Category: Brunch

Everything Bagel Keto Crackers

I’ve been dieting ever since I can remember, and if you’ve been with BIB since the early days, you probably remember when I posted about the South Beach Diet which I went on religiously after every baby. But then I started a career in food and diets that eliminated entire food groups became difficult to stick to. I also had a 90 day stint with Whole30, which I still firmly believe in as a nutritional reset, but not really as a way of life. It’s far too restrictive and there was so much prep involved which became near impossible with my busy lifestyle.

So, when I finally decided I was done with my yo-yo habits recently, I wanted to commit to a plan, if only for a few months – but a strict regimen that would help me lose the cookbook + baby + stress weight of the past few years – and with lots of people I know losing weight on keto, I decided to jump in blindly.

I thought keto would be easier to manage – that is, no major food planning – and I have to admit that that part is totally manageable. Since I cook pretty healthy for the most part, I find that adapting my regular dinners is pretty easy. I have no problem with grabbing a quick lunch, and I mostly skip breakfast, which isn’t a bad thing on keto since 16 hours of intermittent fasting is encouraged. The problem then, is the counting.


I legit hate diets where I have to weigh my food or count my calories. Maybe it’s the flashbacks of being on Weight Watchers in high school, when my scale became my best friend, but it’s legit the worst part about this diet. In this case, you’re not quite counting calories or weighing your food – you’re counting MACROS = grams of protein, carbs and fat throughout the day.


For optimum results on keto, it’s important to stay within your macros if you want to stay in ketosis. Keeping carbs under roughly 20 grams is HARD because every. single. thing. has carbs. And I’m not talking about pizza or pastries here. I’m talking about not overdoing the veggies. I’m also finding it hard to reach my fat macros, and for the first few weeks, I religiously entered my entire food diary into the Carb Manager app to keep track- and I saw a big difference. The weight came off easily. But now as I’ve settled into the diet, I’m getting sick of counting and while I haven’t gained any weight, the scale (and my inches) are extremely slow moving.

I’m still not ready to quit though, I just want to find the right balance for myself because I know this plan can really work if you do it right. In the meantime, these super easy keto crackers (which I adapted from this Pesach recipe by the genius challah/babka queen @naomi_tgis, Naomi Elberg), have been getting me through Shabbos meals because we all need some crunch to eat with our salads/dips when everyone else is eating fluffy Challah.

I’ve been trying them all different ways, and the everything bagel version wins hands down, but give the variations a try as well when you get bored of them!

Everything But the Bagel Keto Crackers
recipe adapted from Naomi Elberg

1 1/2 cups packed super-fine almond flour (167 grams) (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/3 cup everything bagel spice
1/4 tsp salt (see note)
1 extra large egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, everything bagel spice and salt and stir to incorporate. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the egg to the flour and mix until a dough forms.

Place the dough in between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out until very thin. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and cut the dough into squares using a pizza wheel. Transfer to a baking sheet (if it doesn’t fit, remove scraps from around the edges and roll them out again, placing them on a second baking sheet). Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness), until lightly browned and crisp.

Cool completely and break apart. Store in an airtight container.

VARIATIONS:

For seeded crackers, add 1/3 cup mixed seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, flax) instead of the everything bagel spice.
For za’atar crackers, add 2 tbsp za’atar and 3 tbsp sesame seeds instead of the everything bagel spice.

NOTE: Depending on the saltiness of the everything bagel seasoning you use, you may/may not need to add salt.

Related Recipes:

how to build a fish board
artisan toast, 6 ways
tuna with anchovy panko crumbs

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Tunisian-Style Tuna Nicoise Salad

Early followers of my blog will remember my South Beach Diet days, and if you’ve been following for the last few years, my Whole30 phase. Yes, I’ve been dieting my entire life, I can write a book on it (oh wait, I did!).

