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Goat Cheese and Portabella Mushroom Enchiladas

14 Feb

In preparing for our trip to Mexico, I’ve been on a bit of an enchiladas kick. I love them because they’re very easy and once you get the basic principal of making them, you can have a lot of fun with fillings and flavors. It’s fun living in a city with one of the best Mexican chef’s- that would be you, Rick Bayless- but it’s also fun creating these delicious items in your own kitchen!

In the most recent cases, I’ve made cilantro, goat cheese and portabella mushroom enchiladas with a verde sauce. Here’s my recipe, but as always, it’s more of a guestimation than science.

Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Mushroom Enchiladas

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces of verde enchilada sauce
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 4-8 oz. goat cheese
  • 2 cups of shredded Chihuahua cheese
  • 2 boxes of baby portabellas (sliced)
  • Cilantro (one bunch)
    Cilantro cooking base (3 tbs)
  • Olive oil
  • Shallots (1 cup diced)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Turn oven onto 350 degrees
  2. Sautee mushrooms and shallots with the cilantro base until they’re sautéed and most moisture is evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  3. Add in goat cheese and mix with mushrooms
  4. Microwave the tortillas for about 45 seconds
  5. In a lasagna-sized cooking dish, pour about a cups worth of enchilada sauce on the bottom
  6. Take a tortilla, fill it with the mushrooms mixture and roll it, placing seam side down in the pan
  7. Rinse and repeat with remaining tortillas and mushrooms
  8. Cover the enchiladas with another cup or two of sauce and then spread the Chihuahua cheese on top
  9. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is browning and bubbling

Vote for Time Out Chicago’s Eat Out Awards

9 Feb

Time Out Chicago's Eat Out Awards Photo from TOC

Some Chicagoans may have picked up on an election around town. No, not that silly mayoral election, I’m talking about Time Out Chicago’s fifth annual Eat Out Awards. This gives diners all over the city a chance to weigh in on who served up the best plates in our fair city.

Below are the categories and the restaurants within them. Go vote for them online here. Voting will go until March 9th and the winners will be announced in the April 14 TOC issue, along with the 15 Critic’s Picks.

My picks include, Intelligentsia for Best Local Coffee Roaster; Billy Lawless (The Gage, Henri) for Restaurateur of the Year; Mastro’s for Best New Steakhouse; More Mobile for Best Dessert Truck; Meatyballs for Best Food Truck; Due Lire for Best New Italian; and Big Star for Best New Patio

On your mark, get set, VOTE!

Best New Restaurant

  • Arami
  • Girl & The Goat
  • Lillie’s Q
  • Owen & Engine
  • Ruxbin

Best New Bar

  • Bangers & Lace
  • The Boiler Room
  • Curio
  • Haymarket Pub & Brewery
  • Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar
  • WaterShed

Best New Beverage Program

  • Chizakaya (sake)
  • Duchamp (cocktails)
  • Henri (wine)
  • Owen & Engine (beer)
  • Sable Kitchen & Bar (cocktails)

Best Local Coffee Roaster

  • Asado Coffee Co.
  • Bridgeport Coffee Co.
  • Dark Matter
  • Intelligentsia
  • Metropolis

Chef of the Year

  • Grant Achatz (Alinea)
  • Dirk Flanigan (The Gage, Henri)
  • Sandra Holl (Floriole Cafe & Bakery)
  • Stephanie Izard (The Girl & The Goat)
  • B.K. Park (Arami)

Breakout Chef of the Year

  • Matthew Eversman (Saigon Sisters)
  • Edward Kim (Ruxbin)
  • Guy Meikle (Nana)
  • Bai Ming Wu (MingHin Cuisine)

Restaurateur of the Year

  • Kevin Boehm & Rob Katz (Boka, Perennial, Girl & The Goat)
  • Scott Harris (Francesca’s Restaurants; Purple Pig)
  • Tony Hu (Lao Sze Chuan, Lao Beijing, Lao You Ju)
  • Billy Lawless (The Gage, Henri)
  • RJ & Jerrod Melman (Hub 51, Paris Club)
  • Brendan Sodikoff (Gilt Bar, Maude’s Liquor Bar)

