Vegetarian Trip to NYC

Day 32 -- A Mouth-Watering Trip to New York -- New York, New York by Frank Sinatra

Was fortunate to take a trip out to New York City this weekend. It was the perfect opportunity to treat my inner-vegetarian foodie. My number one priority when traveling besides seeing the sights is filling my belly with the best food that the area has to offer. As most of you know, New York is the place to check out for any food obsessed individual out there.

Before heading out, I mapped out a few budget-friendly places that I wanted to try out. So if you find yourself in the Big Apple soon, check out a few of these vegetarian spots. (Rating Scale: One tofu cube being the lowest and 5 tofu cubes being the highest).

Spice in East Village

Some colleagues took me over here, praising it for its affordable Thai cuisine. Spice is certainly one of those stereotypical she-she NYC restaurants, where they could sucker you into paying for cupped air. Though, the interior is on the swanky side; the food is actually quite affordable. (But a bit on the pricey side for lunch. Average menu item is around 12 bucks).

You get a free appetizer with your lunch here; so make sure to mention that to your server. For an app, I ordered the vegetable steamed dumplings. There was nothing remarkable about them, but were somewhat worth the calories.

For an entree, I believe I ordered the drunken spicy noodles with Tofu. This dish proved that this Thai restaurant deserves its real estate space in the Village. The noodles were uniquely shaped like grilled calamari or something. The tofu was perfectly prepared and took in the great, spicy sauce.

Spice gets 3 out of 5 tofu cubes.

Taqueria el Fogon in Buswick Brooklyn, NY

This small Taqueria definitely doesn't see its share of tourists, being hidden in an industrial and less than picturesque neighborhood in Brooklyn. But that's what makes this restaurant so charming. The servers don't understand a word of English, but generally get what you're saying with a few hand motions and points to the menu.

I ordered a vegetarian burrito with a side of green salsa. Not to quote Rachel Ray, but this place was yum-o and dirt cheap! I got a water and a burrito, the size of my head, for around 7 bucks. I really didn't notice that any meat was missing from this dish. My friend sat in awe as I housed the burrito in about 5 minutes.

4 out of 5 tofu cubes

Le Barricou in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC

This charming, French restaurant sits in Brooklyn's hipster neighborhood, Williamsburg. Walking into this place was like stepping into a scene out of a Roaring 20s film. The interior was completely comforting and historic of those prohibition days.

Not gonna lie, I had a major challenge of will power with the primarily seafood dish menu. Seafood is like my kryptonite. So if you feel like cheating one day, check out the mussels and sea-friendly dishes. Don't stress, I fought my temptations off and stuck to a vegetarian dish. I grabbed the vegetable risotto, which was quite delicious. According to the server, Le Barricou uses seasonal items in this dish, so mushrooms were the main component.

Everything down from the complimentary olives to the excellent service, makes this place a must-stop for vegetarians or not. Also, the prices were very affordable. My dish was only 12 bucks.

4 out of 5 tofu cubes (bad veggie options, but that's not why you go here).

Fan of NYC? Post a comment on some vegetarian-friendly places I should check out!

Best in Boston Falafels

Day 30 -- Take a bite out of Falafel Heaven

As a big fan of Middle Eastern/Greek food, I struggled with substituting my favorite ingredients, lamb and chicken. My main lunch eatery spots consisted of meat carts in the city. (I may have even reviewed a few of them on Yelp). So when I decided to give up meat, I found myself missing the sight of that lamb carving station. That's where falafels came into the picture. Once considered a great late night munchie snack has now turned into my main course when eating Middle Eastern Food. So if you find yourself out in Boston, check out the spots below to gobble down food or places to run by. Rating is based out of 5 Falafel points; 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Not digging fried food? Check out this baked falafel recipe.

Falafel King in Downtown Crossing

Sure, this place may also be the residency to many homeless people, but leave your peripheral vision at the door and make sure not to sniff around too much, because that's definitely urine you're smelling. Keep your eye on the prize. Despite the dumpy food court location, Falafel King is one of the premier destinations of business people around the city. As you wait in line, the owner, otherwise known as the King, gleefully greets you with a free Falafel dipped in the delicious hummus.

