Pepperoni Pizza Bites

These are a great bite sized snack perfect for a get together with friends. I am making these to bring with me to a New Years Eve gathering. It's also a great easy recipe to have on hand for football season.

Ingredients: ( makes 24 bites)

3/4 cup of flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flake ( optional to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan. In large bowl mix together dry ingredients. Next mix milk and egg. Stir in cheeses. Mix in pepperoni.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan. Bake until puffed and golden about 20-25 minutes.

Serve bites with warmed pizza sauce.

Adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray

Pea and Mushroom Side

My husband has expressed to me on numerous occasions that a vegetable side dish he likes is peas with mushrooms. I would typically brush him off and make something else. The combo just did not entice me enough to make it, until tonight when all I had on hand were mushrooms and peas! And I have to say they turned out fantastic.

Ingredients:
Half carton of baby portabello mushrooms sliced
Cup frozen peas thawed
1 shallot thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons of chicken broth

In a medium skillet over medium heat melt butter sauté shallot and garlic until golden. Add peas and mushrooms. Cook until softened. Add soy sauce and broth. Let mixture simmer a few minutes. Serve and enjoy.

DIY Magnets

This Christmas one of my gifts was a big magnetic chalkboard from Pottery Barn.  I love it!  I cannot wait to hang it in my kitchen and use it as a message center.  And as a person who plans weekly menus this will also be a great spot to post what is for dinner each night.  This has led me a quest to find unique magnets to use with my new chalkboard.  After browsing online I realized I had all the materials  mostly on hand to make my own. From other projects I had a bunch of clothespins laying around, being a scrapbooker I also had stamps, perfect for a set of weekly magnets.  For some smaller round magnets I decided to use some foreign currency I had laying around from previous travels.  All I needed was some magnets. After a quick trip to Michael's I was set.  And this being a cold rainy/snowy afternoon I found it the perfect opportunity to get crafty.  Now I just need to get the chalkboard hung!

Materials Used:

Clothespins (bought at the dollar store)
Self adhesive magnet strips
Round glue able magnets
Old foreign Coins
Stamps
ink pad

Using smaller alphabets stamps I placed the days of the week on the clean clothespins.  Then added magnetic strips onto the backs.

These will now be a great place to hang my weekly menu or reminders about appointments.

For the coin magnets I made sure to first clean the coins to help the glue stick better.  After they were thoroughly dried I used some quick drying tacky glue to connect the magnet and the coins together.  Allow the glue to dry and set completely before trying to use.

A great use for a few coins from trips rolling around.  A unique souvenir that will now be seen on a daily basis

I decided to stamp a few more clothespins with a few other ideas: To Get, To Do, Reminder.

A quick, easy, inexpensive afternoon project!

Three Bean Chili

Nothing beats a hearty chili on a cold evening. In trying to eat healthier I did not want the beef to take center stage, I found this recipe on a few websites with slightly varying ingredients so this is what I took away from it. I never thought to put carrots in chili until now, and I love them. A plentiful selection if beans really makes this chili satisfying.

Ingredients:

1 small onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
2-3 carrots chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili pepper
1 seeded chopped adobe pepper in adobe sauce
1-2 tablespoons adobe sauce
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can rinsed drained kidney beans
1 can rinsed drained black beans
1 can rinsed drained pinto beans

Optional toppings:

Avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips.

Recipe:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Cook pepper, onion, carrots until soft, roughly 5-8 minutes. Add ground beef, breaking with wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink about 6-8 minutes. Add cumin and ancho chili powder cook 1-2 minutes until aromatic add adobe pepper and sauce . Add can of crushed tomato. Simmer 20 minutes with lid slightly ajar. Add beans and simmer another 25 minutes. Add favorite toppings and enjoy.

Almond Crusted French Toast

So on a whim this morning I decided to change up our usual french toast.  And as usual my husband was a little skeptical at first.  Just as he was when he arrived home to other evening to the kitchen table in a new position.  I guess you can say that although I like routine every now and again you just have to shake things up. I had used some sliced almonds the night before when cooking some green beans to go with dinner and the leftover bag of them was still on the counter, you can say it inspired this breakfast.  After one bite my husband was now longer in doubt that this was going to be a good meal!

