Category: Brunch

Roundup: The Seven Species

This Thursday, Jews around the world will celebrate Tu B’shvat, the New Year for the trees. Traditionally, we celebrate by eating The Sheva Minim, or, Seven Species. They include the following fruits and grains that are native to the land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.

In honor of Tu B’shvat, I’ve put together a roundup of recipes for each of the Seven Species from all around the web. Enjoy!

Read more about Tu B’shvat

WHEAT:

wheat thins
whole wheat pretzel bread bowls
apricot wheat germ muffins
cream of wheat (farina) pancakes
farro salad with carrots, mushrooms and spinach
Tunisian roasted eggplant & wheat berries salad
kibbeh (ground meat & bulgur)
bulgur wheat patties with spicy tahini sauce
chocolate granola with walnuts & wheat germ
puffed wheat chocolate marshmallow bars

BARLEY:

barley ravioli
crockpot mushroom barley stoup
beer braised brisket with onion gravy
honey chili beer chicken
barley risotto
barley croquettes
lentil barley burgers
Moroccan chickpea barley salad
Tu B’shvat salad
barley scones with roasted plums

GRAPES:

mulled wine
balsamic roasted brussel sprouts & grapes
curried chicken salad with grapes
seared duck breast with grape sauce
yebra (Syrian stuffed grape leaves)
grape jelly cocktail meatballs
moscato poached apricots
red wine poached pears
black grape & plum compote
caramel apple pie grape poppers
concord grape cornmeal cake
sangria ice pops

FIGS:

honey roasted figs (fresh)
apple, fig & beet salad (fresh)
fig chutney (fresh)
grilled cheese with figs & honey (fresh)
fig and goat cheese pizza with balsamic glaze (fresh)
dried fruit brie bites (dried)
Tu B’shvat truffles (dried)
mustard roasted dried fruits (dried)
Tu B’shvat biscotti (dried)
fig, olive oil & sea salt challah (dried)
figgy BBQ sauce (dried)

POMEGRANATE:

pomegranate coleslaw
pomegranate rosemary cheddar cheese ball
roasted sweet potatoes with spiced pomegranate molasses
burnt eggplant with garlic, lemon & pomegranate
pomegranate glazed salmon
sticky chicken wings with pomegranate glaze
crockpot sweet & sour pomegranate short ribs
frozen greek yogurt pomegranate bites
no machine pomegranate ice cream
pomegranate chocolate mousse

OLIVES:

infused olive oils
warm marinated olives
sundried tomato olive tapenade
eggplant caponata
multi grain olive braid bread
chicken tagine with olives & prunes
flounder putanesca
cheese-stuffed fried olives
Colavita olive oil chocolate crinkle cookies
olive oil cake

DATES:

banana, dates, milk & honey smoothie
French roast with dried fruit sauce
silan (date honey) roasted figs
lamb and date tagine
chewy date granola bars
whole wheat date & almond muffins
date honey nut bread
sticky date pudding
almond stuffed dates
vegan berry pies with date crust

NOTE: All photos (besides the ones with the BIB watermark) are from 123RF Photo.

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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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Starters & Sides Made Easy Review & Giveaway

Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek know a thing or two about food. Leah is the author of Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking and co-founder of CookKosher.com, and Victoria is the managing editor of Whisk Magazine. The pair are always surrounded by good food, so they decided to join forces and write a cookbook together. Passover Made Easy was their first collection of favorite triple-tested recipes, and now, the two have done it again. They have moved on to create a series of “Made Easy” cookbooks including Starters & Sides as well as Kids Cooking (review coming soon).

There’s something nice about a cookbook series. It’s familiar and you know what you’re gonna get. In the case of the “Made Easy” series, that’s great graphics, building block recipes, plating ideas and great kitchen tips. I especially love the friendly “conversations” that Leah & Victoria have throughout the book. They are set out in speech bubbles, making you feel as if you’re standing in the kitchen with two friends.

