Cooking in the Capitol

Tomatoes Three Ways! Ciabatta Crostini with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and White Bean Pesto, Stuffed Tomatoes, and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Tomato Jam and Garlic Croutons

2026-08-04T16:51:53.832-04:00

Jersey tomatoes are simply the best. While we tend to get lots of flak (insert turnpike joke here) the truth is that NJ is the garden state for a reason. We may have fewer farms than we used to, but there are still small produce farms all over and at this time of year, an incredible abundance of produce. While there are tons of goodies around, NJ in particular reigns supreme in tomatoes, corn, blueberries, and cranberries. And right now is tomato season.

With our local CSA and farmers market overflowing with heirloom tomatoes, sweet cherry tomatoes, and delicious cutting tomatoes, I couldn't resist purchasing by the handful. Eager to make the best possible use of the bounty, I decided to channel Top Chef and present farm-fresh tomato three ways. While you can make simply one of these, I urge you to go for all three... there are ingredients in common that are utilized across recipes (e.g. middle of stuffed tomatoes made to make the tomato jam) and by featuring all three, you'll have a robust dinner without any need to do anything more than love tomatoes. So jump on in and enjoy!

Pro-tip: Making all three? Start by prepping your ciabatta to get croutons roasted (for stuffed tomatoes, heirloom tomato salad) and roasting your cherry tomatoes (crostini), move on to prepping your stuffed tomatoes and making the jam, turn back to stuffing your tomatoes and baking them, and finish up the crostini and heirloom salad as the stuffed tomatoes bake!

Time: 1 hr

Ciabatta Crostini with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and White Bean Pesto

Time: 40 min

Ingredients:

3 c cherry tomatoes, halved

6 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1.5 tsp salt

1/2 ciabatta loaf (you'll use the other half in the other two recipes!)

1/4 c diced red onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp pine nuts (or sub another nut if you don't have pine nuts on hand)

1 can cannellini beans, well drained, rinsed, shaken dry

2 c fresh basil leaves (with stems... if de-stemmed it will be less)

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp water

Get your oven pre-heating to 400.

Toss the halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl with two tablespoons olive oil, black pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Spread on a cookie sheet (I put down parchment paper first) and roast for about 30 minutes. While those are roasting, you can turn to the rest.

Cut your ciabatta into crostini-sized pieces (e.g. 1.5" wide or so) and place on cookie sheet. Bake for about five minutes or until toasted to your favored level.

Put the red onion, garlic, pine nuts, and cannellini beans in a food processor. Process until fully chopped. This will be quite thick so you may need to pause and scrape down the edges. Add the remaining 1 tsp salt, 4 tbsp olive oil, basil, lemon juice, and water. Puree until fully mixed. It should be a thick yogurt texture so spreadable but holds together well. Add more water if needed.

Spread the white bean pesto evenly across the ciabatta. If you don't need all of it (I didn't) save it for sandwiches the next day! Top with the roasted cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!

Stuffed Tomatoes

Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

1/4 ciabatta loaf (you'll use the rest between the other two recipes)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

4 large round heirloom tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes

8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Get your oven pre-heating to 400.

Cube your ciabatta into 1/2" or so cubes. If you are making the heirloom tomato salad below, cube for that, too, and do this step all at once. Toss the ciabatta with a tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and the black pepper. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping/mixing halfway through or until crisp but not burned. When the croutons are done, immediately put them in a bowl and toss with the minced garlic. (Note: amounts above are for this recipe but you do the same thing for below salad so double and do once if making both as I did.)

Slice off the tops of the tomatoes and carefully cut around the core, saving all the edible pieces in a bowl. Carefully use a knife and spoon to scoop out the inside of the tomatoes, leaving a 1/4" or so shell. Place the insides in the same bowl with the edible pieces of the tops. You'll use this for the jam, below.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp salt evenly in the bottom of the bottom of the four tomatoes and then place them upside down on a paper towel to drain. Leave them draining for about 10 minutes or longer if you are working on other recipes!

When you're ready to assemble, flip the tomatoes and place them in a greased baking dish. Spread about a third of the fresh mozzarella evenly across the four tomatoes. Place about half of the above croutons (1/4 of total if doubled for below recipe) evenly across all four. Spread another third of the mozzarella, remaining croutons, and then remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle the parm evenly across the tops.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle the balsamic evenly across the tops. Enjoy warm!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Tomato Jam and Garlic Croutons

Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

tomato filling from stuffed tomatoes (see above)

1/4 ciabatta loaf (will use rest in other two recipes)

1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large heirloom tomato

1 oz fresh mozzarella, diced

Get your oven pre-heating to 400.

Put 1 tsp olive oil in a small pot and heat over medium. When the oil is heated, add the tomato filling. Bring to a light boil/full simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning, or until it becomes a thick jammy texture. It will start quite water-y so this time might vary depending on the quantity, liquid level, and stove. Just keep an eye, stir often enough to prevent burning, and keep an eye on it. Ultimately, you want a thicker texture that coats the back of the spoon. Whenever done, set aside.

Cube your ciabatta into 1/2" or so cubes. If you are making the stuffed tomatoes above, cube for that, too, and do this step all at once. Toss the ciabatta with a tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and the black pepper. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping/mixing halfway through or until crisp but not burned. When the croutons are done, immediately put them in a bowl and toss with the minced garlic. (Note: amounts above are for this recipe but you do the same thing for above stuffed tomatoes so double and do once if making both as I did.)

Slice the heirloom tomato. Lay the slices evenly across a plate. Spread the warm tomato jam evenly across the top. Sprinkle the garlic croutons over the top. Sprinkle the fresh mozzarella on top. If you want, you can top with additional seasoning to taste or fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

Veggie Moo Shu with Homemade Pancakes

2025-07-09T16:36:00.006-04:00

I love moo shu. It has been one of my favorite dishes for as long as I can remember, but it's also now one that I rarely order... because the pancakes have changed. As a kid, it was a regular go to. I couldn't get enough of it. Perhaps I am dating myself here and falling into the grumpy adult category, but as I got older, I noticed more and more Chinese restaurants were using pre-bought moo shu pancakes which, in all honesty, feel like plastic and, to the best of my knowledge, taste like plastic. One by me held out and I loyally only got moo shu from them, enjoying the delicious homemade pancakes that held this delicious cabbage stir fry mix. Eventually, that restaurant closed and I was left moo shu-less. No matter how good the filling is, it can't shine when it's enclosed in a cheap plastic-y holder... hardly appetizing.

BUT - if you're willing to put in the work, you can still enjoy this delicious and healthy meal. Inspired by some cabbage at the farmer's market, I made my own moo shu, with a few fun tweaks like adding king oyster mushrooms into it. The filling hit the spot, with all the tangy and savory flavors of moo shu, and the pancakes brought it home. Even my children, new to moo shu, declared it "not bad." My daughter went back for more! (And my son helped cook everything even though he ate less of it.) So jump on in, make this delicious dish, and definitely do not substitute for the pancakes. That would just be depriving yourself!

Time: 1.5 hours (some is sitting time, but you can prep veggies while batter sits)

Veggie Moo Shu with Homemade Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c all purpose flour

1 1/2 c oat milk (or any milk of your choice)

1/4 tsp five spice powder

1 egg

1 tbsp butter, melted

2 bunches of green onions, diced

1 tbsp + 2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 c egg white

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz sliced king oyster mushrooms

1 cabbage head, shredded

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce, plus more for pancakes

First, you'll get the pancake better going since it needs to sit. Combine the flour, oat milk, five spice powder, egg, butter, and 1 bunch of diced green onions in a bowl. Whisk well to combine. Cover and put in the fridge for an hour.

As the batter is resting, you can now turn to prepping and cooking the moo shu. You'll move quickly once you start stir frying, so make sure you have everything cut and ready to go before turning your oven on.

Get a wok or large pan heating over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of sesame oil, swirling to coat. Add the egg white and scramble until done. Set aside on a plate and return the wok to the heat. Turn to medium high and add 2 tsp of sesame oil, again swirling to coat.

Add the ginger, garlic, king oyster mushrooms, and remaining one bunch of green onions to the pan. Stir fry for 7-8 minutes or until browning, but be careful not to burn it. You do want the mushrooms to brown, though.

Add the cabbage and carrots. Stir well and cook for another 6-7 minutes or until the cabbage is wilted and smaller in volume. Add the vinegar, soy, and hoisin. Toss well to evenly coat. Add the egg whites and stir well to incorporate. You're moo shu mixture is done!

If you can double task, you can start making the pancakes when the mushrooms or cabbage are stir frying or you can wait until the end. Take the batter from the refrigerator and whisk one more time in case the batter has separated or settled.

Add about half a tsp of sesame oil to a small skillet (I used an 8" skillet). Swirl to coat and put over medium heat. Pour in a scant 1/4 c of batter, being careful not to add more. Swirl the pan to spread the batter out. It should look more or less like a crepe but with green onions in it... you are going for thin. Cook about 1 minute, then carefully flip (a fish flipper that is longer is great here) and cook about 30 seconds on the other side. Set on a plate. Repeat the process. You'll probably want to add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil after three pancakes. This is planned to use 2 tsp total across 12 pancakes.

To serve, take a pancake, smear some hoisin sauce on top (a thin layer), and then add moo shu. Roll up like a burrito and enjoy. You'll definitely be going back for more!

Tomato-Zucchini-Pesto Orzo

2025-07-06T17:50:00.003-04:00

You know what's even more fun than cooking? Cooking with your completely fascinated six year old. While my daughter (age nine) avoids cooking like the plague, my son cannot absorb lessons fast enough. He wants to learn what everything is, how everything works, and do everything himself. Now, this certainly makes the cooking take a lot longer... especially since he wants to learn every knife skill and cut everything himself... but it also increases the enjoyment. And, in this case, not only was this meal delicious, but Asher (my son) contributed to nearly every step. He did 100% of the knife work. He blended up the pesto. He stirred on the stove. And, most importantly, he taste tested throughout. This means my once picky little guy is now tossing tomatoes in his mouth, stealing pinches of pesto, and, of course, gobbling down the fresh mozzarella. (One slice in his mouth, one slice on the cutting board... this may have also extended the timing of the process.)

It didn't hurt, of course, that this was an absolutely delicious dish and one that, if made solo by a decently adept adult, would come together fast enough for a week night. The orzo amused my kids with a new pasta shape while I was able to pack in lots of veggies. And the melted cheese brought the dish home. Make this alongside a salad for a delicious, veggie-forward meal. If you purchased all your veggies at a local farmer's market, as I did at this time of year, extra bonus point! Enjoy.

