Category: Lunch

Pasta-Free Spinach Manicotti

This one is for all the low-carbers out there. The people with diabetes and those on restricted diets who drool over the cheese-filled pasta delicacies plastered all over their newsfeeds. You don’t have to feel deprived anymore. I’ve taken the cheesy manicotti experience and revamped it into a lighter, healthier version that is so good, you won’t even realize there’s no pasta in it!

To tell you the honest truth, I’m not the biggest pasta person. I mean, I enjoy a good plate of pasta, I do. But I’m just not one of those people who dreams about a giant bowl of penne ala vodka (duck confit ravioli, maybe). So when I’m watching my carbs, I care more about my bread-less sandwiches than my pasta-free baked ziti. And you know why? Because I always find a way around it. I’ll make spaghetti squash baked ziti, cauliflower mac ‘n cheese, cheesy stuffed mini peppers, or roasted eggplant parmesan with feta. And now, this. Oh. Em. Gee. Best reinvention to date. Seriously.

With Shavuot just a week away, think about reinventing your standard indulgent menu of french onion soup, lasagna and cheese blintzes for lighter, healthier versions of your favorite dairy dishes. You won’t be left feeling bloated and heavy, but you’ll still enjoy all the delicacies that the holiday of Shavuot offers. Lighten things up with my refreshing, palate-cleansing strawberry rhubarb soup and save your calories for a decadent dessert, coming up later this week!

No-Pasta Spinach Manicotti

large spinach leaves
manicotti filling (recipe below)
marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella

For the filling:

1 15oz. container ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 tsp lemon zest
salt, to taste

Method:

Mix the filling ingredients and add to a ziploc bag. Snip off the tip so that you can use as a piping bag. Set aside.

Quickly blanch the spinach leaves by dipping them in boiling hot salted water, just enough for them to wilt and then shocking them in an ice bath. Layer 3 spinach leaves on a cutting board, overlapping them slightly (you may need more or less, depending on the size of your leaves). Pipe some of the cheese filling near the ends of the spinach bed, leaving room at the sides. Fold the sides over the filling, and roll it closed, starting from the stems, to create a cigar.

Spoon some marinara sauce on the bottom of square ramekin dishes and place stuffed spinach rolls over it (however many will fit). Spoon some additional sauce over the spinach manicotti and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining spinach, until you have used up all your filling.

Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly and it begins to brown and crisp up around the edges.

1 year ago: carrot muffins
2 years ago: meat lasagna

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Quesadillas Five Ways

With Cinco de Mayo coming up, I thought it would be fun to celebrate with 5 different quesadilla recipes. I started making quesadilla’s for dinner whenever my kids are being fussy about the food I’ve made. I always keep a package of mini wraps or tortillas in the freezer, so I have a quick and easy dinner to fall back on, just in case. Once in a while, I’ll make myself one for lunch or a light dinner, adding things like pineapple & jalepeno or broccoli and cheddar. Adding fun and flavorful ingredients to a wrap can help turn a plain tortilla into a quick and easy meal that’s not just for kids!

There are 2 basic ways to prepare a quesadilla. You can either fill half the quesadilla and fold the tortilla over, or place the fillings over the whole tortilla and top it with a second one. I prefer to go the half-way route, and make a few flavors instead of one.

What are some of your favorite quesadilla flavors? Share them in the comments below!

All quesadillas are traditionally served with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. 

Broccoli-Cheddar Quesadillas

tortillas or wraps
1 package frozen brocolli stalks, blanched and drained well
1 package shredded cheddar cheese

Method:

Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with cheese. Top half of the tortilla with broccoli stalks. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.

Pineapple-Jalapeno Quesadillas

tortillas or wraps
1/4 fresh pineapple, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, thinly sliced (seeds removed, if desired)
shredded muenster cheese

Method:

Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with cheese. Top half of the tortilla with pineapple and jalapeno slices. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.

Taco Quesadillas

tortillas or wraps
1 avocado, mashed and seasoned with lemon juice and salt
oven smoked mozzarella cheese
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 tomato, diced
1 small red onion, diced

Method:

Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and spread a layer of avocado on it. Top with smoked mozzarella cheese. Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and red onion to half of the tortilla. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.

Mediterranean Quesadillas

tortillas or wraps
prepared pesto
black olives
roasted red peppers
feta cheese crumbles

Method:

Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and spread a layer of pesto on it. Top with feta cheese. Fill half of the tortilla with olives and roasted peppers. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has started melting, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.

Eggplant Parmesan Quesadillas

tortillas or wraps
marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh basil leaves
breaded fried eggplant slices
grated parmesan

Method:

Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and spread a thin layer of marinara sauce over it. Top with shredded mozzarella. Spread fresh basil leaves, eggplant slices and grated parmesan over half of the tortilla. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.

1 year ago: pineapple chicken & BBQ jalapeno pizza
2 years ago: BBQ pulled chicken sammies

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Rainbow Slaw with Poppy-Seed Dressing

I wish I could take credit for this awesome salad combo, but the truth is, I ate a variation of it at Glatt Ala Carte restaurant in Brooklyn last year. The very following Shabbat, I recreated it at home, and I’ve been making it ever since. There’s just something about the colorful julienned vegetables paired with sweet and tart apples, chewy craisins and crunchy honey glazed pecans that just screams spring. It’s light, refreshing, not overly sweet, and incredibly satisfying.


One of the things that I love most about this recipe is the julienned vegetables. There’s just something about the texture that makes it more palatable. And I get to use my favorite tool of all time – the julienne peeler. It makes preparing homemade slaw so quick and easy, you’ll never have to pull out your hand grater again! My favorite julienne peeler is made by OXO. If you don’t have one, you can buy it here.

