Category Archives: Main Dish

by | July 12, 2010 · 8:37 am

Racing Sausage Week!: The Hot Dog

As most of you well know, we live in Wisconsin. As a Chicago-bred girl, I pride myself as a die-hard Cubbie fan, however, one cannot deny the awesomeness that is the Brewer’s Sausage Race. It is the All-Star break in the land of baseball and we’ve decided to celebrate by honoring the racing sausages with some delicious recipes.

For those of you unfamiliar, during the 6th inning at Miller Park in Milwaukee, oversized sausages come running out of the gate and race each other to the finish line while fans cheer on their favorite. The lineup includes: Hot Dog, Chorizo, Bratwurst, Italian and Polish.

To kick off racing sausage week, I am honoring the hot dog. In my opinion, there is no other way to eat a hot dog than Chicago style. What is that you ask?

The most important part of the Chicago dog is an all-beef hot dog, preferably Vienna Beef. It is nestled in a steamed poppy-seed bun and topped with onions, relish (the greener the better), tomatoes, sport peppers, a kosher pickle spear, mustard (NO KETCHUP!) and a dash of celery salt.

Chicago dogs are a great BBQ option. Set up all the ingredients and let your guests make their own. They have been a hit with our group of friends since the old college days when I put together my very first hot dog buffet.

Heading to Chicago and looking for the perfect Chicago-style dog? Check out a few of my faves!

Gene and Jude’s (2720 River Road River Grove, IL 60171)

A favorite that tops many of the “best of” charts, this hot dog stand offers a “to-die-for” dog. And don’t forget the fries!

Superdawg (6363 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60646)

This classic drive-in offers a classic dog with the greenest neon relish you have ever seen. Eat in your car from the special Superdawg box filled with a dog and fries. Mmmm…

The Wieners Circle (2622 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60614)

It is debatable whether or not this is the best dog, but you can’t beat the crazy atmosphere. Opened late night, many Wrigleyville bar-hoppers stop in on their way home. The workers offer quite a bit of entertainment while standing in line. You have to see it to believe it!

What is your favorite hot dog joint?

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by | July 7, 2010 · 8:21 am

Freezer Friendly Bolognese

On hot summer days, the last thing I want to do in the evening is turn on my oven and cook dinner.  That is why I absolutely love recipes that I can double and freeze into batches for days when I don’t feel like cooking. They make weeknight dinners quick and easy.

This short cut Bolognese recipe is so easy to make in a double batch and freezes wonderfully in individual or family size portions. Add some freshly cooked pasta and you have a delicious meal!

Bolognese sauce

1 cup finely chopped onion
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese

Saute the onions in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until tender. Add meat and cook, stirring frequently, on medium-high heat until browned and cooked through.

Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes and bring to boil. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in cream cheese until melted.

Pour hot sauce on top of fresh cooked spaghetti.

If you are going to freeze the sauce, ladle it into freezer storage containers, refrigerate until cool and then transfer into the freezer.  Don’t forget to label the container with the date and contents and use it within 2 months of freezing.

To thaw the sauce from frozen, either microwave it until piping hot or heat it on the stove top until boiling.

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by | May 3, 2010 · 8:20 am

Thai Peanut Sauce, Two Ways

Confession:  I’m a peanut butter addict.  Which is why I looove recipes full of peanut-buttery goodness…especially this slightly spicy and super versatile Thai Peanut Sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce is lovely as a simple chicken satay dipping sauce but you can easily make it the star of your dish and make your supporting ingredients do double-duty at the same time. Thai Peanut Noodles and Thai Chicken Pizza are two healthy, flavor-packed and weeknight-friendly recipes that center around this tasty sauce.

Thai Peanut SauceThai Peanut Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1″ piece of ginger, grated
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C water
1/4 C lite coconut milk
1/2 lime
2/3+ C chunky peanut butter
2 tsp sriracha

In a small saucepan, combine garlic, ginger and oil.  Cook over medium-low heat until aromas start to release.  Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and coconut milk. Whisk in brown sugar and peanut butter, letting peanut butter melt into sauce. Add sriracha sauce to taste.

If you’re making both dishes in the same week, you may want to double the recipe. Sauce can be saved for 1-2 weeks and reheated to serve.

