Category: Salad

Tunisian-Style Tuna Nicoise Salad

Early followers of my blog will remember my South Beach Diet days, and if you’ve been following for the last few years, my Whole30 phase. Yes, I’ve been dieting my entire life, I can write a book on it (oh wait, I did!).

Since I had my last baby, over two years ago, it’s been about food freedom for me – and for a few reasons. Firstly, I decided I didn’t want to live my life on a diet anymore, and I wanted to be able to enjoy food and be OK with it. I did put on some weight, which is what will happen if you’re in my industry and you just let yourself go – but I accepted it and decided that I would learn to love my body at any size.

From a recipe testing perspective, because I was working on my cookbook, I didn’t want my palate to be off, which is what will happen if you’re on a diet that restricts sugars or carbs. After a few rounds of Whole30, everything tasted cloyingly sweet to me and if you’re developing recipes for a cookbook, that can be a problem. I remember testing this recipe during my Whole30 (tasting it and spitting it out!) and when I made it several months later for a Shavuot cooking class, I found that it really needed more sweetener (recipe has been adjusted!). If you’re testing recipes for a living, you need to appeal to the average palette, so a diet can really throw things off. That’s another reason I decided to let myself go and not be restrictive.

I started following a lot of body-positive Instagram accounts and really tried to work on being comfortable in my larger size, but if I’m being honest, I just didn’t feel like myself. I was self conscious, uncomfortable behind the camera, and going shopping left me feeling totally depressed. Physically, I felt tired, lacked energy and just wasn’t motivated to make a change.

This year, on my 38th birthday, I looked in the mirror and decided it was time to make a change. Either accept and love myself at any size, or change that size to one that would make me more comfortable in my skin. I was done with the yo yo eating, and I just wanted to gain back control. For me personally, I don’t do well with intuitive eating or mindfulness, I need a strict regimen otherwise I don’t keep to it. So the day after Chanukah, I took the diet plunge and went keto. No excuses, no back and forth on which diet to choose, just jumping right in without thinking, and it’s the best thing I could have done. I shared it on Instagram so that I would hold myself accountable, and I’ve been going strong for two weeks (although it already feels like months!). It’s amazing how long a day can feel when you’re watching everything you put in your mouth!!

It scary to put yourself out there today. Someone recently told me that we live in the “offended” generation and it’s so true. It’s like we’re all tiptoeing around each other because we might say the wrong thing. Well to all the diet-shamers out there who aren’t OK with people going on a diet, here’s what I believe and I’m sticking to it: I reserve the right to feel comfortable in my own skin, and it’s no one elses right to tell me if I should lose weight, or if I should accept my body the way it is. It is MY body and it is MY right to make that choice. Yes, I’ve gone keto – because I want to feel healthy again and be healthy again and I want to be able to like what I see in the mirror, and there’s no shame in that.  This, to me, is true food freedom. The freedom to make your own choices about the foods you eat, and weighing those choices in a conscious way.

I’m so excited to share this delicious recipe that I came up with last week for my keto-approved lunch. I went a little overboard with the tomatoes, but I’ll get there!

Tunisian-Style Tuna Nicoise Salad

1 pkg arugula
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
1-2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup capers, optional
harissa tuna, recipe follows
preserved lemon dressing, recipe follows

Method:

Spread the arugula out on a platter. Add eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives and capers. Top with scoops of harissa tuna and drizzle with preserved lemon dressing before serving.

VARIATION: if you’re not watching your carbs, feel free to cook up some red-skinned potatoes, slice and add to the salad.

Harissa Tuna:
1 can tuna packed in water, drained
3 tbsp mayo
2 tsp harissa
1 tsp dried parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

Preserved Lemon Dressing:
1/2 c olive oil
2 tsp minced preserved lemon peel
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp honey, optional
salt and pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to a container and shake vigorously until creamy.

Related Recipes:

harissa roasted chicken
harissa whipped feta with za’atar eggplant chips
cauliflower nachos with harissa cheddar sauce
Greek salad with feta croutons

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Hummus Simanim

As the New Year approaches, I always like to evaluate where I stand and think about what changes I want to make for myself in the coming year, both personally and professionally. For years, my goal was to take the necessary steps towards writing my own cookbook, and now that I have met that goal (far beyond my expectations, with our first printing of 15,000 books completely sold out in just 3 months!), I keep asking myself, “What’s next?”.


I’m not the type of person that settles on status quo – I’m always dreaming up the next big thing and finding ways to challenge myself. It’s like they say – “If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind” – and I definitely believe in that.


Truth be told, once the book went to print, I was so emotionally and physically exhausted that I couldn’t imagine coming up with new recipes and ideas ever again! But as my workload lightened up this summer, I got back in the kitchen because I wanted to, not because I had to, and I found my groove again! I went back to my roots, the foods and the flavors that I love the most (yes, that means Israeli food!) and this amazing new recipe came to me! It’s simanim on steroids and it is everything you’ve ever dreamed of for your Rosh Hashanah table and more!

