chanie – Page 35 – Busy in Brooklyn

I wait all summer to put on a granny sweater and whip up a warm mug of golden milk! The healthy drink, sometimes called Turmeric Tea, stems from India, where they add fresh turmeric to warm milk for it’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Golden milk is the Westernized version of the Ayurvedic drink, popularized by bloggers worldwide. The immune boosting drink usually includes:

coconut milk
black pepper
cinnamon
turmeric
ginger
raw honey

To get the most health benefits out of the tea, fresh and whole spices are used and the honey is added at the end, without heating. With curcumin from the turmeric, piperine from the black pepper, and MCT’s from the coconut milk, golden milk is said to improve memory, relieve joint pain, improve blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol and prevent cancer!

With Rosh Hashanah around the corner, I decided to incorporate my favorite winter drink into a Simanim-filled soup and the results were absolutely delicious! I think adding apples + apple cider to my soups is my new thing – a burst of apple in every bite!

Now I think the only thing better than the health benefits of Golden Milk is adding carrots – our parents always told us it was good for our eyesight, right? And don’t they say that an “Apple a day keeps the Dr. away?” Golden Milk just got an upgrade.

The New Year is looking extra sweet.

Golden Milk Carrot & Apple Soup
YIELD: approximately 10 cups

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, white party only, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled, trimmed and roughly chopped
3 McIntosh apples, peeled and roughly chopped
4 c vegetable stock
2 c apple cider
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2” knob of fresh ginger, grated
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup coconut milk, plus more for garnish, optional
1-2 tbsp honey

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and saute until softened. Add the carrots, apples, stock, cider, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are soft, about 30 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender and add the coconut milk and honey, to taste (depending on sweetness). If the soup is too thick, add water, stock or more apple cider until desired consistency is reached.

To serve, swirl in coconut milk and add a drizzle of honey, freshly ground black pepper and a cinnamon stick, if desired.

NOTE: if you don’t like coconut or you have an allergy, leave it out and add more stock, cider or water.

This soup may be frozen.

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Sausage Galette with Apple Cider Onion Jam

On September 16, 2019October 10, 2019

by chanie

in Appetizer, Meat & Poultry, Pies, Purim, Recipes, Rosh Hashanah, Shavuous

11 Comments

It’s that time of year when my inbox gets flooded with Kosherfest invites and it really got me thinking about how far the kosher industry has come. I’m so thankful because having so many amazing kosher products on the market helps me do my job and get creative in the kitchen.

When my mom was growing up, there were the basics: kosher meat, kosher milk, pasta, tomato sauce, ketchup, mayo, canned fruits and veggies… the staples. There was candy and baked goods but nothing like what we have today! We are so fortunate to have so much at our disposal, and kosher cooking is easier and tastier than ever.

I’m especially thankful for kosher imports from around the world that make specialty products accessible. Do you remember when bloggers were making their own cookie butter, and finding a package of Lotus cookies was like striking gold? They’re now readily available in most kosher supermarkets, with kosher certification from Israel.

The newest Israeli import that I’m crushing over are the rolled pie doughs that come frozen, in both sweet and savory varieties. They make galettes and tarts a breeze, and I couldn’t be happier. When Abeles & Heymann released their newest sausage flavors of Bourbon Apple, Teriyaki Ginger and Andouille, I knew just what I was going to make, and LOOK. HOW. PRETTY!!!!

I love that Abeles & Heymann is constantly upping their game and their new sausage flavors are so exciting! I’m so honored to be a brand ambassador for them, because I truly love the quality and care that they put into their products. My family cannot tolerate any other hot dog and because they are so conscious of putting out healthier products, I don’t have to feel bad about feeding them to my family, because many are free of nitrates and other additives.

So lets talk tart — In honor of the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashanah, I whipped up an easy apple mustard using prepared apple butter and cooked down the most lip-smacking apple cider onion jam that is about to be added to EVERYTHING! Make it and you’ll see!

If you’ve got any apple cider onion jam left, feel free to add it to grilled cheese with some sliced apples (if you make it pareve), mixed some into your holiday roast, smother it over chicken, squash or mix into rice. Or, just eat it by the spoonful cuz it’s THAT good.

As for the sausages, if you’re not up for a galette, you can slice them on the diagonal, sear them off and add to a charcuterie board. Wrap ’em in puff pastry for classic franks in blanks. Roast them with potatoes or peppers and onions for an easy sheet pan meal. Or just go classic in a hot dog bun, ‘cuz you can never go wrong with that!

Wishing you an easily prep for the holidays ahead, and a super sweet and delicious year!

Sausage Galette

1 package Abeles & Heymann Bourbon Apple Sausages
1 savory pie crust (see note), thawed
2/3 cup pure Apple butter
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp caraway seeds, optional
1 cup arugula
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup apple cider onion jam (recipe follows)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the sausages lengthwise in 4.

