Chiorganicgirls Meatless Monday: Grillable Veggie Burgers

Posted on July 25, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

July is National Grilling Month and it’s been a scorcher in Chicago. With all the BBQs and back yard grilling bonanzas this month, adding some veggie burgers to the mix can happify those who don’t wanna have a cow. Humans are naturally omnivores, meaning we’re down (and hard wired) for some vegging out. Plus, eating more veggie based meals can help the environment, reduce cancer risks, minimimize exposure to meat based antibiotics, and improve the quality of life for animals. But lettuce not forget taste! There isn’t mushroom for a bad tastin’ veggie burger on the grill.

Upton’s Naturals, an independently owned Chicago based company, dedicates themselves to providing delicious veggie based meat alternatives for the vegan and vegetarian community in Chicago and abroad. They just celebrated their 10th birthday and certainly know how to turnip any grilling occasion.

Their veggie burgers are one of the newest additions cropping up on their rotation. So you may wonder, how does Upton’s Naturals: The Classic Burger stack up?

Battle of the Burger:

Traditional Hamburger vs. Upton’s Classic Veggie Burger

Traditional Single Patty Hamburger

Ingredients:
- Beef (moooo)..maybe some hormones. We can’t guarantee anything.
Nutritional Profile (from the USDA website):
- Calories Per Serving: 254
- Total Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Trans Fat: .5 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat: .2 g
- Sodium: 378 mg
- Carbohydrate: 29g
- Sugar: 5g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg

Upton’s Classic Burger

Ingredients:
- Vital wheat gluten, eggplant, water, tofu (water, soybeans, calcium sulfate), sunflower, canola or safflower oil, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), wheat flour, nutritional yeast, evaporated cane juice, onion, sea salt, garlic, natural hickory smoke concentrate, whole wheat flour, oregano, black pepper, paprika, parsley, marjoram and apple cider vinegar.
Nutritional Profile:
- Calories Per Serving: 168
- Total Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Sodium: 365 mg
- Carbohydrate: 9 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g

Upton’s Taste and Texture: Upton’s Burger tastes a lot like their other seitan blends that we’ve had before. There is a slight smoke flavor with a peppery finish in the patty. It’s a hearty veggie burger, not one of those ones that falls apart, and it easily cooks on the grill in a short time. Can’t beet a quick cooking meat free burger to get those planty vibes!

So who won? Is this your garden variety knock out? Upton’s has less fat, calories, and cholesterol than than a traditional beef burger. It also has more fiber. Upton’s is kosher, lactose free and vegan so it digs away at different dietary needs. Note: Upton’s burger is NOT gluten free so traditonal burger takes the medal for that category.

Are you ready for your BBQ guests to cheer “Olive Veggie Burgers!”?

Upton’s Naturals’ Classic Burger is planting itself at natural retailers throughout the Midwest for $3.99 for a 2 burger box. Click HERE for a store locator. Swinging by the Chi? Sample the classic burger or many other vegan delights (jackfruit tacos, vegan bacon mac and cheese and more) at Upton’s Breakroom in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. Visit www.uptonsnaturals.com and find @UptonsNaturals and @UptonsBreakroom on social media.

Oo La La: Fresh French Fare in Humboldt Park

Posted on May 2, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

You relax with an espresso in one hand and a flaky croissant at finger tips reach. Sun beams on you as you slowly sip and watch the world go by. If you got no money for Europe but want to take a lunch mini vacay, Cafe Marie Jeanne is a tiny escape for your hour.

Only 6 months out of opening, Cafe Marie Jeanne is situated in a prime corner of Humboldt Park. This Parisian inspired cafe is nestled in a quiet yet booming restaurant area so you still feel serene when visiting.

Executive Chef Mike Simmons, part owner, is an import from nearby Rootstock wine bar and yummy Lula Cafe in nearby Logan Square. The menu focuses on a la carte grab and go items mixed with more hearty lunch and dinner fare. Vegan and veggie options are available and there is a smattering of seafood for pescatarian as well. A small wine and cocktail menu make this an unharried bunch destination as well. Don’t trust the menu online, however, as Cafe Marie Jeanne picks up local produce, thus switching up some of the offerings based on what is most fresh and seasonally tasty.

