Category: Brunch

Mixed Berry Frozen Yogurt Bark

The 4th of July holiday weekend is just around the corner and have I got the coolest (pun intended) recipe for you! Creamy, crunchy, sweet, tart, and incredibly refreshing frozen yogurt bark, and it’s red, white and blue too!

If you’ve missed out the frozen yogurt bark trend, it’s a new, fun way to enjoy your favorite yogurt. Forget banana ice cream, frozen Greek yogurt confections are what’s hot! I love that there are endless possibilities – from the yogurt base, to the assorted toppings, there is SO much you can do.

With my patriotic spirit in mind, I went with a mix of berries and added granola for crunch. You can use fresh or frozen, which makes this super easy, and store-bought or homemade granola – so basically, this bark practically makes itself. And with a full summer ahead, we all love those types of recipes! Especially when they’re healthy, refreshing, and cold (have you BEEN outside lately?!).

These recipes aren’t just fun for me, they’re actually a necessity. You see, I don’t tolerate the heat very well (which is why, while I love my family in Florida, I would NEVER move there) and from what I hear, NYC is in for a HOT summer. If I could haul around a freezer of ice chips on my back, I probably would, but I have to settle for light and cold foods instead. I HATE cooking in the summer and with a baby coming soon (aaahhh!!), I hate it even more. Any tips for surviving the heat this season? I’m all ears.

In the meantime, it’s going to be lots of yogurt and fruit for me, which is great, because that’s exactly what I’m craving. I love Norman’s line of thick, creamy Greek yogurts but my favorite of all time is their guava yogurt. I can literally eat it for breakfast, lunch and ice cream. Oh wait, is ice cream not a meal? It is for this overheated pregnant mama ok?!?!?!?!

So, if you’re like me and you like to indulge in yogurt and imagine it’s ice cream, give this no-guilt mixed berry yogurt bark a try! It’s guaranteed to cool you off, if only for a few minutes, until your next venture outdoors.

Good luck with the summer heat you guys, and remember to stay hydrated! Oh, and of course, Happy Independence Day! Enjoy the holiday weekend :)

Mixed Berry Yogurt Bark

2 cups Norman’s plain Greek yogurt
2-3 tbsp honey or maple syrup (or, to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
1/3 cup granola (make your own)

Method:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the yogurt, honey and vanilla in a small bowl and spread out on the baking sheet until it’s 1/4″ thick. Top with mixed berries and granola. Freeze for a few hours, until solid, and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container and enjoy straight from the freezer.

VARIATION: Use vanilla flavored yogurt instead of the plain and omit sweetener and vanilla.

This post was sponsored by Norman’s. All opinions are my own. 

Related Recipes:

4th of July tartufo
4th of July chocolate-dipped kettle chip stars
blueberry frozen yogurt bites
terra stix white chocolate bark
blueberry sweet potato granola salad with  yogurt dressing

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Falafel Cauliflower Poppers (Baked!)

You guysssss!!! This post makes me so excited, I have no words! OK, I always have words, many of them. But where shall I begin?

If you’re a dedicated follower of my blog, you know how much I love

  1. trendy recipes
  2. hybrid recipes
  3. ISRAELI recipes
  4. healthy makeover recipes

Am I right? Does that just about sum up my food blogger style or what?!

Well this here genius idea just about incorporates all of those passions! Cauliflower trend – check! Falafel/breaded cauliflower hybrid – check! Israeli recipes – Oh my god yes, check!! And healthy makeover recipes – definitely check, check!!

Ever since my crazy cauliflower nacho hack went ridiculously viral, I’ve been wanting to come up with an equally amazing cauliflower idea, and when Knorr sent me over some of their falafel mix, I knew I had it in the bag. And then I tasted them, and I was all “why hasn’t the whole world made these like every single day of their lives?!?!” Yup. You’re welcome.

Breaded cauliflower has always been a favorite snack of mine, but since they’re usually fried, I don’t have them too often. I also avoid using fresh cauliflower, since it’s such a pain to check for bugs (kosher law forbids the consumption of insects), so I came up with a recipe that solves all those problems! You’re welcome.

So, not only are these cauliflower poppers supremely delicious, they’re made with thawed frozen cauliflower (no checking necessary) and they’re baked, not fried! You wouldn’t believe it from the insanely crunching coating, but oh yes, they are practically guilt free. Did I say you’re welcome yet?