Since I had my last baby, over two years ago, it’s been about food freedom for me – and for a few reasons. Firstly, I decided I didn’t want to live my life on a diet anymore, and I wanted to be able to enjoy food and be OK with it. I did put on some weight, which is what will happen if you’re in my industry and you just let yourself go – but I accepted it and decided that I would learn to love my body at any size.

From a recipe testing perspective, because I was working on my cookbook, I didn’t want my palate to be off, which is what will happen if you’re on a diet that restricts sugars or carbs. After a few rounds of Whole30, everything tasted cloyingly sweet to me and if you’re developing recipes for a cookbook, that can be a problem. I remember testing this recipe during my Whole30 (tasting it and spitting it out!) and when I made it several months later for a Shavuot cooking class, I found that it really needed more sweetener (recipe has been adjusted!). If you’re testing recipes for a living, you need to appeal to the average palette, so a diet can really throw things off. That’s another reason I decided to let myself go and not be restrictive.

I started following a lot of body-positive Instagram accounts and really tried to work on being comfortable in my larger size, but if I’m being honest, I just didn’t feel like myself. I was self conscious, uncomfortable behind the camera, and going shopping left me feeling totally depressed. Physically, I felt tired, lacked energy and just wasn’t motivated to make a change.

This year, on my 38th birthday, I looked in the mirror and decided it was time to make a change. Either accept and love myself at any size, or change that size to one that would make me more comfortable in my skin. I was done with the yo yo eating, and I just wanted to gain back control. For me personally, I don’t do well with intuitive eating or mindfulness, I need a strict regimen otherwise I don’t keep to it. So the day after Chanukah, I took the diet plunge and went keto. No excuses, no back and forth on which diet to choose, just jumping right in without thinking, and it’s the best thing I could have done. I shared it on Instagram so that I would hold myself accountable, and I’ve been going strong for two weeks (although it already feels like months!). It’s amazing how long a day can feel when you’re watching everything you put in your mouth!!

It scary to put yourself out there today. Someone recently told me that we live in the “offended” generation and it’s so true. It’s like we’re all tiptoeing around each other because we might say the wrong thing. Well to all the diet-shamers out there who aren’t OK with people going on a diet, here’s what I believe and I’m sticking to it: I reserve the right to feel comfortable in my own skin, and it’s no one elses right to tell me if I should lose weight, or if I should accept my body the way it is. It is MY body and it is MY right to make that choice. Yes, I’ve gone keto – because I want to feel healthy again and be healthy again and I want to be able to like what I see in the mirror, and there’s no shame in that.  This, to me, is true food freedom. The freedom to make your own choices about the foods you eat, and weighing those choices in a conscious way.

I’m so excited to share this delicious recipe that I came up with last week for my keto-approved lunch. I went a little overboard with the tomatoes, but I’ll get there!

Tunisian-Style Tuna Nicoise Salad

1 pkg arugula
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
1-2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup capers, optional
harissa tuna, recipe follows
preserved lemon dressing, recipe follows

Method:

Spread the arugula out on a platter. Add eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives and capers. Top with scoops of harissa tuna and drizzle with preserved lemon dressing before serving.

VARIATION: if you’re not watching your carbs, feel free to cook up some red-skinned potatoes, slice and add to the salad.

Harissa Tuna:
1 can tuna packed in water, drained
3 tbsp mayo
2 tsp harissa
1 tsp dried parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

Preserved Lemon Dressing:
1/2 c olive oil
2 tsp minced preserved lemon peel
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp honey, optional
salt and pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to a container and shake vigorously until creamy.

Related Recipes:

harissa roasted chicken
harissa whipped feta with za’atar eggplant chips
cauliflower nachos with harissa cheddar sauce
Greek salad with feta croutons

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Pizza En Croute

Happy Chanukah!!!!! The holiday of donuts, latkes, fried food, gelt and cheeeeeeesssseeee is here! Does it get any better?

