Savoring Sarah

February 2012
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February 21, 2011

Butternut & Radicchio Risotto

Happy Presidents Day! Anyone else enjoying a lovely day parked on the couch? Because I AM!!!!!!!!!!! And thank goodness, because I needed another day of recovery. Saturday, TJ and I spent the entire day playing softball in a co-ed tournament downtown.

Oy. 7 games later, I was frozen numb cold and exhausted. Sunday & today my body still is aching. Man! Sprinting through snow, trying to field balls on ice, and all that shivering really takes a toll on one. Thankfully there are about 8 more servings of leftovers in the fridge that I have been gladly making my way through. This risotto is one of them.

Butternut Squash & Radicchio Risotto

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 white onion, sliced vertically

1 head radicchio, chopped

1 cup brown rice

1 14oz can chicken broth

3 cups water

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400. Peel & dice squash, chop onion & raddichio. Toss squash in 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a nonstick pan over medium heat, sautee radicchio in 1 tbsp olive oil until browned & soft.

2. Once radicchio has reduced, remove from pan. Add onion & sautee until browned, about 6 minutes. Add in brown rice & half the can of broth, stirring to scrape up bits on bottom of pan.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low. When liquid has been absorbed, add in rest of broth and cook, stirring frequently. Continue by adding water, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed- about 5-8 minutes each time liquid is added. Once rice is soft and all liquid absorbed, stir in parmesan cheese, radicchio and roasted squash. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with more fresh parmesan. I enjoyed my serving first with my favorite Brussels sprout recipe…..

And for lunch today, with a poached egg and lots of hot sauce.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to hobble downstairs and fold laundry. Methinks dinner will be…..heated in the microwave. Hey, if it ain’t broke…!?

Posted in cooking, life | 6 Comments »

Tags: brown rice, cheese, dinner, egg, entree, healthy, lunch, radicchio, recipe, recipes, rice, risotto, side dish, squash, vegetarian, winter

February 10, 2011

Hanna Bistro Bar, Traverse City MI

Before I started my new job, I went out for a mid-week girls night dinner to celebrate with my mom and my auntie/godmother/blog reader Bissy. When I heard that Hanna Bistro & Bar offered half-off bottles of wine on Wednesdays, I was sold!

Located in downtown Traverse, Hanna is is housed in an old fire station and has an “American Bistro” menu with an emphasis on foods from the Great Lakes region.

The interior is warm, cozy and intimate. Small tables, crisp tablecloths, lots of candles & dim lighting. The decor reflected a perfect blend of rustic & modern art. I adored the fabric coverings on all of the lights!

Our server was extremely attentive and helpful all night. I spent 6 years in the service industry during college, leaving my expectations rather high and can say Shannon was one of the best servers I have had in a long long time. We started with the Mark West Pinot Noir ($13 for the bottle with the 1/2 off deal!!), and- on Shannon’s rec- the fondue.

It was fabulous! A modern, deconstructed take on fondue: a beautiful wedge of brie surrounded by a luscious creamy tomato sauce, served with julienned green apple slices, sauteed morel mushrooms (said portobello on menu, but I think that morels are definitely an upgrade), and the most dense doughy focaccia. Delicious. We licked the bowl clean.

For our next course, we tried the caesar salad & the port poached pear salad. The caesar was great- not a heavy creamy dressing, more like a caesar style vinaigrette. Very generous portion for the small size. The port poached pear salad knocked my socks off- baby spinach tossed in a cinnamon pear balsamic & topped with melt in your mouth delicate goat cheese, candied pecans and port poached pear slices. Again, great portion size for a $4 salad!!!

Entrees were all knock-outs: my Aunt had the Little Neck Clams Pomodoro- perfectly steamed clams, fresh pomodoro sauce and al dente fettucini. They were even able to furnish her crushed red pepper upon request.

My mom went with the Bacon Wrapped Sirloin with Parsnip Frites, ordered medium-rare. It came out juicy and pink in the middle, with a wonderfully crispy bacon outer. The bacon was very smokey, and had hints of herbs- I say fennel. Delicious. The parsnips were prepared two ways- chunked & roasted underneath the steak, and shaved & fried as garnish. Can’t forget to mention the bleu cheese butter in there too! Not so much as to drown out the steak- just a hint of it. A perfect accouterment.

I went with the appetizer portion of the Mussels & Clams. I must begin this by saying I am a Mussel FANATIC. Order them anywhere I see them on a menu. These were, hands down, in the top 3 of ALL time. Cooked PERFECTLY, not a single unopened shell in the bunch. Not chewy, nor too fishy. The clams were excellent as well. The ground chorizo was spicy and provided great depth of flavor to the sauce. Can we talk about the sauce for a second? Citrus-saffron aioli based sauce. Not exaggerating in the least when I say I would BATHE in that sauce. It was so flavorful & complex, yet light and did not overwhelm the mussels or clams. I will order this every time I come back to Hanna. Wonderful. Also, the portion size was VERY generous! Made for a perfect entree following app & salad, yet would have definitely been a perfect size to split as an app for 2-4 people.

Even though everything had been phenomenal, I whole heartedly believe you cannot fairly asses a place without trying dessert. We finished our meal with the Bittersweet Chocolate Marquis- basically a dense frozen chocolate mousse. Not too rich, and when paired with the brandy soaked cherries & honey roasted hazelnuts, it was elevated to a dessert experience I had yet to find in Traverse City.

All of the food came out perfectly timed- neither too early nor too slow. Shannon was attentive without being obtrusive and offered frank and honest recommendations when asked. Our wine (and water) glasses were never empty. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend Hanna, and am planning on returning next time I am going out for a special meal.

6 thumbs up!

Posted in eating, life | 5 Comments »

Tags: bread, cheese, chocolate, clams, dinner, fondue, hanna bistro, mussels, pasta, restaurant, review, steak, traverse city, urbanspoon review, wine

February 8, 2011

Cheeseburger Soup

So….still getting snow here.

a *LOT* of snow.

I love soup on blustery, cold nights. I love meals ready in under 15 minutes on weeknights. I also love cheese. And bacon.

This soup is all of those things, and so much more.

I know it sounds like an unlikely pairing of ingredients, but I have made this three times since creating it in my head, and it has been FABULOUS every time. It tastest EXACTLY like a whopper. Then TJ suggested we add bacon and pickles. Um….brilliant! Now it tastes like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

Do you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in France?

A royale with cheese. Classic.

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 large white onion, chopped

1 lb extra lean grass fed ground beef

3 tbsp tomato pasta

2 tbsp Worcestershire

1 tbsp yellow mustard

16 oz reduced sodium beef broth

1/2 SMALL block velveeta made with 2%

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1/2 cup diced grape tomatoes

Pickles & Bacon for garnish

1. In a soup/stock pot on medium heat, saute onion until translucent- 3 or 4 minutes. Add in ground beef & cook until browned- about 3 minutes. Add in Worcestershire, tomato paste, mustard. Saute until fragrant- 2 or 3 minutes.

2. Add in broth & cheese. Stir until cheese has melted- 4 or 5 minutes. Add in tomatoes and lettuce. Let sit 2-4 minutes, or until lettuce has JUST wilted. Serve with chopped pickles and bacon!