dinner Archives - Frolic Through Life

#WIAW – Penthouse 808, Long Island City

May 1, 2013 12 Comments

On Saturday, Tommy surprised me with dinner at Penthouse 808 in Long Island City. The restaurant is located on the roof of the Ravel Hotel and has a gorgeous view of the 59th Street Bridge and Manhattan. Our reservation was for 6:45, perfect timing to enjoy the sunset over dinner. Even though the restaurant is on the roof, it is open year round. There is a retractable glass bubble, for lack of a better word, which they close up when it’s too cold to dine al fresco.

We started dinner with drinks. I definitely needed a drink after two days of studying. The Wasabi Margarita caught my eye right away. The margarita itself wasn’t spicy, but the glass was rimmed in sweetened wasabi which did had a bit of a kick.

We were pretty hungry going into dinner since we had only eaten breakfast that morning, so we started with some appetizers. Being a huge fan of tuna, Tommy immediately suggested the Tuna Tartare Tacos. This was probably the most interesting presentation of Tuna Tartare that I’ve ever seen. The tuna was served in a crispy shell and topped with Wasabi Guacamole.

We also ordered the Korean Style Chicken Wings. I had read in multiple reviews that the wings were great and I since couldn’t remember the last time I had wings, it struck a major craving. The wings were spicy, but not too spicy and hit the spot. The chili flakes on them make the eating process a little messy, but wings are always messy.

We also split a sushi roll – the Smoke Stacks. Spiced tuna, avocado, kani and oshinko in marbled seaweed topped with tobiko.

Finally, for my entree I went with the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast which was marinated in Sake Teriyaki and served with a side of Chinese broccoli and pineapple fried rice. I don’t usually order chicken when we go out to eat, and I was this.close to getting the salmon, but the pineapple fried rice caught my eye and I couldn’t say no. The chicken was very moist and the teriyaki gave it a great flavor. The rice didn’t disappoint either!

Tommy went with the Soba Noodle Stir Fry with chicken.

Overall, we had a great dining experience. The food was very good, the service was decent and the views were amazing. I definitely recommend it!

What’s the best thing/place you ate this week?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: asian fusion, dinner, long island city, NYC, penthouse 808, restaurant, review, sushi, WIAW

Tofu Peanut Noodles

March 7, 2013 9 Comments

Since going veggie, I have tried cooking with a bunch of new things, tofu being one of them. I’ve eaten tofu on tons of occasions, but I’ve never worked with it myself, and quite frankly, it intimidated me. On my last trip to Trader Joe’s I decided to take the plunge and bought a package of tofu, with no real idea of what I was going to do with it. It sat in my fridge for about a week, until I got my Rachael Ray magazine in the mail and I was inspired by a recipe.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Tofu Peanut Noodles

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Recipe type: vegetarian, vegan

Ingredients

16 ounces firm tofu, cubed
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ cup liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ pound linguine (I used quinoa pasta)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Instructions

Bake tofu at 425 degrees on parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Combine peanut butter, liquid aminos and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
Cook noodles according to instructions on box, adding broccoli 5 minutes before noodles are done.
Drain noodles, toss with sauce and tofu.

I ended up eating these noddles for dinner and as lunch for the next two days. I was sad to see the bottom of the Tupperware, because they were amazing. This is the type of dish you can make and enjoy for days because it reheats great. Happy Eating!

What’s an ingredient that intimidated you until you tried cooking with it?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: dinner, recipe, vegan, vegetarian

Meatless WIAW

February 20, 2013 21 Comments

Sooooo, I’ve been really bad with taking picture of my food lately, but since the start of Lent and the end of meat in my life, I’ve been snapping away. Soooo, that means it’s time for a WIAW! These are just some of the things I’ve been eating since going veggie. It has been way too long since I joined in this partay and thank to Jen for hosting!

First up, one of my favorite new finds at Trader Joe’s – salmon burgers. They come frozen, but completely raw and I just throw one on a skillet and cook it up. Top with some sriracha and a side of veggies and you’ve got an amazing lunch/dinner

Speaking of Trader Joe’s, I’ve also been enjoying their pre-made sushi. I love that they use brown rice!

