Amy’s Kitchen (frozen Indian dinners)

my favorite indian dinner from Amy’s

i love amy’s frozen indian dinners (esp mattar paneer). they are made from all-natural organic ingredients, and taste fresh straight from the microwave. they don’t have the chemical taste that some other frozen organic dinners might have. i had to post this, because it is my all-time favorite! the only downside is that they are relatively expensive (the cheapest i can find them is at Stop and Shop for $4.29), but compared to what it costs in a restaurant it is well worth it. i normally don’t eat frozen foods, but this is my one exception. go buy some! (and let me know if you can find them cheaper anywhere).

Green Line Organic Food Store (Ridgewood, Queens)

this is a great and cheap store that sells organic fruit, vegetables and other items. their prices on fresh produce are amazing, probably one of the cheapest in queens. i am usually able to buy 3-4 big, full bags of fruits, veggies and some other food items for about $20. they have a pretty big selection too, and also stock cheeses and some other dairy products. green line also sells very cheap EVOO ($2.99 for a medium sized bottle) and their gallons of milk are often on sale for $1-2 less than the chain grocery stores. they sell fresh breads and pretty much any other type of natural foods products you could imagine. check them out if you’re near ridgewood: http://greenlineorganic.net

Pinkberry (NYC and California)

 

i have been hearing a great deal about pinkberry. my sister told me of it’s wonderful glory and i read online how people call it “crackberry” because it is so addictive. i didn’t understand all the hype, so we decided to try it out. theres a bunch of locations in nyc and california. first off, the place is quite eclectic and modern looking. they only sell 3 versions of their frozen yogurt – original (pinkberry), green tea and coffee. you can also get a variety of toppings on it (fresh fruit to cereal). the prices are expensive (about $5 for a medium with 2 toppings…what just about everyone orders). anyways, the frozen yogurt was ok. i didn’t see anything special about it, but this is what my sister warned of. because a few days after having pinkberry, you will start craving it again. my sister got so addicted she would take the train on her lunch break just to go get some pinkberry. so here i was, sitting at home, dreaming of pinkberry. i quick search online yeilded some interesting results: mix fage yogurt with a touch of sugar and lightly freeze, and you’ll get pinkberry. sure enough, it tastes exactly the same! yet, the fage only cost about $1 for 8 oz (if you buy the large container). make sure to use 2% fage and not the non-fat one though. enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

i love making zucchini bread. it’s so simple to make and delicious too. plus, it has a vegetable in it! anyways, i was given 2 fresh home-grown zucchini (straight from queens!) and this is what i did with them (i couldn’t find a healthy recipe, so i made my own):

3 eggs

1 cup apple sauce 

1/2 cup raw cane sugar

1/2 brown sugar

2-3 cups grated zucchini

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 flax seeds

1/4 cup wheat germ

OPTIONAL 1 cup choc chips

combine eggs, apple sauce, sugars, zucchini and vanilla. stir in other ingredients. pour into muffin tins or loaf pans and bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. enjoy!

Cremcaffe (65 2nd Ave, Manhattan)

the cremcaffe

  the cremcaffe is a very small italian restaurant in the east village. their food is pretty good, and their prices are reasonable. they participate in restaurant.com, so if you log onto the website, you can purchase a $25 gift certificate for $10 (or $4 if there’s an active promo code). this is nice because it can save you as much as $21 off the bill (minimum purchase is $35, must order 2 entrees). i ordered penne with vodka sauce, which was very tasty. the portion was moderately sized (too much for me to finish). the waiter was very friendly and nice.

Royal Bangladesh (93 1st Ave, Manhattan)

my mother's friend in royal bangladesh

i will start out by saying this is probably not the most up-to-code restaurant in new york. however, it is my sister’s favorite restaurant, and she goes there often (and never had a problem). the owner, islam, is very kind and friendly once he gets to know you. the place is decorated…uhhh…interestingly. by that i mean, there are probably 20 dozen packages of christmas lights on the ceiling, along with every sparkly decoration they could get their hands on. and that is just inside the restaurant. in the warmer months, you can eat on their back “patio” which has even more elaborate decorations.

they give you 3 delicious sauces with poppadom when you sit down. my sister loves the banana fritters, which taste like deep fried banana bread (which is, i suppose, what they are). the yellow curry is very good as well. their prices are cheap and the service is relatively quick. it’s a great place to go if you are in the east village.

Thai Austin (Forest Hills, Queens)

we love thai austin. i don’t particulary like thai food, but thai austin is amazing. and cheap. it’s a small place located on austin street in forest hills, queens. their dinners are around $10! you must try their shrimp appetizer…its too good to describe (and i don’t eat shrimp). also, i love their $4 veggie dumplings (steamed not fried). for a super cheap, healthy eat, thai austin is the best.