Category: Brunch

Bubby’s Green Bean Salad

There are some recipes that live on not just because they taste good, but because they carry stories, memories, and a little bit of magic. Bubby’s green bean salad is one of those. It’s simple, sure, but it showed up at every family gathering — bright, crisp, and always disappearing far too fast.

Bubby’s secret? A pinch of dried oregano and just a touch of sugar — two ingredients that quietly transform this humble salad into something unforgettable.

A little disclaimer though – this salad is only as good as your blanching technique! Overcook the beans and you’ve got a mushy diaster. Blanch them just enough to keep them tender-crisp, and you’ve got the crunchiest bite! The addition of bright and crunchy cherry tomatoes, red onion, that slightly pickle in the dressing, takes it over the top.

 

Bubby’s Green Bean Salad

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sugar
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Blanch the green beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, salt generously. Add the green beans and cook for about 2–3 minutes, just until bright green and crisp-tender. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, combine the green beans, red onion and tomatoes. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, sugar and salt. Taste and adjust — it should be tangy with a hint of sweetness.

Best served chilled or at room temperature, perfect for summer BBQs!

VARIATION: top with crumbled feta or goat cheese for dairy meals!

 

Related Recipes:

tempura green beans
lemon mustard green beans
cranberry sriracha green beans

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Fully Loaded Stuffed Eggplants

I’m celebrating Yom Haatzmaut and my favorite place in the world today with one of my tried and true favorite recipes – fully loaded stufffed eggplants. I love them so much I put them in my first cookbook, Millennial Kosher, and it’s the dish I make the most often when I’m looking to fill up on something light and healthy!

Fully Loaded Stuffed Eggplant

1 eggplant
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste
Israeli salad (recipe follows)
red cabbage salad
roasted chickpeas
sumac onions
8 mini Israeli pickles, sliced
1/4 cup store-bought or homemade hummus
1/4 cup prepared tahini
1 tbsp harissa
fresh parsley or cilantro, for finishing
optional additions: falafel, shawarma

For the eggplants:

For optimum flavor, you can fire-roast the eggplants over an open flame on your stovetop. Because this is messy and time consuming, I prefer to broil them. To do this, cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place flesh-side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush the skin with olive oil and and sprinkle with salt and broil on high on the top rack for 20-25 minutes, until skin is charred and the flesh is soft.

Lighty break up the eggplant flesh and season with lemon and salt, mix gently.

To plate, place 1/2 eggplant on a dish, spread hummus over the eggplant. Top with red cabbage slaw, Israeli salad, onions, pickles, and roasted chickpeas. Garnish with parsley and drizzle generously with tahini.

For Israeli salad:

2 plum tomatoes
1 Persian cucumbers
fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Finely dice tomatoes and cucumbers. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley or chop finely and add to salad.

Related Recipes:

roasted eggplant shakshuka
eggplant chips with whipped feta

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Rainbow Carrot Salad

I was so excited to get into the kitchen with my friend Rachel Simons, from Seed & Mill to cook up a recipe from her new cookbook, SESAME! To know me, is to love TAHINI – I am legit sesame-obsessed, and Rachel really helped me look at sesame in a whole new way.

We started by toasting up the sesame seeds in a dry pan and as the kitchen filled up with the smell of toasted sesame, we transferred them to a mortar and pestle where Rachel gently pressed on the seeds to crush them into the most incredible magic dust that was nutty and crunchy with an irresistible mouthfeel. Definitely my new favorite technique!

We used the same powder to create a delicious, light, umami dressing for the prettiest pile of rainbow carrot ribbons that Rachel brought from Union Square market. She shaved some scallions and chopped some carrot greens to sprinkle over the salad, and we drizzled on some Seed & Mill tahini for a fabulous finish.

So so good!