Starters & Sides Made Easy starts out with an elaborate spice guide to help guide you through the different herbs, spices and blends. It continues with building block recipes and chapters on vegetables, grains, meat & chicken, fish, dairy and sweet. The book finishes with ideas on how to convert some of the dishes from starters to mains. Each recipe is accompanied by a beautifully composed photo of the dish.

Some of the recipes I look forward to trying, include broccoli stuffed artichokes, sticky red potatoes, Yemenite yellow orzo rice, crispy beef, falafel cigars,  silan chicken salad, tangy tilapia nuggets, parmesan sticks, and whiskey sweet potatoes.

My only issue with this book is the size. I know it sounds weird but it sticks out of my cookbook shelf because it’s wider than most cookbooks.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Busy In Brooklyn is giving a copy of Starters & Sides Made Easy! To enter the giveaway, you must:

1. Share you favorite Chanukah dish in the comments below.
2. Follow Busy In Brooklyn on Facebook, Twitter. Pinterest, and/or Instagram (one entry per media channel you follow – please specify which ones you follow in the comments).

Winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, December 4th, 8:00 PM.

BONUS RECIPES FROM STARTERS & SIDES MADE EASY:

Coelslaw Balls with Jalapeno Dip
reprinted with permission from Starters & Sides Made Easy, Artscroll Shaar Press

Ingredients:
16 oz. coleslaw mix
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp course black pepper
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
oil for frying

Jalapeno Dip:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 scallions, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, chopped
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch coarse black pepper
pinch sugar

Instructions:
1. Place the cabbage in a large strainer and sprinkle with the salt. Let stand for 15 minutes. Using both hands, squeeze cabbage very well to remove the excess water (it wont look watery to the eye, but plenty of liquid will come out when you squeeze).
2. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, garlic, pepper, flour and cornstarch. Mix until mixture becomes dough-like. Using a tablespoon and damp hands, form into falafel-sized balls.
3. Heat 2-3 inches oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry balls in hot oil until golden on all sides, 4-5 minutes total.
4. Prepare the jalapeno dip: in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, scallions, jalapeno pepper, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Serve alongside coleslaw balls.

YIELD: 20-30 balls
AHEAD: You can freeze these balls, even after they are already fried. To reheat, spread them on a baking sheet and heat, uncovered in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

Cheesy Onion Rolls
reprinted with permission from Starters & Sides Made Easy, Artscroll Shaar Press

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp butter
1 cup water

Filling:

3 tbsp butter, melted
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg. lightly beaten

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, salt, sugar, yeast, butter, and water. Knead until dough is smooth. Remove to a greased bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for 1 hour.
2. Prepare the filling: combine butter and onions.
3. Divide dough into 8 balls. Flatten each ball into a circle or square. Place a spoonful onion mixture and 2 spoons cheese in the center and fold two ends over the filing. Place an additional spoon onion mixture on top and fold over two remaining ends.
4. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 24 minutes.

AHEAD: These rolls with freeze nicely. Cover and rewarm when ready to serve.

RELATED POSTS: Passover Made Easy Cookbook Review

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Confetti Latkes with Harissa Sour Cream


True story. I’m somewhere late into my 9th month of pregnancy and a little something called Braxton Hicks comes to pay me a visit. If you’re not familiar, Braxton Hicks are false labor pains that feel almost like the real thing. They play with your head, make your think you’re going into labor, and sometimes even have you rushing to the hospital. Which is exactly what happened.


It’s amazing how no matter how many kids you have, you completely forget how it all goes down at the end. I suppose that memory lapse is natures way of protecting procreation. I mean, what woman in their right mind would want to go through labor ever again?


So there I was, pulling up to Mount Sinai Hospital when I caught site of a farmer’s market at the corner. Now let me explain what it’s like for a farm-fresh-veggie-loving-foodie like me to stumble upon a farmer’s market. It’s enough to stop me dead in my tracks and have me all but forget about my contractions. “I think they’re going away,” I muster to my husband as I eye the rainbow carrots in the corner crate. “Oh no you’re not!” he counters. “I promise I’ll take you to every farmer’s market in town once you have this baby!”


