Taco Lettuce Wraps

Tuesdays are "Taco Tuesdays" for my family 

and I love to find new ways to enjoy Mexican food once a week! 

This is a very easy and delicious way to lighten up your taco night!

You'll Need- 


Taco Meat (click for my recipe)
Light Shredded Cheese
Iceberg, Boston Bibb, or Butter Lettuce 
Cucumber
Tomato
Black Olives
Jalapenos
Avocado  




Prepare your taco meat however you desire! I like to mix up the proteins...sometime I use beef and other times I use ground chicken or turkey, it's delicious all three ways! Grilled shrimp or fish would be great too! 

Rinse the whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Next, wash and chop up all of the other veggies into small pieces... 

Next, just pile all of the yummy fillings into your lettuce leaves, roll up, and enjoy!! 

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Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

I looove this healthy version of Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo!

Added Bonus -- It's SUPER easy to make!! 

You'll Need- 

1 box of frozen broccoli

grilled or roasted chicken tenders (4-5) 

Ragu's light parmesan alfredo sauce 

grated parmesan cheese

garlic powder

crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

This recipe (...if I can even call it that) is soooo easy! In a large bowl combine the cooked broccoli with the cooked chicken and desired amout of sauce, mix well. Season with garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper...garnish with parmesan cheese! 

I usually eat this with a piece of garlic bread or toasted pita but to make it a little heartier you could also add some cooked whole wheat pasta to the recipe! 

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Mason Jar

The Mason Jar is a fun watering hole in midtown east that serves up an impressive selection of beer & bourbon...twenty beers on draft and twenty one bottled and also eighteen bourbon choices! The bar food isn't too shabby either! 

One of my friends had a restaurant.com gift card so we used it here on a girls night out! We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and lots of drinkies to wash down the bar food! Here is what we had...

Fried Pickles...

These were cornmeal crusted rather than dipped in a batter like most. 

They were quite good and it was nice to enjoy them with less breading than usual! 

Mac & Cheese...

The Mac & Cheese was delicious! I LOVE when Mac & Cheese is made with shells because they give all that yummy gooey cheese a place to hide and biting into one that's chock full of cheesyness is the best!! 

Chicken Quesadilla...

The quesadilla was pretty standard but the tortillas were nice and crispy and it totally hit the spot! 

Buffalo Wings...

The wings were also good!Not too spicy so they were a crowd-pleaser for sure! 

None of the food was particularly worth RAVING about but it was a perfect place for our girls night... great friends, fun bar, and yummy snacks! 

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Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

I LOVE this salad! 

(thanks Meagg for the recipe!) 

It's surprising how amazing and refreshing the raw brussels 

and kale are with the tart lemmony dressing. 

Make this salad into a meal by adding grilled chicken or shrimp! 

You'll Need - 

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (two lemons) 
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 2 large bunches of kale (about 1 1/2 lb. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 12 oz of brussels sprouts, shredded with a knife (I use 12-15 large brussels) 
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins (or you can used chopped or sliced)
• 1/2 cup olive oil 
• 1 cup finely grated pecorino
• freshly ground salt and pepper

• 
  

Combine lemon juice, dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors mingle. Mix the sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

• Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
  
  

  

  
  
  Top the kale mixture with protein (if desired), almonds, and cheese...
  
  

  

  
  
  
  Add the dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 
  
  
  

  

10 servings, 1 serving contains: 

Calories - 195.6
Fat - 15.3 (sat. 3.2)
Carbohydrates - 8.7
Dietary Fiber - 3.3
Protein - 8.1

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Dos Caminos

When I think Mexican food, my mind does not display a farmers market vegetable quesadilla, tuna ceviche, or black angus skirt steak – I picture big overstuffed burritos, gooey enchiladas, and smokey sizzling fajitas! So, needless to the concept of “upscale” Mexican food is not really something I seek out!


Both times I’ve been to Dos Caminos I’ve gone with my great friend Vicky! This time around we started with the house made guacamole which was by far the best thing we ate, and some of the best guac I've had in a long time! It’s also served with a trio of salsas & warm corn tortilla chips which were a nice addition! 

