Recipe ideas and commentary on the new food culture by professional photographer Tom Schmidt in Chicago. Get inspired to cook something awesome!

Recipe

Chickpea Pizza Refined – Plus Chicken Sausage / Magic Dust

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Chickpea Flatbread Pizza Recipe - Gluten-Free The original Chickpea Pizza with Eggs Recipe has become kinda small-time famous for some crazy reason.  Maybe it’s the eggs on top that get all the attention…   Personally, I dig this recipe so much that I make it nearly every week!  It then becomes lunch and snacks for the next few days. As I continue to make it time and time again, I have worked out a few new additions that you are sure to love. I have been integrating more high quality meats into …

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Bacon Wrapped Dates Recipe – Bring a Hot “Date” to Your Next Party!

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**Guest Post from Morgan Paris Fitness** Do you love hearing people comment on how awesome the dish you brought to the party is? I know I do!  These delicious Bacon Wrapped Dates will delight your tastebuds with the rich sweetness from the dates contrasted by savory, salty bacon. I'm exited to share this recipe with you because it's kinda become my "thing."  I always bring my " Dates"   ;)   to parties and secretly I can't wait to hear, "oh my gosh, these are so good! Who brought …

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Sweet Potato and Hamburger Hash – Paleo Breakfast Ideas

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Sweet Potatoes with Hamburger Breakfast Recipe ** Guest Post from Morgan Paris Fitness** "What should I eat for breakfast?" AKA - the most common question I receive from clients who are just starting their Paleo journey.  This warm and savory dish with a hint of sweetness from the sweet potatoes makes for a great start to many of my days. With grains and dairy out of the question, most people are not sure what they will do without their standard breakfast of cereal with milk or …

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Spiralized Zucchini with Fresh Spaghetti Sauce Recipe – Paleo “Noodles”

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No noodles? No problem… when you have a spiralizer!  You are going to love the light freshness of the zucchini with the simple, slightly sweet home cooked tomato sauce for this dish.  This fare satisfies and leaves you feeling full (which makes me happy) without the drag and resulting carb coma of demolishing a huge plate of pasta.  It’s got a double whammy positive effect! I often make an entire meal out of a few heaping helpings of these zucs, but it can also make a nice side dish, or even …

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Peach Quinoa Crumble Recipe – Healthy Dessert Ideas

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Peach Quinoa Crumble - Healthy Dessert Recipes **Guest Post from Angela the Baker** Toasted and ground quinoa combined with almond meal elevates this simple peach crumble to gourmet status.  Almonds and peaches are a winning combination as close cousins on the family tree (pun fully intended.) These blushing ladies I got are so amazingly sweet, it only takes a little boost from some jam and maple syrup to reach that perfectly balanced nature of  home-style  fresh fruit crumble. …

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Magic Dust Spice Recipe for Amazing Chicken Wings

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Chicken Hot Wing Dust Spice Blend Recipe The one and only “Magic Dust” by Mike Mills, is an amazingly versatile dry rub style seasoning for chicken and pork.  The flavor is slightly spicy and savory invoking an almost Cajun effect that finishes with hints of sweetness.  It is guaranteed to invoke fond summer memories of outdoor barbecues and sauce on your shirt. (kinda like that old country song…) Recipe Inspiration - Peace, Love, & Barbecue You can use this spice blend a thousand …

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Limey Avocado and Grape Tomato Side Dish from Lemonade LA

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Avocado Recipe with Limey Dressing and Grape Tomatoes Large chunks of avocados spiked with a zesty lime vinaigrette, smiles are guaranteed.  This dish is a great side or main player for a veggie based lunch.  The good fats in the avocados will keep both your brain and stomach happy all afternoon.  No h-Anger excuses! (h-Anger defined: the annoyed and dangerous mindset that causes you to turn into a ravenous beast until you get junk food or another meal.  No, coffee does not fix this condition. …

Limey Avocado and Grape Tomato Side Dish from Lemonade LARead More

Hamburger Recipes, Grind Your Own Beef at Home!

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Grind Your Own Beef at Home for Amazing Hamburger Recipes! With a simple food processor you too can have the best burgers known to man!  Grinding your own 'burger meat transforms a household comfort food into a luxury item.  Start with a fresh piece of organic grass-fed beef and you should claim the “Grill Master” title from your buddies. By doing the grinding yourself, you retain complete control of what goes into your burger.  I think we all have realized that there are truly unspeakable …

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Massaged Kale Salad with Sunflower Seeds and Dried Cranberries

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Turn that super chewy and tough raw kale into a tender treat with a simple massage.  The other secret weapons of this recipe are  sunflower seeds and mustard which transform these greens into a savory and satisfying dish. The idea of massaging kale is bound to cause a raised eyebrow from anyone not familiar with the glorious result.  The process is so simple, I am still dumbfounded why the technique has not taken hold on a larger scale. Don’t be surprised if you too are amazed by the …

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Chickpea Pizza with Eggs, Spinach and Tomatoes

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Gluten-Free Chickpea Flatbread Pizza Crust Recipe “I want Pizza!!”  We all have the craving, so why fight it?  This gluten-free pizza recipe will leave you not only satisfied, but inspired to create all kinds of pies.  The chickpea crust has a uniquely creamy and hearty taste that will fill you with happiness.  Not to mention, the crust is soooo easy to make, you will never have the urge to deal with a 'regular' pizza dough again! This recipe has become a busy evening favorite at my …

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Fresh Raw Beet Salad – Fancy White Shirts, Take Cover!

