Appetizer – Page 21 – Busy in Brooklyn

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.

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Spinach Matzo Ball Minestrone Soup

On May 19, 2016October 9, 2016

by chanie

in Appetizer, Recipes, Shabbos, Shavuous, Soup

20 Comments

I’ve been making the most incredible spinach matza balls since forever. It’s always been my little secret for taking traditional chicken soup from classic to over-the-top and with the holiday of Shavuot approaching, I wanted to put a festive spin on another classic recipe – minestrone.

I’m a huge fan of classic minestrone soup because I feel like it has something for everyone. And when you’ve got picky kids, you need a soup like that! It’s got potatoes for my daughter who won’t eat colored vegetables, pasta for my son who’s a pasta-holic, beans for my husband who loves protein-filled legumes, and plenty of basil and oregano for a pizza-style flavor that everyone loves!

I’m always switching up my minestrone soup to make it more fun – like that time I lightened things up by omitting the potatoes and added zoodles instead of pasta. I’ve also added shredded mozzarella and alphabet pasta along with the zoodles because I’m the best. mommy. ever. But this time, this time I’m going festive and sophisticated for the upcoming holiday with an Italian twist on the classic – chicken noodle matzo ball soup.

Nothing screams holiday more than matzo balls, and I have to admit, that while I’m normally a do-it-yourselfer, made-from-scratch kind of girl, I have a weakness for matzo ball mix. I don’t need any seltzer tricks and I don’t have to worry about sinkers vs. floaters because Lipton’s kosher matzo ball mix comes out fluffy every time! Now of course I have to give it the do-it-yourselfer-touch, so I add in the spinach because it’s so beautiful, so festive, and so irresistibly delicious!

Julienning the veggies adds another layer of finesse, and using a julienne peeler, one of my all-time-favorite kitchen utensils, makes it a cinch! With these simple changes, hearty minestrone is elevated to a sophisticated holiday-worthy creation that’s great for kids and adults alike. Just ask my daughter – she had three bowls for dinner (and she hates spinach!)!

It’s hard to believe that Shavuot is just 24 days away, and with Pesach Sheini this weekend, there’s no better way to celebrate than with a fun twist on a matza ball recipe.

But Passover IS in fact behind us, and with the holiday of cheesecakes and roses coming up soon, lets brush up on some favorites. Shall we?

Shavuot recipes abound here on BIB, so you can get your menu started by browsing through my Shavuot category or skim through the recipes in my index. It’s so hard to pick favorites (can you have a favorite child?!) but I can never get enough of harissa, feta & zaa’tar, I’m obsessed with this salad dressing (I make it all summer long!), these make the best gluten-free no-guilt appetizers, and this is the most elegant seasonal dessert you’ve ever seen. Oh, and lets not forget this insane recipe that went all-out viral when I made them back in 2013.

I think we’re off to a good start my friends. And I’ve got even more amazing things coming. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, happy matzo ballin’!

Spinach Matzo Ball Minestrone Soup

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 large zucchini, julienned
3 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
8 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1 packet Lipton matzo ball mix
2 eggs
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup chopped spinach (squeeze thawed frozen spinach to measure 1/4 cup)
6 oz. fine egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Method:

Saute onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until translucent. Add tomato paste and saute until aromatics are fragrant and evenly coated. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, stock, salt and pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the matzo balls. Mix 2 eggs with 1 tbsp of oil in a bowl. Add the matzo ball mix and spinach and stir with a fork until evenly combined. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Add the julienned carrots and zucchini to the soup. With wet hands, form matzo ball batter into small balls and place in the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with egg noodles.

VARIATION: I use this julienne peeler to easily create matchsticks. If you don’t have one, you may dice the carrot and zucchini and add to the pot after you saute the onion, garlic and celery. After several minutes, add the tomato paste and continue as above. Cook the soup until the vegetables are tender before adding the matza balls.

This post was sponsored by Lipton Kosher. All opinions are my own.

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Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas

On April 19, 2016May 2, 2016

by chanie

in Appetizer, Diet, Fish, Fruit, Lunch, Paleo, Passover, Recipes, Whole30

19 Comments

Last year was my first time venturing into the world of plantains. It’s definitely a lesser known fruit, so I’m here to tell you more about it!

Plantains are a tropical fruit, and are best known for their use in tostones – a twice fried chip. You’ll find them on the menu in many Latin restaurants, like 26 Sushi & Tapas, in Miami, Florida. I love them topped with ceviche and avocado!

A plantain looks like a banana, but it’s slightly larger with angular sides. It’s taste and texture are determined by it’s stage of ripeness – firm and starchy when it’s green, and softer and sweeter when it’s yellow to black. Plantains cannot be eaten raw, but they make great (baked or fried!) chips when firm, delicious mash when ripe and great egg-free tortillas at any stage. Plantains are a resistant starch, which means that they pass through the digestive system sort of like soluble fiber and don’t spike blood sugar, making them popular among Paleo enthusiasts.