Speaking of which, I want to thank Knorr for making these semi-homemade poppers so easy to put together using their prepared falafel mix. I’ve not usually a fan of prepared mixes but falafel is an extremely time consuming effort – between soaking the beans, processing the mixture and frying the balls… I’m all for convenience in this case!

Convenience is the name of the game these days. With school out for most of the kids, I’ve got summer prep on my mind and lots to do. Plus the NYC heat is totally draining me and getting dinner on the table every night is not as easy as it used to be. I’m thankful for kid-friendly foods that might use some store bought ingredients to help me out – like bottled BBQ sauces for quick and easy pulled chicken/beef, frozen ravioli that I can just heat up with some marinara, and even pancake batter that makes breakfast a cinch. I may be a do-it-yourself, made-from-scratch gal at heart, but I’m a very practical mom IRL (in real life!). Summer conveniences, here we come!

Speaking of summer, make sure you put these on your NINE DAYS menu, will you? You can thank me later.

You’re welcome!

Falafel Cauliflower Poppers

24oz. frozen cauliflower florets, thawed
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 box (2 packets) Knorr falafel mix
olive oil cooking spray
prepared tahini, for serving

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using paper towels, pat the cauliflower dry. Place the florets in a bowl. Set up a dredging station with the flour, eggs and falafel mix in separate containers.

Dip the florets in flour, shake off excess and dip in egg. Shake off excess and dip in falafel mix. Spread the breaded florets on a parchment lined baking sheet (don’t overcrowd the pan) and spray both sides generously with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned and crispy.

Serve immediately with tahini for dipping.

This post was sponsored by Knorr Falafel. All opinions are my own. 

Related Recipes:

falafel latkes with harissa tahini
spinach falafel burger
smoked paprika popcorn cauliflower
cauliflower nachos

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Sushi Burrito

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.

Related Recipes:

sushi salad
sushi salad II
kani salad
kani Caesar salad with nori croutons
tuna sashimi

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Three-Cheese Rollatini Rose Pie

Ever since I was little, my mom’s been making the same Shavuot menu each year. It includes her amazing lasagna, homemade potato and cheese blintzes, French onion soup and an array of store-bought cheesecakes. For the second day meal, she switches up the lasagna for eggplant rollatini, or what she likes to call, rollantini.

I probably pack on about 10 lbs. in those two days, but it’s always worth every bite. Until the weather gets hotter, my skirts are a tad too tight around the middle, and I’m cursing out that creamy slice of cheesecake.

Which is why, when I started cooking up my own Shavuot meals, I decided to come up with healthier variations of some of my favorites. That’s when my spaghetti squash baked ziti, cheesy stuffed mini peppers and pasta-free spinach manicotti were born.

Some time later, I added my cheesy zoodle marinara, broccoli parmesan poppers, portobello pizza and roasted eggplant parmesan. I barely even miss the pasta anymore (ok, maybe just this).

I skip the heavy French onion soup, and go for a lighter chilled strawberry rhubarb soup and simple sides like summer tomato feta salad, pesto baked salmon, and eggplant chips with whipped feta. I might have a small bite of cheesecake, but my skirts still fit after the meal and everyone’s happy!

Which is why THIS happened! I may be expecting baby #5 this summer, but I’ve been packing on the pounds like I’m about to go into hibernation! I’ve got to ease up on my carb intake, so, I did what I always do when I’m looking for pasta alternatives, I go for zucchini. If I’m not eating cheesy zoodle marinara (an absolute staple in my kitchen), I go for a riff on my spinach lasagna roll-ups, made with zucchini strips. This time, I decided to turn those rolls upside down, and add in yellow squash and eggplant, for a pretty rose garden look. Shavuot, after all, is known as “the feast of the roses”, so how very apropos.

Vegetable ribbon pies and rose spiral apple desserts are all the rage right now, so I was more than happy to follow the trend with a savory holiday-worthy version.

Of course there are lots of variations that you can do with this dish – from adding spinach to the filling, using carrots for rolling, or baking it all into a pie crust. But I just love that this is gluten free and no-carb, so why mess with perfection, am I right?

With all my lighter spins on heavy pasta dishes, I’ve come to realize that a lot of what we eat is all in our heads. When I started subbing zoodles in for my spaghetti, a funny thing happened. I didn’t miss anything! I was full, satiated and most importantly, I felt like I had actually eaten pasta! It made me realize that we really have the ability to trick our brains into thinking we are eating something else – if only we can create the same taste, similar texture and mouthfeel, you barely notice the difference. The scale however, definitely does.