French Toast: (serves 2)

6 slices of pepperidge farm cinnamon raisin bread
2 eggs
2-3 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of almond extract
dash of cinnamon (more is plain bread)
cup of sliced almonds

In a medium shallow bowl whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and almond extract.  Heat a grill pan over medium heat and melt butter on pan.  Dip bread one piece at a time into egg mixture, let excess drip back into bowl.  place almonds on a plate and dip one side of egg coated bread onto almonds.  Place bread on grill pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden.Careful with almond side not to leave too long or almond will burn.  Cook french toast in batches as to not overcrowd the pan. Add more butter to pan in between each batch.

Roasted Veggie Sandwich

I love a good sandwich. With the right blend of ingredients placed between two warm anything between toasty slices of bread is delightful. I know I have already posted a grilled veggie sandwich so this is just a variation on that same concept. It was changed up this week to give my husband and I a meatless night plus use up what was in the fridge. And as always I am a brown bag type of lunch person so the vegetable are fantastic in a wrap with some fresh spinach for the next day.  They taste great cold no need to reheat!

Sandwich:

Ciabatta bread cut to desired sandwich size ( or a baguette)
2 zucchini sliced lengthwise
2 portobello mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon garlic powder

For Spread:

1cup ricotta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375. Place zucchini and mushroom into ziplock bag. Next pour in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Toss to coat evenly. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for about 15-20 minutes until vegetables are soft. Turn once about halfway through.

For the spread mix all ingredients together. Spread onto toasted ciabatta and top with vegetables. Munch and enjoy!

Moroccan Inspired Lentil Soup

 

The inspiration for this soup came with the desire for a hearty soup that would warm us on a chilly night.  Another need for this soup came from our desire to eat a meatless meal at least once a week.  We get extra points since we had two meatless meals this week, had the roasted vegetable sandwiches earlier.  My husband has always let me know he enjoys lentils, however it was not a food that was served in my house growing up.  So I hesitated a little but I have come to enjoy them.  Plus they are so healthy.  I looked through a few recipes to gather some ideas. I started chopping my vegetables for the soup when I started to think about what spices to include.  After staring at my spice rack for awhile, I decided a blend of cinnamon and cumin would work well.  During our honeymoon we had eaten at a Moroccan restaurant and fell in love with the flavors and use of spices.  This combination made my kitchen smell wonderful! I look forward to enjoying my leftovers for lunch today.

 

 

 

 

Lentil Soup:

1 1/2 cups lentils
2 cups baby portaballo mushrooms sliced
1 chopped sweet potato
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1-2 stalk of celery chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot heat olive oil.  Cook carrot, celery, onion, and garlic about 5-6 minutes until soft.  Add mushrooms and cook until soft about 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add cumin, thyme, and cinnamon.  Add chopped sweet potato.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add broth and four cups of water.  Toss in the lentils.  Simmer for about 25 minutes or until lentils are cooked and sweet potato soft.

Top with croutons or a dollop of greek yogurt.

 

 

Money Saving: a Short List

I have certainly become a person who coupons.  It's a far different state then I was in from my 20's and early 30's.  The person I was in my earlier days would barely look at a price tag before making a purchase, now I comparison shop and looks for deals.  Even though my husband and I have yet to have a child or a mortgage we are definitely trying to live a little more frugal.  Trying to save for a house is not easy when we are basically living on one salary.  With my husband as a full time college student it's a necessity.  My husband and I rarely go out to dinner and usually if we do it is with some kind of coupon or discount. I try not to shop in department stores with a coupon and I belong to every saving club I can. I think I amazed my husband one day while he accompanied me to Macy's that a purchased that should have cost nearly $100 only cost us about $20 with the purchases being on sale and of course I had a coupon!  To save on groceries I sit and plan our menu for the week before I go grocery shopping.  This way there are not mutiple trips to the store during the week, where extra impulse buys might happen.  I also can then plan my purchases around what is on sale or what coupons I have. So it is within this post that I will share the coupon websites and apps that help me to save!

Coupon websites:

couponsuzy and coupons.com both of these websites update often and allow you to print coupons at home.  These are good if you donot get newspapers with the inserts to clip the coupons weekly.

zavers works in conjuntion with some local grocery stores to either print or send digitial coupons to your store card.