Simanim, or symbolic foods, are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize our hopes for a sweet New Year. Some simanim include leeks, pomegranate, gourds (any type of squash), dates, black eyed peas or green beans, beets, carrots and fish head (some use ram’s head). These specific foods are eaten because their hebrew translation relates to specific blessings that convey our wishes for the coming year.


When I put the platter together, I couldn’t stop taking photos because, I mean, HOW GORGEOUS IS IT, amiright??? I all but maxed out my SD card and went. to. town. (No- I like seriously went to town, for some fresh pita!). I invited my neighbors over and we stood over my kitchen counter in the mountains, scooping hummus and salad onto blistered bread, the tastes of Israel growing stronger with each bite. It was a simple dish, but it captured everything I love about what I do – channeling my creativity, sharing with friends, cooking with color and putting a twist on tradition.

This dish reminded me how important it is to cook from a place of love – it is, after all, the secret ingredient that makes everything taste better – and that it’s food, family and tradition that brings us all together.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and sweet New Year with much success in all areas of your lives. May we continue to reach milestones and share good news with each other this year!
Ksiva Vachasima Tova L’shana Tova Umisukah!

Hummus

2 cloves garlic
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cumin
1 cup good-quality tahini paste, stir if separated
3/4 cup ice water
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and tahini to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Puree the mixture; while the machine is running, pour ice water through the feed tube. Blend until mixture is very smooth. Add chickpeas; blend until creamy. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt, cumin, or lemon, if desired. To adjust consistency, add a bit of water at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

To assemble the platter: spread the hummus over a large lazy Susan or a shallow bowl. Place mounds of pomegranate blistered green beans, preserved lemon carrot slaw, beet salad, baharat roasted squash, sauteed leeks and pomegranate seeds in the center of the hummus. Add a few pitted dates. Drizzle olive oil over the hummus and serve.

Pomegranate Blistered Green Beans

1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 1/2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Add the green beans and saute over high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until tender-crisp and blistered. Lower the heat, stir in the garlic and saute until softened. Add the pomegranate molasses, salt, pepper and sesame seeds and toss until coated.

Preserved Lemon Carrot Slaw
reprinted from Millennial Kosher

1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup light olive oil
3 Tbsp minced preserved lemons
salt and pepper, to taste
3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
¼ cup packed parsley, roughly chopped

Method:

Add garlic, olive oil, preserved lemons, salt and pepper to a bowl; stir to combine. Pour mixture over grated carrots; stir in the parsley.


Beet Salad

1 lb. roasted or prepared beets, cut into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
handful of parsley, roughly chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat. 

Baharat Roasted Squash

small butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp baharat
1 tbsp honey
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet and add olive oil, baharat, honey and salt, stir to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Baharat recipe: combine 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 1/4 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cardamom.


Sauteed Leeks

2 leeks
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut off the upper portion of the leeks, keeping the white and pale green portion at the bottom. Chop the leeks. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the leeks. Saute until caramelized and season to taste, with salt and pepper. 

Related Recipes:

simanim fritto misto
simanim pasta salad
simanim holiday salad
hummus bassar
chestnut hummus

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Grilled Chicken Wedge Salad
with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Grilled chicken salad is my dish of choice for summer. There always seems to be some leftover chicken in the fridge and I love the challenge of coming up with new ways to eat it – depending on what I have on hand. I typically go with Middle Eastern-inspired recipes when I use pargiot, or dark meat cutlets, and I go Asian or Indian with chicken breasts.

The iceberg salad with carrot ginger dressing is my favorite starter at Asian restaurants – it’s just so light and fresh and really the perfect way to start a meal of heavy Chinese food. I’m always picking out the big chunks of iceberg that are wedged into each other, so I decided to make a salad that is all about the wedge!

Traditional wedge salad is smothered in bacon and blue cheese dressing – and aside from the fact that it’s not kosher, I’m not even tempted, because, well….blue cheese. I prefer not to eat food that tastes like stinky socks, you know? But this right here? This is I can get behind. With creamy avocado, peppery radishes and crisp cucumber, you don’t even miss croutons and the dish will leave you feeling light and refreshed – just how I love my summer salads.

Grilled Chicken Wedge Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges
1 cucumber, spiralized (or thinly sliced)
1 avocado, peeled into ribbons (or cut into chunks)
2 pieces grilled chicken, diced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
carrot ginger dressing (recipe follows)

Method:

Arrange all the ingredients on a platter and drizzle with dressing, to taste.

VARIATION: for a vegan salad, grill tofu using the same method as the chicken.


