Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.-Jim Davis

Extra-Lean Turkey Chili

1 lb extra-lean ground turkey breast, 12 oz water, 12 oz crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp garlic power, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 6 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 onion (diced), 2 tsp flour, 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans

Brown the ground turkey in a skillet and drain the fat. Add the tomatoes, water, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper and onion. Mix thoroughly.
Cover the skillet and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Stir in the flour and kidney beans
Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

I absolutely love chili. It tastes amazing in any season but especially the winter. I've always made chili with ground beef but I decided to be adventurous and try to make chili with ground turkey. I've never been a fan of turkey but I've taken a liking to turkey sandwiches for lunch so I wanted to continue to expand my turkey horizons.

The spices all mixed together amazingly to create a spicy chili, just the way I like it. But the turkey, a miss for me. The only way I can think to describe the turkey is wimpy. Beef tastes stronger and heartier to me. I'd make this exact recipe again just using beef instead of turkey. But at least I tried.

I should've bought a baguette to go with the chili. That would've tasted good.

Food, for me, has always been an adventure.-Anthony Bourdain

Fine Dining Tour of Chicago Day Three: Hub51, NoMi Garden at the Park Hyatt and deca at The Ritz Carlton

Day Three was definitely the most well-rounded day. Instead of going out for lunch we did brunch at Hub51. The tasty (cheap) baked apple french toast was heavenly! Some of the fattest and most delicious french toast I've ever had. Their bacon was disappointing. Some kind of gooeyness on top of it and not crispy at all. Bummer! But the breakfast food was a nice change and I go out for breakfast; definitely a special treat.


We did drinks and cheese at the NoMi Garden at the Park Hyatt. The cheese was delicious and the drinks were thirst-quenching, but this place was all about the view. Gazing up at the luxurious apartment buildings with cute porches definitely makes one dream big.


We finished the day at deca Restaurant in the Ritz Carlton. The soothing fountain in the background definitely helps one relax and unwind after a long day. I had the short ribs with macaroni and cheese. The short ribs were so tender they melted in my mouth. I enjoyed the mac and cheese, but I prefer my cheesy noodles without bread crumbs.

Dessert was an apple tart with caramel ice cream. I must admit the ONLY disappointing part of this culinary tour were the desserts. I was left wanting by the dessert menus. None of my favorites were on any menus. Maybe this is a sign I need to expand my dessert horizons.

Such a delicious three days and such a treat to share them with my foodie mother.

I refuse to spend my life worrying about what I eat.-John Mortimer

Fine Dining Tour of Chicago Day Two: Bistro 110 and ZED 451

Some of the tastiest three days of my life continued on Saturday with a delicious lunch at Bistro 110. The previous times I've dined at this wonderful French eatery I ordered the wood-roasted salmon fillet. But since I'd eaten salmon the night before, I stepped outside my comfort zone and ordered the oven-roasted half chicken with thyme and olive oil. While I love a good roast chicken, I rarely order chicken at restaurants. Perhaps because my mom's amazing roast chicken and other chicken recipes has spoiled me. But Bistro 110's chicken was delectable. Great seasoning, crispy skin and juicy meat. I wasn't disappointed I made the jump from sea to land at Bistro 110.


Dinner was at ZED 451. I'd previously eaten at their rooftop bar and lounge, but the menu on the roof was way different than what's served in the main dining room. Like a Brazilian Steakhouse, there's an epic salad bar and chefs walk around to your table offering different cuts and types of meats.

The selection of both meats and the salad bar was never ending. I love having too many options. I dined on duck, Wagyu beef, Moroccan chicken, and chicken fritters. I complemented my meats with roasted zucchini, onions, and peppers, blackberries and strawberries, spinach and goat cheese salad, deviled eggs, and breads with assorted butters and spreads. My mom and I got to eat all that for $44/person. What an amazing deal!!! Not only is the food phenomenal and affordable, but the service is attentive and exceptional and the decor is warm and classy. This would be a fantastic place to go with a group, perhaps for a birthday. I'll keep ZED 451 in mind for January 2011.

ZED 451 also does brunch. I bet it's just as delectable.

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.-Adelle Davis

Fine Dining Tour of Chicago Day One: Zest and Table 52

This weekend was one of the tastiest of my life thanks to my mom visiting and her equally big appetite.

