Author: chanie

Falafel Cauliflower Poppers (Baked!)

You guysssss!!! This post makes me so excited, I have no words! OK, I always have words, many of them. But where shall I begin?

If you’re a dedicated follower of my blog, you know how much I love

  1. trendy recipes
  2. hybrid recipes
  3. ISRAELI recipes
  4. healthy makeover recipes

Am I right? Does that just about sum up my food blogger style or what?!

Well this here genius idea just about incorporates all of those passions! Cauliflower trend – check! Falafel/breaded cauliflower hybrid – check! Israeli recipes – Oh my god yes, check!! And healthy makeover recipes – definitely check, check!!

Ever since my crazy cauliflower nacho hack went ridiculously viral, I’ve been wanting to come up with an equally amazing cauliflower idea, and when Knorr sent me over some of their falafel mix, I knew I had it in the bag. And then I tasted them, and I was all “why hasn’t the whole world made these like every single day of their lives?!?!” Yup. You’re welcome.

Breaded cauliflower has always been a favorite snack of mine, but since they’re usually fried, I don’t have them too often. I also avoid using fresh cauliflower, since it’s such a pain to check for bugs (kosher law forbids the consumption of insects), so I came up with a recipe that solves all those problems! You’re welcome.

So, not only are these cauliflower poppers supremely delicious, they’re made with thawed frozen cauliflower (no checking necessary) and they’re baked, not fried! You wouldn’t believe it from the insanely crunching coating, but oh yes, they are practically guilt free. Did I say you’re welcome yet?

Speaking of which, I want to thank Knorr for making these semi-homemade poppers so easy to put together using their prepared falafel mix. I’ve not usually a fan of prepared mixes but falafel is an extremely time consuming effort – between soaking the beans, processing the mixture and frying the balls… I’m all for convenience in this case!

Convenience is the name of the game these days. With school out for most of the kids, I’ve got summer prep on my mind and lots to do. Plus the NYC heat is totally draining me and getting dinner on the table every night is not as easy as it used to be. I’m thankful for kid-friendly foods that might use some store bought ingredients to help me out – like bottled BBQ sauces for quick and easy pulled chicken/beef, frozen ravioli that I can just heat up with some marinara, and even pancake batter that makes breakfast a cinch. I may be a do-it-yourself, made-from-scratch gal at heart, but I’m a very practical mom IRL (in real life!). Summer conveniences, here we come!

Speaking of summer, make sure you put these on your NINE DAYS menu, will you? You can thank me later.

You’re welcome!

Falafel Cauliflower Poppers

24oz. frozen cauliflower florets, thawed
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 box (2 packets) Knorr falafel mix
olive oil cooking spray
prepared tahini, for serving

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using paper towels, pat the cauliflower dry. Place the florets in a bowl. Set up a dredging station with the flour, eggs and falafel mix in separate containers.

Dip the florets in flour, shake off excess and dip in egg. Shake off excess and dip in falafel mix. Spread the breaded florets on a parchment lined baking sheet (don’t overcrowd the pan) and spray both sides generously with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned and crispy.

Serve immediately with tahini for dipping.

This post was sponsored by Knorr Falafel. All opinions are my own. 

Related Recipes:

falafel latkes with harissa tahini
spinach falafel burger
smoked paprika popcorn cauliflower
cauliflower nachos

Post a Comment

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

Even though my Shavuot spent in Upstate New York was kinda chilly, there are signs of summer at every turn. The fresh smell of grass in the air, the sun peaking out through the clouds, and the mosquitoes coming out of hiding (scratch, scratch). As a foodie though, I look for the signs of summer at the market. The fresh berries, in-season sweet-as-sugar melon and the beautiful fragrant leaves of basil that blossom to their fullest potential. Ahh, the sweet, sweet smell of summer!

In this quick and easy recipe, the best of summer comes together in a healthy, Paleo creamsicle that is as sweet as it is refreshing. It’s my go-to all summer long!

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

1 can full fat coconut milk
1 pint strawberries, hulled
8 large basil leaves
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Special Equipment: popsicle molds

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze until solid.

Yield: approximately 10 popsicles, depending on size.