My interest in plantain tortillas was purely a Passover thing, since most kosher for Passover crepes are made using potato starch and eggs. I’m not a big fan of potato starch, and since my son is allergic to eggs, I was looking for an egg-free alternative.

I created two versions of the tortilla – a savory one, made with avocado oil, lime juice and a bit of chili powder, and a sweet one, made with coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla (recipe coming tomorrow!). Plantains don’t have much flavor on their own, so adding these ingredients was essential. I was pleasantly surprised that the tortillas were soft and pliable and really make a great substitute for Passover crepes and wraps. It’s great to have a recipe that doesn’t call for potato starch and eggs for a change, am I right?!

Now for the fillings! I’m a big fan of fish tacos so I definitely went that route with coconut crusted fish fillets which you can bake or fry (if you’re not a fan of coconut, I would recommend frying). Mango salsa is the perfect accompaniment to this tropical dish and curried mayo, one of my favorite condiments, rounds it out. This makes a great lunch or light dinner after all the heavy meat and potato dishes that we’re used to!

Looking for other potato alternatives for Pesach? Check out this article that I put together for OU kosher. It’s got lots of amazing recipes, suggestions and ideas for replacing the spud. You can thank me later!

Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas

Savory Plantain Tortillas

2 green plantains, peeled and cut into chunks (about 10oz.)
1/3 cup avocado oil (any lightly flavored oil may be substituted)
1/3 cup water
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Place the plantains, oil, water, lime juice, salt, chili powder and garlic powder in a food processor or blender and puree until it forms a smooth batter. If the batter is very thick, add a bit more water. Spread 1/4 cup of batter at a time on a parchment-lined baking sheet and smooth with a spoon into a round tortilla shape (you should be able to fit 3 on a sheet). Continue with remaining batter on additional baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until soft and pliable. Makes about 5 tortillas.

NOTE: tortillas are best when used fresh but they can be refrigerated and rewarmed in a microwave or oven until soft and pliable.

Coconut Crusted Fish

2 white fish fillets, cut in half
¼ cup coconut flour (may use almond flour or potato starch)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ginger powder
salt and pepper, to taste
coconut oil

In a bowl, combine the coconut flakes with curry powder, garlic powder, ginger, salt and pepper. In separate bowls, season the egg and coconut flour with salt and pepper. Dip the fish in coconut flour and shake off the excess. Dip in egg and shake off excess. Finish by dipping in coconut flakes, pressing down so they adhere to the fish. Fry fish in coconut oil or place on a greased baking dish, spray with oil spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a work.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/2 red pepper, diced small
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, finely diced
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp light olive oil
1 tbsp honey
kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

Curried Mayo

1/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp curry powder
kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until creamy.

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Salami Quiche

On March 17, 2016March 22, 2016

by chanie

in Appetizer, Brunch, Dinner, Meat & Poultry, Pies, Purim, Recipes, Shabbos, Side Dish

11 Comments

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks here at BIB, with lots of Purim demos, cooking classes and recipe writing! I always say that calling myself BUSY IN BROOKLYN was like a self-fulfilling-prophecy, because when I started this blog I wasn’t half as busy as I am nowadays. But busy is good and I am so thankful for it! Except when all that busying around turns into a sinus infection, and my recipe testing is put on hold because I can’t taste anything! I had amazing plans for a new hamantasch this week, but my taste buds won’t cooperate. And even though I can barely lift my head off my pillow, I’ve got my third demo this week in a couple of hours! So, I THANK GOD for this amazing recipe that I developed for a local magazine’s Purim issue last year, so at least I have something to share!

You all know that I’ve taken on a BIB tradition to share a salami recipe every year. I once heard that people have a tradition to eat salami on Purim because it is hung, like Haman (!!!). Who knows if it’s true, but it’s definitely fun. And it was especially thrilling when my DRUNKEN HASSELBACK SALAMI went crazy viral two years ago (I can’t believe it’s so old!). I always meet readers at demos, or even on the street who tell me that it’s become a weekly tradition for them. I just love that!

For this year, here’s something a bit more homey and family-friendly for your Purim meal. I’m sure this will become a staple in your family for the holidays too. Happy Purim!

Salami Quiche

1 9″ deep dish pie crust, frozen
1 1/2 cups chopped salami (approximately 8 oz.)
1 large onion, thinly sliced into half rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 large eggs
1 cup coconut milk (see note)
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, as needed

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the frozen pie crust for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Saute the salami until it begins to crisp and renders some of its fat. Remove the salami from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and saute until golden and caramelized, adding more oil as needed. If your pan starts to burn, add a splash of water. When onions are soft and caramelized, add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Stir in the mushrooms and saute until they release all of their moisture and there is no liquid left in the pan. Set aside to cool.