We noshed on 3 different dishes to get a feel for their lunch service.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

April, with snow and rain, and even the first day of May have not been too kind to us Chicagoan. This steamy and creamy bowl of soup warms the soul with fragrant curry that tampers down the sometimes saccharine sweet potato.

Raclette with Seasonal Roasted Vegetables

Our culinary pièce de résistance — Think of this as a fancy grilled cheese piled high with heart healthy veggies. Roasted root vegetables give the sandwich a savory and filling profile. The raclette, a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese, is a magic melter, giving the crusty homemade bread a smattering of delicious fondue like goodness.

White Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Funny story about white asparagus – many people don’t know it exists. It’s like a ghost veggie. Dig this weird veggie fact: white Asparagus lacks pigment because it is kept buried and deprived of sun, almost like it’s in a veg bomb shelter. The lack of chlorophyll gives it a pale complexion in addition to it being more tender and mild than it’s hulk counterpart. We liked the easy crunch of the asparagus but couldn’t taste anything outstanding in the hollandaise sauce. Side note: it’ll still make your pee smell funny.

Quick tip: Looking to explore more than one spot in the neighborhood? Restaurant hop and grab a homemade piece of hibiscus key lime pie across the street at Spinning J, break out your cash and do a night cap at California Clipper or sip on more wine at Rootstock — all within walking distance!

Brunch Bunch: Prairie Grass Cafe

Posted on April 4, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

You know when you ask people where they live, and they say some far off burb’ and you cancel the possibility of visiting? Well, change your mind if they live in Northbrook and grab some brunch!

Prairie Grass Cafe, conveniently located right off the expressway, will make you wanna visit your neighbor to the north. Chef-Owner Sarah Stegner and Chef-Owner George Bumbaris, both formerly of the fancy pants Ritz Carleton, partnered to created a casual environment with local fresh food. Stegner is also a 2 time winner of the ultra prestigious James Beard award so just think of the awesomeness of experiencing her cuisine without the abominable months’ wait of similar city joints. Prairie Grass Cafe hosted us one lazy Sunday afternoon to see what all the fuss was about.

Family Friendly

Prairie Grass Cafe was popping with kiddos during Sunday brunch, illustrating its’ kid friendly appeal. Stegner is a founding member of the Healthy Fare for Kids initiative which encourages restaurants to ditch the junk for children and provide them with nutritional sound menu items. The brunch menu for kids was comprehensive and our lil’ guest of honor, Monica’s nephew, scarfed down a cheese, fruit and veggie plate. Prairie Grass was able to work around his allergies with this dish.

One small thing for improvement: as there were so many kids, there was no high chair available. We made due with a booster seat instead thanks to the help of our friendly wait staff but this might not have worked for a littler dude or dudette.

Looking for more than just a meal? Check out “Make Your Own Pizza” Fridays where the toppings come to the table for a more active event for your tots.

Meatless Fare

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Pancakes can be a ho-hum or over the top in sugar at brunch. We flipped, however, over Prairie Grass’ fluffy light Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The citrus flavor measured up to our preferences and added a delicate sparkle to the cakes. Go for the gusto and add the berry flavorful rasberry sauce and creme anglaise for that WOW effect. We also sampled the french toast and although it was decent, the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes take the taste award.

Chilaquiles

The Chilaquiles will make any tummy happy with runny soft fried eggs melting over the top of a hearty pile of cheese, crispy beany tortilla chips, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Egg White Omelette

The Egg White Omelette is chock b’gawk full of farm fresh eggs, seasonal produce and topped with avocado and pico de gallo. We added a side of perfectly seasoned crispy potatoes to round out the meal. This omelette is big enough for 2 people so feel free to split.

Dessert-a-thon

Prairie Grass Cafe is a dessert lovers’ dream with their bountiful selection of fresh homemade treats. Chef Sarah spoiled us sweetness with the Coconut Cream Pie (seasonal), Double Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with local berries, and Strawberry crepe with grand mariner sauce.

The standouts were the Coconut Cream Pie and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. Luckily, we had a group of 6 to avoid sugar shock. 🙂

Chicagoans, if there was ever a reason to meet your suburban friends half-way, this is a reason to venture beyond the borders of our city. Not feelin’ the brunch buzz? Get up later for lunch or dinner at your wake up whims.

