Affordable Eating In New York

Sunday already? Lordy lord, where has the weekend gone.  It has felt full, at the very least.

Yesterday I could not, for the life of me, figure out what I wanted to eat for breakfast.  I finally settled on a little bit of everything, by way of a yogurt mess.

• 0% Fage Greek yogurt
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup Bread Alone granola (my friend Miriam gifted this so long ago and I was happy to discover there was still a little left!)
• 1 scoop super chunky peanut butter
• raspberry jam

I took myself to the coffee shop for a small skim latte. I sat in the window for about half an hour before heading home– the sun was shining so brightly through the window that I could hardly erad the words off the page!

Around 3, I met Ilana and Beth for a slice.  It’s been so long since I’ve gone to a pizza parlor! I got a slice with basil and mozzarella.

When I got back home, I had a Granny Smith apple with cinnamon and maca.

In between chapters, I decided to get my hands a little dirty in the kitchen.  Ever since high school I’ve always gotten the baking bug when there’s work to be done.  Funny how that happens! After checking the pantry and fridge for ingredients, I settled on Elana’s Gluten Free Bran Muffins.   Since I don’t have a muffin tin (I won’t go as far as to say that I can’t afford one, but some things- like groceries- take priority…) I baked it in a loaf pan instead.

I used the Egg-land’s Best cage-free, vegetarian-fed large brown eggs that I received a coupon for from Foodbuzz a few months ago.

The eggs come in a special 3-layer plastic case to keep them from being crushed in transit.  I love this idea!  However, I do wish they’d find a way to make something similar out of paper or cardboard to reduce the amount of plastic they produce.

I made a couple substitutions, subbing pumpkin seeds for sunflower and dried cranberries for raisins.

Ta da!

23 minutes later, we had a beautiful loaf of bread.

I was about to go have dinner, but who can resist a loaf of bread hot out of the oven?

I loved the different textures of the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.  I can’t wait to have a full serving of this!

A little while ago, I received a question about the best affordable restaurants in New York. Well, I’m happy to say that last night my little red-headed friend and I discovered a new one!  While searching online for a little Italian comfort food, I stumbled upon Paprika, whose prix fixe looked pretty incredible.  Between 5 and 7, you have your choice of two courses for only $15!  The portions were far from meager, and the atmosphere was so cozy and romantic.  I couldn’t believe our luck!

We started with warm bread, olives and olive oil.

For my appetizer, I ordered an arugula salad with apples, walnuts and goat cheese.  It was huge!  Of course, being LVP, I gobbled up every scrap of salad, nut and apple, leaving only one of the two goat cheese rounds.

For my entrée, I had roasted arctic char with sautéed spinach (I believe it was cooked in orange juice) and thyme.  Delicious! I left about 1/3.

I’m going to keep this as a running list, but other affordable restaurants I love in New York are:

Chains

Hummus Place (Read about my visit)

Maoz Vegetarian (Read about my visit)

Le Pain Quotidien (My mom and I go here a lot, there is something for everyone)

Other

Paprika- Italain, great prix fixe with vegetarian and pescatarian options.

The Flea Market Cafe- French, great prix fixe options.  (Read about my visit)

Sura – Thai, great lunch specials.  They have an amazing appetizer trio for $12. (Read about my visits)

Alice’s Tea Cup- One of my favorite cafes.  You should check it out if only for the Alice In Wonderland decor! They have a great soup + 1/2 salad(/sandwich) for $12.  (I’ve gone here so many times, but I almost always get the same thing.)

Peacefood Cafe- Relatively new, this has great raw, vegan and vegetarian options.  Their pumpkin sandwich is delicious, and the desserts are to die for! (Read about my visits)

Bonobos- Raw food can be pretty expensive, but not here. For $8.95 you can get nori wraps, nut meat salads, veggie burgers, etc.  Their coconut chai is unbelievable, as are their sesame balls.  (Read about my visits)

Tips for Eating Out in NYC

• Many places, particularly Thai & Japanese, have amazing lunch specials that are under $10.
• Finding BYOB places (or having a little wine before or after your meal) is another way to slash your subtotal.
• Keep track of when Restaurant Week is going on!  Many restaurants, including Gotham Bar & Grill, keep their restaurant week lunch all year long.
• Many restaurants have prix fixe, 2-3 course meals. They’re often set with a certain time frame (usually before 7) so double check before you go.
• If you love sushi (as I do), you know it can get expensive.  We’ve recently discovered that by splitting a “sushi for two,” you get more food than both you or a hungry man can eat, and it’s less expensive than ordering individual rolls or pieces.  Bento boxes, which usually include soup, salad, a roll, tempura, and a small portion of an entrée, are also great deals.

After dinner we walked over to 16 Handles for dessert.  I loaded my cup with Euro Tart and Peanut Butter soft serve, strawberries, milk chocolate crunch, peanut butter cup and a chocolate-covered pretzel. Delish!

On our way home we took advantage of the short line at Trader Joe’s so I could pick up some essentials (Masala Burgers, frozen strawberries, Kerrygold butter, Harvest Grains Blend, coffee, red licorice) and Kalle could check out the wine shop.

When I got home Zombieland sucked me in… as did this bag of popcorn.

Call it fuel for the 12 mile run I’m about to attempt.  Honestly, I’ll consider myself lucky if I can make it through 7 miles pain free.  Fingers crossed. Wish me luck!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend