work night dinners – In Good Taste

Shredded Pork Tostadas with Cabbage Salad and Chipotle Cream

Maris Callahan — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 15:00:55 +0000

When I think of pulled pork, I generally think of a sandwich dripping with barbecue sauce, possibly alongside a heaping serving of macaroni and cheese or coleslaw. Pulled pork is versatile and doesn’t need to set your diet back, which is why I love these shredded pork tostadas. Officially my new favorite way to cook pork, this recipe is from chef Lorena Garcia for the National Pork Board’s holiday 2014 campaign “Sabrosos Momentos con Chef Lorena Garcia” (Flavor-Filled Moments with Chef Lorena Garcia) on its Spanish-language website PorkTeInspira.com. For those of us with a passion for Latin-inspired food but limited knowledge of the Spanish language, we have the recipe in plain old English. You can make our pulled pork sliders and create these delicious tostadas with the leftovers, or you can make them next time you’re entertaining and want something that you can whip up without using 1,000 dishes. You can even leave your guests to their own devices and set up a DIY station with the cabbage, cream mix and tomatoes so people can make them according to taste preference. Save Print Tostadas with Shredded Pork, Cabbage Salad and Chipotle Cream Author: Chef Lorena Garcia for National Pork Board Recipe type: Cooking for […]

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Green Beans with Almonds and Garlic

Maris Callahan — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 05:00:26 +0000

If you’re looking for ways to make your holiday season a little healthier, removing butter and cream from most of your dishes is the first place to start. If you’re cooking, or if you have any input whatsoever on the menu plan, decide which dishes you can slim down without ruining the holidays for your entire family and which ones you’ll keep as is. For example: in my house, we’ll always have sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows, but we’ll sometimes borrow inspiration from the Cooking Light school of Thanksgiving for our stuffing or green beans. Whether you’re looking for a casual picnic salad or a lighter alternative to the rich Thanksgiving casserole, the answer lies within green beans laced with crunchy almonds and plenty of garlic. Save Print Green Beans with Almonds and Garlic Author: Maris Callahan Recipe type: Worknight Dinners, Weekend Cooking, Holiday Recipes Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 15 mins Serves: 6 Ingredients 1-1/2 lb. haricots verts (thin French green beans) or green beans, trimmed 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons pure olive oil ½ cup slivered almonds 1 teaspoon minced or pressed garlic (1 medium clove) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice […]

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Luxbar Salmon with Farro

Maris Callahan — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 05:00:57 +0000

In the winter, it’s easy to succumb to rich and heavy comfort foods that stick to your ribs, and unfortunately, stick to other parts of your body too. One of the best ways to give into your heartier cravings is to make a hearty, filling dish with healthy grains and seafood. Gibsons Restaurant Group’s Corporate Executive Chef Randy Waidner. Among other duties, Waidner oversees operations in the kitchen at Luxbar, a neighborhood tavern in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. A lot of delicious things emerge from the kitchen but one favorite is the seared salmon with farro salad. Chef also offered us a few tips for cooking salmon perfectly, every time. Waidner recommends using fresh, wild caught salmon whenever possible. “Wild salmon contains more nutrients and the finished product is not only better tasting, but a brighter, more vibrant pink color,” said Waidner. “When buying salmon from the store or local fish monger, try and request a fillet from the thickest and center part of the part of the fish. If it smells fishy, it will taste fishy, so make sure it doesn’t have an unpleasant odor.” Before preparing, remove the skin and the dark fat/blood line (which we call deep […]

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Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Maris Callahan — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:37:43 +0000

Bacon. Cheese. Pasta. What combination of those three words could be anything less than amazing? That’s an excellent question and the answer? Probably not easy to find. Adding smoky bacon to your classic macaroni and cheese is a perfect way to update a childhood staple with some grown up flair. For many of us, macaroni and cheese is one of the first things you learn to cook. Whether it’s from a blue box or it’s your grandmother’s recipe for comfort in a bowl, it’s not only satisfying, but pretty difficult to ruin. This particular recipe is a great one to whip up when you have friends over for game day or if you’re looking for something to feed a crowd with only twenty minutes of hands-on time in the kitchen. Save Print Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Author: Maris Callahan Recipe type: Cooking for a Crowd, Worknight Dinners, Weekend Cooking Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour Serves: 6-8 Ingredients 1 pound elbow macaroni 4 cups whole or 2% reduced fat milk 2 or 3 whole sprigs thyme 4 cloves garlic, smashed and divided 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese […]

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Corn Frittata with Pecorino-Romano Cheese

Maris Callahan — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 05:00:04 +0000

Part of the reason why I love living in Chicago is because we have four seasons. Although sometimes it feels more like two: summer and winter, the weather lends itself to seasonal eating. Also, seasonal eating overload. No matter how much you love seasonal produce, it’s easy to get tired of stews and soups come March and it’s normal to become slightly overwhelmed by corn, zucchini and tomatoes by the end of the summer. The best way to reduce produce fatigue, whether you belong to a CSA, frequent local farmers’ markets or shop the perimeter of your grocery store, is to use it in creative ways throughout the season. If you’re eating corn on the cob with every meal or making tomato salad three times a day, you will and should get bored. Though I’m fairly certain that I could eat guacamole every day and never get bored, that’s neither here nor there. Because corn is sweet and starchy, it lends itself perfectly to baking. Although savory breads and pies are perfectly acceptable applications for surplus corn, I like the idea of breaking out the cast iron skillet to make a simple frittata that can take you to brunch or […]

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