Stir the salami into the vegetables and place the mixture on the bottom of the pie crust. In a bowl, mix the eggs with the coconut milk and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the filling. Place the quiche on a foil-lined baking sheet, in case of spillage, and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until the the filling is set. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

NOTE: I use coconut milk from the carton, which has a very mild coconut flavor that does not come through in the quiche. If you prefer not to use coconut milk, you may use soy milk, almond milk, or any creamy pareve milk.
MAKE AHEAD: Quiche may be made up to 3 days in advance. Serve cold or reheat gently at 250 degrees.
VARIATION: You can also make individual quiches using mini pie crusts.
KITCHEN TIP: If your pie crust begins to brown, but your filling is not yet set, cover the edges loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning.

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Corndog Hamantaschen

On March 1, 2016March 3, 2016

by chanie

in Appetizer, Cookies, Purim, Recipes

39 Comments

My friend recently commented to me that she is really enjoying all of the unique hamantaschen she sees popping up on her newsfeed. “Is it like a competition between you guys?,” she wanted to know. Well, no. OK, maybe a little.

It’s not a competition as much as it is a desire to come up with the most brilliant, out of the box, knock-your-socks-off kind of hamantasch that outshines all the rest. So it’s not really about the others. It’s just about yours being THAT GOOD. And it’s not just about hamantaschen either. It’s about always being at the top of your game because that’s what food bloggers do. We try to stay ahead of the trends, create cool hybrid dishes and wow our readers so they keep coming back for more.

So how did I do? Is this corndog hamantasch hybrid mindblowing enough to explode on your newsfeed?! Just wait until you taste them. They’re nice and crispy, with an amazing texture from the coarse cornmeal that’s unlike any hamantasch you’ve ever had.

People always ask me how I come up with this stuff and the answer is, I have no idea. Sometimes it hits me in the dead of night, when insomnia rears it’s ugly head. Sometimes, I’m lacking inspiration so I browse the web for ideas on popular food trends. And sometimes it’s because I’m a mom, and when I can get my kids to eat something, I go all out viral with the idea.

These particular hamantaschen did not take a lot of convincing. My kids are huge fans of Abeles & Heymann’s hot dogs and they are equally obsessed with my nondairy cornbread. I’ve only made homemade corndogs once, as a midnight snack when they were fast asleep (I may or may not have been pregnant at the time) but I often make mini corndog muffins filled with hot dog chunks. Corndog hamantaschen are definitely new in this house, but as I tested different batches of dough, they seemed to disappear as each tray came out of the oven.

What I love about this recipe is that you can easily use it for sweet applications as you can with savory hot dogs. I tested a batch with strawberry rhubarb jam and they were incredible. I’m definitely going to try it with blueberry jam too. and of course, after Purim, you can just make them into thin round cookies and forget the whole triangle thing.

But for now, the triangle thing is super fun and I already have a frozen batch to serve up for the Purim seudah! I might make a batch of baklava hamantaschen for dessert. Or, another special recipe that I’ll be sharing up on the blog soon!

What are some of your favorite creative hamantaschen to make on Purim? Or are you more of a traditionalist? I don’t think I have ever made traditional hamantaschen in my life, can you imagine? If I want apricot or raspberry hamantaschen, I just buy them at the bakery. That’s what they’re there for, right?!

In the meantime, I’ll be savoring the rest of this savory batch, if my kids don’t get to it first. Happy Purim Prep!

Corndog Hamantaschen

1 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
4 Abeles & Heymann beef hot dogs
mustard, for dipping, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and almond milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a fork until the dough is the texture of wet sand. Using your hands, knead the dough together until soft. Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough until about 1/4″ thick. Cut circles out of a dough using a round cookie cutter (see note). Cut the hot dogs into 1/4″ thick slices and put a slice in the center of each circle of dough. Fold corners in to create a triangle shape and pinch to close. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes, until crispy and just starting to lightly brown underneath.

NOTE: I used a 2.5″ cookie cutter, but this fits the hot dogs just/just and makes small hamantaschen. For more traditional size hamantaschen that have more room for folding, use a 3″ cutter.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: serve alongside sauerkraut, pickle relish and other hot dog toppings of your choice.

SERVING: these are best served fresh, however, they may be frozen after baking and rewarmed in a 350 degree oven until the hot dogs are warm and the cookie crisps up, about 5 minutes.

YIELD: 30-40 hamantaschen, depending on size.

This post was sponsored by Abeles & Heymann

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Category: Appetizer

Sushi Burrito

Spinach Matzo Ball Minestrone Soup

Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas

Salami Quiche

Corndog Hamantaschen