trader Joe's Whole Wheat)

- 2 large zucchinis

- 1 1/2 cups of shredded part-skim mozzarella

- 1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese

- 3 gloves of garlic, minced

- Salt & pepper, to taste

- Optional: Red Pepper flakes, to taste, for topping

- Cooking spray

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray. Spread out your dough and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until it is a lightly golden color.

3. While the dough is baking, use a food processor or hand grater to grate the zuchinnis (leaving the skin on).

4. Once they have been grated, place in a large batch of paper towels and squeeze over the sink to release the excess liquid.

5. Add the zucchini and mozzarella cheese to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Season with salt & pepper and mix together until the two are completely combined.

6. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and garlic. Season with a little salt & pepper to taste.

7. Once the dough is done, remove from the oven and spread the ricotta over top.

8. Top the ricotta with the zucchini and mozzarella mixture.

9. If you like a bit of heat, sprinkle some red pepper flakes over top.

10. Bake at 450 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

Go on, have a slice (or the whole pizza, I won't judge).

Weekend Recap

2012-02-27T06:30:00.000-06:00

My weekend kicked off with a night in of movie watching (shocking), a glass of wine, & Lou Malnati's.

Saturday was filled with shopping, sushi, and a night out with friends.

And lastly, I spent my Sunday baking, cooking, and watching the Oscars.

Not a bad weekend if I do say so myself.

I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as I did.

Brunch Ideas

2012-02-24T06:30:00.001-06:00

Since I usually stick to simple breakfast meals on the weekend, this past weekend's fancy brunch was a nice change. So nice in fact, that I have been trying to think up other fun recipes ever since. Here are some of the fancier ideas I am hoping to experiment with in the upcoming weeks.

Breakfast Quesadillas

Broccoli & Cheese Quiche

Jalapeno, Sausage, Jack, & Egg Breakfast Braid

Quinoa & Spinach Breakfast Bars

Breakfast Banana Splits

English Muffin Egg Pizzas

Lemon Blueberry & Lemon Poppy Muffins

I will take all of the above.

What do you usually do for your weekend breakfast and/or brunch?

Brightly Colored Lunch

2012-02-23T06:30:00.002-06:00

Lately, I have been in a "salad" kind of mood for lunch. Salads made with quinoa, couscous, lentils, pasta, etc. I find it much more exciting to bring one of these types of salads than one with your typical leafy greens and mixed vegetables. Lame or not, having one of these salads in my lunchbox, really gives me something to look forward to during my midday meal time. This salad creation is one that is jam packed with veggies and a lot of flavor. I know you will certainly enjoy it.

Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

- 1 box of tri-color rotini (I like Ronzoni Garden Delight), cooked

- 20 previously cooked shrimp

- 1 red pepper, chopped

- 1 green pepper, chopped

- 1 broccoli crown, chopped into florets

- 1/4 cup of sliced black olives

- 1/2 cup of crumbled Feta

- 4 tbsp of Fat Free Italian dressing (I used Kraft)

- Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Place the previously cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the shrimp, peppers, broccoli, olives, and Feta to the bowl and mix all together.

3. Stir in the Fat Free Italian dressing, making sure to coat all of the pasta.

4. Season with salt & pepper and (if you have time) chill before serving.

This pasta salad is far too easy not to give it a try. Skip the boxed stuff and make your own. I promise it will taste a million times better.

Miniature Calzones

2012-02-22T11:00:00.002-06:00

One of the best types of foods are those that are bite-sized. How could you not love anything miniature? These mini calzones were a genius idea I found via Christy. I of course tweaked them a bit, and I have to say they were awesome. These little guys were so easy and so good, that they will definitely become a regular in our weeknight dinner rotation. I hope they will become a regular in yours too.

Miniature Calzones

(makes 8)

Ingredients

- 1 package of crescent rolls

- 4 part-skim mozzarella string cheese sticks, cut into halves

- 3 to 4 pepperoni per crescent rolls

- Garlic powder, for topping

- Italian seasoning, for topping

- Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

- Cooking spray

- Optional: Marinara sauce, for dipping

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray the bottom of a baking sheet with cooking spray, and lay each crescent roll triangle down flat on the sheet.