So, I’m hoping I’ve inspired you to lighten up your holiday meals, even if only with one dish. If I were you, I’d make it this one!

Do you have any other tricks to lightening up your favorite pasta dishes? I’d love to hear! Share them with me in the comments below!

Three-Cheese Rollatini Rose Pie

1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 small eggplant
2 cups Natural & Kosher ricotta cheese
8oz. Natural & Kosher shredded mozarella, divided
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Natural & Kosher grated parmesan, divided
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups marinara sauce
Special Equipment: 9.5″ deep pie dish

Method:

Using a peeler or a mandolin, slice the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash into ribbons of equal thickness (see note). They should be thin enough so that they are pliable, but not too thin that they will fall apart during cooking.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, 3/4 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan, egg, basil, and oregano.

Pour the marinara sauce into the bottom of your pie dish and sprinkle with remaining shredded mozzarella cheese from the bag. Working one at a time, spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture on the vegetable ribbons and roll up. Place the rolls, standing up (with the peel facing up, if trimmed), in the marinara sauce and continue until the pie dish is full. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese.

Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for approximately 40 minutes (depending on thickness), or until the vegetables are tender. Uncover and bake at 450 degrees until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

This pie does not freeze well. To make in advance, prepare the pie as per directions and refrigerate (unbaked) for up to one day. Bake and serve.

VARIATION: For a no-tomato version, place the rolls directly into the pie dish, without the sauce and continue as above. You may also make the pie inside a pie crust.

NOTE: Look for squash and eggplants that have a straight edge and are roughly the same size,  otherwise, you may have to trim it down, as I did with the eggplants (or look for Japanese eggplants that are naturally narrow). If the vegetables are not too wide, a peeler works great for making ribbons. You’ll need about 1/2 of each vegetable (depending on how large it is), so if you have leftovers, you can make a second pie (with or without the filling) or chop it up for homemade ratatouille.



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

Related Recipes:

spinach lasagna roll-ups
cheesy zoodle (zucchini noodle) marinara
roasted eggplant parmesan
cheesy stuffed mini peppers

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Nutella Crepes with Sweet Plantain Tortillas

In continuation from yesterday’s post for savory plantain tortillas, I bring you some sweet ones! You can read the previous post on more about what plantains are, and to see more step by step pics of the tortilla making process!

These sweet tortilla crepes are made with plantains, and the addition of coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. They’re great for breakfast or dessert, and best of all, they’re egg-free!

If you’re eating these over Passover, chances are, you’ve had eggs for breakfast, or you plan to have it for lunch or dinner. So having an egg-free meal option is a must-have! Of course you can make these a tad healthier by filling with nut butter and fresh fruit, but homemade nutella is nut butter too. It’s just chocolate hazelnut nut butter ;)

If you’re not into the tortilla crepe idea, use your own potato starch + egg variation, but you must try my homemade nutella and other fillings, especially the maple candied pecans. Happy Passover!

Nutella Crepes with Sweet Plantain Tortillas

Sweet Plantain Tortillas

2 plantains, peeled and cut into chunks (about 10oz.)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil (any lightly flavored oil may be substituted)
2-3 tbsp maple syrup (depending on the ripeness of your plantains)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water

Place the plantains, oil, water, maple syrup, vanilla and salt 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.

Homemade Nutella 
use this recipe or try my cinnamon honey walnut butter

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 14oz. can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated for 24 hours
1-2 tablespoons sweetener, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Carefully remove the can of coconut milk from the refrigerator without shaking it. Open the can and use a spoon to carefully remove the thick layer of coconut cream from the top of the can. Transfer it to your mixing bowl. (Do not use the layer of coconut water that has settled to the bottom of the can.) Beat the coconut cream on medium speed for 2-4 minutes, or until the cream becomes light and fluffy and small peaks form. Add in your sweetener and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated.

Maple Candied Pecans

8 oz. raw pecans (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the coconut oil and brown sugar in a small pot, whisking to combine. Add the maple syrup, salt and cayenne and bring to a gentle boil. Add the pecans and mix until they are well coated. Pour the pecans onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Cool completely before serving.


Related Recipes:

sweet nut omelette
nutella banana ice cream
chocolate ganache tart with macaroon crust
fish tacos with savory plantain tortillas

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