Moroccan Pesto Chicken with Tomato Chickpea Salad

This is my year to learn how to grill. I picked up the Grill Every Day cookbook at a few weeks ago. I made a few thing out of this book for dinner: Cumin-Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Moroccan Pesto and Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad. The chicken was great and even the my family was cautious of "ruining" the chicken breasts with pesto, they did go ahead and try it and gave it two thumbs up. The lemon and garlic in the pesto made it really zesty which is unique for pesto. I sliced the chicken breasts and served them all on a platter so that the four chicken breasts would go further (and look like more food) because an extra person showed up for dinner.

The chickpea salad didn't get as good of a review. I found out that my family members like pure vegetable salads and are not wile about chickpeas. I love them though so I had lots of good leftovers. I thought the salad was really fresh and the feta cheese made it very rich as well. The only thing I was not happy with was that the recipe calls for canned olives. I'm not sure if I bought the wrong kind of olives or something, but I got the only kind of green olives that came in a can. They had NO FLAVOR! I suggest you regular Spanish olives that come in a jar to ensure that the olive taste comes through in the salad. If I ever make this again I will probably use kalmata olives because I think that flavor would go really well with the rest of the ingredients.

Cumin-Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Moroccan Pesto 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Moroccan Pesto

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on medium-high.

Remove any pieces of fat clinging to the chicken breasts and place the breasts in a shallow baking dish or bowl. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub the chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil and then rub them with the spice rub. Set aside until the grill is ready.

Oil the grill grate. Place the chicken breasts directly over the medium-hot fire and sear on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side until the juices run clear when the thickest part of a breast is pierced with a knife, or an instant-read thermometer registers to 165 degrees, about 4 minutes longer.

Divide the chicken breasts among warm plates and drizzle with the pesto. Serve immediately.

Moroccan Pesto 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 large cloves garlic 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper and process until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped. With the machine running, pour the lemon juice and olive oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce is combined. Use immediately, or transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad Dressing: 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 can (6 ounces drained weight) pitted ripe olives, halved 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, olives, tomatoes, parsley, and feta. Add the dressing and toss gently to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Southwestern Tofu Scramble

I dare you! That's right, I dare you to make something with tofu as the main ingredient. I decided to try this recipe for Southwesten Tofu Scramble which I found in the April, 2008 issue of Eating Well Magazine because it the picture in the magazine looked very appetizing and it was a reminder to me that I would like to incorporate more tofu in my diet as a healthier way of eating. I first "got into" tofu while I was trying to lose some weight over 10-years ago. I started making some recipes that called for tofu just to try it out and I kept being surprised with the tasty results. That happened again with this recipe! My expectations weren't that high - I was just hoping for some flavor.

While I made this for dinner, I also had it for breakfast this morning. It was perfect for either. For dinner I meant to wrap it up in corn tortillas and make tacos with it, but my tortillas we old and inedible. I really loved the freshness and crispiness of the veggies in this dish. I think the use of corn and zucchini is really important to the overall texture. And while the recipe calls for "prepared" salsa, I purchased the "homemade" kind like pico de gallo in the produce section. I also think the clean texture of the tomatoes in that contributed to the overall taste.

I hope y'all give this one a try and go ahead and add something healthy to your weekly menu!

Southwestern Tofu Scramble 3 tsp. canola oil, divided 1 14-ounce package firm, water-packed tofu, rinsed and crumbled 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. salt, divided 1 small zucchini, diced 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed 4 scallions, sliced 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup prepared salsa 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1 1/2 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu, chili powder, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the tofu begins to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add zucchini, corn, scallions and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan and cook, stirring, until heated through about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese until just melted.

Top each serving with 2 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Vegetables

What is fresher this time of year than shrimp and veggies? Especially asparagus! When I saw this recipe for Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables in the April, 2008 issue of Eating Well Magazine I went out and got all the ingredients to have for dinner that same night.

At first I was thinking about cutting the recipe in half because I didn't want to spend that much money on two pounds of asparagus. I'm glad I didn't though because two of us were able to eat very well for dinner and both have a good sized-portion of leftover the next day. In fact, I didn't even bother to heat up my leftovers because it was kind of like having a salad.

