Feed

I've been making some site visits at work lately with our CEO. A few weeks ago we found ourselves in Humbolt Park around lunchtime, we were in an area where there was not much in terms of restaurants, so after driving a few blocks we decided to try a diner-looking establishment at Grand and California called Feed. The restaurant is small: only about 25 people could find a seat inside, and even that would be pushing it.

The restaurant serves southern comfort food and has the decor to match. Lots of BBQ, baked beans, corn pudding, spinach, and the list goes on and on. I felt a little bit embarrassed to take photos of my food, but I absolutely had to...everything was awesome. You have to go out of your way to visit this establishment, but the reviews prove that it is worth it. I need to go back for breakfast...I want to try the biscuits and gravy!

I had a pulled pork sandwich with french fries and succotash (I had never had succotash before but it was ah-maz-ing!). Everything was good actually, and I don't even like BBQ that much. My boss had three sides: succotash, beets, and some type of greens.

I beg you, go give this fine neighborhood a little love! (And bring cash, as they are cash only).

Blueberry Yogurt Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I tend to go in phases with this blog and my cooking. About four months ago I went through a 'soup' phase. Lately, I find myself very interested in breakfast/brunch items, as you can see from my last post: Strawberry Cake. A french toast casserole is coming up as well...

Normally I would not make pancakes for dinner. In fact, I don't even really like pancakes. But when I saw this recipe featured on my favorite food blog, I had to adapt the recipe and try it myself. Daniele would never approve of pancakes for dinner, so I invited a friend over (Dan, the famous blog contest winner. I've been told he has to turn down people for autographs all the time) since Daniele happens to be away. Dan and I happily spent our Friday night cooking (and eating) these pancakes.

Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Melt half of your butter and stir in the other unmelted half. Set aside for a moment. In a bowl, whisk together yogurt and eggs together. Add butter, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.


In a separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly.


Add blueberries and chocolate chips to the batter. Heat 1 tablespoon butter on a skillet and when melted, add 3-4 scoops of approximately 1/2 cup of batter. Flatten batter in skillet and flip after about 5 minutes. Remove pancakes from skillet when cooked through. If you want to keep the pancakes warm while you cook the remainder, preheat your oven to 200 degrees and put the finished pancakes on a baking sheet in the oven while you finish cooking the rest of the batter.


Enjoy with your favorite toppings (whipped cream, maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, ice cream) and whatever you do, don't drop half the batch on your kitchen floor like I did! Don't worry, I ate them anyway.

Sorry, these photos are not high quality. Oh well.

Strawberry Cake

My reader numbers have been low lately, so hopefully this will be a recipe that gets them back up. It is afterall, one of my favorite recipes since I have started this food blog experience over a year ago.

I'm not a big dessert person, but for one reason or another I really like fruity cakes. Maybe because there is some level of nutritional value to them so I can justify overindulging, I don't know. Not only does this one taste delicious but it also looks beautiful. Surprisingly easy to make, and yet if you are entertaining, I promise this one will impress...

Strawberry Cake

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, warm
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1  egg
• 1/2 cup  milk
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 10 inch springform pan. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl,  beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Then, mix in egg, milk, and vanilla to the butter mixture. Add in dry mixture until smooth.

Pour cake batter into the springform pan. Add strawberries to the top of the batter and sprinkle them with about 2 tablespoons more sugar. Bake cake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Enjoy immediately. Make plenty for leftovers.

Kid tested. Mother approved.

Medici

For you Hyde Parkers, Medici isn't anything extraordinary. But if you are visiting Chicago from elsewhere and wind up in Hyde Park, Medici is one of the places I'd suggest. My parents were in town last weekend and I took them there. With a menu that appeals to a broad audience, it's a good pick for a party with a range of food tastes. And you can bring your own beer! Or wine!

Although I usually order a hamburger (their hamburgers are oh-so-tasty), I thought I'd try something a little bit different and go with the salmon burger. Boy am I glad that I did. Not only was it a slightly healthier choice then the traditional hamburger, but it was cooked just the way I liked it and topped with a HUGE scoop of tasty guacamole. Heaven. The only mistake I made was to order the potato salad instead of the fries...not that the potato salad was bad but...next time I'll stick with the french fries.

So if you happen to wind up near Hyde Park, or are looking for something new to order at Medici---check this one out.

P.S. I'm not trying to get political, but Obama eats here. You can even buy a t-shirt that tells you so. I couldn't convince my father to purchase it, however...

Ratatoille

I had been eyeing this recipe in my slow cooker cookbook for some time, and when Daniele left for Italy, I knew it was time to give it a shot. This recipe has eggplant (which D does not like) so I wanted to make it for a more approving audience. Coincidentally, the recipe is also vegan and therefore, I was able to invite a friend of mine who is vegan over for dinner. We both enjoyed this version of ratatoille, so much, in fact that I completely forgot to take a picture until the second helping! Sorry about the slightly messier-than-usual photo, but just know it is due to the fact that this recipe was enjoyed immensely!

Ratatoille

• olive oil
• 1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed seeded, and chopped
• garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 can (12 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• salt and pepper
• parmesan cheese (not added in the vegan version)

Begin by heating olive oil in a skillet and browning eggplant on all sides for about 10 minutes.  Place in slow cooker. Repeat with onions, bell peppers, garlic, and thyme and cook until vegetables are soft and browned. Stir in flour.

Drain tomato juice from the diced tomatoes and add to the skillet. Mix together and pour in slow cooker. Add the rest of the tomatoes to the slow cooker and cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Top with fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste, and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto

And here I am blogging about yet another thing that I would not be allowed to cook if D were here. This time, not because he doesn't like the ingredients, but because it is obviously against the rules to cook an Italian recipe with non-traditional ingredients. Clearly, every pesto needs to be made with basil, parmesan, olive oil, and pine nuts (according to D). Sorry sweetie, but you are so wrong. I'll need to try a brocolli pesto before he returns next month...

Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto
1/2 bunch swiss chard, washed and chopped
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil


Combine swiss chard, lemon zest and juice and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add parmesan and begin to process. Slowly stream in olive oil and process until a smooth paste forms. Serve over spaghetti.

Admittedly, this is not my favorite pasta sauce, but it was nice for something different.

Grilled Veggies with Goat Cheese and Basil

With Daniele gone, my eating habits transform almost completely vegetarian in an instant. It's not that I don't like meat, it's just that I feel healthier and I prefer the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in the summer. And with Daniele not putting the pressure on to eat meals with meat in them..I simply don't do it.

Also, it's difficult to cook for one, therefore, simple is better. I like to use few ingredients with strong flavors to really savor the taste of the fresh produce. Yum.

This one truly is simple, and I recommend it for a night you need to cook for yourself...or, it could even be an impressive side dish when entertaining.

Zucchini and Summer Squash with Goat Cheese and Basil
-1 summer squash, sliced vertically
-1 zucchini, sliced vertically
-1/3 cup crumpled goat cheese
-1/4 cup chopped basil
-olive oil
-lemon juice
-pepper
-salt

After slicing your vegetables, place on a grill. Or, I used a George Foreman. Grill zucchini and summer squash for about 5-7 minutes, flipping once if necessary. Top the vegetables with a hint of salt and pepper, as well as a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. Place goat cheese and chopped basil on top of the zucchini and summer squash and enjoy instantly.