3. Place 3 to 4 pepperonis in the center of the crescent roll along with a cheese stick half and wrap the dough around the ingredients.

4. Once they are rolled, place the calzones seam side down and sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese over top of the dough.

5. Repeat the process with the rest of the crescent roll triangles, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Serve with a warm side of marinara sauce for dipping.

The possibilities with these are endless. For those of you that don't eat meat, swap out the pepperonis for some veggies or meatless pepperoni (i'm sure they make that). Guaranteed to be delicious!

Every Girl Needs...

2012-02-22T06:30:00.001-06:00

I am happy to announce that today is a very special day for two fellow bloggers and friends of mine. Congratulations to Danielle & Alaina on the launch of The Everygirl. You both have put a lot into this project, and I know it is going to be a success! So go on ladies, check out their new site. They are two of the most creative and talented women I know, I am sure you are going to love it!

He Did Good

2012-02-21T12:28:00.001-06:00

This Valentine's Day my boyfriend got me a little something that made my Christmukkah wish list this past holiday season, but I had not yet received. He is a smart one that boy, as I was ready to buy this particular item for myself. I'm so glad I didn't have to. So, what was it you ask? The cookbook from Gwyneth Paltrow My Father's Daughter.

I finally opened it up last night and started reading (yes, there's more to it than just recipes alone). She begins the book with a lovely background of her and her father's relationship. I have of course flipped a little ahead to her recipes, and the photos along with the short ingredient lists definitely have me excited. I can't wait to keep you all posted with what I try in the upcoming weeks. The reviews on Amazon seem to be great. Have any of you checked out this cookbook yet? I'd love to hear things you liked, didn't like, etc.

Neighborhood Brunching

2012-02-21T06:30:00.001-06:00

It's no secret around here that I'm a big fan of going out to brunch. When I found a fairly new Mexican spot in my neighborhood that has awesome cocktails and tasty food, I was immediately sold. This was my second visit to Cantina 46, and once again I was reminded exactly what I loved about it the first time.

Restaurant: Cantina 46

Cuisine: Mexican

Neighborhood: Gold Coast

Ambiance: It's a very cozy neighborhood spot.

Things You Should Know:

1) They offer daily specials. And, on Saturdays (which was the day I went) they have $20 Margarita pitchers all day. Yum!
2) Both times I have been to Cantina 46 were for brunch and they had a different menu both times. With that said, I'm not sure they have a set menu, but I sort of like that.

My Menu Picks: We started off with a pitcher of margaritas since they were on special, and I have to say the boyfriend and I both agreed they were some of the best ones we've ever had.

We also thought their mimosas on our first visit were quite tasty, so I guess you can say we like their cocktails. After our drinks arrived we decided we wanted a little something to snack on, and ordered some of their chips and guacamole to start.

It's hard to go wrong with guacamole, but this one was very right. So tasty! The boyfriend and I each decided to order three of their tacos a piece. Starting from the top left and moving clockwise, I went with the lamb (with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and mint chimichurri), fish (tequila battered tilapia, cabbage slaw, and chipotle mayo), and the pork shoulder (with pineapple salsa and red cabbage).

All three of my tacos were very yummy!

Favorite Bite: As I mentioned their house margaritas were awesome, and I would definitely suggest you start with one of these. Where the tacos are concerned, the lamb was by far my favorite of the three I tried. If you like lamb I would highly recommend it. If you don't, go with the pork shoulder. I think my boyfriend had order envy of that taco. He decided to try the pork belly instead, and while he thought it was good, I don't think he liked it as much as the bite he tried of the pork shoulder. The pineapple salsa was a nice touch to that one.
Final Thoughts: Cantina 46 is a great place for brunch, but I definitely plan on having dinner there one night soon. I love that they offer daily specials. All the more reason to go back!

Cantina 46

46 E. Superior

Chicago, IL 60611

http://www.cantina46.com/

Overall Rating: CC

Price Range: $$

Happy Monday!

