Category: Recipes

Halva & Ricotta Stuffed Figs

Recently, I was lucky enough to attend a fabulous kosher foodie potluck, arranged by the talented Kim Kushner, author of The Modern Menu. It was such an honor to meet Kim and taste her delicious food! She blogged about our amazing evening under the stars here.

Kim set up the most beautiful tablescape on a rooftop in Midtown Manhattan (which also happens to be her husband’s office). With the help of Marzan Flowers, and other generous sponsors, the table was set with a rustic vibe and the most amazing swag! We were surrounded by the New York City skyline, the most incredible kosher food, and the who’s who of the kosher blogging world.

Since it was a potluck, each guest was required to bring a kosher dish (or two), all of which were laid out on a round buffet table. I made my malawach cheese pastries with tomato & schug dipping sauce, plus some incredible goat cheese popovers! Some of the other dishes included nachos by The Patchke Princess, creamy hummus, salmon, roasted veggie salad and pavlova by Kim Kushner Cuisine, fava beans by BeautyandsomeBeef, panzanella salad with cashew bread and s’mores caramels by KitchenTested.

We also had some famous kosher Instagrammers like @cookinginheels, @chefchaya and @theghettogourmet who brought drunken fish tacos with pickled onions, cronuts with nutella pastry cream and Asian quinoa lettuce wraps, respectively.

What has all that got to do with these AMAZING, droolworthy stuffed figs?! Well, BeautyandsomeBeef made the simple ricotta stuffed figs that inspired these halva-drenched ones! Check out these pics for a peek!

I’d heard of ricotta stuffed figs with honey before but I’d never tasted them until the potluck. I couldn’t believe how such a simple dish could taste so fantastic! Of course I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could make them even better…and then THESE happened.

And by these I mean the insanely decadent jewels of perfection you see here. Fresh seasonal figs stuffed with ricotta, dipped in silan and sesame, dripping with sweetened tahini sauce and finished with halva crumbs. Shall I get you a napkin?!

If you’ve never heard of silan before – hop on the silan train because it’ll take you to syrup heaven! Silan is a honey syrup made from dates. It’s got an intoxicatingly rich flavor that is so much better than whatever else you’ve been using! When mixed into tahini paste, it creates the most decadent halva sauce that you’ll want to eat by the spoonful! It’s interesting to note that when the Torah speaks of honey it is actually referring to date honey. Israel, the land of halva and “Milk & (Date) Honey” is what inspired this Middle-Eastern twist on a classic recipe!

Do yourself a favor and grab some fresh figs, before the season is over! 

Halva & Ricotta Stuffed Figs

1 pkg (16 oz.) fresh figs
1 15oz. container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup tahini paste
2 tbsp silan (date syrup), plus more for dipping
sesame seeds, for dipping
chopped halva, for garnish

Method:

In a small bowl, add 2 tbsp of silan and 1/2 cup tahini paste and stir until combined. If the mixture is thick, add water until it’s thin enough to drizzle over the figs.

Trim the tips of the figs to remove the stems. Cut an X shape into each fig, as if you are cutting it into quarters, but do not cut all the way through. Using a small spoon, fill each fig with a generous dollop of ricotta cheese.

Pour some silan into a small bowl, and place sesame seeds onto a small plate. Gently dip the bottom of the figs in the silan, letting the excess drip off. Dip the silan-coated figs into the sesame seeds to coat.

Place the figs on a serving plate and drizzle with tahini sauce. Garnish with chopped halva.

NOTE: if you tahini has separated, stir well with a spoon before using or turn the jar upside down for 30 minutes.

VARIATION: If you cannot find silan (available at Middle Eastern stores), you must use honey instead.

 

Related Recipes:

breakfast quinoa with silan roasted figs
grilled cheese with figs and honey
holiday fig salad

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Spiralized Spud Dogs

Every since I got my spiralizer, my mind is racing with spiralized recipes. I can’t get enough! From fun curly fries, to healthy zoodle (zucchini noodle) dishes, and creative rice recipes, this compact machine is a powerhouse of possibilities!

What don’t I love about the spiralizer? It’s easy to use, requires little muscle and fits easily into my small kitchen. The blades tuck right into the machine for easy storage.

Sure, I have a julienne peeler, and even the vegemagic gadget, but they don’t come close to creating authentic-looking noodles with as much ease as the Paderno spiralizer. I’ve spiralized russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beets, carrots, apples, cucumbers, and zucchini’s (my favorite!).

The great thing about spiralized veggies are the endless possiblities. Sure you can make noodles – but you can also pulse them in a food processor to make veggie “rice”. Or you can mix some noodles with spices and eggs and stuff them into ramekins to make “buns” or “latkes”. I weigh down the mixture with a can to form patties and pan-fry or bake until crispy and tender. I do the same to make a “pizza pie” or “rosti” in a frying pan. Such fun ways with veggies, right? It makes dieting SO much easier!