Best New Bakery

  • Cookie Bar
  • Floriole Cafe & Bakery
  • La Boulangerie
  • Sprinkles

Best New Steakhouse

  • Benny’s Chop House
  • Chicago Cut
  • Epic
  • Mastro’s

Best Dessert Truck

  • Flirty Cupcakes
  • More Mobile
  • Sweet Miss Giving’s
  • Sweet Ride

Best Food Truck

  • Gaztrowagon
  • Happy Bodega
  • Hummingbird Kitchen
  • Meatyballs
  • Simple Sandwich
  • Tamalespaceship

Best New Pub Grub

  • Blokes & Birds
  • Leopold
  • Owen & Engine
  • The Southern
  • Three Aces

Best New Barbecue

  • Brand BBQ Market
  • Chicago Q
  • Lillie’s Q
  • Pork Shoppe
  • Smokey Bears BBQ House

Best New Italian

  • Davanti Enoteca
  • Donatella Mediterranean Bistro
  • Due Lire
  • The Florentine
  • Three Aces

Best New Patio

  • Big Star
  • D.S. Tequila Co.
  • Epic Sky
  • The Portage
  • Purple Pig

Cauliflower and Celery Root Mashed Potatoes

12 Jan

Over Christmas, my sister and I decided to pull out the stops and prepare a feast for the history books. One of the offerings was a twist on the traditional mashed potatoes. We decided to make it unique by adding cauliflower and celery root. It was absolutely delicious and incredibly easy. It’s a good way to get some other nutrient rich foods into a comfort staple. Here’s my guesstimate recipe:

Cauliflower and Celery Root Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 1 celery root, cut into 1-inch cubes (NOTE: celery root is kind of funky looking- like an oversized white beet. Just peel with a knife and cut into cubes)
  • 4 cups of cauliflower florets
  • 3 peeled potatoes in 1-inch cubes
  • 1/2 (or so) cup of milk
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

  1. Bring a pot to boil and put in the celery root cubes
  2. Let those boil for 5-7 minutes alone and then add potatoes and cauliflower
  3. Boil until tender with a fork (about 15 minutes)
  4. Drain and then place into a bowl
  5. Add milk, butter and mash until desired texture (lumpy or smooth)
  6. Add salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!

Date night: LM in Lincoln Square

10 Jan

This weekend we had a wonderful dinner with friends at LM in Lincoln Square. It was one of those rare nights out, without the baby, and we took full advantage.

LM Bistro

LM Bistro

LM is a small restaurant, but they’re able to get a lot of tables and easily accommodated our larger group. It’s like Mary Popins carpet bag- fits a lot more than you’d think.
We started with cocktails and I was disappointed to find out they weren’t equipped to make my bourbon Old Fashioned. Seemed a little strange that a bar would be left without oranges, but my second choice Manhattan quickly erased any disappointment.

They offer a prix fix menu, even on weekends, and a few people from our party took advantage. I, on the other hand, was hankering for a steak, so stuck to the menu.

I ordered the Arugula salad which came with aged goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts. The salad was nice, but could have used a little more flavor. The aged goat cheese was nice but there wasn’t enough and the hazelnuts weren’t toasted enough so that their sweet flavors really came through.
My Hangar steak was incredibly well seasoned and the peeled Brussel sprouts and potatoes were amazing. Unfortunately, I did not love the cut of meat itself. Having worked for one of the world’s leaders of fine-dining steakhouses, I know what a good steak is. Mainly, a good steak is prime. The fat melts right it and you can cut if with a spoon. This was definitely not a prime piece of meat. It was pretty chewy and not enough marbling.

That being said, given what they had to work with, it was still a tasty entrée.

For dessert, I ordered my staple cheese tray. It came with a soft Brie, a Manchego and another type of cheese, of which I’ll never know because they didn’t explain what cheeses were included. They also only provided four walnuts, which seemed pretty stingy and instead of crackers or wafers, the tray was accompanied with bread. Pretty cumbersome.

