Brunch @ Clinton Street Baking Co and The NYC Half Marathon

So I know the half marathon was oh…about two weeks ago already. But better late than never right? And I NEEDED to share with you the fantastic post-run brunch that was had! But before we could eat…I had to run. Up early and freezing in my shorts and long sleeve, I waited in Central Park with thousands of others for the start of the race. The route of the half was quite amazing! It was such an incredible feeling running through Times Square…definitely my favorite part of the route. Well second favorite I should say…

Spotting Adam on the WSH

This was my favorite! Spotting Adam along the West Side Highway at about mile 11 gave me the final push to reach the 13th.1 mile. 1:54:30 was my time and a PR (previous best half was 1:57).

A little cold, tired, and quite sore, we slowly made our way through the crowds, hopped in a cab, and drove to meet our amazing friend, who had been waiting 2 + hours to secure us a spot at the always crazy busy, Clinton Street Baking Company. Famous for their fluffy and cake-like pancakes, these were all I had on my mind. But unfortunately, a very unfriendly hostess stood in our way. Once we arrived, it seemed she had totally skipped over my friend’s name on the four page long waiting list…apparently we are supposed to check in…she will not come and find us. After more waiting, we were finally seated…at a table for TWO (we were three full-grown adults!) Very squished and hungry, we were definitely ready to order. The waitress was also not very friendly or inviting. Thankfully, the food at Clinton Street Bakery more than made up for the unappetizing service. I had read about and seen their “world-famous” blueberry pancakes in many food magazines and TV shows and this is what I was here for. But Clinton Street is no one trick pony…they do all brunch food extremely well!

Chocolate chunk pancakes with warm maple butter

Buttermilk biscuit sandwich with scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, homemade tomato jam, and hash browns

Wild Maine blueberry pancakes with warm maple butter

The pancakes definitely lived up to the cake portion of their name. So tender and moist, filled with lots and lots of juicy blueberries. And that warm maple butter….I think we all wanted to just pick it up and drink it (but we did have better table manners than that!) But as good as the pancakes were, the biscuit my friend ordered was out of this world. I’m not a big biscuit eater and am no expert but these were so light and airy they could turn anyone into a biscuit lover. So pretty bad service and long waits, is the food worth it? You should definitely go once to experience it but I don’t know that I’d return…uninviting staff is a big turn off for me.

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Girls Weekend in Miami & Three Great Dinners: Michy’s, Joes Stone Crab, & Michael’s Genuine

I know that the weather in NYC hasn’t been the winter cold we are used to, but never the less, a weekend getaway to Miami with my mom was just what I needed to relax, recharge, and of course…eat! We got lucky with the weather and had a beautiful day in the sun…we lounged by the pool, caught up on celebrity gossip with only the best trashy magazines, and I went for my last long run before the NYC half which is fast approaching!

The pool at our hotel

Having only three dinners in Miami makes deciding where to eat very very tough! While NYC has many amazing restaurants, Miami is no slouch. So I did my research, consulted many friends and family, and came up with three restaurant choices that did not disappoint!

Dinner #1: Michy’s

I’ve watched Michelle Bernstein on Top Chef, Iron Chef, and have seen her dishes featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate. So Michy’s was an obvious choice for me to get a taste of her “whimsical bistro dishes” and “luxurious comfort food.” The restaurant is just gorgeous and the service was top-notch. I also loved how you could order half portions of their appetizers…which just means you get to try and eat more! So I took advantage of this and ordered two apps and a main.

White gazpacho with marcona almonds, grapes, and cucumbers

Peruvian ceviche with ginger, lime, corn, and sweet potato

Seared halibut with celery root puree, periwinkles, and spinach

I don’t have one bad thing to say. The gazpacho, which was poured table side, was rich, smooth, and so different from the usual tomato based cold soup. The ceviche was by far and away some of the best I’ve ever had and that halibut…both my mom and I ordered it and both scraped our plates clean. That celery root puree…let’s just say I dream about it!

Dinner #2: Joe’s Stone Crab

A florida institution, Joe’s Stone Crab is obviously known for their…stone crab. My mom and I met our aunt and cousin for a lovely dinner at this old school, table side service restaurant and dined on large portions of seafood and vegetables. Sweet and succulent crab, a delicious chopped salad, and very unique tomato side dish were had. Nothing over the top amazing, but good solid food and great service.

Chopped salad with diced vegetables, egg, feta, olives, peanuts, and the most amazing salad dressing I've ever had! It was like salsa

Grilled artichoke

Roasted tomato with creamed spinach and cheese

The infamous stone crab

Dinner #3: Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink

Now this was the dinner to end all dinners…and it did as it was our last evening in Miami. I had been looking forward to Michael’s Genuine since I booked the reservation about a month prior to our vacation. Michael’s Genuine focuses on seasonal and local food, with many interesting menu items (fried pig ears anyone?) We were initially disappointed because they were sold out of the roasted whole fish we had our eye on. But the waiter sold me on the 1/2 roasted chicken and once our food came out, all of our initial dismay vanished.