In a small bowl, combine the apple butter, whole grain mustard, dijon mustard and honey. Brush the mixture generously over the pie dough (reserve any remaining mustard for serving). Layer the sausages along the length of the dough, overlapping slightly. Fold the dough over to form a rustic galette.

Brush the dough with egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds, if desired. Bake until the dough is browned and crispy, approximately 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, dress the arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Top the galette with the arugula and onion jam and serve with apple mustard.

NOTES: I used Madanot rolled savory pie dough. If you cannot find it, you may also use puff pastry, but you may need to divide it into two tarts since the puff pastry dough is smaller. Alternatively, you can use a frozen round pie crust, slice the sausages on the bias, overlap in a round pattern and form a round galette.

VARIATIONS: The flavors of Abeles & Heymann apple bourbon sausages pair well with the apple mustard and jam. If it is not available in your area, use any sausages of you choice, or substitute with beef fry or pulled beef.

You can substitute other jams such as a apricot or fig instead of the apple butter. Or use other seeds of your choice instead of caraway.

Apple Cider Onion Jam

2 tbsp olive oil
3 med-large red onions, thinly sliced
2 cups apple cider
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onions. Cook until the onions have softened and add in the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until the cider is reduced and the mixture has thickened, 20-30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

This post is sponsored by Abeles & Heymann.

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Brownie Toppings & Ideas

On September 4, 2019September 23, 2019

by chanie

in Cakes, Cupcakes, Dessert, Purim, Recipes, Shabbos, Snacks

14 Comments

I cannot actually believe that the summer has come and gone, I’m back in the city and school has begun! Is it just me, or does summer seem to go by faster when you get older? It just flew right past me and here I am, at my computer, back to work.

I think I’m mostly shocked because all those projects I told myself I would tackle this summer did not happen, and as productive as I’d hoped to be, I kind of just let go! I was supposed to organize all my photos, go through my emails, file paperwork, start running again, drink more water… but I suppose that what New Years Resolutions are for, and we start early here!

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is just a few short weeks away, which means we are approaching a pretty busy holiday season. The Jewish New Year is followed by Yom Kippur, and then shortly after by Succot, which is a foodfest of epic proportions! There are lots of festive holiday meals, and meal planning is essential to make it through.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m not a big planner when it comes to holiday prep, but the High Holidays are an exception. I usually make a double batch of my honey challah, a few loaves of honey cake, mini pumpkin pies for a crowd and Levana’s chocolate mousse to stock the freezer. It’s really the only way because there are simply so many meals and no time to cook them all!

So I’m here with a great dessert hack that will take you little time but wow your guests nonetheless. It involves a cheat in the form of Duncan Hines brownie mix, and even though I’m not usually one to use a prepared cake mix, I have to admit that their brownies really take the cake – pun intended! Even my mom admitted to me recently that she is never making her own brownies again because they’ve really nailed the perfect brownie.

Of course adding your own toppings changes everything and makes it your own. My favorite combo are the tahini swirled brownies (above), which I serve topped with vanilla ice cream, raw tahini, silan and a sprinkle of shredded halva. My guests can never get enough of it!

My kids are partial to my smores brownies, so I usually make make two pans, but when I saw this brownie pan with dividers,on Amazon, I realized I could do a bunch of toppings at once! It was just a fun project and my kids loved trying all the different flavors.

Of course, since we have a peanut allergy at home, I kept all these toppings nut free, but feel free to experiment however you’d like. Peanut butter swirled brownies would be epic too!

Lets bring on the holiday prep!

Brownie Toppings & Ideas

Start with Duncan Hines brownies or your favorite brownie mix. I prefer to follow instructions for the fudgy brownies and underbake it just a little.

To make an assortment of toppings as pictured, use a brownie pan with dividers, pour the batter into the pan (I doubled the recipe) and then place the divider into the pan. Add toppings of choice and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Featured recipes:

black forest: cherry pie filling + dark chocolate squares
tahini: swirl in raw tahini + sesame seeds (halva optional)
oreo: top with crushed oreos
salted pretzel: top with pretzels and sea salt flakes, add melted caramel if desired.
granola: top with your favorite granola
smores: top with chocolate chips and crushed graham crackers. After baking, add marshmallows and broil until browned.
sweet and salty: top with crushed bugles or corn chips (I use Apropo, the Israel version of Bugles)
Lotus: swirl in melted cookie butter and top with crushed Lotus cookies

Other ideas:

funfetti: add colorful sprinkles
streusel: add your favorite streusel crumb
cheescake: swirl in your favorite cheesecake batter
cereal: add cheerios, corn flakes or your favorite cereal
chocolate chip cookie: add your chocolate chip cookie dough
pumpkin: swirl in pumpkin pie filling
coconut: add shredded coconut to the brownies and top with coconut flakes|
apple pie: top with apple pie filling and streusel crumbs

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Kale Crunch Salad

On August 22, 2019September 26, 2024

by chanie

in Diet, Lunch, Recipes, Rosh Hashanah, Salad, Shabbos

7 Comments

All I can say is even though I had a boatload of this salad on Shabbos, and then again yesterday when I photographed it, I need it again like NOW, and that, my friends, is a sign of a delicious salad – one you want to eat over and over and over again!

