Author: chanie

MyShtub Guest Post – DIY Teacher’s Gift

I’m so excited to have Sheva from over at MyShtub, guest posting on my blog. With her magnificent photography and fun spirit, Sheva takes you on a journey of life’s trials and triumphs. She is an amazing mom of 3, a talented crafter and an avid do-it-yourselfer. At the forefront of her blog is her adorable daughter Rozie, who just happens to have down syndrome. Her real life photography helps to break the stereotypes of down syndrome, and you can’t help but just fall in love with her rosy little Rozie :)

Hi this is Sheva from MyShtub and I’m so excited to be guest posting here on Busy in Brooklyn. Since the school year is coming to an end, most of us are scrambling to find that perfect gift to say thank you to your child’s teacher. In my son’s school we usually do a group gift from all the parents, but I was a Morah for years, and know how hard they work, so I like to give a little something special just from us. Since I usually don’t want to spend a ton, especially if I contributed to the class gift, I came up with something perfect for most budgets.

What you need to create this summer fun strawberry-lemonade fizz gift package

1. Plastic drink dispenser (I got this one at Target for $5)
2. One bottle of sparkling water
3. One container of strawberry lemonade mix ( Country Time brand was OU)
4. Twine or ribbon
5. Wooden spoon
6. Scrap fabric

The first thing I did was choose a color theme. I’m currently obsessed with the aqua salmon color combo and decided to go with it. I made all my labels first and printed them on cardstock *. I also covered the bottle lid with a scrap piece of fabric and tied it with twine. Next, I poured Strawberry-Lemonade mix into a cellophane goody bag, rolled the top down, and stapled a label to hold the bag shut. Lastly, I made a recipe card with a small thank you note.

Strawberry –Lemonade Recipe:

Mix the fizzy water with the powder mix in the canister. Add fresh lemon and strawberry slices. Enjoy!

Once the items are all ready I put them inside the canister with a couple of lemons. I tied it up with twine, the recipe card, and wooden spoon. Voila! A perfect thank you gift for under $10!

*I designed my labels in Photoshop but they can easily be done with scrapbook paper and hand written labels.

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Loaded Baked Potato Omelette

Potatoes have got to be my all time favorite food. I’ll eat any type of spud, in just about any preparation. I can’t say the same about eggs though. I don’t especially love omelettes, (I prefer sunny side up) but because these have potatoes in them, I kind of forget about it. You can use any type of potatoes in these, or even some leftover french fries. Top it off with your favorite baked potato toppings like sour cream, salsa, chives or cheddar cheese for the authentic baked potato experience!

Loaded Baked Potato Omelette

1 russet potato
2 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
toppings of choice (chives, sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese)

Method:

Heat up a frying pan with cooking spray. In the meantime, scrub the potato to remove dirt. Dry the potato and slice into rounds. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook until softened and browned. Flip the potatoes over and pour in the eggs. When eggs are browned and set, flip the omelette over and cook on the opposite side. Remove from pan and garnish with desired toppings.

1 year ago: strawberry rhubarb soup

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Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

OK. I admit it. I made pancakes yesterday. That’s right. After 3 days of chowing down on cheesecake, lasagna, and so many other calorie-laden delicacies, I still went ahead and make breakfast pancakes. And now the guilt is setting in.  I haven’t even stepped on the scale but I can only imagine the damage. I think it’s about time for a detox, don’t you?

When I come up with a new recipe, a lot of my inspiration comes from what’s in my fridge. In this case, I had some leftover leeks from this leek soup, plus some spinach and mushrooms. The spaghetti squash had been sitting around for a while so I decided to give it a go. This recipe is extremely light and diet-friendly, yet tasty and satisfying. Try it with a side of baked salmon or grilled chicken for a complete and healthy meal!