 I embraced the modern menu and went with the $17 fish tacos…because come on, fish tacos rock! These were grilled mahi-mahi topped with spicy slaw, smoked chile aioli, guacamole, in flour tortillas. They were good! Nothing extraordinary (especially for the price tag) but I did love the spicy slaw and the smokey aioli!

Vicky had the chicken taquitos...pulled chicken rolled in crispy corn tortillas, shaved lettuce, queso fresco, and tomatillo-avocado salsa. I had a bite, they were good, but nothing really newsworthy about them! 

The modern Mexican cuisine is served in a chic lounge setting with blaring music, dim lighting, and always packed full of swanky tequila drinkers. Not exactly my favorite scene but I’ve been, I've enjoyed myself! 



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Jalapeño Poppers

12 Jalapeño Peppers
4.5 oz Light Cream Cheese 
2 oz Shredded Low Fat Sharp Cheddar 
2 Eggs Beaten
1 Cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour 
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper


Wearing rubber gloves, cut peppers in half lengthwise (I found this was much easier than cutting them the other direction) and scoop out the seeds and membrane.


Grab four bowls...in the first combine the cheeses, in the second beat the two eggs, in the third combine panko, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and in the last add the flour. 

Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture...

Dip the stuffed peppers in flour and refrigerate for about 10 minutes - or until the cheese is set.

Next, dip the floured peppers in the egg and then into the panko mixture...

Deep fry for a few minutes or bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20! 


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Mark

A perfectly delicious teeny tiny menu! 

Mark Burger serves amazing sliders, yummy fries, and milkshakes!

I love all of the places in NYC that focus on doing just a few items, perfectly...

Mark is one of them!  

The juicy, cheesy, mini burgers are simply perfection! Super fresh, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor!

The tables are equipped with specialty sauces for your mixing and dipping pleasure - and the hand cut French fries make wonderful vehicles for the sauce of your choice! (jalapeno sauce rocks!!)

The one thing I regret is not super over indulging and going for a bacon milkshake on the side!! Yes...BACON milkshake!!

I'll definitely be back for more, plus a bacon milkshake... after bathing suit season has passed!! 


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Baked Chicken with Rice

Healthy comfort food at it's best!!!

You'll Need - 

1 Can of Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Envelope of Onion Soup Mix

1 Cup of Minute Brown Rice

1/12 Cups of Water

5-6 Chicken Breasts

Mix the first four ingredients in a greased baking dish. Place chicken on top of mixture and cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until gravy this thick and bubbly and chicken in brown. 

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Mel's Burger Bar

Mel's is a wonderful concept, offering a high quality and fun menu which features whimsical treats like fried pickles, burgers topped with spinach dip, and booze spiked milk shakes! 

Located on Broadway, just steps away from Columbia's campus, Mel's has earned quite the reputation with their "all you can eat wings" on Monday nights, $2 bloody mary's during their weekend brunch, and their delicious menu full of comfort food! 

The wings are great! I think I've had them on every trip to Mels! 

And...if you have fried pickles on your menu, there's an 90% chance I'm ordering them!

Now for the burgers....

Mel’s has several suggested “burgerlicious combinations” all made with Pat LaFrieda premium beef (Pat LaFrieda is a local family owned meat purveyor who have gained an amazing reputation in NYC). Some of these featured burgers include: 

“The Original Burger” made on white toast as a homage to the Louis' Lunch burger -- the self proclaimed creator of the hamburger

“The California Burger”  with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, avocado, monterey jack, and house sauce 

“The Cowboy Burger” with cheddar cheese, chili, onion strings, mushrooms, BBQ sauce! 

You can also choose from an impressive list of sauces, toppings, and cheeses to create your own masterpiece! 

On this particular occasion, I went with the sliders....They were perfect!

My friend went with the burger loaded with spinach dip, and she loved it!

 

To wash it all down, there are 18 different beers on tap, ten different bottled beers, and five different cans, not to mention an impressive menu of shakes, boozie or not! 


Another cool thing...if you're up for sharing beer, Mel's doesn’t offer pitchers but instead reusable 32 or 64 ounce growlers of beer. (very green!) 

Seating is nice and roomy and they have a great bar area up front! With Mel's just steps away from our apartment, we've been several times and I'm sure we'll go several more!