My number one new favorite thing in life is the Almond Coco Loco Chobani. If you can find these in your supermarket, jump on them. They are like dessert in Chobani form.

Another thing that I’ve been slightly obsessed with are English cucumbers. I have been eating these as a crispy treat with Chiptole Pepper Hummus. Delish!

This is Vegetarian Duck with Mushroom in Garlic Sauce from Chai Thai, where we went for dinner over the weekend. I’m not sure where vegetarian duck comes from, but it might just be heaven.

Lox are one of favorite things to get when we go out for bagels for breakfast, so I decided to recreate it at home. Not as great as it would be on a fresh bagel, but not too shabby either.

Black Bean Veggie Meatball Pitas. When I told Tommy what I was making for dinner, he told me that he wasn’t looking forward to it until he tried them. They were very yummy.

Soy Glazed Salmon. Only 15 minutes under the broiler and dinner was served.

So these are my meatless eats so far. I thought that I would miss eating meat, but it’s been a week and I haven’t had a single craving. I always had a feeling that I would do well as a vegetarian. I think that Lent will show me that I don’t really enjoy eating meat as much as I thought I did and that veggies are my BFFs.

What was the best thing you ate this week?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: breakfast, dinner, lunch, meatless, snack, vegetarian, WIAW

Saturday Scenes

February 18, 2013 14 Comments

This weekend was a lot more fun that I’ve had in a long while. For the first time in weeks, I was able to spend a weekend with both my guys, doing nothing special, but having a blast. On Saturday, we were on a mission to spend the day in Manhattan. Tommy and I are both in Manhattan on a regular basis for school and work, but going there for pleasure is a rarity for us. We had made plans to get brunch and spend some time in Central Park, but when we got to the restaurant, we were told there was an hour and 45 minute wait. After recovering from the initial shock, we got some Chipotle and headed over to the Central Park Zoo.

We had a ton of fun visiting all of the animals. We also went over to the Children’s Zoo where you get to feed the farm animals. While Munchkin was busy feeding the sheep when the llama in the same pen got a little peeved and tried to eat his hat instead. That, or he was just a fan of Angry Birds and wanted a sweet looking hat.

After the zoo, we were all pooped. We headed home and all took a nap, which is highly uncommon for me. I woke up feeling refreshed and hungry. When my two gentlemen finally awoke, we decided on Chai for dinner. Chai recently opened up in Williamsburg and was filled to the brim when we got there. There was a bit of a wait, but we got to sit next to a little reflecting pool with super cute decor. Munchkin kept trying to blow out the candles which kept him occupied for a long time, since they were battery powered.

We knew what appetizers we wanted as soon as we were seated because we had looked at a menu while we were waiting. I went for the Thai crab cakes with lemongrass mayo and Tommy opted for the Crispy Spring Rolls with homemade plum sauce. Both apps were spot on, and I really enjoyed the flavor that the lemongrass mayo gave to the crab cakes. I also enjoyed a drink, whose name I cannot remember, nor find on their website, but it was tequila with champagne. It was strong but very tasty, and made me a little giggly.

For my entree I got the Vegetarian Duck with Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce. I usually go for noodle dishes when we go for Thai, but I was very pleased that I decided to try something new. The sauce was delicious, and the “duck” tasted just like the real thing.

Another plus of Chai was the price-tag. We all enjoyed our meals and drinks and the prices were very reasonable. Chai will definitely be thrown into our rotation of dinner places, but I think we will be frequenting it during off peak times to avoid the wait.

What did you do this weekend? What’s the last new restaurant you tried?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: central park zoo, dinner, munchkin, NYC, restaurant, thai

Black Bean Meatballs

February 15, 2013 10 Comments

This year for Lent, I have decided to give up meat. I’m going to have another post talking about some decisions that I’ve made regarding my diet, but that’s a story for another day. For the next 40, well about 37 now, I won’t be eating any meat and I will be experimenting with lots of veggies to create meat free recipes.