Of course we don’t count calories on Chanukah, because we celebrate the miracle of the oil where a small jug miraculously lasted for 8 whole days and the story of Yehudit who bravely lured a Greek general with wine & cheese and them chopped off his head in his drunken slumber. I mean how can we not honor our history and tradition by filling up on goodies??! You don’t have to ask me twice!

Of course Chanukah is also special to me because I was born on the fifth night, and 16 years ago, I got married on my birthday. I made that choice because I knew that the day held so much blessing and power, and I held onto the belief that it would carry me through my married life with lots of good vibes and the power to illuminate.


I never imagined that life would take me on this unexpected journey. That I would one day become a food writer, and that I would be blessed to carve out this humble space for myself on the web, and on your bookshelf. I feel especially grateful this Chanukah for all the miraculous blessings of the past year. For more success than I could have ever imagined. My heart is so full and I don’t even know how to thank you. So I’ll just keep cooking and sharing what I love, because that’s the only way I know how.

So I made pizza en croute. Because pizza has my heart. And I’m sure it has yours too. I used Makabi’s mini balls because it’s Chanukah after all, and because they’re the perfect size to take the place of brie – as a riff on the classic “brie en croute”.

I top ’em off with whatever I have en hand, and that’s really the best part about these – they’re so easily adaptable. Top the cheese with marinara, ketchup, pesto or olive tapenade and you’ve got yourself a party appetizer that will fly off the table!

Wishing you a CHEESY holiday!!

Pizza En Croute

9 Makabi Cheese mini balls
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup marinara sauce, plus more for dipping
toppings of choice (chopped brocolli, spinach, onions, olives, tomatoes mushrooms….)
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, for eggwash

Method:

Remove cheese from wrappers. Gently roll out the puff pastry and cut into 9 squares. Place cheese balls in the center of each square and top with marinara sauce and toppings of your choice. Pull the 4 corners of each square together and twist closed. Brush with eggwash and bake for 30-40 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.

TIP: to keep the cheese from oozing out during baking, pinch the openings closed or bake in a cupcake tins, as in this recipe.

NOTE: if desired, you can drizzle vegetables with olive oil and dried herbs such as basil and oregano.

This post was sponsored by Makabi Cheese, all opinions are my own!

Related Recipes:

dried fruit brie bites
parmesan lasagna chips with pizza hummus
broccoli Parmesan poppers
zucchini parmesan chips
3-cheese pull apart buns

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Crispy Rice Latkes

Call ’em crispy rice latkes, call ’em snap crackle and pop cakes, call ’em crispy crack or even tahdig – just do yourself a favor and make them, ok??

These leftover sushi rice cakes were a total afterthought the morning after a make-your-own-sushi-roll for dinner night. I usually just stir fry my leftover rice and top it with a runny egg for breakfast the next morning but this time, I decided to crisp it up into what basically turned into a crack cake. It’s tahdig on steroids and solves the soggy latke problem, because even hours later, the latkes remained super crispy.

I think my biggest problem was what to top them with but I solved it pretty fast because runny eggs are my jam, especially when they are jammy soft boiled ones. But honestly, the options are endless. Lox and creme fraiche if you’re feeling fancy. Caviar if you really want to take it over the top. Some tuna tartare if you want to go Asian, or some sesame pulled beef if you’re feeling meaty.

And if you really want to be fancy, mix the scallions INTO the rice before frying. Or add any fillings of your choice. ENDLESS. OPTIONS.

Chanukah has been so good to me. It gave me life (I was born on the 5th night), and it celebrates my Anniversary (I got married on my birthday). I’ve always felt a special connection to the holiday of fried food, donuts and wine + cheese and I secretly wonder if it’s one of the reasons I was born with the foodie gene!

This Chanukah is especially momentous because I get to share the holiday with so many of my fans and followers at my local book signings in Williams Sonoma and Bloomingdales! I could not be more excited to share some of my favorite Chanukah recipes in some of my favorite stores. I am feeling so. very. blessed. Thank you all for making this year so special to me!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Chanukah!

