Category: Dinner

Zucchini Fries (Gluten Free)

We’re closing in on our series of pesto recipes with these crunchy gluten free zucchini fries! I love using zucchini because they are so low in calories and totally guilt free. To keep them diet friendly and gluten free, I used a chopped nut coating instead of breadcrumbs, and garbanzo bean flour instead of all purpose flour. But what really makes these zucchini fries different is the pesto. I could have went with eggwash to “glue” the crunchy nut coating onto the zucchini sticks, but with extra pesto in the fridge, I decided to give it a try. The results were so flavorful, I can’t imagine making it any other way!

There’s just something about fries that makes eating any vegetable fun, am I right? Good old russet potato fries used to be the only fries  on the brain but sweet potato fries have made it up there too. Personally, I’m a big fan of butternut squash fries,  and just recently, parsnips fries have topped my list of favorites as well. I must blog about those soon.

If you’re dieting and craving some crunch, these oven-fried zucchini fries are sure to hit the spot. Feel free to adapt the recipe to your specific diet! To make them dairy-free, just omit the parmesan and use more nuts instead. I like to use the same nuts as the ones in the pesto (I used Marcona almonds here), but you can experiement with pecans and walnuts too.

Zucchini Fries

2 zucchini, cut into sticks
1/4 cup flour (I used garbanzo flour)
1/2 cup pesto
2-4 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan
marinara sauce, for serving

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the pesto with olive oil to thin it out. Add additional olive oil, if needed, depending on the thickness of the pesto.

Set up a dredging station with bowls of flour, pesto and ground nuts mixed with parmesan.

Dip the zucchini in flour, shake off excess and dip into pesto. Press the zucchini sticks into ground nuts/parmesan. Place on a greased cookie sheet and spray with oil (I use a Misto olive oil sprayer but you can use cooking spray). Bake for 15-20 minutes until browned and crispy.

Don’t like pesto? dip the zucchini in eggs seasoned with salt and pepper insead.

VARIATION: To make these nondairy, replace the parmesan with additional chopped nuts.

NOTE: for crisper fries, you can bake them on a rack set of a baking sheet.

Related Recipes:

zucchini parmesan chips
pesto pinwheels

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Pesto Baked Salmon

Of all the recipe requests I receive, it seems like salmon is that one dish that people get bored of rather quickly – me included. I’ve had my fill of honey mustard salmon, I’d rather not look at another piece of teriyaki salmon, and I’m all magic-salmoned-out. The good news is, I’ve got an endless variety of salmon ideas, so I can always pick something from under my chef’s hat (figuratively speaking, of course).

Truth be told, I’m really not the biggest fish person altogether. I won’t touch tilapia (bottom feeders freak me out), I don’t like sole, and I usually stay away from gefilte (is that even considered fish?). I tend to lean towards salmon, flounder, red snapper or seabass, when available. I’ve always wanted to try different types of fish, but they’re not readily available where I live. I’ve had whole bronzino in restaurants and halibut at my mom’s (she loves it!), but I’ve never tried grouper or mahimahi. Arctic Char is one of the best pieces of fish I’ve ever tried – I would love to find a place that carries it!

I’ve always wanted to bake my own whole fish stuffed with lemon and herbs – better yet, catch and fillet it myself. It’s just another one of those things on my bucket list – and I hope to do it one day. I’ve heard that the taste of freshly caught fish doesn’t compare to what we buy at the fishmonger. I can just imagine it smelling of the ocean istead of, well, fish. Don’t you just hate it when you open up a package and a fishy stench just hits you like a fishing rod!?

Back to the salmon – since it’s one of the few types of fish that I eat, I’m always coming up with new ways to eat it. This pesto-smothered-recipe came to me when I was on the South Beach diet and I needed to stay away from sweet sauces and sugar. For added crunch (without the panko carbs), I grind up some nuts (whichever nuts are in the pesto) and sprinkle it over the top. It adds great texture to the salmon!

Pesto Baked Salmon

salmon fillets
your favorite homemade or store-bought pesto
roughly chopped nuts (I like to use the same nuts that are in the pesto, to complement it)
grated parmesan cheese, optional
olive oil
lemon slices, for serving

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Spread pesto over the salmon slices and sprinkle with chopped nuts and parmesan (if using). Drizzle olive oil over the fish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

PAREVE VARIATION: to make this dish nondairy – use a pareve pesto and omit parmesan cheese.

Related recipes:

spinach, walnut and cheddar pesto
marcona almond & basil pesto
salmon pasta salad
salmon cakes with yogurt sauce

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Spinach Meat Lasagna Roll-Ups

It’s funny how you never quite know which of your recipes is gonna go viral. Sometimes, I get so excited about my crazy mash-up ideas, that I think the whole world will too. But I’m not always right. Like here and here. No biggie.

