Category: Side Dish

BIB Fast Food: Roasted Brussel Sprouts

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably realized that somewhere along the way I went from posting 2-3 times a week, to just once a week. I love blogging, I really do, but there is a lot of time and effort that goes into each and every post and quite simply – I just don’t have the time. Recently though, I’ve become a lot more active on the BIB facebook page. Thanks to my new iphone, I now have a decent camera on my phone so I’ve been snapping away and posting pics of the food I’m making (or just eating!). The fans showed such an interest in the recipes that I decided to start posting some quick and easy recipes with a simple iphone picture and call it BIB Fast Food. While you won’t have the benefit of step by step photography, I will try to post easy recipes that don’t require it (hence the fast food concept!). I hope you all enjoy this new feature. So without further ado, lets get started!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

brussel sprouts
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the brussel sprouts with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands (I wear gloves), mix the sprouts so that everything is coated evenly with oil. Pour onto a baking sheet and bake for approximately 25-35 minutes, mixing a few times in between. Sprouts are done when they are crispy and browned around the edges.

1 year ago: vegetable calzones

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Roasted Beet Salsa

I’m back with another great farmer’s market recipe! This one involves a vegetable that has become a staple in my house ever since I married my husband. I didn’t grow up eating beets. The only time my mom would serve them was on Pesach, in her “vinaigrette salad” (a combination of beets, potatoes, carrots and onions). On the other hand, beets were a staple on my husband’s Shabbos table each and every week. My mother in law serves them up cubed, shredded or sliced and it’s always gobbled up to the very last drop. I have adopted my husband’s love for beets and my kids are growing to love them too!

When I first started making beets, I would boil them like my mother does. But then I learned that the best way to really bring out their flavor is to roast them. My favorite part is that I don’t have to use any pots! I wrap each beet in foil and roast them at 400 degrees until my whole house smells like the sweet purple vegetable.

I serve beets in many different ways, but we always fall back on the most simple preparation – diced with some oil, lemon juice and salt. I also like to slice them into circles and lay them out as a bed for salmon. Sometimes, I alternate the slices with yellow (golden) beets and place them on a bed of arugula sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and orange segments.

I hope this post has inspired you not to leave beets just for Pesach cooking. They are a flavorful and healthy root vegetable that can be eaten raw, boiled or roasted and prepared in a variety of ways. You can even eat the greens that grow from the beets (although some stores remove them). Try them sauteed in olive oil with some fresh garlic!

Other beet recipes on BIB:

Israeli couscous with thyme & honey roasted carrots, parsnips and beets
Roasted beet & orange salad

 

Roasted Beet Salsa

2 medium beets
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Wrap the beets in foil and roast at 400 degrees until fork tender. Let cool and using gloves, gently pull the skin off the beets. Cut the beets into a small dice and add to a bowl. Add onions, jalapeno, parsley, olive oil, honey, lime and salt. Serve over fish.

1 year ago: gefilte fish patties in tomato sauce

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Snap Pea, Corn & Red Currant Salad


Sometimes, you don’t have to think up a recipe, it just writes itself. When I came home from Kelder’s Farm with these delicious farm fresh ingredients, I knew I had to eat them exactly how I picked them – raw. No red currant jelly or snap pea stir fry. Just a simple recipe to bring out the freshness of the ingredients.


With no cooking involved, this salad comes together in no time. Because the produce is farm fresh and in season, it’s naturally sweet, so you don’t need much to bring out the flavors. I seasoned it simply with oil, lemon, salt and pepper and the results were light and refreshing. The tart currants are the perfect balance to the sweet corn and the raw peas add a brightness to the salad. With it’s beautiful colors and crispy sweet taste, this salad makes the perfect addition to any summer meal!

Snap Pea, Corn & Red Currant Salad

16 oz. sugar snap peas
1 cup fresh corn
1/2 cup red currants*
1 small red onion, diced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Trim the ends of the snap peas and cut them on the diagonal. Add the snap peas, corn, currants, and onion to a bowl. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Variation: If you don’t have red currants available, you may substitute with raspberries or pomegranate seeds.

1 year ago: sushi salad II

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Shlishkes (Gnocchi with Toasted Breadcrumbs)

Being of ashkenazi descent, I grew up eating many traditional Hungarian dishes like kraut-pletzlach (noodles and cabbage), holopches (stuffed cabbage), as well as shlishkes (potato dumplings rolled in toasted breadcrumbs). My mother would make shlishkes on occasion, but I hadn’t eaten it in many years. We were reminiscing about it the other day, so I decided to give it a try. The idea of making a pasta-like dough seemed intimidating, but it was actually quite easy. Rolled in toasted breadcrumbs, these soft potato dumplings are sure to please any palate, ashkenazi and sephardi alike! You can also use this recipe to make gnocchi, and mix it with your sauce of choice (marinara or pesto are good options).

When I looked up my family recipe for shlishkes (which I’ve lightly adapted), I found something interesting. After the instructions for preparing the dough, it said, “take challah.” I would never have imagined that I would need to set aside gnocchi dough for hafrashas challah! After doing some research, it seems as though one would not need to “take challah” for dough that uses only 1 1/2 cups of flour (the original recipe used more). If you’re interested, you can read more about it here.

Shlishkes

4 medium russet potatoes
1 egg
1-2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c flour
6 tbsp butter or 1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup plain bread crumbs

Method:

Scrub potatoes to remove dirt and boil until fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool to the touch, peel them. Mash the potatoes very well*, or if you have one, push them through a potato ricer or fine mesh sieve. While the potatoes are still warm, place them into a mixing bowl and add egg, salt and flour. Mix the ingredients and knead with your hands until a soft dough is formed. Add additional flour if necessary. On a floured surface, and with floured hands, roll out a handful of dough into a long strip. Cut the strip into 3/4″ pieces. If desired, roll the dough over (or under) a fork to create ridges. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, drop pieces into the water and let them simmer until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. In a separate pan, melt margarine or heat up oil. Add bread crumbs and stir until browned and toasted. Add gnocchi and toss until coated.

* If you don’t mash the potatoes really well, you’ll be left with large lumps of potatoes in your dough.

1 year ago: salad nicoise and other shalos seudos ideas

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Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

OK. I admit it. I made pancakes yesterday. That’s right. After 3 days of chowing down on cheesecake, lasagna, and so many other calorie-laden delicacies, I still went ahead and make breakfast pancakes. And now the guilt is setting in.  I haven’t even stepped on the scale but I can only imagine the damage. I think it’s about time for a detox, don’t you?

When I come up with a new recipe, a lot of my inspiration comes from what’s in my fridge. In this case, I had some leftover leeks from this leek soup, plus some spinach and mushrooms. The spaghetti squash had been sitting around for a while so I decided to give it a go. This recipe is extremely light and diet-friendly, yet tasty and satisfying. Try it with a side of baked salmon or grilled chicken for a complete and healthy meal!

 

Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

2 small or 1 large spaghetti squash
1 large leek
3 cloves garlic
1 container mushrooms
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/8 cup dry white wine, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for sauteeing

Method:

Prepare spaghetti squash according to these directions. In the meantime, slice the leek in half vertically and wash well to remove dirt. Dry on paper towels and and cut crosswise into thin slices. Saute the garlic and leek in olive oil for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are soft and lightly browned. Add spinach (don’t worry if it won’t fit in the pan, it will wilt down into nothing in seconds) and pour in chicken stock. Stir the spinach until wilted and add wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add spaghetti squash and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Saute for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

1 year ago: savory & sweet cheese balls

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