2012-02-20T09:26:00.001-06:00

Today is certainly a happy Monday for me. I have the day off and will be enjoying an extra day of R&R (aka grocery shopping, laundry, and possibly a workout). Is anyone else with me that every weekend should be 3 days? There is something about that one extra day that really does make a world of a difference. I had a lovely weekend with lots of yummy eats (that I will be sharing later this week) and quality time with my guy. I certainly can't complain. Since today is Meatless Monday, I have another easy peasy recipe for you. Who knows? Maybe you will even make it tonight!

Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

(makes 10, adapted from here)

Ingredients:

- 10 lasagna noodles, cooked

- 10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with a paper towel

- 1 (15 oz) container of part skim ricotta (I used the Sorrento brand)

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 1 egg

- Salt & pepper to taste

- 1 (32 oz) jar of tomato sauce, for topping

- 10 tbsp of part skim shredded Mozzarella, for topping

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Take a 9 x 13 baking dish and place 1 cup of tomato sauce at the bottom. Spread the sauce around evenly.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper all together.

4. Lay a piece of wax paper out on the counter and lay out the cooked lasagna noodles (making sure they are dry).

5. Take 2 tbsp of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly across the noodle.

6. Starting from one side, roll the noodle carefully and place the seam side down onto the baking dish.

7. Repeat this process with the remaining noodles.

8. Place about 1/4 of a cup of sauce over each noodle in the baking dish (or until the top of the noodle is covered in sauce).

9. Then also top each roll up with 1 tbsp of the shredded mozzarella.

10. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes (or until the cheese melts).

This easy weeknight meal is definitely one that you will want to make again and again. There are endless amounts of possibilities - add meat, a variety of veggies, or just load the roll ups with cheese. It will be hard to go back to cooking up a regular tray of lasagna after this, that I promise you.

Sunday Brunch For Two

2012-02-19T12:26:00.000-06:00

When I was a kid, my mom always made Sunday brunch a big deal. It was the one morning of the week that she cooked up a storm. Whether it was eggs, french toast, bagels, whatever, the best part about it was that we actually got to sit down together as a family. As an adult, I now appreciate the quality time she made us have so much more. That is something I want to have some day with my own family, and I have tried to start now with my guy. This morning we had a fancier Sunday breakfast than normal - Egg Nests! If you love hash browns and eggs this is the perfect combination of the two.

Egg Nests for Two

(makes 6)

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 large russet potatoes, peeled and shredded

- 1/2 cup of shredded cheese of your choice, separated

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp onion powder

- Salt & pepper to taste

- 6 eggs

- Cooking spray

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and spray the bottom of a muffin pan (only 6 tins for the above recipe) with cooking spray.

2. Place the shredded potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and toss together.

3. Take a small handful of the potato mixture and press into one muffin tin, making sure to leave a well in the center. Repeat the process for the other 5 muffin tins.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees or until the tops of the hash browns being to crisp and brown like the photo below.

5. Remove the potatoes from the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.

6. While the heat is lowering, fill each of the hash brown nests with one egg.

7. Top each egg with the remaining shredded cheese (a small pinch for each egg).

8. Add a sprinkle of salt & pepper over top of the cheese and bake the nests in the oven at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.

9. Serve and enjoy!

Have a great rest of your Sunday!

Hostess with the Mostess

2012-02-17T06:30:00.002-06:00

I decided to do something a little different this Foodie Friday. Instead of sharing a bunch of recipes with all of you as I usually do, I thought it wold be fun to share some of my favorite bowls to serve yummy recipes in.

Pantry Serving Bowl

Fresco Serving Bowl

Morgan Serving Bowl

Provence Hand Painted Serving Bowl

Aragon Salad Bowl

Enamel Hammered Metal Large Serving Bowl

Lenox Porcelain Handled Bowls

Do you enjoy a pop of color for your serveware, or are you all about the blank canvas (aka all-white)?

Long Overdue Restaurant Review

2012-02-16T06:30:00.100-06:00

While I have been to Quartino many times, I went there a few months back (told you it was overdue) with the intention of taking some photos so I could share them with all of you. This review may be a little late, but it's better late than never!