Now, despite some of these flaws, the meal experience was wonderful. The company was terrific, the cocktails were delicious and we had a really nice night out with the baby at home with a sitter. A sitter, who by the way, baked macaroons while we were gone, and were much better than the desserts at LM.

I will go back to LM, but will be more guarded by what I order next time.

Address 4539 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Phone 773. 942. 7585

Provenance: Keeping us classy at home

7 Jan

 

Provenance Chicago

I’m not going to lie. In the old days, going out to dinner was part of our routine. It was an expectation. A constant to look forward to.

These days, not so much.

But, that doesn’t mean we have to give up delicious things as a result. Instead of going out for these acquisitions, we’re now bringing them home. Rather than enjoying a plated cheese platter with wine at Fiddlehead, we bring the fromage and vino to the living room.

A major aid in our efforts to do this is the amazing Provenance. Locale less than 40 steps from where I get off the train every night, Tracy, the owner, has become a familiar and friendly face as I stock up on delicious bottles and stinky cheeses.

Tracy does an amazing job of rotating in great bottles usually all under $14. On any given day she’ll have about 6-7 whites and the same amount of reds. On her back wall, she’ll have a few more options, but those are the fancy bottles, priced upwards of $25-40.

But they don’t just have wine. They also carry small batch, specialty brews that my husband loves. Whether it’s a bottle of Goose Island’s Matilda or Éphémère, he’s equally happy with their options.

There are also local made treats from B True Bakery, Sarah’s Candies and Vosges. Need some Truffle salt? They usually have at least four options. Grape seed oil? Yep. Red Hen Bakery baguette? You know it. Basically, they keep us civilized even when we’re enjoying happy hour in our living room.

B True Bakery

Provenance has two locations, one in Lincoln Square and another in Logan Square.

RECIPE: Black Bean, Corn, Green Pepper, and Cheese Enchiladas Verde

14 Nov

Like lasagna, enchiladas are a meal I resort to often because it’s very easy, fun to change up, and tasty. Here’s my recipe for a version of enchiladas with black beans, corn, green peppers and cheese, but you can substitute it with pretty much anything you like.

 

The Chicago Foodie’s Easy Enchiladas:

  • Pack of corn tortillas (usually 12)
  • Enchilada sauce (store-bought, in this case I went with a verde, but you can get red or mole)
  • 2 onions, julienned
  • 1 green pepper, julienned
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 can of corn
  • 2-ish cups of reduce fat cheese (of course you can use any type you like)
  • Cumin powder to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Turn on the over to 350 degrees
  2. Spray a 9×13 (or so) baking dish with non-stick spray and ladle some of the enchilada sauce on the bottom
  3. In a frying pan, sautee the green peppers and onion until they’re soft and lightly browned
  4. Strain the can of beans and corn and add to the onion and pepper mix
  5. Add about a half a cup of the enchilada sauce
  6. Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste
  7. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds
  8. Add the onion, pepper, bean and corn mix to each enchilada, then fold the tortilla over the filling
  9. Place the enchiladas in the pan with seam side down
  10. Once all are filled and in the pan, cook for 15 minutes with no sauce
  11. Take out after 15 minutes and cover with the sauce and put cheese on top
  12. Cook for additional 15 minutes
  13. (Note- the tortillas will get soggy on the bottom from the sauce, so just a heads up. They’re still deliciou though!)
  14. Serve with some rice, beans, a nice salad and enjoy!

2011 Michelin Guide Chicago Announces Bib Gourmand Winners

10 Nov
Bib Gourmand Awards

Bib Gourmand Awards

You might be fooled by the title of this blog into thinking I’m an actual “foodie”- or whatever that may mean. The truth is I’m someone who loves delicious food, going to Chicago’s gem restaurants (i.e. not trendy/hot/fancy), cooking meals for my husband, son, and friends, and a nice glass of wine here and there. Since we had our son in March, I feel like I should change the title of the blog to “The Lapsing Foodie” since going out to eat is harder than it used to be, but I’ve already bought this site’s domain, so I’ll hold onto it for now.

