Author: chanie

S’mores Corn Flake Clusters

I can’t let summer go by without a s’mores recipe. I mean, what’s summer without s’mores, right? I’m a huge fan of the classic, and so are my kids. I try and whip them up whenever we have a BBQ. I just wrap up my s’more sandwich in foil and throw it on the grill for a quick and easy dessert everyone loves.

I don’t know what it is with me and breakfast s’mores, but here I am at it again, trashing up my most important meal of the day. OK, so these are not exactly breakfast munchies, but they are made with cereal, and one of my favorite ones at that. Corn Flakes are my all-time-favorite coating for so many things, from shnitzel to ice cream. I use Corn Flake crumbs in my homemade kishke, throw them into patties instead of bread crumbs, and sprinkle them over kugels and quiche for some sweet crunch. One of my favorite snacks are those chewy Corn Flake crunchies made with corn syrup and that’s what inspired these S’mores Corn Flake Clusters.

Like Jerry Seinfeld, I’m a total cereal fanatic, and I would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could. After Pesach, when everyone is out getting their pizza fix, I just go to my nearest supermarket and have an all-out cereal party! I buy like 4 or 5 kinds, and I get to skip the whole pizza-line-around-the-block thing to get my chometz fix.

Cereal doesn’t have to be a bowl-only food, but these marshmallow-infused Corn Flake clusters do sorta taste like Corn Flakes and milk. Enrobe them in chocolate and it just takes it to a whole ‘nother level! And I don’t use just any chocolate either. I am legit obsessed with the California Gourmet brand. It tastes like the finest Belgian chocolate that’s not too sweet, just how I like it.

How much do I love California Gourmet chocolate? Let me count the ways…

1. it’s vegan
2. it’s got 45% cocoa
3. it’s got the nicest packaging (hey, I was trained in graphic design so that matters, ok?!)
4. it comes in red or blue bags, soy-based and soy-free, respectively.
5. it’s kosher pareve
6. it’s gluten free
7. it’s allergy friendly
8. it’s got great recipes on the back of the bag (amazing chocolate chip cookies on the red one and my chocolate ganache tart on the blue one).
9. it’s available in 100 stores!
10. it’s rich and chocolatey with few ingredients that I can recognize and pronounce.

What have I done with my all-time favorite chocolate? Well, I made this chocolate ganache tart with a macaroon crust that is so decadent, guilt-free and delicious, that they printed it on back of the bag! I also made this easy homemade nutella with just 3 ingredients! I also showed my love for Israel with these halva krembo’s that are the ultimate remake of the classic kid snack.

You can never have too much chocolate, so while I add these chips to my homemade trail mix and I melt some up for homemade fondue, I don’t mind just eating ’em straight from the bag, no recipe required!

What’s your favorite way to use chocolate chips? Share it with me in the comments below!

S’mores Corn Flake Clusters

5 cups lightly crushed Corn Flakes cereal
8 oz. marshmallows
2 tbsp butter, margarine or coconut oil
1 cup California Gourmet chocolate chips
4 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed

Method:

Over medium heat, melt the butter and marshmallows and stir in the cornflakes, mixing until they are well-coated. With damp hands, roll the corn flake mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze the clusters until they are set and no longer sticky.

Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler. Dip the corn flake clusters into the chocolate, and then into the graham cracker crumbs. Place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate hardens.

VARIATION: Try using Rice Krispies instead.

QUICK & EASY: Spread the Corn Flakes mixture into  a 9×13 pan. Cover with a layer of chocolate and graham cracker crumbs. Refrigerate until set and cut into squares.

TIP: If your chocolate is too thick for dipping, add a bit of oil to thin it out.


This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   View the list of stores that carry the brand here).

Related Recipes:

smores oatmeal
s’mores cookies
s’mores chocolate toffee bark
corn flake crunch ice cream
leftover cereal bar treats

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Harissa Whipped Feta w/ Za’atar Eggplant Chips

I recently did a spice roundup of some of my favorite spices and seasoning blends on Instagram. I love cooking with spices because I can pack on the flavor without piling on the extra sugar and additives that are found in sauces and marinades. Spices keep things clean and healthy, without sacrificing on flavor.

