Roasted Veggies and Quinoa

It’s cold out and I’m extra hungry. It’s hard to resist comfort food (and the calories that come with it) around this time of year. For nights when a salad just won’t cut it, I like to make a hearty veggie dish that fills me up with nutrients instead of guilt.

Superfoods that are high in nutrients and antioxidants like sweet potatoes, quinoa, garlic, onion, red pepper, zucchini and squash comprise this dish that can serve as either a main course or a side. Both calorie friendly and budget friendly - cook this up for dinner and use leftovers for lunch/dinner the next day.

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 red pepper
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
6 leaves fresh basil
½ cup quinoa
6 cloves garlic
½ red onion
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook ½ cup dry quinoa according to package directions. Slice potatoes and veggies - rustic style in thicker chunks. Make sure the potato is sliced thinner than the veggies since those will take longer to cook. Finely chop the garlic. Mix together in a large bowl with olive oil and balsamic vinegar until evenly coated.

Place mixture in a baking pan and cook for 15-20 minutes. While the dish is cooking, chop the fresh basil and grate the parmesan cheese. If you want to grill chicken or Italian sausage, etc., do so during this time.

Remove dish from the oven and top with basil and cheese; serve warm.

Gotta love all of the color in this meal

Chop and mix until veggies are evenly coated with oil and vingear

Spread mixture in a baking dish - stir halfway through cooking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve veggies warm and top with grated parm and fresh basil - can be in addition to a protein like grilled chicken or Italian sausage for heartier meal

Review: The Dawson

The Dawson was a great spot to celebrate my sister's birthday - from the fun cocktails to the attentive staff, a good time was had by all.  The Dawson occupies the space formerly held by the brunch restaurant Orange at the six corners intersection of Grand/Milwaukee/Halsted. I've been not-so-patiently watching the construction in anticipation of the new space. The full wall of glass windows and tall wooden fence hiding the outdoor space gave me just enough of a sneak peek and mystery to make The Dawson a must-try.

The Dawson was way more of a bar that happens to also be a restaurant than I had imagined. The large bar is center to the open space with tables flanking the perimeter. Both the first floor and top floor have the same set-up. The food had some hits and some misses, but the staff really added to an overall great dining experience. The manger (Abe Lincoln doppelganger) overheard that my sister was recently engaged (not to mention her birthday) and brought us a round of bubbly - and later comped the dessert. A man after my own heart. I look forward to returning to The Dawson once the weather warms up and I can enjoy what looks to be a really cool outdoor space.

View of entrance from upstairs

Walking into the dining area downstairs - bar straight ahead and our table was to the right.  

Drinks all around! Left to right: Officer's Club whiskey drinks (we all took turns biting the lemongrass - really tastes like lemon!), Carillon Cup (gin, lemon, vanilla pear, apple, soda) and my drink the Safe Word (vodka, apple, St. Germain, cinnamon, lemon, bitters) - and of course the complimentary champagne! Each of us thought the drink we ordered was the best one of the group (once again, taste-testing all around), happy campers. 

The Drunken Clams were a little too breaded and bland but the Crispy Pork Tacos were AMAZING! The al pastor was spicy with a hint of smokey-sweet; we each ate one taco and considered ordering more.

The burger came with a thick slab of bacon (pork jowl), comte cheese and jalapeno - although it's a step up from your standard burger, Chicago has some stiff burger competition these days and I wouldn't put The Dawson burger in my top five. (see Summer House burger review)

This is only half of the Pork Shank serving - Struan and I shared this meal. The pork was cooked perfectly; tender and rich with a crispy skin.  The shank was accompanied by papardelle pasta and mushrooms - I would have liked more sauce with the pasta, but then again that may have taken away from the pork. Our other dinner orders included the Wood Grilled Chicken with glazed apple and ricotta gnocchi (way too buttery) and the Pickled Onion Rings (too greasy).

Our meal was finished off with the Bread Pudding (pictured) and chocolate cake with blueberries - we enjoyed both; I preferred the bread pudding with caramel.

I will probably wait until spring to go back to The Dawson so I can check out the outdoor area.  Check this place out for yourself and let me know what you think!

http://the-dawson.com/

Review: Summer House

Those Melman's really have the Midas touch. Hot off the heels of Three Dots and a Dash and they have yet another success to add to their impressive list. The Melman brothers were actually sitting next to my sister and I while we dined. One part of me wanted to run up to them like a crazed fan screaming, “show me how to make buckets of money!!!!”, while the other part wanted to act too cool and pretend like I didn’t even notice they were there. The latter prevailed.

My sister and I went to Summer House on a cold, rainy night usually reserved for the couch - yet upon walking into the restaurant we felt the whole Southern Cali vibe. With a retractable roof, this place will be unstoppable in the summer.

Summer House bar area

Garage doors will open in the summer

Retractable roof will open in the summer - day drinking!!

Bonfire cocktail - blanco tequila, grapefruit, honey, bitters. I'm loving the drink trends I've been seeing in the past year or so - and Summer House keeps in line with the competition. Their drink menu has a small selection of custom cocktails and my sister and I were able to try 3 of the 5 (all in the name of blogging...).  I had two of the Bonfire so I guess I will call it my favorite for now. Must try them all - just to be fair.

The Monte Cali is for the whiskey lovers (I enjoyed it, but definitely had a stronger whiskey taste than the waitress said it would have). The Palm Fizz is light and fresh - what you would expect from a drink with the word "fizz" in it.

As a guac connoisseur - I wholeheartedly approve. The salsa was also excellent; wished we had more than just the little side.

WOW - ahi tuna tostadas with watermelon, cilantro and avocado. So fresh and light; a great starter that allowed us to save room for a burger...and dessert...

Fresh burrata cheese with roasted celery root, lemon and shaved fennel.  The house-made grilled bread was a perfect addition - I found myself going back for more just for the bread.

Inspired by the West Coast chain, In-and-Out Burger, the Summer House burger is a must. I found it to be one of the best cooked burgers I've ever had.  Not too thick or too thin, the beef patty was cooked medium (I rarely see a burger actually cooked to a true medium when I order it that way) and was simply delicious.

The dessert bar is the first sight you see upon entering (and leaving) Summer House.  You can order off of the dessert menu or pick something from this bakery bar. I had the Brown Butter Rice Krispie treat - so buttery and gooey and everything it should ever be.

Like most of the other Lettuce Entertain You establishments, Summer House has a gluten-free menu.

http://www.summerhousesm.com/