First up on my to-do list of meatless recipes was to create meatless meatballs. I have been buying the Veggie Patch meatballs for some time now, and I thought that I could totally make my own black bean meatballs. These babies are super simple and have a great flavor with a kick of spice, just the way I like em!

Black Bean Meatballs

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Sylvia T

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 eggs
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
Spray oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
After draining and rinsing the black beans, place them into a large bowl.
With a fork or potato masher, mash the beans until they turn into a paste-like consistency.
Add in the remaining ingredients and mash everything together with your hands.
Form into meatballs and place them onto a cookie sheet
Spray with a bit of oil and bake for 20 minutes.

I served these in a pita with some baby spinach and hummus, but I plan on making them again and giving them a try with some spaghetti sauce. I also love them on top of a huge salad. Who am I kidding, I will eat them with anything because they are that good.

Have you ever tried meatless meatballs? What are your fav meatless recipes?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: black bean meatballs, dinner, recipe, vegetarian

Lean Cuisine Culinary Collection

February 11, 2013 2 Comments

When I used to think frozen meals, thoughts of cardboard-esque chicken, undercooked rice and mashed potatoes that resemble gray sludge, would pop into my head. Lean Cuisine must have gotten sicks of hearing these kinds of opinions time after time and put out their Culinary Collection to prove all the nay-sayers wrong.

Lean Cuisine partnered with some of the nation’s hottest chefs to put out a new line of meals with bold flavor combos, the kind of things you usually wouldn’t find in the frozen section. I chose to try the Chicken Carbonara, Chile Lime Chicken and Ranchero Braised Beef.

While I loved the chipotle sweet potatoes from the beef entree, my favorite of the three I’ve tried so far was the Chile Lime Chicken. The chicken was tender and you could really taste hints of the lime. The rice was a punch of color and flavor, and I really enjoyed it mixed with the sauce. The portions were not huge, but they were the perfect size for a satisfying lunch.

The new Lean Cuisine line is the perfect thing to have in your freezer for one of those days where you need to eat something yummy and quick, and without killing your diet!

Do you eat frozen entrees? What’s you favorite?

I have partnered with Lean Cuisine through DailyBuzz Food to help promote their new line of Chef’s Pick products. I have been compensated for my time commitment to work with this product. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Thank you Lean Cuisine!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: dinner, lean cuisine, lunch

Paleo Fried Rice

January 10, 2013 23 Comments

One of the hardest things with following a paleo diet has been the lack of starchy side dishes in meals. Growing up with Polish parents, every meal as a kid had some type of potato, noodle or rice, and those things became comfort foods to me. With paleo, those comfort foods are eliminated, so what better to do than to find some alternatives?

I found the idea for this dish in the Paleo cookbooks, Everyday Paleo, that I got for Christmas, and have made it twice since Christmas. It’s a big winner among everyone in my house, and just based on it’s appearance, my dad thought it was real rice. That might come in handy for tricking picky eaters! (I don’t condone tricking people into eating foods, but with a three year old who doesn’t want to try new foods, it comes in handy sometimes.)

Paleo Fried Rice

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Sylvia T

Cuisine: Paleo

Serves: 5

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
3 minced garlic slices
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Liquid Aminos
(You need a food processor to make this recipe)

Instructions

Rinse cauliflower and cut into florets.
Place the florets into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, with a texture similar to rice.
Saute chopped cauliflower and garlic in coconut oil in a large skillet for 5 minutes.
Add in scallions and Liquid Aminos and saute for another 5 minutes.
Push mixture to the side of the pan and crack eggs into the free space in the pan.
Quickly combine the egg and cauliflower mixture and mix until well incorporated.

This recipe comes together much quicker than traditional fried rice. You can also process a whole bunch of cauliflower at one time and freeze it in batches to make the rice at a later time without the most time consuming part of the recipe.

Hope you enjoy it!

What’s your favorite paleo (or non-paleo) side dish?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: dinner, food, paleo, paleo fried rice, recipe

Panera Soup to the Rescue

December 19, 2012 20 Comments

I’m back! I’m back! I’m back! I’m back! Finals are over and as of 8PM yesterday evening I am a free woman, and do not have to return to school for weeks. I couldn’t be more excited!