If I had to choose a favorite spice, it would probably have to be za’atar. Za’atar is a spice blend that is native to the Middle East. It includes sumac, oregano, thyme and sesame seeds – a bright combination that’s great with just about everything. I love it on pita chips, chickpeas, chicken, fish, eggplant, cauliflower…like I said, everything!

Another one of my favorite spice blends is harissa. Harissa is a North African chili paste that adds amazing depth of flavor to fish, meat, poultry, veggies and sauces. I love to mix it into my shakshuka, tahini, Moroccan fish, sour cream and even nacho cheese! There’s a reason that Time Magazine called harissa the “new sriracha” of 2015. And as a MAJOR sriracha fan, let me assure you that it’s quite the compliment!

The crazy thing about za’atar and harissa is that, while they are both good on their own, they are amazing together! I never realized just how well these spices complemented each other until I developed this recipe. And I. am. obsessed!!

So first, the chips, because I am a chip fanatic. I love that these eggplant chips are baked and not fried – but they are still perfectly crispy. The za’atar adds such an amazing unexpected punch of flavor to the breading that you can literally go through an entire tray in one sitting.

And the feta? Oh. Em. Gee. If you’ve never whipped feta before then GET ON IT! Most people don’t think of feta as a creamy cheese, but when you whiz this stuff up with a little Greek yogurt – it’s like a silky smooth dip that’s perfectly salty. Dunk those za’atar chips in and it’s a full on an explosion in your mouth.

What are some of your favorite spices and seasonings? Share them with me in the comments below!

Harissa Whipped Feta

1 7 oz. block of feta (not crumbles)
3 oz. Greek yogurt
1 tsp harissa, or, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
olive oil and harissa, for garnish

Method:

Place the feta cheese, yogurt, harissa and lemon in a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Place the creamed feta in a serving dish and garnish with olive oil and harissa. Serve with za’atar eggplant chips.

Crispy Baked Za’atar Eggplant Chips

1 large eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
2 cups panko bread crumbs
3 tbsp zaatar
salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs, beaten

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the eggplant slices in half to create triangular wedges and set aside. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the panko bread crumbs with za’atar, salt and pepper. Set up a dredging station with the eggplant wedges on one tray, the eggs in another and the za’atar panko crumbs in another.

Dip the eggplant wedges into into egg, shake off the excess, and dredge in the seasoned panko crumbs. Spread eggplant out on two well-greased cookie sheets (make sure not to overcrowd them) and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes until browned and crispy.

Related Recipes:

za’atar roasted chickpeas
malawach cheese pastries with za’atar
confetti latkes with harissa sour cream
cauliflower nachos with harissa cheddar sauce

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Corn, Heirloom Tomato & Goat Cheese Salad
with Basil Lime Vinagrette

I don’t think we New Yorkers can complain about the summer this year, it’s been relatively mild (poo poo poo!). I mean, I don’t want to jinx anything (watch it be mind-numbingly hot next week), but I haven’t had to shower three times a day and jump into whatever sprinklers I can find…like last year.


You know how they say, “If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!”, well what if you can’t handle the heat in your state? Do you just move to a colder climate, like Antarctica?

I am seriously not one for hot weather, which is why I would never move to Florida. My husband, on the other hand, wants to move to the Sunny State, and I always remind him that while he may get the sun, he’s not gonna have much sunshine in his life with his overheated wife! That kind of weather just turns me into some sort of heatwave-monster and you DON’T want to be around me when that happens. Which is why I’m going to stay right here, in perfectly mild Brooklyn, thank you very much. And when perfectly mild Brooklyn turns into overly humid Brooklyn, I’ll just stay inside with my air conditioning and a cup of iced coffee, all calm, cool and collected.