Restaurant: Quartino

Cuisine: Italian small plates

Neighborhood: River North

Ambiance: Fun, laid back atmosphere.

Things You Should Know:

1. They take reservations.

2. This spot is great for groups. (Especially a group of ladies!)

3. Very loud environment.

Menu Picks: I went with three of my favorite ladies and we decided to start with the Salumeria Tasting which includes two meats, two cheeses, three spuntini (aka dips and pickled vegetables), and an assortment of olives. It was a great way to start the meal.

We then went on to our main courses. We picked two pastas, one risotto, and a vegetable to share.

Pasta #1 - Tagliatelle Bolognese

Pasta # 2 - Linguine with Clams

The Risotto - Shrimp Risotto (made with zucchini & sun-dried tomatoes)

The Veggie - Broccoli Rabe (red chili, onion, garlic, & EVOO)

After our main course, we all decided we wanted something sweet to end the meal. We went with the profiteroles (vanilla gelato, chocolate sauce, & toasted almonds). Beautiful & delicious!

Favorite Bite: The linguine and clams has always been one my favorite dishes at Quartino, so I would have to say that. But..the dessert, the dessert was awesome. Another item I know will become something I continue to order at the end of my future visits.
Final Thoughts: For those of you that live in Chicago, I'm sure you have been to Quartino, or at least I hope so. If you haven't been, you need to go. Go now. If you are visiting Chicago, this spot is a must-dine for sure, so add it to your list. Not only do they have tasty Italian food (one of my favorite cuisines), but their menu is all small plates, perfect for getting a little taste of everything. A win, win in my book.

Quartino

626 N. State St.

Chicago, IL 60654

312.698.5000

http://www.quartinochicago.com

Overall Rating: CCC

Price Range: $$

My Valentine's Day Tradition

2012-02-15T10:02:00.000-06:00

Fondue has been mine and my boyfriend's tradition over the last three Valentine's Day's we have spent together. The first two were spent at one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago - Gejas Cafe. If you love fondue and are looking for a romantic spot to go, this is definitely the place. This year we decided to try a little something different, yet still kept with our fondue tradition. We went ahead and purchased our very own fondue pot!

After quite a bit of research, I decided to go with an electric pot instead of one with a tea light at the bottom. Something about having fire near my food/wine when I'm in my own home is a little intimidating. I'm fairly clumsy, and didn't want to risk something going terribly wrong. I am happy to report that this pot was awesome! It heats up really quickly and also cools down in about 10 - 15 minutes which makes it ideal for attempting to do multiple fondue courses, which we knew wanted to do. We decided we wanted our at-home experience to be similar to what we would have gotten at Geja's. At Geja's we usually do a cheese, oil, and chocolate course, but my boyfriend isn't a huge fan of chocolate fondue (don't ask me how this is possible, i'm still trying to figure it out). So we decided we were going to start with a cheese course and move on to the oil. For dessert, we picked up a few slices of cheesecake (which we never got to because we were so stuffed). Of course being the good blogger I am, I had to take a few photos of the evening, and include a recipe for those of you interested in making your own fondue at-home.

Our first course was a gruyere + white wine cheese fondue which we paired with apples and two different types of bread (wheat and white) to dip.

Gruyere & White Wine Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:

- 15 oz of shredded Gruyere cheese

- 6 tsp of cornstarch

- 1 1/2 tsp of dry mustard

- 1 clove of garlic, cut into two halves

- 2 cups of dry white wine (we used Pinot Grigio)

- 1 tsp of Brandy

Method:

1. Place the cheese in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the cornstarch and dry mustard and toss together with your hands to coat the cheese. Set aside.

3. Rub the bottom and sides of the fondue pot with the cut sides of the garlic cloves, and toss.

4. Add the wine to the fondue pot (and if you have an eletric pot turn the temperate to Setting 5).

5. Bring the wine to a bubble (not a boil!).

6. As the wine is bubbling, gradually stir in one handful of cheese at a time. Let each handful melt before adding the next. (Be sure to use a wooden or nonstick spoon.)

