Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

A Girl cooks her husband’s favorite squash. After two years of marriage, I still need to produce satisfying and impressive meals. With an early fall harvest, spaghetti squash is available at the Farmer’s Market or at your local grocery store.  This recipe only takes about 15 minutes of prep time. It’s healthy, sustainable, and easy to prepare!

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise

1 pound medium to large sized wild caught shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon plus an extra 1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon plus an extra 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Drizzle olive oil and season squash with salt and pepper. 

Place cut side down in a baking dish. Add some water and roast until tender for about 45-60 minutes. 

Let the squash cool.Meanwhile, heat your skillet. Toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice season with salt and pepper.Sauté until cooked through for about 8 to 10 minutes.


If squash is cool, begin to scoop seeds from squash and with a fork,       scrape flesh into a bowl.Add shrimp, lemon juice,and 1 tablespoon oil to bowl. Toss to combine ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, parsley, and serve! 

Eat.Cook.Enjoy

A Girl & Her Food

Garlic Mashed Turnips

Have you ever heard this story as a child?

The Giant Turnip 

An old man planted a turnip. The turnip grew to be enormous. 

The old man started to pull the turnip out of the ground. 

He pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So he called the old woman over.

"All right – said the grandmother – I’m coming".

The old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the old woman called the granddaughter over.

"All right – said the granddaughter – I’m coming".

The granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the granddaughter called the dog over.

"All right – said the dog – I’m coming".

The dog took hold of the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the dog called the cat over.

"All right – said the cat – I’m coming".

The cat took hold of the dog, the dog took hold of the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the cat called the mouse over.

"All right – said the mouse– I’m coming".

The mouse took hold of the cat, the cat took hold of the dog, the dog took hold of the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled--and finally pulled out the turnip!

If not, this is a children's fairytale story from Eastern Europe. 

With Turnips taking over the Farmer's Markets, I "pulled" them too! This is a healthy low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. 
It's a quick and easy side dish. 

1-2 cups of peeled and cubed turnips

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Cook turnip cube in boiling water for about 15 minutes or until soft.  Drain turnips. Place turnips back in pot, add garlic, olive and salt and fresh ground pepper. Mash all the ingredients together.  If needed, you can use a food processor.  




Cook.Eat.Enjoy!
A Girl & Her Food 

A Girl Eats Out: Maude's Liquor Bar

My girlfriend, Lisa, was visiting me from NYC. We headed for a late night dinner and drinks to 

Maude's Liquor Bar. The kitchen is open 'til 12!  

We started off with the a sparkling cocktail St. Germain Fizz and followed by a stirred Bijou.  

The drinks literally tasted like vintage rive gauche or old world meets new world Paris. 

We both loved the decor and ambiance. 

 Thanks to my Mother, Elizabeth, for our countless trips to Paris together. j'adore french food!

Eat this:

Pommes Frites

Steamed Mussels- 

To die for! Make sure to dip bread. 

Blackened Brussel Sprouts

 ( Lisa and I swoon over Brussel Sprouts) 

A GIrl gives it 4 forks (out of 5)

Maude's Liquor Bar

840 W. Randolph 

312.243. 9712

Eat & Enjoy!

A Girl & Her Food 

Pomegranate, Radish & Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Winter is  creeping up around the corner, I am not looking forward to the end of my weekly trips to the Farmer’s Market.  However, I will try to enjoy it while it lasts.  And this week I picked up organic lettuce & radishes which can be used to make a delicious and flavorful salad. 

 Its healthy, cleansing, nourishing, and a great way to start my week.  Its perfect for a Meat Free Monday lunch! If you need protein feel free to add chicken, fish or shrimp. 

Pomegranate, Radish & Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

For Citrus Vinaigrette:

1-2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar

Juice of 1-2 small oranges
¼ teaspoon grated orange zest

2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

For Salad:

1-3 cups of favorite greens

4-5 radishes, sliced

½- 1 ripe avocado, sliced

Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

( Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Seeds package)

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

preparation

In a small bowl, whisk together rice-wine vinegar, orange juice, & orange.

Slowly whisk in olive oil.

Season vinaigrette with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Taste to check the acidity. Add another squeeze of orange or lemon/lime. 
Let your own palate be your guide!

Toss all your prepared ingredients in a bowl.

Drizzle with the vinaigrette & serve!

the essential 38

 Earlier this month, the  Eater published a list of the 
"38 essential Chicago restaurants".  
What's your number?? Mine is 20. 
For someone like me, who loves to eat out often and be the first on the restaurant scene, I was pretty shocked how few of the restaurants I have been to! A lot of the restaurants on the list are on my must-try list. I list below some notable restaurants that I'm pretty surprised didn't make the list. What do you think?


1. Anteprima
2. Avec
3. Urban Belly
4. Hot Doug's
5. Kuma's Corner
6. Irazu
7. The Bristol
8. Lao Sze Chuan
9. Purple Pig
10. Rootstock Wine & Beer Bar
11. Smoque BBQ
12. Ceres' Table
13. HB Home Bistro
14. DMK Burger Bar
15. Longman and Eagle
16. Bonsoiree
17. Nightwood Restaurant
18. Girl & The Goat
19. Piccolo Sogno
20. Hemas Kitchen
21. Ruxbin
22. Demera Ethiopian
23. Sun Wah Bar-B-Que
24. Pho Xe Tang/Tank Noodle
25. Lula Cafe
26. De Cero Restaurant
27. Glenn's Diner
28. Coalfire
29. Big Star
30. Tac Quick
31. Davanti Enoteca
32. Arami  
33. Chizakaya
34. The Publican
35. Lillie's Q
36. Maude's Liquor Bar
37. Vincent
38. Chicago Cut Steakhouse 

 I'm surprised the folowing weren't listed:

NEXT (waiting to win the lottery)

Alinea

L20 

Schwa

EL 

GT Fish & Oyster  

Cumin 

Takashi  

eat out & enjoy!

A Girl & Her Food 

A Girl Eats: Sabatino's

For years, A Girl drives past Sabatino's on her way to her Grandparents. The parking lot is always full and seems like a hidden gem offering classic Italian cuisine.  It is on her list of restaurants to eat.  One night she sees an episode covering Sabatino's on Check Please! and decides it is time for a date night with her husband at the restaurant.  The place is classic, with an old school piano lounge, tuxedo clad host, and dining room that features private and intimate coves.  A perfect setup for families and couples. You feel like Tony Soprano will walk in. 


What A Girl ate: 

Upon being seated, you receive pizza bread and a friendly 

welcome from the owner, Enzo. 

Bresaola over Arugula


Sausage and Peppers (not on menu)

Homemade Gnocchi

Vitello alla Toscana

*all entrees come with a soup and salad

Tiramisu

Bananas Foster that is prepared at your table 

Sabatino's is a great value, we paid $75, tab included a bottle of wine, a very full belly, & leftovers.

A Girl gives it 3 forks (out of 4 forks)

Sabatino's 

4441 West Irving Road 

Chicago 

773.283.8331

Eat Out & Enjoy! 

A Girl & Her Food