Shavuous – Page 9 – Busy in Brooklyn

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.

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

On July 16, 2015May 25, 2016

by chanie

in Appetizer, Brunch, Dairy, Diet, Recipes, Salad, Shavuous, The Nine Days

17 Comments

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

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Broccoli Parmesan Poppers (Gluten Free!)

On May 20, 2015May 25, 2016

by chanie

in Appetizer, Brunch, Dairy, Diet, Dinner, Recipes, Shavuous, The Nine Days

31 Comments

We’re gonna keep things short and sweet today since I know you’re all so busy prepping for Shavuot! I’m gonna let the photos do the talking.

I think you’re getting the picture (pun intended). I took some good old broccoli trees and made ’em kid friendly! And they’re even gluten free. Because I love you. (And because I’m on South Beach).

Do yourself a favor and bookmark this flaxseed crumb recipe because if you’re gluten free, you’re going to want to put it on everything. Especially homemade chicken nuggets. Trust me.

Did I mention they are baked too? You’re welcome.

I love how much goodness is packed into these little balls. Broccoli, flaxseeds, almond meal, and I even made a Greek yogurt ranch dip. Betchya never knew that healthy food could taste/look this good!

And you know what else? these little magic balls are easily adaptable too! If you want a more cheesy bite, add some shredded cheddar. Or your favorite cheese. And you can easily swap in some panko or breadcrumbs if you don’t have gluten free ingredients on hand like I do. Told you they were magic balls.

You’ve got the recipe, now get into the kitchen and make them already! Happy dipping!

Gluten Free Broccoli Parmesan Poppers

32oz. bag frozen brocolli
2 eggs
1/2 cup Natural & Kosher grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Marinara sauce or Greek yogurt ranch dip (recipe follows), for dipping

Method:

Add broccoli to a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Drain well, pushing down on the broccoli to remove moisture. Pulse the broccoli in the food processor until finely chopped, but not ground. Place the chopped broccoli in a mixing bowl and add eggs, Parmesan, almond meal, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the flaxseed meal and spices. Roll 2 tablespoons of broccoli batter into balls and dip into the flaxseed mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Yield: 27 poppers

VARIATION: For more cheesy goodness, use Natural & Kosher cheese shredded cheddar instead of the parmesan.

NON GLUTEN FREE OPTION: roll the broccoli balls in flavored panko bread crumbs.

NUT FREE OPTION: use bread crumbs instead of almond meal.

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip

6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp minced onion flakes
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
pinch of black pepper

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

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

Rosewater Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits

On May 18, 2015May 13, 2016

by chanie

in Dairy, Dessert, Fruit, Recipes, Shavuous

11 Comments

I like rosewater, can you tell? Honestly, I hadn’t even heard of the stuff before I married into a Sephardic family. And I didn’t like it at first either.

Rosewater has a very distinct, perfumy taste and you either love it or hate it. I like how it compliments certain dishes, when used in the right proportions – never too much, just a splash for subtle floral notes.

I especially like to incorporate rosewater into my Shavuot recipes since the holiday is also called “The Feast of the Roses”. On Shavuot, Jews commemorate the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. It is told that Mount Sinai was covered in roses at the time the Torah was received, so many communities have a custom to decorate their homes and synagogues (as well as Torah scrolls) with roses. In some Sephardic synagogues, it is customary to sprinkle rose water on the congregants. I’ll pass on that one, but rosewater-scented mousse? yes please.

When it comes to light and airy cheesecake mousse, there are so many possibilities and if rosewater is not your thing, you’ve got plenty of options! Think vanilla, or lemon, almond or coffee, anything tastes good with cream cheese and whip cream! And the filling? You can go to town on that too! Angel food cake, brownie crumbs, blueberry sauce or lemon curd are all great ideas to use in a cheesecake parfait.

Since I’m not much of a baker, and cheesecake is so difficult to perfect (just ask Molly), I take the easy no-bake route and go for the mousse. It’s Shavuot after all, so we get to whip out (pun intended) the heavy cream and really go at it!

If you follow my blog, you probably know that I love to cook seasonally, so when Shavuot rolls around, I always try to incorporate something rhubarb or strawberry into my menu. You can go with fresh or frozen here, but since I always keep my freezer stocked for smoothies and popsicles, I went with that. The sweet and tangy ruby-colored sauce, with notes of honey and pomegranate, is a perfect match to the rosewater-scented cheesecake. I finish it with some cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (mixed with some melted butter, of course) and a shaving of white chocolate. Does it get any better than that?!

Now that I’ve got my dessert down pat, I’ve got to think up some menu’s for our 3-day food fest! I’ll definitely be making my gluten free broccoli parmesan poppers (recipe to be posted on Wednesday), as well as my famous roasted eggplant parmesan. I’m thinking of making my roasted tomato soup with muenster breadsticks and maybe my zucchini parmesan chips. Goat cheese ice cream is always a huge hit and this linguini lasagna is a huge time saver.

Of course there will be some meat meals too, and these Moroccan fish balls are definitely making an appearance as an appetizer. What’s cooking in your kitchen for the holidays? I’d love to hear your menu’s (maybe it will give me some ideas!), so leave a comment and share them with me below!

And don’t forget to check out the Shavuot category for more great recipes and ideas!

Rosewater Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits

For the Base:
1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham crumbs crumbs (from 1 sleeve of crackers, about 9)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and press into the bottom of serving glasses.

For the Mousse:
2 cups heavy cream
2 8oz. containers lowfat whipped cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 – 1 tsp rosewater (or to taste)

Whip the heavy cream until stiff and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and rosewater until fluffy. Fold the whip cream into the cream cheese mixture.

