How about some Pork?
This week's recipe comes from Food.com; Pork with Balsamic-Cranberry Sauce.
The recipe called for pork tenderloin but I used pork chops. It was easy to make and absolutely delicious.
I served it with squash which was marinated in oil, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and then baked in the oven for about 45 minutes.
What new recipes are you springing into?
Spring into a New Recipe
It's finally April, but it is still pretty cold here, on the east coast. But let's warm things up with a new recipe for this week!
This week's recipe came from Health Magazine...
The only thing I did differently was instead of using plain yogurt, I used Greek vanilla yogurt which gave the meal a completely different flavor. It's all about personal preference.
And here's the finish product...
I also did not add all of the radishes and cucumbers into the sauce, which made it more saucy than how it came out in Health Magazine's photo. It was super yummy and healthy! Definitely a recipe I will use again!
How have you built a better chicken breast? Share your recipe with me!
FunSized Food
For this week's In The Kitchen With FunSized I made stuffed bell peppers for the first time and it was such a success!
I don't have a recipe to share with you because I made this one up on my own.
What you'll need is:
- 1 Package of Ground Turkey Meat
- Green and/or Red Peppers (number depends on how many people you are serving)
- 1 Yellow Onion
- Fresh Baby Spinach
- Craisins
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
The first thing you want to do is place the ground turkey meat in a stove-top pan with a little bit of olive oil in it. Sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the meat as it starts to cook. Medium to light heat is good. While it is cooking drizzle some of balsamic vinegar on the meat and continue to mix. As the meat is on the stove you want to set your oven to about 350 degrees.
While the meat is cooking cut up some onion, I did about two slices and then cut it into small pieces, add that into the ground turkey meat on the stove. Along with that, add in some spinach. Spinach shrinks when you cook it so you definitely want to add plenty into the mixture.
The last ingredient to add is some craisins! If you'd like, depending on how much you enjoy balsamic vinegar, drizzle it into the mixture once last time and mix it around so the craisins get some of the flavor as well.
As the mixture is cooking, you should cut and prepare the bell peppers. I used one green and one red pepper and I cut them in half. I placed them in a glass baking dish. It is important that you put a small layer of water on the bottom of the dish so that the peppers don't burn when they are in the oven.
At this point, the meat mixture should be full cooked, your oven is preheated and it is time to add the meat mixture into the pepper. Use a spoon and be careful and really push the mixture deep into the pepper.
Once the meat is stuffed into the bell peppers, the last step is place the mozzarella cheese on top of the peppers. Now that it's all done, time to go into the oven to bake until the cheese is golden!
It was absolutely delicious, the balsamic vinegar really added a nice flavor to the peppers and meat. This is definitely a recipe I will use again.
Have you made stuffed bell peppers? What did you put inside of them? Let me know!
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Chinatown Restaurant Week
I spent the first day of Spring indulging in Chinatown Restaurant Week in New York City! There are a ton of restaurants to choose from, each with a variety of options on their prix-fixed menus. Some are only for lunch and some only for dinner so make sure you check out all the options on their website and read the fine print too! Each prix-fixed menu is $20.13 a person!
I went to H.K. Wonton! We thought it was the best deal with the best options we would enjoy choosing from. They had two different "packages" or menus put together for restaurant week. So I got one and my company got the other so we were able to share and get different dishes. We ended up with so much food! We definitely got our money's worth.
Just take a look:
Everything was absolutely delicious! The staff was very nice and accommodating! I would definitely go back here even when restaurant week is not going on.
Chinatown Restaurant Week is going on now until March 31st so hurry and pick your restaurant! They also have contests going on so make sure to check out their website for more details.
Let me know which restaurant you end up going to!
In the Kitchen with FunSized Returns!
Well, that goal of trying a new recipe every week disappeared for a little bit but I'm bringing it back with a new FunSized Homemade Pizza recipe!
As I've said previously, making pizza at home is much healthier than buying it from your favorite local Italian place but it's just as good!
Once the sauce is down on the dough, that is when the creativity begins! I topped this pizza with spinach, small sliced pieces of red onion, 2 plum tomatoes cut in small pieces, and then sprinkled with some fresh minced garlic, and oregano. After all those toppings were on, I layered on two bags off mozzarella shredded pizza cheese.
Just look at how delicious this looks!
And just after 40 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees it was ready to eat!
It was super yummy! Just remember to let it cool for a few minutes prior to eating!
Have you made any homemade pizza yet? Let me know what toppings you used!
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Last week's new recipe for 2013 was DELICIOUS!
Unfortunately, I don't have a recipe to share with you because I came up with it all on my own. So, let me share with you on how I prepared these amazing Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Ingredients:
-Chicken
-Red Pepper
-1 Carrot Stick
-Chinese Five Spice Blend
-Sesame Garlic Sauce
-Romaine Lettuce Hearts
-Lime
*All these ingredients can altered and/or changed to be to your liking!*
1- Cut the chicken into long slices and/or cubes.
2- Season the chicken before putting in the pan with the Chinese Five Spice Blend and some salt and pepper.
