Midtown Lunch: Lena Latin Grill

Last week’s midtown lunch was a wash. With the heatwave going on all I wanted to do was stay in my cool building. The weather today however... gorgeous. Sunny, just a few clouds and a perfect 75. Just the right day to head out for a midtown lunch expedition with my friend Robin, aka Ms. Silk Purse, who’s been such an inspiration lately in getting me out of the office during lunch.

I did some quick research into what was equidistance between our offices (I’m in Herald Sq and she’s up near Bryant Park) and settled on Lena Latin Grill. Described as the Chipotle of South American cuisine, it was also the perfect quick serve, yet sit down set up for us to chat and catch up in an hour. Still on my pescatarian fix, but having fish tonight, I settled on a nice and light tofu salad. Added in were grilled corn and queso fresco (a last minute splurge made while looking at their overwhelming sides list) and I topped it off with some chimichurri.

One Rotisserie Chicken Please: Part 3 Chicken Salad

Ok, so this is a bit of a cop out/completely food related post. My personal life has been going really well though and I feel I don't want to jinx anything at this point and for once I'm really liking having my own little thing that's separate from here. So when I'm ready, I'll discuss but until then... let's focus on rotisserie chicken. Chicken salad is really one of the best ways to make use of leftover chicken and there really truly are endless combinations, and several to mostly all of the ingredients are either fairly popular condiments or shelf items. To to be technical, this is really more like a formula and you can prepare however you like, but I'll give you 2 good recipe take-aways anyways, because that's what I do.

Maple Mustard Chicken Salad with pecans and golden raisins over arugula and toast

The Formula

Meat: Typically chicken but also good with leftover turkey. I also love seafood salads, but this is about rotisserie chickens here... so different post.

Dressing: I like a mayo based dressing, but done with low fat mayo. Also yogurt, sour cream and could even be a vinaigrette, or even simply olive oil.

Flavoring: Pesto, mustard, ketchup, pickles, relish, ranch seasoning, curry powder, rosemary, tarragon, cilantro, parsley, horseradish, citrus, soy sauce, etc.

Crunch: Chopped celery, apples, carrots, shallots, edamame, onions, pecans, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, etc.

Sweet: Dried fruits like cherries, cranberries, raisins, currents, dates, grapes, apricots, honey, maple syrup, candied ginger, etc.

Tip: Don't overpower the salad by adding too much. Typically pick one from each group and go with it. Also, combine the dry ingredients separately from the dressing, then add the dressing a bit at a time and taste as you go to get the desired level dressing. It's easier to add it in then to take out when there's too much.

A Fabulous Sandwich Formula

When I was little my mom would give us mashed avocado toast for a snack. The creamy avocado over crispy toast with just a pinch of salt and pepper, this just brings me back to childhood. It's so simple, and almost overly so because I had nearly forgotten it until I read this post from Luisa of The Wednesday Chef. And yes I know I'm constantly referencing her, but it was thanks to her blog, along with LCC, that made me just fall head over heels with the idea of writing about my love of food just for the sheer pleasure of it. The way her stories capture, how her beautifully photographed pictures just draw you in... if you haven't checked out her blog yet, you should get on that.

Today has been another one of those absolutely happy with no major reason why days. I woke up rested, made my 9:30am spin class without being edged out by earlier risers for the first time in over a month (which I attribute to overly eager new years resolutioner's and their now waning exercise habits), wandered around my beautiful neighborhood and came home having worked up an appetite. So why not enjoy one of my favorite foods that fits perfectly with this pesca vegan challenge, and I'm serious when I say avocado is not just a favorite vegetable but is legitimately one of my favorite foods. I'll eat it with nearly anything.