Category: Lunch

Pasta Caponata

I’m on a roll here with my TURNING LEFTOVERS INTO DO-OVERS series over on the Gram and this time, I gotta use up my eggplant caponata + a chunk of leftover sourdough, so I turned into a creamy, saucy pasta with toasty za’atar breadcrumbs and some fresh cilantro. Best pasta I’ve every had? no, but it’s got potential (with some added feta, mozzarella, maybe a runny egg on top?) and it’s a great way to use up your leftover eggplant dip!

 

Pasta Caponata

1 lb. of your favorite pasta shape
2 cups leftover caponata or eggplant dip
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste, optional
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
handful of fresh cilantro

Za’atar Sourdough Breadcrumbs

2 slices leftover sourdough, torn or blended into coarse crumbs
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp za’atar
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta, cook according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the caponata in a deep skillet. If it’s not very saucy, add some more tomato paste and stir it into the dip with some olive oil, stirring until it caramelizes and deepens in color. Add the pasta directly into the pot with 1-2 ladles of pasta water and stir until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce.

To make the crumbs, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the breadcrumbs. Stir over medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Add the za’atar and salt and stir to incorporate.

Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and garnish with cilantro.

Related Recipes:

zucchini caponata
eggplant dip

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Shnitzel Sammies!

Shnitzel sammies, aka challah shnitzel are having a moment at food markets in Israel these days – the loaded sandwiches are all the rage, especially on Friday afternoons. They are equally as good on Sunday nights, when you can load up your leftover challah with all the Shabbos salatim and extra shnitzel (or any protein!) you have left over from the weekend.

There are so many variations of this sandwich, depending on your favorite dips or what you’ve got on hand – almost as many as the types of shnitzel you can make (I’m a panko girl myself!). I’m sharing some of my favorite salatim here but feel free to make it your own – or even better – just buy the dips and it comes together in 1-2-3!

SHNITZEL SAMMIES!

challah rolls
shnitzel
tahini or hummus
schug or harissa
fried eggplant slices and/or eggplant dip or matbucha
Israeli pickles
red cabbage slaw

SHNITZELIM SHEL DVIR

5 chicken breasts, split and pounded thin
Oil for frying

Eggs
3 eggs
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
3 tbsp mayonnaise
Pinch of salt

Crumbs
9 oz. plain Panko crumbs
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Stir the egg mixture until creamy and place in a shallow bowl or sheet pan. Mix the crumbs and place in a shallow bowl or sheet pan.

Dip the chicken in the eggs and then into the crumbs, pressing down to fully coat. Fry until golden on both sides and transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet to cool.

SWEET CHILI ROASTED EGGPLANT

1 large eggplant, cubed
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
½ cup sweet chili sauce
4 small Israeli pickles, diced
2 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place eggplant on a baking sheet; toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer eggplant to a large bowl. Mix with tomato paste, sweet chili sauce, pickles, lemon juice, honey, garlic, and scallions.

RED CABBAGE SLAW

10 oz. shredded fresh red cabbage
2 Tbsp olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
kosher salt, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

SCHUG

3 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed
1 lg bunch fresh parsley and or/cilantro (2-3 cups packed)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Kosher salt, to taste

Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor with the S blade attached and pulse until finely chopped.

TAHINI

½ cup tahini paste
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp cumin
⅓ cup ice water
kosher salt, to taste

Stir tahini paste thoroughly, as oil and solids tend to separate.
In a bowl, mix tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice, and cumin. Add ice water; whisk until emulsified. Season with salt, to taste.

Related Recipes:

shnitzel strips
tortilla shnitzel
the best meat sandwich
challah recipe

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The BEST Meat Sandwich

Hear me out, will you?
There are sandwiches and then there are SANDWICHES. Stuffing tuna and mayo between two pieces of rye bread is a sandwich. Making a caper mayo, adding greens and pickled veg, toasting up some ciabatta…now that’s a SANDWICH. Me? I’m the SANDWICH type – surprise, surprise! I consider building a sandwich an art form. It takes a humble protein and carb and makes it an experience!

So… it’s Tuesday and there are some leftover scraps from Shabbos in the fridge. Are you going to make a sandwich, or are you going to

MAKE.
A.
SANDWICH!!

Yalla, lets make a the BEST MEAT SANDWICH OF YOUR DREAMS!

The BEST Meat Sandwich!

2 slices leftover sourdough
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp whole grain or spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp sundried tomato tapenade (recipe follows)
a few slices of leftover roast beef or london broil (my go-to easy recipe!)
handful of argula
handful of marinated onions (recipe follows)

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the sourdough bread, toasting until golden brown on both sides. Smear one side of the bread with mustard and the other side with tapenade. To assemble, layer the bread, meat, arugula, pickled onions and the second slice of bread. Cut in half and serve.

Sundried Tomato Tapenade

1/4 c parsley, finely chopped
1/4 c cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 c sundried tomatoes in olive oil, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers, finely minced
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
zest 1/2 lemon
juice 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix until fully incorporated.

Marinated Onions

1 red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mix and marinate for as long as you have!

NOTE: leftover red meat is best served cold or at room temperature. Do not reheat or it will dry out.

Related Recipes:

everything London broil
easy London broil
pickled onions

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Grilled Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing

If you don’t already know this about me – I’m obsessed with chicken salad. I literally MAKE extra chicken so that I can make salad out of it. But especially in the summer – it’s my go-to lunch, light dinner, or snacking bowl for the whole family – because if anyone loves it as much I do, it’s my kids! And soon, you too!

 

Grilled Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing

1 head rommaine lettuce, chopped
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons|
1 Persian cucumber, sliced into half moons
3 radishes, slice dinto half moons
handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 pieces grilled chicken, diced

Creamy Basil Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise
4 frozen basil cubes
1 frozen garlic cubes
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp water, to thin, if desired

Method:

Chop, mix, toss – you know what to do!

 

Related Recipes:

Asian chicken salad with clementines
green goddess Bissli chicken salad
curry chicken salad
grilled chicken salad with jalapeno honey mustard

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Crispy Rice Sushi Salad

Let’s be honest: leftover rice is rarely exciting. It’s dry, a little clumpy, and often destined for the microwave. But with one simple trick — a sheet pan and a little oil (and spice!) — you’re not reheating rice. You’re upgrading it.

If you’ve ever scraped the bottom of a rice pot and secretly loved those toasty, crunchy bits (or peeled the entire crust off a pot of tahdig!) – THAT’S crispy rice. It’s all about the crrrrunch — nutty, golden nuggets of caramelized crispiness. That texture alone could carry a dish, but when tossed with fresh toppings and punchy sauces, it becomes the foundation of something truly next level.

So move over boring ‘ole sushi salad, and let your CRISPY RICE sushi salad begin!

CRISPY RICE SUSHI SALAD

Crispy Rice
4 cups leftover jasmine rice
2 tsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp chili garlic paste, sambal oelek or chili crisp
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp grapeseed or avocado oil

Salad
1-2 cups leftover salmon, tuna or kani
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup edamame, thawed
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup spicy mayo
1/4 cup sweet sauce

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the rice out. Add the soy sauce, chili paste, sesame oil and grapeseed oil and stir until incorporated. Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until the rice is crispy but not burned.

Transfer the crispy rice to a large bowl. Top with flaked salmon, cucumber, edamame, scallions, avocado and sesame seeds. Drizzle with spicy mayo and sweet sauce and serve.

Related Recipes:

sushi salad
crispy rice carrot salad with harissa 
crispy rice latkes
chili lime crispy salmon

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