Healthy Fast Food: Green Bean Chicago

Posted on March 21, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

It’s not often that healthy and fast food share the same title but magic is possible. Behold, we hath found a restaurant that aims to do both (oh and its yummy, princes and princesses). We know there’s a few chain healthy alternatives in Chicago but none are 100% gluten free, GMO free and free of common allergins (no nuts, coconut or chickpeas) like the new Green Bean Chicago.

It’s not often that you learn about the passion behind the restaurant you are eating in either. Owners, Executive Chef Mike Watson, Aaron Bush and investor and dietary manager Srinivas Ravanam partnered on this daunting culinary adventure for many reasons. Mike thinks about the health of his children and how fast food often targets them. Aaron works in the health and wellness industry across the state and sees how limited healthy food availability affect people throughout Illinois. Both wanted an affordable fast healthy option for working families. Both strive for a healthier tastier lifestyle for themselves.

We received free samples of their menu for review.

Menu Highlites:

Pick Your Protein: Chicken, Portabella Mushrooms (vegetarian) or Steak

Wrap it up: Choose a gluten free wrap, gluten free panini, or keep it simple with a salad

What’s Your Flavor? Choose Asian, Caesar, Caprese, Griller, Greek or Spanish style toppings

What we ate:

Gluten free Mushroom Griller Panini – pineapple, asparagus, mixed greens and spicy mango sauce

Gluten free Chicken Caprese Panini – mozzarella, basil, tomatos, red onion with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Gluten Free Mushroom Caesar Wrap – croutons, parmesan, romaine and caesar dressing

Sides – Sweet Potato Fries, Tempura Green Beans, Black Bean Hummus

Dessert! – Gluten Free Caramel Cupcake with Italian Salted Caramel Gelato

Loving the light life:

All meals (entree, a side and a drink) are balanced to run around 500-600 calories. There is NO soda at Green Bean but instead homemade stone fruit waters are provided for the combos. Price point runs about the same as a Panera, Chipotle or chain greasy fast food meal, around $8-$9 for a meal.

Who needs gluten?

Kate is sensitive to gluten and has tried gluten free wraps and breads before. Some good (Udis), some not so good (some kinda yucky wrap). Chef Mike’s personal gluten free bread and wrap recipes (a mix of tapioca and rice flour with extra love) don’t seem “gluten free”. Both were hearty and satisfying.

Take us to flavor town!

Monica noted the sweet potato fries were delightfully crispy. Chef Mike explained they are made fresh 4-5 times a day…no preservatives here peeps. She also adored the salted caramel melty creamy gelato. Kate was stuffed to the brim by her chicken caprese panini and, although she doesn’t normally get the feels for mushrooms, these ones were garlicky, juicy and free of that sometimes unpleasantly earthy flava flav. No complaints at the taste office here.

Final Tasting Notes:

We highly recommend Green Bean. It’s health conscious, allergy friendly, and you get your monies worth. Fun Foodie Fact: You can get breakfast or lunch/dinner ANY time (for you brunch cravers). It’s also awesome if you have a social group with dietary needs. You can bring your diabetic dad, celiac sister-in-law, and nut allergic nephew all to the same place! Green Bean is expanding to Schaumburg (yaya suburbanites!) and plans to franchise in future locations. So lighten up and head to Green Bean when you’re in the mood for a healthy and quick meal!

Meatless Monday: New Laughing Cow Asiago Cheese

Posted on March 7, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Cheese! The friend of many a vegetarian and, in excess, a possible foe to your caloric intake. Laughing Cow Brand Spreadable Cheese Wedges can make you giggle in cheesy delight however and ease your cheese anxiety (easy cheesy..hahahaha).

We’ve always been a fan of Laughing Cow cheese. Their spreadable wedges are portable, low in calories, high in protein and a versitile snackaroo. One of their newest flavors, asiago, is savory and satisfying when on the go, a quick after work snack or even when hosting a partaaaay. We received free samples during the launch of the asiago wedge back in January and lightened up our New Years but then bought even more for the Super Bowl. We decided to create 2 contrasting recipes to showcase 2 sides of the same cheese.