7. Once all of the cheese has been added, stir in the Brandy.

8. Let the cheese thicken up, and serve.

I sort of altered some of the cheese fondue recipes I had seen and came up with my own. I have to say it was delicious. We could not stop eating it. While we probably ~~should~~ could have ended our meal here, we had already decided we were going to have an oil course. We had picked up some steak, shrimp, vegetables, and potatoes to cook. It was probably a good thing we had to let our pot cool down and wash it out to get the next course going because it gave us a nice little break between the two. Once the prep was done, we sat down to eat again and it was all so good!

Since we were completely stuffed after our two courses, we ended the night with a small bite of chocolate from the Vosges chocolate bars I bought for my valentine (I also do this every year as a special treat). We both thoroughly enjoyed our at-home fondue experience and our Valentine's Day together. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as well!

Unrelated to V-Day

2012-02-14T15:31:00.000-06:00

Since we already covered Valentine's Day today... I thought it would be OK to move on to a different subject. I'm not sure how many of you are fans of Zooey Deschanel, but I most certainly am.

I love her, love the show New Girl, and everything she's ever done (i.e. Elf, 500 Days of Summer, etc.). For those of you that may have missed it, Zooey (I say that like we're friends) was on SNL this weekend and I of course tuned in. I'm so glad I did because I discovered a new song by the band Karmin that has been awesome to workout to this week. Check it out.

Happy Valentine's Day again friends!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T06:30:00.002-06:00

Whether you are celebrating today or not, I always try and think of Valentine's Day as a day to tell those you care most about exactly how you feel. On that note, I wanted to let all of you know just how much I appreciate each and every one of you. Your daily comments really do bring a smile to my face, and I'm so thankful to have such amazing readers. Thank you for being you!

P.S. In case any of you were wondering, I am celebrating this day with my guy tonight. We are keeping with our traditional fondue dinner. More on that tomorrow!

If You Didn't Know It...

2012-02-13T06:30:00.002-06:00

You would think you were eating broccoli cheddar soup after one bite of this delicious macaroni and cheese. It's tasty, meatless, and on the lighter side. What's better? Not much. This recipe was one of Gina's genius creations and I promise it will become a regular in your cooking rotation. It's that good.

Skinny Baked Broccoli Mac & Cheese

(Original recipe found here, serves 8)

Ingredients:

- 12 oz of high fiber macaroni

- 2 tbsp light butter

- 1/4 cup flour

- 1/4 cup yellow onion, minced

- 2 cups skim milk

- 1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

- 2 cups of shredded reduced-fat cheddar

- 12 oz of fresh broccoli florets

- 1/8 cup grated Parmesan

- 1/4 cup bread crumbs

- Salt & pepper, to taste

- Cooking Spray

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cook the pasta and broccoli together in large pot of salted boiling water until the pasta is al dente (you usually can find the cook time for al dente on the directions). Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl once cooked.

3. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

4. In a large skillet, melt the butter.

5. Add the onion to the pan, and cook over low-heat for 2 minutes.

6. Then add the flour and cook for another minute, or until well combined.

7. Add the milk and chicken broth to the pan and whisk together.

8. Raise the heat to medium-high until the mixture comes to a boil.

9. Cook for 5 minutes (or until the sauce becomes thick and smooth).

10. Season the sauce with salt & pepper to taste.

11. As soon as the sauce thickens, remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese.

12. Mix well until the cheese is completely melted.

13. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and broccoli in the large mixing bowl, and mix well.

14. Transfer the mixture into the sprayed baking dish, and top with the grated cheese and bread crumbs.

15. Spray a little more cooking spray over top of the bread crumbs.

16. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

17. Place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

18. Serve, and enjoy! (I know you will!)

This meal is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It's fairly quick to pull together, and will ~~hopefully~~ leave you with leftovers for the next day. Go ahead, and make this tonight. It is Meatless Monday after all.

Weekend Recap

2012-02-12T12:00:00.000-06:00

The weekend of birthday celebrations has come to an end, and I think the boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed himself.