Greek farro salad with French feta

Wood oven roasted local eggplant with chickpeas, raisins, pinenuts, and Greek yogurt

Kimchi and burrata with heirloom tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and sea salt

Pan roasted half chicken with parsley and capers

Wood roasted cauliflower with parsley sauce

I think a lot of people veer away from ordering chicken at a restaurant for fear of a boring and dried out bird. This chicken was the complete opposite…crispy skin, moist flesh, served with salty capers and arugula…it should have its own feature on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” If I were to be picky, I would say the chicken took a long time…a very long time. But our server had overheard us talking curiously about the fried pig ears and the famous desserts that he brought over a complimentary order of each. They could take as along as they want with my chicken next time!

Fried pig ears

Enjoying a bite of a fried swine ear

The fried pig ears tasted, well…fried. They were seasoned perfectly in an almost bbq/chili seasoning and were actually quite tasty and crunchy. Then you got a little bit too much of the cartilage ear in your bite…yeah, that’s a turn off. Am I happy I tried them…definitely! Was I also happy they were free…Yes! The dessert on the other hand, I would happily pay for any day!

Warm doughnuts with tangerine creamsicle pot de creme and blackberry jam with orange zest and tarragon

How good was this? Let’s just say the table next to us saw the dessert, immediately ordered it, and we all ate in stunned silence at how delicious some fried dough, fruit cream, and jam could be. If you are in Miami…this is a restaurant you MUST visit! A wonderful weekend away with my mom!

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Valentine’s Dinner and A Return to Running and Pancakes

I’m sure you all know by now but just in case you don’t…I love to cook! I love planning our weekly dinner menu, searching for and trying new recipes, grocery shopping for the ingredients, and prepping dinner after a long day. Sitting down with Adam to the fruits of my labor is such a relaxing and rewarding experience. Adam, I’m pretty sure would say, likes to eat my cooking. And he’s pretty good at it too! But most of you probably don’t know…he can also cook up a pretty good meal when he puts his mind to it. In fact, he is definitely the resident omelette maker in our house. He also makes a mean tofu stir fry. So, for the special love day, he told me to sit back and relax with my feet up while he put together a very special meal that was perfect for me!

Grapes coated in goat cheese and rolled in chopped pistachios...yup, there's a grape inside that ball of cheesy goodness

Roasted halibut topped with gremolata, roasted sweet potatoes, onion and peppers, and sauted swiss chard, mushrooms, and broccoli

He searched and searched and found the perfect recipe and when I walked in the door the other night…the kitchen smelled amazing! And the food…well just look at that plate he put together. I think he’s now a bit concerned that he landed himself on regular dinner duty! Sorry no recipe…it’s Chef Adam’s secret!

Switching topics completely….you may have noticed that I haven’t really mentioned running on this blog since the marathon. I have indeed continued with running and am actually in training for the NYC Half Marathon. While I love a good solo long rung, what makes running even more fun (and makes a 13.5 mile run go by much faster) is running with other friends who are willing to meet you for a run in central park when it’s snowy, rainy and cold. And I did just that this past weekend! The best part (other than running with my friends while they achieved their longest distance ever) was the brunch waiting for us at the end. We had reservations at Maialino and upon walking in, we realized we were slightly out of place among the trendy and beautiful people in our sweaty and wet spandex pants and fleece tops. After our meals were brought to our table…we were totally distracted by the amazing looking food and dug right in and forgot about just how “lovely” we must have looked!

Ricotta pancakes with fresh ricotta and cranberry compote...sorry for the blurry blackberry photo

I’ve had peach and hazelnut pancakes, lemon cornmeal pancakes, and ricotta blueberry pancakes…I think these may just “take the cake.” Now it could be because I had just finished a long run and was absolutely famished, or…it could be they tasted so good from the creamy ricotta, light and fluffy texture, hint of lemon, and cranberry topping. Either way…these are definitely a good choice when you get that pancake craving. Have a great weekend everyone!

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Post Marathon Eats

So as you can imagine, I was quite hungry after running for 4 hours and 24 minutes! Right after crossing the finish line I was kind of in a daze, slightly nauseous, and trying to comprehend the fact that it was actually over and I had in fact just run a marathon. I was handed a bag of goodies and immediately downed an apple and some pretzels…but I was mostly focusing on trying to walk and find my family. After getting some warm clothes and making the trek back to our hood, the extreme hunger set in and I needed food fast!

The perfect greasy slice of NY pizza!