I'm usually hesitant about making things with lemon in the title because I am not a big lemon fan. However this recipe was not too heavy on the lemon and you can always sprinkle on some additional lemon to the finished product if someone wants more flavor. This recipe is a perfect weeknight meal for when you want something both quick and healthy.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 large red bell peppers, diced 2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths 2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest 1/2 tsp. salt, divided 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb. raw shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 tsp. cornstarch 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.

Lunch from the Asian American Fesival

Chicago's Asian American Festival is being held at Daley Center this year. When my co-worker came back with Indian food for lunch today I was intrigued. I headed over there to see what I would discover. There were about 40 booths in total, half food and half stuff you could purchase (everything from purses to jewelry to bamboo). At the time I went there were belly dancers performing. There was at least one booth with every kind of Asian food you could think of: Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.

For my lunch I decided to try the Bibimbabh from one of the Korean booths. Bibimbabh is mixed vegetables and beef served over white rice with a side of spicy sauce so you can make it as spicy as you like. I got this at their recommendation and because the vegetables looked so fresh. While this would be enough for a normal person, I just didn't feel right leaving with only one type of cuisine. So I stopped by Amarit's "Thai and Panasian" booth and ordered a Spring roll and a Thai Iced Coffee.

This kind of lunch beats anything you can get in The Loop on a normal day! I may just have to go back tomorrow!

Bluprint Chicago

I can't believe what a gem this is. Located in the back of the Merchandise Mart, Bluprint is a high quality restaurant that has been open for about one year. I ate dinner here on a Friday night prior to seeing a show at The Chicago Theater. The food was so amazing - my friend (a vegetarian) and I were blown away by the flavors that come out of the food which are a surprise just by looking at it.

I had a Strawberry Fields (Hendrick's gin, fresh strawberries & lime, cilantro) at the bar before we were seated. Now, usually I'm a strawberry hater, but the weather is just starting to get nice so I gave it a try at the recommendation of the bar tender. WOW! It was so refreshing and tasty. I need to find a recipe using this combination of ingredients - minus the gin.


Once seated, we ordered a bottle of white wine and ordered the kona kampachi appetizer. It was a little bit small to share but we both had a taste and along with the fish there was some type of cucumber jelly, strawberries and a really interesting berry sorbet. For dinner I had the amish chicken which was no where near as boring as it sounds. It came with braised pheasant ravioli, spicy yam, toasted hazelnut and forest mushrooms. There was some type of four-spice foam on top as well. The coolest part was that the yam and the hazelnut looked like it was broken pieces of brittle, but really it was a sauce. I have no idea how they did that but major thumbs up for the presentation on this one.


My friend got a vegetarian entree that had mushrooms and I did have a bit but I was so pleased with mine I forgot to pay attention to hers. Instead of something sweet for dessert we ordered the artisan cheese plate. This was nearly a meal by itself because in addition to four cheese, there was a plate full of bread, some cherry sauce and candied nuts. YUM!


The ONLY negative thing I have to say about this restaurant is that there aren't that many people here. It is super cute and seems like it should be packed with a fun vibe at all times. The bar is spacious and offers super creative drinks. I'd love to come here and hang out after work, except there aren't that many people there. So you all must go and check it out and have a drink. I usually don't repeat restaurants, since there are so many in Chicago to go to, but this one is so good that I need to come back and bring my family and close friends so they can see what they are missing.

Rachel's Yogurt

Has Rachel's Yogurt shown up yet in your grocery store? It is my new obsession. I've been trying to eat healthy and low-fat yogurt is a really good way to include dairy in my diet. But it has never been so much fun before! I discovered Rachel's Yogurt in my local Whole Foods and there were a whole bunch of interesting flavors.

The Essence Collection comes in flavors that inspire different moods:
Refresh: Pink Grapefruit Lychee
Glow: Berry Jasmine
Relax: Vanilla Chai
Calm: Plum Honey Lavender
Revive: Peach Green Tea
Vitality: Pomegranate Acai

The Exotic Collection is inspired by different world flavors:
Marionberry Guava
Kiwi Passion Fruit Lime
Cherry Black Currant
Mango Pineapple Passion Fruit
Pomegranate Bluebarry
Orange Strawberry Mango

As you can tell from the list above, it is like a little treat each time I go into the refrigerator and grab my daily yogurt. Which fun flavor will I get? They are all so unique and while I have still not tried them all yet, I have not tasted one that I do not like.