Usually falafels can be on the dry side, but this business lives up to its namesake -- Falafel King. The fried ball of chickpeas are moist and taste great dipped in with their homemade hummus. Their hummus tastes watery compared to the packaged kind in stores, but it's a welcome change.

Whether you're more of pita or salad person, there is something for all. I usually get the salad and fafafels with the hummus and pita. You can assemble your own sandwich this way.

Rating: 3 Falafels

The Greek Corner in North Cambridge

I used to frequent this place quite a bit during my carnivore days. Their chicken gyro is worth coming here. The falafels, on the other hand, are so dry that you'll need a gallon of water to toss these suckers down. The tahini sauce is also extremely bitter tasting and doesn't compliment the sandwich. So if you do come by here, ask for taziki sauce instead. The cucumber sauce moistens up the dry falafels.

The buttery pitas and sides almost make up for how bad the falafel is, but I still don't think I'll be coming back here until they stop over frying their food.

Rating: 1 Falafel

More reviews coming soon. In the meantime, take a look at what Yelpers have to say.

Restaurant Review -- Christopher's in Cambridge

Day 18 -- A Veggie Burger Come True -- APUNK by Vampire Weekend

Alas! I went to a vegetarian-friendly restaurant last week. In other words its vegetarian options didn't taste like a salted foot. (well, not a foot, but you get my point). My friends and I were starvin' one evening at around 5pm. After some indecisive back and forth on where we should grab our early bird special meals, we decided to go to Christopher's in Cambridge, MA. (I may have been pulling for Chicago Uno's...). If you've never been to Cambridge, it's the mecca land for intellectual yuppies, so naturally I gravitate to this area. (Minus the intellectual part!) Here, you'll find a sea of progressive restaurants, pushing any flavor-of-the-minute food trends.

Christoper's is great, because you'll find lots of traditional pub, comfort food, but with a delectable, pretentious twist. I.E. They actually have a dish called Yuppie Nachos (Sundried Tomatoes, artichokes, cheese, and other yummy, toppings). But, the best part about this place is that you won't pay your standard she-she prices! I got their award winning veggie burger with a side salad and fries for around 9 bucks. That may sound expensive to you, but the portions were huge. (I am feasting on the leftovers as I blog!)

Also, if you're looking for some interesting specialty drinks, try the restaurant's Cool as a Cucumber Martini! (I may have had a few of these...) The drink is delicious and uses organic cucumber vodka. Not sure what that is really, but damn is it good!

Whether you're visiting Boston, or been here for years. Try this place out! Christopher's has clutch food that would please a crowd. Also, there's a great music venue next door, called Toad. The bar plays music every night of the week at no cost. So out of towners, come on by. It's the perfect off-the-beaten tourist trap path destination.

Kale Chips with Lemon Aioli Sauce

Kale is probably the most underrated veggie out there. People, come aboard the kale lovin' express. Reasons? It's extremely high in calcium, vitamin c, vitamin k, and lots of other stuff I can't pronounce or spell. It's also hella cheap. You can get a bunch for $1.79. This week, I'm stocking up and trying out a few recipes with the Liz twist.

If you haven't already noticed by now. I am extremely lazy. I'll only make things that take minimal effort. So naturally I gravitated to this Kale Chip recipe when my sister emailed it to me. Also, check out my Lemon Aioli Sauce below. It's perfect for dipping.


Kale Chips

Ingredients:
2 bunches of Kale!
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:
- Preheat oven for 350
- Tear up some leaves and place on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet
- Then, sprinkle the cheese and any other of you favorite seasonings.
- Cook for around 15 minutes or until kale is crispy brown

Lemon Aioli Sauce:
Ingredients (Serving: One-Two)
1/4 cup of Mayo
Lemon Juice (Keep squeezing until you decide you want to stop).
1 tbs Capers
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Salt
Lemon Zest

Preparation:
Grab a medium-sized bowl and slowly mix in ingredients. Keep tasting until you're diggin' it. I am a lemon freak, so try with a few squeezes and mix.

