Some things I want to eat right now.

I swear I'd cook every night if I could do it here!

I thought I would kick off today and the week with a few tasty looking recipes that have made it onto my cooking to-do list recently. Nothin too complicated, everything so yummy. Enjoy!

A Tequila Lime Chicken Sandwich with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo is pretty much the stuff my dreams are made of and the great news is that recipe is not nearly as complex as you might think! And though in my expert(!?) opinion a freshly baked bun from your favorite local bakery is (definitely) the way to go, you could also forgo the bun and serve this chicken/cheese/bacon/guac mountain with a side of beans or veggies for a slightly last carb-tastic meal. Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

This recipe is so simple that it's pretty much begging to be a part of your next Sunday brunch. Simply combine in an oven-safe dish 1-2 eggs (depending on the size of your dish), sauteed spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, a dollop (official term) of goat cheese and a few torn pieces of proscuitto. Sprinkle with pepper and a little sea/kosher salt and bake in the oven until the egg starts to firm up (but not all the way). Serve and enjoy!! Pin it HERE.

I always get afraid of recipes which call for shredded brussel sprouts because they seem like so much work, but this Bacon and Brussels Salad looks so tasty that I think I'm going to have to overcome my fears (and purchase a mandoline!) Using the age old trick of improving veggies with bacon, the 40 minutes of prep time will definitely be time well spent. Pin it HERE or check out the full recipe HERE.

And because there should never be a post about food that doesn't show a little love to dessert, check out these adorable Mini "Ice Cream Cone" Cake Pops! The recipe is just my speed (a pre-made glazed munchkin is the main ingredient) but those of you with more of a Betty Crocker inclination could certainly make your own "ice cream scoop" cake pop. Pin it HERE or check out the full recipe HERE.

Meatballs. So hot right now.

When I searched Pinterest for "meatball" this was the first image that popped up.
Obviously, I did not feel the need to look any further.

This past Saturday Dr. H and I had a date night at the Meatball Factory*. Not to be confused with Meatball Shop (are meatballs the new cupcake!?) Meatball Factory was opened this past October by former Top Chef contestant Dave Martin at 14th St and 2nd Ave.  Though most would assume we were on a quest to find the tastiest balls, (I had to) we actually selected Factory over Shop due to a rumored "epic truffle mac cheese". I am on a permanent quest for the mac cheese to end all mac cheeses (I feel a post on this subject in our future) and Dr. H knows how to keep his lady happy.

We started with a bottle of wine (nice beer/wine list, always a plus) and Dave’s World Famous Black Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Believe the hype, this shizz was AWESOME.

Stare at the deliciousness HERE

Moving on to meatballs, the MENU is a bit overwhelming. There are several types of balls and sauces and we found ourselves relying heavily on the recommendations of our waitress who patiently explained combinations, meats and flavors. In the end, I went super meaty (hehe) and Dr. H went for the sampler plate (variety is the spice of life?) 

Way better pics than my cellphone HERE

While the meatballs were certainly tasty, the main dishes took a back seat to our side dish. So much is right about roasted brussels sprouts with maple syrup & red chili sauce.

See, I ate my veggies!

And just when you're thinking "Good Lord how much can those two eat!?" we checked out the dessert menu. Meatball Factory's portions were just right - filling, but not stuffing, aka perfect for "making it" to dessert.

The Hot Tin Roof Sundae = malted hot fudge and sea salt caramel
with candied walnuts over marshmallow gelato. Seriously.

While the verdict is still out on who has the best balls in town, The Meatball Factory was a tasty, fun and reasonably priced night on the town which I'd happily re-visit. 

* Not an NYC resident? Want to do a guest post about a restaurant in your city that deserves some lovin? 

Shoot me an email at seektobemerry@gmail.com