3- Cook the chicken in a pan, medium to low heat, in some olive oil with Pam.
4- Cut up the red pepper into cubes and add that to the chicken in the pan. Continue to mix until fully cooked.
5- Shred one carrot stick; and put to the side.
6- Wash individual Lettuce pieces. (As many as you need for as many as you are serving)
7- Heat up a generous amount of the Sesame Garlic Sauce for about 15-20 seconds.
8- Dry off lettuce.
9- Drizzle the heated Sesame Garlic Sauce onto the lettuce.
10- Once chicken is fully cooked. Place that along with the red peppers onto the lettuce- the top/largest part is best.
12- Next place the carrots on top of the chicken and red peppers.
13- Lastly, squeeze a lime over the ingredients to add a little zing!
...and voila, you have Chicken Asian Lettuce Wraps! All that's left to do, is to fold it up and enjoy!
What's great about this meal is that it was super easy and quick to make as well as being easy to add different ingredients to! The options are endless; there are so many different things you can add to it or change, so make it your own!
It was healthy, light and very enjoyable! Great to use as an appetizer or a main course.
What would you put in your own lettuce wraps? Let me know!
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NYC Restaurant Week
When New York City Restaurant Week happens it's as if another Miracle on 34th Street has happened!
Restaurant Week gives New Yorkers and tourists alike the ability to venture to some of the best New York City restaurants, usually the ones that the average joe couldn't normally afford to go to. It occurs twice a year and this is something you do not want to miss!
The restaurants that participate have a special three course lunch and dinner menu that they create for the event. This time around, the lunch menu is $25 and dinner one is $38; these prices are such a steal for the lavish places you get to go to!
Last week, I went to Pranna, which is on 28th and Madison and it was delish. Here's a preview of the menu. Of course, I documented the whole thing so enjoy the pictures below...
Here's part of the restaurant that I was able to see from where I was sitting. What's really cool about Pranna is that it's not only a restaurant but it is a lounge as well! The ambiance was very modern and chic and that definitely helped fit the mold to be both a lounge and a restaurant.
My lovely friend, Ashley got to the restaurant before me so when I got there, there were already these great pieces of baked pita bread on the table to munch on. We enjoyed the white dipping sauce the best; it tasted a bit like tzatziki.
For an appetizer, I ordered the crab cakes. It was very good!
For the main course, Ashley and I ordered the same dish; the Flash Fired Hanger Steak. We were both extremely grateful for the rice that accompanied the steak since the sauce was a bit too spicy for our liking. It was still good and the presentation really added to the modern Asian theme that Pranna is all about!
For dessert, I couldn't resist having the tiramisu! Tiramisu is my absolute favorite dessert and to see it on the menu with a 'Thai' twist... oh I thought I had died and went to dessert heaven! It was delicious and the perfect size too. After all that food, I was nervous I was going to have skip on dessert... but don't worry, I made all gone!
The last part of the meal, my friends, was absolutely the best part. So since I absolutely L-O-V-E twitter, I went to check out Pranna's twitter page, and while I was there I saw that their last tweet said something to the beat of, if you check-in on Yelp, you can get the cocktail of the day FOR FREE." When I saw that, Ashley and I frantically went to download the Yelp App on our phones, checked-in, and showed our waitress the deal. And here are our lovely drinks; the Cherry-Pear Brandy Smash! They were good, very sweet but still tasty!
Thanks to Pranna, I am now a huge fan of Yelp! I am all about steals and deals and I didn't know Yelp could provide that as well as reviews of almost anywhere you'd want to go!
Ashley and I had a great time enjoying Restaurant Week and we definitely would go back to Pranna. We were told that their Sunday Brunch gets a little wild and crazy so we may just have to go and check that out for ourselves!
Have you gone to any restaurants for this winter's restaurant week in NYC? Let me know where you have gone!
XO,
FunSized
In the Kitchen with FunSized
One of many goals for 2013 is to try a new recipe each week.
What better way to start this off than for my Mom's Birthday Dinner! January 8th is not only Elvis' Birthday but it is also my fabulous Mom's Birthday. So this past Tuesday, I prepared for her 'Provençal Lamb Daube,' which is a recipe I found in InStyle Magazine's January Issue. I'm a sucker for anything French so I thought I try this recipe by chef Daniel Boulud out.
I found the recipe online to share with all of you, however it is not from InStyle's website even though that's the magazine I found it from!
There are many ingredients that go into this dish, so prepping took up a lot of time but baking it took even longer!
Here's the before picture...
And finally after baking for 2 1/2 hours...
I left out the potatoes and didn't make the garlic grits. We had some kale on the side that I cooked on the stove in some oil and chicken broth and then topped with garlic and parmesan cheese.
I expected this meal to be extremely flavorful due to all the seasonings included in it, but it ended up being too much. There was not one distinguished flavor which did not make this recipe a fan with my tasters!
Hopefully next week's recipe will be better! If you have any to share with me, post them below!
