Category: Diet

Lemon & Garlic Whole Roasted Chickens

I like chicken. Chicken is ok. Me, and chicken, are good. Am I head over heels for chicken? not really. In fact, whenever I am pregnant, I have an aversion to it and cannot eat it. But I make it all the time because it’s a good source of protein, and my husband and kids enjoy it. This roasted chicken recipe took my taste for chicken to a whole ‘nother level. Roasting the chicken whole, stuffed with lemons, garlic and thyme, gives the chicken an incredible flavor that is not too overpowering, it’s just right. The chicken comes out so incredibly moist, you will want to eat the whole thing in one sitting!

The recipe calls for 1 5-6 lb. bird, but since my butcher only had 3-3.5 pounders, I made 2, and filled each with half a lemon and half a head of garlic. If you can get a 6 lb. chicken, go ahead and fill each cavity with a whole head of garlic (cut in half), and one whole lemon (cut in half) and of course, a bunch of thyme.

This chicken is beautiful served at the Friday night meal, with some rice and veggies on the side.

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Oven Baked Organic Sweet Potatoes

Last year, we spent Purim in Asheville, North Carolina, by a friend of my husband. We drove about 12 hours to get there, the longest drive we have ever taken by car. It was actually not as bad as I thought it would be, but by the time we got there, I was definitely happy to be able to stretch and sleep! Lucky for us, our friends, the Rabbi and Rebbetzin of Asheville, had set up warm and comfortable accomodations. Purim in Asheville was a lot of fun. My kids enjoyed the Purim party, a magic show, and an adorable play put on by the Hebrew school kids. Even better was the delicious food that the Rebbetzin, Chana, prepared during our stay. One evening, she prepared oven baked organic sweet potatoes as a side dish. This was not new to me, as my mother always made them growing up. However, the organic part definitely was. I was never into the whole organic trend. It’s expensive, hard to find in my neighborhood, and since I turned out fine until now, I figured I’d take my chances. But Chana had recently given birth to twins, and she wanted to eat clean and healthy during her pregnancy, so she adopted a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables. Being as I grew up eating oven baked sweet potatoes, I knew how they were supposed to taste. So when I put a spoonful of the organic stuff in my mouth, I immediately tasted the difference. It was so fresh tasting, full-bodied, and over-the-top sweet! It felt like eating a decadent dessert! Ever since then, whenever I plan on making oven baked sweet potatoes, I make it a point to buy organic ones. I really taste the difference!

I wouldn’t exactly call this a “recipe” because there is honestly nothing to it. I just find that sometimes we get so hung up on finding “recipes” for things that the star ingredient ends up getting lost. We’re busy taking delicious, wholesome, healthy sweet potatoes, adding butter, brown sugar, eggs and cream (amongst other things) to make sweet potato pie. What happened to baking a sweet potato just as it is? It is so sweet and delicious, it literally needs nothing! Don’t get me wrong, just a few days ago I took perfectly delicious baked salmon and mashed it up into salmon patties. I do it too. But I’m just saying, we definitely live in a “kugel” society and it’s nice to eat a vegetable purely for what it is every once in a while!

Since we weren’t home to give out shalach manos last year, I made Purim cards and sent them to family and friends, letting them know that we gave a donation in their honor in lieu of shalach manos.

Here is the card we sent out:


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Roasted Garlic Hummus with Pita Chips

My husband is not much of a sports fan. He’s more of a computer fan, if you know what I mean. So, if not for my brother, I would have no idea that tomorrow is the big day for most men out there! That, and the fact that I wanted a crunchy, healthy snack tonight, is what brought me to make this delicious and healthy recipe. Chummus is available at any grocery, in so many flavors and styles. So why go through the hastle of making it? Well sometimes, I like the chunkiness of a purely garbanzo-based spread, sans the techina. That’s when I whip out some fresh garlic, a food processor, and of course some pita bread, for homemade toasted “everything” pita chips with roasted garlic hummus.

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“Everything” London Broil

London Broil is regularly served in my house, mostly on the side of cholent on Shabbos day. Since it is relatively inexpensive, I have started serving it more often during the week. Now lets get things straight. The name London Broil is NOT a cut of meat, but rather a method of preparation. The method? broiling or grilling marinated flank steak, then cutting it across the grain into thin strips. Because the muscle fibers run the entire length of this cut of meat, it can be tough. However, if prepared correctly, the outcome is delicious. To tenderize the meat, I massage it with olive oil and a mix of seasonings. Then, I let it marinate for a few hours. Finally, I broil it until medium (anything more will cause the meat to be tough). It is very important not to score, cut, or penetrate, the meat before (or during) broiling because all the juices will run out of it. It is best served with mashed potatoes, but being as I had an entire container of leftover rattatouille, I wanted to make use of it. I mixed it in with some Mezze Penne for a delicious pasta on the side.

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Chicken Breast with Port Wine Cherry Sauce

So I figure I’ve pushed this off long enough! For as long as I can remember, my husband, family, and friends have been encouraging me to start my own blog. Of course, I procrastinated. Then, I looked for excuses. I’m not a gourmand. Nor a professional photographer. I can’t, I don’t, I’m tired!!! And so weeks turned to months and months into years, and so many beautiful dinners have gone lost in the wind (but not on the scale!) Finally, I’ve decided to do as Nike says, and just “do it!”. So here I am. Typing my first blog post…

Without further ado, I give you, tonights supper….

I’ve long been eyeing the “Turkey Breast with Port Wine Cherry Sauce” recipe from the NEW Jamie Geller cookbook, “Quick & Kosher, Meals in Minutes”. (we’ll leave the cookbook review for another day). I decided to try it out with chicken breast, and although the recipe pairs it with roasted potatoes, I made some simple barley pilaf instead. The results where a simple, tasty meal that came together quickly.


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