Lunch at the Palm Court

Tags

lunch, Plaza Hotel, restaurant

Over 4^th of July weekend, Brent was offered a new job. So many changes happening so fast. We were so ecstatic! In light of this new and much more demanding job, Brent thought it would be best to take a few days off together before he started to spend some quality time together. A month shy of our two year anniversary, he made reservations for lunch and told me to dress up.

Playing hooky AND getting to dress up?

Yes please.

We summoned our personal driver (jk, we used UBER) and he told the driver to deliver us to The Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. My face flushed and my tummy was filled with butterflies. When Brent wants to impress me, he doesn’t hold back.

We arrived to the nearly empty but very beautiful Palm Court midday on a Friday. He, dressed in his best suit, and me, dressed in the dress I wore to my college graduation (it fits!!!).

Diets be damned today as we ordered glasses of champagne. To Brent’s new career, and to our 2^nd year together. Our last anniversary as unmarried folk.

Our server, named Ruggero (also the name of our wedding coordinator), was impressive. His service was impeccable and his demeanor was professional and friendly.

For starters, I ordered the strachietella mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and crisp romaine lettuce drizzled with a thick balsamic glaze. He ordered the calamari. One of his favorites.

That appetizer was amazing. I craved burrata for days and possibly weeks after!

He had a pasta with Bolognese for his main course

and I had the seared halibut with quinoa and wilted greens.

The halibut was good but I was still thinking about the strachietella. Lol.

We ended the meal with a strong and foamy cappuccino and some dessert. I ordered the chocolate tart that was too rich to finish and Brent ordered the mille crepe which was outstanding and quite perfect for such a large lunch.

The lunch lasted 2.5 hours. We rolled out of lunch, satisfied and sleepy.

A beautiful lunch!

A once in a lifetime experience.

A lunch that cost more than dinner at my favorite steak house.

Going to play lotto so I can one day eat strachietella every day at the Palm Court.

Next on our list. Afternoon Tea Service at the Palm Court!

Baked Turkey Chimichangas

Tags

chimichanga, dinner, healthy, lunch, turkey

Its very rare for me to repeat a recipe. But if and when i make a repeat, there is always a reason. This reason in particular, is because its damn good and a fantastic freezer meal! I made these baked chimichangas on several other occasions and every time, the extras were wrapped in foil and frozen- making the best emergency lunches and dinners!

These babies are delicious and satisfying and were inspired by a weight watchers recipe. If you’re on a low calorie diet, these babies rule!

Ingredients: (makes 10 chimichangas)

10 8-inch tortillas
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb of ground turkey
2 T cumin
1 can of green chilles
2 t oregano
8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup of extra sharp cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 350*. In a medium skillet, heat a Tablespoon of oil and over medium-low heat, cook the onions for about 4 minutes, until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

After the onion and garlic have cooked, add the turkey. Break up meat with a wooden spoon and break into smaller pieces.

Add the cumin, chiles, and oregano (and salt if you desire) to the ground meat. Then add the tomato sauce and cheese. Heat through for about 5 minutes.

Then, take your tortillas and fill them with a heaping spoon in the center of the tortilla and fold burrito style before placing, seam side down, in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Line them up and then spray with cooking oil.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Freeze the leftovers! And if you’d like check out the other chimichangas we baked! here and here.

Paleo Banh Mi Burgers with Lettuce Buns

Tags

bahn mi burger, bok choy, dinner, healthy, lunch, paleo, pork

One of the first things I missed when BR and I started Paleo was a thick and crusty Banh Mi sandwich. Crusty baguette stuffed with barbecued pork, pickled daikon and carrots, cucumbers, fresh cilantro and mayonnaise. Its a dream. Obviously, this is not paleo. But when I set out on this mission to make comfort foods paleo, I remembered using a similar recipe in the past. With a few modifications, I was able to make a delicious dinner!