The first place we came to was a tiny takeout pizza place and it fit the bill perfectly! The crust was thin and crunchy on the bottom, topped with the right amount of cheese and sauce…it held me over until dinner (which was only a mere hour and half later!) I’d been to Rosewater for brunch before and had heard amazing things about their dinner. This was the perfect opportunity to try it. Upon seating we were greeted with a basket of some of the best bread I’ve ever had. Salty on the top, chewy, and very fresh. With herb olive oil and sea salt for dipping….good olive oil really is something special! Adam and I each ordered an appetizer:

Pumpkin soup topped with toasted cashews and creme fraiche

Fried goat cheese salad

My pumpkin soup was so rich and creamy and the toasted cashews added a really nice crunch. The bread was perfect to soak up every last drop. Adam’s goat cheese salad was also good…not amazing but I mean, it’s hard to go too wrong with fried cheese! There were three mains ordered at our table….our server highly recommended the hiramashi, which she described as a meaty white fish similar to swordfish. So Adam and I trusted her with our entree, my mom went with the other fish of the day and my dad chose the chicken.

Grilled hiramashi with sauteed escarole and wild mushrooms

Pan seared tilefish with fennel salad

Roasted chicken with greens and potatoes

We all really enjoyed our dishes! Both fishes were perfectly cooked and the chicken was super moist. We were all super hungry…I have to give my family lots of credit..marathon spectating is very hard work! They basically walked/ran all over the city to try to catch me three times along the route! Highly impressed! So…we also decided to share three sides:

Sides to share: Kale with chili flakes and garlic, collard greens topped with bread crumbs, navy beans

I love well cooked greens and these were spot on. The beans were like an upscale version of traditional baked beans and were super comforting and delicious. My one complaint of dinner was that I found the food a little on the salty side…maybe they did it on purpose to replenish my sodium levels?

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Soup, Pasta, Shabbos, and a Marathon!

As the weather turns colder and the days get shorter, I start to crave soup and this Moroccan bean, squash, and swiss chard soup was just what I was craving after the crazy October snow storm that blew through NY. I used an Ellie Kreiger recipe as a base but wanted to change up the flavors a bit to something warm and sweet.

Moroccan Bean, Squash, and Swiss Chard Soup

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 butternut squash, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp corriander

salt and pepper to taste

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped

enough chicken or vegetable broth to cover

2-4 tbsp peanut butter

Heat a large pot over medium high heat and add olive oil. Saute onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and squash until softened. Add seasonings and saute until you can smell them. Add stock and beans and tomatoes and bring to a boil and simmer until everything is tender. Add swiss chard and cook until wilted. Turn off heat and stir in peanut butter.

The peanut butter really adds a richness to this dish. I needed something to serve with this soup as soup alone is definitely not enough for my large appetite. Cornbread fit the bill…not just any cornbread…pumpkin cornbread! I used this recipe here:http://iowagirleats.com/2010/12/14/im-totally-justifying/ The pumpkin really added a moistness and even Adam, who’s not the biggest pumpkin or squash fan (which is really terrible when I am currently obsessed with it!) loved the cornbread. It really adds a nice flavor and busts all myths about cornbread being dry.

What’s a carb loading week without some pasta, right? I picked up this fantastic looking package a while ago from Trader Joe’s and was so excited to finally cut into it! I wanted something to mimic the already lemony flavor (you could honestly smell the lemon when the pasta was boiling). I had green beans and tomatoes in my fridge so I totally went with the flow on this one…no recipe used AT ALL! I heated some (okay, more than some!) olive oil and sauteed a couple cloves of garlic. Then added the green beans and grape tomatoes and a little pasta water to bring it all together. Finished with salt and pepper and lots of parm, it was quite good if I do say so myself!

Lemony ribbons of goodness!

To go with the pasta, I made some baked tilapia. Roasted at 400 and topped with olive oil, more lemon flavor in the form of lemon zest, garlic and salt and pepper. Cooked for about 8-10 minutes until it flakes. The mild fish went very well with the lemony peppery pasta.

The Friday night before the Marathon was like any other Friday night…minus the wine! (No drinking before the marathon…I wanted to be as hydrated as possible!)  Challah this week came in the form of a beer-rosemary bread courtesy of my good friend, Bonnie Stern. (If you can’t drink it, might as well bake with it). This bread was so easy to prepare and is really delicious. And if you have of fear of baking with yeast, you’re in luck! This contains ZERO yeast, uses one bowl, and no kneading required. So no excuse…make this bread!

Moist and Delicious!

Beer Bread With Rosemary (From Bonnie Stern’s Best of Heart Smart)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1 1/2 cups beer

Topping: 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp coarse salt

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and rosemary in a bowl. Stir in beer until dough comes together. Spread in a non stick  loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Brush with oil and sprinkle with rosemary and coarse salt. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 80 minutes.

The bread served good purpose with the main course, Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya. I’ve made this recipe before, but for some reason it was a lot soupier than last time.