VARIATION: If you don’t like rosewater, use 2 tsp vanilla extract instead.

For the Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce:
1 lb frozen strawberries
1/2 lb frozen rhubarb
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of salt

Add all the ingredients to a pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, break up the fruit and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

To Assemble:

Pipe the cheesecake mousse on top of the graham cracker crumbs, filling about 1/3rd of the serving glass. Top with strawberry rhubarb sauce and another layer of cheesecake mousse. Garnish with graham cracker crumbs and white chocolate shavings.

Yield: approximately 10 4 oz. servings

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Moroccan Fish Balls

On May 12, 2015July 12, 2015

by chanie

in Appetizer, Fish, Recipes, Rosh Hashanah, Shabbos, Shavuous, The Nine Days

62 Comments

If there is one store I wish every Jewish community around the world would have, it would be Benz’s Gourmet. The local gourmet kosher shop is celebrating it’s 12th anniversary and we’re feasting on a special gefilte fish recipe in their honor!

Benz’s carries everything from artisan cholov yisroel cheese (imported from France!), smoked fish, caviar, beer, as well as specialty baking and gluten free products. They boast a huge olive bar and a whopping 27 varieties of herring. Whether I’m looking for a gourmet kosher product (like truffle oil), or I’m in the mood for fresh fish, I head on over to Benz’s. Thankfully, it’s just a few blocks away!

What I love about the store is that they are constantly on the lookout for new kosher products. If there is ever an item that I can’t find locally, I ask Benz’s to order it for me, and they do! Recently, I needed rosewater for an upcoming Shavuot recipe, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I gave them a call and it was in the store just a few days later. Now that’s what I call good service!

Besides for Benz’s gourmet selection, they also carry traditional gefilte fish, a family recipe that they’ve been perfecting for over 30 years. I’m always looking to change up traditional gefilte (‘cuz reinventing traditional food is what I do best!) and Benz’s gefilte fish offers me the perfect canvas to build my hybrid recipe.

I don’t know about you, but the more I cook, the more I appreciate savory food. And the more I experiment, the more I realize that you don’t need to use a lot of sweetener in your cooking. My mom doesn’t agree, and neither does my Bubby. They’re ashkenazi food is loaded with sugar, the more the merrier.

If you ask me, sugar is just a fill-in for the absence of flavor. If you build layers of flavor and spice, there’s no need to load sugar into savory food. Look at gefilte fish – most Jewish Bubby’s cook it up in stock made of onions, carrots and celery (the good stuff!), they season to taste with salt and pepper and then they go ahead and pour a boatload of sugar into the pot. I grew up on that stuff, so I know. And don’t get me wrong, it even tastes good. So does candy.

I don’t want to carry on the sugar torch, so I’m trying to condition my kids to like savory foods. I don’t overload my salad’s with sugar, and I make spicy roasted chickpeas as a snack instead of cake. That’s not to say that my kids don’t get to pick their favorite sugary cereal as a Shabbat treat. Believe me, they have their fill of sugar. But I try. And all Bubby’s everywhere are questioning my better judgement!

Sephardic Bubby’s have been serving chraime for years. it’s a popular Moroccan dish of fish cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, and it’s usually made with white fish or salmon. I decided to shake things up by using prepared gefilte fish, ‘cuz that’s the way I roll (pun intended). I incorporated all the traditional elements of Moroccan fish here – including colored peppers, lots of garlic, parsley, lemon, and of course, harissa – a hot pepper paste that’s often used in North African cuisine. I’ve made variations of this recipe for a fish loaf as well as fried patties, but I love how these fish balls can stretch a roll of gefilte fish into so many portions. The fish balls become nice and fluffy, almost the texture of a matza balls, but with lots of spice from cumin, turmeric and fresh garlic.

As good as it is, I’m not sure my fusion cooking would win my husband’s Sephardic family over (although it did win him over, he asked for triples!). Sephardim are not fond of gefilte fish (understatement). On the flip side, try asking my Ashkenazi Bubby to eat spicy gefilte fish, I can just hear her already. Spicy gefilte fish? With harissa? What’s that? Could you pass the sugar please?! So here I am, mixing up the cultures with another one of my hybrid recipes, and I hope ya’ll will enjoy it, Ashkenazim and Sephardim alike.

1 pkg Benz’s gefilte fish, defrosted (I used no-sugar-added)
3-4 tbsp matzo meal
1 egg
3 tbsp chopped parsley
heaping 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1⁄4 tsp ground turmeric
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 tbsp harissa (or, to taste)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 cups fish or vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

In a bowl, mix the fish, matzo meal, parsley, cumin, turmeric, garlic, and egg. Place in the frige while you prepare the sauce.

Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic, carrots and peppers and sauté until softened. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, harissa, lemon, stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Form the gefilte fish mixture into small balls and slowly add to the sauce. Don’t overcrowd the sauce, if there isn’t a lot of room, wait for the fish balls to set before moving them around to make more space for additional balls. Reduce heat and simmer until balls are cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve hot with additional parsley for garnish.

NOTE: You may add a pinch of sugar or a drizzle of honey to the sauce if you wish.

VARIATION: Fish balls have more of a fluffy matza ball texture. If you want something more dense, you may fry up the gefilte fish into patties instead. Make the sauce without the stock, adding only as needed and serve over the patties.

This post is sponsored by Benz’s Fish. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or at BenzsFish.com. And don’t forget to visit Benz’s Gourmet at 332 Albany Ave in Brooklyn.

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Busy in Brooklyn

Category: Shavuous

Harissa Whipped Feta w/ Za’atar Eggplant Chips