Category: Recipes

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese


Bolognese is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy. Traditional Bolognese includes a mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots but it can be adapted to suit your taste and dietary needs. In my house, we call Bolognese “smashed meatballs” because that’s what gets my kids to eat it :) I love to make this recipe because unlike meatballs and burgers, this meaty pasta sauce requires no ‘fillers” such as bread crumbs and does not contain any sugar. Serve it up on a bed of spaghetti squash, or, with its traditional accompaniment, tagliatelle pasta.

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 container mushrooms, sliced
1.5 lbs. extra lean ground beef
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
salt and pepper, to taste
spaghetti squash (click on the link for how to prepare)

Method:
Saute onion and garlic till translucent. Add celery, carrots and mushrooms and continue to saute until golden. Remove from pot. Add ground beef and saute until no longer pink. Drain meat. Return meat and veggies back to the pot and add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes-1 hour.

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Black Bean Brownies

Now before you gag, I want you to take a look at the picture above. Do those look like black beans to you? I didn’t think so. I had my reservations too, but they were quickly squashed after one bite of these. I’m not gonna say they were the best brownies I ever ate. Nor will I suggest that they have the same fudgy consistency as real brownies. But they are pretty good for a flourless cake made of beans. Give them a try. I promise, you won’t regret it.

Black Bean Brownies

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed well
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter or canola oil
1/4 cup Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar or splenda
1 tbsp coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chocolate chips, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients (besides for walnuts and chocolate chips) in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Mix in chocolate chips, if desired. Pour into a greased 8×8 baking dish and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake for 25 minutes.

Once cooled, cut brownies into squares. Because these brownies are made of beans, they mold very quickly. Therefore, eat immediately or refrigerate/freeze individual portions.

TIP: If you like your brownies less dense, and more cake-like, add 1 tsp baking powder.

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Pan Seared Tuna Steak

Years ago, I ordered tuna steak at a restaurant for the first time. I had never eaten it before, so I had no idea what it was supposed to taste like. When the kitchen delivered a bone-dry piece of tuna, I thought that was the way it was meant to taste, and that was it for me. I had no interest in ever eating it again. Fast forward a few years and I was watching an episode of Chopped on the Food Network. They mentioned one of the competitors websites so I checked it out. I happened upon a video of the chef preparing a pan-seared tuna steak and it was the most beautiful piece of fish I had ever seen. The very next day I was off to the fishmonger. I heated up my skillet, and in 5 minutes flat I had the most juicy, mouth-watering piece of fish. I can’t say enough how simply delicious this is. No need for spices, sauces or fancy marinades – just a sprinkle of salt and pepper and you’ll be blown away!

Pan Seared Tuna Steak

1 tuna steak
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Method:

Rinse tuna steak and pat dry on paper towel. Heat up a frying pan over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle tuna steak with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and add seasoned-side-down to the pan. You should hear it sizzle (if you don’t, your pan is not hot enough). Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper. Sear for 2 minutes and flip, searing the second side for 2 minutes as well. Using tongs, hold the fish on its side and sear all around. Remove from pan and slice into 1/4″ slices. If you like your tuna more well done, continue to cook until desired doneness.

Simple Cabbage Salad

1/2 head cabbage, sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp safflower oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
black sesame seeds
scallions, for garnish

Method:

Slice cabbage into thin strips. Mix with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and sesame seeds. Garnish with scallions.

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My Diet Journey

With the chagim behind us, and a few extra pounds later, it’s time for me to face the music. All that honey-sweetened food was as satisfying as it was delicious, but it wasn’t as friendly to my figure. Not to mention the extra pregnancy weight I’ve been carrying around (did I mention my baby is almost 1?)…And so the time has come for me to take the diet plunge.

I’ve been dieting ever since I can remember. Weight watchers, Somersizing, Atkins, The Blood Type Diet…I’ve tried them all. The good news is that I’ve learnt which diets work for me and my body type and I pretty much have it down to a science.