Kate’s Sweet N’ Spicy Wedges

Ingredients

1 Can Crushed Pineapple Slices
1 Jar Jalapeno Jelly
1 12 ounce Jar sliced Jalapenos
1 bag CrunchMaster Multiseed Crackers
Laughing Cow Asiago Cheese

Directions

Sooo…this is so easy! Lay out the Multiseed Crackers crackers on plate. Use a cheese knife or butter knife to spread 1/4 wedge of cheese (or more if desired) on each cracker. Spread jalapeno jelly on each cracker. Garnish each cracker with a piece of pineapple and a slice of jalapeno. These lil’ crackers got demolished at our NYE gathering so we’re sure you’ll love um.

Monica’s Italiano Caprese Wedges

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes sliced in halves
Fresh Basil leaves
Italian herbs
Garlic Sea Salt
Whole Black Pepper grinded
360 Whole Foods EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Laughing Cow Asiago Cheese

Directions

Peel open several Laughing Cow Asiago cheese wedges, remove wrapper and set each wedge on a plate. Sprinkle dried basil leaves, Italian seasoning, garlic, sea salt, and grounded black pepper on each wedge. Slice cherrry tomatoes in half and wash/pat dry the basil leaves. Add fresh basil leaves and halves cherry tomatoes to each wedge.

Laughing Cow Asiago can also be smeared on tortilla chips and turned into breakfast nachos with scrambled eggs and veggies, spread on a bagel with spinach and roasted peppers or whateva’ you like (as T.I. says). Or try the Pistachio Pear Honey Asiago recipe posted recently for a sweet treat. Click here to read the recipe.

Are you team Sweet N’ Spicy or team Italiano? Do you have any other Laughing Cow Recipes you love? Offer 9 total flavors, you can #savorthemoment with a different flavor every day! Find Laughing Cow products at a grocery store near you.

Meatless Monday: Vegan Brunch!

Posted on February 22, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Re-Mix your Meatless Monday recipe list with a veg-tacular event this coming weekend: Slo’Mo Remix Brunch w/ Live Lynnette’s Lynnette Astaire Join Live Lynnette, wellness wonder woman (pictured below) for a vegan brunch sound tracked by sweet soul jams from top notch … Continue reading →

Meatless Monday Review: Marley Spoon Recipe Box

Posted on February 15, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Looking for some Meatless Monday Inspiration but short on time, ideas, cooking skills? Switch it up with a recipe/meal delivery service, Marley Spoon! We received 2 free recipe boxes from Marley Spoon to review for all you organic peeps out there. Marley Spoon actually has a wide delivery area including the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Australia and ‘Murica (that’s layman for America).

We Galentine’s Day-ed it up a little early and decided to have a cooking date night to try two recipes: Quinoa Burgers and Broccoli Coconut Soup.

Here’s how the service works:

It is a subscription service but you can pause the service when you like. Your order is delivered on either a Tuesday or Friday in a cooler box so it keeps cook ready. A variety of 7 chef created recipes are available each week catering to different culinary preferences (meaty, veggie, global inspired, vegan, dino..ok no dino but we are checking how closely you are reading).

You have a choice of a 2 person box or a family box to feed a small crowd with pricing that ranges between $48 (2x meals a week) to $139 for 4 family meals per week. We actually spend more on groceries ourselves sometimes so the pricing seems pretty reasonable for the time you save.

What Rises to the Occasion:

Delivery: Delivery was on point and our boxes were waiting when we arrived. Everything is pre-packaged so no need to measure.

Recipes: Recipes come with gorgeous color photos of each step and outline exactly what you need to have on hand on your own (small staples like salt and olive oil). Portions are more than what we would expect for 2 people. For example, our Quinoa Burger recipe yielded 5 burgers and we had plenty extra couscous and soup from the Broccoli Soup recipe. Depending on your appetite, you may be able to get 2 full meals for 2 out of each recipe (hooray leftovers!).

Appearance: Both recipes looked like what was on the recipes cards when completed. We felt like fancy french chefs.

Taste: The kale chips were crunchy and addictive…possibly the easiest part of the recipe box. Our veggie burgers were hearty and filling. The soup had a bi-partisan reaction…more on that below.

