Category: Appetizer

Snowman Sushi

OK so I like to play with my food. Is that such a bad thing? I mean, would you look at these cute little guys? Don’t you just want to eat them up?! I don’t know why I can’t just eat regular sushi like everyone else. If I’m not making this sushi salad, I’m whipping up sushi hamantaschen or sushi candy. Somebody save me from my sushi obsession!

And when I set my sights even higher, I make things like this incredible 3-tier sushi wedding “cake”.  I made it for a charity fundraiser a few years ago, and people walked right past it thinking it was covered in fondant. The rose is made of pickled ginger and the leaves are molded from wasabi paste. Each layer is filled with a different vegetable and wrapped in nori “ribbon”.

The thing about sushi is – it’s sticky. So sticky, in fact, that when you try to work with it, it gets glued to your fingers. The trick is, to let some plastic wrap do the work for you. Just squeeze as tight as you can and the rice will mold itself into whatever shape you wish. And right now, I wish for adorable sweet little snowmen!

Snowman Sushi

1 cup sushi rice, cooked according to package directions
1 sheet nori
1 small carrot
wasabi powder
black sesame seeds
soy sauce
fillings of your choice such as kani, sushi-grade tuna, umeboshi etc.

Method:

With wet hands, take a small handful of rice and place it on a piece of plastic wrap. If you wish, you may add fillings to the rice at this point. Twist the wrap tightly so that the sushi compacts around the filling. Remove the rice ball and set aside. Repeat with remaining rice and filling.

Layer  three of the rice balls one on top of the other. Cut a strip of nori and wrap it between the first and second sushi balls to resemble a scarf. Decorate the snowman using strips of carrot for the nose and black sesame seeds for the eyes.

Mix some wasabi powder with water to form a paste. Make small flat discs out of the paste and place it on top of the snowman to resemble a beret.

Serve with soy sauce and enjoy!

Other Sushi Recipes:

sushi salad
sushi salad II
kani salad
sushi hamantaschen (onigiri)
candy sushi

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Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups


I remember the first time I got my hands on some REAL parmesan cheese. Growing up, that triangle of salty, nutty goodness wasn’t available on the kosher market. If you wanted parmesan, you had to buy a jar of mass produced parmesan sprinkles that lasts for a year in your fridge. The only kosher “cholov yisroel” options available were the standard American cheese, mozzarella, cheddar and some pepper jack, if you were lucky.


Enter Natural & Kosher cheese; kosher cheese revolutionaries. Natural & Kosher introduced the finest artisanal cheeses to the kosher market, including parmesan (wedges or grated), brie, fresh mozzarella, gouda and an array of goat cheese flavors (cranberry pecan, anyone?). Pair that with their classics like American cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, and meunster and you’ve got a company made in cheesy heaven!


When I was presented the opportunity to work with Natural & Kosher cheese, I grabbed their cheese and ran with it! Nothing makes me happier than working with fine quality ingredients that bring amazing flavor to my dishes- and cheesy goodness to my meals!


While I’m a big fan of cheesy dishes like lasagna, I’m not very fond of the presentation factor. Let’s face it – lasagna ain’t pretty! Or at least it wasn’t…until now. Individual lasagna roll-ups make the classic dish simple to serve and eat! Single servings also make it easier to keep track of how much you’re actually eating. ‘Cuz when you’re eating lasagna, we all lose track of our calorie count.


If lasagna noodles are a no-show for your carb-free lifestyle, I’ve got plenty of lighter alternatives! You can try my pasta-free spinach manicotti, go for some cheesy stuffed mini peppers or simply use zucchini or eggplant (cut lengthwise) in place of the lasagna sheets!

Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups

lasagna noodles (about 10)
1 jar marinara sauce
8 oz. Natural & Kosher shredded mozzarella, divided

Filling:

1 15oz. container ricotta or reduced fat cottage cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup Natural & Kosher shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup Natural & Kosher shredded Parmesan
1/2 tsp lemon zest, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
1 10oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove water
fresh basil, for garnish

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). In a bowl, mix all the filling ingredients until incorporated. Spread the filling onto the lasagna noodles and roll them up. Pour some marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 pan and top it with the roll ups. Pour additional marinara over the roll-ups and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, covered, at 425 degrees until heated through (about 20 minutes). Uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned around the edges. Garnish with basil.

YIELD: approximately 10 lasagna roll-ups


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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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

If you’ve ever read any of my Shabbat menus on Facebook, you know I’m all about the roast-roast-roast. And I don’t mean a couple of pounds of meat. I’m talking about drizzling stuff with olive oil, salt and pepper and sending it for some browning action in a steaming hot oven.

The thing about roasting is – it concentrates flavors in the most delicious way possible, caramelizing veggies into nature’s candy. I know you can taste the difference because every time I serve up my roasted butternut squash pie, people don’t stop asking me what I do different that makes it tastes so good. I’m telling you people. You gotta try it for yourself. Roast. Roast. Roast.

To get the most flavor out of this soup, I roast the squash along with shallots, for amazing natural sweetness. Give it a try and and you’ll never go back to boiling your veggies again!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

approximately 3 lb butternut squash
3 shallots
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1 honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and diced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
1-2 cups coconut milk (I use original Coconut Dream)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a knife, cut a few slits around the butternut squash (this allows heat to escape and keeps it from exploding) and roast for about 1 hour, turning half way through. Peel the shallots and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast with the butternut squash for about 30-45 minutes, until caramelized and tender.

Once the butternut squash if fork-tender, remove from the oven and slice in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Add flesh and roasted shallots to a pot, along with diced apples. Add the vegetable stock, Chinese 5 spice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until apples are tender. Blend with an immersion blender. Stir in 1-2 cups coconut milk, until desired consistency/thickness is reached.