After a yummy meal last night at one of our favorite spots - Le Petit Paris.

And, an entire day of R&R...

Sunday is finally here.

I'm excited for a little more relaxation today, plus the return of one of our favorite shows tonight.

That's my kind of weekend.

Last Minute V-Day Sweet Treats

2012-02-10T06:30:00.008-06:00

Are you looking for some last minute sweets to make for Valentine's Day? Well, I have just the thing for you. One of my absolute favorite combinations is the focus of this week's Foodie Friday - raspberry + chocolate. If you've never tried this combo, I have to tell you, you are seriously missing out. Not only do the flavors go perfectly together, but the pop of red/pink against the chocolate is just lovely, and absolutely perfect for Valentine's Day. Some of these may be repeats, but I promise they are definitely worth seeing again.

Fudge Brownies with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

Raspberry Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Goat Cheese Swirl

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Dark Chocolate + Raspberry Cupcakes

Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Sorbet Bars

Don't they all look amazing?

Happy Friday to all! Today kicks off the beginning of the boyfriend's weekend full of birthday celebrations. On tonight's agenda, I'm finally seeing Star Wars (in 3D). I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies before, but they are his absolute favorites, so I figure it is the least I can do for the birthday boy. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

The Perfect Place For A Wedding

2012-02-09T11:30:00.000-06:00

I mentioned on the blog that one of my girlfriend's was recently engaged. She is way ahead of the game with her wedding planning and has decided to do the exact thing I hope to do for my someday wedding, and that is to have the wedding reception at a restaurant. Since she already picked out the place, she invited a few friends to check out the space for dinner. I have to say Carnivale seems to be the perfect place for a wedding. It is very spacious and colorful, and on top of all that the food was just delicious.

Restaurant: Carnivale

Cuisine: Latin American

Neighborhood: West Loop

Ambiance: Bright, cheery, and very inviting.

Things You Should Know:

1. Carnivale offers daily food specials.

2. They host different events (i.e. Argentinian wines 101, Mojitos 101, Teqila 101, etc.). Sounds awesome to me.

3. They do take reservations.

Menu Picks: Since this was my first time there, I went off of my friend's recommendations for the guacamole that we all HAD to try! I must say she was right. It was excellent, and I totally would recommend beginning there. Although, there were lots of other appetizers on the menu that also caught my eye. (I guess that means I will have to go back..)

For my main course, I wasn't all that hungry, so one of my girlfriend's and I decided to share an entree + a side item. When they brought out the main course..I was totally shocked. Two people at our table ordered the Aracherra (grilled Angus skirt steak, rice & beans, sweet red onion, with chimichurri sauce) so I thought the two plates with the portion of the steak below were those two entrees. I was totally wrong. They already split up our entree in the back since they knew we were sharing, and this was the size of just my portion. Craziness.

I have to say this steak was incredible. All of the flavors were spot on, and I definitely will be going back just for this alone. For the side item, we ordered a side of the fried yuca with garlic mojo. One of my favorites!

We did not order dessert, but we did receive a complimentary cotton candy with caramel popcorn. It was SO good! Everyone at my table was stuffed, but we just loved the idea of a treat that none of us had had in years.

Favorite Bite: My favorite bite of the night was hands down my main course. It was so delicious! The combination of the red onions and the chimichurri sauce was just amazing. I would absolutely recommend this being your go-to entree if you dine at Carnivale in the near future.
Final Thoughts: If it hasn't shown enough already, I thought Carnivale was great! The service was wonderful, the food was fabulous, and the ambiance was perfect. For dinner or an event, I know this will be a great choice you will be happy with.

Carnivale

702 W. Fulton Market

Chicago, IL 60661

(312) 850-5005

http://www.carnivalechicago.com/

Overall Rating: CCC

Price Range: $$$

The Fireside Treat

2012-02-09T06:30:00.001-06:00

What do you do when you are craving the chocolate + marshmallows + graham cracker fireside treat and don't have access to a fire pit? You bake of course. I tried my first s'more bar at a blogger meetup a few months back, and ever since I have been wanting to make some of my own. This past weekend I decided to do just that. Who wouldn't want to end their night of super bowl eating with a delicious s'more bar? I know my guests certainly enjoyed them.