TIP: to easily remove popsicles from their mold, run under warm water for 30 seconds.

A bucket of popsicles makes an amazing hostess gift for summer parties! Gift one at your next cookout!

Related Recipes:

orange creamsicle pops
cherry yogurt popsicles
strawberry limonana

Post a Comment

Please NOTE: This post contains affiliate links which means that a small percentage of every purchase made through the links above goes to help support the BIB blog!

Torah Cannoli

Holy Cannoli! Someones gonna have to bring me a slice of humble pie because I’m on a bit of a high from how cute these Torah Cannoli are! (by the way that’s not a typo – the plural form of cannoli is cannoli…a little Wikipedia for you!)

I always say, food is my passion but my kids are my priority. I love being a mom and I don’t ever want being a foodie, blogger, chef, or whatever it is I am, get in the way of that. SO while I try to come up with fun and sophisticated holiday dishes, I also do my best to tap into my inner child and do something fun for the kiddos too.

In the past, I’ve made Torah franks in blanks like these (photo by Tzivi Brick Jakubovic), but this year, I wanted to do something fun with my daughter’s class in honor of her 8th birthday, which is just a few short weeks before Shavuot. One night when I couldn’t sleep (I have terrible insomnia these days), these cannoli torah’s hit me and I was only too excited to make them! I used a cream cheese mousse filling instead of the more sophisticated classic ricotta filling to make it more kid friendly, and the kids went gaga!

They all took turns prepping the recipe – whipping up the cream cheese and heavy cream, folding the mixture together, and giving out the ingredients for everyone to make their own. They “glued” the cannoli wafers with marshmallow fluff and we made a few Ziploc piping bags of filling so they could all pipe their own. Needless to say, the most fun was dipping the Torah’s in the assorted toppings.

Some of the kids wrapped up their Torah Cannoli to take home, but most of them couldn’t wait it out and gobbled it down on the spot. One kid said it was the best thing she ever tasted! I knew I had a winner, I just didn’t know if it was blog-worthy so I figured I’d skip on posting. Until, I was making my rosewater cheesecake mousse parfaits at a cooking demo recently, and I decided to show the audience the Torah cannoli idea with some of the leftover cheesecake mousse. After an audible “wow” from the audience (the best sound EVER when you’re giving a demo), I decided it was too good not to share with you all too.

I love to check things off my bucket list and making things like homemade goat cheese ice cream or a sophisticated dish like brie marsala pizza gives me a huge sense of satisfaction, but seriously, nothing, and I mean nothing, makes me more proud or excited, than coming up with something fun and original that my kids absolutely love!

So kiddies, this ones for you! And that classic citrus-zest-spiked filling is my little touch for the adults too :)

If you want to skip on the filling, fill it with your favorite mousse or plain-old whipped cream. The important thing is to have some fun, for the kids, and for you too! Happy Shavuot y’all!

Torah Cannoli

1 pkg cannoli wafer rolls (18 rolls), such as Presidor
2 cups ricotta cheese (drain if watery)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
1/2 tsp lemon or orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup melted chocolate or marshmallow fluff
assorted sprinkles, mini chocolate chips and nonpareils for topping
powdered sugar, for finishing

Method:

Place melted chocolate or warmed marshmallow fluff in a piping bag and pipe a thin line onto half of the cannoli wrappers. “Glue” pairs of cannoli wrappers together to resemble Torah scrolls.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, citrus zest and chocolate chips. Place in a piping bag. Pipe the filling into both sides of the cannoli wrappers, working one at a time. Over a plate, sprinkle your favorite toppings over the exposed ricotta filling (dipping the ends causes them to flatten, so I prefer pouring the toppings over). Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

NOTE: The filling causes the cannoli wafer to soften, so if preparing in advance, it’s best to freeze rather than refrigerate.

VARIATION: You may use this cream cheese mousse, your favorite mousse, softened ice cream or whipped cream instead of the classic ricotta filling.

DIY OPTION: If you cannot get cannoli wafer rolls, you can make your own or use wonton wrappers. You will need cannoli molds to form the wrappers.