Time: 25 min

(sans children)

Tomato-Zucchini-Pesto Orzo

Ingredients:

3 tbsp pine nuts

1/4 c olive oil + 2 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 c reasonably well packed basil leaves

1/4 c finely grated Parmesan + 1/4 c grated Parmesan

1/8 tsp kosher salt

2 medium zucchini, diced

1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 c vegetable broth (no salt added - or homemade as I do!)

1 c cherry tomatoes, halved

1/8 tsp Aleppo pepper

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

5 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes

First, you'll make the pesto. Pulse the pine nuts in a small food processor. Scrape down the sides and add 1/4 c olive oil, garlic, basil, 1/4 c finely grated Parmesan, and salt. Pulse again, scraping as needed, until finely chopped. Do not liquify. Set aside for now.

Now, turn to the pasta. In a large pot, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and onion. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring as needed to avoid burning, but cook until slightly browned.

Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo and lemon zest. Cover and simmer over medium low for about 10 minutes. The orzo should be twice as big as before and the liquid should be nearly absorbed. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning your orzo, but try to keep the cover on most of the time.

As the orzo is cooking, put the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella in a bowl. Add the Aleppo pepper and one more drizzle of olive oil. Toss well to coat and let them sit and season. (If you are Asher, snack on them.)

When the orzo is ready, remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice, Parmesan, and tomato-mozzarella mix. Stir well to evenly mix. The mozzarella should melt from the heat. Enjoy!

A Rosh Hashanah Middle Eastern Feast!

2024-10-11T11:29:00.002-04:00

L'shanah tovah! There are many ways of celebrating, but all of them definitely involve food. In this case, I decided to embrace my Sephardic roots and cook a Middle Eastern feast with a special focus on Moroccan food. (My Mom is Moroccan and my grandmother cooked Moroccan food at many family meals growing up.) You'll find a veggie-heavy meal full of Middle eastern flavors, but served alongside some challah, Jewish apple apple cake, and chocolate honey cake to connect to a few Ashkenazi and traditional Rosh Hashanah dishes.

I served the meal across three courses - and the recipes included below are in italics. A few aren't listed since they are elsewhere on the site or were my husband's creations instead of mine.

We started with appetizers:

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Confit (pictured above)

Matbucha

Hummus

Pita

(paired with some manchego, brie, and crackers)

We moved on to the main course:

Yemenite-Spiced Cauliflower with Schug Labneh

Roasted Citrus-Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

Egyptian Moussaka

Moroccan Lamb Shoulder

Couscous with Dates and Pistachios

Round Challah (challah is elsewhere on blog... just make it round instead of braided)

And we finally ended with dessert:

Tut (marzipan)

Chocolate Honey Cake

Jewish Apple Cake (elsewhere on blog)

We started prep the night before and I'll note below where I did that and then started cooking about five hours before dinner time. I'll note the time for each recipe below, but you won't find a total time for this meal since each piece may add up differently and not all recipes are in full detail below. Most importantly, though, it was absolutely delicious and everyone had a great time. Here is a to a good next year!

Matbucha

Time: 30 min

This was amazing... It may have been my single favorite item out of the entire meal and I wasn't alone in thinking it. Definitely dig in and make it sooner than later, and then again and again and again. My parents always purchased a version of this (remembered as amtbucha in my mind but google doesn't seem to believe me) but this was my first time making it... and they couldn't get enough of it either. Just a note of warning - be careful when working with the serrano chili. Wash your hands well after handling it or you'll end up burning your face (or worse - eyes). It won't leave lasting damage, but it may be uncomfortable for a bit! But the end result in the dish isn't spicy due to the ratio, removal of seeds/membranes, and simmering time. So grab some pita, mop up a big serving of matbucha, and try to resist eating the entire dish alone. This recipe is adapted from The Jewish Holiday Table by Naama Shefi and the Jewish Food Society.

Ingredients:

6 tbsp canola oil

8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

18 oz sweet cherry tomatoes (about 3 c), halved, but don't lose any juices! (I used Wegmans Flavor Bombs which are my favorite cherry tomatoes)

1 small serrano chile, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced (see note above on handling)

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Put the canola oil in a 12" pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cooking 2-3 minutes to let it soften but stirring regularly and keeping it from browning. Adjust the heat down slightly if needed.

Add the tomatoes, all of their juices, the chile, paprika, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to evenly incorporate. Bring to a simmer, half cover, and let it cook for about 10 minutes.

Uncover the pan and ensure it's lightly but steadily simmering. Cook, regularly stirring and scraping to avoid burning on the bottom, for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes should continue to break down and the texture should be a bit thick and jammy.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Serve with pita and try to avoid gulping it all down at once!

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Confit

Time: 1.5 hours

While this was quite good, the garlic flavor actually came through more strongly the next day. You could consider making this one in advance and then allowing it to slowly come to room temperature before serving. This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Zahav Home by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook.

Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp olive oil + 1 c olive oil

2 eggplants

1 head garlic, all cloves separated and peeled

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 lemon

Get your oven pre-heating to 425 F.

Brush the 1.5 tbsp of olive oil all over the whole (washed) eggplants and then put them on a cookie sheet. Roast for about 75 minutes, rolling them to the other side halfway through. They should be falling in on themselves and collapsing at the end of the baking time. Set them aside to let them cool.

While the eggplants are cooking, you can make the garlic confit. Add the garlic cloves (whole) to a small pot and then add the 1 c olive oil. Cook over low heat on your stove for about 30 minutes (20 if small cloves), uncovered, stirring a couple times during the process to flip and evenly cook the garlic cloves. At the end of this time, the garlic cloves themselves should be very tender. When you reach that point, remove the pot from the heat and cover it to let it steam a bit more for five more minutes. At that time, you can carefully remove the garlic cloves from the pot and mash them with a fork.

Once the eggplant are cool, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. It should fall out gently so use a spatula or large spoon to scrape all the "meat" from the eggplant skin. Put it into a large bowl. Add the mashed garlic from the confit and 1-2 tbsp of the garlic oil from the confit, to taste. Add the salt. Mash with a fork until it reaches a chunky but evenly mixed consistency.

Put the eggplant into whatever dish you are using to serve and sprinkle the paprika across the top evenly. Drizzle another teaspoon or so of the garlic oil over the top. (The rest of the olive oil can be saved for future use... it should be deliciously garlick-y olive oil so use in any place you use olive oil for a burst of extra flavor!)

Serve with pita or veggie crudite for dipping.

Hummus

Time: 24 hrs (overnight soaking - day of it's about 2 hrs)

This hummus is to die for. I realize I'm a totally biased audience here but... it really just is. It does take some effort. You have to set the chickpeas soaking the night before. You have to spend the time taking the skin off every single chickpea. But don't skimp. Really embrace this and you'll have the silkiest, smoothest, most flavorful hummus you've ever tasted. You won't be able to resist scraping the bowl clean. Unfortunately, due to that delicious nature, I only remembered to take a photo after that happened... so you'll have to excuse I don't have one here. But I make this regularly so check back for a photo in the future and trust me that it's worth making - picture or not! This recipe is adapted from The Tahini Table by Amy Zitelman.

Ingredients:

1/2 c dried chickpeas

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 garlic cloves

1.25 tsp sea salt

1 lemon

1/2 c Soom tahini (you can use other high-end tahini paste, but Soom is the best and you'll get the best results if you use it. Trust me on this. It's incredible.)

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/3 c cold water

The night before cooking, put the chickpeas into a quart container (I just use a tupperware) and fill most of the way with water. Add 1/4 tsp baking soda and stir to evenly incorporate. Put the lid on and set aside overnight or up to 24 hours.

The next day, when ready to cook the hummus, drain and rinse the chickpeas. They should have doubled in size and be nice and plump. Put them in a medium pot and add the remaining 1/4 tsp baking soda. Add enough water to cover the chickpeas by 3-4 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat, and cook for about 45 minutes or until the chickpeas are very soft. If any white foam appears, you can skim it off, but this isn't usually a major issue. As long as it's not boiling over, it won't be an issue.

As the chickpeas are cooking, turn to the lemon tahini sauce. Mince the garlic and put in a medium bowl with 1/4 tsp sea salt. Use a fork to coarsely mix and let sit for about five minutes. Squeeze a fresh lemon (so much better than from a container - don't cut corners here!) and add two tbsp of fresh lemon juice to the garlic-salt mix. Stir again and let sit for two minutes.

Add the tahini (shake well before taking tahini from the jar) and cumin to the garlic mixture and whisk to combine. It will quickly become very, very thick and that's okay. Once evenly incorporated, add two tablespoons of very cold water at a time, up to ~1/3 c of cold water as needed. Whisk well to incorporate between each water addition. When you reach the right point, the mix should lighten in color and be the consistency of a creamy dressing, like Ranch or Honey Mustard. Set aside for now.

When the chickpeas are done cooking, drain and let cool until easy to handle. Go through, a single chickpea at a time, popping off the skin and adding the skinless chickpea to a food processor. The skins should all be loosened already so they should pop out super easily. Some may have already separated, but you really need to take the time to pick through each and every one. Discard the skins as you go. Skimping here will sacrifice the texture.

Once all the (skinless) chickpeas are in the food processor, add in the lemon tahini sauce (scraping to get all of it out of your bowl), the remaining tsp of sea salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp ground cumin. Process until smooth - and now keep processing. You typically need to process twice as long as you think to get it super smooth and sikly.

Enjoy with hummus or crudite vegetables. Or just scoop with a spoon and love it. We won't judge.

Yemenite Spiced Cauliflower with Schug Labneh

Time: 1 hr (though if making your own labneh start the day before! more than 24 hrs needed)

I doubled this recipe for my dinner party since we had a group of ten, but the recipe below is for a single version that would serve four to five people. You can also make an extra batch of the schug labneh to use in other situations! This recipe is adapted from Zahav Home by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook.

Ingredients:

3/4 tsp black peppercorns

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp green cardamom pods

1/8 tsp whole cloves

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 c olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, stem left on but leaves removed and cut into 6-8 wedges

1 head of garlic, unpeeled with stem on but sliced down the middle

1 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp salt

1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, roughly chopped

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, stems removed

2 tbsp fresh parsley, stems removed

1 garlic clove

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp lemon juice (fresh is best)

2 tsp canola oil

1 c labneh (see note below on making own)

Note: If you are making the labneh, you'll need to start the night before. Start with a 32 oz container of plain, whole fat yogurt. Set a large square of cheese cloth in a fine mesh strainer. Spoon the yogurt into the middle of the cheese cloth. Sprinkle on 1/4 tsp sea salt and stir to incorporate evenly. Set the mesh strainer over a large bowl, gather the corners of the cheese cloth so the labneh is covered, and set it in your fridge. Leave at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours, to drain. At the end, discard the liquid in the bowl and scrape out the thickened yogurt left in the cheese cloth - that's your delicious labneh! This will make about two cups so if doing that here, either only use half the yogurt to start or save the remaining cup for something else. (It will keep for a couple weeks in an air tight container in the fridge.)

