Signature Room

A few weeks ago, Ryan and I had a date night at the Signature Room, which is on the 95th and 96th floors of the John Hancock Building. We opted to go to the lounge instead of the restaurant because we had already eaten dinner at Del Seoul on Clark St. in Lincoln Park. It turned out to be so much fun and such a nice, romantic night! In my opinion, if you are looking for a great date place where you can feel fancy but not spend a ton of money, the Signature Lounge is for sure the way to go.

They  have some cheap appetizers on the menu priced at 11.50 and desserts for 8.50 each. The cocktails are a little bit pricey but after all (mostly in the $13-15 range), this isn't a place to go if you are looking to throw back a ton of drinks and party. I ordered the Green Envy, one of the seasonal drinks. It's Absolut Raspberri, blue curacao and mango juice - yum!

The very best thing about the Signature Room is the view! Truthfully I think I like it even better than the Sears Tower. Yes, I still refuse to call it the Willis Tower. You can look out over the lake and see Navy Pier really clearly or over towards the downtown if you want. I definitely recommend getting a seat by the windows if possible, but even if you aren't seated right next to the window, you can still look out because the outer walls are all full windows. Plus, its cheaper! You can spend less at the Signature Lounge AND get some food or drinks! That's not to say that you shouldn't check out the view from the Skydeck at the Sears Tower though - the view from the glass ledge boxes is pretty cool too!

The best view, though, is from inside the women's bathroom! Sorry guys! 

Veggie Spring Rolls with Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

One of my favorite neighborhoods is on Argyle Street in Uptown, aka Vietnamese town. This area has some really great restaurants like Tank Noodle where you can get some great Pho and other yummy dishes! One of the other great things about this part of Uptown is that you can get REALLY cheap nail polish as some of the beauty sale shops up here! Anyway, we went up here a few days ago and shopped around in the little grocery stores that they have. I love going up there for the grocery stores because they have so many things that you cant get anywhere else, except maybe Chinatown. 

Looking East on Argyle St. 

I had been thinking about making spring rolls for quite a while now, so I decided to pick up some spring roll sheets. They are super cheap - only 1 dollar for a packet of at least 40 sheets! Normally I would make these with shrimp but I didn't have any, hence the veggie spring rolls! They are very easy to make and so healthy for you! It's also a great dish for summer nights because it's so light and fresh! Obviously, you can add whatever veggies you want in these - they are so versatile! 

Ingredients (enough for 2-3 people)

• 6 spring roll sheets
• 1/4 zucchini
• 1/8 small yellow onion
• 1/2 red pepper
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 cup cooked soba noodles (or whatever kind you like!)

Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce Ingredients

• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup water

Directions

1. Julienne all of the veggies and place on a plate along with the washed and dried spinach. The prep is that simple! 
2. Boil some water for the noodles. Once the water is boiling, add the noodles. If you use the soba noodles, they cook extremely quickly so you can turn off the heat once you add the noodles and they should cook within a minute or two. Run the noodles under cold water to cool them off. 
3. Now you are ready to assemble the spring rolls! Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place one sheet in the water for about 30 seconds, until it becomes soft. I found that it works best to kind of slide the sheet into and out of the water. 
4. Once the noodle is soft, place on a flat surface and add all the veggies or noodles that you want right in the middle. Carefully roll one side of the sheet over the veggies, making sure that they are all within the fold, just like a burrito! The sheet should stick to itself and hold everything inside. Dip in the Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce and enjoy! 

Hearty Veggies and Spicy Sausage

When we went grocery shopping the other day they had some great deals on mushrooms so I bought way more than we would normally use in one week. It was just such a great deal that I couldn't resist! Needless to say, I needed a recipe that would use up a lot of mushrooms! The sausage and mushrooms go together perfectly to make this a really hearty dish packed with a ton of great flavor. This was the first time that we had bought turkey sausages, and to be honest - I couldn't tell the difference at all from the pork ones. They are definitely healthier without all of the cholesterol and fat, but they taste exactly the same. This dish is also a great alternative to pasta if you are looking to stay away from carbs and still get all of the yummy flavors that usually accompany a pasta dish. I hope you like it as much as we did!