NOTE: I love the natural sweetness in this soup, but if you’d like it a little sweeter, add a drizzle of honey.

SUBSTITUTION: Chinese 5 spice powder is a mixture of 5 spices used in Chinese cuisine. If you don’t have it, you can use a pinch of any/all of these ground spices: szechwan pepper, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon.

Other Butternut Squash Recipes:

butternut squash fries
butternut squash latkes
stuffed roasted butternut squash

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Teriyaki Mushrooms

I’m a big mushroom fan. I love all types of the fungus, well, except for the poisonous variety that’s growing in my backyard. The funny thing is, my husband never really got to appreciate them growing up because his mother is severely allergic. I found this out soon after my marriage, when we gathered for sheva brachot dinner. They were serving some kind of mushroom knish, which may or may not have been disguised as meat. My mother in law took one bite and her throat swelled up like a balloon. I don’t remember much after that, but I DO remember that every time I tried to make dinner with any kind of ‘shroom, my new husband gave me this are-you-really-going-to-serve-me-fungus-for-dinner look. But instead of putting one of my favorite veggies on the back burner, I taught him to love them. This is one of the ways.

Making these delicious teriyaki portobello mushrooms, is such a joke, you won’t believe your eyes, or your taste buds, when you eat them. Such a simple preparation and they taste fabulous. I always turn to this “recipe” when I need a quick side dish for Shabbat dinner. The platter always gets polished off to the last drop.

Teriyaki Porobello Mushrooms

6 medium portobello mushrooms
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp teriyaki sauce (I use La Choy brand)
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
chopped scallions or chives, for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently clean the portobello mushrooms with a damp paper towel and trim the stem, if needed. Cut into slices. Place all the portobello slices onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, stir the mushrooms immediately, so that they are well coated (if you don’t stir right away, the olive oil soaks right into the mushrooms). Drizzle the teriyaki sauce over the slices and mix with your hands to coat. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and caramelized. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions or chives.

Other Mushroom Recipes:

crockpot mushroom barley stoup
spinach stuffed mushrooms
portobello burgers with sundried tomato aioli
portobello pizza

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Zucchini Parmesan Chips

A couple of months ago, a bunch of kosher bloggers and I went out to celebrate the anniversary of The Kosher Connection (a group that we formed that presents monthly challenges to kosher food bloggers). We all met at Siena’s, a dairy Brooklyn restaurant on Kings Highway to have some fun and enjoy good food. And that we did. One of the first things they served us were crispy tempura-fried zucchini chips with marinara sauce for dipping. Those chips were completely addictive and being pregnant at the time, I repeatedly craved them throughout my pregnancy!

Fast forward a couple of months later and I’m craving those chips again. With Chanukah in mind, I decided to try a breaded version, with some parmesan mixed in. Eating fried foods on Chanukah is a well known custom (to commemorate the miracle of the oil), but eating dairy is as well. We do so to remember the bravery of Yehudit, a young widower who lived in Bethulia in the land of Judea. To save Jerusalem from a paralyzing siege and approaching enemy troops, Yehudit seduced a Greek general into a drunken slumber by feeding him salty cheese and quenching his thirst with strong wine. As the general slept, she beheaded him with a sword. After finding that their general had been killed, the Greek army fled in disarray.

So not only do we gorge ourselves on fried doughnuts and chocolate gelt – we also add dairy to the mix to really tip the scales! Thanks to the zucchini in this recipe, you get to deguiltify the whole deep-fried thing altogether! Which reminds me…

I made these zucchini chips on a Wednesday morning. I remember because right after they came out of the fryer, I went out to pick up the New York Times. You see, I’m not much of a newspaper-reading gal, but on Wednesdays, the paper includes a fantastic Dining supplement and I just have to have it. To my amusement, the front page of the Dining Section was dedicated to the art of deep frying. It read, “Deep Fried and Good for You.” Talk about deguiltifying.

In the article, Mark Bittman reasons that deep frying is not all that bad for you, since fat is actually good for you. He concedes that not all fats are created equal and continues on to reject the notion that olive oil is inappropriate for frying. Since most deep-frying is done at around 350 degrees, and olive oil smokes at 375, it’s a fine option, he says.

I turned the page to continue the article and found that Mark had included a recipe for fried zucchini sticks, similar to the chips I had just made. “Mark says they’re good for you,” I told myself as I continued to eat the whole pan (did I mention I was pregnant?!).

Zucchini Parmesan Chips

1-2 large zucchini
1/2 c flour
1-2 eggs, whisked
1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c grated parmesan
salt & pepper, to taste
canola oil (or any neutral flavored oil), for frying
Marinara sauce, for dipping

Method:

Using a mandolin or knife, slice the zucchini into approximately 1/4″ rounds. Prepare your breading station by placing separate bowls of flour, egg and panko mixed with parmesan. Season each bowl with salt and pepper. Dredge the zucchini in flour and shake off to remove excess. Repeat with egg and then panko-parmesan mixture. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees*. Place a few pieces of zucchini into the hot oil. When the zucchini begins to brown on one side, flip it over to brown the other side. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately, with marinara sauce for dipping.

*If you don’t have a deep fry thermometer, you can test the temperature by adding a pinch of flour to the oil. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.

VARIATION: try this recipe with eggplant, asparagus, green beans, or any veggie of your choice.

NOTE: If you prefer to bake these, place the breaded zucchini rounds on a greased cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray and bake at 450 degrees, for 15 minutes per side, until browned and crisped.

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