Thai Peanut Noodles

Thai Peanut Noodles
1 pkg soba noodles (or whole wheat noodles if you can’t find soba noodles)
1 lb chicken or beef, cubed
2 carrots, shredded or julienned
3 green onions, sliced
sm handful of cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
Thai Peanut Sauce

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt well.  Add soba noodles and cook until al dente.  Meanwhile, season meat with ginger, garlic, pepper and soy sauce. Saute until meat is cooked through. Drain noodles. Top noodles with meat and Thai Peanut Sauce. Add green onions, cilantro and carrots and serve.

CPK style Thai Chicken Pizza

Thai Chicken Pizza
whole wheat pizza crust (I like Boboli)
1 pkg chicken tenders
2 carrots, shredded or julienned
2 handfuls sugar snap pea pods
mung bean sprouts
sm handful cilantro, chopped
dry roasted peanuts
Thai Peanut Sauce

Preheat oven to 425. Cover pizza crust in peanut sauce.  Grill or saute chicken tenders and slice into chunks. Shred or julienne carrots and cut pea pods in half.  Top pizza crust with carrots, pea pods, bean sprouts, chicken and peanuts. Bake for 20-23 minutes.  Top with cilantro and serve.

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by | April 30, 2010 · 8:34 am

Southwestern BBQ Ranch Salad

I love spring! No more boots, no more sweaters and as much as I love chili…no more chili for awhile! I am always inspired this time of year to make new salad creations. This Southwestern BBQ Ranch Salad is one of my favorites. The black beans and corn give it a great texture and the cilantro gives that burst of flavor that other boring salads lack. This is super easy and healthy! 

Ingredients:

  • Half a head of Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • One can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 C. frozen or fresh corn, cooked
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • Small bunch of cilantro, chopped (approx. 1/4 C. or less)
  • 1/2 C. shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese
  • 1/4 C. fat free ranch dressing
  • 1/4 C. BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays is my favorite!)

Mix ranch dressing and BBQ sauce, set aside. Mix together all ingredients. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve!

This salad is great with grilled chicken breast or shrimp. I grilled up my chicken with a rub of paprika, cumin, cracked black pepper and garlic salt. Add avocado to this salad for some extra flavor!

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by | April 28, 2010 · 8:22 am

Potato Corn Chowder

While looking forward to the spring and summer cooking that lies ahead, there is a part of me that will mourn the soups and stews of winter.  Something is so comforting about the perfect bowl of soup.  This Potato Corn Chowder recipe is a great soup for cool spring nights.  It is still hearty like a winter soup, but uses ingredients that speak of the summer months ahead.

Potato Corn Chowder

4 slices of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup diced onions
3 scallions (green onions), white bulbs and 3 inches green, diced
2 Tbsp. unbleached, all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup half-and-half
4 cups cooked corn kernels, drained
3/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4″ dice

Cook the bacon in a large soup pot over low heat until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted, then add the onions and scallions and cook over low heat until transparent or for about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Next, mix in the stock and potatoes. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, corn, pepper, and salt. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, add the bell pepper and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.

Serve with your favorite cheese on top and warm crusty bread.

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by | April 7, 2010 · 6:43 am

Spinach, Rice and Ham Casserole

If you celebrated Easter last weekend, chances are you have some left over ham in your refrigerator. After burning out on ham and cheese omelets and ham sandwiches, I searched for a unique recipe that would use up my left over ham.

I came across this Spinach, Rice and Ham Casserole from Martha Stewart. The ham gives this casserole a wonderful flavor and the cheese makes it slightly decadent.

Spinach, Rice and Ham Casserole

Two 10-oz. packages frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2/3 c. whole milk
2 large eggs
1 c. grated Gruyere cheese
salt & pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 lb. ham, diced

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, rice, milk, eggs, 3/4 c. cheese,
1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Be sure to squeeze as much water as you can from the spinach. If you don’t the dish will turn out quite mushy.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and
garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and beginning to brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the wine to the onion mixture and cook about 3 minutes or until the wine is evaporated. Then, add the diced ham and cook about 2 minutes or until the ham is warmed through.

Finally, add the ham mixture to the spinach and rice mixture and stir to combine.
Transfer to a 8 inch square baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 c.
cheese.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until the casserole is warmed through and golden brown on top.