 Paleo Banh Mi Burgers with Lettuce buns and Bok Choy (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 lb Lean ground pork

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 clove minced garlic

1 tsp fish sauce

2 diced scallions

1 diced jalapeno

zest of 1 lime

4 boston bib lettuce leaves

 For the Bok Choy:

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tbsp olive oil

3 bulbs of baby bok, stalks separated

1 tbsp coconut aminos, or soy sauce

1 drizzle of sesame oil

Combine the ground pork, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, scallions, jalapeno and lime zest in a medium bowl with clean hands. Separate the meat, once combined, into 4 sections. Form them into patties, around 1/2 inch thick. You can either pan fry or grill. Since I had just worked out, I was looking for the extra healthy fat intake, so i pan fried in coconut oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes over a medium heat.

To make the bok choy, add garlic, ginger, and oil to a cold saute pan and heat. Keep flame medium-high. When the oil is fragrant, add the bok choy and continuously stir fry to completely coat the bok choy with all the delicious flavors, about 3-4 minutes. Add the coconut aminos, or soy sauce, with a drizzle of sesame oil, cover and allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir once more and serve.

I served the burgers on lettuce buns with garlicky bok choy and 1/2 a baked sweet potato. It was not identical to the banh mi in chinatown but it was really good. It was fresh tasting with all the fresh ingredients and really popped with the addition of fresh ginger and jalapenos.

In all honesty, we each had two burgers each because just one wasnt enough. Do yourself a favor and double this recipe to freeze extras!

Restaurant Week: Gotham Grill

Tags

chocolate, lunch, NYC, Restaurant Review, sea bass, Steak

Last Friday, my mother, BR and I decided to leave work early to take advantage of a leisurely lunch.  Since it was also Restaurant Week, we made reservations at Gotham Bar and Grill, a swanky little restaurant tucked away in between University Place and 5^th Avenue on 12^th street in Manhattan.

From what I already know about Gotham, I can tell you that:

-President Obama has eaten there several times

-My Godfather loves it here, and ate here on his birthday

-I cannot afford it, ever. Except for Restaurant Week.

With this being the first time I ever managed to snag a reservation for Restaurant Week at Gotham, the three of us made a day of it. We dressed up. We left work early. And I documented the whole thing via instagram. If you follow me, then you already know these photos are old news.

It started out as a great day. A light breezy 80ish degree kind of day. BR and I got to Gotham early and waited for my mother. Since it was well after 2pm, we were on the hungry slash cranky side. BR is very serious when he’s hungry or tired. And usually, those make the best photo ops. I captured this awesome pic of BR just looking down the street for any sign of my mom.

Once she arrived, we were seated immediately. I was happy to see we weren’t the only people taking advantage of the $25 pre fix lunch special.

Our server was very charming and witty. He was patient when we needed more time to order. I had offered to split some things with my mom on account that she is a little picky with certain items but she said no because the portions are Gotham are… well, small.

How small?

Well, take a look at her ceviche. With such a grand description of cod fish with watermelon and melon puree with citrus elements, the sliver of fish in a green broth- completely delicious- but oh so tiny. She offered me a bite but I let her enjoy her two bite appetizer. She liked it but was hoping for ceviche reminiscent of the one she got in Costa Rica.

BR and I opted for salad which was also a smallish portion but was very good. Chunks of creamy goat cheese with farm fresh cherry tomatoes and crisp shredded lettuce. It was perfectly dressed in a buttermilk ranch dressing.

For the entrée, BR and mom ordered the Strip Loin with summer corn and sweet polenta. BR looked disappointed. He loved his meal but the 3 slices of strip loin broke his heart. We jokingly spoke of where the next lunch will be immediately following our current lunch. BR was not joking.

I ordered the seared sea bass with sautéed zucchini, smoked eggplant puree and chipotle foam. The fish was cooked perfectly. Nice crust on the skin with tender flakes of fish. The eggplant puree was awesome as was the zucchini… I could totally do without the foam.

Since mom hates polenta, I gave her my vegetables. But the bites that I had, sure were delicious!

We all had the chocolate cake for dessert with almond ice cream. The dessert was waaaay too rich but they only gave us a sliver of cake. The cake appeared crumbly but had a fudgy consistency like a flourless cake. The almond ice cream was far too sweet for my liking.

