Busy in Brooklyn – Modernizing traditional food, one dish at a time.

When dinner is so good, I forget that the camera eats first! So I need to take a screenshot from my video for my blog (ie please excuse the horrible photo lol!)

If you love chicken shawarma and you love a good one-pan dinner, this one’s for you! Pillowy gnocchi gets tossed with juicy tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, and warm shawarma spices, then topped with generously seasoned chicken and roasted until golden. As everything bakes, the tomatoes break down, the chicken releases its flavorful juices, and the gnocchi soaks up all that shawarma goodness, getting tender on the inside with deliciously caramelized edges. It’s hearty, comforting, packed with flavor, and best of all, there’s no need to boil the gnocchi first. Just toss everything into a baking dish and let the oven do the work!

Chicken Gnocchi Shawarma Bake

1 package (16 oz) vacuum-packed gnocchi
1 small red onion, diced small
1 large ripe, juicy tomato, diced
5 1/2 tbsp shawarma seasoning, divided
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste
Chicken pieces of choice (legs, thighs, or boneless or bone-in)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a baking dish, combine the gnocchi, red onion, tomato, 1 1/2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning, 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt. Toss until evenly coated and spread into an even layer.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining shawarma seasoning, olive oil and salt to form a paste. Rub the mixture all over the chicken pieces, coating them generously. Arrange the seasoned chicken over the gnocchi mixture.

Bake uncovered for approximately 40-50 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the gnocchi is tender with caramelized edges.

Note: Cooking time will vary depending on the chicken pieces used. Boneless chicken will cook faster than bone-in pieces. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Related Recipes:

Sheet Pan Roasted Fish & Gnocchi

The Kugel Chronicles: Yerushalmi Kugel

On September 22, 2026

by chanie

Leave a Comment

There’s something about the smell of burnt caramel that just screams fall to me.

Maybe it’s because, for me, Yerushalmi kugel is wrapped up in memories of Sukkot and Simchas Torah—of growing up in Crown Heights, on the block of 770, the epicenter of Chabad, when thousands of people would come from all over to spend the holidays by the Rebbe. My mother would cook a feast, and the table would be overflowing with turkeys, stuffed chickens, rice, salads, cakes, and kugels. Lots and lots of kugels.

My mother is the kugel queen. Me? Not so much.

So I invited my mother over recently to make her Yerushalmi kugel with me, and I thought, why don’t we turn this into a series? if anyone deserves her own kugel series, it’s my mother. Her potato kugel is legendary in our family, but that’s just the beginning. There’s broccoli kugel, sweet lokshen kugel, salt-and-pepper lokshen kugel, sweet potato kugel, apple kugel—and I’m pretty sure she has a few more hiding up her sleeve.

But back to the kugel at hand: Yerushalmi. My father OBM, who grew up in Bnei Brak, taught my mom to make it, and she mastered it! Unliked the baked versions, this kugel is fried on the stovetop, for extra crispiness. The secret to this kugel is in the almost burnt caramel, and every time I’ve ever tried to make it, I burnt it! The smell of the caramelized sugar hitting the noodles immediately takes me back to my childhood in the best possible way. It’s Sukkos on a plate.

I’ve spent so many years sharing my own recipes here, but there’s something incredibly special about going back to the recipes I grew up with and getting into the kitchen with the woman who taught me what it means to feed people.

So consider this chapter one of The Kugel Chronicles.

We’re starting with Yerushalmi kugel—the one that smells like burnt caramel, tastes like Yom Tov, and brings me straight back to those crowded, beautiful Simchas Torah meals in Crown Heights.

And trust me, we’re just getting started.

Yerushalmi Kugel

16oz. fine egg noodles (see note)
1 cup canola oil + 1/4 cup to coat the pan
1 cup granulated sugar + 5 tbsp, divided
1 tbsp course grind black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
4 eggs

Method:

Cook the egg noodles until soft, drain and rinse lightly with water (we want some of those starches but we don’t want it to stick together). Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a stainless steel skillet, combine 1 cup oil and 1 cup sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar darkens to a deep caramel and the oil starts to bubble, stirring constantly. The sugar will start to clump up at first, but be patient, it will melt again and start to turn golden, then darker, and finally amber. It is ok if the oil and sugar separate.

As soon as the oil starts to lightly bubble, pour the mixture over the noodles and stir immediately until fully coated and combined. Add the additional 5 tbsp sugar, black pepper and salt and stir until incorporated. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the mixture, stirring to combine.

