Category: Recipes

Sweet Chili Salmon with Wasabi Crust

It’s just one of those days. I got the kids out of the house on time for a change, and I was hoping to sit down early this morning to get a head start on work. But it was not to be. After making my rounds to the girls’ school, boys’ school and daycare for the little one, I was finally on my way back home when my daughter called me to say she had left her lunch. Oh, Mommyhood.

As a blogger, recipe developer, food photographer and full time mom, it’s hard to set a schedule for myself because kids are just so unpredictable. On the one hand, I’m SO thankful to have a job where I can make my own hours and work around my Mommy duties, but on the other hand, there’s so much to do and so little time. My husband is always telling me to hire help but I’m literally the worst delegator on earth. You know how they say if you want something done, do it yourself?  Well that’s kind of my M.O. I’m a perfectionist, and rather than dealing with someone doing something that is not up to par with my standards, I’d rather just do it myself. Can any of you relate?

I’m the same way in the kitchen. If I’m having lots of guests or prepping for big holiday meals or a cooking demonstration, the reasonable thing to do would be to have someone help me. But stubborn me just does it all myself because God forbid someone will slice something the wrong way. (Insert hands-over-eyes emoji) I know I’ve gotta learn to let go and be more flexible, I’m just not sure how. Ideas, anyone?

In the meantime, I’m going to go wake myself up with a big handful of spicy wasabi peas. It’s one of those snacks that I used to eat with abandon, and then suddenly one day, I found that I couldn’t look at them anymore. It’s been a while, but they’re back on my addictive snack list – I even put them on my salmon for an amazing spicy crunch!

This salmon recipe is super quick and easy – perfect for a weeknight dinner with some rice, and pretty enough for company with a side of sushi salad. Chop sticks optional.

Sweet Chili Salmon with Wasabi Crust

4 slices salmon fillet
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup wasabi peas (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place salmon fillets in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and soy sauce. Pour sweet chili sauce generously over the salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Pulse the wasabi peas in a food processor or blender and spread generously over the salmon before serving.

VARIATION: for a hint of sesame flavor, you may brush the fillets with a bit of sesame oil instead of olive oil.

Related Recipes:

spicy roasted edamame
teriyaki salmon
kani salad

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Tahini Puppy Chow + Sesame Chex® Party Mix

So we survived Passover. Eight days of gluten free, minimally processed food with no legumes, beans, seeds or bread! But most importantly, NO CEREAL.

I don’t know if the no cereal thing is harder on me or my kids. I’m a huge cereal fan – not really as a breakfast thing, but more of a “I don’t feel like eating dinner” afterthought. My kids are definitely into the cereal breakfast thing, and that was probably the hardest part about the holiday. So much so, that instead of a post Passover pizza party, we skip the lines and head to a large grocery to stock up on all sorts of cereal. Then, we go at it, one bowl after another of crunchy sweet goodness in ice cold milk. Really, is there anything better?

Well now that you ask, there kinda is. And that’s cereal coated in chocolate, butter and powdered sugar – also known as – MUDDY BUDDIES or PUPPY CHOW! Puppy chow is a seriously addictive treat, and I love to make it using one of my all time favorite cereals, corn Chex®.

The problem with making classic muddy buddies is that my son is allergic to peanut butter, and keeping sugar coated anything away from a toddler is pretty impossible. So, I opted for the next best thing – tahini! Tahini makes an amazing substitute for peanut butter, and in it’s purest form (which you can get a taste of at Tahini King in the Machane Yehudah shuk), it kinda tastes like it too. Case in point: I made this batch and my tahini-hating kids gobbled it up! But my tahini-loving sister totally got the sesame notes, and when I told her there was tahini inside, my 9 year old perked up with, “What??? This has tahini???!!!”

So yeah – this ones a crowd pleaser – kids and adults alike. Tahini lovers and haters. Plus all the gluten free and vegan people too. In a word: ALLERGY FRIENDLY party food, yayyyyyyy!

Tahini Puppy Chow

4 heaping cups Chex® rice, corn or wheat cereal (or a mix)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method:

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate, tahini, butter and honey until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Add the cereal and stir until evenly coated.

In a large Ziploc bag, mix the powdered sugar, cinnamon and sesame seeds. Add the coated cereal and shake the bag until it’s evenly coated. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool.

Store in an airtight container (it won’t last long!)


Now you can’t make puppy chow without at least thinking about party mix – that classic, fun worcestershire-laced finger snack filled with Chex® cereal, pretzels, nuts and bagel chips. Of course I never manage to make the stuff, but now that I had the tahini puppy chow on hand, I couldn’t resist putting together a sesame mix!

So, what do you add to a tahini-coated cereal mix filled with sesame? Well round sesame pretzels of course. And then those addictive cracker-coated peanuts with sesame, called kabukim. And if we’re talking sesame, you can’t leave out the most classic sesame snack – halva! Put them all together and you’ll be in sesame heaven!

Party on my friends, party on.

Sesame Chex® Party Mix

1 recipe tahini puppy chow
round sesame pretzels
sesame kabukim (crispy coated peanuts), optional
marbled halva

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix lightly and enjoy!