What Should Be on the Chopping Block:

Souper Spicy?: With cooking, there is always room to grow! With both of us being a level up from amateur kitchen goers, we think a few things could be improved. The broccoli soup recipe was extra spicy for some reason and didn’t have the creamy consistency that appears in the picture. We would have liked more of a coconut flavor and would have modified that spice to flavor ratio for some more depth. It was possibly the green curry with ginger that could have been baby spiced to improve the other flavors in the soup.

Time: It took us 2 hours to make everything. For a busy person, this might not serve. One suggestion would be for Marley Spoon to provide pre-chopped or diced ingredients but we aren’t sure how this would affect the freshness of produce.

Final Course Thoughts?:

Taste your dishes throughout the cooking process and modify them if you like! We added paprika and chili powder to our kale chips and were pleased with the results. Don’t be afraid to be a kitchen rebel if you know how to cook to season items to your liking.

Bonding: We had a super fab time cooking together. We could see this as a intimate date night, girls night out or bachelorette type experience, or just a way to liven up the ho hum experience of weekly cooking.

Overall, we loved the experience of learning to cook new recipes and spending time in the kitchen together. Ingredients are local sourced and grass fed animules, making you feel a bit at ease for what you are consuming. Food waste is cut own bu the pre-packaged format as well. If you’re looking for a culinary adventure with less effort, we suggest giving Marley Spoon a try! Use the Promo Code CHIORGANIC for $35 off your first box.

Halos Mandarins Giveaway

Posted on February 8, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Why HALOOOOOO there! We love giving away love to our readers but even better is a giveaway with pocket sized healthy treats, just in time for Valentine’s Day. So have you ever tried Wonderful Halos mandarins? At 50 calories each, these little orange fruits pack a punch of vitamin C without the seeds. We were given a bag to try but we’ve been buying these bebes in bulk since winter citrus became the rage again (or in season as the laymen say). You can just throw them in your lunch bag, peel them without ruining your manicure, and with minimal desk mess.

But let’s veer off the beaten grove path. You can also cook some sunny recipes with Halos to brighten up your day.

One gloomy Sunday, we went bananas for mandarins with our brunch.

Baked Orange French Toast from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

We kept close to the recipe but shaved off the zest of a Halos mandarin and subbed cinnamon for nutmeg. Make sure you butter the pan or use PAM spray as our forgetfully blissful selves missed this step and our french toast had separation anxiety from the baking pan. Taste overrides appearance, however, and this orangey french toast didn’t disappoint. We tossed some mandarin pieces on top with a drizzle of pure maple syrup for pure deliciousness.

Blueberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins from Damn Delicious

This tasty and healthy recipe from home cook and blogger, Chungah An, features greek yogurt, fresh blueberries and orange zest. These little muffins were simple to make, moist, fluffy and fruity!

Looking for more Wonderful mandarin Halos ideas? Wonderful Halos has a cool creative blog with more than just recipes. Just in time for Valentine’s day, you can find sweet crafts and snacks to delight kids and adults alike.

Orange you glad we shared these recipes (hehehehe)? Now for the giveaway details so you can make your own holiday halo-ful:

Your Wonderful Halos Gift Basket giveaway includes a juicy bunch of Wonderful Halos mandarins,a Wonderful Halos branded lunch box, backpack, water bottle, chapstick (mandarin flavored), sunglasses and stress ball shaped like a mandarin.

Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway and happy halo-ing!

Meatless Monday Recipe Roundup: Sweet Potatoes!

Posted on January 25, 2016 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Sometimes veggie cooking can get a bit boring so we hunt the interwebs for new ideas. With winter on our cold minds, our thoughts have been on fireplaces, s’mores, root veggies and anything toasty and easy….after all, cooking can be … Continue reading →

Sweet Scarletts Grapefruit Giveaway

Posted on December 21, 2015 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Saying “so long” to sweet summer strawberry season can be saddening but as berries make their way out, sunny peak seasoned citrus can fill your fruit fancies. Maybe grapefruit, however, isn’t normally your top citrus treat. Grapefruit can bring memories … Continue reading →

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Chiorganicgirls Meatless Monday: Grillable Veggie Burgers

Battle of the Burger: