Category: Dinner

Busy in Brooklyn Lightens Up

At least for this week! :) After all that cheesecake, lasagna and blintzes, I think we all need to lighten up our menu’s just a bit. My husband decided to join the diet bandwagon as well, and I wanted to make him feel good about it. I figured for his first day of dieting, I would treat him to a special dinner. But not just any dinner. A dinner that would show him that you can have your fast food and eat it too!

This was my plan – make his favorite fast food, have it look delicious, taste even better, and keep it lighter than the deep-fried version!

The Steak Santiago sandwich from Subsational is among my husband’s favorites. It includes rib steak with lettuce, tomato, onion and their spicy mayo. To lighten this up, I made an open-face sandwich on a half of a whole wheat baguette with lean sandwich steak, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and sauteed onions. I whipped up some easy garlic mayo with a lowfat canola variety.

Next, onto the fries. Of course fried anything was out of the question. And I had to give the potatoes the boot as well. Instead, I roasted some butternut squash fries with some chili powder and smoked paprika. They came out delicious.

Finally, just for fun I had to throw in a few chicken nuggets. I dipped a few pieces of chicken breasts into light olive oil and flavored corn flake crumbs and baked until crispy (about 15 minutes at 400 degrees – 8 minutes on one side, 5 on the other).

Needless to say, my husband was more than satisfied with this lightened up version of his favorite fast food. Of course I won’t be doing this regularly, but it’s good to know that our favorite comfort foods can still be eaten, albeit on special occasions, and a little on the lighter side!

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Turkey & Pastrami Wrapped Asparagus

I love the spring. It’s not only because of the beautiful weather and the blossoming trees. I also love the seasonal fruits and vegetables of spring including asparagus, spinach, rhubarb and strawberries, among others. Eating fruits and vegetables that are in season allows you to get the most nutritional value, flavor and freshness out of them at the most affordable price. With Shavuous just around the corner, I like to plan my menu around the freshest produce available on the market. These wrapped asparagus make the perfect appetizer or side dish at your fleishig meal.

Wrapped asparagus is a traditional antipasto which commonly uses non-kosher ingredients. I decided to try wrapping them with turkey and pastrami instead, and the results were pretty and delicious. In searching for ideas, I came across these lovely chive-tied ones, and they turned out to be the perfect finishing touch. The chives not only up-the-ante on the dish, they also help to keep the cold cuts tightly wrapped around the asparagus.

Although the turkey and pastrami add flavor to the asparagus, they are very simply seasoned. To add more flavor, drizzle with some classic aioli, or use my honey mustard dressing below.

Look out for more seasonal recipes to serve at your Yom Tov meal, coming next week!

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Black Bean & Chorizo Chocolate Chili

Chorizo chocolate chili is a real tongue twister, and, a real tongue pleaser too! :) I happened to read a few recipes recently that used chorizo as a base. Having seen Jack’s Gourmet at KosherFest a few months back, I knew that their amazing array of gourmet kosher sausages had recently hit the market, including spicy Mexican Chorizo, and I wanted to give them a try. To me, the absolute best chili offers sweetness, spice and depth of flavor. That’s where the chocolate comes in. It adds that little something that takes the chili from delicious, to over the top.

Chili makes a great kids meal when served in Taco shells or Tostito scoops. Serve alongside diced tomatoes, corn, salsa, guacamole and scallions with a side of rice. I was lucky enough to host my nieces and nephew (who live across the globe) when I made this for dinner, and they loved being able to eat their dinner out of miniature chip bowls!

In general, the longer you cook the chili, the better it will taste as the flavors will have a chance to blend. It tends to taste even better the second day, but this is pretty next to perfect when fresh!

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Mushroom Quinoa

Quinoa is my new favorite superfood. It is a protein-rich seed with a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture and somewhat of a nutty flavor. Although some consider it to be a grain, it is actually a relative to spinach and swiss chard, which is why some people eat it on Pesach. It is similar to couscous, with a chewier texture and more health benefits.

I first tasted mushroom quinoa at the newly opened Fresh Cafe in North Miami Beach back in March. The cafe was opened by the owners of The Fresh Diet with an emphasis on healthy, wholesome foods. They offer a classic breakfast menu, whole wheat pizza with various toppings, paninis, wraps, salads (with blue cheese crumbles and goat cheese) and smoothies. Although their menu includes some less-than-healthy options such as a buttered NY bagel, they encourage healthy eating (their menu notes: “heavy white pizza available upon request”). The winning items on the menu include a list of gourmet sandwiches including a Balsamic Glazed Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Fresh Basil and Feta, Tarragon-Infused Salmon with Cheddar on a Spinach Tortilla, Balsamic-Reduction-Glazed Mushrooms, Shallots and Swiss Cheese on Seven Grain Bread, among others. I ordered a nicoise salad, which they served with sweet potatoes as a healthy alternative to the classic red potatoes. My husband had grilled salmon with a side of quinoa and roasted vegetables. Both were healthy-sized portions, flavorful and filling.

After tasting the quinoa there, I started making it more often at home. It has become a staple around here, served hot alongside a chicken dinner, or cold, as a salad at Shabbos lunch. My husband, and kids absolutely love it (as long as I call it “couscous” my kids are good!). This is, by far, our favorite recipe.

NOTE: I use Trader Joe’s low sodium vegetable broth in this recipe. It is fat free, low calorie, gluten free and organic. The stock is made using a variety of organic vegetables as well as carrot and onion juice concentrate and tomato paste which gives it a reddish tinge. The broth adds a delicious tomato-y flavor to the quinoa. If you cannot get Trader Joe’s broth, you can use Imagine, and add a tsp of tomato paste to the vegetables while they are sauteeing.

The Fresh Cafe
2214 NE 123rd Street
North Miami, FL 33181
Phone: 305-591-8848
Kosher Miami, cholov and pas Yisrael

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Home-Made Fish Sticks


What is it about kids and sticks? It seems like they’ll eat anything as long as it’s a straight line – even fish. Cucumbers, carrots, you can even get them to eat celery (with peanut butter and raisins – traditional aunts on a log!). Which kid doesn’t love pretzel sticks? I don’t know about yours, but if I were to offer my kids pretzels twists vs sticks, they would definitely go for the sticks. Try frying french fries in circles instead of sticks, would your kids eat them? Mine wouldn’t. I think you get my drift :)

And it’s not just kids. I once did an experiment with waldorf salad. I made a traditional recipe with diced apples, celery, and walnuts and it just didn’t go. I tried the same exact recipe again, but this time, I cut the apples into thin matchsticks. It was gobbled up.

What is it about the texture of sticks that we all love? Maybe it’s that word that rhymes with stick – shtick :)

For this “sticky” supper, I made some homemade fish sticks with tilapia (as long as I call them “fish sticks” my kids will finish them off. Call it fried fish and they won’t touch it), shoestring fries, and carrot and cucumber sticks. Serve it alongside some ketchup, and your “shticky” kids will thank you!


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