For lunch on Day One we ate at Zest, the restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel. I've always been attracted to eating at hotels, probably due to the combination of good food, luxury, and the allure of travel. I feasted on grilled medallions of beef tenderloins w/ gnocchi, artichokes, and fire roasted bell peppers. Delicious, tender beef that combined into an amazing flavor with the fire roasted bell peppers. However, definitely not enough artichokes and the gnocchi was a tad soggy.


Dinner was at Table 52, Art Smith's southern comfort restaurant, built to look like a southern home. All the tables are close to each other to encourage discussions with your neighbors, which adds to the southern feel.

They brought out two deviled eggs and a goat cheese biscuit to get things started. Delicious deviled eggs devoured in five seconds but that biscuit...wow. Goat cheese and herbs baked into a crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside biscuit. I would've been more than happy to eat that biscuit and call it a night. It was that good.

I got started with an arugula and blue cheese salad with candied pecans and a light Riesling dressing. Not an overwhelming amount of dressing and fresh arugula, I could just taste the vitamins. Moderate, not overwhelming blue cheese, which could've ruined the salad. And candied pecans are the perfect touch to anything. Divine!

Next came salmon with quinoa, pine nuts, golden raisins, and tomato beurre monte. Fresh and flavorful salmon that filled me up but didn't put me over the edge, like a good salmon. I'd always wanted to try quinoa, a grain seed, and it was pretty good, especially combined with the pine nuts. I could've done without the raisins though; I'm not a fan. We shared a side of the three-cheese macoroni and cheese...sinful. I don't even want to predict the nutritional information for that dish. But despite my fear, the extra cheesy noodles were worth every bite.

Dessert was a southern staple, pecan pie. Too bad I was so full I couldn't enjoy it all but the crust was flaky and the pecans crunchy and sweet. And the caramel is always the perfect touch.

These were excellent choices to kick off the culinary tour. The stakes were definitely raised for Day Two.

So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.-Franz Kafka

Black Bean and Corn Soup

1 med sized red onion chopped, 2 tblsp vegetable oil, 2 cans black beans drained, 1 can chicken broth, 1 can corn niblets, 1 cup chunky salsa, salt & pepper (season to liking), sour cream & lime (garnishes)

In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil over low heat about 5 minutes or until tender. In small bowl, mash one cup beans.
Stir mashed beans, remaining beans, corn, salsa, broth, salt and pepper into saucepan; simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until heated through. Serve w/ sour cream and lime wedge if desired.

This is one of the my favorite recipes to make from the Family Circle cookbook my roommate owns. It's so easy and only has about 191 cal/serving. Not only is it good for you, but its relatively cheap and vegetarian (you can use broth instead of chicken broth).

My suggestions are as follows: Add cheese, definitely add the sour cream, the more pepper the better, half a can of chicken broth, chopped tomato is a good substitute for salsa

Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well mitched they are as body and soul, living partners.-Andre Simon

Rosemary Lamb Kabob with Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Onions, and Bowtie pasta w/ Goat Cheese

I have become obsessed with the prepared meats at Whole Foods. This time, lamb kabob. There were a variety of ways I could've prepared this but I decided to cook everything on the stove top with a little olive oil and extra rosemary. Quick, easy, delicious.

The goat cheese added to the pasta was just brilliant. I can't believe I haven't tried this before. Plus, I dipped the lamb in the extra pieces of cheese.

I can't wait to get a kabob again and throw it on the George Foreman!

I am not a glutton --I am an explorer of food-Erma Bombeck

Provencal Chicken Strips

2 tsp olive oil, skinless & boneless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch strips, 1 shallot finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves minced, chopped tomatoes, 2 tblsp parsley, 1 tblsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp dried rosemary.

In large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the chicken, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic, stir frequently until the chicken is cooked through, about 2-4 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, parsley and rosemary. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid evaporates, about ten minutes. Serve the chicken mixture over pasta.

I found this uber easy recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook owned by my roommate, so not only is this dish easy, but it's pretty good for you. It tasted yummy and chicken was so well flavored. I added a bit more rosemary and parsley than called for, so just season to taste.

To improve, I'd add more tomatoes next time.

With the amount of pasta I consume, I should really start eating whole grain pasta. Next time!