To jump start my weight loss, I do PHASE 1 of the South Beach Diet. This is no easy feat. For two whole weeks, one cannot eat any bread, oatmeal, pasta, rice, cereal, fruit, certain veggies, and some dairy. This phase of the diet is a sort of cleanse, where you eliminate cravings and stabilize your blood sugar.

After completing PHASE 1, where I typically lose about 10 pounds, I move onto a low glycemic diet (which is more or less Phase 2 of the South Beach diet, but I don’t follow it by the book). Without getting into too much detail, I basically only eat foods that have a low GI value (this is a value assigned to all foods that contain carbs to indicate how fast and how high that food can raise your blood sugar level). On this phase, I typically lose about 2 pounds per week. The last time I did this, I lost 40 lbs. This time, I have my sights set on 50.

If I hit a plateau and I don’t seem to be losing any more weight, I just do Phase 1 of the South Beach diet again to jumpstart my weight loss.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is my diet plan in a nutshell.

So. Being the generous spirit that I am (jk!), I thought I’d make you guys an offer to follow along with me. If you’ve got weight to lose and you’ve been pushing it off, join me on my diet journey! I’ll lay down the rules and provide the meal plans and recipes. All you have to do is follow along! Don’t worry, non-dieters, my blog will continue to feature delicious recipes that you can use too!

I’ve created the following pages to help guide you. There are also handy shortcuts under the BIB Diet Tips (just below the categories).

Getting Started
Phase 1 Rules
Phase 1 Menu
Phase 2 Rules

If you have any additional dieting tips or recipes that you’d like to share, feel free to post a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

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Creamy Pareve Mashed Potatoes

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, what’s a kosher girl to do? Those turkey drippings have got to be sopped up by something. Enter my perfect pareve mashed potatoes – creamy, fluffy and oh so delicious. Traditionally, butter and milk are used to bind the potatoes, while some include sour or cream cheese for added creaminess. With turkey as the main component of Thanksgiving dinner, dairy is not an option. Of course margarine, soy milk and toffuti cream cheese/sour cream can do the trick, but you’ll be left with an overwhelming taste of soy. I know some people who use mayo, but that just doesn’t work for me. Instead, I opt for a healthy dose of olive oil to bind the mixture, while chicken stock stands in as a flavorful creamer. The results are lighter, yet still smooth and delicious (which leaves room for the smorgasbord of calories awaiting you).

Now that you’ve got your mashed potatoes nice and creamy, it’s time to talk about add-ins. When I was growing up, my mother never made mashed potatoes without a side of caramelized onions. Not surprisingly, that’s my go-to every time. Still, there are some other options out there, so go ahead and mix up your favorite version.

– spices: garlic salt, smoked paprika, curry powder, lawry’s seasoned salt
– pepper (some people like to use white pepper so the potatoes don’t have black flecks)
– fresh herbs: oregano, parsley, basil, cilantro, thyme, rosemary
– caramelized onions and/or mushrooms
– roasted garlic cloves
– horseradish or wasabi
– chipotle or poblano chilies
– lemon juice and/or zest
– sundried tomatoes
– pesto or tapenade
– spinach
– chives
– truffle oil
– mustard

Have you got your own version of pareve mashed potatoes that you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments below!


Creamy Pareve Mashed Potatoes

4 Idaho potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil (use full-bodied or extra-light depending on your taste)
1/3-1/2 cup vegetable stock (I like Imagine)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
chives, for garnish

Method:

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Do you best to keep the pieces the same size so they will cook evenly. Add potatoes to a pot, cover with water and sprinkle with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then lower the flame slightly so that the water maintains a rolling boil. Continue to cook the potatoes until they fall apart when poked with a fork. Pour potatoes into a strainer and drain well. Return potatoes to the pot and turn the flame on low. This will evaporate any leftover water so that the potatoes won’t be mealy. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes well, making sure that no lumps remain. Remove from heat and mix in olive oil, chicken stock, salt and pepper. If needed, add more chicken stock. Mix in your fillers of choice and serve.

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