Soupy Jambalaya...but still quite tasty

It still tasted good, but was a bit more watery than the last time I made it. But the bread was perfect to soak up the extra juice. The changes I made from the original was to use chicken sausage in place of the shrimp and saute it first, no bacon, and I added corn.

So as you can see, I had lots of good food fuel for the weekend…and it pushed me to run the ING NY Marathon in 4 hours and 24 minutes! I was quite happy with this time and am still getting over the excitement. It’s kind of hard to believe it’s over! I’m still trying to process that I actually ran a marathon! It was such an incredible experience and I couldn’t get over the support and encouragement of everyone watching. As I’m still getting over the exhaustion and excitement, stay tuned for a review of an amazing post-marathon dinner! I will leave you with a picture recap of November 6th, 2011 (AKA The Big Day!)

Adam's Blog Debut! Getting ready to spectate!

At the starting line

That's me in the colorful shorts and white shirt

Finished! Very cold, sore, tired, and happy!

 

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Cheesecake, Arepas, Ice Cream, Pizza, and More!

It’s been our own version of restaurant week in this household lately! Starting things off was dinner at Juniors Cheesecake, an institution in Brooklyn famous for, obviously, their cheesecake. But let me tell you…the portions were anything but junior!

We need a shovel, not a spoon!

We arrived with our wonderful cousin, a regular at this restaurant. When seated, you are served a plate of really moist cornbread, rolls, and the traditional fixings of a good Jewish style diner…coleslaw, beets, and pickles. We started with a bowl of pea soup, and by bowl I mean a ginormous bucket sized bowl of the thickest pea soup I’ve ever eaten. It was quite good but I was already full…with a main course and cheesecake still on it’s way!

Grilled salmon with collard greens and broccoli

Eggplant parmesan with linguine with tomato sauce and corn

I was actually pleasantly surprised with my meal, the salmon was perfectly cooked and the collard greens were soaked in so much butter…which was not a bad thing in this situation. By the end, it looked like Adam hadn’t eaten any of the eggplant! This dinner actually gave us 3 full meals!

The star of the show, really was the best cheesecake I’ve ever had (yes, it was featured on my fave show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate) and definitely topped another cheesecake restaurant that shall remain nameless. Perfectly creamy, dense, and surprisingly light…this portion of the meal we had no problem polishing off!

On Thursday, our very good friends, Lauren and Lorne arrived in NY. I promised to show them the best food this city has to offer, and I think I succeeded! (minus one chocolate cookie episode that we won’t speak of ever again!) To start things off, we went for dinner with another couple friend to Caracas Arepas in the LES. After waiting an hour to be seated, we were hungry and ready for Arepas…which are basically corncake sandwiches.

We started with the fried plantains with cheese and guacamole with homemade chips. The plantains were so good…kind of like sweet, fried bananas with salty cheese, it was quite a good combo. And the chips were addictive!

Leek Jardienere: grilled leeks, sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, guayanes cheese. One of our three vegetarian arepas

Adam and I shared three vegetarian arepas…our favorite was definitely La Muleta: Spicy cheese, beans, jalapenos, and plantains. But all were so good! Very unique and affordable dinner, enjoyed by our whole group! Another excellent thing about this restaurant is its convenient location right next to the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop! On my last visit I went with the Salty Pimp and this time, the Bea Arthur. Vanilla cone, covered with dulche de leche and topped with vanilla wafer cookies. The best part were the cookies at the bottom of the cone… a very nice surprise!

Dinner #2 started with happy hour at The Vanderbilt. A friend had introduced me to the worlds best bar snack…brussels sprouts! I know what you’re thinking…but trust me when I say, these will dispel any of your brussels sprouts fear. If you could only see Lauren’s face when she had her first bite!

Lightly fried and topped with a mixture of siracha, honey, sesame seeds, cilantro, garlic, and lime…as Lorne said, they’d make the perfect football watching snack! The main event for the evening was pizza at Pauli Gee’s in Greenpoint. We were all expecting a very casual restaurant with a 2 hour wait, but were pleasantly surprised when we were seated right away in a very cozy booth.

Our lovely friends and eating companions. I was trying to discretely take a picture of Paulie Gee...that's him in the background! He made of point of coming over to our table and talking to us and was so friendly. It really added to the atmosphere!

We started things off with a fabulous salad filled with pears, candied walnuts, dried cherries, and gorgonzola. After perusing the very long and interesting sounding pizza menu and staring at the huge brick oven, Lauren and I decided to make the most of this dining experience and share two pizzas.