Rainbow Carrot Goma-ae Salad
Serves 6 to 8
reprinted with permission from Sesame by Rachel Simons, Ten Speed Press

⅓ cup well-toasted sesame seeds
1½ tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dashi powder (we used 1 scant teaspoon of Trader Joes umami seasoning)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon mirin
1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup
¾ pound rainbow carrots, shaved with a vegetable peeler
3 or 4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal (optional)

Method:

1. In a mortar with a pestle or in a food processor, grind the sesame seeds until some of the oil has been released and the seeds are slightly crushed, but the mixture has not yet become a paste. Instead, it should look like crunchy wet sand.

2 In a medium bowl, whisk the ground sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, dashi powder, rice vinegar, water, mirin, granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and the honey until well combined. Taste and add more salt, if desired. Set aside.
3 In a serving bowl, toss the dressing with the carrots until evenly coated. Top the carrots with the sliced scallions (if using) and serve immediately.

Related Recipes:

Simanim carpaccio

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Chili Lime Tuna Crudo with Mango Juice


A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to a bluefin tuna carving event with Fleishigs magazine and Akimori restaurant at the kosher.com test kitchen, sponsored by Tuscanini. They brought in a 158lb. bluefin tuna that had been caught that very day in Mexico, and they carved it right in front of us! It was fascinating.

The tuna was broken down into akame (lean), chutoro (medium-fatty) and otoro (fattiest) and prepared in different styles – shashimi, nigiri, torched and lightly seasoned. They also set up a poke bar for us to make our own bowls! It was such a fun way to learn about the different styles of fish and their preparation and we had a blast! The best part was getting to take home a goodie bag of otoro, the most prized part of the fish, and I knew I had to make something extra special. With Passover in mind, I decided to create a bright and fresh mango juice to cut the richness of the fish, and it was epic!! I hope you give it a try!

 

Chili Lime Tuna Crudo with Mango Juice

1 ripe mango
2″ chunk of ginger
juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp water
kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. sushi grade tuna
1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
handful of microgreens
zest of 1/2 lime
2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
flaky salt

Method:

Using a blender or food processor, blend the mango, ginger, lime juice and water until pureed. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Season with salt, to taste.

Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the fish in a single stroke.

Transfer the fish to a large platter, dispersing it in an even pattern. Using a small pitcher, pour the mango juice around the fish, taking care to fill the empty spaces and not pour it over the fish.

Garnish with radishes, chilies, microgreens and lime zest. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with flaky salt.

Serve cold.


Related Recipes:

sushi burrito

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Beans alla Vodka (without the vodka!)

We are a bean family, and also one that is passionate about our Meatless Mondays, so there are always plenty of canned bean in the pantry for curry, refried beans and soups. But if you’re looking to get rid of some cans in a delicious  new way, this beans a la vodka recipe is just the thing!

Beans alla Vodka

2 cans white beans, any variety (I used large lima beans), rinsed and drained
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2-1 tbsp gochujang
3/4 cup heavy cream
smidge of honey
2 tbsp water
kosher salt, to taste
2 tbsp parmesan, for garnish
2 chopped scallions, for garnish

Method:

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet, add the shallots and garlic and saute until softened and translucent. Add the tomato paste and saute until it darkens in color, 2 minutes. Add the gochujang and saute to incorporate. Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add the honey, and season, to taste, with salt. Add the water and the beans and cover with foil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and taste, adjusting seasoning as needed. If the mixture thickened too much, add a bit more heavy cream or water to thin out. Garnish with parmesan and scallions.

Delicious on toasted sourdough with a drizzle of olive oil!

NOTE: If you want to use dried beans, rinse them in a fine mesh strainer, add to a pot with several inches of water. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, discarding any foam that rises to the surface.
Allow the beans to simmered for another 30 minutes and season with salt. Continue cooking until the beans are tender, adding more water if they begin to look dry. The cooking time could range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size and freshness of your beans. I recommend soaking them overnight to reduce cooking time.

Related Recipes:

cheesy ravioli in pink sauce
pasta free spinach manicotti
beer and frank baked beans

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