Category: recipes

Salad Slaw: A cool summer discovery

I usually serve a salad every night with dinner. But it can get a little boring–even if you vary the vegetables and dressings. Last night I had an idea: To chop up all the vegetables really fine–like cole slaw. This concept might not seem like rocket science to you, but it opened up a whole... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
July 20, 2015 at 2:00 pm • 

Crispy Kale Chips: How to make them so they're just as healthy as raw kale

I’m warning you right now: If you haven’t been a fan of the ever-so-trendy vegetable kale up ’til now, you probably won’t be enamored of Crispy Kale Chips either. But kale, as you probably know, is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s rich in vitamin A, C and K and may provide significant health benefits, including cancer... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
September 3, 2014 at 2:56 pm • 

It's not Lou Malinati's deep dish pizza, but it's healthy, easy and damn good

I love Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza. Really, who doesn’t!? l think I could eat it at every meal for the rest of my life and not get sick of it. I save the crunchy, slightly greasy-in-a-good-way edges for last. They’re the best. I shutter to think about how much fat and cholesterol are in... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
July 22, 2014 at 2:34 pm • 
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Make a veggie burger from scratch in 10 minutes flat!

Make a veggie burger from scratch in 10 minutes flat!
That’s right, you can make a veggie burger from scratch in 10 minutes–not counting the cooking time, of course. There are a lot of tasty veggie burgers in the freezer section of your grocery store.  So why would you want to make them from scratch–even if they do only take ten minutes to prepare? Because... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
February 20, 2014 at 2:40 pm • 

Valentine's Day Cookies : Prairie Grass chef shares a great recipe

Valentine's Day Cookies : Prairie Grass chef shares a great recipe
Chef/co-owner Sarah Stegner of Northbrook’s Prairie Grass Cafe is sharing her grandmother’s recipe for heart-shaped Valentine’s Day Cookies. Stegner is known for her support of Chicago’s Green City Market, local, sustainable farms and using seasonal, fresh ingredients in her restaurant. Her grandma’s cookies feature an all-natural icing with no food dye. A beet turns the icing... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
February 10, 2014 at 12:01 pm • 

Baked Oatmeal: So good, it tastes like an oatmeal cookie

Baked Oatmeal: So good, it tastes like an oatmeal cookie
It’s called Baked Oatmeal. And it really does taste like an oatmeal cookie. I first discovered the wonders of Baked Oatmeal at Marilyn’s, a coffee shop on Dempster in Morton Grove at brunch with my girlfriends, including fellow ChicagoNow blogger, Bonnie McGrath. The Baked Oatmeal was served as a 4-inch-high square–like a piece of cake,... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
February 3, 2014 at 2:50 pm • 
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A cookie recipe so damn easy, you'll be ashamed to share it

A cookie recipe so damn easy, you'll be ashamed to share it
This cookie recipe is so damn easy because all you have  do is combine a couple of packaged foods with a couple of eggs. As Food Network star Ina Garten would say, “How easy is that!?” (although she definitely would not make these cookies!) If you’re looking to fool your friends and family into thinking... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
December 16, 2013 at 1:35 pm • 

The hip vegetable you must serve on your holiday table

The hip vegetable you must serve on your holiday table
It may surprise you (it did me!), but the hip vegetable to serve this season is Brussels sprouts. Sure, green beans are a classic this season, especially around Thanksgiving when green bean casserole reigns supreme. But this year, everywhere I look people are talking Brussels sprouts, Brussel sprouts, Brussels sprouts. I first spotted this trend... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
December 16, 2013 at 1:05 pm • 

Frigid weather food: what to make for dinner tonight

With the temperatures dropping faster than it takes Miley Cyrus to do something ridiculous, this hearty minestrone soup is what to make for dinner night. It’s not surprising that this soup was on my dinner menu last night. With the mini-snow we had yesterday, I used the time to cook and bake up a ,... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
December 9, 2013 at 11:59 am • 
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How to make an easy pumpkin bread worthy of Halloween

According to a very reliable source and great cook–my friend Mary, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread Mix is not only easy to make but bakes up into a scrumptious, homemade-tasting  treat. The mix has no artificial flavors or preservatives, and it’s only $2.99. I was a little dubious because I’ve tried other Trader Joe mixes (brownies,... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
October 30, 2013 at 3:38 pm •