Lemony Kale & White Bean Soup

Ten states, one month = exhausted!  After a whirlwind month of traveling for both work and pleasure, I am worn out, home sick, and wanting to get back into my normal eating routine.  Traveling can definitely expose you to amazing food, but after a month straight it takes a toll.  One of the few days I was in Chicago, I picked up some soup at Hannah’s Bretzel and was inspired to make it.  I stumbled onto this recipe on a blog that I have made many dishes from.  It is amazing how cathartic a perfect fall day in Chicago can be…picking up mums, pumpkins and squash to get in the fall spirit and doing some good old home cooking.  This soup has a scrumptious blend of flavors that are perfect for a fall day.

Roasted Broccoli

This week I was inspired by a friend’s Facebook post of what she was having for dinner…well, as a side for dinner…roasted broccoli.  When cooking broccoli I usually do the standard (okay maybe a little boring) steamed with a little butter and salt – quick easy and to the point.  As I started looking up roasted broccoli recipes I began to understand why people rave about it. I loved it when I tasted the end product.  It was an explosion of flavor in each bite with a combination of garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and of course, broccoli.  This is a great side dish that will spice up any dinner plate. 

Tomato, Chard and Gruyère Casserole

I plucked this recipe out of Food & Wine magazine a while ago so excited to make it and I am not sure why I have waited so long because it is REALLY good!  It is a rustic dish that is perfect for Fall and Winter (and definitely paired well with the rainy/gloomy day we are having here in Chicago with Smash on in the background).  It is a very hearty dish but could be used for either a main dish or a side.  The one criticism I have is that the prep time does take a while (lots of chopping!) but it is worth it and I am sure there are ways to cut it back (like cooking the swiss chard the day before and slicing the tomatoes). A perfect option for a vegetarian plate at a dinner party.  I would definitely recommend cutting it in half or 2/3rds because it makes A LOT of food and most people don’t have a dish that can handle this size casserole.

Cranberry Relish

Each year when cleaning up after Thanksgiving dinner, I always seem to notice the cranberry side dish usually isn't touched much.  Does this sound familiar?  Well, Susan Crawford, one of my dearest friends, passed along a recipe that her family SWEARS by.  I haven’t posted any recipes that I haven’t tried myself, but since she is a close friend (and lover of cooking), I trust her judgment and taste buds.  Below is a fun recipe to try if you are looking for a new cranberry recipe!

Cornbread Pudding

A few weeks ago Quaker (where I work) had their annual Chili-Mac-Cornbread cook-off.  Unfortunately this is the second year I haven’t been able to participate.  I had originally entered this year, but it was being held the Friday I was heading out of town for Tamara’s Baby shower, and didn't have enough hands to carry everything while navigating to work on public transportation.   All I kept seeing was me losing my balance on the bus and the pan of cornbread pudding being flung all over innocent bystanders.  Thus I accepted my role as taster/judger, which isn't a bad gig!  There were so many amazing entries (even a chili that tasted like buffalo chicken dip – won most creative chili and I am trying to get my hands on the recipe).  The one I am sharing with you today will be a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu.  It was made by my co-worker, Katie Ciepierski and she passed along her recipe to share.  I have seen many variations of this recipe online.  If you want it creamier, decrease the amount of Jiffy corn bread mix and increase the amount of corn to your liking!

Herb Roasted Turkey

November 1^st, the day after Halloween and apparently Christmas season, as marked by the festive red Starbucks Holiday cups that have arrived in stores.  Kids are still coming down from their Halloween sugar high and yet, we seem to have blown through Thanksgiving and gone straight to Christmas.   Target started their Spot, the dog, Holiday commercials a few weeks ago, along with Walmart and Kmart touting their layaway options for presents.  If we continue on this trajectory we will soon be giving a whole new meaning to Christmas in July!  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that it is holiday season, and I LOVE when Starbucks transitions to their holiday cups.  I will love it even more after daylight savings this weekend.  Living in Chicago means the sun will set by 4pm after we “fall back.”  One of the perks of early holiday celebrations is the fact that Chicago puts up Christmas lights early, so even though it is pitch black at 5pm, I get to see all the twinkling lights on my bus ride home.