So enough about spiralizing in general…lets get into specifics! Would you look at these ADORABLE spud dogs??? How cute are they?!

Wrapped in spiralized potatoes, these crispy spud dogs are like french-fry-wrapped franks – two favorite BBQ dishes in one! I was SO excited when I came up with the idea – but I was equally lost by what to call them. So, I did what any blogger would do – I made a #NAMETHISRECIPE contest! My Instagram readers really pulled out all the stops on this one, with creative names like “The Tatered Dog”, Dog-Eat-Chips, “Doggie Fries”, SlinkyDog, “Twisty Frank”, FrankNFries, “Piggy In a Slinky”, “The French Dog”, DogNChips and more! But my all time favorite was “Spud Dog”, a name that both Esther Chase and Perry Wolff came up with. They both won a copy of my ebook and the title of an innovative new way to serve up an American favorite.

I think the best part of this recipe is that it’s not a recipe at all. You can make the potatoes thick or thin, or wrap them up in ribbon slices. Spice them up with your favorite french-fry seasoning, or keep them simple! Roast or pan-fry, fill or top them – any way you go, they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Spiralized Spud Dogs

russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
hot dogs or sausages
olive oil
kosher salt
optional spices: smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne
optional fillings/toppings: sauerkraut, pickle relish, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  spiralizer (I recommend this one)

Method:

For simple spiralized spud dogs, spiralize a potato using the smaller blade (1/8″ cuts). Take 3 long strips of potato and wrap them around the hot dog, starting an inch or two from either end. Continue wrapping the potatoes so that you wrap around the place where you started (see photo). Place the hot dog(s) on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with the ends of the potatoes tucked under (if you have any extra potato strips, just cut them off, or double wrap, if you wish). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 400 degrees, turning every 15-20 minutes, until crispy, about 40 minutes.

For spicy spiralized spud dogs, prepare the hot dogs as above. After brushing with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and a pinch of cayenne. Continue to bake, as above.

For loaded spiralized spud dogs, top the hot dogs with sauerkraut, and wrap with potatoes. Continue as above.

Garnish with toppings of choice.

TIP: if you are not using the spiralized potatoes right away, place them in a bowl of water, to keep them from browning. Pat dry before wrapping.

VARIATION: For super-crispy spud dogs, pan fry them until browned and crispy on all sides.

NOTE: Feel free to play around with the different blades to create a thicker french-fried crust.

 

Other Labor Day BBQ recipes:

grilled marinated chicken
grilled corn with za’atar garlic butter
grilled chickpea burgers
portobello burgers with sundried tomato aioli
best BBQ potato salad

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Cherry Basil Limonana

If you’ve never tried limonana, you’re missing out on an amazing drink! The traditional thirst-quencher is made by mixing lemonade with lots of fresh mint and ice – for a refreshing summer treat.

But you know me – I can never just do classic. OK, maybe I can – but I still love putting my own twist on things. That’s how my strawberry limonana happened.

This year, I decided to try using my new herb obsession – basil! I’m putting it in salads, stuffing it into sandwiches, and now, even drinks! Strawberry-basil is a classic combination, but it works amazing with cherries too!

I love the idea of adding fresh fruit to my lemonade, but if you’re not fond of having bits of cherries in your drink – check out my variation for an infused version instead!

Cherry Basil Limonana

1/2 c lemon juice
1/4 c maple syrup
15 basil leaves
1 heaping cup pitted fresh cherries (about 20)
1 c water
2-3 cups ice

Method:

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until slushy.

VARIATION: If you don’t like having the pieces of cherries in this smoothie/slush hybrid, you can boil the cherries  with maple syrup and water until the cherries are soft. Puree the mixture in the blender with basil leaves and pour through a strainer. Blend the cherry-basil infused syrup with the lemon juice and ice.

 

Other Summer Drinks:

strawberry limonana
watermelon limeade
tropical fruit smoothie

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Bushkill Falls + a Week of Crockpot Dinners

While many people in my community go upstate for the summer, I usually spend my summers in the city. I relish the quiet streets, Sunday farmer’s markets and the plethora of parking spaces that are suddenly available around the hood. I’ve done the country thing once or twice, and maybe I’ll do it again – but for now, I’m more than happy to spend time enjoying my neighborhood – especially with a mild summer like this.

To break up the summer, we usually take a few trips to some of our favorite places, like Hershey Park, Governor’s Island, and Kelder’s Farm.  This year, we headed up to the Poconos to load up on the sweet smell of grass – something we don’t get to experience much living in Brooklyn.

We stayed at The Villas at Tree Tops, an oasis of beautiful trees and greenery as far as the eye can see. The vacation village is packed with every imaginable activity – from ziplining to tubing and bumper boats, mini (and regular) golfing to horseback riding, as well as several indoor and outdoor pools and an activity center.

Just minutes away from The Villas, is Bushkill Falls, the Niagra of Pennsylvania. We’d never gone hiking with our kids before, so we were excited to take a walk high in the uplands of the Pocono Mountains, surrounded by streams of crystal waters and primeval rock.

