Juice Generation

I've gone out to get a fresh smoothie or two in the past but have never sought out a fresh juice concoction! My friend Melissa moved to California (see her adventures here: It's my way, through LA! ) and her health nut brother got her into juicing! 


She's here visiting and while out and about she talked me into getting some juice! We headed to Juice Generation who are known for their premium-quality juices which are made to order from fresh vegetables and fruits! 


The raw juices are bursting with flavor not to mention vitamins, minerals and enzymes that store-bought juices loose in the heating process!

Melissa had the Mr. Greenegenes which is apple, pear, mango, banana & spirulina. Hers tasted much better than mine!


I figured go big or go home so I tried one that was all veggies...the Veg-O-Mite which contains carrot, parsley, beet, celery, tomato & ginger. I was a little grossed out at first by mine but after drinking the whole thing I had a ton of energy and was craving more fresh juice! After hearing all about Melissa's delicious juice recipes I'm thinking that I need to get a juicer for home!


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Dana's Marinara Sauce

, 

When you want a good marinara recipe who do you ask?... 

A Pisan! :) 

My friend Dana learned this recipe from her mom who has passed along 

their authentic family recipes! Dana's grandma's claim to fame is that she has her pizza recipe published in the Rao's Cookbook! Does that mean she can get me into Rao's you ask...nope!(even Dana hasn't been) but I'm one lucky cook to get to pick her brain for the best Italian recipes!!!

You’ll Need - 

1 large can imported whole tomatoes (san marzano are the best!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion chopped

2-3 garlic cloves (sliced) 
fresh basil 

(I made a bunch to freeze this time around!) 

The simplicity of this recipe is what makes it so fabulous! Spring the extra few bucks for the San Manzanos, they really are the awesome! 

Start by squishing the tomatoes with your hands in a bowl! This is really fun but watch out, they squirt!! In frying pan sauté olive oil, onion and garlic. Add squished tomatoes and season with pepper and basil. Cook down until most of liquid is absorbed and chop tomatoes into even smaller pieces if you'd like. If its too acidic just add a little bit of sugar! 

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Rafiqi's

Rafiqi’s -- the “chain” of cart food! 

They have several locations around the city...

one of which is across the street from my office!

When I get halal food I usually order the chicken or chicken & lamb combo over salad with a little bit of white sauce and a lot of hot sauce! When I tried Rafiqi’s I ordered the chicken over salad! A bonus with Rafiqi’s is that they have a small little salad bar inside the cart with lettuce, tomato, black olives, corn, black beans, red onion. At most carts “salad” is just lettuce and tomato so it was a nice surprise to see that they had additional veggies to choose from!

The chicken had a really nice rub on it which is an element not usually found on "street meat". It added and extra kick and an additional flavor component! The hot sauce was one of the best I've had...it was nice and fiery but was also full of pepper flavor. And even the white sauce had a zip to it....my lunch ended up H-O-T!! Just the way I like it, but if you can’t handle spicy this cart might not be your favorite! 

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Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

You'll Need - 


1 medium head cauliflower

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated cheese (parm, mozz, cheddar)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• freshly ground black pepper and salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 
  

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain and pat the hot cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

With a hand mixer or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper until almost smooth.

Serve hot with pats of butter.

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Henry's

Henry's is up in my neighborhood and is a great find! 

My husband and I went here for a laid back valentine's day dinner last year and 

it's been one of our favorites since! A few months ago I was super happy to see 

Henry's Chef Mark Barrett featured on The Food Network's show Chopped! 

(he was eliminated after the entree round...boo...)

Out last trip to Henry's was when my folks were in town. After parading them all over the city for "the best pasta", "the best steak", "the best tappas" and on and on... we decided to stay close to home and take them to Henry's to show them a little more of our neck of the woods and introduce them to one of our favorites! They loved the food and the ambience and have asked that next time they're here we do more exploring of the upper west side!

We started with meatballs and calamari. The meatballs were awesome, the sweet san marzano sauce was perfect with the wonderfully tender meatballs. I love a side of meatballs as an appetizer so I was super happy to know that Henry's does them so well! 

Baked Ricotta Meatballs - san marzano tomato sauce with tuscan toast

The calimari was also good! Nothing extrememly special to write about but a great addition to our meal!

Fried Calamari - spicy tomato sauce, ancho chili aioli

The Mussels at Henry's are world famous... if you know me! I talk about them all the time because they are the best I've ever had! I'm obsessed with the jalapeños in the broth and the portion size is insane, you get a huge bucket full! Since I had been raving about these so much my husband and Dad also ordered them! I love having mussels and fries so we also ordered some fries to share! 

Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels - 

champagne-tomato broth, jalapeño, parsley with grilled garlic bread

My Mom went with the farfalle. I'd never tried this dish before and was shocked by how good it was! I usually try to stay away from pasta (even though it's soooo good!!) and this will definaty be worth the splurge in the future. The only problem is...can I abandon the mussels to order this?! 

Farfalle - sweet sausage, peas, red pepper, garlic, tomato

Many Manhattan restuarants have exquisite food but are tiny, crowded, and noisey but the atmosphere at Henry's is the exact opposite! In the summer months they even have outdoor seating and it's a great spot for people watching! Check it out, you won't be sorry!