Additional note: The black peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, and turmeric you'll mix below are to make a spice mix called hawaij. You can also purchase hawaij at a well-stocked specialty store and save having to make it. If you do that, use a tbsp of the mix in place of this step.

Add the black peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cloves to a small pan. Heat over medium to medium high heat for about five minutes, stirring to keep from burning. (Note: there is no oil in this.) When it's done, let it cool and stir in the turmeric. This is your hawaij. You can set it aside for now.

Get your oven pre-heating to 425 degrees.

Pour two tablespoons olive oil in to the bottom of a glass baking dish and tilt back and forth to coat evenly. Place the cut cauliflower wedges into the dish and place the sliced garlic in between somewhere. Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil over the top and sprinkle on a tsp salt. Sprinkle the hawaij you prepared (or from a spice mix) evenly across the cauliflower. Roast for 45 minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking, you can turn to the schug. Add the chopped poblano, cilantro, parsley, garlic, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground cardamom, ground ginger, and lemon juice to a food processor. Process, pulsing and scraping as needed, until it is a coarsely chopped paste. Put in a bowl, drizzle on the canola oil, and mix well to incorporate.

Take about 2 tbsp of the schug (it may make slightly more) and add to the cub of labneh. Stir well to incorporate. Taste and add more schug as needed - or save the remainder for a spread on a sandwich or over eggs the next morning.

When the cauliflower is done, it should be knife tender. Place on a serving dish. Squish the roasted garlic cloves out of their pods and serve in the same dish as the cauliflower so people can scoop up both together. Serve the schug labneh in a dish alongside for dipping and plopping on top!

Roasted Citrus-Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

Time: 55 min

This is also one that I doubled for my large group of ten! But making a single version, as shown below, would serve 4-5 people. Keep in mind, while these carrots are delicious the day of, as they sit in the fridge they soak up the sauce even more and continue to soften, becoming absolutely delectable. You may want to make a double serving of this just so you can enjoy it (with the couscous with dates and pistachios) for lunch the following week! This recipe is adapted from Zahav Home by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook.

Ingredients:

1 lb rainbow carrots, trimmed and halved as needed

1/2 c orange juice

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp aleppo pepper

1.5 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp raw peanuts, chopped

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp sesame seeds

Get your oven pre-heating to 425 degrees.

Put the carrots into a glass baking dish. You should make sure the larger ones are cut in half lengthwise, but smaller ones can be left just trimmed.

In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, pomegranate molasses, salt, black pepper, aleppo pepper until evenly mixed. Set aside for a moment.

Drizzle the olive oil over the carrots and toss well to coat evenly. Then, drizzle the orange juice spice mix over the top of the carrots. It will pool below the carrots but make sure it is poured on top so they get some coating all over.

Roast the carrots for about 45 minutes, stirring and tossing twice during the process (at 15 and 30 min marks) so that the carrots get coated again in the sauce.

While the carrots are roasting, put the peanuts and coriander into a small pan and lightly toast over med heat. This should take just about three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds.

When the carrots are done, they should be fork tender. Sprinkle the toasted peanut topping evenly over the top.

This is great enjoyed on its own or also with the couscous with dates and pistachios!

Egyptian Moussaka

Time: 1 h 15

So this is called Moussaka - but it may not be what you are used to seeing at Middle Eastern restaurants. Usually you find moussaka at Greek restaurants. It's delicious, but entirely different, with thick bechamel and, often, meat. This is Egyptian Moussaka which is cooked in a tomato sauce and highlights the eggplant a lot more. Give it a ago and see what you think. It's extra delicious served with the couscous with dates and pistachios. This is adapted from The Mediterranean Dish by Suzy Karadsheh. (And this is one of my favorite cookbooks ever so buy it if you don't have it yet!)

Ingredients:

2 eggplants

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 red bell peppers

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes, with the juice (28 oz)

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2.5 tbsp distilled white vinegar

Get your oven pr-heating to 400 degrees.

Trip the ends off the eggplants and slice lengthwise into 1/2" thick slabs. Core and seed the bell peppers and slice into two inch strips. Brush the peppers and eggplants with about 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle on the salt. Spread evenly on cookie sheets and bake for about 20 minutes until soft.

While the eggplant is cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat and add two tbsp of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly to keep from burning. Add the tomatoes (with all juices), black pepper, any remaining salt you didn't sprinkle on the eggplant, coriander, sweet paprika, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and let boil for about five minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let it summer over low heat until the eggplant and peppers are done cooking. Add the vinegar and stir well to incorporate.

When the eggplant and pepper are done cooking, add them to the sauce and spoon some over to mix them in without tossing/breaking the veggies. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a bit.

Enjoy with the couscous with dates and pistachios or pita if you prefer!

Couscous with Dates and Pistachios

Time: 15 min

This is fast and simple to make, using quick cooking couscous out of a box, but the pistachios and dates really elevate it. The sweetness and crunchiness also pairs really well with the cauliflower, eggplant, and carrots. We also served it alongside the Moroccan Lamb Shoulder but that isn't featured on this post since my husband made that (since I don't eat meat!) I made a double version of the below for a group of ten.

Ingredients:

1 box couscous (I used Near East brand)

1/2 c dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

1/4 c unsalted roasted pistachios, chopped

Prepare the couscous, following the directions on the box. When you reach the endpoint and it's ready to serve, add the pistachios and dates and toss well to mix evenly. Enjoy!

Tut (Marzipan)

Time: 15 min

I've eaten marzipan before, but never made it. It turns out - it's quite easy to make! (And bonus, as you can see in the photos, it's rather like playing with play-doh so a good project for kids to shape the end product.) This one is a slight twist on it that includes rosewater since it's a Persian recipe. That flavor definitely comes through. I found it delightful but feel free to reduce the rosewater if you want a lighter flavor. This recipe is adapted from The Jewish Holiday Table by Naama Shefi and the Jewish Food Society.

Ingredients:

1 c blanched sliced almonds

1 c powdered sugar

1 tbsp rosewater

1/2 c granulated or colored sugar

15 roasted unsalted pistachios, halved

Put the almonds and powdered sugar and process for about two minutes or until it's a sandy mix, scraping down the sides as needed. While the processor is running, slowly pour in the rosewater and it should make a smooth, soft dough in another few minutes. Scrape out of the processor into a bowl.

Place the granulated sugar in a small dish and the pistachios in another. Scoop up about a teaspoon of the dough, rolling it in your hands to the desired shape. Roll in the sugar, as desired, to coat the outside, and decorate with a pistachio halve on top. You can get creative here, skipping the toppings or adding others and making any shapes you desire. You should be able to make about 30 marzipan in total. Your hands will get a little oily since the almonds make an oil when ground, but playing with the dough will be great fun!

Serve fresh and store any leftovers (hah!) in an airtight container.

Chocolate Honey Cake

Time: 5 hrs (a lot of it is cooling time)

On Rosh Hashanah, we eat apples and honey! In this cake... Jewish apple cake (elsewhere on blog) and chocolate honey cake. Is anyone going to argue with that? This cake does involve a few steps but you can make it in advance. In my case, I made the cake the day before, let it cool overnight, and then added the chocolate topping in the morning. You want to give it a couple hours after adding the chocolate topping anyway so it can harden a bit before enjoying. This recipe is adapted from Saveur.

Honey cake ingredients:

1 3/4 c all purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1.5 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp granted orange rind or zest (fresh best but i do sometimes turn to dried here)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 c honey

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c canola oil

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c egg whites

1/2 c brewed (strong) coffee, cooled to room temperature

1/4 c orange juice

1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate cake ingredients:

1 c all purpose flour

1/2 c rye flour

1/3 c cocoa powder

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c canola oil

1/2 c egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1 c cream soda

Chocolate ganache topping ingredients:

8 oz 70% (or similar) dark chocolate, finely chopped

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp honey

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a springboard angle food cake pan with parchment paper (you'll need to cut out a circle for the middle) and lightly grease with some of your canola oil or a stick of butter. It'll just take a small amount. Grease the sides and bottom.

You'll start by making the honey cake layer. I did this by hand and then used an electric hand mixer, but you could also use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment if you have one. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, orange zest, baking soda, allspice, ginger, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the honey, brown sugar, oil, sugar, eggs, coffee, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk well or use an electric hand mixer to combine evenly. While running your hand mixer in one hand (or stand mixer) slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Pause and scrape as needed, mixing until you get a smooth, even batter. Pour this into the prepared angel food cake pan. It should come about 40% of the way up.

You'll now make the chocolate cake layer. Start with a clean bowl. Add the flour, rye flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined evenly. In another clean bowl, add the sugar, brown sugar, oil, egg whites, vanilla, and cream soda. Whisk until evenly combined. While running your hand mixer (or stand mixer) in one hand in the dry mix, slowly pour in the wet mix, pausing to scrape as needed. Whisk or mix until evenly combined for a smooth batter.

Pour the chocolate batter slowly on top of the honey batter. Do NOT purposefully mix the layers, but as you pour the chocolate batter will naturally mix into the honey batter so you'll see a mixed pattern start to emerge. Let that happen naturally but do not otherwise mix or combine.

Place the angel food cake pan onto a large baking sheet just in case you have any mess and bake for 6-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. When done, put the cake pan onto a wire rack (or gas elevated stove) to cool for 30 minutes. When that is done, carefully use a butter knife to loosen the sides and pop off the springboard side of the pan. Place a large plate upside down over the top of the cake and then hold that with one hand and the bottom of the angel food cake pan with the other so you hold them together. Flip the entire thing quickly and smoothly so the cake inverts onto the plate. Remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely. This could take a couple hours. This is when I covered and left it overnight! One cool, place a cake preserver bottom upside down over the cake and use the same technique to invert it back onto the cake preserver.

You'll now need to make the chocolate ganache topping. Put the water in the bottom of a double boiler pan. Add the chocolate, coconut oil, and honey into the top of the double boiler. Bring the bottom portion to a light boil and stir constantly to evenly melt and incorporate the chocolate and other toppings on the top. This should take 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep stirring until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate ganache evenly over the cake (now sitting on the cake preserver bottom), making sure to get the inside and outsides as well as the top. The chocolate will pool a bit around the cake, which is totally fine. It shouldn't spill out of the cake preserver. Set aside and let it cool and thicken/harden for an hour or more. Enjoy!