Overall, we had a pretty decent lunch. Were we satisfied? YES! But we are greedy folks. We need a little more than 3 oz of meat and fish.

I did really like Gotham but I don’t see a follow up in my future…Unless BR hits the lottery.

Bento Lunch

Tags

bento, bento enthusiast, bento love, lunch, lunch box

I have developed a new obsession.

Bento Lunch boxes.

I love everything about them. The portion control. The small compartments that allow me to have a balanced meal. And the portability. Bye Bye bulky containers.

I spied the amazing bento containers on my instagram feed. Fellow blogger, FeistyFoodie, has a bento obsession too and she was extremely helpful recommending a great (and affordable) vessel for me to get my bento on.

The bento love is so strong that even BR has developed a love for bento lunches and got his own! We are a bento obsessed and bento loving couple. His is just a little bigger than mine- but still compact. 

I have been getting a lot of positive feedback on the bentos (as well as questions of where to buy) so I decided that I share them. And maybe whenever I have a few.

Grilled chicken and sautéed zucchini with farm fresh cherries, Apricots and homemade cucumber kimchi.

Leftover Eggplant parmesan over whole wheat capellini, apricots, cucumbers and golden tomatoes.

Sauteed Chicken and purple peppers (that turn green when cooked!), purple carrots, Farm Fresh cremini mushrooms and garlic rosemary potatoes.

(BR’s lunch) Smoked Gouda and dried salami with bagel chips and cucumbers to dip into homemade garlicky hummus.

(That time we shared a bento) Tuna salad  with bagel chips, farm fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and smoked gouda.

These lunches are so simple and feel so balanced! We are surely the envy of the office when we open up our adorable bento lunches.

Been getting inspiration from pinterest, facebook, and instagram. Getting a bento? Already a bento enthusiast? SHOW ME! I would LOVE to see what you are feasting on.

Abbottega

Tags

dinner, itlian, lunch, Restaurant Review, tapas, wine

About a month ago, BR and I were invited to a newly opened Italian restaurant in the village. The restaurant was newly named Abbottega and has sister locations in Italy as well as Miami. Their menu boasts a variety of eats ranging from smaller plates for an afterwork appertif with a bottle of wine as well as some heftier and more classic dishes that one might find in a Tuscan kitchen.

We arrived at the start of dinner service on a weeknight. We knew we were in for a east but (spoiler alert) we left filled to the brim with delicious handmade goodness.

The interior is quaint and calm. Great for an intimate gathering as well as some low key after work socializing.

In the main dining area lies a large marble top counter where a chef busily prepares homemade pasta.

A true sight to behold as you wait for freshly made ravioli and spaghetti.

I truly loved the mason jar light fixtures. They added a lovely rustic touch.

We allowed the chef to choose our wine. A deliciously crisp and chilled Pinot Grigio. Quite refreshing on a hot summer evening

Couldn’t resist watching the live action ravioli making. Like dinner and a show!

This is the view of the ravioli making from my seat.

While we sipped our wine, we were presented with the bread basket. The crust was crusty and the innards fluffy and warm. The spread? Unlike anything I have ever tasted.

An emulsion of arugula, olive oil,  cream cheese and salt. Reminiscent of a pesto but whipped to be light and airy.

It was addicting. We used every crumb of bread to sop up this creamy spread.

We sampled the small plates which are designed for sharing (when ordering more than 1) and imbibing wine.

This wilted spinach with tartufo cheese is the perfect appetizer to start with. Like a warm salad. The spinach is garlicky and not over cooked. Its played with sharp tartufo cheese and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar. Wonderful!

This baby was by far our favorite small plate. The eggplant parmesan.

Delicate slices of eggplant dusted with breadcrumbs and fried then covered in a housemade marinara. The thinly shaved parmesan cheese slices melted from the warmth of the eggplant and made a perfect addition.

We seriously could not stop eating this. Reminds me of my grandmothers amazing cooking.

This 3rd small plate seemed to be more up BRs alley. A plate of house cured meat with arugula, shaved pecorino slices and truffle oil.

The meat was supple with good amounts of fat in it and combined nicely with the bite from the arugula and good use of truffle oil.