VARIATION: Feel free to add dried fruits like figs, apricots or dates, sunflower seeds or chocolate covered halva!


Related Recipes:

speculoos puppy chow
halva krembos
sweet tahini dip
halva and ricotta stuffed figs

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Nutella Crepes with Sweet Plantain Tortillas

In continuation from yesterday’s post for savory plantain tortillas, I bring you some sweet ones! You can read the previous post on more about what plantains are, and to see more step by step pics of the tortilla making process!

These sweet tortilla crepes are made with plantains, and the addition of coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. They’re great for breakfast or dessert, and best of all, they’re egg-free!

If you’re eating these over Passover, chances are, you’ve had eggs for breakfast, or you plan to have it for lunch or dinner. So having an egg-free meal option is a must-have! Of course you can make these a tad healthier by filling with nut butter and fresh fruit, but homemade nutella is nut butter too. It’s just chocolate hazelnut nut butter ;)

If you’re not into the tortilla crepe idea, use your own potato starch + egg variation, but you must try my homemade nutella and other fillings, especially the maple candied pecans. Happy Passover!

Nutella Crepes with Sweet Plantain Tortillas

Sweet Plantain Tortillas

2 plantains, peeled and cut into chunks (about 10oz.)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil (any lightly flavored oil may be substituted)
2-3 tbsp maple syrup (depending on the ripeness of your plantains)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water

Place the plantains, oil, water, maple syrup, vanilla and salt in a food processor or blender and puree until it forms a smooth batter. If the batter is very thick, add a bit more water. Spread 1/4 cup of batter at a time on a parchment-lined baking sheet and smooth with a spoon into a round tortilla shape (you should be able to fit 3 on a sheet). Continue with remaining batter on additional baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until soft and pliable. Makes about 5 tortillas.

NOTE: tortillas are best when used fresh but they can be refrigerated and rewarmed in a microwave or oven until soft and pliable.

Homemade Nutella 
use this recipe or try my cinnamon honey walnut butter

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 14oz. can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated for 24 hours
1-2 tablespoons sweetener, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Carefully remove the can of coconut milk from the refrigerator without shaking it. Open the can and use a spoon to carefully remove the thick layer of coconut cream from the top of the can. Transfer it to your mixing bowl. (Do not use the layer of coconut water that has settled to the bottom of the can.) Beat the coconut cream on medium speed for 2-4 minutes, or until the cream becomes light and fluffy and small peaks form. Add in your sweetener and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated.

Maple Candied Pecans

8 oz. raw pecans (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the coconut oil and brown sugar in a small pot, whisking to combine. Add the maple syrup, salt and cayenne and bring to a gentle boil. Add the pecans and mix until they are well coated. Pour the pecans onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Cool completely before serving.


Related Recipes:

sweet nut omelette
nutella banana ice cream
chocolate ganache tart with macaroon crust
fish tacos with savory plantain tortillas

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Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas

Last year was my first time venturing into the world of plantains. It’s definitely a lesser known fruit, so I’m here to tell you more about it!

Plantains are a tropical fruit, and are best known for their use in tostones – a twice fried chip. You’ll find them on the menu in many Latin restaurants, like 26 Sushi & Tapas, in Miami, Florida. I love them topped with ceviche and avocado!

A plantain looks like a banana, but it’s slightly larger with angular sides. It’s taste and texture are determined by it’s stage of ripeness – firm and starchy when it’s green, and softer and sweeter when it’s yellow to black. Plantains cannot be eaten raw, but they make great (baked or fried!) chips when firm, delicious mash when ripe and great egg-free tortillas at any stage. Plantains are a resistant starch, which means that they pass through the digestive system sort of like soluble fiber and don’t spike blood sugar, making them popular among Paleo enthusiasts.

My interest in plantain tortillas was purely a Passover thing, since most kosher for Passover crepes are made using potato starch and eggs. I’m not a big fan of potato starch, and since my son is allergic to eggs, I was looking for an egg-free alternative.

I created two versions of the tortilla – a savory one, made with avocado oil, lime juice and a bit of chili powder, and a sweet one, made with coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla (recipe coming tomorrow!). Plantains don’t have much flavor on their own, so adding these ingredients was essential. I was pleasantly surprised that the tortillas were soft and pliable and really make a great substitute for Passover crepes and wraps. It’s great to have a recipe that doesn’t call for potato starch and eggs for a change, am I right?!

Now for the fillings! I’m a big fan of fish tacos so I definitely went that route with coconut crusted fish fillets which you can bake or fry (if you’re not a fan of coconut, I would recommend frying). Mango salsa is the perfect accompaniment to this tropical dish and curried mayo, one of my favorite condiments, rounds it out. This makes a great lunch or light dinner after all the heavy meat and potato dishes that we’re used to!

Looking for other potato alternatives for Pesach? Check out this article that I put together for OU kosher. It’s got lots of amazing recipes, suggestions and ideas for replacing the spud. You can thank me later!

Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas

Savory Plantain Tortillas

2 green plantains, peeled and cut into chunks (about 10oz.)
1/3 cup avocado oil (any lightly flavored oil may be substituted)
1/3 cup water
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Place the plantains, oil, water, lime juice, salt, chili powder and garlic powder in a food processor or blender and puree until it forms a smooth batter. If the batter is very thick, add a bit more water. Spread 1/4 cup of batter at a time on a parchment-lined baking sheet and smooth with a spoon into a round tortilla shape (you should be able to fit 3 on a sheet). Continue with remaining batter on additional baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until soft and pliable. Makes about 5 tortillas.

NOTE: tortillas are best when used fresh but they can be refrigerated and rewarmed in a microwave or oven until soft and pliable.

Coconut Crusted Fish

2 white fish fillets, cut in half
¼ cup coconut flour (may use almond flour or potato starch)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ginger powder
salt and pepper, to taste
coconut oil

In a bowl, combine the coconut flakes with curry powder, garlic powder, ginger, salt and pepper. In separate bowls, season the egg and coconut flour with salt and pepper. Dip the fish in coconut flour and shake off the excess. Dip in egg and shake off excess. Finish by  dipping in coconut flakes, pressing down so they adhere to the fish. Fry fish in coconut oil or place on a greased baking dish, spray with oil spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a work.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/2 red pepper, diced small
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, finely diced
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp light olive oil
1 tbsp honey
kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.

Curried Mayo

1/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp curry powder
kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until creamy.


Related Recipes:

plantain nachos
fish tacos with broccoli slaw
tropical guacamole
nutella crepes with sweet plantain tortillas

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Charoset London Broil

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I recently spent a couple of days in Miami. Aside from my (almost) daily breakfast at Zak the Baker, I made sure to head to Sarah’s Tent, a kosher grocery in Aventura. Sarah’s Tent is a well stocked market with a great deli, but that’s not what I went for. I went for the Israeli imports, specifically, kosher Lotus Biscoff spread, also known as speculoos or cookie butter.

If you fly Delta, you may notice that they give out individually wrapped biscuit cookies made by Lotus, but sadly, I always pass on them and go for the kosher pretzels. El Al, however, offers up the Israeli-manufactured version of the biscuit, which is, in fact, kosher. I went through my kosher speculoos phase a little while back when my local kosher supermarket carried the biscuits (which I turned into these buns, these pancakes and this party mix), but I’ve since moved on to the spread – which is the most decadent cookie butter of your dreams – and is pretty hard to get your hands on with a kosher certification. I once made my husband travel all around Jerusalem to bring me home a prized jar, and I savored that butter like no ones business, one spoon at a time!

BUT – back to the recipe at hand. As I was strolling through the aisles of Sarah’s Tent, I noticed a jar of Israeli-made charoset and I was intrigued. As an Ashkenazi, I had never tasted the “real” stuff, made with dates, apples, walnuts and wine. I brought home a jar and sadly, I was quite disappointed with the flavor. It was sitting in my fridge last week as I rummaged through, looking for ingredients to make my london broil – and then it hit me. Why not marinate my meat in it, with some red wine, and make a Charoset london broil. Alas, the beef came out of the oven smelling divine, but I did not like the flavor. Putting a condiment that I did not like on it’s own on beef, only made the beef taste like the jarred stuff – and well, it was just off. But the idea was a strike of genius! I had posted a photo of the meat on Instagram (if you don’t follow my Friday food fests, you must!), and requests for the recipe started pouring in! So, I decided to come up with a homemade variation on the Charoset London Broil idea, and the results couldn’t have been better!

The meat marinates in a mixture of traditional charoset ingredients of red wine, walnut oil (in place of walnuts), silan or date honey (in place of dates), some grated apple and a pinch of cinnamon. After I cook up the meat perfectly medium-rare, the marinade gets cooked up thickened and tastes just like – you guessed it – charoset! This delicious Passover dish is a must, whether your Sephardic or Ashkenazi (like me!). Give it a try!

Charoset London Broil

1 1/2-2 lb. london broil, shoulder blade cut (see note)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp silan (date honey), divided
1 apple, grated (I used Granny Smith)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

In a ziploc bag, combine the wine, oil, 1/4 cup silan, grated apple, cinnamon and black pepper. Add the london broil and marinate for 3-6 hours. Remove from the marinade (try to get off as much of the grated apple as possible) and reserve.

Season the london broil with salt and pepper on both sides and broil on high for 8 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes on the second side (for medium rare). Rest for 10 minutes and slice thinly against the grain.

Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan, add a tbsp of silan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until thickened.

NOTE: London Broil is not an actual cut a beef, but rather a cooking method. The method is to marinate the beef and grill or broil over high heat. Since london broil can be cut from different parts of the animal, I prefer the butcher cut, which is cut from the shoulder blade. If you use a different cut, cooking results may vary.

VARIATION: For a smoother charoset sauce, puree the sauce until smooth (after cooking).

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you can’t find silan, you may use honey instead. You may also use grapeseed oil (or any lightly flavored oil) instead of walnut oil.

Related Recipes:

“everything” london broil with red wine reduction
French roast with dried fruit
Kosher meat guide: cuts and cooking methods

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