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The Redeye Grill

The Redeye Grill derives its name from the infamous late-night flight linking two of America's greatest cities.  The centerpiece of the restaurant is the fabulous dancing shrimp, sushi, and raw bar! 

The menu at the Redeye features a few dishes that are prepared table-side. We started with the chicken cobb (our only non seafood dish of the night!) and it was delicious! It's a HUGE salad so we shared one between 4 people and still have some left over! 

Cobb Salad

The other dish we ordered that was served table-side was the Dover Sole. Which was twenty two ounces and served with perfectly crisp asparagus spears and a lemon-caper brown butter sauce on the side! It's defiantly big enough to share and THANK GOODNESS because it's a whopping $68!! 

The sole was worth every penny, super delicate but incredibly buttery and decadent! The only criticism we had was unfortunately we had a table close to the door and while our waiter de-boned the fillets the door opened a few times and our fish was not served warm.   

Dover Sole 

The other entree we shared was the George’s Bank Scallops which were perfectly seared and had a nice crust on the outside! They were served with applewood smoked bacon, fresh peas and quail egg. Scallops are not my favorite thing out of the ocean so this wasn't my favorite of the evening but they were certainly very well done! 

George’s Bank Sea Scallops

Making sure we squeezed in one more type of seafood while we were here, we also tried the lobster mac and cheese! I'm sure you can tell from the picture below, it was extremely cheesey and full of huge pieces of sweet lobster! A few bites of this rich delicious side was a perfect fit with lighter seafood we were enjoying alongside!

Lobster Mac & Cheese 

The Redeye Grill a fantastic place to enjoy amazing seafood while sightseeing in midtown Manhattan! It's fifty feet from Carnegie Hall and located within walking distance to Times Square, 5th Avenue, Radio City Music Hall, Columbus Circle, Broadway Theaters, Central Park...and the list goes on. It's in a great location! 

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Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

I love making these crust-less pizzas.

They are super healthy and really easy to make.

 The best part is that they'll totally satisfy a pizza craving! 

You'll Need -


Large Portabella Mushroom Caps
Marinara Sauce
Turkey Pepperoni
Black Olives
Low-fat Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush the mushrooms clean with a pastry or bbq brush and scoop out the gills with a spoon...do not wash them...they'll get really soggy!  

Place the mushrooms on a lightly greased baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and blot them with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Next, turn your oven's broiler to high. Top the mushrooms with the sauce, cheese, olives, and pepperoni slices. 

Pop them back in the oven and broil for about 5 more minutes...The pepperoni will brown and the cheese will be melted and bubbly....sooooo good....enjoy!

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Thanks for the idea CJ -- Follow this link her her blog!

Cookshop

Located in Chelsea on Tenth Avenue the Cookshop is super cute! The menu is "greenmarket-inspired" and constantly changing to make sure they are highlighting seasonal and local veggies along side their grass-fed meat, locally caught fish, and sustainably raised poultry! 

The kitchen is open and features a really cool wood-burning oven. I loved the atmosphere... it felt like being served a gourmet meal in a modern farmhouse! 

My friend and I met here for brunch and had a great time! When we arrived it was packed (always the first sign you're in for a good meal) and even though we'd made a reservation we had to wait a few minutes. Once seated the service was perfect! 

For our brunch we both ordered eggs and shared some fries! I went with the casserole baked eggs...they were great...the sweet walnut raisin toast was excellent with the savory eggs and bacon! 

Casserole Baked Eggs

My friend had the fried egg sandwich which showcased their house-made Italian sausage. It was defiantly an upgraded version of a standard breakfast sandwich! 

Fried Egg Sandwich 

We also tried the spiced fries which were great! 

Spiced Fries

The dinner menu also looks excellent and I've read some great reviews! 


Hopefully I'll get back there and be able to write an addendum to this post about enjoying a great dinner at the Cookshop! 

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Arugula Salad

When you need a super quick and healthy lunch...try this! 

It's also great topped with grilled chicken!

You'll Need- 

Arugula 

Fat Free Feta Cheese

Tomato

Black Olives

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar 

Salt & Pepper 

Start by washing all veggies. Top the arugula with the feta, tomato and olives and then season with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper! 

The arugula already has a nice peppery flavor so give it a try before adding too much pepper!

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BLT Prime

In the 2012 Zagat Survey BLT Prime was awarded 

NY’s #1 overall steakhouse experience! 

The review boasts that BLT Prime is “Not your run-of-the-mill steakhouse, this high energy Gramercy chop shop dispenses deliciously charred meats in modern digs!

BLT Prime is the newest outlet of Chef Laurent Tourondel's BLT franchise. BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel and has several outlets in NYC including BLT Steak, BLT Fish, BLT Burger, BLT Bar & Grill, and BLT Prime. 


BLT Prime is the most upscale of the three and is commanded by Australian Executive Chef Andrew Matthews who came to New York and worked under Tom Colicchio. Everything is served à la carte and the quality of every dish is exemplary!