It’s when I least expect it that people go gaga over my food. Like here and here.  You can be minding your own blogger business when before you know it, the recipe’s been repinned hundreds, or even thousands, of times. My spinach lasagna roll-ups is one such recipe, and when I noticed all the love it was getting, I decided I had to share my meat version.

You see, being kosher, I do not eat milk and meat together, so bechamel-smothered-meat-lasgana is out of the question. We kosher-keepers eat our lasagna either meat, or dairy, not both. Of course you can always make dairy lasagna with soy crumbles, or meat lasagna with vegan cheese, but I’m just not one for the fake stuff. It’s either got real meat, or real cheese, no soy for me!

So, without further adieu, I give you the meat version of my dairy lasagna roll-ups. Let me know which ones you like better!

Meat Lasagna Roll-Ups

approximately 14 lasagna sheets
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs. ground beef
1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove water
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
12 oz. tomato paste
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay the noodles onto parchment paper or aluminum foil (so that they don’t stick together).

Saute onion and garlic in oil until translucent. Add meat and saute until no longer pink. Drain, if necessary.

Mix tomato sauce, paste, spices, spinach and lemon juice. Reserve 1 cup. Add remaining tomato mixture to the meat and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Spread the meat mixture onto the lasagna sheets and roll up. Brush the lasagna rolls with the reserved tomato sauce.

Pour 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of the pan. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Related Recipes:

dairy spinach lasagna roll-ups

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Passover Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed cabbage is just one of those foods that is synonymous with tradition. The smell and taste of the meaty cabbage rolls in a sweet tomato broth evoke a feeling of nostalgia and memories of Bubby’s kitchen. Well, at least my Bubby’s kitchen.

Bubby always made the best stuffed cabbage, and still does. When I want a taste of bubby’s holipches, I whip up a batch of her cabbage soup with flanken. It’s got all the flavor of stuffed cabbage, without the stuffing.

Although if you want to go ahead with the stuffing, I’ve got you covered. Once you’ve stuffed your cabbage rolls with meaty filling, you’ve got to simmer it in a sweet tomato sauce with a few of Bubby’s secret ingredients. Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in later.

Now when people think of Kosher for Passover stuffed cabbage, they assume it’s a dish eaten by Sephardim because it contains rice. No Siree! I’ve adapted my grandmother’s recipe so that Ashkenazim everywhere can enjoy the sweet taste of stuffed cabbage without the rice!

The secret to my Kosher for Passover stuffed cabbage is mashed potatoes. We always have leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge over Pesach, and what better way to use them than to bind and soften the meat mixture for the stuffed cabbage filling!

Truth be told, my favorite part of holipches is the cabbage. In fact, when my mom’s stuffed cabbage rolls would fall apart in the pot (don’ t worry, I’ll teach you how to avoid that!), I’d fish out all the cabbage and leave the meatballs for everyone else!

Well, now that I’ve teased you with all this has going, head on over to my guest post on The Nosher for the recipe! 

Related Posts:

How to stuff cabbage video tutorial
How to stuff cabbage
Bubby’s cabbage soup with flanken

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Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. Not only is it low carb, gluten free, and unbelievably delicious, it’s also quick and easy – no breading required!

I posted a similar recipe back in 2012, where I went light and healthy using feta cheese and tomatoes. It’s one of my most popular posts on the blog, and for good reason. It may be dietetic, but it still hits the spot to curb your calorie cravings.

This more authentic version of roasted eggplant parmesan stays true to the cheesy goodness of the original. It’s packed with grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese, but leaves out the frying and breadcrumbs for a guilt-free dish that’s as good as it looks!

With Passover soon approaching, I thought this would be the perfect time to post a gluten free dish that’s just right for the intermediary days of the Chag. If you’re like me and you don’t eat matza pizza, this is the perfect way to enjoy a cheesy dish that’s not gebroks (dishes that allow for matza to absorb liquid). Thankfully, Natural & Kosher parmesan and mozzarella are kosher for Passover so you can prepare this dish without having to search for the afikomen (ie. look very far!). If you’re not a fan of eggplant, read on for other cheesy gluten-free ideas, you’ll be sure to find one that suits your fancy!

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant (use mini for appetizer, large for entree)
olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
marinara sauce
Natural & Kosher grated parmesan cheese
Natural & Kosher shredded mozzarella
fresh parsley or basil, for garnish (optional)

Method:

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and place flesh-side down on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and broil on high on the top rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes (35 for larger eggplant), until skin is charred and the flesh is soft.

Turn the eggplants over and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Top with marinara and shredded mozzarella. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly and beginning to crisp up around the edges. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.


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

Related Recipes:

portobello pizza
pizza omelette
cheesy stuffed mini peppers
pasta free spinach manicotti
spaghetti squash baked ziti
roasted eggplant parmesan with feta

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