Next up was more homemade pasta. Not a spaghetti but a super thick stand. Using a long board with wires like a guitar, the chef placed the pasta dough onto the device and pressed down to create these uniform strands of pasta.

The marinara sauce had a spicy kick to it. This dish combined with the small eggplant plate would make for a perfect dinner.  Or even lunch (they are now serving lunch!)

This pasta, while delicious, was too al dente for my liking (I know, shocking!)

Artichoke and parmesan ravioli sauteed in a sage butter sauce with crispy priscuitto on top.

After watching this ravioli come together, I was not expecting this. It was meaty and flavorful.

The filling so expertly prepared that it reminded me of a finely minced meat and cheese filled ravioli. The sage butter sauce was amazing.

A picturesque char-broiled Branzino atop a bed of spinach, avocado puréed with shrimp. The Branzino needed nothing but a sprinkling of salt and pepper. For anyone looking for a lighter dish, this will surely not disappoint.

There was barely any room in our stomachs for the dessert. A coffee panna cotta.

This panna cotta with a rich ganache, and ground espresso was decadent. It was rich and while the chocolate might have been too much on its own, the coffee helped take it down a notch. A truly delicious dessert; but if I had a choice, I would opt for a vanilla panna cotta with a fruit compote- Im a fan of simplicity.

Overall, Abbottega was a wonderful place to enjoy an intimate evening. The food is prepared with love and all from scratch…

Just like nonna makes it.

Turkey cheeseburger salad

Tags

dinner, healthy, lunch, recipes, salad

Behold! A very delicious and unphotogenic salad. All the elements of a burger  and fries but on a bed iceberg lettuce.

Wanting to satisfy a burger craving, I decided to follow a lead via the Weight Watchers website on a turkey burger salad.  This salad was satisfying and tasty. I surely enjoyed leftover for lunch and felt guilt-less enjoying such a hearty “burger”.

Ingredients: serves 4

1 lb extra lean ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

salt

8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced

4 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese

2 large red potatoes, baked

8 cups iceberg lettuce

In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over a medium flame and saute the onions until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Then, add the mushrooms and cook through, about 3-4 minutes. Set the mushrooms and onions aside and add ground turkey to the skillet, season with salt to taste. Break up with spoon as you cook to make crumbles.

When the turkey is cooked, serve on a bed of lettuce, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Add 1/2 a baked potato (roughly chopped) to the plate and add onions and mushrooms. I drizzled the potatoes with some ketchup and viola. The recipe this was inspired by called for balsamic vinegar but I wanted this to remind me of a real burger (minus the bun) and this was great.

I might have had two servings.

No, I definitely had two servings.

Tuna Nicoise Salad in a “Jar”

Tags

clean, healthy, lunch, recipes, salad

I have an obsession with my jars. I have been collecting jars and using them for leftovers or making things specifically to store in jars. One of my fave things on Pinterest lately are the salads in a jar! So gorgeous. And seems so revolutionary in salad storage! Call me a dork but I shied away from packing salads over the years because I packed my salad dressing and protein in separate containers making my salad heavier than a salad should be… so I stopped.

And while eating clean, a hearty healthy salad (in a jar) had to happen. But then as I was filling my jar, I realized that all the extras would take away from all the crispy crunchy lettuce leaves in the salad. And leaving that out is stupid.

I’m pretty sure I am not the first person to think of out the jar here and assemble the salad the same way, just in a bigger vessel. But why have I been so ignorant? How did I not know how to do this?

I made 4 salads. Two for me, two for BR. Two days of lunch. Boom.

From memory, I assembled our bomb ass salads:

Ingredients:

8 cups of romaine lettuce

2 cans of solid albacore tuna in water, drained

1 large tomato

2 hardboiled eggs

2 cups of green beans

2 small baked potatoes

1/2 cup honey mustard vinaigrette (not the traditional one used in nicoise salads but this is our fave)

To assemble one salad “jar”:

layer One: 2 Tbsp honey Mustard Dressing

Layer Two: 1/2 cup green beans

Layer Three: 1/4 of tomato

Layer Four: 1/2 hard boiled egg, sliced

Layer Five: 1/2 baked potato, roughly chopped

Layer Six: Half a can of tuna

Layer Seven: 2 cups of lettuce

When you are ready to eat, turn it upside down for a few minutes to let the dressing trickle down through the entire salad. This salad is hearty, filling, and delicious.