When we do go out to eat, there are a number of wonderful restaurants just blocks away from our house and we feel right at home as soon as we go through their doors. That’s what is so great about Chicago; the neighborhoods are almost like their own small towns and each area has their prized restaurants.

All of this being said, you can imagine how thrilled I was that the Michelin Guide Chicago announced its Bib Gourmand winners this morning and our neighborhood was well represented.

The Bib Gourmand award is a Michelin Guide distinction awarded to restaurants judged to offer very good food at a very good value. For Michelin’s purposes, a “very good value” means an appetizer and entree, plus a glass of wine, will cost $40 or less. The Michelin Guide Chicago won’t announce their stared recipients until next week, and while I’m eager to find out who made the cut, the Bib Gourmand are more our taste. “These restaurants represent the inspectors’ favorites,” says Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guide. “I call them the gems of Chicago, restaurants that deserve to be recognized for good food.”

The restaurants awarded include, Los Nopales, Opart Thai, Brown Trout, Lula Café, Spacca Napoli, Urban Belly, and West Town Tavern. Surprisingly left off the list was Chicago’s encased meats emporium, Hot Doug’s, which is leading some to speculate if Doug will be awarded a Michelin Star (since Bib Gourmand recipients will not be awarded a Michelin Star). We shall find out next week!

Lula Cafe

Lula Cafe

2011 Michelin Guide Chicago Bib Gourmand Winners:

Ann Sather
Belly Shack
Bistro 110
The Bristol
Browntrout
Ceres’ Table
Cumin
deca
De Cero
DeCOLORES
Frances’ Deli
Frontera Grill
Gilt Bar
Girl & The Goat
Green Zebra
Han 202
Hopleaf
Jaipur
Kith & Kin
La Creperie
La Petite Folie
Los Nopales
Lula Café
Mado
Mexique
M. Henry
Mixteco Grill
Nana
Nightwood
Opart Thai House
Otom
Paramount Room
Perennial
The Publican
The Purple Pig
Raj Darbar
Riccardo Trattoria
Smak-Tak
Smoque
Spacca Napoli
Taste of Peru
Thai Village
Twin Anchors
UrbanBelly
Veerasway
West Town Tavern

Lincoln Square Eats, Oh My!

29 Oct

 

Bistro Campagne

Bistro Campagne

Lots going on this weekend. My best friend is visiting from New York City, it’s the baby’s first Halloween and we have two dinner dates in Lincoln Square.

Tonight, Friday, we’re going to a preview dinner at Due Lire (4520 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-275-7878) which opens to the public on November 2. Due Lire will feature about 20 authentic small-plate versions of Italian dishes. Massimo Di Vuolo, owner of Due Lire, is from Napoli and is bringing his passion for Italian food to Lincoln Square. Massimo is a friend of our friend and we’re excited to have this new restaurant in the neighborhood.

Saturday night my friend, Maritza, and I are going to one of my all-time favorite spots, Bistro Campagne, also in Lincoln Square. Expect a full recap of both experiences following the weekend.

Have a fun, safe Halloween and eat something delicious.

The Harvest Season

19 Oct

Fall is definitely upon us and with the beautiful weather we’ve been having, it’s a sin to stay indoors on these lovely days. This past weekend we trekked out to Glenview to Wagner Farm for some good ol’ fashioned tractor rides, pumpkin patches and Halloween fun.

The Merritts enjoying the autumn beauty

Checking out the tractor!

I love the strong correlation this time of year between autumn festivities and cooking in the kitchen. When I’m outside on crisp days, it inspires me to cook and even (gasp) bake! I don’t just want to decorate the house with gourds and squash, I want to make meals out of them. We’ve had butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and acorn squash at least once a week this season.

