Archive | June, 2010

Chicken Tarts

21 Jun

I like easy recipes that look really complex.  And there is something about individual portions that always make a dish look that much more difficult.  Muffin tins are a favorite of mine for making dishes like the Crustless Ham & Egg Tarts and this new recipe for Chicken Tarts.

The secret to these tarts is the Pillsbury Crescent Seamless Recipe Creations Dough.  Someone over there got wise that their crescent rolls were being used for more than just their cut out triangles were originated for and made some that are a single sheet of dough (rather than perforated).  Genius!

For this recipe, you roll the dough out and then push it out a bit more with a rolling pin so you can cut out 12 squares that will line a muffin cup. (The best tool for this is a pizza cutter!)

Then you put the dough into each muffin cup and build it up the side.  It didn’t quite reach the top of most of my cups, but it still worked well.

Then… you fill it!  We went with mushrooms and already cooked chicken slices that we made into bite size pieces (Purdue Shortcuts… another favorite easy food staple of mine).

Then we topped each cup with some canned tomatoes (and shredded Weight Watchers cheese) and popped them in the oven.

The looked and smelled SO good!

And they came out perfectly browned… just a little bit crispy and then that buttery, fluffy goodness on the inside.

With 3 per serving, this was very filling and SO savory and satisfying for just 7.5 points!

Paired with some zero point (frozen) spinach and onions… hard to beat!   

The prep time on these was so little, and with so many pre-made pieces, it just comes together perfectly.  

Bake time was 15-20 minutes (until the edges start to brown) at 375 degrees F.  Even though they smell delicious, let them cool for a few minutes.

Akdeniz

18 Jun

There is no shortage of greek food in NYC, especially falafel.  But it’s rare to find an affordable, quick, delicious one in the Theatre District that you can actually eat in without a reservation.  With those pre-qualifications, Akdeniz (on 46th Street between 5th and 6th Aves) never disappoints.  I have gone there with quite a few people, and it is usually a crowd pleaser.  

Mike chose the Sultan’s Delight this time which is “a classic ottoman dish made with chunks of chicken or lamb over smoked eggplant puree.”  He said it was good, however, see that lovely piece of death on the side of the plate?  That kept me far away due to my pepper allergy.

I went pretty simple and diet friendly with the Mediterranean Sea Bass (de-boned since I’m a wimp) which was served with arugula and shredded carrots. For such a “plain” dish, this was really delicious! And I estimated only about 6 points! WOO!

Overall, Akdeniz is quite reliable, fresh, and relatively inexpensive for Times Square (less than $20 per entree and some dishes on the menu for less than $10).

Total Nom Points: 6.5 out of 10

Quantum Leap

16 Jun

Esther suggested we meet one night for dinner at Quantum Leap in the East Village.  It’s a restaurant that specializes vegetarian and organic dishes.  Usually not my thing (I like my meat), but Esther said it was good, so I gave it a shot.  Turns out it’s actually pescatarian and they also have vegan items.

It was a long day and I had eaten well, so I treated myself to a beer.  I went with the organic Georg Schneider’s Wiesen Edel-Weisse.  It was so good I took a picture of it.

I actually cannot for the life of me remember what Esther ordered.  Esther: If you read this, let me know!  I remember she liked it very much though.  It MAY have been this: Vegetarian Curry Stew a melange of seasonal vegetables and tofu slowly simmered in our south east asia curry spices. served with basmati-lentil rice

The rice was especially delicious.

I had the Seafood Scampi with skewers of broiled shrimp scallop, flounder and salmon in roasted fresh garlic. served with fettuccini and sauteed garden vegetables in a pesto sauce.

I really liked the seafood and the pasta taste was great, but a little extra oily.

Point estimation?  11 for dinner.

  • Beer ~ 3 points
  • 2 skewers ~ 5 points
  • 1 cup pasta ~ 3 points (I didn’t eat all on the plate)

I think this place was pretty good, and I certainly didn’t miss the “meat.”  I wasn’t overwhelmed, however, and don’t think I’d be chomping at the bit to go back.

Total Nom Points: 5.5 out of 10