The Greenpointer: tomato sauce, fiore di latte, arugula, parmesan, lemon juice

The Hellboy: tomato sauce, fiore di latte, sopressata, mikes hot honey

Now I’m normally all about the green pizzas…and don’t get me wrong, the arugula pizza was very good. But honestly, the hellboy (love the name!) was, dare I say, the best pizza I’ve ever had. It was all about the combination of salty fiore di latte cheese, sweet tomato sauce, spicy and fatty sopressata, and Mike’s Hot Honey (sweet honey with chilis and vinegar). Lorne also ordered this pizza and also agreed it was the best pie he’s ever had.

The Regina: traditional margarita

Adam is a more traditional man and went with the tried and true margarita. It was good, but definitely the thing to get at Pauli Gee’s is one of the very interesting pizza’s with the amazing honey on it. Pauli Gee himself even told us he was not such a fan of the traditionals.

You would probably think after eating our weight in pizza we would be full. But there was another ice cream place I had to take my friends too. I’ve already blogged about Ample Hill Creamery and with new seasonal flavors, they again did not disappoint. I went with the pumpkin ice cream filled with graham cracker crust pieces and marshmallow. Lauren’s cinnamon ice cream with oatmeal cookie dough pieces was also delicious. Lorne went the more classic route with cookies and cream and Adam chose a family favorite, butter cake. A perfect end to a pizza dinner!

Ice cream friends! Oatmeal cookie on the left and pumpkin on the right

With one dinner left, dare I say, we saved the best for last. I had never heard of Yerba Buena, a Spanish/Latin/Brazillian restaurant recommended by Lauren’s brother. Lorne’s sister and husband joined us on our last eating adventure and we all enjoyed the guacamole to start.

It had a nice smokey kick from the chipotle peppers, something I will definitely be adding to my tried and true guac recipe. Adam and I shared two apps:

Tilapia tacos

Hamachi Ceviche

Wow! The fish tacos were perfectly fried and topped with a creamy, spicy sauce. The ceviche had the freshest hamachi mixed with citrus, onions, coconut milk and crunchy corn chips that definitely made this dish. Another app shared at the table was blue cornmeal crusted, fried calamari which my friends kindly let me try…trust me, if you ordered this dish, you would have been reluctant to share!

Blue cornmeal crusted calamari with fried plantains

Once I saw the cod go by our table, I knew that was what I was ordering. My favorite new ingredient is this hominy…basically corn on steroids it has such a nice chewy texture.

Black cod with hominy, shitake mushrooms, and a pomegranate miso bbq sauce

Paella

YB’s take on paella was also a table favorite. Mixed with coconut milk, plenty of fresh seafood, okra and rice, you can see why it is a house specialty. Now…being in the LES, we felt we really would be missing out if we didn’t head back to the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop just one more time. And thank g-d we did because I discovered my new favorite food item in the world…The Biscoff Spread. Now, like you, I had no idea what this was. But the friendly staff at Big Gay raved about this and even gave me a giant spoonful to try. After one lick, Lauren and I looked at eachother, and we wanted just a tub and giant spoon of this sweet, caramelized, spread that is actually made out of the same ingredients in graham crackers. I took the staff’s advice and went for the traditional salty pimp lined with Biscoff…I now want to put Biscoff spread on everything (you may see some Biscoff coated chicken in the future!)

The globstopper: vanilla soft serve, pretzels, salt, chocolate dip

Wooweee…I think that was the best weekend of eating I’ve had since moving here. And so happy to be able to share it with Lauren and Lorne, who were amazing guests and can hold their own when it comes to eating through NYC!!! Come back and visit us soon PLEASE!  I think we are all thinking we need some good home-cooking and fresh vegetables in the near future! This morning I went on my last long run before the marathon (we’re 2 weeks away!) and it went pretty well…must be all that ice cream!

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Brooklyn Flea, Breakfast for Dinner, and The Best Roast Chicken

As you can see from the blog title, it’s been a busy couple days filled with some good eats! On Saturday, we made our way to Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene..a wonderful outdoor flea market filled with vendors selling everything from clothes, to hats, to purses, to house-ware, and of course…food! After perusing the various food vendors, I had my heart set on some pupasas. Now what is a pupasa you might ask? Well, according to my good friend Wikipedia, it’s a homemade, grilled corn cake filled with either meat, cheese, beans, veggies, or a combination. Solber Pupasa had the longest line, so that’s how I knew they were good! I went with the Red Hook Platter: Two pupasas of your choice with all the trimmings!

Grilling up some pupasas

Spinach/cheese and black bean/cheese pupasas topped with sourcream, slaw, jalapenos, and salsa

These were so delicious! Crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside with melty, cheesy goodness! The toppings added a nice touch and the guy working there was so nice, he gave me a third pupasa for free! I would never refuse free food! Adam was not in the corny mood…He went with one of his all time favorite foods…the hot dog! Hot dogs are not really my thing…but these veggie dogs were very unique.