We hiked along the “yellow” path, a popular route that takes 45 minutes roundtrip. There were lots of steps, but my kids trudged along like real troopers, basking in the beautiful greenery surrounding them.

The yellow path gave us severeal views of the waterfalls including the Main Falls, as well as Lower Gorge Falls, Laurel Glen and Upper Canyon.

After hiking, we ate lunch along the beautiful lake, and moved on to the playground. We visited the gift shops, checked out the mini golf course, and went paddle boating. We attempted to do the Mining Maze but the kids were spent!

With so many activities, Bushkill Falls can easily be a whole day trip – just be sure to pack along lunch and lots of water. If you don’t keep kosher, there are plenty of food options there, so come hungry!

For those who do keep kosher, Bushkills Falls and it’s neighboring area, do not have any kosher restaurants. The local supermarkets, like PriceChopper, have lots of kosher options, including a gluten free section with some great snacks. However, if you plan on staying for a day or two, you need to plan for breakfast, lunch and dinners.

Although The Villas included a nonkosher kitchen, which I could have koshered, I preferred to bring along my crockpot so I could spend the day outside, not having to worry about making dinner later on. Each evening, we entered our villa to the delicious smell of a hot supper, simmering away in the crockpot. My kids gobbled up their hot meals, and my husband decided it’s time for a slow cooker ebook!

Yes, my crockpot dinners, were THAT good, and I’m including them all here for you to enjoy! There’s just a short time left to relish the joy of summer, so go ahead and put up a slow cooked meal, and spend the day basking in the sunshine!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup matza meal
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 jar marinara sauce
1 can cranberry sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits

Method:

In a bowl, combine the ground beef, matza meal, eggs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the marinara, cranberry sauce and pineapple to the crockpot and stir to combine. Form balls with the meat and add to the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with rice or pasta. 

Chicken Paprikash

4-6 chicken bottoms, skin on
1 onion, peeled and sliced into rings
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into thick slices
4 russet potatoes, cut into thick slices
paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for drizzling

Method:

Place the sliced onions on the bottom of the crockpot and top with sliced potatoes and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with spices and top with chicken, skin-side-down. Sprinkle the chicken with spices and drizzle with olive oil. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Easy BBQ Pulled Beef

1 2-3 lb. roast (I used chuck, almost any cut will work – preferably a fattier one)
1 jar of bone suckin’ sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce
1 onion, sliced into half rings

Method:

Place sliced onions on the bottom of the crockpot. Top with roast and pour sauce over it. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart into shreds and mix into the sauce. Serve in a bun, or over rice or mashed potatoes.

Other slow cooker recipes:

crockpot mushroom barley stoup
blogoversary BBQ brisket

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Spinach White Bean Minestrone with Zoodles

If you bother to read my silly little musings on my blog, you probably notice that I mostly talk about food. I don’t get into the nitty gritty of my family life because I figure if you’re here for the food, that’s probably what you want to read about. Of course there are bloggers that spill the beans like an open book, but I view my family life as sacred and it’s something I mostly like to keep to myself. I’m sure you can all appreciate that.


Ah, who am I kidding? The truth is, I like to keep up the facade that my life is all about eating fabulous food and taking cool pictures, when in fact, I’m really balancing my baby on one hip while trying to find my spatula in a sink full of dirty dishes and trying to fit my tripod somewhere between a mountain of toys in the playroom (where my “studio” is).

That’s really what a photoshoot is all about anyway – setting the scene. You’d never imagine this beautiful bowl of soup was sitting on a tray next to a white board held up by a gigantic firetruck, opposite shelves of board games with missing pieces and legos scattered by my feet. THIS my friends, is the real Busy In Brooklyn :)

Now back to our regular programming – the food! This chock-full-of-flavor soup is a lightened up version of my original minestrone, which includes pasta and potatoes. In this white bean version (the original used chickpeas), I used my spiralizer to create “zoodles” (zucchini noodles) to take the place of the pasta, and I omitted the potatoes and celery. I also made things easier with frozen spinach, instead of fresh, for a satisfying meal-in-a-bowl that’s not as heavy as the original. If you’re a fan of my minestrone (and lots of you are!), then go ahead and try this one and let me know how it measures up!

Spinach White Bean Minestrone with Zoodles

1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced
2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 cups frozen chopped spinach
1 large zucchini, spiralized or julienned

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent and add garlic. Saute until softened and fragrant. Add carrots and continue to saute. Add tomato paste and stir into the vegetables, continuing to saute until the vegetables are well coated. Add beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, stock and salt and pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the frozen spinach and simmer for 30 minutes-1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Before serving, add the zoodles to the pot, cover and simmer until just tender, 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

NOTE: If you wish to adjust the consistency of the soup, you may add 1-2 cups water or more stock.


Related Recipes:

minestrone soup
tuscan white bean with spinach
spinach matzo ball minestrone soup

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