Place a round shallow pot with handles on the fire (this is essential because you’ll be flipping the kugel over) and add remaining 1/4 cup oil. Swirl around the pot, coating the bottom and sides. Once the oil is hot (you can test this by adding a noodle, it should sizzle immediately), pour the kugel mixture into it. Cook over medium heat until the bottom and sides of the kugel form a crust (lift gently with a spatula to check), about 10 minutes. Place a large plate over the pot and flip it over, then slide it back into the pot to fry the other side. Cook until the kugel is crusty on all sides, about 5-10 more minutes. Check that the kugel isn’t burning, but the more caramelized the crust, the better!

Serve hot or cold. Rest before slicing to give the kugel a chance to set.

NOTE: When my mom started making this kugel, they would sell 16oz. bags of lokshin. Now they come in 10oz or 12 oz. bags so you will need to use part of a second bag. Save the leftovers for chicken soup!

Post a Comment

Pepper-Crusted Roasted Beef Carpaccio

On September 15, 2026

by chanie

Leave a Comment

There’s a misconception when it comes to cooking beef that every roast needs to be braised. We’ve all become so accustomed to brisket—the long, slow cook, lots of liquid, meat that practically falls apart when you look at it—that sometimes we forget there’s a whole other way to cook a roast.

And honestly? Some cuts are even better when you don’t braise them.

Tender roasts can be dry roasted low and slow, almost like a giant steak. Instead of cooking them until they fall apart, you cook them gently just until they’re beautifully medium rare, then slice them thinly against the grain. French roast, ribeye roast, London broil and silver tip can all work beautifully with this style of cooking.

For this recipe, I took that idea one step further and turned a shoulder roast into my take on beef carpaccio—except instead of serving the beef raw, I gave it a serious pepper crust, seared it hard and then roasted it low and slow at 225°F until the center was perfectly rosy.

Once chilled, I sliced the beef as thinly as I could. I don’t have a deli slicer at home, and if you don’t either, here’s a little trick: place the slices between parchment and gently pounded them thinner with a meat mallet. It gives you those beautiful, delicate slices that you want from carpaccio while still keeping the beef cooked (I skipped this step because I cut it pretty thin with my knife!).

I layered the beef across a big platter and finished it with a drizzle of silan, juicy pomegranate seeds, micro arugula, crispy capers and shallots that I quickly pickled in red wine vinegar. The silan brings sweetness, the shallots bring acidity, the capers bring that salty crunch, and the pepper crust keeps the whole thing savory.

It’s festive and dramatic enough for a Yom Tov table, but what I love most is that it shows just how versatile a good roast can be.

Because sometimes you don’t need another braised brisket. Sometimes you just need a really good piece of beef, a lot of cracked pepper, and a meat thermometer.

Pepper-Crusted Roasted Beef Carpaccio

Pepper-Crusted Beef
1 (3 lb.) shoulder roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarse butcher-grind black pepper
2 teaspoons medium ground black pepper
2 tbsp oil

For Serving
1 large shallot, very thinly sliced
½ cup red wine vinegar, or enough to cover
Pinch of kosher salt
Capers, drained and dried well
Oil, for frying
Good quality olive oil, for drizzling
Silan, for drizzling
Pomegranate seeds
Micro arugula
Smoked flaky salt

Pat the roast very dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and peppers. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned and crusted.

Transfer the roast to a 225°F oven (uncovered!) and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130°F for medium rare. Remove from the oven and allow to rest. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

Meanwhile, place the thinly sliced shallots in a small bowl. Add red wine vinegar, season with a pinch of salt and allow to pickle for at least 20–30 minutes. Drain well before serving.

For the crispy capers, heat a thin layer of oil in a small skillet. Add the well-dried capers and fry until they open slightly and become crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

Once the beef is thoroughly chilled, slice it against the grain as thinly as possible with a very sharp knife. If the slices are thicker than you’d like, place them between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until thin and delicate. Cut particularly large slices into smaller, organic pieces as needed.

Arrange the beef over a large serving platter.

Drizzle lightly with silan and olive oil. Scatter the pickled shallots, pomegranate seeds, micro arugula and crispy capers over the beef. Finish with flaky salt and serve.

Depending on the size of your roast, this can make 2-3 platters, adjust topping amounts accordingly. Reserve any extra meat for roast beef sandwiches.

Post a Comment

Baharat Braised Roast with Butternut Squash & Dates

On September 15, 2026

by chanie

Leave a Comment

There are certain spices that just smell like comfort to me, and baharat is one of them.