Website and Apps: (these are both a website and avialable as an app)

cellfire works in conjuntion with local grocery stores and allows you to print coupons or send digitial coupons to your store card.

savingstar with this site/app you can digitially clip coupons and connect them to numerous store cards.  You accumulate money in a digitial account where you can later select how to get your payout.  The payout can be sent to your bank account, paypal account or you can select to donate the money or take it in the form of a amazon gift card.

LivingSocial.com, groupon.com, and amazonlocal These three websites have become a places for me to find deals for nights out with my husband from diner deals to wine and cheese tasting events.  All three offer deals for goods, trips, and local services.

cardstar is an app that has lightened my load in my wallet. I no longer have to card around all those loyalty cards.  With this app I loaded all the cards and now they can be scanned or the number used at the store.  And there are deals attached to some of the cards on the app.

I hope this was helpful and you have websites or apps that you are using please share with us!
Happy saving!

Couple Photos-

I am forever finding wonderful couple pictures on Pinterest.  These inspire me to convince my husband time and time again to pose and take milestone pictures.  We always wind up using the timer on my little canon powershot camera.  One if these days I will have to invest in a tripod so we can stop balancing the camera on furniture or tree stumps! Our first attempt at one of these photos came before we were even married, it was with our Save the Date postcards.

Our Save the Dates- all the information on the back of the postcard

First Anniversary Picture- Montauk, NY

The camera is balancing on a broken post....we also stopped a few people this day to take our picture.

We have continued with taking our own picture for our Christmas card this year. 

I will have to keep finding new ideas to commemorate special moments in our life together.  I also need to keep my fingers crossed that my husband keeps appeasing me and being a good sport about all the photos and ideas I come up with.  

Thanksgiving

As I am getting ready to host my first Thanksgiving in my small apartment I want to add simple touches to make it special.  Luckily it is a smallish gathering of about ten. One small touch that I thought would add something special to the table taking away the need for a huge centerpiece was a simple napkin fold for my place setting.  This really is not that hard to do and will great sitting in the middle of the plate!  I added the simple decorative touches of a paper leaf (found a pack of 12 for $1.99 at Michaels) and the turkey chocolates were actually an impulse buy as I stood in line at CVS. 

To fold the napkins:  Starch with a freshly ironed napkin.  Next fold in half on the diagonal.  Again press.  Fold in half again into a smaller triangle.  Once again press the creases.  Next holding the triangle fold the bottom part up again an inch.  Yup you guessed it press the crease.  Flip over and fold corners to the center so that they meet, now fold in half.  Press a little to the rounded shape as you stand it up.  Place leaf or name card or message in the folds.  This would also be a good spot to place a gratitude note.  Chocolate Turkeys optional!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hurricane

Hello to any and all who follow.  I have some great ideas and mouthwatering recipes waiting in the wings however I am on day 6 without power due to hurricane Sandy.  It is not the best idea to read many food magazines that all are having such a glorious amount of Thanksgiving recipes right now.  But now there is not much happening in my kitchen except cereal and pb&j sandwiches.  I am however very lucky that I reside in the middle of Long Island, NY and have suffered no damage to my home and all my family are safe and well. This is not the case for many in the tri-state area.  From images I have seen many have lost everything.  My husband and I have can tell out favorite beach to hang out in the summer is now gone, washed away from the storm.

 I am hoping power comes back on soon as the temperature is dropping.  Hoping to have something yummy to post soon.

Jones Beach State Park

Carving Pumpkins and Roasted Seeds

I absolutely love Autumn.  It is definitely a time to see and feel change all around you.  There are the beautiful colors that are bursting in the outdoors, the bright reds, oranges, and golds.  And Autumn also means all things pumpkin.  I love pumpkins from jack o'lanterns to pumpkin spice lattes.  After a recent trip to go pumpkin picking I was eager to carve my pumpkins and roast the seeds.

First wash and thoroughly dry the pumpkin.

Next cut the top off your pumpkin and remove all the insides, scraping along the walls to get all the seeds and loose bits out.  This is the slimy, sticky part of the job.

Next either print out the pattern you wish to use or lightly draw one on the pumpkin.  This pattern I found on pumpkinmasters.com in the free section.  Using a small punch tool poke holes around the area that you wish to carve this will act as a guideline when out carve.  Remove the printed paper pattern and begin to carve the pumpkin.  All tools I used came from a small pumpkin carving kit that can be found in most stores this time of year.  I used small flameless tea candles to light the pumpkin.

My finished Jack 0'Lantern....I feel like he is smirking!

