Trip to Chicago

Last weekend we spent a long weekend in Chicago visiting my daughter who moved there in January. The weather was really cold but the city was great!  We loved being with Chelsea and seeing how much she loved living in Chicago. 

Friday night we went for Chicago deep dish pizza at Giordano's.  It was worth the 40 minute wait for it to cook!  We had an appetizer of fried cheese, mushrooms and zucchini to tie us over.  The pizza was sooo good and really cheesy!

Every morning we went to the The Original Pancake House on Bellevue. They serve large portions and everything we tried was really good. If you go to Yelp.com you can see pics of the food. You have to go early or there is a long line out the door.

On Saturday we went to Willis Tower (Sears Tower).  In the past, we always has good intentions on going to the tower's observation deck but we never found the time.  This was first on our to do list for this visit! When we entered the building, the first thing they told us was that there is an hour and half wait AFTER we purchase our tickets.  We took the elevator to the next floor to buy tickets and the line was so long! We stood there for about 15 minutes and really contemplated leaving but we stayed and it was a good choice! From the time we walked in the door until the time we left it was about 3 hours.

After the Willis Tower we headed to Portillos for hot dogs.  Darn it, we did not take a picture of all of them.  We had chili dogs, Polish dogs, and below the dog with everything. They were yummy!!

The buildings were so cool.  We loved walking around and seeing all of the architecture! 

For dinner we went to Quartino's.  This place was delicious and the service was really impressive.  The table we were given was incredible!  It was a round corner table by the window.  There were six of us so it was out of the way and perfect!  It did not take us long to decide on what to order and the food came quick.  This restaurant is a Tapas Bar so we ordered 6-7 dishes.  I can only remember 6.  Pizza, gnocchi with pesto, short ribs, Alfredo with peas and prosciutto, veal meatballs and Penne (Pic below).  This is Chelsea's favorite restaurant so I am glad we got to experience the yummy food.  For dessert we stopped at the Ghirardelli Chocolate shop for ice cream! That was divine!!!

On Sunday we jumped on the train and went to Wrigleyville, Lincoln Park, and Old Town.  In Old Town we went to the Spice House and Old Town Oils. These were the neatest shops.  We tried quite a few Olive Oils before we decided on Tuscan Herb.  This week we have dipped bread in it and also added it to pasta.  It is soo good.  I will get more the next we go to Chicago! At the Spice House we bought spices for a rib rub. The ribs are marinating in the refrigerator as I type this!!

Sunday night we went to the Grand Lux Cafe on Michigan Ave.  We were lucky enough to get a window seat that faced Michigan Ave!!!  I got pasta, it was good but not great.  TJ got a Seafood salad (Pic below), it was huge and tasted really good. Chelsea got the avocado-chipotle cheeseburger that was delish. Baylee got the chicken burger sandwich.

New Orleans Style Roasted Spiced Shrimp

I don't normally find recipes in the newspaper that I want to try. My husband found the below recipe and stuck it on the refrigerator so I decided to give it a try. The shrimp were pretty spicy for me but he loved them. I have made them several times.

I entered these into Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday. Check out all of the great entries.

New Orleans-Style Roasted Spiced Shrimp

2 lbs large shrimp

1 stick butter

3 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp kosher sale

1 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning

1 tsp paprika, preferably smoked

1 tsp hot sauce

1. Arrange shrimp in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Combine all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter melts.

2. Pour over shrimp and stir to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes (this can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours before roasting).

3. In a preheated 325 degree oven, roast shrimp until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve with pan juices.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Bake

Last month, my daughter came home for a visit and I looked on Food.com for a simple breakfast bake where I had the ingredients already on hand. This one caught my eye as it was made with Stove Top Stuffing, it did not have to sit overnight and the steps were very simple. I did change of the amount of the ingredients as I saw the concoction I was about to bake. It was so thick with meat it kind of scared me. I wanted to make sure it was not just bread and sausage so I increased the eggs.

The first time I made it (the first picture), I only added one extra egg. The second time I made it (second picture), I added two extra eggs and only about half of the sausage. The Stove Top adds a little extra flavor but it is not overpowering. I've got to tell you, I used a 13x9 pan the first time and a 11x7 pan the second time. I think I like the deeper version with more egg and less meat. I guess it depends on your preference; both tasted great and it disappeared quickly. As a side note, you can cut these into squares and freeze for a quick breakfast before work. It heats well in the microwave and it tastes like you made it fresh.

Breakfast Bake

Adapted from Easy Breakfast Casserole by Merlot on Food.com

1 box of Chicken Stove Top Stuffing

2 cups milk

1/2 pound of cooked sausage

8 eggs, beaten

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Grease a 11x7 baking dish.

3. Mix all ingredients together and pour into prepared baking dish.

4. Bake 45-50 minutes until set.

Enjoy!

Hash Brown Casserole - Light

This recipe shaves over 100 calories and 10 grams of fat from the original Cheesy Potato recipe that is a potluck staple. It also has a lower sodium content. It tastes really creamy and the kids love it.

Hash Brown Casserole - Light version

Cooking Light September 2007

3/4 c chopped onion

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1 32 oz pkg of hash brown potatoes diced

2 Tbsp butter, melted and divided

1 10 3/4 oz can of condensed reduced fat, reduced sodium cream of chicken soup

8 oz light processed cheese (Velveeta Light)

1 8 oz carton light sour cream

Cooking spray

2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine onion, paprika, pepper, potatoes and 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a large bowl.

3. Combine soup and cheese in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in sour cream. Pour cheese mixture over potatoes. Spread mixture into a 13x9 baking dish coated in cooking spray.

4. Combine cornflakes and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle evenly over top of potato mixture.

5. Bake for 1 hour.

Calories 181 (30% from fat); Fat 6g, Protein 7.1g, Carbs 25.5g, Fiber 1.5g, Chol 21mg, Iron 1.7mg, Sodium 494mg.

Enjoy!

Chianti-Braised Short Ribs

I saw the picture of these Short Ribs in the Rachael Ray magazine and knew I had to make them. Now, if you saw the picture in the magazine, you will know that my ribs do not look like hers! I am not sure what they did to that photo but the picture on the Rachael Ray website does not look like the magazine photo either! Maybe it is lighting!!

I had never eaten Short Ribs before so it was going to be an adventure of the taste buds. They were delicious! After they were done cooking, I saw all of the yummy vegetables in the crock pot and could not just strain them and discard, I kept them part of the dish and served over mashed potatoes! The ribs were rich but my oh my so tender and yummy! This is a keeper!



Chianti-Braised Short Ribs
Rachael Ray Magazine

8 beef short ribs on the bone (4-5 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups Chianti wine ( can use a nice Merlot too)
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tsp tomato paste


1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. working in batches, add ribs and cook, turning often, until browned, 7 - 10 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

3. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low heat until tender, about 6 hours.

4. Transfer ribs to a platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and skim as much fat as possible from surface.

5. Transfer liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil until reduced to about 1 cup. Whisk in tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over ribs.


Enjoy!