It’s also fun because now I’m not only making food for me and my husband, but for the baby as well. He’s a big fan of butternut squash and sweet potatoes as well as broccoli and apples (random and sounds kind of gross, but not bad).

For the other Mama foodies out there, here are a couple easy little recipes I’m using, with harvest ingredients, for the baby’s food.

Peas and Pears

  • Peel three pears, trim out seeds and dice
  • Steam for 15 minutes
  • Puree and place in a bowl
  • Steam about three cups of broccoli
  • Puree the broccoli
  • Mix in the pear puree
  • Voila!

TIP: store in small GladWare containers. They’re cheaper than the “baby” marketed versions and the lids stay on better.

Butternut squash and sweet potatoes

  • Peel (carefully!) the squash, de-seed it and cut into cubes
  • Peel potatoes (about three) and dice up
  • Steam squash and potatoes together for 20 minutes
  • Puree together
  • Voila!

Pastoral’s Fall Tastings and Classes

11 Oct
Pastoral

Photo from Yelp

 

Working in a very high-paced office and industry, I rarely go out for lunch during the day. Most often, my lunches consist of tuper-ware versions of whatever I had the night before at dinner. But once in a while, when I’m really craving a ridiculously delicious sandwich with stinky, soft cheese and chutneys, I escape my desk and head to Pastoral. It’s always a treat and my only regret is I can’t spend the rest of my day sipping their wines and sampling cheeses; alas.

 

In addition to enjoying their culinary achievements between sliced bread, you can also take classes from one of their shops. I am hoping to make it to one this fall, but you should definitely check them out. In addition to how delicious and fun they sound, I think they’re pretty reasonable compared to many other wine and cheese-type classes and tastings out there.

PASTORAL’S TASTE OF ARTISAN ITALY:
CLASSES AND TASTINGS


Saturday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Loop / Lake Street)
Exploring Italy
From Dolomite Alps to Venice, from Lake Como to Sicily, Pastoral is featuring all of our finest Italian delights. Resident sommelier Jill Pienta will cover artisan cheeses, small batch wines, meat and olives—and highlight pairing ideas that would make Dean Martin swoon. $45 per person; purchase tickets in advance at www.pastoralartisan.com or by calling any Pastoral store location. Includes 15% shopping discount at Pastoral on the day of the class.

 

FALL CLASS SCHEDULE
Pastoral will host a variety of new classes in fall 2010 as part of its growing in-store class and event program. Classes highlighted below will last approximately 90 minutes and include time for Q&A; reserved with a credit card online at www.pastoralartisan.com or by calling any store location. Includes a 15% shopping discount at the store on the night of the class. Cancellations must be made 72 hours in advance.

 

Saturday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. (Loop / Lake Street)
Exploring Italy

Tuesday, October 26, 7:30 p.m. (Lakeview)
Beyond Kraft Singles: Exploring American Cheese
Food culture in the United States has changed so significantly in the last 20 years that we have quality cheeses and wines being made by hand all over the country. Join resident fromager Cesar Olivares as we venture out of California and Wisconsin to discover some of the artisan gems of the great U.S.A. $45 per person.

Monday, November 1, 7:30 p.m. (Chicago French Market)
Pairing 101
Cheese + Wine = Flavor Utopia. With so many cheese styles and a myriad of wine choices available, pairing can seem like a shot in the dark. At Pastoral, the combination of wine and cheese is a lifestyle: we’ve studied the nuance, tested the theories and created philosophies on the subject of pairing that we’d love to share with you! Visit and taste with resident sommelier Jill Pienta as she introduces the classic combos, new-age ideas and avant-garde anomalies with cheese, wine and good company! $40 per person.

Tuesday, November 16, 7:30 p.m. (Lakeview)
Bubbles, Cheese & Chocolate
Who doesn’t love sparkling wine, cheese and chocolate?? Explore some of the most coveted foods in the world and learn why these foods are so well-known and well-loved. Resident fromager Cesar Olivares takes you on a world tour of some of the best producers of these sinful indulgences. Just in time for holiday party planning ideas. $45 per person.

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