Finals season is tough on students, but when you’re a student, who works and is a mom, it gets even tougher. With my nose in the books, it wasn’t easy to get a good dinner on the table over the last two weeks. Luckily, thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Panera, we were able to try some of Panera’s soups for dinner last week!

I am a huge fan of Panera. It is one of the few chain places that I really enjoy eating at and their food is always fresh and yummy. Tommy also basically lived off of Panera his last year in college, when they finally opened one in Williamsport, so the place kind of has a special place in his heart.

I am usually a Broccoli and Cheddar type of gal, but when we walked in and I saw the picture of Panera’s new Vegetarian Creamy Tomato, I knew I had to try it! In lieu of my usual Thai Chopped Chicken Salad, I tried went for their Big Kid Grilled Cheese. What can I say, I needed some comfort food.

The soup was delicious and totally hit the spot! Tomato soup was one of my favs growing up, and while Panera’s is very different from my mom’s traditional Polish tomato soup, it brought the comfort that I needed on a cold evening during finals week, for sure. The Asiago croutons added the perfect crunch to the otherwise velvety-smooth soup.

It didn’t take long for me to dig in, and when I saw the bottom of the cup, I kind of wished that I had gotten the bowl instead of the cup.

But there’s always next time!

Do you like Panera? What’s your must get item on their menu?

Panera Bread sent me a gift card to try their soups and is sponsoring this post. All yummy opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: dinner, finals, law school, panera, panera bread, soup

Fall Eats #WIAW

November 21, 2012 8 Comments

I can’t believe it’s been like 3 weeks since I’ve posted a WIAW. Even though I love WIAW posts, I kept forgetting to take pictures of my food, or I just wasn’t eating anything pretty enough to share. Either way, I’m back with some gooood shtuff! Gather round kids, and get ready to get hungry.

Let’s start off with some of my own creations. First up, one of my favorite things to make, Mexican Lasagna. This one wasn’t vegetarian because I threw in some ground turkey and it was so, so good.

Next up, sushi! This was my first attempt at making sushi, and it came out pretty amazing!

We went to the Asian Market hoping to find sashimi grade tuna or salmon, but no dice. We settled on crab meat and veggies and made a bunch of different rolls. I cannot wait to try making sushi again!

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin soup with a side of grilled cheese with avocado. The combination of flavors might seem a little strange, but it was everything I was craving at the time and it tasted amazing!

These babies are delicious, and not as bad for you as regular brownies.

Instead of butter, milk and eggs, I took a box mix and just added a can of pumpkin puree and cooked according to package directions. When the brownies were baked, I topped them off with mini marshmallows and put them under the broiler for about a minute. These were a HUGE hit!

Mason jars of iced coffee from the Blue Stove. The pies and pastries at this place and to die for!

The last two are some yummy lunches I’ve had at work. I’ve been pretty good at bringing lunch from home, but sometimes you just want a little something different.

Union Street Salad from Calexico - Romaine, radicchio, avocado, grilled corn, goat cheese, cucumber, avocado, radish, tomato, toasted sesame seeds, sherry vinaigrette. So, so good!

Shepherd Salad with Chicken Kebab from Kestane Kebab. It was my first time trying this salad and it was delicious. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, parsley topped with a delicious dressing.

That’s all I’ve got for today, but I’ll be back next week with some Thanksgiving eats! And thanks to Jenn to hosting the happiest food party on this side of the internet!

What’s the best thing you ate today?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: brooklyn, dessert, dinner, takeout, WIAW

Don’t Wait Til Tomorrow

October 5, 2012 3 Comments

I have a problem… I’m a food hoarder. When I get a package, I rip it open, drool over all the goodies and then throw them in the pantry, for later. A lot of time, this later takes forever to come, but not today!

Today’s dinner came together, almost completely with yummy things that I received thanks to my Foodie Pen Pals packages.

Tortellini Soup with sausage and zucchini with a side of corn bread!

The soup came together thanks to a soup mix which I got in this month’s package, along with some extra Tortellini which I got in my second Foodie Pen Pals package, many moons ago. The corn bread mix also came from my second package.