(And you can now easily add the top of the cake preserver if you have leftovers to save!)

Crispy Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts

2024-10-01T22:07:00.007-04:00

Well this was absolutely delicious! I've never made gnocchi in this way before, but I definitely will be again. Instead of boiling, the gnocchi is pan seared and then allowed to plump up, leading to a soft, pillowy inside but a slightly crisp and therefore intensely flavored outside. It's gnocchi at it's best.

In this case, it's paired with some crisp-tender brussels sprouts and an olive oil-brown butter sauce, but you could use the same technique with other sauces, pairings, and toppings. Give this one a whirl and let me know if you come up with other great combinations.

And - the best part of this meal? My eight year old daughter couldn't stop eating the brussels sprouts. She tentatively tried one, and then went back for more and more and more. It's kid approved!

Time: 20 min

Crispy Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

12 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground lemon peel

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

16 oz refrigerated gnocchi

6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into tbsps

1/2 tsp honey

Heat three tbsp of the olive oil in a large pan (I used 12") over medium high heat. Add the brussels sprouts with the cut sides down, and sprinkle with the salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and lemon peel. Let them cook for five minutes, undisturbed, so the cut sides lightly brown and crisp up. Sprinkle on the red pepper, if using, and then toss well. Let them cook another four minutes. Then move to a bowl.

Return the pan to the heat. Add the remaining one tbsp olive oil, swirling to coat. Break the gnocchi apart and add it to the pan. Cook three to four minutes or until one side is lightly browned. Add the butter, honey, and remaining 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir regularly and cook for about two minutes or until butter has melted and is foaming and turning lightly caramel colored. Remove from the heat and add the brussels sprouts back in. Toss well to coat the veggies and mix everything evenly. Then enjoy - and try not to let my daughter eat all the brussels sprouts before you get to try them!

Pesto Portobellos with Veggie Fried Rice

2024-09-29T22:22:00.005-04:00

I must admit, this started as a bit of a grab-bag meal to use up leftovers in my fridge, but it is definitely going to now make it into the regular rotation. I always love mushrooms, but in this case freshly made pesto elevates them even more, making them the star of the plate.

Meanwhile, veggie fried rice not only lets me make use of a hodgepodge of vegetables (and leftover basmati!) but appeals to even the pickiest of eaters. It comes together in minutes, too, making it a great choice for a weeknight. (And it doesn't hurt that it helps fight food waste... tell your kids they are heroes for avoiding more methane emissions!)

Time: 30 min

Pesto Portobellos

Time: 25 min

*this was adapted from a NYTimes Cooking recipe*

Ingredients:

5 portobello caps

1.5 tsp + 1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cups fresh basil, stems removed

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 garlic cloves

1/2 c grated Parmesan

Get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees.

Wash the portobello caps and trim the stem as necessary. (There is no reason to cut it all off - you'll just lose more delicious mushroom!) Brush 1.5 tsp of olive oil evenly on both sides of the mushrooms and place them cap side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper. Roast for ten minutes.

While the mushrooms are roasting, make the pesto. Put the basil, pint nuts, and garlic in a small food processor and process until finely chopped. While it's running, drizzle in the remaining 1/2 c of olive oil and process until smooth. Add the Parmesan and pulse just until evenly incorporated.

When the ten minutes are up, remove the mushrooms and evenly divide the pesto across the caps. Roast for another ten minutes and enjoy.

Veggie Fried Rice

Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 sweet onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

~2 c leftover veggies: in this one I used zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus, chopped

1/2 egg white (or 2-3 eggs)

~3 c leftover, cold basmati rice (or similar)

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

Get two teaspoons of the sesame oil heating over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to soften and lightly brown. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Then, add whatever vegetables you are using. In this case, I used leftover zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus, but in the past I've used peas, corn, edamame, peppers, and others. Customize based on what's on hand! Saute for another 3-5 minutes. This is a great chance to perk up vegetables nearing the end of their life.

Push the veggies to the side of the pan and add the egg white (or beaten eggs) and scramble, taking about three minutes to cook through. Mix thoroughly into the vegetables.

Add the leftover rice. I used basmati but you can use other longer grain rices. Cold, leftover rice works best. Mix in the rice and then let it sit for 3-4 minutes to get slightly crispy. Add the soy sauce, remaining tsp of sesame oil, and black pepper to taste. Mix well and remove when fully heated through. Enjoy!

Pizza Night! Blackberry-Basil-Honey, Wild Mushroom, and Pistachio-Red Onion

2024-04-23T14:40:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the world of making brick-oven style pizzas at home! I got my husband an Ooni backyard pizza oven for his 40th birthday and suddenly we can't get enough pizza. He's eagerly mixing up dough (luckily, he hasn't yet started slinging it up into the air in the house) and playing with his pizza peel as he chars up the crust for delicious, fresh, at-home pizza. However, me being me, I quickly realized that sticking to classic pizzas wasn't going to be enough, especially if we were doing this often. I started crafting and am pleased to share three very delicious and very different pizzas: blackberry-basil-honey pizza, wild mushroom pizza, and pistachio-red onion pizza. I know it may sound a bit unusual, but trust me, give it a whirl, and let me know how it goes.

I do structure the recipes below for use in an outdoor pizza oven, which cooks very quickly. All of these can be adapted for an oven indoors, too. I tried to note where changes should be made, but mostly it means longer cooking times and that some delicate items (e.g. pistachios, blackberries) can go on sooner. You'll still want to just drizzle on things like honey, oil as a garnish, and herbs at the very end. And finally, if you're cooking on an outdoor oven, the cook process is just 60-90 seconds so make sure you have everything completely ready to go or else you'll miss out on the delicious fun!

Blackberry-Basil-Honey Pizza

Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

pizza dough of choice

2 tsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 oz fresh mozzarella, very thinly sliced

~4 oz blackberries

basil, thinly sliced

1 tsp honey

1/8 tsp sea salt

If you have the time, heat the olive oil with the minced garlic over low heat on the stove for about five minutes, stirring often and being careful not to let the garlic burn or darken. You can mix and skip this heating step, but doing it this way will infuse the olive oil and give a more garlicky flavor to the pizza.

Roll out your dough and brush the garlic-olive oil mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a half inch border as the crust. Scatter the thinly sliced mozzarella over the pizza. (Tip: if you free the mozzarella for 20 minutes you'll be able to cut it more thinly! It won't freeze but just harden slightly in that time, making it easier to slice.)

Put your pizza into the pizza oven for ~60 seconds, following normal standards on moving and shifting to ensure even cooking. Pop it out, sprinkle the blackberries evenly on top, and put back in for another ~20 seconds. Remove from the oven, drizzle on the honey, and sprinkle with the fresh basil and sea salt. Enjoy!

Note: If you are cooking indoors, you can put the blackberries on to start since a regular oven won't pop them like the high heat of a pizza oven will!

Pistachio-Red Onion Pizza

Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

pizza dough of choice

1/4 c shelled roasted pistachios, unsalted

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

~4 oz Piave Vecchio cheese

1 tsp truffle oil

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp honey

Pre-heat your oven to 325 F. Spread the pistachios evenly on a small baking sheet and bake for ten minutes. Remove and let them cool slightly. This will toast the pistachios and should give off a really nice flavor without browning any of the nuts.

Use a grater to very thinly slice the Piave Vecchio.

Roll out your dough and spread the Piave Vecchio evenly across the dough, leaving about half an inch border for crust. Scatter the red onion evenly across the pizza and drizzle with truffle oil.

Put your pizza into the pizza oven for ~60 seconds, following normal standards on moving and shifting to ensure even cooking. Pop it out, sprinkle the pistachios evenly on top, and put back in for another ~20 seconds. Remove from the oven, drizzle on the honey, and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary. Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom Pizza

Time: 1 h 20 (mostly for roasting garlic in advance!)

Ingredients:

pizza dough of choice

1 whole garlic head

3 oz fontina

8 oz wild mushrooms or your favorite mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh Thyme, chopped

1 tsp truffle oil

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Remove the outer papery shell of the garlic head, leaving all of the cloves intact. Wrap the head in foil and roast for one hour. Remove and let it cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, split open and remove the roasted garlic from all of the cloves. Place in a small bowl and mash with a fork.

While the garlic is roasting, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Shred the fontina cheese. Get the olive oil heating over medium to medium high heat on your stove and saute the wild mushrooms for about ten minutes, or until their juice is released and they have nicely browned. Stir regularly to keep from burning.

Roll out your preferred pizza dough. Spread the roasted garlic evenly across the dough, leaving about a half inch border all the way around for the crust. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Spread the sauteed mushrooms evenly on top.

Put your pizza into the pizza oven for 60-90 seconds, following normal standards on moving and shifting to ensure even cooking. When it's done cooking, remove from the oven, drizzle on the truffle oil, and sprinkle with the fresh Thyme. Enjoy!

Spinach-Salmon Wellington

2023-12-05T16:23:00.002-05:00

I am ashamed to say that I have made poor use of my air fryer since purchasing it a couple years ago. I've concentrated on fries (delicious, of course) and perhaps some other similar items, with little attempts to explore all the myriad possibilities. Well, I realize the folly of my actions now! I was clearly missing out, as this delicious spinach-salmon wellington demonstrates. It is quick to come together, easy to prepare, and absolutely delicious. I will definitely be exploring more recipes in the future.

Keep in mind, the one trick here is to defrost your puff pastry in advance. It had been years since I'd last worked with puff pastry and forgot to remove it from the freezer the first time I planned to make this. I had to punt and try another day... so do remember to take out your puff pastry and spinach the night before and stick them in the fridge (or set on the counter about four hours in advance) so that they properly defrost!

Time: 25 min for two fillets, 40 min for four (assuming you only have space to cook two at a time)

Spinach-Salmon Wellington

Ingredients:

12 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 bag (~10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and drained

4 skinless salmon fillets

salt

pepper

4 tbsp egg white

Lay out three sheets of puff pastry. Fold in half along a long side (hot dog style!). Squeeze out any remaining moisture in a quarter of the spinach and then spread evenly in a line along the middle of the puff pastry, about the same size as your salmon fillet. Place a salmon fillet on top. Season to taste. Fold a long side over the salmon, then the other long side, then both of the short sides. Flip the packet over.

Repeat with three remaining packets.

Slice thin slits through just the puff pastry in each fillet and then brush each packet with egg white.