Baharat literally means “spices” in Arabic, and it’s a warm, aromatic Middle Eastern blend typically made with spices like cumin, coriander, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Every blend is a little different, but that warm, earthy flavor is exactly what I want when the weather starts to cool and I’m craving something cozy and slow-cooked.

And this roast is COZY.

I wanted to create a braised roast that felt perfect for Sukkot and fall without going in the typical sweet-and-sour direction. Baharat gives the meat so much depth, while orange juice and zest brighten everything up, and silan adds just enough sweetness without making the dish feel cloying.

Then there’s the butternut squash and dates. As the roast braises, all those beautiful flavors work their way into the sauce. The squash goes in later so it gets tender without completely falling apart, while the dates soften into the braising liquid and add these little pockets of caramel-like sweetness.

And can we talk about how pretty this is straight out of the Dutch oven? Golden butternut squash, glossy dates, deeply browned meat and that rich, spiced sauce—it’s exactly the kind of centerpiece I want to bring to the table for Yom Tov.

Baharat-Braised Roast with Butternut Squash & Dates

4 lb Delmonico, Chuck or French roast
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
8 large shallots, peeled and halved
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tbsp baharat
2 tbsp tomato paste
1½ cups dry red wine
1½ cups beef or chicken stock
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
2 tbsp silan
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1½-inch chunks
6 pitted Medjool dates, halved

Pat the roast completely dry. Season all over with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast for 4–5 minutes per side, until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer the roast to a plate.

Add the shallots, cut-side down, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until deeply golden. Add the garlic and baharat and cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the tomato paste to the pot and saute for 2 minutes, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens and begins to caramelize.

Pour in the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Add the stock, orange juice, orange zest, and silan. Stir well. Return the roast to the pot, along with the bay leaves and thyme. Cover tightly and transfer to a 325°F oven. Braise for 3 hours, or until fork tender.

Remove the pot from the oven and carefully nestle the butternut squash and dates around the roast, pushing some of the pieces down into the braising liquid. Raise the oven temperature to 350, cover and return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the squash is soft but still holding its shape.

Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 15–20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, remove the squash and dates and simmer it uncovered on the stovetop for 5–10 minutes until glossy and slightly reduced.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. You can add another teaspoon or two of silan if you want a slightly sweeter finish.

Slice the roast against the grain and arrange it on a large platter with the shallots, butternut squash, and dates.

Post a Comment

Hot Honey Roasted Carrot Tzimmes with Orange, Date & Mint Salad

On September 15, 2026

by chanie

Leave a Comment

I have to admit, I’ve never really been a tzimmes person. Growing up, my mother used to make the kind of tzimmes that was cloyingly sweet—soft carrots and sweet potatoes swimming in a sticky, sugary sauce. And listen, I know that’s nostalgic for a lot of people, but it was never really my thing.

So I took a minute and thought about what tzimmes could look like if I stripped it back a little. Because at its core, it’s really just about sweet, earthy carrots and those warm, familiar flavors we associate with the holidays. It doesn’t necessarily need to be heavy—or taste like dessert.

Instead of simmering everything together until it’s soft and syrupy, I roast whole carrots at high heat until they’re beautifully caramelized, with a hint of honey, harissa and fresh orange zest. You still get that hint of sweetness that makes tzimmes tzimmes, but the carrots actually taste like carrots.

And then comes my favorite part: a fresh orange salad piled right over the top, with juicy orange segments, shallots, dates and fresh mint. It’s bright, refreshing and just acidic enough to balance the sweetness of the roasted carrots.

The result is lighter, fresher and healthier than traditional tzimmes, but it still has all those flavors that belong on a Yom Tov table.

It’s also ridiculously easy. No complicated components, no long braise, no pot of vegetables cooking down into oblivion. Just beautifully roasted carrots and a fresh orange salad that makes the whole thing pop.

Is it your Bubby’s tzimmes? Definitely not.

Hot Honey Roasted Carrot Tzimmes with Orange, Date & Mint Salad

For the carrots

2 lbs carrots, halved lengthwise
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp harissa paste
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp kosher salt

For the orange salad

4 large oranges, segmented
4 method dates, chopped
1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper

Method:

Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the carrots on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Toss with the olive oil, honey, orange zest, harissa, and salt, arranging them in a single layer. Roast for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized and tender.

While the carrots roast, prepare the salad. Gently combine the oranges, dates, shallot, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and Aleppo pepper.

Arrange the roasted carrots on a serving platter. Spoon the orange salad over the carrots. Finish with a little flaky salt and Aleppo pepper.

Post a Comment