I am really excited to be jumping back on the salad bandwagon… now? I just need to find the perfect jar for it.

Vegan Fare at Wild Ginger

Tags

healthy, lunch, Restaurant Review, vegan

My good friend Arlenys, whom I had the pleasure of going to college with and now have as a coworker, invited me to lunch the other day. She’s starting to be more adventurous in the foodie world and wanted to take me to a restaurant that she loved and I had never heard of. The real kicker here was that the restaurant is vegan. Arlenys and I are Hispanic. Meat is a regular item at our dinner table. So, for Arlenys to rave about a vegan restaurant, well, it had to be good, right?

Wild Ginger in SoHo is a comfortable walking distance away from my office. The no frills signage is misleading as what awaits behind the doors at Wild Ginger will impress just about any meat eater.

To start, Wild Ginger is a quaint and cozy place.  There are about 12 tables inside but if you get a seat, grab a menu and have at it. I was a little unsure about a few things on the menu but the staff are really friendly and will make suggestions if you aren’t sure. I personally thought the lunch specials looked amazing.

We decided to start with some Seitan skewers which were amazing. The texture is very familiar, kind of like lean sandwich meat. The sauce was awesome too!

For my entrée I ordered the grilled tofu with mixed veggies. it came with the choice of brown coconut rice and regular brown rice. I chose the coconut rice- good lord was it good! Each entrée also came with a miso soup to start, a slice of steamed kombuca and a spring roll.

The price is right for lunch entrees here and the portions are excellent. Our meal total was $24. For 2 entrees and an appetizer, that’s a steal.

For affordable, healthy, tasty vegan fare, I know I will be back at Wild Ginger (ESPECIALLY) since its close to the office!

Less Loaded baked Potato Soup

Tags

bacon, baked potato, cauliflower, cooking light magazine, dinner, healthy, lunch, recipes, scallions, soup

I feel like a broken record here. Its cold! Its April! Why?

What to do when its cold?

Snuggle up with your boo and your puppy. And if you need some warmth and comfort in your tummy, January’s issue of Cooking Light had a tasty less loaded baked potato soup.

Now, I love all things soup. Its filling, Its comforting. And its usually easy to make. BR on the other hand, is not really a soup kind of guy. He likes substance. He likes meat.

Looking at the recipe, I saw it had bacon. Bacon is meat. This soup is meat and potatoes. How can that disappoint anyone? And even more amazing is how this soup packs all the flavor of a loaded baked potato with less calories and fat thanks to the pureed cauliflower.

Right?

Less Loaded Baked Potato Soup

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pound cubed peeled baking potato (about 2)
• 1 pound cubed Yukon gold potato (about 4)
• 5 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1/2 head) I used an entire head
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 1/4 cup fat free half and half
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free fromage blanc (such as Vermont Creamery) or sour cream
• 2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions: (my directions vary from Cooking Light slightly)

1. Set up a large pot of salted water. Bring to boil. When water is boiling, add cauliflower and potatoes and boil till fork tender. About 10 minutes. (you want it to fall apart easily – makes blending quick!)
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. When the potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender, place in a blender, along with some of the simmering broth and puree. When the desire texture is reached, I like mine velvety, place it all in the dutch oven and allow it to simmer for an additional 10-20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.
5. Add half and half. Stir. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup green onions, and sour cream; stir until sour cream dissolves.
6. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top evenly with remaining green onions, cheese, and bacon. (or in my case, serve two bowls of soup and put the leftovers in the fridge for lunches)

For a soup, BR thought it was okay. (figures). But this is a great soup disguised as a guilty pleasure but lightened up to make indulging guilt free. My favorite part of this soup is the crispy bacon and the creamy texture of this soup.

Might as well enjoy it while its still freezing.