S'more Bars

(makes 18 bars, original recipe found here)

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) of softened butter (don't pay any attention this, I promise they'll be worth every single calorie)

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour

- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (crushed using my mini prep)

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/8 tsp of salt

- 1 (7 oz) Giant Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar

- 1 (7 oz) container of marshmallow creme

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl), mix together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.

3. Begin beating in the egg and the vanilla.

4. Then gradually add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt to the mixture.

5. Set 1/2 cup of the mixture aside to be used for the topping.

6. Take the rest of the mixture and spread it out along the bottom of a greased 9-inch glass square baking pan.

7. Break the candy bar into pieces and place all over the crust.

8. Spread the marshmallow creme over top of the chocolate and crust.

9. Crumble the remaining graham cracker mixture that you set aside over top of the marshmallow creme.

10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (or until golden brown).

11. Let cool and cut into bars. Serve, and store remaining bars (if there are any) in a sealed container.

Take Me There

2012-02-08T06:30:00.001-06:00

Do you ever start reading a book and instantly imagine yourself being transported to the exact setting described? My recent read, Sarah's key, is set in Paris and I can't stop dreaming about it. I have been to Paris once in my life and while I thought it was lovely, I think I was too young to really appreciate all that it had to offer. I would love to go back with my guy and explore the city of love together. So with that, I turn to Pinterest to help me bring you a dreamy Parisian excursion.

via

Also known as the idea of perfection in my head. I need to make this a reality asap!

Book Club Assistance

2012-02-07T14:31:00.001-06:00

It is official! I am finally part of a book club. I had been wanting to join/start one for quite some time and finally found an awesome group of girls to get to do it. The first book we are reading is Sarah's Key.

I just started it last week and I can't seem to put it down! Don't you just love books like that? I plan on putting up a full recap after my book club meeting, so for those of you that are interested, stay tuned for that.

Here's where you come in...I am hosting the first book club gathering and since I know all of these girls from different places, I thought it would be fun to do some type of ice breaker to get them all to get to know a little about each other. Do any of you have any good ice breaker ideas? For those of you that are in book clubs, what does your group do when you meet? Two weeks and counting until our first meeting. I cannot wait!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

2012-02-07T06:00:00.005-06:00

I had been wanting to make something with wonton wrappers for quite some time. After seeing many egg roll recipes on Pinterest, I thought the Super Bowl would be the perfect time to give them a try. Who doesn't like bite-sized food that you can eat with your hands? Not only are these great for having people over, but they make for a fairly easy weeknight meal, where you will have quite a few leftovers.

Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch

(makes 24 egg rolls, recipe adapted from here)

For the Egg Rolls:

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of frozen corn, thawed

- 1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, rinsed and drained

- 8 oz. of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with a paper towel (to remove excess liquid)

- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped

- 1 red pepper, seeds removed and chopped

- 4 green onions, chopped

- 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese

- 1 tsp ground cumin

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 package of egg roll wrappers

- Cooking spray

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray the bottom of each with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno, red pepper, green onions, cheese, cumin, salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper.

4. Lay out one of the egg roll wrappers, and place a small spoonful of the mixture onto one side.

5. Begin rolling the wrapper from the side with the bean mixture. Once the mixture is covered, tuck in the sides. Take a dab of water and spread across before sealing.

6. Repeat this process with all of the egg roll wrappers, spacing them out on each of the baking sheets.

7. Spray the top of all of the egg rolls with cooking spray before baking.

8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

9. Serve along side avocado ranch (recipe below).

For the Avocado Ranch:

Ingredients:

- 3/8 cup of mayonnaise

- 3/8 cup of sour cream

- 3 tbsp buttermilk

- 1/2 tbsp olive oil

- Juice of 1/2 of a lemon

- 1/2 green onion, chopped

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Method:

Place all of the ingredients together in a blender, and blend until smooth.