Ingredients

• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup yellow onion
• 3 cups button mushrooms
• 4 Jennie-O lean hot turkey sausages (or whatever kind you prefer)
• 1 tsp coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
• Homemade Tomato Sauce (click for recipe)
• Parmesan cheese, optional

 Directions

1. Fill a non-stick pan with about 1 inch of water and add sauces. Cook on medium heat until the links are beginning to brown on one side, abut 7 minutes. Flip sausages and cook for another 7 minutes or until done. You may need to add more water to the pan to prevent burning.
2. If you are making the tomato sauce from scratch, you can start that now. Otherwise, begin to heat the sauce. 
3. Meanwhile, dice onions and peppers. Roughly chop the mushrooms, you want them to be larger and they will cook down quite a bit. 
4. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add coconut oil. Once hot, add the veggies and cook until they become soft but not burnt. 
5. Add cooked veggies and sliced sausages to tomato sauce and mix thoroughly. 
6. Top with Parmesan cheese. 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

This sauce is a great go-to when you want a tomato sauce without all the extra stuff that gets added to those oneals that you buy at the store. It's so simple and easy to make, and it goes great along with pasta or veggies! 

Ingredients

• 1 can diced tomatoes (or fresh ones if they are in season)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp diced onions
• 1 tsp basil and 1-2 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red peppers
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Drain the liquid from the tomato can into a saucepan. Combine tomatoes and onions in a food processor and pulse for about 1 minute, or until it becomes smooth. 
2. Transfer mixture to the saucepan and add other ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Before using, remove the basil leaves. Use right away with whatever you want or save up to one week in a air tight container in the refrigerator. 

Inside Out Crab Rangoon

I absolutely loooove crab rangoon, but sometimes I find myself wanting a healthier version without all that frying oil. I came up with this recipe for that very reason. This is a great starter to any meal or you could even eat a couple as a full meal if you wanted to! 

 Ingredients 
(for 4 servings)

• 5 oz. imitation crab meat
• 1 tbsp. diced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce (I used Light Sodium Kikkomon) 
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you want it) 
• 4 wonton wrappers
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Use a fork to flake the imitation crab meat into small pieces. Combine with the diced onion, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Add in the cream cheese and stir evenly to coat the crab meet. Mix in the Worcestershire and soy sauce. 
3. Spray the cups in a cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray and place one wonton wrapper in each. I found that it works best if you don't try to push the wontons against the edge, instead just leave it how it folds naturally. 
4. Scoop the crab meat mixture into each cup and bake 15 minutes or until the wonton wrappers get crispy. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!

Mediterranean Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

I have been really craving Greek food lately, so yesterday I decided to make a simple Mediterranean salad with Tzatziki dressing. This salad is super healthy and so easy to make at home for a quick but delicious side to dinner.

For the Tzatziki dressing:

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp diced onions
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 1 glove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp dill

Unlike the regular Tzatziki sauce, I left the seeds of the cucumber because it helps the consistency to be a little bit more runny, which is ideal for salad dressings. Combine all ingredient in a food processor or blender until even mixed. This makes about 1 cup.


Mediterranean Salad

• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1 whole tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
• 3 cups spinach

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat evenly with the Tzatziki Dressing! Makes 2 servings.

This salad is such a great addition to dinner, especially with the days getting warmer! The last thing that I want to do when I get home is eat some large, heavy meal and with all the fresh ingredients, this salad is the exact opposite!

Tzatziki Grill

We must have passed by Tzatziki Grill like a hundred times and always saying oh yeah, we have to go here soon! Well, two weeks ago we FINALLY went there. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. 


The setup of this place is similar to Chipotle..basically its a Chipotle for Greek food. They have options for pita wraps, salads, and bowls. I ordered the lamb and beef pita wrap and had it filled with red onions, feta cheese, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, the eggplant spread, and of course - tzatziki sauce! They have tons of other options for stuff to add in too but I figured I shouldn't get too crazy with adding all the toppings. The result was delicious! They carve the meat right in front of you behind the counter so its perfectly tender and juicy. 

The best part - for the pita wrap and a HUGE salad, this meal cost less than $13! What a steal - I'll definitely be going back! 


Check out their website here!