Category: Recipes

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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Hasselback Sweet Potatoes


Hassleback potatoes are the Swedish version of a baked potato, and are named for Hasslebacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. Traditionally, hassleback potatoes are made with white potatoes and are sometimes stuffed with garlic cloves. I came up with this sweeter version, using thin slices of apples, and topping it off with some sweet maple syrup and a sprinkle of brown sugar. The sweet potatoes came out soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside while the apples caramelized and crisped around the edges. With the autumn colors, rustic styling, and sweet taste, hassleback sweet potatoes make the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving feast!

Hassleback Sweet Potatoes

4 organic sweet potatoes
2 crispy sweet apples, such as honeycrisp
3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
kosher salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes well and pat dry. Lay them flat on a cutting board and set one chopstick on each side. The chopsticks will ensure that you don’t cut all the way through. Starting from one end, make slits about 1/8″ thick. Peel and core apples and slice very thinly. Place apple slices in between each slit in the potatoes. Brush potatoes with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup and finish with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Bake, uncovered for about 1 hour, until the insides are cooked through and the outsides are crispy. If the apples begin to burn around the edges, and the sweet potatoes are still not soft, cover the pan with foil to prevent more burning.

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Kosher Revolution Cookbook Review + Bonus Recipes & Giveaway!

The Kosher Revolution by Geila Hocherman & Arthur Boehm is more than just a cookbook, it’s an education. With formal training using nonkosher ingredients, Gila attempts to revolutionalize traditional kosher cooking and elevate it into modern and sophisticated cuisine. Using groundbreaking techniques, she guides you in converting any recipe into a kosher one. In Chapter 1, you’ll learn Gila’s revolutionary subbing techniques to match the flavor and texture of any dish. The following chapters will take you on a culinary journey through international kosher cuisine. Recipes like Duck Prosciutto, lentil soup with “ham” and surimi crab cakes, are a lesson in using the “kosher revolution” approach. Other recipes such as Peshwari Challah, Onion-Stuffed Knaidlach, and Chicken Livers with Warm Cognac Vinaigratte elevate traditional kosher cuisine into gourmet fare that is anything but ordinary. Many of the recipes guide you in exchanging one or more ingredients to create a a meat, dairy or pareve version. In addition, an indispensable ingredient-exchange chart is included at the end of the book, as well as a list of shopping sources. With 95 recipes, countless tips and invaluable wisdom, this cookbook is a must-have for foodies everywhere, kosher and non-kosher alike.

We are giving away one free copy of The Kosher Revolution Cookbook. To enter, share with us your ideas on revolutionalizing kosher cuisine in the comments below. How do you up the ante on traditional kosher dishes? A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, November 11th, 2011.

{Update, November 11th, 2001: the winner of the Kosher Revolution cookbook giveaway is…drumroll….Leah Abraham! Congratulations Leah!}

BONUS RECIPES

 

Eggplant Rollatini
serves 6

Baked eggplant slices rolled around a meatless filling is a kosher favorite. My version ups the traditional ante as its served with a sauce that includes smoky red peppers, a great eggplant counterpoint, plus creamy mascarpone. The dish is luscious but light, and can also be made ahead, see my Tip. It’s a great family favorite too.

Geila’s Tip: You can prepare the filling and/or sauce ahead and refrigerate. Or bake the dish ahead, allow it to cool, and refrigerate. Reheat in a 300°F oven and serve.

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplants, sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch thick (about 18 slices)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
One 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes
2 roasted red peppers (see Step 3, page 48)
2 large basil sprigs
6 puréed roasted garlic cloves
2 sprigs fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
One 15-ounce container ricotta
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Place the eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle on both sides with the 2 tablespoons salt. Allow the slices to release their bitter juices, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. To make the sauce, cut the tomatoes in large chunks, combine with the peppers in a medium bowl and purée with an immersion blender, or in a food processor. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomato and pepper purée, basil, garlic, oregano and 1 teaspoon of the salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the flavors are blended, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cover 2 medium cookie sheets with foil and brush with the olive oil.

4. Wipe the excess salt from the eggplant, roll in the paper towels and squeeze the rolls gently to remove more moisture. Transfer the eggplant to the cookie sheets, and bake until tender and somewhat translucent,15 to 20 minutes. Cover the slices with foil (to trap steam that will prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan) and allow to cool.

5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mascarpone, nutmeg and the remaining teaspoon salt. Transfer half of the tomato sauce to a 8 x 12-inch baking dish.

6. With your hands, and using 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture,make roll-shapes. Place one part way down from the wide end on an eggplant slice, roll to enclose it, and transfer to the baking dish seamside down. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture and slices. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant, sprinkle with the Parmesan,and bake until tender, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

Miso-Glazed Black Cod
serves 6

New York’s Nobu restaurant, 1985: Chef Nobu Matshushia’s miso-glazed black cod. Me on first taste: Wow! I longed to make a kosher version of this great dish, but had to bide my time until kosher miso and sake became available. On that happy day I set to work—and here it is, a dish you’ll enjoy often and that’s baby-simple to make. All you do is marinate black cod in a simple miso-sugar mixture then broil or grill it. The caramelized skin is delightfully crispy, and really compliments the sweet, moist flesh. Served with Baby Bok Choy with Garlic (page 136)—or by itself with any bitter green—this is stellar dining.

Geila’s Tips: This also makes an elegant starter. Just reduce the portion size by half andserve the cod on greens lightly dressedwith Asian Vinaigrette (page 32). I also use this glaze brushed one eggplant when I grill it. Serve the eggplant with roasted meat.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake or dry white wine
11/4 cups white miso
2/3 cup sugar
6 black cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each), skin removed

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the mirin and sake and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute (to cook off the alcohol), reduce the heat to medium, add the miso, and stir until dissolved. Add the sugar,increase the heat, and stir until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

2. Dry the fillets with paper towels and put them in a gallon-size sealable plastic bag. Add the miso glaze, seal and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

3. Bring the fillets to room temperature. Preheat the broiler or place a grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat. Wipe excess glaze from the fillets and broil or grill, turning once, until brown and glazed, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve.

 

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Apple Celery Veggie Dip

Not surprisingly, I come from a family of excellent cooks. My aunt B. is one of them. With lots of daughters to help out in the kitchen, she’s got enough sous chefs to make each and every dish not only taste good, but look good too. All of her salads are chopped to perfection and served mezze-style for each of her guests. Her pastries, too, are a work of art, and worthy of any bakery.

The following recipe is one that aunt B. prepares for many family get-togethers. The apples add an unexpected burst of flavor, while the garlic adds a nice kick. Altogether, this dip is full of flavor and perfect on the side of crudites.

So instead of buying a bottle of french dressing, or whipping up a tired bowl of ketchup ‘n mayo, give this delicious dip a try at your next party.

Apple Celery Veggie Dip

2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 c water
4 cloves garlic
1 red apple, peeled and quartered
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tbsp mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with crudites.

TIP: For a fun presentation, hollow out the inside of a red apple using a melon baller. Rub lemon juice over the apple so it does not turn brown. Clean a short stalk of celery with a lot of leaves and use it as the spoon.


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