Category: Diet

Thai Fish Curry

It was Meatless Monday and I was not in the mood of making dinner (true story – yes it happens to me!), so I topped by the fish store to pick up some branzino – the easiest 5-minute fish dinner (I cook it whole!). They had some really fresh Turbot on hand so I switched gears and decided to whip up a quick coconut curry, a recipe that packs a punch of flavor but comes together is 10 minutes. Just the way I like it.

Thai Fish Curry

1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2″ chunk ginger, finely julienned
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
6 white fish filets (I used Turbot)
zest and juice of 1/2 lime
toppings: chopped cilantro, chopped scallions and extra lime wedges
4 cups cooked rice, for serving

Method:

Heat the coconut oil in a wide skillet and add the onion, saute for 2 minutes, add the peppers and continue to saute another 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until softened. Add the coconut milk, curry paste, turmeric, salt and peppers and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season the fish with salt and pepper and gently place in the sauce, spooning some of it over the fish. Grate the lime zets over the fish and add the lime juice. Cover the pot and simmer 12-15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Top with scallions and cilantro and serve over rice.

Related Recipes:

Thai chicken curry
curry chicken salad
peanut chicken curry

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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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Spinach Feta Zoodles

Zoodles are back, and it’s been FOREVER! It was my go-to lunch and Saturday night dinner way back when, but it took a back seat when the sourdough trend replaced my low-carb leanings. But the new year is upon us – which means lightening things up post our 8-day latke fest and zoodles are making a comeback!

I had some defrosted chopped spinach in the fridge and a little chunk of feta so I decided to add those components and it may just be my favorite combo to date!

 

Spinach Feta Zoodles

1 zucchini, julienned with a julienne peeler 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1/4 cup feta crumbles
red pepper flakes, for finishing

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet and saute the spinach until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and continue to saute until softened. Add the zoodles and saute over high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and stir to incorporate. Top with mozzarella and feta and cover with foil until melted. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes or drizzle some hot sauce before serving.

Related Recipes:

cheesy zoodle marinara
tuna zoodle puttanesca
zoodle bolognese

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Smoothies Two Ways!

I’ve never been a big smoothie drinker, and mostly because I just find it a hassle to have to blend everything up. You have to shlep out the blender, clean it after, and all for a drink? It doesn’t seem worth it.

But a new product on the market has totally revolutionized the smoothie industry – Swirbie! The fruit comes in nifty pods that all but dissolve in your drink, no blender required. I am hooked!

My kids have been drinking smoothies all summer, no blender necessary, and we even get to prepare smoothies on Shabbos. I love to add the pods to coconut water, seltzer or different varieties of milk for a truly refreshing drink.

One of the best parts about the pods is that since they’re frozen, you don’t need to add ice, so there’s no watering down your drink. I call that a win-win!

This chili lime smoothie was inspired by Trader Joes viral chili lime seasoning, and I’ve been drinking it on repeat, it’s that good!

Chili Lime Mango Smoothie

2 Swirbie mango pods
1 cup coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp honey, or, to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
tajin spice or Trader Joes chili lime seasoning, for the rim, optional

Method:

Add mango pods, coconut milk, lime juice, honey and cayenne to a mason jar and shake until the mango dissolves. Rub the lime around the rim of your serving glass and dip in tajin spice. Pour the mango smoothie into the glass and serve immediately.

One of my favorite smoothie blends that I picked up from living in Israel is banana + date + tahini + milk. The flavors pair really well and it makes for a filling breakfast on the go.

And for a truly decadent treat, top off your smoothie with some shredded halva (or halva floss, as I like to call it!), it really takes it over the top.

Swirbie pods are available in strawberry, mango, peach, blueberry, banana and spinach flavors. You can use them on their own or blend two flavors together for an equally delicious drink!

You can find Swirbie pods in the freezer section of your local kosher supermarket.

Banana Tahini Smoothie

3 Swirbie banana pods
1 cup almond milk
2 tbsp raw tahini
1 tbsp silan (date honey)
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
sesame seeds and halva, for serving, optional

Method:

Add banana pods, almond milk, tahini, silan, cinnamon and salt to a mason jar and shake until the banana dissolves. Dip the rim of your serving glass in tahini and dip in sesame seeds. Pour the banana smoothie into the glass, top with shredded halva and serve immediately.

This post is sponsored by Swirbie.

 

Related Recipes:

pear ginger and oat smoothie
pumpkin pie smoothie
tahini frappuccino

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Kale Crunch Salad

All I can say is even though I had a boatload of this salad on Shabbos, and then again yesterday when I photographed it, I need it again like NOW, and that, my friends, is a sign of a delicious salad – one you want to eat over and over and over again!

Yes, the flavor combo is bomb but what really makes this salad extra special is all the crunchy elements and it’s like a party in your mouth. A party!!!

I debated calling this the Cruciferous Crunch Salad but then I tried to say cruciferous on my Instagram and I ended up saying cruciferouSH, so I nixed it lol! Kale Crunch Salad has still got that alliteration ring to it that I love, so we’re going with that!

What is really great about this salad is that it’s really adaptable – sub in your favorite candied nuts, seeds and croutons,  the important thing is you want things with lots of different textures in every bite.

And with Rosh Hashanah just a few short weeks away, we’re hoping on the pomegranate train and I couldn’t be more excited!

Kale Crunch Salad
YIELD: 6 servings

4 cups kale
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup roasted & salted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup candied slivered almonds
1/3 cup crunchy rice noodles, such as La Choy brand

Dressing:

1/3 cup grapeseed or light olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Spread the kale out on a platter or bowl. Mix the cabbage into the kale. Top with pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and rice noodles.

In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk until thickened.

When ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.

VARIATION: use pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds and any type of candied nut instead of the almonds or croutons or chow mein noodles instead of rice noodles.

Related Recipes:

smoky kale and farro salad with balsamic fig dressing
wilted kale and kabocha squash salad
fall farmer’s market salad
kale persimmon salad

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