Place two fillets at a time into the air fryer (assuming that is how many fits - which was true for me) and cook for 15 minutes at 350 F.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buns

2023-07-27T15:13:00.004-04:00

Cinnamon buns! I must admit, I was pretty new to this one. Growing up, cinnamon buns weren't a feature in my house. Sure, I'd occasionally fall prey to cinnabun like any other kid, but it wasn't something we made or focused on. They were vaguely out there but not overly on my radar. I'm not entirely sure why, then, that I woke up on a weekend recently and decided to surprise my kids with them but... wow, have I been missing out. These are surprisingly not so hard to make and are absolutely delicious. They are hot, with a slight crunch on the outside but warm and soft on the inside, with a delightfully sweet without being overly sweet topping. Needless to say, my kids (and husband) now ask for them regularly.

Are they the healthiest? Nope. But... are they worse than pancakes or french toast? I think not. So, I make them sparingly. I stick to one. (My kids sometimes go for more than one...) And I serve it with a giant bowl of fresh fruit. I wouldn't recommend diving into it all of the time, but I've lightened it where I could reasonably do so while maintaining the true quality of the cinnamon buns and every so often, I think it's fair to just dig in and enjoy!

Time: 45 min

Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

(filling)

1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. brown sugar

1.5 tsp cinnamon

(dough)

2 c. flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 c. canola oil

3/4 c. low fat buttermilk

(glaze)

4 oz low-fat or fat free cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp oat milk (or any milk)

1/2 tsp vanilla

First, before you do anything else, measure our the cream cheese and butter and leave them out to soften. You'll appreciate it later!

Next, get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees. Grease a round 9" cake pan and set aside for now.

You can now turn to the filling. If needed, soften the butter a bit longer in the microwave (use a medium level only) and mix it with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined and set aside for now.

Now it's time to turn to the dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through baking soda) until well mixed. Add the oil and stir gently just until incorporated... it will be lumpy and you want it to be! Do not over mix at this point. Add in the buttermilk and stir again just until blended. Then, knead one minute or until smooth. It will be soft, not like a bread, but should still hold it's shape.

Put some flour on your work surface to prevent sticking (but limit to what you need) and roll the dough out to a 15" x 8" rectangle. Spread the filling on top, but leave a 1/4" border on all sides. Then, starting at the long end, gently roll up the dough so you have a log. Leave the seam against the work surface to keep it from unfurling.

Cut your log into eight even pieces. I start by cutting in half, then again, then again. Put each round on its side in your pan. You can look at the photo here, but I get seven around and an eighth in the middle.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

While it's baking, turn to the glaze. Your cream cheese should be soft by now, so beat until it is smooth. (I use a hand mixer, personally!) Add the powdered sugar and beat again until incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla, and beat again. At this point, you should have a nice glaze.

When the cinnamon buns are done you should be able to dollop on top and instantly enjoy!

Beet Soup - Borscht!

2023-07-27T14:45:00.005-04:00

Is it really borsht? You can tell me, but it's an absolutely delicious beet soup that can be served warm or cold and is beloved by not just myself and my husband but our seven year old daughter. (Okay, my four and a half year old son is less interested but to be fair, he's interested in little that isn't chicken nuggets. Or ketchup. He REALLY loves ketchup.)

You'll notice that the soup pictured here is a pale red. I've made it a couple times now and it's interesting how much the flavor (and color) varies with beets chosen. The first time I made it, I used all red beets. It was, unsurprisingly, a deep rich red color and it was a very savory soup. This time I used one red beet, one golden beet, and two chioggia beets, which are the sweetest kind and an absolutely gorgeous red and white swirled pattern. This soup came out quite sweet. I enjoyed both but your preference will definitely depend on your sweet/savory preferences.

Time: 50 min

Beet Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp dried ginger

3-4 beets, peeled and chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

4-6 c. no salt vegetable broth

black pepper (as topping, to taste)

plain, low flat yogurt (as topping, to taste)

Get your olive oil heating in a large soup pot over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until nicely browned. Stir often enough to keep from burning and to cook evenly.

Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the beets, parsnip, and broth. You'll see I gave ranges... This will depend on the size of the beets and also how thick or thin you want your soup. Use four cups for a thick soup (think more winter-y) and six cups for a thinner soup. It won't be super thin, but it will be more like a tomato soup than a chowder. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or a regular blender if you prefer, but it will be a bit messier) to blend. You can leave it chunkier or blend all the way. I blended nearly all the way.

Serve with freshly ground black pepper and plain, low fat vanilla yogurt to dollop on top.

I served it hot when I cooked it but ate it cold the next day. Both work equally well!

Black Bean - Corn Enchiladas

2023-04-10T11:55:00.001-04:00

In my house, enchiladas are sorely underrated. We turn to tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, but ignore the ever-so-humble enchilada... and we miss out because of it. Finally, we've started to remedy this oversight and variations on these delicious enchiladas have now appeared several times. The best part? They not only come together quickly but can use a wide variety of (frozen!) veggies making this something you can dive into last minute when it's a post-work scramble to figure out a healthy dinner.

Unfortunately, I haven't quite convinced my kids to dive into these wholeheartedly yet but perhaps yours are more adventurous... and I hold out hope. Just keep in mind that these can have as much or as little of a kick as you want, so plan accordingly to tastes in your household. I share a relatively mild version below.

Time: 45 min (nearly all baking time)

Black Bean - Corn Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 can organic or low-salt black beans (organic tend to have lower salt)

1 frozen bag of corn (12-16 oz)

1 frozen bag of mushrooms (8-10 oz)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 bunch of green onion, chopped

8 oz shredded low fat mexican cheese

6 low-carb tortillas

2 10-oz cans enchilada sauce

Get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.

Rinse and drain the black beans well. (This does matter - otherwise the texture gets quite mushy.) Combine with the corn, mushrooms, cumin, chili powder, green onions, about 2/3 of the cheese, and about a third a can of enchilada sauce. There is no reason to defrost first - just combine and toss away. Pour the remaining 2/3 can of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the glass baking dish.

Take each tortilla and fill generously with the veggie mix. Roll up and place seem side down in the glass baking dish. Repeat until you have six enchiladas across the pan. This should be a snug fit. Have extra filling? No worries! Simply sprinkle that evenly across the top.

Pour the second can of enchilada sauce evenly across the top of the filled tortillas and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 bag of cheese across the top.

Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and then cover the enchiladas. (If you skip this then the cheese will stick to the foil!) Bake for 30-35 min. Enjoy!

Note: I often make two of these at the same time, putting the other into a foil baking dish. I then freeze it rather than baking it. When you're ready to eat it, let it defrost in the fridge overnight and just pop straight into the oven the next day.

Farro-Cauliflower Parmesan

2023-01-03T11:28:00.002-05:00

I had to trick my husband into this one. Not a huge fan of the 'parmesan' series of dishes and doubtful of tomato sauce mixed with veggies, he hesitated when I whipped this one up for dinner... but not for long. After some encouragement (and/or threats) he gave it a shot and it immediately became one of his favorites. The roasted cauliflower, the hearty and chewy farro, the cheese that is enough without being overpowering, all work together for an absolutely delicious combination that just hits the spot on a cool or wintry day.

This meal can also come together quite quickly! I note the time below with pre-cut cauliflower since, despite knowing it's somewhat ridiculous to pay extra for it, I do buy pre-cut florets for this meal. Between kids and work, it makes life a lot easier. Just add some time if you're cutting yourself. Also, do spring for fresh cauliflower. While I'm a huge fan of frozen veggies wherever you can use them, this is a time you'd end up with a soggy mess.

Time: 1 hr 10 min (nearly entirely baking time... just about 10 min hands-on!)

Please note: This recipe is adapted from a NY Times recipe.. mostly to make it healthier!

Farro-Cauliflower Parmesan

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs cauliflower florets

1 3/4 c farro (~12 oz) - NOT cooked

24 oz marinara (look for a low salt one... I like Wegmans amore marinara)

5 tsp olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

3 oz (~ 3/4 c) grated Parmesan

1.5 tsp sugar

1.5 tsp onion powder

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1.5 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 c whole wheat panko

4 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Get your oven pre-heating to 425 degrees and spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine (I do this directly in the glass dish but then you need to just be careful not to spill... can do a in a bowl first if you prefer) the cauliflower, farro, marinara, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, sugar, onion powder, balsamic vinegar, oregano, and black pepper. Since this is uncooked farro, add 1 2/3 c water. Stir well and, if you haven't yet, put it in the glass baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 min. Then, uncover it, stir well, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

While it's baking, combine the remaining 2 tsp olive oil with the panko. Toss well until the panko sticks together in little clumps. When the dish is done baking through the above times, remove it from the oven but keep the oven on. Sprinkle the panko mix evenly across the top. Put the thinly sliced fresh mozzarella across the top. Return to oven for five minutes or until the cheese has melted. Enjoy!

Grilled Portobello Burger

2022-07-13T13:49:00.005-04:00

I must admit - I might be biased on this one. I *love* portobello burgers. Or rather, I just love mushrooms of all kinds. But even for the more discerning mushroom eaters out there, I think these are worth trying. It's not because it's a meat substitute... it's just because it's good. This is a delicious meal all by itself without the need for comparing it to other things or sticking it in a group.

The trick here, of course, is marinating the mushrooms. Give them time to soak up the delicious flavors of balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and more, before grilling them. Don't worry, while the marinading takes a few minutes to sit, the rest comes together quite quickly. I then served my mushrooms with cheese, tomato, and aioli, all of which are in the menu below, but you should feel free to embellish however you like. Grilled (or not) red onion, leafy greens of some sort, and avocado would all be great additions as well!

Time: 50 min

Grilled Portobello Burger

Ingredients:

4 portobello burger caps

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbs fresh, diced)

4 onion rolls (or other buns)

4 extra thin slices cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

1 tbsp ketchup, no sodium added

1 tbsp low-fat mayo

1 tbsp creole mustard (or creole honey mustard)

tomatoes

Clean and prep the portobellos. Lightly blot them dry.

Mix together the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, and rosemary. Place the mushrooms in a flat dish (I used a glass baking dish) just big enough to hold them and pour the marinade over them. Let sit for 30 min, flipping the mushrooms and swishing the marinade over them again halfway through.

When the mushrooms have 5-10 min to go, get your grill heating to medium. When the time is up, remove the mushrooms from the marinade and grill, 5-10 min per side, depending on the size of the caps. You want them to be tender but still hold their shape. Use the rest of the marinade to baste regularly throughout this process.

While the mushrooms are cooking, place a slice of cheese on the bottom half of each roll and lightly toast them. Mix together the ketchup, mayo, and mustard to make a Creole Aioli. Spread that over the top half of each bun.

