Veggie Jamaican Patties at Jamaica Kitchen in South Miami, FL

by Ashley Morgan

The spicy scents of Jamaica hang in the air of the cramped dining area, outfitted with barstools and counters fixed to the perimeter walls. There is no white space on the walls as coolers filled with Jamaican specialty sodas, shelves of spices, imported canned goods and colorful posters fill every available space. A friendly face welcomes you from behind a small counter in the back. Curried pumpkin soup and veggie patties await you from behind the kitchen wall. This is Jamaica Kitchen, located in an unassuming shopping plaza in South Miami, FL. Had it not been for the Food Network, I doubt we would have ever found it.

A few years ago Jamaica Kitchen was visited by Guy Fieri on the Food Network, my boyfriend saw the episode and had to drive there the same day, about a 30 minute drive from our house. Ever since he has been making special trips for their specialty: patties. While their most popular are of the meat variety, I have had several of their vegetable and tofu patties and can attest they are delicious. Rich, flaky baked pastry shells filled with curry tofu or salty vegetables.

Of all patties tried in South Florida (believe me, we’ve been on a mission to try them all), Jamaica Kitchen has been the most delicious, most consistent of them all. If you are anywhere in the South Florida area, you need to make the drive to South Miami to try them for yourself. You will not be disappointed!

Friedmans Chelsea Marketplace, NYC (Farmhouse Brunch)

By Jessica Michael

I am in love with Chelsea Marketplace in Manhattan!  This past Friday, I was able to walk from Union Square (which has a cute little farmer’s market on Friday’s apparently) to Chelsea – in heels!  Not easy to do when you’re pregnant and feel really off balance.

Initially my plan was to go to One Lucky Duck to have breakfast but then found out it has mostly just smoothies and juices so I opted to just buy a glass straw and move on.  I am so happy I did because my breakfast at Friendmans was one of the best I’ve had in a long time.

I believe the french toast was made with Challa bread because it was thick and soft and scrumptious.  I think my stomach just growled again ;).  On top was a warm berry compote that was just perfect on the sweetness.  Delicious!

The seating in Friedmans is picnic style and you will most likely be sitting with other people at the table.  It’s great if you don’t mind your space being invaded (let’s face it, you’re in New York, there is no such thing as personal space).

Please check out Chelsea Marketplace in Manhattan and stop by Friendmans for breakfast or lunch!

*** This place is veggie friendly but may be hard to find anything vegan.

Smith & Wollensky for Beachside Lunch

By Jessica Michael

I haven’t been back to S&W since my second wedding anniversary when my husband and I spent a whopping $150 on dinner (we were broke at the time, both of us in school and that was a big deal for us).  We enjoyed it enough to treasure the experience but not enough to go back and spend the money again.

However, we discovered that their lunch menu isn’t all that bad.  If you’re careful, for about $30 each, you can eat a very nice meal and split a desert because they are huge!

They don’t have many veggie options but they have an amazing flat bread that tastes like a very light pizza.

The crusty truffle Macaroni & Cheese was absolutely divine (in fact, I had to pack the rest and take it home so I could share the experience with my husband.

I am so stuffed I am falling asleep at my desk and feeling slightly sick at the same time.  If you’re a food lover like me though, it’s all worth a little discomfort once in a while.

We topped it all off with a little creme brulee trio though I was eyeing this amazingly huge piece of Carrot Cake instead.  Don’t let the camera angle fool you, that is a full size plate and the cake enough to feed an army:

Gooey Vegan Chocolate Cake, With NO Baking Skills Required!

by Ashley Morgan

If there ever was a vegan/vegetarian “super brand”, Amy’s would certainly fit that description. Amy’s foods can be found in just about any supermarket, anywhere. While I love to find the smaller, newer brands, sometimes a bigger, more trusted brand really is better. In the case of Amy’s Organic Chocolate Cake, which is completely vegan and dairy-free, I couldn’t imagine there being a better frozen cake.

 

Gooey, fudgy, heavenly chocolate cake, made without any animal product – requiring absolutely no effort on your part. Simply purchase, let defrost for a couple hours and enjoy. You could warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds, top it with some nice cashew ice cream…divine. This is the perfect non-baker’s cake, even coming in a cute, almost homemade looking, container. You could pull it out, dress it up a bit in some foil or plastic wrap, and it could pass as homemade (evil, I know)!

 

A must-try from Amy’s extensive line of vegan treats.

 

Help Kettle Cuisine Feed the Needy

by Ashley Morgan

One of the first things I reviewed almost a year ago (I can’t believe we’ve been online for almost a year) was Kettle Cuisine’s Organic Carrot & Coriander Soup. You can see my original review here. Today I received a lovely e-mail from Kettle Cuisine’s PR department notifying of an amazingly generous promotion they are currently doing on Facebook.

 

 

For every LIKE they receive, they will give the new fan a $1 coupon toward a Kettle Cuisine product of their choice and also will donate a bowl of their soup to someone in need. This is a great way to help Kettle Cuisine bring food to the needy.

 

If you haven’t heard of Kettle Cuisine before, they are a dedicated gluten-free frozen soup producer, making several types (omnivore, vegetarian and vegan) that are located in freezer sections throughout the country.

 

Please visit their Facebook page to help with this munificent gesture: http://www.facebook.com/KettleCuisine

Arctic Zero Ice Cream with only 150 Calories a PINT (you heard that right)!

By Jessica Michael

Can you imagine eating an entire pint of ice cream and having zero guilt?  The dream has finally come true, Arctic Zone has created this 37 calorie per serving phenom in several different flavors: Vanilla Maple, Cookies and Cream and many more.

We’re not really sure how this little pint only packs 150 calories but we think it’s because they use whey protein instead of milk and cream.  The ice cream itself is tasty but not quite “ice-cream” like.  Instead, it’s a bit like eating a sorbet made with chocolate instead of fruits.  It isn’t creamy unless it’s almost melted but it does the trick regardless.

Seriously, how can you complain about a sweet treat this filling for so little calories?

Our only advice to those out there is to be careful with the Whey Protein as some may be allergic and of course, you vegans will want to stay away and maybe stick to the Sorbet.

 

 

Pasha’s Brickell

By Jessica Michael

Ashley and I (and the hubby), traipsed down to Brickell late Sunday morning for a free (yes free!) brunch at Pasha’s.  We found the intimate event on their facebook page and signed up immediately.  I have been wanting to tell you about Pasha’s for ages, they are one of my favorite places to eat inexpensive Mediterranean food in Miami.

The brunch was supposed to start at 12pm and last until 2 but when we got there they were still setting up and we ended up waiting almost 45 minutes for them to be ready for us to eat.  I could tell that this was probably the first time doing brunch so I tried to be as objective as possible (hey, we were getting a free meal).  The staff were really friendly and though there were very few seats, it was cozy enough to talk to other brunch-goers without spitting in their food.

The food itself was genuine Pasha’s- tasty, light and delicious.  Four dishes of “spreads” were presented first in line at the brunch buffet followed by croissants (are they Mediterranean because I thought they were French?).  Next came an assortment of foods including grilled veggies, a type of pizza that was delicious, some meats that I won’t mention, a spinach pie and at the end was an omelet station.

We were also served a mimosa (which I regretfully declined because of the peanut growing in my now-burgeoning belly) and orange juice.  Desert was fruit and little baklava’s as well as min-flans.

Overall, I thought it was a great meal.  The hubby was delighted because he hates doing free things and said this was actually the best free thing he’s done.  Completely worth every dime! 😉