Tag: chicago food blogger

Top 5 Dinner Recipes on Repeat for 2020

2020 has pushed us to cook & plan more meals than ever before.  Here I have compiled a list of my Top 5 dinner recipes on repeat for 2020.  These are on “the rotation” – tried and true, easy-to-make and delicious recipes from some of my favorite food blogs and websites. Hope this gives you a little inspiration if you are looking for something good to cook!

These recipes are listed in no particular order – it all depends on what you are in the mood for. These are ALL 5-Star recipes in my book! If anything catches your eye, try it out and let me know what you think!

BONUS: I’ve also listed a couple of my favorite Spotify playlists at the end that are great background for cooking!

  1. Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki – Pinch of Yum 

I make this recipe at least once a month – I love the combination of flavors – salty, sweet, acidic and savory. I usually serve these with naan bread that I’ll crisp up on the grill or my air fryer. The secret ingredient is the curry powder- don’t skip it! Also, be sure to make the homemade Tzatziki sauce – all the flavors work together. This is just plain tasty.

2. Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch – Half Baked Harvest

This recipe is fun because you can make crispity-crunchity tacos out of regular corn tortillas by adding a little bit of oil to the tortillas and putting the tacos in the oven. The process of baking them will crisp them up!

One tip that I learned by experience is to be sure to cover the tortilla with a wet paper towel in the microwave so that they don’t break when you put the filling inside and then into the oven. I also make this with ground turkey instead of chicken – I like the ground turkey from Trader Joes (Get the one that has the most fat content for the most flavor). The Cilantro Lime Ranch is delicious and worth making – it makes the dish. 

3. Turmeric Salmon with Coconut Crisp – Bon Appetit

This recipe caught my attention because I’m all about food as medicine, and Turmeric is good for you. I also like salmon and I was intrigued by the coconut crisp. This recipe has all kinds of flavor combinations that are somewhat uncommon – and SO delicious. I got the unsweetened coconut flakes from Trader Joes. Don’t skip this part – this is where the flavor gets interesting.

4. Spicy Chipotle Turkey Burgers – Allrecipes 

I tend to make this recipe more during warmer months, as it’s great on the grill – but I did put it in my air fryer and it was delicious. This seasoning blend with the Chipotle pepper is very flavorful and keeps you wanting another bite. I like to serve this on a pretzel bun with Swiss or Havarti cheese on top. If you are ever making burgers, DEFINITELY add this one to the list.

5. Best Vegan Lasagna Recipe – Cookie and Kate

This recipe is a stunner – a guaranteed crowd pleaser for vegans and non-vegans alike. It’s the cashew cream for me. You can eat this as a side item with meat, or as the main course. See my blog post below for more details – I absolutely loved this recipe.

So there you have it – hope that these make your life a little easier and a lot tastier!!

In the meantime, below are a couple of Spotify playlists that I like to play in the background when I’m cooking:

Check them out – I think you may like them!

Lo-Fi Hip Hop Beats: This is chill with a little beat that’s great for the background & won’t distract you from concentrating.

Serotonin Playlist on Spotify – Feel-good music to lift your spirits.

Enjoy! Here’s to good food and good music!

(Socially-Distanced) Cookout-Approved Tiramisu Banana Pudding Cake – Recipe Review

Hi everyone! 

I have another recipe review for you that I highly recommend. I made the Tiramisu Banana Pudding Cake by Grandbaby Cakes, and it did not disappoint. The creator is Jocelyn Delk Adams, who is a national TV personality and creator behind Grandbabycakes.com where she takes classic recipes from her grandmother and gives them a modern twist. 

Check out my video review below:

This is a classic Banana Pudding recipe with the twist of Tiramisu, where it calls for Ladyfingers as an ingredient. This was my first time working with Ladyfingers, and you can find them in the Italian section of the grocery store. 

The special part about this recipe is the RUM SAUCE! Once I tasted it, I wanted more of it, so when I make this recipe in the future, I would add more sauce to the layers. The ladyfingers definitely make this more of a cake vs. the traditional banana pudding, and I liked the sturdier texture. 

The other update I made was to chop some pecans and sprinkle them on the top of my portion. Not everyone may like pecans, so I didn’t sprinkle it all over the cake, but as a person that loves pecans, I thought that this was a great addition! It adds another layer of texture with the crunch, and of course the flavor is fabulous. 