A couple of hours and plenty of false labor pains later, I’m back at the same corner picking farm-fresh produce.I score the most amazing purple kohlrabi, beets, carrots, baby turnips, breakfast radishes and little sugar pumpkins. The Braxton Hicks are behind me and I’m dreaming up all types of recipes as I head home on the FDR.


With farm fresh bounty in hand, this recipe practically wrote itself. I combined the kohlrabi (which is white inside, by the way), carrots and beets with some fresh beet greens to create beautiful jewel-toned latkes, that are even tastier than they are colorful. In fact, my husband brought a pan of the crispy-fried latkes to a business meeting and they were gone in seconds. He came home with rave reviews and a generous offer to take me back to the farmers market!

Confetti Latkes (Kohlrabi, carrot & beet)

1 large kohlrabi, peeled and grated (approximately 2 cups)
3 medium beets, peeled and grated (approximately 2 cups)
2 large carrots, peeled and grated (approximately 2 cups)
1 handful beet greens, shredded (approximately 2 cups)
1 medium onion, grated
4 eggs
1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper, to taste
oil, for frying

Method:

Grate the kohlrabi, beets, carrots and onion in a food processor using the shredding disc. Wash the beet greens to remove dirt and finely shred with a knife. Place the grated veggies and beet greens into a large colander and press down to remove excess moisture. Add to a large bowl and mix in eggs, panko, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry until golden and crispy on both sides.

NOTE: If the mixture starts to get soggy, form patties and squeeze out excess moisture before frying.

Harissa Sour Cream

1 c sour cream
1 tbsp Harissa
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Serve with confetti latkes.


Other latke recipes:

pumpkin ricotta cheese latkes with cranberry maple syrup
gluten free butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes with raspberry sauce
gefilte fish latkes
snacker-crusted salmon cakes

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Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes with Cranberry Syrup


I bet you didn’t think it could get any better than good old pumpkin pancakes. How about pumpkin ricotta pancakes with some cranberry maple syrup to top it off? Thanksgiving heaven, wouldn’t you say? This is fair warning: you might want to get yourself some tissues. There’s going to be some drool involved.


I love pancakes. Any flavor suits my fancy. Blueberry corn and Speculoos Spiced are favorites, but gimme some cheese and I call ’em latkes. These old cheese latkes with raspberry sauce were my idea of a deconstructed donut. This year, I decided to get into the Thanksgivukkah spirit with some pumpkin flavored pancakes with a generous dose of ricotta and autumn spices. Whip ’em up on Chanukah or Thanksgiving morning – better yet – lunch, or even dinner (I am not beyond eating pancakes for dinner)…


I’m gonna go all Pioneer-Woman on you and throw in some extra photos for your drooling pleasure. I don’t know what was better, getting to eat these, or photographing them. They almost look too good to eat, don’t they?


Go ahead, dig in. These babies won’t last long…


Now open up WIDE, there’s a mouthful of flavor on that fork…


Be generous. Slather on that buttery goodness…

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 c brown sugar
8 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of ginger
pinch of cloves
butter, oil or cooking spray, for frying

Method:

Add the eggs, milk, brown sugar, ricotta, pumpkin and vanilla to a bowl and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated, but still slightly lumpy. Heat a skillet and grease with butter or oil. Add 1/4 cup of batter and fry until golden brown on both sides. Continue with remaining batter, adding additional butter or oil, as needed.

Nothing goes together quite like pumpkin and cranberries – two fall favorites that complement each other like yin and yang. There’s also no better topping for pancakes than pure sweet maple syrup. Why not combine the  two to make cranberry maple syrup over pumpkinlicious pancakes – a perfect pairing for the autumn holidays!

Cranberry Maple Syrup

1 cup maple syrup
1 cup cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until cranberries burst, about 10 minutes. Crush the cranberries with a fork or spatula and continue to simmer until thickened, 5-10 minutes.

Related Posts:

cheese latkes with raspberry sauce
healthy baked pumpkin oatmeal
pumpkin banana bread

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