XO,
FunSized
FunSized Homemade Pizza
Making homemade Pizza can be so FFC as well as much healthier and cheaper than ordering it! It's fun to get creative with the toppings. With some whole-wheat dough, I made a pizza topped with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, some red onion, mozzarella shredded pizza cheese and finally sprinkled with some oregano! It was absolutely delicious!
Here's the before and after picture:
What type of homemade pizzas have you made?
XO,
FunSized
MacBar
One of my favorite places to go eat when I'm in the mood for a special treat is MacBar. It is located in Soho on Prince Street between Lafayette and Mulberry.
Whenever you're in the mood for great mac and cheese this is the place to go! It is mac and cheese on a whole other level. They make so many different and fun kinds. This week I tried the Cheeseburger Mac for the first time! It can come in three different sizes. I got the small... since I'm FunSized, it was just the perfect amount of food for me (probably a bit too much but that's ok!).
Just look at it! Doesn't it look delicious? Well, it was! It was driving me mad on the subway home, smelling its goodness coming from the bag. My favorite part is the top where the cheddar cheese is baked on top. The magarita mac is usually my go-to choice but I'm glad I switched it up with teh Cheeseburger mac. I am dying to try the mac lobsta'! One day I'll get it!
Follow Mac Bar on Twitter.
Have you been to the MacBar? What's your favorite kind of mac to get? Let me know!
XO,
FunSized
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Into Spain at Pera Soho
On Wednesday, October 24, 2012, I attended the "Into Spain" Event at Pera Soho.
This was my first time going to Pera Soho and I was stunned by its ambiance and exclusiveness. Pera is located at the corner of Broome and Thompson Streets. As I was walking there, heading west on Broome Street, it was a bit of a puzzle to find the entrance. When I almost approached the corner, you get a bit of a tease of what you are about to see since there is a small peephole into the restaurant until you are blocked by what is a large cement wall that wraps around the corner. Finally the opening appeared on Thompson Street!
I was astonished by what I saw next...That cement wall was blocking what is a gorgeous and secluded outdoor seating area with large red umbrellas, wooden furniture as well as private seating areas. I wish I would have known about this restaurant during the summer!
Then I continued inside for the event. When you first walk in the bar is right in front of you, which doesn't leave much room to wait, if it is crowded to greet the hostess. Behind the hostess, there is indoor seating which is a bit too cozy for my personal taste. If I had to choose, I would probably go for the outdoor seating if the choice was available. At both ends of the restaurant, there are painted murals which add to the meditteranean feel the restaurant is trying to give off. This one is closer to the bar...
Into Spain is a company that networks people together who are interested in the culture of Spain. They decided to have one of their events at Pera Soho, which is why I went there. Pera Soho provided guests with a special menu for the event which was held from 6-11pm with a happy hour until 7:30pm which was supposed to include complimentary tapas. At first, only chips were provided at the bar and later hummus and pita chips were brought out. In my opinion, those options do not fall under the categories of tapas and to top it off, everyone at the bar was sharing the hummus dishes. I personally would not like to share dippings with the rest of Manhattan. The event was also to recognize Torres wines which I unfortunately cannot comment on because I did not drink at this event.
Overall, I enjoyed attending the event; I liked the venue and the people watching was satisfactory. If the goal of the event was to bring Spanish people together to discuss their culture, I do not think they succeded. However, it did bring people into Pera in hopes of future business. Will I go there to eat in the future? Not necessarily...it is a bit out of my price range, however if I was looking for a night to splurge, this would be a restaurant I would consider. I liked the vibe, the ambiance, and the Meditteranean feel.
It was not as fun, flirty and carefree of an event as I would have liked but it was a nice evening out after a long day's work.
Follow Pera Soho on Twitter for future events and special menus.
XO,
FunSized
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A Great Meal in D.C.
If you're looking to have a fabulous meal with an even better view while frolicking around Washington D.C., head down to Washington Harbor and check out Sequoia!
Sequoia is the perfect spot to sit down, relax, enjoy a great meal after spending the day walking around Georgetown. It is only a few blocks away from the main drag of Georgetown, located on K Street. When you go there make sure to get a seat as close to the window as you can so you get a view of the Potomac River. The decor in the restaurant makes you feel as if you are floating at the bottom of the ocean. Just look at this lighting! How fun, flirty and carefree!
Now before I tell you about what I ate, let me forwarn you by saying this is definitely a meal you need to plan to splurge on. If you are looking to have one pricey meal on your trip, Sequoia is the place to go to. I went there for lunch but it will be just as good if you go for dinner. I had their Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and it was delicious! It was only one crab cake but it was paired with spinach and a veggie salsa and it was the perfect proportion! Usually I would think one crab cake would not be enough to satisfy me for a meal but this one proved itself to be jumbo. Even though I probably could have gone without having dessert, I couldn't resist! Everything on the dessert menu sounded delicious. I shared two dishes which are photographed below. I ordered the chocolate gelato with two rasberry macarons and the other dish is their tarte au citron. They were both to die for!
Start saving now so when you visit Washington D.C. you can make sure that you can indulge at Sequoia as well!
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