In the front, veggie dog with spicy ketchup and potato chips and in the back, veggie dog with mango slaw and peanuts

Adam preferred the sweet, asian one from, aptly named Asia Dog, over the spicy crunchy one but do not fret, he finished both with ease! We also sampled some very interesting tasting pumpkin pie flavored almond milk. It was actually delicious but not sure what you would drink it with?

I had my last long run planned for Sunday and I wanted something very carby for dinner that wouldn’t bother my stomach. Pancakes seemed to fit the bill so the first breakfast for dinner was had in our household.

These pumpkin pancakes were so so so amazing! And so easy too! I am definitely on a pumpkin kick!

Pumpkin pancakes topped with toasted pecans and warm maple syrup

Pumpkin Pancakes (Adapted from Cooking Light)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted, divided

Combine flours, 2 tbsp pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Combine milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in another bowl and then add to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. There should be a few lumps in the batter. Stir in the pumpkin. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add about 1/4 cup of batter at a time to pan and cook until there are bubbles on the top of the pancake and the sides are brown. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Top with remaining pecans and toppings of your choice.

They were actually so good, they made the perfect post 22-miler (longest distance ever!) meal on Sunday. This time served with a sauce made of greek yogurt, maple syrup, cinnamon, and also topped with warm bananas, toasted walnuts and more syrup. They were so satisfying after my long run….and speaking of the run, it went as good as I could have expected. Feeling ready for November 6th…I hope!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now (ie. since it’s birth in the beginning of September), you may notice we don’t really eat that much meat in this household. For some reason, the other night I was craving chicken. This Ina Garten (AKA The Barefoot Contessa) recipe for lemon roasted chicken will make your house (or tiny NY apartment) smell so utterly garlicky and lemony…and this was some of the best chicken I’ve ever had (and I’ve had my fair share of chicken). Adam described it as “the best wedding/bar/bat mitzvah chicken I’ve ever had…and I mean that in the best way possible!”

Crispy skin and super moist and lemony flesh

The recipe, surprisingly needed no adaptation. Ina (yes, we’re on a first name basis) is known for using lots and lots of butter! But here, there was no butter to be found and the chicken was still moist and delicious!

I served it with roasted vegetables (whatever looked like it was going bad in the fridge) and a pumpkin bean mash. All I did for this was take the leftover roasted garlic white bean dip from Friday night, mixed it with some leftover pumpkin from the pancakes, and heated it in the microwave. This dip does a great job as a hot side dish as well..give it a try!

This weekend we have some visitors from T.O. coming to stay…so expect the next post to be filled with fun food and restaurant adventures!

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Potato Pizza and Football Eats

Potato pizza….to some people this may sound a little bit strange. I mean, potatoes are meant to be mashed, fried, roasted, and baked…but on pizza? When we arrived at Five Points, I already new we would be ordering this dish (on my quest to eat everything in New York featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, this was next on the list!) Five Points has such a nice atmosphere and the menu had so many items that sounded very tasty. But I felt it was my duty to order this pizza….so that’s what we did.

Pizza topped with potato, truffle oil, and fontina

And it did not disappoint. Salty, chewy crust, perfectly cooked thinly sliced potatoes, topped with fontina cheese and truffle oil it was very good. A little on the greasy side though and Adam and I both agreed it was missing something sweet…maybe some thinly shaved pear mixed in with the potato? But don’t get me wrong…it was still very tasty and there was not a slice left. They actually also have another pizza with pear and blue cheese and other sort of delicious toppings like this that I’m sure would be delicious on this crust. I also had amazing scallops (sorry no photo), seared perfectly over a bed of pureed and creamy cauliflower and topped with a fennel and honey crisp apple relish…The dish was calling my name when I saw this description on the menu and it exceeded by expectations. Five Points….we give you Five Stars!

Sunday afternoons in this household are for one thing…football watching! Now, I do not enjoy watching football in the slightest, but I do enjoy football food and spending time with my husband. So, after a not so amazing 16 mile training run (do not eat greasy pizza and drink too much wine the night before a long run…lesson learned!) I decided to cook up some healthified and veggiefied (yes, those are real words) traditional football eats.

Veggie nachos wth the works!

For these nachos, I made my own corn chips by cutting corn tortillas into triangles, spraying with olive oil and sprinkling with salt, and baking at 400 for about 8 minutes. A good substitute for the store bought brands. Topped with a veggie chilli (see recipe below), shredded mozzarella and feta, mushrooms, corn and baked in the oven until the cheese melts. When they come out, sprinkly with the toppings you normally like…I went with lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. These made football watching much more enjoyable!

Veggie Chili Nacho Topping (Adapted from Cooking Light)

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package veggie ground round

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 chipotle chili in adobo, seeded and minced

1 tbs adobo sauce (from canned chili)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp corriander

1 tsp chili powder

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

Preheat pan over medium high heat and add a little olive oil. Saute onion, pepper, garlic, and zucchini until soft. Add veggie crumbles and spices and break up veggie crumbles with spoon. Add chili, sauce, beans, and tomatoes and simmer until nice and thick. This is also delicious just eaten plain as chili.