Carrot Ginger Dressing

1/4 c light olive oil
2 tbsp white miso paste (may substitute with tahini paste)
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
1” piece ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

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

Related Recipes:

Asian lettuce wraps
grilled chicken fattoush with za’atar ranch
grilled chicken salad with jalapeno honey mustard dressing
grilled chicken shawarma salad

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Grilled Chicken Fattoush with Za’atar Ranch

Reunited (with my camera) and it feels SO good! I haven’t picked up my equipment to photograph food since I shot my cookbook months ago and I thought I might be a little rusty but by George I think I’ve still got it!

Shooting food today reminded me just how much I love what I do and I’ve missed it! Recipe development, food photography and food styling give me SO much joy, and I am legit the luckiest girl in the world to get to do it for a living. As a food blogger, it’s easy to get caught up in the world of social media – keeping up with the ever changing algorithms, apps and platforms – you almost forget why you got into it in the first place and coming back after a long break is just so good for the blogger soul.

It’s funny because when my book went to print in March, I took a sigh of relief that my schedule would finally ease up and I’d be able to take a breather, but the exact opposite happened. I had a book launch to plan, interviews, book signings and demos that followed in quick succession. It’s all been a roller coaster ride and I’ve been wanting so badly to come up for some air – until I finally did this week, and you know what I realized? I don’t even know how to relax. So I went back to what I know and that’s food. And my camera. And even though you could look at it as work – it was exactly what I needed. I had no deadline. It wasn’t for a book, or a magazine, or even the blog. It was for me.

The food: cuz lets face it, it’s always about the food! Lemon Sumac Grilled Pargiot to be precise. I’m a total pargiot convert. I can’t go back to dry grilled chicken breasts, they’re just so, blah! But pargiot? – so. darn. tasty. And they never dry out! This lemon sumac version is so light and fresh for summer, with a hint of sweetness from the silan. The perfect marriage.

The chicken is a great topping for the summery fattoush – a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and fried bread (in this case pita chips). I paired it with a lip-smacking za’atar ranch because that’s just how I roll. This is your new summer salad, and you can thank me later.

Grilled Chicken Fattoush

1 head romaine lettuce, sliced
1 Persian cucumber, sliced
4 radishes, sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
lemon sumac grilled pargiot (recipe follows), sliced
pita chips

Za’atar Ranch Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (loosely packed)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp za’atar
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare the za’atar ranch: add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until smooth.

Spread the lettuce out on a platter. Top with cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, grilled chicken and pita chips. Mix with dressing before serving.

Lemon Sumac Grilled Pargiot

4 pargiot (skinless dark meat chicken cutlets)
2 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
1 tbsp silan
1 tsp sumac
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat grill to high. In a bowl, combine the chicken with remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Grill for 5-8 minutes per side.

Related Recipes:

farro grain bowl
grilled chicken shawarma salad
grilled marinated chicken

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Smoky Kale & Farro Salad with Balsamic Fig Dressing


I’ve been trying to eat healthy lately – less snacking, more wholesome meals with lots of greens. It hasn’t been easy!

Maybe it’s because I get bored of salads. How many times can you eat lettuce with cucumbers and tomatoes, you know? I mean of course there are a million directions you can go in with salad, but who has the time? Most days I’m lucky if I get to scarf down anything while I’m running from here to there – so I come home famished and eat whatever I can find. I haven’t been making the best choices.

With my manuscript deadline just a few weeks away, I’ve been so stressed, barely sleeping and not taking care of myself. It all came to a head when I came down with the worst case of the flu the other week, that literally had me wanting to check into a hospital. I never knew the flu could be so bad, but I also knew that my body wasn’t doing the best job at getting better because I hadn’t been taking care of myself. It was a real wake up call for me to start taking my vitamins, getting more sleep, and eating better. I lost 10 lbs. over those two grueling weeks, but I gained a fresh start. It was like a clean slate for me, a chance to start over and live with intention.

I may not have done a Whole30, but I definitely felt a mind shift and I’ve been going with the flow. Working more salad into my meals, moving more and drinking more water. I feel so much better and as crazy as it is – I’m so thankful that I had such a bad case of the flu, because it put me in a better place.

Now lets talk about this salad. Salads like these make me want to eat all the greens! I love the balance of smoky, salty, chewy, tart, and sweet! And the balsamic fig dressing is such a winner, you’ll want to start stocking your fridge with it all the time.


A salad that actually makes you want to eat salad – so much yes!!!

Smoky Kale & Farro Salad

5 cups roughly chopped kale
1 1/2 cups cooked farro
1 green apple, halved, thinly sliced on a mandolin
handful of raisins or chopped dates
handful of pistachios
a few slices of smoked duck or turkey
balsamic fig dressing (recipe follows)

Method:

Place the kale in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and using gloves, massage the dressing into the leaves. Add the remaining ingredients and drizzle with additional dressing. 

Balsamic Fig Dressing

1/2 cup grapeseed or light olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fig jam
2 tsp spicy brown mustard
2 tsp grated shallot
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until thick and emulsified. 

Related Recipes:

kale, pear and kabocha squash salad with maple dijon dressing
kale persimmon salad
farro grain bowl

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