The Adventures of Tofu

Day 12 -- Nitemare Hippy Girl by Beck

After poking and prodding the white glob that's been sitting in my fridge for a week, I decided to finally make tofu. Well, the jury is still out on how I feel about this soy milk creation. Do you even know what tofu is made out of? I didn't until I just looked it up on Wikipedia, "Tofu...is a soft white food made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks." Yum, that sounds appetizing. Well, it's better than some processed food and meats out there.

I cooked a simple stir-fry with firm tofu, which is supposed to be good for this type of dish. Extra firm also tastes great with such Asian dishes. I made a series of mistakes that resulted in a not so great dish and an even not so great mess in my kitchen. And maybe even a small fire...

Mistake 1: Not draining Tofu. Make sure you properly drain the tofu with layered paper towels. Cut the tofu into cubes on a cutting board. Place a layer of paper towels to press down.

Mistake 2: Not really knowing how you are going to cook it. I got cooking anxiety and attempted to make the same batch of tofu with a few methods. First, frying in a wok. But it was getting soggy instead of frying. Then, I switched to a frying pan. And can't remember what else I did. Let's just say it did not come out well.

Mistake 3: Not knowing which type of starch you want to make with the dish. I got overly ambitious and decided to make rice sticks. I went away from the kitchen for a few, while the noodles were frying. I started to smell a scent as if paper towels were on fire. So of course, I ran to the stove to see the below picture... The noodles ended up tasting exactly like burnt marshmallows.

The end result: Some mediocre veggies, soggy tofu, and burnt marshmallow noodles. I ate leftover Chipotle that night. I won't be posting this recipe. Sorry guys!



Making s'mores, but out of marshmallows? Just burn some rice sticks. and no one will know the difference.

Are Chain Restaurants Vegetarian Friendly?

Day 9 -- I will Survive by Cake

So for the past week, I've been pretty busy/extremely lazy to cook meals at home. So I took this as initiative to try my new vegetarian lifestyle dining out. Unfortunately, my Italian neighborhood is not the progressive dining capitol of the U.S. a.k.a you'll find a sub shop on every block.

Anywho, I decided to try out good ole Bertucci's. Typically, I go to this restaurant for pizza, but having had it a few days in a row, I wanted to try a pasta dish... Of course, there wasn't a whole lot of vegetarian options on the menu. But if you're brave enough to be that bold diner who asks tons of questions and substitutes meats, then this restaurant is fine for you. Unfortunately, I am not that kind of person, but I still tried the part out. I ordered a new dish called the Penne Pugila, which includes Fresh Grilled chicken, broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes in a cream sauce with goat cheese, parsley, roasted garlic, grated cheese and a hint of hot pepper (ingredient list from Bertucci Site). Relax, I asked for it without chicken, and replaced it with Portbella mushrooms.

The dish came out and was surprisingly flavorful, but still had a piece of chicken on the plate. So I grabbed it and threw it before I gave into temptation. The chicken made me wonder how they prepare the food in the back. Did the cooks pick the chicken out piece by piece? Also, as expected, the Portbella mushrooms were pretty depressing.

Moral of the story. Don't be lazy like me. Avoid chain restaurants if you want fresh and healthy ingredients. They are sometimes no better than fast food joints and often skimp out on fresh produce and replace it with frozen foods, rather than having a seasonal menu that uses local items. If nothing else is around, don't freak if you have to go to one of these establishments. You can always find something on the menu. Just remember this, you still pay the same price for most likely a meatless pasta dish as you would if it had meat. Meaning, you're wasting money on something that you can make home for 50 cents.

Leftover Mini Bean Burritos

This was a delicious recipe I came up with after having enough beans leftover to feed an army from my bean and rice recipe.


