Green Symphony NYC

Yesterday my mom, my sister, and I ventured into New York City to see the traveling King Tut exhibit. For as close as I am to the city, and with a train station just a few blocks from my house, I really don't go too often. That being said, I am not super familiar with quick, healthy places to grab a bite to eat in New York. Cue my iPhone and the free Yelp! application. The three of us oriented ourselves to the exhibit, and then I went ahead and searched the surrounding two blocks for an inexpensive restaurant. Just a few items down on my list was Green Symphony, listed as a vegetarian eatery with hot and cold food bars and smoothies. And it was only one block away. So, we headed over. What a great find this place turned out to be! A quick once-over yielded a huge juice menu, a fridge full of freshly prepared sandwiches and wraps, a well stocked hot and cold food bar, and loads of homemade goodies for dessert. I was craving a green juice, so I ordered the Green Monster - green apples, spinach, ginger, and spirulina. This did not disappoint! It was super ginger-y and tart, and was priced low, in my opinion. My sister got a smoothie with fresh apple juice and three kinds of berries. I had a sip of that, and it too was very tasty. My mom and I split an avocado sandwich on a flatbread, complete with hummus, sprouts, and mixed greens. This was really fresh and clean tasting, and it hit the spot; just enough to feel satisfied but not stuffed. I rounded out the meal with a homemade chocolate tangerine cookie. If you like the combination of orange and chocolate, you will love this cookie! I gobbled it up, but controlled myself enough to share with my mom.

This place was so chock-full of stuff I couldn't possibly sample everything in one trip. Both the hot and cold food bars looked amazing (there were samosas the size of softballs calling my name), and I could have chosen any of the juices and smoothies and enjoyed them. Also, the store was very clean and bright, and smelled like fresh juice and vegetables. Finally, the prices were so good I that forgot I was in Manhattan. I will definitely come here again next time I am in the midtown/theater district area. I highly recommend Green Symphony (255 West 43rd Street, between 7th and 8th Aves).

Breakfast and Dinner, Linked by Oranges

This morning I was lucky enough to not have any real plans or reason to wake up early. So, I spent a few luxurious minutes waking up slowly in bed with the cats, with sun streaming in the windows and the radiators being nice and warm. I figured a nice way to continue the morning was to have a tasty breakfast. I toasted up a whole wheat english muffin and topped it with my favorite spread, almond butter. I also made up a perfect breakfast juice. I juiced two and a half oranges, half a lemon, an inch long piece of ginger, and 4 carrots. Like regular orange juice in the morning, but better!A few nights ago I felt like making something that had orange flavor in it, since I had just gotten a good deal on a bag of oranges and was craving citrus. I decided on making a salad dressing. This dressing had orange, sesame, and ginger flavors, and I served it with a simple curry. Just onions, peppers, and potatoes simmered in coconut milk and red curry paste, served with some jasmine rice. This was pretty spicy, so the salad was a perfect pairing to cool things down a bit. This is a light salad, not heavy on the oil. It was just the refreshing thing I was looking for.

Orange Sesame Spinach Salad
-5 oz spinach
-3 carrots, sliced
-5 radishes, sliced
-1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
-1/8 cup water
-1 tbsp onion, minced
-1 tsp freshly grated ginger
-1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1 tsp sesame oil
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-1/2 tsp agave nectar
-1/2 tsp sriracha
-1 tbsp sesame seeds

-Toss the spinach, carrots, and radishes together in a large salad bowl.
-Whisk together the rest of the ingredients.
-Dress the salad and serve right away.

Juice!

You might remember how excited I was to receive a juicer from my parents for my birthday a little over a week ago. Well I've finally broken it in! After I returned from my trip to Vermont, I made it a point to pick up fruits and veggies just for juicing. I bought apples, lemons, ginger root, and kale to get started. I also have carrots on hand, a great vegetable to juice. And much to my surprise, when I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items tonight, bulk bags of apples and oranges were on sale! I'm thinking of using the oranges with some carrots and ginger. I need some juice ideas! I have some recipes, but I am always up for trying something new. Anyway, here is the juicer in all it's pulpy glory.I can't wait for the March time frame, because by then I'm hoping to have the vegetable garden and cold frames up and running. The pulp will make excellent fertilizer since it's all natural, nutrient dense, and already somewhat broken down.My first juices have been simple, green, and delicious. For this one I juiced one lemon, an inch long piece of ginger, three stalks of kale, and 3 medium apples. This made about 18 ounces. I poured it over ice and had it for a healthy dessert. Sweet and tart, yum.


On a separate note, I finally started taking a daily vitamin. I was really ambivalent about this for a long time. But, B12 is an important vitamin that many vegetarians and vegans lack, and I'm borderline anemic, so I made sure I got a supplement with iron. I always hated vitamins because they made me feel a little sick, but by taking them before bed I have been doing fine. I figure it can't hurt. What do you think?