Author: chanie

Peanut Chicken Curry


My sister Sara opened my eyes to Indian food with this chicken recipe. I never imagined peanut butter and chicken would make a good combination, but she urged me to try it, and I’m so glad I did. Now I’ve broadened my horizons and have taken to experimenting with Indian spices like garam masala, chicken curries, coconut rice, and more.

I wasn’t quite sure if my kids would take to this recipe. One of my daughters loves peanut butter, so once I elaborated on the peanut-butteriness of the dish, she was willing to give it a go. The younger one is willing to try anything new, and thankfully, both of them absolutely loved it. So if your kid loves peanut butter, just tell them you’re making extra special “peanut butter chicken” and they’ll be singing your praises around the dinner table.

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Grilled Chickpea Burgers


First of all, I’m happy to say that we are back in business. My very talented husband was able to recover most of the stuff off my faulty hard drive and I’ve learned a few important things along the way.

#1 Back up your stuff on an external hard drive or through dropbox.
#2 Don’t put too many pictures in one folder. Sort folders by date or topics.
#3 If you use windows, defragment and run a disc cleanup on your hard drive every month. You can do so by right clicking on your hard drive and clicking properties. Disc cleanup can be found under the general tab. Defrag can be found under the tools tab.
#4 If you like to surf the web for recipes like I do, chances are you have malware/spyware on your computer. Run software like Malware bytes weekly to get rid of all the junk that slows down your computer.

And now back to our scheduled programming…food! :)

I’m sure most of you are warming up the grill for a nice BBQ over this long holiday weekend. Hot dogs and burgers are the usual fare, but I’ve got something healthy, light, vegetarian, and positively delicious. Last week, my husband rounded the kids up for a trip to Costco on Erev Shabbos, while I put the finishing touches on our Shabbos menu. He returned with the usual fare – napkins, tissues, some produce and an extra special gift – an assortment of food magazines. In lieu of flowers that week, we drooled over tantalizing photos of delicious recipes I promised to make. From all the magazines (granted not the best selection at Costo), “Fine Cooking” stood out with the most delicious recipes, including a feature on “Going Meatless on the Grill”. I knew I had to try the Grilled Chickpea Burgers, so I heated up the BBQ on Sunday afternoon and got grilling!

If you like falafel, you’ll love these flavorful patties. Serve with coleslaw, Israeli salad, or sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Charif, chumus and techina round out your meal, for the perfect meatless BBQ.

Happy Grilling!

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{Guest Post} Apple Turnovers

Hey guys,

Since Chanie’s computer is out of commission, I’m filling in for a day with one of my favorite quick and easy recipes. I love to bake but I don’t always have the time. This recipe uses frozen puff pastry (I love Pepperidge Farm’s), which allows me to cut down on prep, but not taste! I really enjoy these, and I hope you do too!

PS Dont tell Chanie I told you, but she likes to use these ready-to-make frozen apple turnovers. If she ever serves them to you for dessert, just make believe it’s my recipe ;)

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Salad Nicoise


I love the idea of layered salads. Anything goes and people can pick and choose what they want. It’s almost like a “create your own salad bar” on a platter. It makes for a great Shalosh Seudos dish because you can use up whatever you have left from your meal. If you only used half the container of cherry tomatoes, throw them in. Leftover egg salad? Put a nice scoop in place of the hard boiled eggs. Potato salad can take the place of potatoes. And just about any vegetable makes the cut. Grilled veggies work well too. Plating the salad this way gives it a fresh and clean appearance, even if you are using the leftovers from your meal.

One of my favorite veggies in a classic Nicoise salad is the baby red potatoes. But I can’t deny that those carb-filled delights pack on the pounds. Instead, I use sweet potatoes, their lower-GI cousin, for added color and sweetness.

In terms of tuna, a lot of people like to use oil-packed in this salad because it is less dry. I prefer packed in water because it is obviously much lower in fat. You can also grill up some tuna steaks before shabbos, bring them to room temperature, and serve a la’ classic.

In terms of veggies, I have seen so many variations used in this salad, just about anything goes. Here are some suggestions (I’m starring all the must-have ingredients, everything else is optional):

*greens (Bibb, Boston, Butter or Romaine lettuce, mesclun, spinach)
*green beans
*olives (black [nicoise preferred] or green)
*hard-boiled eggs
*tuna (canned or fresh, or for a twist, use salmon)
*potatoes (red skinned or sweet)
*onions (red onion, shallots, chives, or scallions)
*tomatoes (any type)
anchovies (classic to salad nicoise, although I leave them out)
capers
cucumbers
avocado
peppers
mushrooms
radishes
kohlrabi
hearts of palm
shredded carrots
beans (white beans, edamame)
pasta (shells, macaroni, rotini)
feta cheese
shredded cheese
parsley

If you leave the classic ingredients intact, you can still call it a salad nicoise, albeit nontraditional. You can also opt for a layered salad with no rules whatsoever. Just imagine your typical salad bar and layer it onto a big serving platter.

So instead of just serving up leftovers this week, try and re-purpose what you’ve got in a fresh way. It is guaranteed to appeal to everyone at the table! Serve with different types of crackers for a complete meal.


Another version of salad nicoise.

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Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Having two daughters born in the spring and summer, this time of year just feels like birthday season to me. Well that, and the fact that my kids seem to be coming home with birthday bags every other day. I’ve mentioned before how I’m not the biggest baker, and most definitely not a cake decorator either. Birthday cakes, however, are the exception. I feel like it’s that one momentous day when I get to make something special for the ones that I love. So depending on the day, week, or how hectic life is at the time, I decide on how much of a patchke that cake will be :)

Recently, we celebrated my daughters third birthday. She absolutely adores strawberries, so the kind of cake was a no-brainer. I wasn’t even planning on blogging about it, until my sister-in-law called me for the recipe. I decided if it was good enough to want to make again, I might as well share it with you guys :)

This cake recipe has become a favorite of mine because it uses oil as opposed to margarine, and it is super quick and easy. It’s a one bowl recipe that does not require a mixer. The batter works well in cupcakes, a sheet cake, or a round birthday cake. The orange juice adds a nice, mellow citrus flavor as well.

Some of my more memorable birthday cakes!

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