#22 Hang out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Rooftop Bar

So... I finally did it.

I FINALLY made it to the Met's rooftop bar.

I lived in the NYC metro area for 9 years and never made it... but, one visit back to NYC and I finally had the experience!

I went back to visit this past August - part work and mostly fun - and re-lived some of the best reasons why I love NYC.  I took a cooking class, flying trapeze lessons, visited museums, watched a play, ate so much delicious food...

...And I tackled an item on my bucket list. I had a drink at the Met's Rooftop Bar!

But first, I figured I should check out some of my favorite artworks so I could be "cultured" before indulging in a beverage...

Monet was one of my first favorite artists (and since 3rd/4th grade, I grew to love and appreciate many, many more artists...)

So of course I took a selfie with a Monet.

But I also love and appreciate sculpture, so here is my attempt at recreating a pose...

But seriously?  30 minutes of browsing through a few galleries and I couldn't wait any further... so up to the rooftop we go!

And what a beautiful day it was!!!

Yay!  I made it!!!!

The roomie (former) and I had to take selfies together.  We look awesome.

It was one of those magical days in NYC.  View of a park, but in the middle of a city with taxi cabs and buses honking at each other, while enjoying delicious beverages with friends out in the sun and feeling like LIFE IS GOOD.  If you're looking for a fun afternoon (during the summer months only!), I highly encourage a day spent at the Met and their rooftop bar.

Full disclaimer: I might have had two drinks, not one...  but whatev :)  When in Rome, right?

Shrimp fra diavolo

It's been a while since I posted.

But this dish made me want to come out of my brief sabbatical from studying and share it with you.  Because it is SO GOOD.

Shrimp is one of my favorite ingredients.  Sweet, succulent, meaty and filling, yet low in calories.  I also love spice.  I like my mouth to burn, and I love having a cool glass of wine (or milk) around to help cool it down.  And, I love tomatoes.

So put them all together and what do you get?  A feast-for-the-senses known as Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Want to know something else?  It's SUPER simple to make, with just a few ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand.

Here's how I made it:

Take a pound of gorgeous uncooked shrimp, cleaned and deveined, with shells removed, and pat dry.  Sprinkle with EVOO and red pepper flakes, set aside and marinate for up to 30 minutes.  If you like it spicy, sprinkle a ton of red pepper flakes on.  Then, heat a large pan and cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes each side until pink and no longer transparent.

Try to get a good color on them, like this...

...remove shrimp from pan and put on a plate (or bowl) to keep warm.

In the same pan, add diced turkey bacon and cook a few minutes...

....and then add diced shallots, and cook until a bit of color appears, stirring periodically... just a few minutes...

...next, add a spicy marinara sauce and even more crushed red pepper flakes, if you dare... taste to see if it's spicy enough, and if not, add more!

...stir the sauce and cook a few minutes, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan... if you like you can also add some fresh spinach in for additional nutrients and control.

After just a few minutes, add the shrimp back in to the pan, stirring to coat, and cook for just one more minute...

...and voila.  You are DONE.

See?  Simple.

You can eat these straight by themselves (like I do!), or add to a nice pasta, crostini, hoagie roll, or over sauteed spinach.

So yummy, and super easy to make with just a few ingredients! 

If you make this, tell me what you think... what other ingredients did you pare this meal with?

Here's the full recipe!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

1 T EVOO
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I used at least 1 T if not more!)
1 lb shrimp, uncooked, deveined and peeled
1/4lb of turkey bacon, diced
1 medium or large shallot, diced
1-2 cups of jarred spicy marinara sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Clean, devein, and remove shells of the shrimp, and pat dry to absorb any excess water. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with EVOO and red pepper flakes.  Set aside and marinate for up to 30 minutes.
2. Heat a large pan and cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes each side until no longer transparent.  Remove shrimp from pan and put on a plate (or bowl) to keep warm.
3. In the same pan, add diced turkey bacon and cook a few minutes to get a bit of color.  Add diced shallots, and cook until a bit of color appears, stirring once or twice over the next 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the marinara sauce and mix together.  Taste, and if not spicy enough, add additional crushed red pepper flakes, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

5. Let cook for 3-5 minutes to let the flavors meld, and then add the shrimp back in to the pan, stirring to mix, and cook for one more minute. 

6. Remove, and eat, either by itself or as a topping to a nice pasta, bread, vegetable, etc.
7. Enjoy!

All time favorite - Tex-mex turkey with peppers and onions

Get ready: You're about to read about one of my all time favorite quick and easy meals to make. It's an incredibly flavorful, amazing dish with a very uninteresting name... But it is SO GOOD, AND easy to make.  Boom.

Plus, it's a great way to eat your veggies.  After evaluating my diet recently, I realized I was eating too much meat, and not enough fruits and veggies... So I love recipes like this one because they are PERFECT one-dish-wonders of yumminess that also provide the additional veggies that my body needs.

So without further ado, here's how I made my Tex-Mex turkey with peppers and onions:

Start by heating olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan, then add chopped onions and stir, cook for several minutes...

...then add diced peppers, stir, and allow to cook for several more minutes...

...to hurry the process along, cover the pan for a few minutes.  Next, move the cooked veggies to the side of the pan, and then add the ground turkey in, breaking it up and allowing it to cook...

...once it's cooked enough, and you've broken the meat down into little chunks, stir the veggies in, and finish cooking the meat...

... next, add the spices (in this image I cheated and used a taco seasoning packet that I had in my cabinet... don't do that.  Too much sodium, plus I give you the best taco seasoning recipe below!)...

...stir, coating all the meat and veggies in the yummy spice mixture until well mixed.

Voila.  Pretty darn easy, huh?

You can top this with fresh cilantro, avocado, salsa or sour cream (if you're not strict Paleo), but honestly it doesn't need it since you have all that great flavor from the spices.

(Sorry I don't have a pretty after photo of the finished recipe - I ate it too quickly!)

Here's the full recipe:

Kimmy's Tex-Mex turkey with peppers and onions
Serves 3-4, prep time: 5 minutes, cook time: 10 minutes
 
Ingredients:
1 T EV olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 lb lean (93%) ground turkey
2 T chili powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 t dried oregano
1 t paprika
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Directions:
1.  Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  When heated, add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes until starting to turn translucent.
2.  Add peppers, stir, and cook for one minute.  Place lid over pan and cook for 2-3 more minutes until peppers start to cook.
3. Stir the peppers and move them to one side of the pan.  Add ground turkey, breaking it up and start cooking.  Stir turkey around after 2-3 minutes, continuing to break it down into little pieces.
4. Once ground turkey is starting to cook, mix in peppers, and continue until the meat is cooked all the way through.
5. Add all the spices in - I like a LOT of flavor, so I doubled the spices - if that's too much for you, half it.
6. Stir to combine, letting the juices from the meat and veggies coat the ingredients well.
7. Scoop a bunch onto a plate.  You can feel free to add salsa, sour cream (if not going Paleo) and/or guacamole.  ENJOY!!!


Also... Now taking applications for a better name for this fabulous dish!!!