Crispy Rice Latkes

2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
oil, for frying
special equipment: ring mold (optional)

Method:

Rinse rice until water runs clear. Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Place vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat slowly until salt and syrup dissolves.

Place cooked rice in a wide, shallow glass bowl. Toss rice gently with vinegar mixture using a plastic spoon. Cool completely.

Heat oil in a frying pan and grease a ring mold with cooking spray. With wet hands, press some rice into the mold in a thin layer. Alternatively, form rice cakes with your hands. Fry until a crispy brown crust has formed and flip over to crisp the other side.

Serving suggestions:
serve with soft boiled or sunny-side-up eggs with scallions and sriracha
serve with lox and creme fraiche
serve with pulled beef or lamb
serve with tuna tartare or sashimi
serve with guacamole
serve with kimchi and tofu

Variations:
add scallions, herbs and/or cheese to the rice before frying.

Other Latke Recipes:

salami potato latkes
sabich latkes
falatkes (falafel latkes)
poutine latkes
confetti latkes
butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes

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Tahini Scones

I’m fond of calling myself a #bakernonbaker but the truth is, sometimes I surprise myself. These scones were next-level. The crunchiest exterior, pillow-soft interior and crazy flaky – almost like halva! How my little of this and little of that achieved scone-perfection is a mystery even I cannot solve, but I think it has a lot to do with the magic ingredient – tahini.

I’m pretty open about the fact that I’m not into the science of food. I’ve never been a very technical person. Technicalities give me a headache. I don’t find gastronomy intriguing, but one thing I can tell you is that tahini has special powers. Something about it’s fat content makes it bind with other ingredients in a completely different way. Fold it into whipped cream and you’ll get the thickest emulsion that will not deflate – and it will freeze up so smooth and creamy with the texture of ice cream! Mix it with water and you’ve got the silkiest, creamiest dip or stir in some silan and you’ve got a thick fudge. What is it about this magic ingredient that can be used in both sweet or savory applications, mixed into doughs and salad dressings, fudge and candy?

Tahini so fascinates me, I almost want to explore the science of emulsification. Almost. It does something so special to these flaky scones, you’ll never believe they don’t have butter!

Buttery pastries intimidate me. The way you have to get the butter into the perfect pea-size, and you can’t melt it with the heat of your hands. How you have to be careful to handle the dough just-so and not overmix it. How you have to perfect the process to allow for pillows of flakiness in every bite. Too painstaking for this impatient cook.

But cream-based scones? I got this. And so can you. Because it’s just as simple as mixing some ingredients into a bowl and forming them into a disc. And you can thank the magic ingredient, tahini, for doing the work of butter – minus the technicalities.

I thought about glazing the scones (and even posted a poll on my Instagram!), but I decided not to mess with perfection. Sometimes you get something just right and you don’t need to over-complicate things. So I left the scones as-is, allowing the subtle tahini flavor to shine, and served them with a side of dairy whipped cream and fresh berries, ‘cuz really, does it get any better than that?

OK, maybe with a side of a steaming hot cafe hafuch and some fresh figs. (on a porch somewhere in Israel. I’m pushing it now, aren’t I?) The breakfast of my dreams.

Tahini Scones

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c tahini paste
3/4 c heavy cream, plus more for brushing
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp Demerara sugar
whipped cream and berries, for serving, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and sesame seeds. Make a well in the center and pour in the tahini, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Stir until the ingredients are incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Place the dough onto the baking sheet, flatten into a 7″ disk and slice into 8 triangles. Spread the triangles out on the baking sheet and brush the tops lightly with heavy cream. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake scones for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

VARIATION: You can add chocolate chips, diced dried fruit such as figs, dates or apricots or nuts such as almonds or pistachios, if desired.

Related Recipes:

halva krembos with sesame cookies
halva and ricotta stuffed figs
tahini frappuccino
tahini puppy chow 

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