When the mushrooms are ready, place one on each roll and top with fresh tomato. Enjoy!

Broccoli-Cheddar Cauli Soup

2022-03-09T16:33:00.004-05:00

Cauliflower puree (or CauliCreme at Wegmans) is one of my favorite products. It's 100% cauliflower yet makes a fantastic, rich, creamy base for sauces or soups. Want to make an "alfredo" sauce? Use this. Want to make a creamy pesto sauce? Use this. Want to make any of a variety of rich, velvety, chowder-like or bisque-like soups? Use this! Yet...without the guilt while also sneaking some delicious vegetables into your diet. I've used it for mushroom soup, corn soup, crab chowder, and more. Get creative and share your best ideas in the comments. (And, of course, check back as I try to post a few more ideas and recipes.)

This recipe does use some cheese, but the soups are equally delicious without it. When I've done seafood chowders or mushroom soup, it's fully vegan. The basic idea also always remains the same... saute some aromatics for a base, add some veggies, and then add the cauliflower puree and broth in varying quantities depending on your goal texture. I have typically been doing around two cups of my homemade salt-free vegetable broth (if you aren't using vegetable scraps, or frankly chicken bones or shrimp shells, to make broth, you are definitely missing out) to one back of Wegman's Caulicreme and that creates a bisque-like texture. Obviously, this allows for customization. So what are you waiting for? Whip up some soup and add a (whole grain) bread or salad for a delicious and healthy winter meal!

Time: 20 min

Broccoli-Cheddar Cauli Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 large sweet onion (e.g. vidalia), chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

16 oz frozen broccoli

16 oz frozen CauliCreme or cauliflower puree (you can also make your own and freeze it)

2 c salt free vegetable broth

1/2 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese

black pepper

Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. Give it a couple minutes to heat and then add the onions. Saute for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, or until just starting to brown. Add the garlic and saute for another three minutes.

When the onions are fully cooked, add the frozen broccoli. Saute for a minute and then add in the cauliflower puree and broth. If you, like me, make a lot of broth and then freeze it, you can just toss it in frozen here.... there is no need to defrost in advance. Cover the pot and turn down to medium. Stir occasionally to encourage melting and keep everything from burning, but let the frozen ingredients melt fully. This shouldn't take more than about five or so minutes.

When everything is melted, stir well and then use an immersion blender to blend to your desired preference. I like my soups creamy, so I blend until the broccoli is fairly small, as you can see in the picture. Turn the soup to medium low and add the cheddar cheese and black pepper. Stir to fully incorporate. As soon as the cheddar is melted, remove from heat and enjoy.

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

2022-01-26T09:42:00.005-05:00

Interestingly, while I'm a lifelong vegetarian, I haven't always loved black bean burgers. It was unfortunate since up until a few years ago, that was the main substitute for meat. (I have always loved mushrooms, though!) However, even during that phase, a friend made me homemade black bean burgers with a recipe very close to this one. Since she'd already planned a vegetarian meal just for me, I said nothing, shot a look at my husband to ensure he wouldn't, and chomped away. And... it was delicious. I realized I'd been missing out with dry, flavorless versions at many restaurants that were only tossing in a vegetarian option as an overthought. I began to experiment with my own version and today, these are a favorite in my house.

Black beans do bring a lot of calories, but they are also incredibly filling with lots of vitamins and nutrients, so you don't need much to satisfy you. Just ensure you are buying low-salt or no-salt versions *and* rinsing them off really well. Not only is that key to getting the right texture in this recipe, but it also will get rid of any salt that is remaining. Otherwise, a healthy dinner will quickly leave your sodium skyrocketing. You'll also see I use a little bit of cheese inside mine for an extra burst of flavor and delightful surprise. You can easily leave this out if you prefer, or even tuck something else inside. Like... more guacamole. Who doesn't want more guacamole?!?

Time: 30 min

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 large sweet onion, cut into a few wedges

2 garlic cloves, peeled

14-oz can black beans, low sodium preferred

1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs

2 tsp cajun seasoning

1/4 c egg whites

1/4 c shredded cheese (any type you like - I usually use a mexican mix)

1 ripe avocado

1 tomato, sliced

4 whole grain onion rolls or any favorite rolls

Get your oven pre-heating to 350.

Toss the onion and garlic into a food processor and process until they are finely chopped. Dump the black beans into a colander, rinse really well, and toss until excess water is all removed. This is key for burger texture but also removing excess salt. Add the black beans to the food processor, with the onion and garlic, and process until mashed. This goes quickly! Scrape the mixture out into a bowl.

Add the bread crumbs, cajun seasoning, and egg white to the bowl as well. You can be flexible on the bread crumb front. I use Wegmans seasoned bread crumbs that have some romano cheese, garlic, and onion. You can certainly go simpler, but I'm a fan. The best part is that these are also whole grain without advertising it. Wegmans is the queen of sneaking in whole grains without making it a big deal, which I absolutely love. Mix well until evenly combined. It should be a thicker texture, stickier than a dough but definitely moldable. If it's too runny, you likely didn't rinse and shake your beans well enough.

Split into four portions. Mold each one into a patty and then use your thumb to hollow out a hole. Add 1 tsp of shredded cheese to each and then fold the sides back over and smush (technical word) together so that the cheese isn't visible and is stuffed in the middle of the burger. Place the burgers on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through.

While the burgers are baking, lightly toast the buns and mash the avocado. You can add a little more fresh garlic to it to taste. Split the mashed avocado and sliced tomato between the four burgers and enjoy!

Tofu Pad See Ew

2021-12-22T11:53:00.003-05:00

I am a sucker for Thai food. Even more specifically, I am a sucker for Thai noodle dishes. The appetizers, curries, and salads are all delicious and I could happily enjoy them consistently, but when it comes to the noodles, I simply cannot get enough. And my very favorite? Pad see ew. The dark, slightly sweet sauce and thick rice noodles are amazing. When you add in some vegetables and crispy tofu, it's simply delightful. Unfortunately, it also comes with quite a lot of salt and racks up the calories rather quickly. Getting take out from my favorite thai restaurant means carefully considering calories all day and keeping my portion in check at dinner time. Luckily, it doesn't have to be that way!

This at-home pad see ew keeps the sauce but downplays the salt. Meanwhile, I use brown rice noodles to bulk up the fiber in place of processed grains and pile on the vegetables. The best part? You can customize. I used brocoletti, which is often used in pad see ew, but I also added in king oyster mushrooms en masse. Mushrooms are not a typical vegetable for pad see ew, but I love them and will add them to any and everything as often as possible. Feel free to customize to your favorites.

And, you'll also note the noodles are thin. Unfortunately, I cannot find thick wide rice noodles near me, but that would be more authentic. Luckily, the taste stays the same regardless!

Time: 30 min

(Note: this is using one pan for all the stir frying.. it simplifies clean-up but lengthens time. If you use multiple pans to stir fry everything at once, the time could easily drop to 20 min.)

Tofu Pad See Ew

Ingredients:

8 oz brown rice noodles

4 tsp sesame oil

16 oz king oyster mushrooms (I told you I love them)

16 oz brocoletti

13 oz frozen tofu, thawed* (or double for a lot of leftovers), cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2 c egg white

2 tbsp dark soy sauce (note: this IS different from regular soy sauce)

2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce**

2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp white vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp water

*I love frozen tofu, like this one at Wegmans. However, not all groceries offer this. If you don't have the option, go with extra firm but make sure you drain it well for a long time. The frozen tofu is not in water so crisps up immediately in the pan.

**While you can use regular oyster sauce, the vegetarian oyster sauce offers a lot less salt content, usually, compared to the regular oyster sauce. It also makes this meal entirely vegetarian if you are serving to those who are keeping track!

Follow the instructions to get your brown rice noodles cooking. If there are options, do the fully cooked option.

While the noodles are cooking, get a pan heating over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 tsp sesame oil, swirling to coat. Saute the king oyster mushrooms for 8-10 minutes or until browned on both sides. Remove and set in a bowl.

As the mushrooms are sauteing, steam the brocoletti for six minutes. I use a bamboo steamer on a wok to do this. If you don't have that, you can actually add the brocoletti to a microwave-safe dish, add about 1/2 c of water, and microwave for around five minutes - then drain well. This is actually healthier than boiling which leaches vitamins into the water (which is then discarded!)

Add another tsp sesame oil, swirling to coat. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the tofu and saute for 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and add to the same bowl holding the mushrooms.

While the tofu is cooking, make the pad see ew sauce. Mix together the dark soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, soy sauce, white vinegar, sugar, and water. Whisk well until sugar is dissolved. Set aside for now.

Add one more tsp of sesame oil, again swirling to coat. Pour in the egg white and scramble. This will cook in just 1-2 minutes so stir constantly and keep a close eye to keep it from burning. Add the egg white to the bowl with the tofu and mushrooms.

Finally, add the last tsp of sesame oil to the pan, swirling to coat. Turn the heat back to medium high. Add the drained and cooked rice noodles and the pad see ew sauce. Mix well and then let the noodles sit on the hot pan for a couple minutes. The goal is to get them slightly caramelized which lends to the rich, sweet flavor. Stir occasionally but not constantly, cooking for around five minutes.

Add the reserved mushrooms, tofu, brocoletti, and egg white to the noodles. Toss well to combine. Enjoy!

Shrimp Po'Boy and Caesar-ish Salad

2021-09-29T15:07:00.003-04:00

Have I mentioned my unbridled love for po'boys? Yet I feel like I need to caveat that. I love them... but only certain ones. Heavy, thickly-breaded, deep-fried shrimp? No thanks. More sauce than shrimp? I'll pass. But crusty fresh bread with some flavorful sauce, luscious shrimp, and crispy vegetables? Yes, please! My all-time favorite sandwich shop, Woodrows, has an amazing po'boy and I used to indulge in it regularly. Unfortunately, a few years ago we moved away and a po'boy sized hole in my life opened up. I'm now happy to say that while it may not be a Woodrows sandwich, I've found a way to satisfy my craving in a relatively healthy manner. Best of all, it comes together quickly. So get moving and enjoy your own version at home right now!

And one more quick suggestion... I tend to pair my po'boys with a crispy "caesar-ish" salad. I've already purchased the romaine for the sandwich and it provides a perfect, light complement that will leave you satisfied but not overly stuffed.