Now, I just need to find a way to use up all of those hard boiled eggs…

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by | April 5, 2010 · 8:17 am

Spring for the Senses

There’s just something about spring. Maybe it’s ditching the heavy winter sweaters or maybe it’s the longer, warmer days (it’s definitely not the allergies!) but whatever the reason I find it impossible to not to have a bit more bounce in my step.  With all the newness in the air I’m doing an homage to spring for your five senses today.  Enjoy!

SEE:
It’s not quite time to garden around here yet but you can get your fix of flowers this weekend at the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Art in Bloom event. With amazing floral arrangements tucked among the museum’s galleries and a lecture series with topics ranging from gardening to floral photography, Art in Bloom should give you plenty of new ideas before you plan your plots this year.
Milwaukee Art Museum Art In Bloom

SMELL:
Not in Milwaukee to hit up Art in Bloom? Slatkin & Co’s Fresh Bamboo Candle is like a bouquet in a jar…and not a sickly sweet faux floral smell but that smell that rushes out when you walk into a florist’s shop. If blogs had scratch-n-sniff, ours would smell like this right now. Swoon.
Bath & Body Works Fresh Bamboo Candle

TOUCH:
I’ve been obsessively stalking my flower beds for signs of life, dragging my dog on walks to make mental notes of landscaping and in desperate need of appropriate footwear to do it in. I’ll agree that Crocs aren’t exactly couture but let’s be practical here. When your runway involves garden hoes and dog leashs, these slimmed-down, dirt-is-my-friend Crocs Malindi Flats will look perfect.
Crocs Malindi Flat hot pink

HEAR:
Whether your pulling weeds or throwing open the windows for some spring cleaning new tunes will definitely be in order.  These tracks are on constant rotation for me this spring:
1. “Solitary Gun” Rogue Wave
2. “Don’t Look Back” She & Him
3. “Used to Be” Beach House
4. “Blow Away” A Fine Frenzy
5. “October” Broken Bells
6. “Moth’s Wings” Passion Pit
7. “Dark Halls” Au Revoir Simone
8. “Sea Change” Turin Brakes
9. “Movie Loves a Screen” April Smith and the Great Picture Show
10. “To Be Young” Ryan Adams

TASTE:
An easy goat cheese and spring vegetable salad makes a perfect spring side dish but can easily become an entree by simply adding a protein. I like it with a red-wine marinated flank steak.
Goat Cheese & Spring Vegetable Salad

Goat Cheese & Spring Vegetable Salad
1C orzo or quinoa
1 C green beans
1 C asparagus
1 zucchini & 1 yellow squash
3 scallions
fresh herbs (basil, parsley, mint, chives)
3 oz goat cheese
1/4 C pine nuts
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
coarse ground black pepper
kosher salt
* Options: Peas, mushrooms and kale would all be great substitutes so go with whatever looks good that day. Same with the herbs, although be sure to at least get the basil.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook orzo or quinoa until al dente. Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water until cooled. Let sit while you work with the vegetables. Trim ends off the green beans. Chop beans, asparagus, and squash into bite sized pieces and transfer to a hot saute pan, lightly coated in olive oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes and season with salt, pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Cook vegetable until they are cooked through but still firm. Finely chop scallions and herbs.

Transfer cooled orzo or quinoa to a medium bowl and add vegetables, scallions and herbs. Toss well. Drizzle with 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil and balsamic vinegar until lightly coated. Season with additional salt and pepper. Crumble goat cheese into small pieces and stir in.

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by | March 29, 2010 · 8:02 am

Cashew Carrot Coconut Soup with Curried Tofu

A few weeks ago I picked up a box of Cashew Carrot Ginger soup at Whole Foods. I usually find pre-fab soups to be bland or ridiculously high in sodium and tend to avoid them but this one had amazing flavor. I’ve been on a mission to recreate it ever since and I think I’ve gotten pretty close!

This soup packs big flavors, heavenly aromas and is completely vegetarian. I heartied it up a bit by adding some tofu, an idea I got from Food Network Magazine (which is great, btw), but you could skip it if tofu is not your thing.
Carrot Coconut Soup

Cashew Carrot Coconut Soup
1 1/2 bags frozen carrots, thawed
1/2 C cashews
1/2 onion, diced small
2 C vegetable broth
1 C carrot juice
1 can lite coconut milk
1-2″ piece of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp white pepper
kosher salt

Curried Ginger Tofu
1 pkg extra firm tofu
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp ginger powder
1/4 C flour
2-3 Tbsp oil
salt & pepper
sliced scallions

In a food processor, puree carrots, cashews and 1/2 C broth until smooth. In a large pot, saute diced onion in a little bit of olive oil. Grate ginger using a zester or a cheese grater and stir into onions, cooking until onions are soft. Season with salt and white pepper. Add carrot cashew puree to pot and stir in carrot juice, mixing well. Add remaining broth and coconut milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season well with salt to bring out the flavors (it may require more than you think).