Yes, the flavor combo is bomb but what really makes this salad extra special is all the crunchy elements and it’s like a party in your mouth. A party!!!

I debated calling this the Cruciferous Crunch Salad but then I tried to say cruciferous on my Instagram and I ended up saying cruciferouSH, so I nixed it lol! Kale Crunch Salad has still got that alliteration ring to it that I love, so we’re going with that!

What is really great about this salad is that it’s really adaptable – sub in your favorite candied nuts, seeds and croutons, the important thing is you want things with lots of different textures in every bite.

And with Rosh Hashanah just a few short weeks away, we’re hoping on the pomegranate train and I couldn’t be more excited!

Kale Crunch Salad
YIELD: 6 servings

4 cups kale
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup roasted & salted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup candied slivered almonds
1/3 cup crunchy rice noodles, such as La Choy brand

Dressing:

1/3 cup grapeseed or light olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Spread the kale out on a platter or bowl. Mix the cabbage into the kale. Top with pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and rice noodles.

In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk until thickened.

When ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.

VARIATION: use pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds and any type of candied nut instead of the almonds or croutons or chow mein noodles instead of rice noodles.

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Dips & Spreads

On August 20, 2019October 10, 2019

by chanie

in Appetizer, Brunch, Dips, Recipes, Shabbos, Shavuous, Snacks

7 Comments

Walk into any kosher supermarket and you’re likely to find a display case of wall to wall dips. What is it about Jews and dips and when did this cultural shift happen?

In Sephardic culture, SALATIM have adorned their Shabbos tables for generations. Unlike most mayo-based dips that you find in Ashkenazi cuisine, salatim are usually cooked down for hours (think matbucha!) and are exclusively savory.

Growing up in an Ashkenazi home, dips were not really a THING. And come to think of it, neither was a smorgasbord of salads. Life was a lot simpler back then, and if we had some pickled cucumber salad, chrein (horseradish with beets) and tahini (my dad is Israeli after all) we were happy campers. Perhaps it’s our foodie culture or this generation’s need for abundance that has our Shabbos feasts outdoing the most lavish Thanksgiving spreads. Luckily, I like to play around in the kitchen, so spending my Fridays whipping up multiple dishes isn’t the worst thing. But for those who find cooking overwhelming, Shabbos prep can be a chore, and believe me I get it. That’s where store-bought dips come in handy, and the good news is, you don’t really have to buy them.

I’ve never been that big on prepping dips, probably because they are just a vehicle for eating more challah. We always have hummus and tahini around, and I’ll make (or buy!) olive dip on occasion, but dips for me are an “extra”, a cherry on the top if I’m feeling extra fancy or I want to go all out for special guests.

If I have tomatoes on hand that are too soft for salad, I’ll usually cook down my tomato jalepeno dip (recipe in my book) and we absolutely love garlic confit smeared over challah (recipe also in my book), but in general, I prefer NO-COOK dips that I can just throw into the food processor and be done with it! One of my favorite kitchen hacks for making dips it to cover the bowl of my food processor with plastic wrap before putting the cover on, so the oil or mayo doesn’t splatter all over the top of the machine when I blend, and I can make one dip after another with minimal clean up.

The best part about making homemade dips in the food processor is that amounts don’t really matter. You can throw most things from a jar into your machine with a big dollop of mayo (lemon juice keeps it tasting fresh, and salt is always a given) and you’re good to go. Here are some good combos!

No-Cook Dips & Spreads

Mayo-based:
pimento stuffed olives + mayo + lemon juice + salt
pickled hot peppers (stems and seeds removed) + mayo + lemon juice + salt
chipotle chili in adobo + garlic + mayo + lime juice + salt (pictured)
fresh dill + garlic + lemon zest + lemon juice + mayo + salt
salsa + mayo
chimichurri + mayo
jalapeno honey mustard
za’atar ranch (pictured)
green goddess
spicy mayo
sundried tomato aioli
balsamic aioli

Tapenades:
sundried tomato + marinated artichokes + fresh basil + lemon zest + olive oil + salt (pictured)
sundried tomato + black olives + capers + garlic + parsley + olive oil + lemon juice + salt
assorted mix olives + olive oil + lemon juice

Other:
pesto
hummus
harissa tahini
halva dip
guacamole
harissa whipped feta
herbed crema
pico de gallo