Category: Side Dish

Pickled Deviled Eggs


With Valentines Day here, it seems like all my foodie feeds are covered in hearts and pink desserts of all kinds. But what about us non-bakers? Isn’t there anything pretty and pink for us to make? Well it just so happens, there is. Beets are a great way to turn savory foods into pink or purple edible eye-candy that’s perfect for parties of any kind. Think pink pasta, purple pancakes or these gorgeous ombre deviled eggs!

So if you really want to up the ante at your next party or cozy Valentines dinner, do away with traditional (ie: boring) deviled eggs, and give these gorgeous little pickled ones a try. The pink ombre ring comes from brining the eggs in beet juice – a simple task with a huge wow factor. Ombre isn’t just for 7 layer dye-filled cakes anymore!


With Purim just around the corner, I love to plan my menu around interesting unexpected dishes to maximize on the Purim spirit. Last year, I made these salami chips. This year, these pickled deviled eggs will be making an entrance. Of course I also do a twist on traditional hamantaschen like these puff pastry ones, last year’s sushi onigiri, and this years…well, you’ll just have to wait on that one…the surprise is coming up next week!

1 24 oz. jar borscht or beet juice
1/2-1 cup apple cider vinegar*
7 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled (how to hard boil eggs)
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 heaping tablespoon yellow mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
scallions or chives, for garnish

Directions

In a container big enough to hold the eggs, add the borscht and vinegar. Add eggs, making sure that they are completely covered in the pickling juice. Add more borscht or water, if needed. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours, or up to 2 days. Remove the eggs from the liquid and cut in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolks and place them in a bowl. Set the whites aside on a serving platter. Mash the yolks well with a fork and add mayonnaise, mustard, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon the yolk filling into a ziploc bag, cut off the tip and pipe the filing into the egg whites. (You may also use a pastry bag with a star tip). Garnish with chives.

*You can control the strength of the pickled flavor by using more or less vinegar. 1/2 cup will give you a subtle pickled taste. Continue to increase up to 1 cup for a stronger pickled flavor.

1 year ago: stuffed roasted butternut squash
2 years ago: quick & easy chocolate rugelach

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Smoked Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower


If you read my review of the fabulous restaurant Pardes, you may have noticed that my meal started off unconventionally, with a giant cup of smoked paprika popcorn. That stuff was so incredible that I went back for more. And more. And then I pulled my popcorn machine out from the basement and I even made my own. And finally, I realized that if I don’t stop with my smoked paprika popcorn addiction, I will need to check myself into a 12-step program for popcorn addicts.

I realized that what I really loved most about the popcorn, wasn’t the popcorn at all. It was the amazing smokiness of the paprika. I’m a huge fan of smoked paprika in general. I put it in my cholent, sprinkle it generously over my roasted chickpeas, and slather it all over my roasted chicken. So, I decided to come up with a healthier, less carby version of my favorite Pardes treat, using cauliflower to mimic the popcorn. And that’s how this delicious healthy version of smokey “popcorn” cauliflower came about. Don’t be shy with the paprika, douse it on heavily for optimum smokey flavor!  This stuff is great for snacking or served alongside a piece of grilled chicken or steak!

Smoked Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower

2 small heads cauliflower, cut into florets (or one large)
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, add oil, paprika and salt and whisk to combine. Add the cauliflower and stir until the florets are well coated. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet (or 2 sheets, if needed) and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the florets begin to brown around the edges.

1 year ago: my ultimate guilt-free breakfast
2 years ago: london broil with red wine reduction sauce

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Dried Fruit Brie Bites

I was so excited when the Kosher Connection team challenged us to come up with mini foods for the month of January. With the holiday of Tu B’shvat* coming up, I had the perfect thing in mind – these rich and decadent melt-in-your-mouth little brie bites.

Brie en-croute, or puff-pastry wrapped brie is a classic appetizer which includes a wheel of brie topped with jam (onion and fig jam are popular) and wrapped in puff pastry. It’s usually served on a large platter with crackers, fruit and occasionally nuts. I decided to reinvent the classic appetizer in mini, using an assortment of dried fruits in the spirit of Tu B’shvat.

*Tu B’Shevat, the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar, is the day that marks the beginning of a “New Year” for trees. We mark the day by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.

What’s so great about these puff pastry brie bites is that you can customize them to your liking. Use your favorite combination of dried fruit and jam’s or choose from one of these ideas:

Dried apricots + apricot jam
Medjool dates + silan
Dried figs + fig jam
Dried apples + apple butter
Craisins + cranberry sauce
Dried mango + mango chutney
Sundried tomatoes + tomato jam

You can also try some of my other Tu B’shvat dried fruit recipes:

Tu B’shvat truffles (sugarplums)
Mustard Roasted dried fruits

For more exciting mini food recipes, check out the Kosher Connection link-up below!