One modification that I made was that I put mini Nilla Wafers on every-other row for the second layer. I felt like I might miss the Nilla Wafer flavor so I added them in for a little bit of nostalgia – I enjoyed this and would do it again the next time I make it.This recipe is a crowd-pleaser, and since you make it in a 9” x 13” pan, it will feed a lot of people. If you have a big family, this is great, but if not, be sure to have some people in mind to share it with. 

I would absolutely make this recipe again and I highly recommend that you try it this summer. You NEED to go ahead and add this to your summer rotation.  Taste Bud Diaries Approved! Enjoy every bite! 

Since COVID is still out in these streets, I have not been frequenting restaurants as much, so instead I’ve decided to do more recipe reviews until I’m more comfortable with dining out. That said, if you have any other recipes that you would like me to review, let me know and perhaps your will see them featured in the future!

Until next time! 

“What’s Good?” Turkey Chop Restaurant Review

Today’s “What’s Good” is about a new-ish restaurant called Turkey Chop. Turkey Chop is located in West Humboldt Park (3506 W. Chicago Ave.)  and they cater to those looking for beef and pork alternatives. I was invited as a food blogger, and I had a chance to try a number of dishes, including the Turkey Chops, the Turkey Tips, Sautéed Spinach (which was prepared like greens), Sweet Potatoes, Dirty Rice, and Peach Cobbler for Dessert. (I’m surprised that I didn’t instantly fall asleep after eating all of this food!)

They really go all out with the Turkey Chops (like smothered pork chops) and the Turkey Tips, which were my absolute favorite. If you like rib tips, then you will love the turkey tips – they are grilled and they have an amazing smoky flavor, they are very well seasoned and are served with a tangy and delicious bbq sauce.

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Turkey Chop also caters, so I can definitely see the turkey tips showing up on one of my party menus in the future. The prices are also very good – the turkey burgers were only $5 and they looked like they would definitely fill you up. The other thing that I loved is that they had cornbread, but it was prepared like a pancake. I’ve never had cornbread this way, and I really enjoyed it – vey innovative!

Check out my video review of Turkey Chop below:

…and that’s “What’s Good”!

New Weekly Web Series “What’s Good Wednesdays”

Hi Everyone!

Today I am announcing the launch of my new weekly web series called “What’s Good?” where I will talk about my favorite foods from restaurants, grocery stores and the like. I’ll be posting the episode on Wednesdays.

In this episode, I’m featuring the following:

  • The Hummus at Bin 36 – I had the hummus at Bin 36 and was floored at how fresh and delicious it tasted. It tasted better than many Mediterranean restaurants that I have tried. I was at a party and had to force myself to stop eating it because I literally had plates of it (small plates, but plates). If I had a picnic or event, I would order the hummus specifically and take it to-go. It was served with pita bread, and I loved it. Very unexpected find at a wine-focused restaurant.

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  • Good Vines Wine – I had the pleasure of trying Good Vines Wine at this same event, and was delighted to learn that they give 5% of their proceeds back to a charity (in this case it’s Common Threads, which is my favorite charity), and they also have a lovely Marzemino sparkling red wine. I said Sparkling. Red. Wine. Who knew? It’s very well-balanced (with hints of berries and violets) and not too sweet, so it can pair with a variety of foods. The wine has half the carbonation of Champagne, and it’s quite refreshing. Definitely the kind of wine that I would take to a dinner party or an outdoor picnic. (Can you tell that I like picnics?). The wine is currently sold in the Chicago area at Mariano’s grocery stores, so be sure to pick up a bottle the next time you go shopping. They also have a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Tai-Pinot Grigio as well. Check out their website at www.goodvineswine.com

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  • Trader Joe’s Macaroni and Cheese – If you don’t have time to cook and you have a craving for some serious Mac & Cheese, Trader Joe’s has a frozen, gourmet Mac and Cheese that you won’t believe came from a frozen box at the grocery store. It’s very creamy and has 4 cheeses. They also have a light version, but I was told to go for the regular version for the best flavor. This item is great for those days where you just don’t feel like cooking a side item, but you want to eat something delicious. Try a box and let me know what you think.

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That’s “What’s Good” for this week!

If you have any suggestions on foods that I should feature on “What’s Good Wednesdays”, leave me a comment or email me at erica@tastebudenterprises.com. If I decide to feature your suggestion, I’ll give you a shout-out in the video!

See you next Wednesday!