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Beet Salad Recipe with Apples and Cabbage This raw beet salad recipe tames the earthy essence of the beets and brings out a beautiful sweetness.  As soon as you get past the fact that you are gobbling up raw beets (if you have phobia), you are bound to forget that this is actually a pretty healthy dish! Raw beets have quite possibly the most intense red color I have ever seen.  It has such a powerful color that every item in this salad will become lush and red in color.  Watch out for your …

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts Recipe with Grapes When did Brussels sprouts become so cool?  People that normally don’t like veggies will even eat these.  They seem to have turned into the gateway drug for folks that often stay away from the green stuff.  Cool to me! My parents introduced me to this dish and at the time I had not traveled down the veggie road nearly as far as I have today.  Although it was a few years back, I can still vividly remember the first time these divine tiny …

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Perfect Roasted Chicken Recipe – Impress the Ladies!

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Perfect Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe The easiest way to get the perfect girl to fall in love with you, serve her a perfectly roasted beautiful bird.  The mythical aphrodisiac effects of the golden crispy skin and luscious meat will unfold before your very eyes.  Or at least she will give a hearty compliment on your valiant attempt and big hug.  But hey, I’ve heard success stories… Recipe Inspiration - The Perfectly Roasted Chicken, Mindy Fox This method really benefits from starting with a high …

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Portobello Recipe – Roasted Mushrooms with Balsamic Vinegar

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Portobello Recipe - Roasted Mushroom Side Dish / Appetizer Portobello mushrooms are from Mars... A UFO shaped meaty treat magically grows on composted poo... Yep an alien species! I am always amazed by their interesting structure (pop off the stalk and observe the texture) and how they seem to hover somewhere between the animal and veggie world.  Maybe they are actually more like fish, they do have gills. Anyways enough of the tangent… This recipe for preparing portobellos is …

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Grain Free Fried Rice Recipe – Grated Cauliflower and Shrimp

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Grain-Free Fried Rice Recipe made out of Grated Cauliflower Seriously, is that fried rice without a grain of rice??  The amazing cauliflower strikes again!  Really, what can’t you do with cauliflower?  Recently I have ran across recipes utilizing this humble plant in all kinds of uncommon ways, such as pizza crust and taco tortillas to name just a few.  Maybe I will have to do an entire series on innovative uses of cauliflower.  I am intrigued. This fried “rice” experience is so fast and easy …

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Vegetable Soup Recipe – Lentil Beans, Tomatoes and Spinach

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River Cottage Veg Inspired - Vegetable Soup Recipe - Lentil Beans, Tomatoes and Spinach Simple lentils and tomatoes with a fresh twist from spinach and parsley make for a surprisingly satisfying meal.  Add bit of hard goat cheese at the end to further blow your mind. This soup changed my life.  That might be a little dramatic, but it has been one of my absolute favorites when: I am starving I feel lazy I want to impress girls I am trying to be a vegetarian A friend asks for a quick and easy …

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Pressure Cooker Recipe – How to Cook Dry Beans w/ Timetable

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How to Cook Dry Beans - Pressure Cooker Recipe Do people actually cook with those dried beans or does everyone just layer them into Mason Jars to gain hipster points?  The traditional way of preparing beans, with the overnight soak, hours of cooking, and on and on is just too much for me.  Fine I’ll just eat the canned stuff if that is the only option. Then I was introduced to one of my favorite new tools in the kitchen, the pressure cooker!  My dad bought me this one (Fagor …

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Roasted Broccoli Recipe, Simple Side Dish

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Broccoli Recipe for a Super Easy and Delicious Vegetable Dish Broccoli is often cited as everyone’s favorite vegetable, especially raw.  Wrong…  Until now!  Roasted broccoli is guaranteed to change your feelings to pure love for this flowery green veggie. I learned about roasting various vegetables a few years back, and still whip out this technique on a regular basis.  Roasting has a unique effect on veggies that draws the sugars out and carmelizes them on the surface.  This creates a …

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Green Smoothie Recipe – Cucumbers, Avocado, Spinach

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Green Smoothie Recipe with Avocados, Spinach, Cucumbers, Apple, Pear There are infinite combinations of fruits and veggies to grind up into smoothies, but some small additions to norms are a real treat.  This time around I added cucumbers to some basic green smoothie ingredients resulting in a little lighter and brighter combo. For me the trick to most amazing smoothie is a great blender.  I invested in a Blendtec blender a few years ago, although it did take a while for me stomach …

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How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

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Chicken Stock Recipe with How To Instructions Chicken stock from scratch is one of the most under-rated, and under appreciated beauties in cooking.  This winter I have been making lots of soups and they all seem to require some form of soup stock.  Then I got kinda cheap, and thought...man, 4 bucks for some chicken flavored water...  So I began making my own.  Then I started canning it too. I have utilized a pressure cooker to make this a quicker process, but you can do it …

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