Time: 1 hr 15 min (mostly marinating time)

Shrimp Po'Boy

Time: 1 hr 15 min (mostly marinating time)

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed

1 c low fat buttermilk

1 c flour

3/4 c cornmeal or masa

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp fat free mayo

1 tbsp low sodium ketchup

1.5 tbsp creole mustard or creole honey mustard

2 tsp olive oil

1 loaf ciabatta cut into 3-4 sandwiches or other bread/rolls of choice

1 tomato, sliced

1 handful romaine leaves

Put the shrimp in a bowl and pour in the buttermilk. Mix well to coat and set in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate. Meanwhile, mix together all of the ingredients from flour to black pepper. You can also now make the sauce. Mix together the ketchup, mayo, and creole mustard. Stir well and refrigerate until needed.

When the shrimp is done marinating, drain the shrimp to remove any excess buttermilk. Toss the shrimp in the flour-cornmeal mixture. This would also be a good time to get your rolls or bread toasting.

Put the olive oil in a large fry pan and swirl to coat. Heat over medium heat. Add the shrimp in an even layer and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until fully cooked.

To serve, spread the sauce on a piece of toasted bread. Top with shrimp, tomato, and romaine. Enjoy!

Casear-ish Salad

Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1/4 c fat free mayo

1.5 tsp dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp grated Parmesan

1.5 tsp olive oil

3 romaine hearts

croutons (optional)

Mix together all ingredients from mayo to olive oil. Stir well. You can refrigerate or use immediately.

Wash the lettuce and tear into salad-sized pieces. Drizzle the sauce over the top and toss well. Top with croutons or any other garnishment of your choice. Enjoy!

Southwestern Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

2021-08-30T15:47:00.000-04:00

I must admit - the first time I saw this recipe I more or less kept skimming. I like sweet potatoes but do not necessarily seek them out consistently. I have a similar feeling about black beans (a good black bean burger? Great! But endless black bean recipes? Eh...) but as I flipped pages looking for inspiration a few weeks ago, this recipe stuck out a bit more. It seemed to hit a lot of great points and in the dog days of summer, seemed like a hearty enough dish to satisfy without being overly heavy in this sweltering heat.

The verdict? I'm officially chastened that I didn't give this recipe its due earlier. It was easy to make and absolutely delicious, hitting all the right notes of sweet and savory and leaving me satisfied but not overstuffed. My husband couldn't agree me, though my five year old preferred her sweet potato plain and my picky 2.5 year old son refused to consider it. His hilarious food groups: chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, lox, and brioche. That's right. He eats about four things total but those include lox and brioche (not together.) Anyway, get going on this recipe and don't leave it waiting like I did!

Time: 30 min

Southwestern Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 large green tomato (or 3 tomatillos)

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/4 c quinoa, uncooked

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean

1 can unsalted black beans, drained and rinsed

1.5 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 c sweet white onion, diced

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 c labneh (I make my own using plain yogurt... can also just sub plain yogurt here)

1/4 c crumbled queso fresco

Get your broiler heating on low. Slice your green tomato in quarters. Place it and the unpeeled garlic cloves on a broiler pan and broil for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside to cool.

While that is broiling, prepare the quinoa according to the directions on the box.

Prick the clean sweet potatoes all over with a fork and put on a microwavable plate. Microwave for about 12 minutes. Then let cool.

You can now turn to the various other toppings while those cook. Place the black beans, lime juice, oregano, and cumin in a bowl. Toss well to combine. Set aside or on the table - this part is done!

Mix together the labneh and the queso fresco and set aside or on the table.

At this point, you can turn back to the previously cooking items. For the salsa, remove and discard the garlic cloves. Put the green tomatoes and garlic in a small food processor and pulse just until chopped.

Slice the cooked sweet potatoes in half. Use a fork to scrape and fluff the inside a bit so that it will be easier to cut and eat when topped.

To eat, top each half a sweet potato with bean mixture, salsa verde, and then the yogurt-queso mix. Top with hot sauce if you prefer. Enjoy!

Tapas! Gambas al Ajillo and Patatas Bravas

2021-08-11T10:04:00.006-04:00

Who doesn't enjoy a tapas night? Facing more weeks at home and getting bored of the same recipes, we decided to go for some tastes of Spain. It became a family affair, with the kids helping peel endless cloves of garlic, mix sauces, and, of course, sneak endless bites throughout the process. We played flamenco music in the background, which is surprisingly soothing, and it became a night to remember. I won't go so far as to say my extremely picky toddler tried most of this food (what child won't even try potatoes?!?) but he at least loved the process of making them and my young daughter (four at the time) couldn't get enough.

In fact, this meal was so popular that we repeated it a few weeks later for our first extended family meal in a year - which took place outside at separate tables, and we still wore masks other than eating - but it was special indeed. I'm a little behind so this all happened April 2021. We made three times the shrimp and potatoes listed below (which meant peeling 42 cloves of garlic...) and added in a mix of traditional Passover foods, including homemade matzah, and it hit the spot. Just ignore the part about shrimp at a Passover seder and it was incredible. So dig in and make your own!

You'll also see some crusty bread in the picture. I highly recommend making some to sop up the amazing sauces on the shrimp and potatoes. We obviously couldn't do that on Passover (yes, shrimp okay, bread not... don't ask too many questions) but it was incredible. I also tried my hand at gazpacho which only turned out 'eh' so I won't put that recipe here. Please send in your own if you have a good one, though!

Time: 45 min

Patatas Bravas

Time: 40 min

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs small potatoes, cut into 1" pieces (e.g. fingerlings, small red)

2 tbsp white vinegar

1/4 c. low fat mayo

5 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp canola oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1.5 tsp paprika

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1/4 tsp sugar

Add the potatoes and white vinegar to a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 4-5 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, get the oven pre-heating to 450 degrees.

While the potatoes are boiling, you can make the white aioli. Mix together the mayo, three tbsp olive oil, and two minced garlic cloves. Set aside. (Note: if you store it, it may separate, so just stir well again before serving!)

Toss the drained potatoes with the canola oil, salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Put on a parchment lined cookie sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

While the potatoes are roasting, you can now turn to the red sauce. Heat the remaining two tsp olive oil on medium heat in a small pot. In a small blender, blend the can of diced tomatoes, diced onion, remaining two cloves of garlic, sugar, and remaining 1 tsp paprika. Pour the blended tomato mixture into the pot with hot oil. Simmer gently for 5-6 minutes.

To serve, place potatoes on a plate and drizzle the red sauce and white sauce over the top. Don't store like this or the potatoes will get soggy, so it on a plate just as you are ready to eat. And try not to inhale all of them immediately...!

Shrimp al Ajillo

Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1/2 c olive oil

10 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp red pepper

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp dry sherry or other white wine

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Pat the shrimp very dry and sprinkle them with salt. (You can skip the salt if you prefer.. I do use it but only the 1/8 tsp at the very most and sometimes less.)

Get a large fry pan heating over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. It seems like a lot, but it is the base for the sauce and not just for sauteing. Add the garlic and pepper an cook, stirring constantly, for 30-60 seconds or just until fragrant. Make sure you do not burn the garlic.

Add the shrimp and paprika. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until shrimp are cooked. It is very easy to overcook shrimp and then they become rubbery. Make sure they turn pink and opaque and then immediately remove from the heat.

Stir in the sherry and lemon juice. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the amazing garlic topping. Enjoy!

Russia: Lox and Creme Fraiche Blini with Cabbage Pirog

2021-07-20T14:28:00.007-04:00

COVID has brought many changes... but a not-so-terrible one has been a new project with my young daughter - studying a "country/state of the week." Each week, she spins her globe (or US map) and randomly selects a country she wants to learn about throughout the next seven days. This includes things like geography, animals, culture, dancing, music... and food. Each week, we plan and cook a meal from that country together. This one? Russia! While I wasn't immediately excited by a Russian meal, it turns out that Pirog is absolutely delicious. This more or less giant pot pie filled with cabbage, is surprisingly flavorful, deep, warm, hearty, and satisfying. While "cabbage pie" wasn't an immediate best-seller with my family from the name, after digging in we all agreed that this is a keeper.

Since no Russian meal would be complete without some blini, we made some of those, too. These mini pancakes were a fast hit with not only my daughter but my increasingly picky son! We made them with creme fraiche and lox for a delightful appetizer.. or main course in my two year old's mind!

Time: 2 hrs

Cabbage Pirog Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:
2.25 tsp yeast
2/3 c lukewarm milk
1 egg (second optional)
1 c. butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3.75 c flour
1 cabbage, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
black pepper
1 tbsp dried dill

First, the dough needs to be made. Combine the yeast and milk and let it sit for five minutes or until foamy. Then add one (non hard-boiled) egg, butter, 1/4 salt, and sugar. Slowly stir in 3.25 c of flower. Begin kneading and continue for about three minutes. Add additional flour if needed. Shape it into a ball and set it to rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, you can turn your attention to the filling. Blanch the cabbage for about three minutes and then drain well.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage and onion and saute for about 15-20 minutes or until nearly cooked. Add in the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, 4 hard boiled eggs, black pepper, and dill. Toss well.

Get your oven pre-heating to 375 degrees.

Knead the dough again and let it rest for another 10-15 minutes. You can do this while you finish saute-ing depending on how the time works out.

Divide the dough in half. Roll it into a rectangle. Place half of the dough in the bottom of a greased 13x9 glass baking dish. Spoon the filling evenly throughout. Place the other half of the dough on top and crimp around the edges to form a seal. Brush with a little mixed water and egg across the top (optional). Cut several slits to allow steam to escape. Bake for 40 min.

Lox and Creme Fraiche Blinis

Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1 c flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 c + 2 tbsp milk

1 egg

1 tbsp butter, melted

creme fraiche

Nova lox

Combine all of the ingredients through butter and whisk well.

Get a pan heating over medium low heat. Add a single tablespoon of batter at a time. Cook for about a minute per side or until cooked through. It will depend on your stove.

Top with creme fraiche and lox - or any other choices!

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Cashew Crema and Roasted Garlic Bread

2020-10-07T11:21:00.004-04:00

This one is definitely entering the rotation! It took a little advance planning since the cashews needed soaking for quite a few hours and cauliflower needs at least 30 minutes to roast, but once that part is done the tacos actually come together pretty quickly. And that planning is absolutely worth it. The cashew crema is so rich in flavor, absolutely luxurious while being completely guilt free and full of healthy nutrients, while the roasted cauliflower brings nutty sweetness that will delight absolutely anyone. I finished it off with some crunchy romaine and creamy, fresh avocado.

While not exactly a traditional pairing, I bowed in to some family clamoring (from both husband and kids) and made some fresh roasted garlic bread in my breadmaker to finish out the meal. I have been long trying to find a way to make garlic bread in the breadmaker that actually tastes garlic-y. This method, of first roasting a whole head of garlic, adds one extra step but still allows the ease of setting a loaf in the morning before work and having it done when you get home... and at long last, it has a rich garlic flavor that is sure to delight everyone. I encourage you to give it a shot!