I used to wonder if my whole julienne obsession was just me, so I did a little experiment. I made my waldorf salad 2 weeks in a row, using the exact same ingredients. One week, I diced the apples into cubes, the way it’s classically done. The next week, I julienned them into thin strips for a more refined presentation. The results were crystal clear. The julienned salad got rave reviews and was finished down to the last drop. The chunkier cubed salad was eaten, but with not much ado, and I had leftovers.


Rounding out the salad is this delicious poppy seed dressing. The honey helps to thicken it so that it emulsifies into a creamy dressing. Make sure to whisk vigorously (or shake in a container) right before serving, to keep the emulsion from breaking.

Sweet & Crunchy Slaw

1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1 zucchini, julienned (do not peel)
1 yellow squash, julienned (do not peel)
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly into 1/2 rings
1/2 granny smith apple, cored, quartered and sliced thinly
1/2 fuji or honeycrisp apple, cored, quartered, and sliced thinly
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup honey glazed pecans

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/2 cup extra light olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp poppy seeds
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

In a bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk vigorously until emulsified. In a separate bowl, combine the carrots, zucchini, squash, and onion. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Gently fold in the apples, and garnish with craisins and pecans.

NOTE: To get an easy and consistent julienne, I prefer to use a julienne peeler, as pictured above. It works just like a standard peeler, except it cuts what you’re peeling into thin strips. To julienne with the peeler, just peel around the vegetable a few times, until you start to reach the center. Discard or save the remainder for vegetable soup. If you do not have a julienne peeler, you may julienne your veggies by hand. Simply cut off the top and bottom of the vegetable. Then, square off the sides so that you have a 4-sided rectangle. Slice thinly into vertical slices. Stack the slices on top of each other and cut into strips.

1 year ago: pineapple chicken & BBQ jalepeno pizza
2 years ago: 1-2-3 decadent molten chocolate chip cakes

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Chicken Pot Pie Passover Croquettes


Growing up, my mom would often prepare chremslach on Passover whenever there were leftover mashed potatoes. Some people refer to chremslach as matza fritters, but in our house, mashed potatoes were the ingredient of choice. They were held together with some egg, dipped in potato starch and fried. Nothing fancy, just another use for potatoes and a simple side for yet another meal.

I decided to spruce up my mom’s basic recipe with some leftover chicken, carrots and onions, for a take on chicken pot pie. If you eat kitniyot, peas would be the perfect addition! The patties are dredged in ground nuts for a crunchy Passover coating. Serve with a side of homemade ketchup, marinara or garlic aioli.

Chicken Pot Pie Passover Croquettes

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded leftover chicken
1/2 cup onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 cup carrots, diced and blanched
1 tbsp oil
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste

For coating:

1/4 cup potato starch
1 egg
1/2 cup ground nuts, such as almonds
salt and pepper, to taste
oil or shmaltz, for frying

Method:

In a pan, saute the onion in oil until translucent. Add carrots and garlic (optional) and continue to saute until golden. In a bowl, combine the potatoes, chicken, sauteed veggies, and egg. Season with salt and pepper (see note for additional seasoning).

Set up a dredging station with separate containers for potato starch, egg and ground nuts. Season with a little salt and pepper. Shape croquettes and dredge into potato starch, then egg, and finish with ground nuts. Fry the croquettes in shmaltz or oil until golden brown on both sides.

Yields: approximately 14 croquettes.

NOTE: You may add additional herbs and/or spices according to your Passover customs, such as chopped thyme, rosemary or parsley.

KITNIYOT OPTION: Add peas or corn. Dredge in matza meal instead of ground nuts.

VARIATION: Prepare patties (as pictured below) by lightly dredging in potato starch and frying.

1 year ago: homemade raspberry sorbet
2 years ago: roasted beet & orange salad

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Spaghetti Squash Baked Ziti

This may come as a surprise to you, but Pesach doesn’t have to be all about chicken and potatoes. Or meat and potatoes. Or steak and potatoes. If you try and think outside the Passover matza box, you’ll find that there are lots of other healthy options available to cut through the 8 day food-fest. Spaghetti squash is a great example. You can use it in place of pasta in lots of different preparations.

My simple baked ziti recipe is a staple in our house. My kids absolutely love it, so I usually make it every Thursday night for dinner. I often prepare this healthier version for my husband and I, substituting spaghetti squash for the pasta. It might not taste like the real thing, but it’s still an easy, quick and low-carb meal that makes you feel like you’re not entirely missing out. This dish would work wonderfully for Pesach chol hamoed dinner. Add in roasted veggies like zucchini, eggplant or mushrooms for added flavor and nutrients.

Other spaghetti squash recipes:

spaghetti squash bolognese
spaghetti squash with leeks, spinach and mushrooms

Spaghetti Squash Baked Ziti

1 spaghetti squash, roasted (see how to prepare spaghetti squash)
1/2-1 jar marinara sauce
1/2-1 12oz. container cottage cheese
1 8 oz. bag mozzerella cheese, divided
4 oz. cheddar cheese

Method:

Add spaghetti strands to a large bowl and mix in marinara sauce and cottage cheese. For a larger squash, use more sauce and cheese, and for a smaller squash use less. Mix in 1/2 bag of mozzarella cheese.  Pour mixture into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melts and begins to brown around the edges.

1 year ago: pizza omelette
2 years ago: lemon & garlic whole roasted chickens

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