To go with the nachos (because obviously one giant pan of nachos was not enough), I made homemade chips…kale chips that is! If you have not had these before…run out now, buy a head of kale, and make them. Because trust me when I say, you will love them! Everyone does!

Crispy, Salty, Delicious Kale!

And they’re so easy to make! Don’t be intimated by these giant heads of green leaves…just remove the leave from the thick stems, chop into manageable eating pieces, and toss with a little olive oil and salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven until browned and crispy…about 15-20 minutes. You can also season these with anything you like…I’ve done garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, parm…the possibility are endless!

After running 16 miles…these football foods and a cold pumpkin beer (which I’m really into now!) really hit the spot. One more extra long training run to go before the big day!

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Josie’s Restaurant, 20 Mile Run, and Tostadas

The other night, we were meeting some lovely family and friends for a dinner in Murray Hill. Upon much research and restaurant suggestions, a reservation at Josie’s was made. Josie’s focuses on “natural and organic” food and I guess can be called a “healthier” restaurant. They have lots of interesting vegetarian options, but also plenty of choices for the meat eaters. However, just be warned, if you’re expecting a greasy burger and fries…Josie’s will not deliver. But if you’re looking for fresh dishes or just finished a yoga class, then this is the place for you.

Butternut squash soup with vegan pumpkin pesto

To start, Josie’s serves a delicious sweet potato spread instead of the usual butter or olive oil. You also get a choice for three different breads, mutligrain, cornbread or foccacia. I should have known, being a “healthier” restaurant, the cornbread would not be buttery and sweet. And it was just the opposite…crumbly and dry. The foccacia however was quite delicious, topped with fresh rosemary.

Corriander crusted tuna with vegetables, brown rice and topped with miso aioli

I had read many reviews about their butternut squash soup so I had to order it. It was absolutely delicious! Topped with a pumpkin seed (vegan!) pesto, the soup had some curry flavors and was a perfect fall dish. For my main, I went again with recommendations from my foodie friends and chose the veggie plate deluxe and added tofu for some protein. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and Josie’s definitely knows it’s way with the squash. But would I go out of my way and wait in line for this vegetable plate of goodness…probably not. But it was still very satisfying. Adam’s tuna was so-so…It tasted fine but nothing so special.

Veggie Deluxe Plate: Butternut squash, beets, bok choy, carrots, fennel, zucchini with brown rice and tahini sauce

So you want healthy food and don’t feel like cooking…head to Josie’s. There must have been some good energy in Josie’s food because I was able to complete my longest training run yet on Sunday….20 miles!!!! (that’s 32km for you Canadian readers). One more 20ish miler to go before November 6…M-Day (Marathon-Day). I felt pretty good…fueled with non real food based G20 Gatorade (orange flavour rocks!) and some strawberry banana Gu…basically a sticky, carbohydrate filled gel that you suck back while running and don’t have to stop or deal with digestion issues…sounds appetizing right? Well it keeps me going when running over 3 hours!

Some people ask me…”what do you think about when you run for so long?” What I’m going to eat after of course! And what I had planned for dinner that night was a repeat of a favorite in our household…Tilapia Tostadas. What is a Tostada you might ask? This is crispy corn tortilla, used as a vehicle for delicious ingredients…which means you can pile on more than when you eat it in the traditional soft, rolled form. You can buy them pre-made or just follow the instructions in this recipe here as I did. Cooking Light again to the rescue!

Tilapia Tostadas with Roasted Corn Relish

No major changes in this one, except to add tomatoes to the relish, used regular tomato salsa instead of green salsa, and use shredded romaine instead of the cabbage slaw. It definitely hit the spot!

A big SHANA TOVA to everyone!!! I wish everyone a very sweet new year filled with lots of delicious food!

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Bonnie Does It Again, Veggie Eats and a Food Truck Feast!

Bonnie Stern that is! I think I’ve already mentioned her a good couple of times on the blog and she’s yet to fail me! This past Friday night dinner was no exception. This time I used the other cookbook of hers I have, Friday Night Dinner (seeing as how it was Friday night, it seemed an appropriate choice). Also an excellent cookbook and one I definitely need to use more, I went with two recipes I’ve been meaning to try for a while. Chicken Tagine with Honeyed Tomatoes and Grilled Eggplant with Tahina and Tomato Lime Salsa. Now I did modify the recipes slightly, but I do need to give Bonnie the credit. The two went together as well as sushi and soy sauce (unless you’re my sister and you don’t use soy on your sushi for some strange reason!)