Dried Fruit Brie Bites

1 wheel brie, cut into 8 wedges
8 puff pastry squares*
dried fruit of choice
complementary jam of choice
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, beaten

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tray with nonstick spray. Working one at a time, place puff pastry squares into the tin letting the corners hang over the sides. Place a piece of dried fruit at the bottom, add a wedge of brie and top with a spoonful of jam. Fold the corners of the puff pastry over and twist them at the top. Brush the puff pastry with egg wash and bake until golden, approximately 20-25 minutes.

*If you cannot find puff pastry squares, simply roll our a sheet of puff pastry and cut into 4″ x 4″ squares.


Other brie recipes: brie marsala pizza

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Easy Pineapple Fried Rice

Have you heard about the custom for Jewish people to eat Chinese food on Christmas? It all started back in the day when there weren’t so many kosher restaurants to eat at, and the only places open on Xmas were Chinese joints. And the only people frequenting their restaurants were the Jews, since they do not celebrate the gentile holiday. To clarify things: it is not, in fact, a Jewish custom to eat Chinese food on Christmas, but some people enjoy doing so just for kicks. This year, my family decided to follow suit, and we ordered takeout from our favorite Chinese spot, EstiHana.

Have you seen this picture that’s been circulating around the web?  Cute, isn’t it?

You know what the best part about ordering Chinese food? All that fresh hot rice they send you, which turns into day-old rice the next day. Leftover rice is the perfect starter for dishes like pineapple fried rice. And contrary to popular belief, most fried rice dishes are not fried at all (we are dispelling lots of myths here today!).  So the next time you have leftover rice, think twice before throwing it away.

Other ways to use up leftover rice:

Rice pudding or breakfast cereal (use in place of oatmeal)
Tomato rice soup like this one
Stuffed peppers
Rice stuffing for chicken
Cheesy Mexican rice
Arancini
Chicken and rice soup

Do you have any good ideas for using up leftover rice? Share them in the comments below!

Easy Pineapple Fried Rice

1 tsp sesame oil
1 cup pineapple, finely diced
12 oz cooked rice (or 1 Chinese takeout container)
2 tbsp eel sauce*
2 tsp soy sauce
3 scallions, chopped

Method:

Heat up a skillet and add sesame oil. Toss in pineapple and saute until it begins to caramelize and brown. Add cooked rice, breaking it up with a spatula. If the rice begins to stick, add a little bit of water. Add eel and soy sauce and stir to combine. When rice is heated through, add chopped scallions and serve.

VARIATION: You can add additional chopped vegetables like peppers (red peppers would be great in this), onions, or carrots. Saute them first and when beginning to soften, add the pineapple. Continue as above.

NOTE: Imitation kosher eel sauce is now widely available in supermarkets (I use the Sweet City brand). If you cannot find it, ask for some “sweet sauce” from your local sushi counter.


1 year ago: black grape and plum compote
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Spicy Roasted Edamame

I am so excited about this post. And not because of the recipe (even though it is incredibly delicious!). It’s because I finally cracked the code to the mystery of food photography. OK it’s not exactly a mystery, but it was to me. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you  may have noticed how my photography has been slowly evolving. First, I ordered this book. And then this ebook. Then I took a photography class. And then I listened intently to the talented food photographer Noah Fecks at the Kosher Food Blogger Conference. And finally, finally, I pulled out my tripod from the basement. As if 2 books and a class in photography didn’t stress it enough! I was just too lazy to set up a whole mini “studio” to photograph my dishes. But slowly I’ve been pulling out little things here and there (like my son’s old portacrib mattress that serves as my lightboard!) to form my little space in the corner of my kids playroom. Here’s a peak at my “studio”!

So, now for the food! I absolutely love those spicy wasabi roasted peas that they sell with the nuts in all the drug stores. You know what I’m talking about right? Well I wanted to recreate them at home, so I started playing around with some recipes. And here’s what I learned: wasabi loses it’s potency when heated. That’s right. Once you put wasabi-anything in the oven, it loses it’s flavor and it’s like you added nothing! So, to get that spicy kick, I added Asian hot sauce (sriracha) and sprinkled on wasabi powder once the edamame were browned and toasty. The resulting healthy snack is incredibly addicting. I like the medium spice level but you can adjust the sriracha to make it more or less hot. Roasted edamame beans are best eaten fresh, straight out of the oven!

For more Chinese recipes, check out the kosher connection link-up below!

Spicy Roasted Edamame

1 bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 tbsp wasabi powder, for sprinkling

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the edamame, oil, soy sauce and sriracha. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Remove roasted wasabi beans from the oven and sprinkle with wasabi powder. Eat immediately.

1 year ago: crunchy shriveled green beans
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