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Sausage Peppers & Onions

 

You’ll Need –

1 Package of Hot or Sweet Italian Sausage

1 Large White Onion

2 Large Peppers (green, yellow, red, etc)

Garlic

Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper

Start by chopping the sausage into bite sized pieces and slice the peppers into thin strips (they’ll shrink down as they cook!)

Add the sausage and veggies to a baking dish and season with garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Cover with foil and bake at 375 until the veggies are tender and the meat is cooked through!

Add to a hoagie roll with some American cheese for a delicious “Fenway Park like” meal J

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Ricotta Stuffed Veal Meatballs

You'll Need - 


1.5 lbs of Ground Veal 
1 Egg
Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Romano Cheese
Minced Garlic
Fresh Basil 
Crushed Red Pepper
Salt & Pepper




Mix up the veal with some minced garlic, egg, grated romano cheese, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

In a separate bowl mix the ricotta, salt, pepper, more minced garlic, and finely chopped fresh basil. 

The size of your meatballs will determine the size of your ricotta balls, I like to make giant meatballs, so I rolled my ricotta accordingly! As the ricotta warms this it will get harder to work into balls, so work fast! Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and into the freezer for about 25 minutes (if they are really sloppy, just pop them in the freezer for about 10 mins, then reshape them and freeze for another 15!)

When the ricotta balls are frozen and ready to go, flatten some meat in the palm of your hand, place the ball of ricotta inside, then wrap it up around the cheese. 

Bake them in a 400 degree  until done (which will depend on the size you make your meatballs!) They'll give off quite a bit of moisture so you may want to drain the pan (don't forget to re-grease) about halfway though cooking! 

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

A delicious pizza crust made from cauliflower and cheese! 

Great if you're watching carbs or are gluten free! 

You'll Need- 

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (instructions below!)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used weight watchers)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed garlic

½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

To "rice" the cauliflower take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. (One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.)

If you have a food processor, add the florets into it and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over pulse or you will accidently puree it! (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater or chop very finely with a large chopping knife). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. (no need to add water).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay parchment paper down on cookie sheet … the first time I tired this recipe, spraying the pan with oil wasn’t enough and my whole crust got really stuck to the pan :(

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and other seasonings. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. 

(Use parchment paper - this ended up getting stuck!)

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes...flip and bake for another 5-10. I like my crust crispy so I left mine in a little longer even! Remove from oven and add your favorite pre cooked topping! Place back into the oven until toppings are warmed through and the cheese is melty! (approximately 5 minutes).

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McSorley's Old Ale House

McSorley's Old Ale House is known as the oldest continuously operating tavern in New York City. Located in the East Village (at 15 East 7th Street) McSorley's was one of the last "men only" pubs until 1970 when they were legally forced to change.  Whether you live here or are visiting I’d highly recommending checking out the 150 years of history at McSorley's!

McSorley's began as a blue collar saloon where the beer was sold for pennies and cheese and the crackers were on the house! These days it's not much different...they still only offer two choices,  dark beer or light beer and no matter what they'll always give you two when you order one! Even the cheese and crackers are still around and are sold for only $3.00/plate!  

(don’t let the simplicity of this fool you...

the super spicy mustard (which is to die for in my book) 

with the raw onion, savory cheese, and the salty crackers, make a perfect bar snack!!!)

The floors at McSorley's are covered in saw dust and you'll notice there are a few bar fixtures missing…there are no stools so you must fight for your piece of standing room and there has never been, and most likely never will be, a cash register! 


McSorley's is covered with history... In both the front room and the backroom (where the ale flowed during prohibition) the walls are covered with aged photos, artifacts, and newspaper clippings! Among the artifacts are as Houdini's handcuffs, wishbones hung by those going off to World War I, an original wanted poster for Abe Lincoln's assassin, and the farewell from Yankee stadium photo that Babe Ruth donated!

Many other notable people have visited McSorley's, including Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Peter Cooper, Boss Tweed, and Woody Guthrie. Literary figures like Brendan Behan, Paul Blackburn, LeRoi Jones, Gilbert Sorrentino, George Jean Nathan and even the 1994 Stanley Cup Champs, the New York Rangers who took the cup to McSorley's and drank out of it! 


McSorley's is defiantly a cool spot with a great story and I hope its around for the next 150 years!

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