When you first sit down a rustic little jar of chicken liver pate is delivered to you on a cutting board with fresh bread! The pate had a nice rich flavor but was also simple and natually sophiscated...so good!

Next up was their signature Gruyère popovers which were also served to us complimentary. They were oversided, super flakey and buttery and very addictive!  

 We then moved on to some oysters and errrr grilled bacon!!! (I'm only a little ashamed  because it was sooooo good!) 


The oysters were a perfect selection of east coast (blue points) and west coast (kumamoto)! Both varieties had a perfect brisk sea salty taste! I usually dislike the west coast oysters because they tend to be less salty and crisp but these kumamotos were outstanding!

Next was the bacon....double cut and grilled to perfection, topped with parsley, garlic and sherry vinaigrette...glutenous, yes...delicious, also yes!! 

We lighted it up (slightly) with a baby spinach salad which also featured bacon, sliced button mushrooms, red onion, chopped egg, croutons, maytag blue cheese. 

The star entrees on the menu are of course their USDA prime steaks! Each freshly pulled from their dry-aging room then broiled at 1,700 degrees and lightly seasoned with herb butter. They were precisely seasoned and prepared and were 100% sublime!

We also shared the LARGEST Idaho Baked Potato I've ever seen, and an order of their insanely buttery onion rings. 

 

The meal and service were both absolutely flawless! Usually there is something tiny to nitpick but I loved loved loved everything about BLT Prime and I can't wait to go back! 

 

I'm certainly not alone in my love for this restaurant

take a look at the impressive list below

--- More Awards & Accolades ---

Best New School Steakhouse

Gotham Magazine, October 2006

Best Place to Expense a Steak

The L Magazine, December 2006

One of New York’s Top 10 Restaurants

Citysearch New York, February 2006

Best of Award of Excellence

Wine Spectator, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010

Award of Unique Distinction

Wine Enthusiast, 2007, 2009

The wine list is also over the top!
We chose a Chateauneuf Du Pape to enjoy with our feast!

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Chico’s Chicken & Black Beans

I got the idea for this recipe from one of my favorite dishes at

Chico’s Cantina in Key West (BEST Mexican food EVER!!) 

They have a sautéed mushroom appetizer that’s to die for! 

It’s portabella mushrooms sautéed in olive oil with hot peppers! 

So simple yet ridiculously yummy so I decided recreate it into an entrée 

by adding some black beans and roasted chicken!

You'll Need-

1 Large Jalapeño Pepper

1 Box of Button Mushrooms (portabella or shitake work great too!)

1 Tsp Olive Oil

½ Can of Black Beans

Roasted Chicken

Start by slicing the mushrooms and cutting the jalapeño pepepr into very thin strips...

Next heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook the jalapeño alone for about two minutes. This will give the pepper an opportunity to infuse the oil and add a kick all throughout the dish, not just when you bite into the peppers!

Next add in the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms start to wilt, it should be about another two minutes, add in the black beans (drained and washed) and continue stirring until the mushrooms are fully cooked! 

Season with salt & pepper and a little crushed red pepper (only if you'd like some extra heat) and transfer to a plate. Top with some oven roasted chicken and enjoy!!

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Vietnamese Pho

Traditioanl Pho is a clear beef broth with white rice noodles called bánh pho 

and slim cuts of beef on top. You can also top it with chicken, pork, or shrimp!

 To keep this recipe light and healthy I omit the noodles.

You'll Need- 
5 Cups of Broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
2 Eggs (one scrambled, one whole)
2 Teaspoons of Fish Sauce 
Water Chestnuts
2-3 Thai Chili Peppers (sliced)
Mushrooms
Fresh Parsley 
Fresh Bean Sprouts
Chives
Sriracha

Bring the broth, chilies, and fish sauce to a boil. Stir in the scrambled egg. Next crack the whole egg and drop it in the broth. The egg will take about 5-6 minutes to be fully cooked. Next drop in a handful of each: parsley, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Simmer for a minute or so and then remove from heat. 

Add in the bean sprouts and chives. Garnish with a few drop of sriracha. 


You can also top with chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork! (I didn't add any meat this time around!)



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Cheesy Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower

You'll Need- 
1 Head of Cauliflower (cut into bite-size florets)
1 Head Broccoli (cut into bite-size florets)
1 Cup Non-Fat or 1% Milk
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Flour
3/4 - 1 Cup of Light Shredded Cheese
Freshly Ground Black Pepper and Salt (to taste)




Preheat the oven to 375. Boil the cauliflower and broccoli and cook until it's al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the vegetable cooking water. Place the cooked veggies in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once it's cool place it in a baking dish. 


In a small pot combine the milk, cooking water and cheese and heat until the cheese is melted into the liquids. I recommend using a bold cheese like extra sharp cheddar! I made mine with Gouda and wished I'd picked a cheese that had a little more flavor to it!!


In another small pot, add the olive oil and flour, and stir over low heat for a few minutes to make a roux. Add the hot liquid to the roux stir and simmer until it's nice that thick. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.


Add the cheese sauce to the baking dish with the broccoli and cauliflower and sprinkle a little extra cheese on top! Bake 20-25 minutes, until bubbling.





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