Chicken Tagine with Honeyed Tomatoes (Adapted from Bonnie Stern’s Friday Night Dinners)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tbsp paprika

1/2 tbsp cumin

2 bone in, skinless chicken breasts

Combine salt, paprika, and cumin in a bowl and sprinkle on chicken

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp ginger, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinmamon

1/4 tsp ground cayenne

pinch of tumeric

1 14 oz can plum tomatoes with juice, crushed

Chicken in honeyed tomato sauce

1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tbp sesame seeds, toasted

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat and add chicken and cook about 5-8 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove from pan. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes, scraping juices from bottom of pan. Add cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and cook for about 30 seconds. Add tumeric, tomatoes, and stock and bring to a boil and reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in honey, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken back to dutch oven and cover with sauce. Place in 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Grilled Eggplant with Tahina and Tomato Lime (or lemon) Salsa (Adapted from Friday Night Dinners)

1 large eggplant

olive oil, salt and pepper

Cut eggplant lengthwise into long slices. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper and grill over medium high heat about 3-4 minutes per side. Arrange overlapping on a platter

Tahina Sauce

1/4 cup tahina

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp lemon juice

The finished eggplant. Isn't it beautiful!

1/2 tsp kosher salt

sprinkle red pepper flakes

3 tbsp water

Mix all ingredients together until thin and pourable (add more water if needed)

Tomato Lemon Salsa

1 tomato, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients together. Drizzle tahina sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with salsa

The flavors from both dishes really complimented each other nicely. The sauce from the chicken was so delicious…we actually had leftover sauce which was then used over simple baked tilapia. It could also be served with chickpeas over rice or just take some pita and go to town! To make sure we had all the food groups on our plate, I also made some roasted sweet potatoes. Just chop 2 sweet potatoes and season with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. These tasted like candy (and when is that ever a bad thing!)

The rest of the weekend was filled with delicious eats out of the house. With guests visiting from Toronto (the running coach Jody, her husband and adorable son), we went out for a vegetarian dinner at Candle Cafe. Please don’t be turned off by the VEGAN in the description of this restaurant. It was actually quite delicious. We started with a couple of shared apps:

Seitan grilled on skewers with chimichurri sauce

The seitan chimichurri was the surprising hit of the night. Seitan is made of wheat gluten and is a meat alternative that actually has a very meaty texture. It was smokey and really went well with the very green and herbal chimichurri  sauce.

Good Food Plate

For my main, I went with the good food plate upon recommendation from one of Jody’s friends who was dining with us (who is now my vegetarian restaurant dining companion…we vowed to try one new veggie restaurant a month…let me know if you want to join in this adventure!). You get to pick 4 side dishes from a very long list of sides and also get two sauces or dressings on the side. I loved the variety of this and also the ability to try lots of different things. I went with the grilled tempeh, black rice pilaf, and steamed veg and green of the day. All of this was perfectly cooked and really really good! But what really made it was the carrot ginger sauce. Everyone at the table was blown away by this bright orange sauce and I continued to douse my whole plate in it!

The one disappointment of the table was Adam’s dish. It sounded so good…grilled seitan in a smoky black bean sauce on top of quinoa pilaf, sauteed greens and guacamole. But what he got was very burnt seitan accompanied by an overly smoky black bean sauce. The quinoa was fine but nothing to write home about. So moral of the story, got to candle cafe, order the good food plate with a giant side of carrot ginger sauce.

I know this is getting to be a long post but I HAVE to tell you about Sunday eats at the Food Truck Rally in Prospect Park. After running almost 3 hours, I was ready for some good eats and thankfully, we had heard of this amazing event.

I ran (or walked as fast as my tired legs could take me) to the Red Hook Lobster Truck. A very nice friend offered to share the two different types of lobster rolls with me and neither disappointed. The Maine roll was fresh lobster mixed with homemade mayo, served cold,  and the Connecticut version was butter poached lobster served warm. Both were STUFFED with huge chunks of fresh lobster and these were some of the best buns I’ve ever had! Honestly, I liked both…If I were to go again I would need someone to split it with me again!

Maine on the left and Connecticut on the right

After seeing Cool Haus on Eat St. my heart was set on an ice cream cookie sandwich for dessert. The problem was the choices were overwhelming (I guess this really isn’t a problem). So, to make sure I could taste the most cookies and ice cream possible, I did half and half on everything! Potato chip/skor cookie on top, oatmeal raisin on the bottom, and half peanut butter ice cream and half nutella ice cream. Peanut butter ice cream mixed with nutella ice cream…enough said!

The sandwich comes with an edible wrapper made of potato/soy. I wasn't a fan of that.

Tired legs and full belly, the rest of my day was spent relaxing on the couch, catching up on my favorite food network show, The Best Thing I Ever

Ate. I hope you all enjoyed some good eats this weekend too!

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