Roasted Pumpkins Seeds

Now for all those leftover seeds.  Another slimy job is to separate all the seeds from the pulp and rinse them off.  Lay them in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet.  I let them dry for one day.  When they are dry Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Melt about half of stick of butter and drizzle over the seeds, sprinkle desired about salt over seeds.  Mix seeds to coat with salt and butter.  Again make sure they are in one layer on the cookie sheet.  Bake in oven for about 40 minutes turning halfway through.  Seeds to be nice and golden when finished.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Nothing says fall like the smell and taste of pumpkin!  It is everywhere from the pumpkin spice lattes to baked goods.  This past October weekend I found myself enjoying many things pumpkin.  Friends and I attend the Rise of the Jack O Lantern at local Westbury Gardens, where we were treated to 5,000 carved pumpkins. I think I got some inspiration for my own Jack o lanterns.  One idea is the use of colored bulbs in the pumpkins.  The next day if was off to go do some pumpkin picking of our own.  These muffins were the perfect start before driving out to find our pumpkins.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com
Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree (see Note)
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Note: A standard sized can of pumpkin is 15 ounces, just shy of 2 cups (16 ounces). You could open another can if you want and freeze the extra or just use one can which is what I did. The amount is so little I don't think it makes a difference in the final product.

Instructions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours. The mixture will still be somewhat soft but firmer.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. I always get inpatient here and mix it together with my hands so that it looks like the texture of wet sand. I know you aren't supposed to do it this way but I'm impatient. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. You want to put the cream cheese lower than you think because it will rise a lot during the baking process. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. I like them warm, cold, and room temperature.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This is one of the easiest and yet tastiest recipes I have tried in a crockpot.  We love tacos in this house and with just six ingredients these chicken tacos come out with much effort.  I've already passed this on to a few friends and they are all surprised how easy and delicious this turns out. Pretty much you just dump everything in the crockpot and turn it on, let it do its magic, and then enjoy!  Sounds good to me.

We added some shredded cheese and fresh guacamole to our tacos feel free 

to use whatever toppings you like and have on hand.

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breast

1 jar of salsa ( I used archway farms traditional from Target)

1 4.5 oz can of green chilis (old el paso worked for me)

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 can of black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup of frozen corn

Pour the entire jar of salsa into the bowl of the crockpot, add the green chilis, and taco seasoning stir to combine.  Add the chicken breast (mine were even still partway frozen) Cover chicken with mixture.  Turn crockpot on low and let cook for 6 hrs.  (or high for 4hrs)

About 45 minutes prior to the end of cooking time add the corn and black beans.  Take chicken out and shred.  Return to bowl and allow to cook at least another 1/2 hour.  

Can be enjoyed inside taco shells, burritos, or over rice!  As a side note one evening when my husband prepared this he used a small can of diced jalapenos instead of the green chili (he wasn't paying attention) and it gave the meat a nice spicy flavor.  If you like spicy throw them in the bowl too.

Coconut Curry Shrimp

INGREDIENTS:
For the shrimp marinade:
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
1-2 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots roughly diced
 1 red bell pepper chopped
1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from about a 1-inch peeled piece of ginger
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can coconut milk, light or regular
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Hot cooked rice for serving, if desired

Directions:

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, mix the shrimp in. Cover and place in fridge while you make the sauce.

In a saucepan heat oil saute onion till soft add garlic and cook another minute.  Add the carrot, red pepper cook 2-3 minutes.  Next add the spices (salt, pepper, turmeric, curry, and coriander cook till fragrant.  Add the diced tomatoes.  Scrape up any loose bits in the pan.  Next add the chickpeas.  Raise heat and let simmer about 5 minutes.  Stir in the coconut milk and simmer 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp and marinade and cook until shrimp are cooked through about 5-10 minutes.   Last minute add half of the cilantro and cover and cook.  Serve over cooked rice and top with rest of chopped cilantro.

"Greek" Turkey Patty

These came from round two of using ground turkey.  Blame it on buying a big family sized three pound package of ground turkey when it was on sale and I had a coupon.  The ground turkey purchase also came from my desire to eat healthy and prove to my husband that it could take good.  I succeeded with my first attempt with an Asian Turkey burger, this evening I traveled to the Mediterranean to borrow flavors often found in Greek cooking, for a "Greek" turkey patty.  To accompany the flavors of the patty I served it on a bed of spinach, red onion, red pepper, on a warm flat bread pita, topped with yogurt sauce.  My husband's reaction was yet another of his satisfaction with this meal and surprise at how tasty it was.  Another point for me!  I have one more pound waiting to make it a full sweep...