Time: 5 hours (but only about 30 min hands-on time throughout that)

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Cashew Crema

Time: 5 hours (mostly soaking time)

Ingredients:

1 c raw cashews

1/2 c water

lime juice

1/4 c cilantro

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 garlic clove

1 head of cauliflower

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1 avocado, sliced

romaine leaves

tortillas (whole wheat or corn)

Soak the cashews in water for at least four hours and up to eight hours. Drain, reserving 1/2 c water if available (or just use other water if not available.) Place the drained cashews, 1/2 c water, lime juice, cilantro, onion powder, and garlic clove in a blender or small food processor. Process/blend until you've reached a creamy texture. Set aside (and try not to eat it all immediately.)

Get your oven pre-heating to 375. Slice your cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Toss them with the cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until caramelized on the edges. The exact time will depend on the size of the florets. Make sure you also space them evenly on a cookie sheet (or two) since if they are touching they will steam instead of roasting and you will never achieve caramelization. The air needs to circulate around the florets.

Warm your tortillas. For each taco, spread the cashew crema on the tortilla and then top with roasted cauliflower, romaine leaves, and sliced avocado. Delicious!

Roasted Garlic Bread

Time: 5 hrs (but just 15 min of hands on time)

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic + 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 c water

1/3 c low fat or oat milk

2 3/4 c bread flour

1/3 c Parmesan, grated

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1.5 tsp yeast

Get your oven pre-heating to 375. Pull off the outer layers of your garlic head so the cloves are all still attached and wrapped but there is no outer paper layer. Wrap the head in foil. Roast for one hour. When the garlic is done roasting, unwrap the foil and let cool for a few minutes until it is safe to touch. Squeeze out each clove into a small bowl. Mash with a fork and add the butter. Microwave for 30 seconds or until the butter is melted. Add the olive oil and mix well until the garlic is fully mixed/mashed into the liquid.

Add all of the remaining ingredients (water through yeast) to your breadmaker in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer. (In my case, this means liquid first, then solids, and yeast last in a little hole on top of the other solids.)

Set your bread machine (white crust, medium crust) and when you get to the raisin signal (in my case, my breadmaker just beeps a bunch then) open up the lid and add the roasted garlic/oil mixture. Let the bread continue until the end of the cycle. Enjoy!

Tilapia Po'Boy and Cold Blueberry Soup

2020-09-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

It has been a while! Turns out that two young children, a full time job, an adjunct faculty position, volunteer commitments, and a global pandemic do not leave a lot of time for other activities. Yet, I am cooking more than ever these days and am constantly experimenting and looking for new recipes and options. I continue to focus on speed yet health and whole foods, quite a difference from my pre-children days whenever everything was made from scratch, but I also look for constant variety.

In this case, I had been craving my favorite shrimp po'boy sandwich from Woodruffs in Philadelphia... but living in a suburb, I don't get there too often, and especially not now when we go absolutely nowhere. I also recognize that while amazingly delicious, it likely isn't the healthiest option out there. So my solution? A healthy po'boy that hits the same notes but with little guilt. I chose to pair it with a chilled blueberry soup since for some reason I put that in the same 'southern' category, but really, what doesn't go with a delicious po'boy?!? So let's get to it!

Total Time: 4.5 hours (nearly all chilling time for the soup)

Tilapia Po'Boy

Time: 12 min

Ingredients:

3/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lb tilapia

2 tsp olive oil

6 brioche rolls (look for whole grain)

1/4 c low fat mayo

1 tbsp Creole mustard

1 tbsp no salt added ketchup

6 romaine leaves

1 beefsteak tomato

Mix together the paprika, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Rub it on both sides of the tilapia. Then get a pan heating over medium to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat evenly. When the oil is hot, put the tilapia fillets in. Cook for 4-5 minutes then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside.

While the tilapia is cooking, split your brioche rolls and lightly toast them to your preference. Note that I buy Wegman's brioche rolls. I love Wegmans because any fresh bread you buy there uses whole wheat flour even though they do not specifically advertise that. If you are purchasing elsewhere, do seek out something whole grin even if you need to change the roll type.

After getting the rolls toasting, while the fish is still cooking, turn to the other two steps. Mix together the mayo, creole mustard, and ketchup. Don't have creole mustard? No problem. Use Dijon mustard with a splash of Worcestshire sauce. Finally, slice up the tomato and tear up the lettuce.

To enjoy, spread Creole sauce on one half of your toasted roll. Pile on the tilapia, tomato, and lettuce. Enjoy!

Chilled Blueberry Soup

Time: 4.25 hrs (just 10 min hands on time)

Ingredients:

4 c fresh blueberries (can also use frozen)

1 c orange juice

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp salt

1 pint fat free half and half

Put the blueberries, orange juice, sugar, and cinnamon in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure everything is mixed evenly and the sugar is fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice salt.

Pour into a freezer-friendly container and chill until cold. This will take likely four hours and may be easier to do overnight or while you're at work. Stir in the half and half and enjoy.

Spinach-Artichoke-Cheese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

2019-04-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

Fancy enough for a party but fast enough* for a weeknight? Count. me. in. This spaghetti squash not only came with a stunning presentation in its shell, but was rich and creamy with surprisingly little cheese - leaving you feeling indulgent and healthy all at once. I'll definitely be making it again!

*Fast enough... a relative term. These days, I aim for meals that can be on the table less than 30 minutes after starting them. With a full-time job and two little ones at home, evenings are always a rush and if healthy food can be served quickly, then everyone is happier. In this case, though, I actually cheated. I work at home and popped the squash in the oven a while earlier to let it roast. This took all of two minutes and the rest waited until dinner time. I really many may not have that luxury. However, rest assured! If you do not have time to do that, I'm including some notes with a microwave shortcut. It will work just fine, but if you are able to go my route, the roasting really will lend an extra caramelization and depth of flavor that makes it worth it.

Time: 1 h 15 (25 min active time).. or 35 min if using microwave method

Spinach-Artichoke-Cheese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2 tsp olive oil
10 oz baby spinach
10-oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
5 oz garlic-herb boursin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 c grated pecorino romano

Get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees. Cut your spaghetti squash in half and scoop out all of the seeds. Place, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 40-50 minutes. (No time for roasting? Place the squash, cut side down, in a microwave-safe dish and add a couple tablespoons of water. Microwave uncovered for 10-15 minutes.) When it's done, flip over to cool so that it cools more quickly.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the spinach and cook 2-3 minutes or just until wilted. Add the thawed, chopped artichoke hearts to let them lightly brown a little for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and put in a large bowl.

Then, when the squash is done and cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape all of the spaghetti squash strands from the shell. Add to the bowl with artichokes and spinach. Leave the shells on the baking sheet.

Add the boursin (might want to crumble it in) and black pepper to the bowl and toss well to mix everything. Divide the mixture between the two squash shells, stuffing them like you would a baked potato. Sprinkle the pecorino romano over the top.

Broil for 3 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Or, if you're like me and prepped the squash well in advance, bake for 10 min first to re-heat and then broil. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Tahini-Banana Whole Wheat Mini-Muffins

2019-03-11T15:03:00.002-04:00

I LOVE THESE. And apparently I'm not the only one. I now make double batches of these (single batch listed below) and put them in a two-gallon ziploc bag on our counter. I'm still not sure who consumes the most in the household, but my husband, my daughter, and I all swiftly snag them as we pass by and a few more always disappear when either of my parents is over to visit or babysit.

But it makes sense! What's not to love? They are full of delicious banana, velvety, nutty tahini, and sweet bits of chocolate. Did I also mention they have no butter (but do have some oil) and only use whole wheat flour, making these entirely whole grain? Not only are they absolutely delicious, but the loads of fiber and protein also make them extremely satisfying. A single mini-muffin is filling and hearty, leaving you happy without splurging on loads of fat and calories. So what are you waiting for? Get cooking and enjoy these delicious bites right away!

Time: 15 min to mix, 18 min to bake... so depends how many muffin tins you have!

Chocolate-Tahini-Banana Whole Wheat Mini-Muffins
Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas
2 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 c low fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 c tahini (I strongly recommend Soom's Tahini which is unbelievably smooth and velvet-y)
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 c egg substitute
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 c white sugar
1 c semi-sweet chocolate morsels

(this recipe makes ~20 mini muffins... I frequently double it)

Get your oven pre-heating to 375 degrees and coat a mini muffin tray with cooking spray. Set aside for now.

Place the bananas in a medium or large mixing bowl and mash well. I like to use a potato masher for this, but a fork could work, too. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate morsels. Mix well with a spatula until completely even. It will be slightly sticky with the texture of a cookie batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill the mini muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes. Test with a toothpick to ensure they are done, let cool, and enjoy! Try not to eat them all at once...

Tofu "Cheesesteaks"

2019-01-23T15:36:00.002-05:00

I've made these twice now and I cannot get enough of them. And no, you don't have to be a vegetarian to feel that way. My husband, who is a big fan of eating nearly everything under the sun, loves these as well. While he certainly enjoys a real cheesesteak as well (which is a requirement for living in and around Philadelphia) he finds these absolutely delicious and frequently requests them. So vegetarian and omnivore alike, dig in and click below to get these on the dinner table as quickly as possible.

I must also apologize to all Philadelphia residents out there... there is no cheese whiz here. Note the quotations on cheesesteak above and please consider eating them regardless...!

Time: 40 min

Tofu "Cheesesteaks"

Ingredients:
16 oz sliced mushrooms
1 large vidalia onion, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp BBQ seasoning (I used this one but use any you like - but watch the salt!)
2 blocks of frozen tofu, thawed (I love this one from Wegman's) or if no frozen available, buy extra firm and press all moisture out
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 loaf of brioche, sliced
8 slices of Havarti

Get your grill pre-heating to medium-high. Place the mushrooms and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over top and sprinkle on the BBQ seasoning. Toss well to coat evenly. Place in foil grilling bags (I just use a large sheet of foil and fold it in a packet around them) and grill for about 20 minutes.

While those are cooking, cut your tofu into 8 strips. Spread the BBQ sauce evenly on both sides. Add to the grill, over medium if your grill is large enough to allow different areas to have different temperatures, and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Add the brioche to the grill and top with sliced cheese. Toast for 2 minutes.

To enjoy, layer a slice of brioche with cheese with tofu, mushrooms, and onions. Top with a toasted brioche slice without cheese. Enjoy!