Ingredients:
Leftover Beans from Rice Dish (See below entry for recipe)
2 Whole Wheat Tortillas
1/4 a cup of Mexican Cheese
Salsa
Sour Cream
Cilantro for garnish
And anything else you have in your fridge that you feel like throwing on.

Process:
Preheat Oven at 350. Meanwhile, spray pan with cooking spray. Place tortillas flat on the pan and spoon the bean and rice dish onto them. Then, add the rest of the ingredients. Tip: Make sure to put most of the contents in the middle of the tortilla, so you can easily roll.

Then, roll tortillas (need help? rolling tips). Once rolled, add more cheese and salsa. Place in oven for about 20 minutes or until rice and beans are warm inside.

FYI, I still have beans leftover from the original dish!

The Processed Food Blues

Day 6 -- Violently Happy by Bjork

So I am approaching a week without meat, which is exactly when everyone expected me to flake out by. Well, I've gone through the withdrawal stages and honestly don't crave meat as much anymore. For example, when my sister got chicken wings last night. The smell was great, but for the first time my instincts weren't to rip it out of her hands and gobble it down. Giving up meat and limiting processed foods have given me so much energy that I don't even need coffee anymore. It's almost like I'm on Speed all the time.

Did you know that when you Google Processed Foods, the following words come up: to avoid, and health, unhealthy, depression, and obesity. Hmm, maybe a conclusion can be drawn here? Just last week, I never wanted to do anything after work besides plopping on the couch and zoning out to The Real Housewives of the OC. I've pulled an 180, and can actually get things done after work. Just the other night, I started another blog, made a meal from scratch, went food shopping, and read.

Anywho, getting enough protein is one of the biggest challenges so far with this project. So, I decided to make dry beans for the first time. Did you know it takes an hour and half to boil them? (So used to processed foods, where everything takes 20 minutes or less.) I put a twist on the Goya Bean Bag recipe. And it came out pretty good! So, you should make a batch of beans when you have time and you then can use them for other meals during the work week, like burritos, salads, soups, and more. Also, they are insanely cheap!

MMM...MMM... Beans and Rice



Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Goya Dry Black Beans
A Splash of Olive Oil
1/2 Cup of Chopped Onions
1/4 Cup of Chopped Green Peppers
2 Cloves of Garlic
Pinch of Oregano
Pinch of Black Pepper
Pinch of Salt
A couple of Squeezes of Lemon Juice
1 box of Near East Whole Grain Roasted Pecan and Garlic

Preparation:
Soak Beans over night. (Look at the back of the bag for soaking instructions.) Once beans have been soaked, pour them into a medium pot and use the same water that you used for soaking to contain more flavor. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Once at a boil, simmer and cover with lid. (Warning, use a real lid for ventilation or you'll get a nice mess. See pics below). The beans will take about an 1-1/2 hour.

Once the beans are about 3 quarters of a way done, make the Whole Grain Near East Rice. (Follow instructions on box)

Heat pan on medium and pour a splash of Olive Oil. Chop up peppers and onions and pour in a bowl. Mince garlic and combine with peppers and onions. Once pan is hot enough, pour bowl's contents onto pan. Add spices and lemon juice for acidity. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned.

Once beans are tender or to your liking, drain and put back in pot. (The beans may be a little bland, so add some oil, salt, and garlic powder for flavor.) Pour rice and veggies into the bean pot and toss. Take a bite and see if needs anymore spices and add whatever you think is missing.

The Mess and Process:



Day 5 Diet --
Nutrigrain Bar
2 hefty helpings of Beans and Rice Dish
Organic Kettle Salt and Vinegar Chips
(Will start to eat more fruits again)

Day 6 Diet --
Nutrigrain Bar and Coffee
Sebestains Rustico Sandwich without the chicken (Yummy fru-fru sandwich with Roasted Eggplant, artichokes, olive tapanade, Sundried tomato Mayo, lettuce, cheese, etc.)
Organic French Onion Chips
Leftover Bean Tacos (Tune in tomorrow for recipe).