Related Posts:

Shavuot paper napkin roses
passion fruit cream horns
rosewater cheesecake mousse parfaits
halva and ricotta stuffed figs

Post a Comment

Please NOTE: This post contains affiliate links which means that a small percentage of every purchase made through the links above goes to help support the BIB blog!

Shavuot Menu Roundup

With Shabbat going into Shavuot this year, I’ve updated this oldie-but-goodie Shavuot Menu roundup to include lots of other categories like stove-top only dishes, freezer-friendly dishes and lots more! I hope you find it useful and delicious :) You can also check out my dairy category or Shavuot category from the index for easy access!

Chag Sameach!

Classic Dairy Menu

tomato feta salad
cheese balls with assorted breads
pesto parmesan salmon
strawberry rhubarb soup or roasted tomato soup
spinach lasagna roll-ups or easy lasagna
cheese latkes or blintzes
classic cheesecake or easy no-bake cheesecake

Gourmet Dairy Menu

kani caeser salad with sriracha dressing
malawach cheese pastries or harissa whipped feta with eggplant chips
brie marsala pizza
spinach pappardelle with feta
goat cheese ice cream with moscato strawberry sauce

Light Dairy Menu

blueberry sweet potato granola salad or waldorf salad with yogurt dressing
roasted eggplant parmesan
pasta-free spinach manicotti, spaghetti squash baked ziti, 3-Cheese rollatini rose pie, or cheesy zoodle marinara
gluten-free parmesan zucchini sticks
moscato, honey, vanilla bean poached apricots

Pareve Menu

spinach matza ball minestrone soup
peach haricot vert salad
sushi burritos or sushi salad
fish tacos
chili pie in jars (use vegan cheese or leave it out)
peanut butter fudge ice cream pie

Stove-top Only Menu

Moroccan fish balls
corn, heirloom tomato and goat cheese salad with basil lime vinaigrette
zucchini parmesan chips
salmon pasta salad
spaghetti squash shakshuka
linguini lasagna or ravioli in pink sauce
torah cannoli or cornflake crunch ice cream

Freezer-Friendly Menu

broccoli parmesan poppers with Greek yogurt ranch dip
3-cheese brocolli pull-apart buns
pesto pinwheels
cheesy stuffed mini peppers
rosewater cheesecake mousse parfaits

Gourmet Meat Menu

sweet chili salmon with wasabi crust
rainbow slaw with poppyseed dressing
blueberry port duck with duck fat potatoes
or beer braised brisket over mashed potatoes
blanched asparagus with lemon vinaigrette
chocolate mousse or chocolate ganache tart

Light Meat Menu 

spinach strawberry salad with poppyseed dressing
roasted butternut squash soup
bundt pan rotisserie chicken or veal marsala bolognese
rice vermicelli
garlic green beans
blueberry apple crisp with vanilla ice cream


photo credit: bsinthekitchen blog

Dairy recipes from around the web

brocolli and cheese stuffed sole (can sub tilapia or flounder)
caeser salad parmesan cups
watermelon feta salad stacks (omit bacon!)
butternut squash kale lasagna
sweet potato goat cheese quiche
spinach and cheese phyllo pie
sour cream potato gratin
asparagus cheese tart (use any swiss cheese like gruyere)
cream of asparagus soup
cheesy kale potato kugel
sweet luckskin kugel
classic sambousek
fresh fruit sauces for blintzes
zucchini ravioli
cheesy pull-apart bread
Neapolitan zebra cheesecake


photo credit: savorysweetlife blog

Meat recipes from around the web

peach whiskey bbq chicken
braised chicken with golden beets and kale
maple mustard roasted chicken
chicken marsala (use coconut milk in place of heavy cream)
brisket in coffee brandy sauce
osso buco
beef bourguignon
eggplant and beef rollatini
shnitzel and sumac slaw

Post a Comment

Sushi Burrito

If you ever thought sushi would just be a passing trend, you’re as shocked as the rest of us. And it’s not just the kosher world either (although we might be the only ones with sushi counters in pizza stores!).

The world is awash with sushi rice bowl recipes, make-your-own-sushi parties and now, THE SUSHI BURRITO, or as some like to call it, the SUSHIRRITO.

