Undecided.

Novice chef: entree salad, where to buy local produce during Chicago winters

I was looking to make something light for dinner, since my holiday appetite consisted mostly of cannolis for breakfast, kolackies for lunch and pasta for dinner. Anything sugary and starchy was in my diet, and today I felt like eating something light and refreshing.

I opted for a salad with pears, bleu cheese and walnuts. For dressing, I used balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and it was just what my holiday-abused body needed!

I could hardly mess up this dinner, as it was mostly assembling and little cooking. I did add chicken - and since I'm a vegetarian it was a Quorn chick'n pattie - and then it officially was the perfect winter salad! It filled me up without making me feel like I couldn't move for the next two hours.

What do you eat to keep from feeling too heavy during the winter?

If you really want to make a difference and buy from local farmers, there are ways to do so during the winter months, once the farmer's markets have packed up. Delivery services like Irv and Shelly's Fresh Picks sell local and organic produce, meat, fish, dairy and eggs, and even baked and prepared goods. I haven't used the service yet but I have researched it and am weighing pros and cons before I add it to my winter budget. The pros seem to far outweigh the only con I can think of: it's a little more expensive than the grocery store.

Fresh Picks delivers local, organic items year-round and is based out of Niles. The bulk of its supply comes from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, while some of it is imported (you trying growing bananas in the Midwest).

Newleaf Natural Grocery delivers and has a brick-and-mortar store that offers mostly local and organic produce, among other items. Then there are co-ops, like Dill Pickle Food Co-op, which says it "offers one of the largest bulk grocery sections in the city." You do not have to be a member to shop at the co-op but if you want to join, read the details here.

Would you consider enrolling in a service or joining a co-op to support local farmers and businesses throughout the winter months?

Share your thoughts!
xoxo,
Lisa Marie

Novice Chef: Simple holiday cookies

Yum! I've been invited to my first holiday cookie exchange and since I get excited about all things festive and fun, I can't wait - even though it requires me to bake 132 cookies. I narrowed down recipes to the ones quick and foolproof, and ended up with Cake Cookies.

My friend raved about the recipe recently and since the main ingredient is cake mix, I decided I couldn't go wrong.

My recipe source said her sister uses the Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix, but I went with white and devil's food cake mix.

For a (really) fast, delightful and simple recipe, try it out! Ho-ho-ho!

Ingredients:

Oven: set to 350 degrees

- Cake mix (any brand, any flavor)
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 eggs

Yields: 3 dozen

The recipe I used said to discard 3 tablespoons of the cake mix - which isn't mandatory - but is preferred because otherwise the dough is a little dry.

After stirring the ingredients (that's right, there are only 3 ingredients!), roll into 1-inch balls and place onto a cookie sheet (as illustrated below, my baby apartment has a baby oven, which doesn't fit cookie sheets. I opted for a foil pan - my mom's wonderful idea!).

Cookies should bake for approximately 7 minutes or until slightly brown. Don't overcook - they should be soft! Then comes the really fun part: decorate! You can use cake frosting, sprinkles or a combination of the two. Get creative!

The good news: they turned out edible! I did have one minor snafu that involved knocking sprinkles onto the floor, but that was quickly remedied by my vacuum.

Santa Claus is coming to town, so get your cookies ready!
xoxo,
Lisa Marie
 

Novice Chef: Baked Potato 101

It seems simple enough: one potato and a microwave and before you know it, you've got dinner. For most people, it's as simple as that. For me, cooking is never simple.

I wanted to make something filling and warm, and a baked potato seemed like the best option. I can remember watching my mom and aunts wrapping potatoes in foil, spearing them with a fork and cooking them, so I did the same. My poor potato didn't know what it had coming.

I wrapped it tight and dropped it into the microwave. It cooked for 2 minutes, then 1 minute, then I called my house to make sure I was doing it right.

LM: I'm making a baked potato, how long do I need to keep it in for?
Mom: Do you have it in foil?
LM: Yes.
Mom: 10 minutes, I think. (Stops to ask our neighbor how long to cook it). Pat says about 7 minutes. Don't forget to poke holes in it.

I cooked it for 6 more minutes and when it still seemed cold and hard, I gave up and went to the grocery store. I needed to buy shredded cheese for my tater topping.

I got home, reconvened in the kitchen and put 7 minutes on the microwave. Then, I cut it open to see if it was cooked on the inside. Negative. 

I tried one more time for 10 minutes and cursed at the potato. I then decided that I should check the power setting. I cranked it to what I decided was the highest power setting (the buttons are confusing!) for 5 more minutes. Nothing. 10 minutes at the highest power setting? Parts of it were soft but 90 percent was uncooked.

The poor tater had been cut in half at this point, stabbed repeatedly and had pieces of aluminum foil stuck in it (above). Yum.

I decided to call my house one more time.

LM: Can I put a baked potato back in the microwave after cutting it in half?
Dad: Do you have it wrapped in something?
LM: Aluminum foil.
Dad: OH, NO! No, no, no. You don't want to put aluminum foil in the microwave. That starts fires. Wrap it in a paper towel or something. Make sure it has holes in it.

I walked to the kitchen, wrapped the sad-looking potato in a paper towel and placed it in the microwave for 8 minutes. The timer beeped and it was ready to eat! I added some toppings and dinner was finally served ... 2.5 hours later, with a little foil in it for added flavor.

 
 Here are my tips:
- No matter what your mom says, don't use foil in the microwave (in her defense, I think she assumed I was baking it in the oven).
- Don't forget to poke holes in it!
- Get your hot pad ready. If you put it in a dish, the dish will be extremely hot. Did I mention I also burned my finger?

Result: It was edible ... and I think I hold the award for most time spent microwaving a potato.

xoxo,
Lisa Marie