 

Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

2 small or 1 large spaghetti squash
1 large leek
3 cloves garlic
1 container mushrooms
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/8 cup dry white wine, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for sauteeing

Method:

Prepare spaghetti squash according to these directions. In the meantime, slice the leek in half vertically and wash well to remove dirt. Dry on paper towels and and cut crosswise into thin slices. Saute the garlic and leek in olive oil for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are soft and lightly browned. Add spinach (don’t worry if it won’t fit in the pan, it will wilt down into nothing in seconds) and pour in chicken stock. Stir the spinach until wilted and add wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add spaghetti squash and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Saute for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

1 year ago: savory & sweet cheese balls

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Salmon Pasta Salad

If you follow my blog, you know how much I love turning leftovers into something fabulous. This salmon salad is no exception. Back on Succos, I prepared a huge portion of salmon and although delicious, I still had so much left over. Because salmon tends to get a bit fishy the next day, I wanted to serve it up in a way that I could mask some of its fishiness. And that’s how this recipe was borne.

This year, we go straight from Shabbos into Shavuous and I’m sure many of you are going to have lots of leftovers. And since not everyone has the luxury of leaving on their oven for 3 days, we’ve all got to make the most of what we’ve got. This recipe will take your leftover salmon from fishy to delicious! I’ve upped the ante for Shavuous by using soft Israeli cream cheese instead of mayonnaise. Make sure to bake your salmon in a pareve oven so you can make it dairy.


Salmon Pasta Salad

1 12 oz box bowtie pasta (reserve 2 tbsp cooking water)
2 slices leftover salmon (see note)
1/2 c peas, thawed
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp dill
1/4 cup soft Israeli cream cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare pasta according to package directions, making sure to reserve 2 tbsp of cooking water before draining. Add the pasta to a mixing bowl and stir in cream cheese while it’s still hot. Add pasta water 1 tbsp at a time to help thin out the cream cheese. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don’t have leftover salmon, you can use chunks of canned salmon or you can bake fresh. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze some fresh lemon on fish, sprinkle salt, and drizzle a little olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

Variation: For a pareve version, use mayo instead of cream cheese. Omit the pasta water.

1 year ago: black bean & chorizo chocolate chili

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Peanut Butter Mousse &
Levana’s Chocolate Espresso Mousse

At our local Bikur Cholim gathering last year, we were lucky enough to have Levana Kirschenbaum, the talented caterer and cookbook author, do a cooking demo for us. I don’t remember everything she made, but one thing that really stood out was her chocolate mousse. I’m not one to eat raw egg yolks (like in most mousse recipes), so when I saw her using tofu instead, I was intrigued. That Shabbos, I made her recipe for dessert, and it’s been a regular in my house ever since. The tofu adds a silkiness to the mousse that you’d never dream would come from soy. I started experimenting with silken tofu some more and this peanut butter mousse is one of my favorite outcomes. You can even make a parfait of mousses, and layer the chocolate and peanut butter into dessert glasses (keep it small because they are very rich!). I did that one Yom Tov and topped it with whipped cream and brownie crumbles. My guests nearly fell off their seats!

Thanks to Levana for generously sharing her chocolate espresso mousse recipe below. Make sure to check out her new cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen!

Peanut Butter Mousse

1 lb. silken tofu
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

optional garnishes:
whipped cream
honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (processed in the blender)

Method:

Remove tofu from packaging and drain on paper towels until all excess liquid is absorbed. Add the tofu, peanut butter, sugar, honey, cinnamon and salt to a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate for a few hours until firm. Pour into glasses and garnish with whipped cream, chopped peanuts and cookie crumbs.

Variation: You can also make a peanut butter pie using this mousse recipe. Just add melted butter to the cookie crumbs and press into the bottom of a pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes to set. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Pour mousse into pie dish and top with whipped cream. Garnish with chopped peanuts and chocolate shavings.

 

Levana’s Chocolate Espresso Mousse
recipe reprinted with permission from LevanaCooks, author of The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen

1 c good quality semisweet chocolate chips (or grated chocolate)
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1/4 c water
2/3 c pure cocoa powder
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 tbsp unflavored brandy or rum
1 lb. silken tofu, drained

Method:

In a small saucepan, on a very low flame, place all but last ingredient, and cook, stirring, until melted. This will take about 2-3 minutes (Or microwave 2 minutes). Transfer the mixture to a food processor, with the tofu, and process one full minute, until perfectly smooth. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 dessert glasses or cups, and refrigerate until firm, 2-3 hours.

1 year ago: best bbq potato salad

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