A sushi burrito is basically an excuse to eat an entire overstuffed sushi roll in one sitting and call it lunch :) And I got no problem with that! Especially since Michel de France introduced these flavored sushi wrappers which I just love. I’m not a big fan of the fishy taste and chewy texture of nori (otherwise known as seaweed), so these gluten free wraps are a welcome surprise! I love that they come in chili, poppy seed and sesame seed flavors, and now my kids (who aren’t fans of nori either) are happy to eat homemade sushi wraps as well. Can you say “Winner, winner sushi dinner?”!

Turns out, these inexpensive gluten-free wraps make a great alternative to traditional wheat wraps for sandwiches too. Quick and easy turkey wraps are my go-to Friday afternoon lunch for the kids, and I’ll definitely be trying all the Norigami flavors with that!

Now if you’re intimidated by the whole thinly sliced julienned vegetable thing, do yourself and a favor and pick up my must-have kitchen tool of all time, the JULIENNE PEELER. It looks like a traditional peeler, except instead of peeling off a single strip, small blades along the edge of the peeler slice the peel into thin julienne strips. It’s basically the best invention ever made.

With that said, the only thing left to intimidate you about these wraps is maybe the raw tuna. I wasn’t always a fan of raw fish myself, but I recently bit the bullet (or I should say, the protein) and went for it. I find that raw fish doesn’t really have much of a flavor at all, which is why I like to lightly marinate the fish in Myron’s ponzu sauce, which is also gluten free. Ponzu sauce is basically a light and refreshing lime, ginger and sesame sauce that’s great for marinating or dipping, and it infuses the fish with great flavor. Of course topping everything off with some spicy mayo doesn’t hurt either right? I mean, sriracha makes everything better.

Now sushi everything has been around on my site for a long time. In fact, I made sushi salad famous before it was ever a thing! I went through a bit of a crazy sushi phase where I made candy sushi, sushi snowmen, sushi hamantaschen and even a 3-tier sushi cake. I’m a sushi nerd, what can I say?

But getting back to traditional sushi eating…. the salad is definitely getting boring, and sushi rolls just seem like too much of a job. Which is why I’m totally loving the new sushi burrito craze and I hope you will too. With Shabbat going into Shavuot this year, six back to back meals call for light and refreshing lunch ideas – which is why these are absolutely perfect. You can even set up a bar and have people make their own. How fun?

Don’t forget to load on all the toppings because an extra dose of sweet sauce and spicy mayo are every sushi lovers dream. Are you drooling yet?

Signing off with a little shoutout to my kids, who served as my hand models in these pics when no one else was around! They were also more than happy to eat the leftovers (no raw fish for this pregnant mama!) so no waste is a win-win for this blogger mom!

Sushi Burrito (Gluten Free)

4 Michel De France Norigami sesame seed soy wrappers
1 cup sushi rice, cooked according to package directions
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1 daikon, peeled and julienned
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
1 sashimi grade tuna steak, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Myrons ponzu sauce, or, to taste
spicy mayo (recipe follows)
sweet soy sauce
sesame seeds, for garnish

Method:

Place the tuna steak in a bowl and stir with the ponzu sauce. Set aside to marinate. In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sriracha and rice vinegar.

Place a soy wrapper on a sheet of wax paper. Spread 1/4 of the sushi rice over the wrapper, leaving a border all around. Top with julienned carrot, cucumber, daikon, avocado and marinated tuna. Drizzle the filling with spicy mayo. Using the wax paper, lift the side of the soy wrapper and fold it over, using your hands to squeeze and tighten the wrap closed. Twist the edges closed, or tuck in the sides of the wax paper like a burrito. Slice the burrito in half and serve with dipping sauces.

VARIATION: Feel free to use your favorite sushi fillings such as edamame, thinly slice nori strips, mock crab, sushi grade salmon, julienned mango, pickled ginger and others.

YIELD: 4 sushi burritos.

Spicy Mayo

1/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha (or, to taste)

Add to a bowl and stir to combine.

This post was sponsored by Crafted Kosher. Visit craftedkosher.com for a large selection of gourmet kosher products. Follow Crafted Kosher on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

Related Recipes:

sushi salad
sushi salad II
kani salad
kani Caesar salad with nori croutons
tuna sashimi

Post a Comment