Now when perfectly mild Brooklyn turns into muggy and raining Brooklyn (like it did this week), I turn to my perfectly colorful summer salad so I can at least imagine green pastures and bright summer days. It just doesn’t get brighter than this salad! With fresh arugula, heirloom tomatoes, perfectly crisp-tender corn and creamy goat cheese, you just can’t go wrong. Even if it is muggy outside. Smother it all in a light and refreshing basil lime vinaigrette and you’ll be OK wherever you are…even the Sunny State.

What summer salad gives you an instant pick-me-up regardless of the weather? Share it with me in the comments below!

Summer Corn & Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese

1 pkg arugula
2 ears corn
10 oz. baby heirloom tomatoes
1 log Natural & Kosher fine herbs chevre goat cheese
2 tbsp pine nuts, optional

Method:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the corn. Cook for 3 minutes, until tender. Remove the corn from the pot and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Spread arugula out on a platter and top with tomatoes, corn and slices of goat cheese. Sprinkle pine nuts over the salad and drizzle with basil lime vinaigrette.

VARIATION: Bread and fry the goat cheese for crispy goat cheese croutons, or use crumbled feta instead.

Basil Lime Vinaigrette
1/3 cup light olive oil
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth and creamy.



This post was sponsored by Natural & Kosher Cheese. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, or via their Blog

Related Recipes:

summer tomato feta salad
watermelon corn salsa
pesto and goat cheese crostini

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Halloumi Cheese Waffles with
Tomato Jam & Balsamic Syrup

I am UBER excited about today’s post, I’m even using the word uber! You see, I dreamed up these halloumi waffles a couple of weeks ago and I wasn’t quite sure how they would turn out. Sometimes when I think up something really outside the box, it can be a bit much, but this, this just worked so harmoniously, I am still dreaming about it!

If you’ve never heard of halloumi before, it’s a semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese that’s like a cross between feta and mozzarella. Because of it’s high melting point, it’s one of the few cheeses that you can actually grill (or in this case, waffle iron). And I don’t mean grill between two slices of bread. You can grill this cheese on it’s own and it retains it’s shape and texture!

Many people don’t know this about halloumi. In fact, I decided to do a little Instagram contest to see who could guess what kind of waffle this was (using the picture below). There were 57 guesses and only one person guessed haloumi (chanazweiss won a copy of my ebook!). Some of the others were really intriguing (like fluffernutter, tofu, tahini, coconut flour, cottage cheese, cauliflower….). I guess I’ve got my fill of waffle ideas for a while.

You can find halloumi in the cheese section of most supermarkets nowadays, but it is most popular in Israeli cuisine. I’ve seen it grilled and fried, but my favorite preparation is the halloumi salad at Blueberry Cafe in Brooklyn. It’s got grilled peppers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and onions with crispy breaded cubes of fried halloumi and a sesame teriyaki dressing. They call it a salad, so I convince myself that it’s healthy, because it’s JUST. THAT. GOOD.

In keeping with the Middle Eastern spirit of halloumi cheese, I created a silan-sweetened tomato jam as well as a balsamic syrup that’s kissed with the amazing flavor of date honey. Silan is one of my favorite Middle Eastern ingredients and it works so well in these condiments (well in anything, really).

I know this is one of those recipes where you roll your eyes and think, “Looks good but it’s too much of a patchke“, but do yourself a favor and go for it anyway. Once you plate this baby up, the marriage of salty cheese with a crispy exterior, sweet tomato jam, acidic balsamic and bitter arugula will dance on your palate and hit every note!

With Nine Days of dairy coming up soon, we can all use a little something different, so get outside your comfort zone and grill up some halloumi. You can thank me later.

Halloumi Waffles

1 14oz. pkg halloumi cheese
olive oil
arugula
tomato jam (recipe follows)
balsamic syrup (recipe follows)

Method:

Remove the halloumi from the package and pat dry. If the cheese is thick (this depends on the brand you purchase), divide it in half. Brush the halloumi with olive oil and heat up your waffle iron. Grease your waffle iron well and add the cheese. Cook until the the cheese has developed a brown crust (resist the urge to open your waffle iron too early or the cheese will fall apart).