Blogging By Mail: Little Things

I got my package today! The Blogging By Mail theme this time was "Little Things". I created mine on a "little things from Chicago" theme. I received an amazing mix of teas, chocolates and spices! I am a HUGE tea fan and this stash will last me a while. As for the spices, I received some really interesting Indian spices which I would not have purchased myself. I'm so excited to play with it all.

Little Foodie Things from Chicago

I signed up for Dispensing Happiness's Blogging By Mail several months ago. The subject this time is "Little Things". I decided to compile a package of "little things" from Chicago. While Chicago is probably best know for Deep Dish Pizza, hot dogs, cheesecake and Italian beef sandwiches, none of these things could be shipped internationally to my partner. Instead, I took a look back into Chicago's history and discovered that Chicago was once the "Candy Capital" of America. So I hope the recipient of my package has a sweet tooth! I have chosen items from companies based in Chicago or the Chicagoland area.

Wrigley - When I was growing up Wrigley was some of the only gum we could get. When I became a "tween" things like Hubba Bubba started coming out, but for a long time Wrigley was the only gum around. I have included traditional gums such as Juicy Fruit, Big Red and Wrigley's Spearmint. The company is still going strong and I have also included two of their newest gums, 5 Flame and 5 Rain. I think 5 Flame is the modern Big Red and 5 Rain is one of the modern mint gums. But they are all still good!

Tootsie Roll Industries - All little kids love tootsie rolls, mostly because they are small, sweet and individually wrapped. Tootsie has been a Chicago company since the 60's. In addition to Tootsie Rolls, I have included other classic candies from this company such as Junior Mints and Charleston Chews.

Crate and Barrel - In the 80's people used to come from all over the United States to shop at Crate and Barrel. Nowadays there are locations spread out throughout the US, but their headquarters and flagship store are still located in Chicago. While there are many household items available at Crate and Barrel, I included some cute cupcake papers, decorative stencils and some colored sugar.

Frontera Grill - Started by Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill is still one of the best restaurants in the city. In addition to hosting Mexico - One Plate at a Time, Rick Bayless has spread out and started selling products from his famous restaurant. I have included a salsa and a simmer sauce.

Ferrera Pan - Makers of classic "pan" candy, I have included boxes of Lemonheads, Red Hots, Boston Baked Beans.

Jays Foods - Jay's became famous for their potato chips. The interesting part is that the potato chips were actually the idea of Al Capone! The story goes that Capone tried them while betting on the ponies in New York. He liked them so much that and asked his supplier to start making them for his speakeasies. Jay's closed in December of 2007, but some of their classic chips are still around.

In addition to the foods listed above, I also included a little book on Chicago. It has pictures of Chicago "then and now" and really shows the growth of the city. There are also some other candies such as sugar babies and a candy bar from a chocolate factory in Chicago that I bought at the famous Chicago Theater.

Salmon, Cucumber and Tomato Snack

Tonight was a lazy dinner. Actually it was a snack. But a snack with some of my favorite things: smoked salmon, cucumber, tomato and sea salt. That's it. I cut up a large English cucumber and used it as the "cracker". I salted those well with my good sea salt. I used an entire 4 oz. package of smoked salmon and broke up the pieces to layer on top. Then I sliced up a tomato. Since it was round it wouldn't sit on top and I just placed the tomato pieces around the plate. It actually ended up more like a salad than anything else because I cut the salmon and cucumber pieces in half and ate it with a fork. Oh well, it was easy and I'm still full a few hours later so it was the perfect dinner after getting home late from work.

Tilapia with Prosciutto and Sage

I wanted to make fish for dinner and I wanted an easy recipe. While searching online I found this recipe for Tilapia with Prosciutto and Sage at Epicurious. I knew I wanted to make it as soon as I read the simple ingredients because it was made of three of my favorite things: tilapia, prosciutto and sage!

The recipe takes a bit of time to prepare because after cutting the fish into pieces you then have to wrap them with prosciutto. Even though the recipe specifies using "not paper-thin" prosciutto that was all they had at the store. It worked fine for me. I really enjoyed the saltiness of the prosciutto with the flavor of the sage. You couldn't taste the fish all that much because tilapia is so mild and prosciutto has such a strong flavor, but the tilapia added a butteriness to it all.

I made the for my mom and I and while I really enjoyed she was not a fan. She picked off the prosciutto and said that she didn't like the way that the prosciutto tasted when fried. The fatty parts of the prosciutto crisp up a bit like bacon. However, the recipe was interesting to make and I like that it uses so few ingredients and yields such robust flavor.