Carnie Turned Veggie

Day 4 -- Good Feeling by Travis

Wow, so completed my 4th day yesterday on my meatless experiment. Not going to sugar coat the first few days. I'd compare it with weening oneself off crack...(whatever that must feel like). Just for example, my sister had made a steak and the scent lingered in the apartment hours later. Ordinarily, I'd complain and say use the damn vent. But it was different this time, I smelled it like a canine. I immediately craved chicken, although she made steak. So side note intro aside, one of the biggest challenges with this whole scenario is peer pressure... No force feeding of chicken or anything like that! (Although, I probably wouldn't mind food injections of chicken Picatta). But, mainly meaning talking to friends about my decision to do this and being that annoying, picky eater in the bunch. Five days ago, I would have killed myself if I heard "Are there any meat bi-products in this? Or, I can't eat this. It has things that I can't pronounce on the ingredient list. But, if you take a healthy attitude when discussing it with peers and realize that you aren't going to be perfect, you'll be fine with giving up meat and focusing on organic foods. Don't kill yourself if you drunkenly eat a whole bag of Chex Mix. Our food industry makes it almost impossible to avoid such foods that are so overly produced.

Ok, the soap box is on the back burner for now. Anyway, I woke up yesterday without that empty stomach feeling, like if I swallowed something you could hear it hit the bottom of my stomach. Those veggie experts were not kidding. It's crucial that you get protein in your diet. (I am soaking beans as you read!) It can be tempting to go about this the wrong way, but you should really do your homework before suddenly discontinuing meat in your diet. For example, my friend discussed that many often become pastatarians. Or I remember a friend in school who was on the grilled cheese diet. Remember, you need a variety of food in your diet. Eat plenty of servings of fresh ingredients accompanied with protein and fat i.e. peanut butter, tofu, beans, etc. Check out this good read on info of how to be a veggie pro by Vesanto Melina.

Fun Recipe, but not huge on protein. Accompany with baked fries if you'd like.

Meatless Steak and Cheese (Yup, it's an oxymoron)
Servings: One

Half Green Pepper
Handful of mushrooms
1/4 cup of onions (probably not this much. Do whatever you can handle)
Cabot Garlic and Herb Cheese cut into thin cubes (enough for one layer of bread)
2 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread
Seasoned Mayo (Add some lemon juice, capers, and red pepper flakes and mix)
Cooking Spray or olive oil if you enjoy taste


Preparation:
Heat pan on medium. Meanwhile, cut up all of the veggies. Spray medium sized pan with cooking spray or use a little olive oil. Once pan is hot enough, toss the veggies and sautee until lightly browned.

Place cheese chunks on bread. Once veggies are cooked enough to your liking, place in a bowl. Spray pan and put heat on low. Place the slice of bread with the cheese on the bread. Carefully add the bowl of veggies to cheese bread. Spread your mayo concoction on remaining slice and top off the sandwich on the pan. (Just whatever mayo brand you like and mix in garlic powder, capers, and red pepper flakes). Also makes for good dipping sauce for fries.

Finally, once cheese is melted; flip and think you can figure it out from here.

Will take a pic next time!


Day 2 Diet --
Omelet with cheese, peppers, onions, and mushrooms (cage free eggs)
Sundried Tomato Pesto with broccoli (Great Giada recipe. Added broccoli.)
1 Kiwi

Day 3 Diet --
Omelet with beans, cheese, peppers, onions and god knows what else (no meat, though)
Meatless Steak and Cheese with fries (Works with peppers, onions, and mushrooms. See recipe above.)
Veggie Pad Thai with Tofu and other types of veggies
Veggie Spring rolls (fried, eeks!)

Day 4 Diet --
Nutrigrain Bar (processed)
Leftover Veggie Pad Thai
Saltines/Smartfood Popcorn (Random trip to convenience store)
Veggie Works Pizza and Mozzarella Sticks (ugh, unhealthy...but a drunk dinner)
ChexMix (processed)