Serve immediately with arugula, tomato jam, balsamic syrup and a drizzle of good quality olive oil.

VARIATION: If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can also grill the halloumi or pan-fry until crispy.


Tomato Jam

1.5 lbs. ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp silan
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Roughly chop your tomatoes and place them in a saucepan with silan and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the tomatoes until they begin to fall apart and break them up with a fork. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens, about 45 minutes total.

NOTE: if desired, you may strain the jam through a fine mesh sieve to remove the skins.

Balsamic Syrup

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp silan

Pour the vinegar and silan into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half (or more, for a thicker syrup).

Related Recipes:

summer tomato feta salad
roasted eggplant parmesan with feta

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Grilled Radicchio with Black Sesame Dressing

I used to be afraid of trying new things. I’d turn my nose up on offal and cilantro and I swore off gamey meats like lamb and duck. But boy was I losing out. Trying new things allows you to expand your culinary horizons. It opens your palate to new flavors, and if you try things enough times, sometimes you realize that you don’t hate them as much as you think you did.

Case in point: radicchio. It’s bitter. Yes, bitter. And who would want to eat bitter lettuce, right?! That’s what I thought until I tried it a few times. First, I put it a handful in a big salad for a hint of bitterness and crunch. Then I shredded some into a slaw. And finally, I decided to go all out and grill it. Grilling lettuce is a must for summer and if you haven’t tried it yet – put it on your to do list! You can start with romaine for a grilled Caesar salad, and then move on to the more adventurous radicchio. Grilling the radicchio gives it a delicious smoky flavor, and topping it with sweet pomegranate seeds offsets the bitterness. Be sure to check out my tip for mellowing radicchio’s hard bite in the recipe below!

When De La Rosa sent me over some black sesame tahini, it was another lesson in trying new things. Black tahini is a lot more pungent than the traditional stuff and I’d never tried it before. The full-on sesame flavor really hits you, so you’ve got to go easy on the stuff. It’s also so incredibly black, you feel like you’re working with tar, or black paint. I bet it would make such a fun garnish painted on a plate, or better yet, made into savory ice cream (with a side of tuna tartare). I can’t wait to play around with it more, but for now, I started with a simple salad dressing that’s packed full of bright flavors like fresh ginger and lime. It’s so refreshing and unique, perfect for my grilled radicchio salad.

Aside for tahini, De La Rosa also carries a full line of oils, balsamic vinegar and wines. They believe in producing “Real Foods for Real People,” a philosophy that I strongly endorse. Their kosher, organic and GMO free products are made with the highest standards of quality and purity so be sure to check out their site for more of their products!

I’d love to hear about how you’re learning to try new foods this summer. Whether it’s radicchio, black sesame tahini, or that ingredient that you’ve always been to afraid to eat – brave it up (even if it means you have to spit it out!) and let me now how it goes!

Grilled Radicchio Salad

1 head of radicchio, cut into wedges
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (how to deseed)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
black sesame salad dressing, to taste (recipe follows)

Method:

Heat up your grill over high heat. Cut the radicchio into wedges and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the radicchio for a few minutes on each side, until charred and tender.

Place the charred radicchio on a platter and top with chickpeas, pomegranate seeds and parsley. Drizzle with black sesame salad dressing, as desired, and serve.

VARIATION: consider roasting the chickpeas with za’atar or spices of your choice. Recipe here. You can also mix the radicchio with other greens, such as arugula.

TIP: To remove some of the bitterness from the radicchio, soak it in ice water for 1 hour. Drain well and and pat dry before grilling.

Black Sesame Salad Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp De La Rosa black tahini (Purchase here)
2 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 heaping tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until emulsified.

Yield: 1/3 cup dressing


This post has been sponsored by De La Rosa. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

Related Recipes:

Pomegranate coleslaw
Ricotta and tahini stuffed figs
Fish with green tahini

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