Slice tofu into small cubes and pat dry. Mix flour, curry, ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix in tofu cubes with your fingers until cubes are coated. Add oil to a hot saute pan and lightly fry tofu cubes until coating is slightly crisp and golden. Use a tongs to turn cubes and fry evenly. Serve soup with tofu cubes, cashews and sliced scallions.

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by | February 8, 2010 · 9:28 am

Valentine’s Date Night In

I like a night on the town as much as the next girl but sometimes a Valentine’s Day filled with crowded restaurants and overpriced menus feels like more of a hassle than it’s worth.  When we don’t feel like dealing with all the hoopla, my husband and I splurge on quality ingredients and have a special, low-key date at home.

For half the price, you can easily make a steakhouse caliber meal that’s perfect for an intimate dinner with your beloved, an impressive surprise for your date or a swanky treat for your girlfriends.

Peppered Steak with Port Wine Sauce

Grilled Peppered Steak with Port Wine Sauce
Beef Tenderloin or New York Strip steaks*
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil
1/2 C + port wine
1/2 C beef broth
1/4 C half & half
1/4 C onion, minced
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter

* I used elk tenderloin, which I know most people don’t have just hanging around.  But if you happen to have wild game available, venison and elk steaks are tasty, organic and free!

For the sauce, add diced onions and butter to a medium sauce pan. Cook until onions begin to soften and dust with flour, stirring out all flour lumps. Add port wine and whisk smooth. Cook for 5-10 minutes, allowing wine to reduce. Stir in beef broth and mustard and continue to reduce. Season with salt & pepper. Add half and half and whisk well. Turn heat down to low and continue reducing until your steak and potatoes are done.

Drizzle steaks very lightly with olive oil and salt both sides.  Liberally pepper all sides of each steak so that you will achieve a peppery crust. Turn on your grill to high heat – between 400 and 500 degrees. Put steaks directly on the heat and cook for approx. 3-4 minutes on each side for a steak between 1-1  1/2 inch thick. This will vary depending on the thickness of your steak. Cook until medium rare or when the steak just begins to firm up if you push on it.

Garlic Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Confession: This recipe came about because I grabbed red salad potatoes at the store with plans of making Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I’ve used red potatoes before in mashed potatoes but the variety I grabbed was designed for salads and turned gummy when I mashed them.  In attempt to salvage them, I added a few ingredients that my mom uses during the holidays and baked them. Side dish saved…however, go with baking or Yukon potatoes and you’ll have better results with consistency 🙂

Garlic Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs baking potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp butter
splash half & half
1/4 C low fat sour cream
1/2 C cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
salt, pepper

Preheat the over to 400. Fill a large pot with water. Salt water and add potato chunks. Bring to a boil and cook over med-high heat until potatoes are soft, about 25-30 min. Drain water from potatoes using a colander and put them back into the pot. Cut butter in to chunks and use a hand mixer to beat potatoes until creamy, slowly adding half and half until you achieve the right texture. Potatoes should be creamy and fluffy but not runny. Beat in garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sour cream.

Transfer potatoes to a baking dish and top with cheese. Sprinkle paprika and more salt and pepper over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and slight crisped.

Pair with: a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or a peppy Shiraz for wine or a robust porter or stout such as Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter or Founder’s Breakfast Stout for beer

Check back later this week for more Valentine’s Day ideas!

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by | February 4, 2010 · 9:15 am

Guest Blog: Easy, Affordable Entertaining

Today we’re over at the Allstate Goodhands Community doing another guest blog. With the economy what it is, many of us are giving up the little luxuries like going out to dinner.  Today Katie shares an affordable meal that’s perfect for entertaining friends or having a date night in.  Stuffed Chicken with Balsamic Reduction is a go-to recipe when you want to serve something that looks fancy but is deceptively easy to make.

Visit the GHC website to read more and get the recipe!  Plus last day to comment on the Christine Tavares pottery giveaway!

Stuffed Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

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