All rolled up together to make a delicious meal!

Recipes:

Turkey Patties:

1 lb ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp dill

salt and pepper

Minestrone Soup with Croutons

Today in New York was a rainy, windy day.  As I sat at work looking out the window contemplating what I would cook for dinner I figured it would be the perfect evening for a nice pot of soup.  Next I starting taking inventory of what was in my fridge.  Realizing I had a head of cauliflower, a zucchini, and carrots I knew right away some kind of vegetable soup was definitely in order.  Then I remembered there was a package of tortellini pasta.  That sealed the deal that it would be a pot of minestrone soup.  Sadly I realized that the loaf of ciabatta bread that was leftover was a little stale.  This prompted me to cut it up and toast it and turn it into very flavorful croutons to top my soup.  Topped with a little Parmesan cheese and it was the perfect meal on this dreary day.

                                                                                                                  

Croutons:

Day old ciabatta bread chopped into chunks.  Place bread into a bowl drizzle olive oil over the bread.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  Toss bread to coat.  Spread on a baking sheet and toast in oven at 375 degree for about ten minutes until lightly toasted, turning bread over about halfway through.

Minestrone:

1 zucchini cut into half moons

1 bell pepper cut into chunks

2 carrots sliced

1/2 onion chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 head of cauliflower

1 can of fire roasted tomatoes

3 cup chicken broth

1/2 lb. tortellini

1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon of red pepper flake

1 bay leaf

In a heavy bottom pot or a dutch oven heat olive oil, cook onions until lightly golden.  Add garlic cooking for another 1 or 2 or until fragrant.  Add the red pepper flake and Italian seasoning.  At the diced tomatoes.  Stir.  Add the rest of the vegetables.  Add the broth. Put one bay leave in pot. Bring to a boil and stir.  Let boil about 5 minutes. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.  

I cooked the pasta separately and combined when ready to eat.  However the pasta could be added when the vegetables first start to show tenderness.  

Serve soup with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese.

NYC Bites- Food Trucks

In my first NYC bites post I let you in on some fantastic treats in the Lower East Village, today I will share some of the food trucks I recently had some tastings at.  Let me start by saying we have the perfect September Saturday to enjoy these bites.  Again I discovered these places by taking a tour with a company called the Sidewalks of New York (http://www.sidewalksofny.com/). For this tour we started in midtown tasting from two carts then a short subway ride away we found ourselves at Union Square, which on a Saturday there is a wonderful farmers market.  

 

The first stop was for some chicken Roti from the Biryani cart.

 

The chicken was definitely moist and had wonderful flavor.

Next up was a stop at Kwik Meal the next block over, again a wonderful chicken plate with rice.  Interesting to note that this cart soaks the chicken in papaya to keep it moist, but you don't taste the papaya.  Yum!

 



 

 

 

Next it was onto Union Square, where our first

tasting was at Patty's Taco truck.

At Patty's taco I enjoyed the pork taco.  As with any taco
it is all about the freshness of the ingredients.  The tacos were topped simply with some onion, cilantro, tomato, lettuce, and some lime.  Perfect!

Next on the tour was a stop just a couple trucks up at the Gorilla Cheese truck. Here I only sampled some of the cheddar on a whole grain bread but I can say that their menu has many options that looked oh so delicious.  All the sandwiches had that nice gooey, melty, goodness wants from a grilled cheese sandwich.

Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich Truck

The Coolhaus Ice Cream truck was certainly a very unique
truck.  When walking up to this truck you get to select a
cookie type and then you select the ice cream flavor you
would like to create your ice cream sandwich.

I decided to try the snickerdoodle cookie with the sea salt caramel ice cream, and I am so glad that I did.  The cookie was soft and chewy.  The ice cream was absolutely scrumptious! 


The best part of the day lokoing at the menus for the most of the choices for around $6-$8 you are getting a meal that is freshly prepared, unique, and just down right delicious!  And on this day the perfect end was to walk around the famer's market and the park at Union Square to enjoy the atmosphere and digest all the yummines we got to enjoy!