Kitchen Sink Chicken Caesar Salad

I can eat chicken Caesar salad every day of the summer, and I always make it a little different, depending on what’s in my fridge. No chicken? leftover meat or burgers will do! No lettuce? iceberg can work! The rest is up to the produce bin – shaved raw corn (fave!), snap peas, cabbage, kohlrabi, all the crunch and lets not forget the croutons! I used roasted chickpeas here cuz YUMMMM but whatever’s in the pantry is up for grabs – bottom-of-the-bag pretzels, crackers, chips – all fair game! So open your fridge and make it your own!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Kitchen Sink Chicken Caesar Salad

1 head romaine, chopped
Quarter head red cabbage, thinly sliced
Handful of baby cucumbers, halved
Handful of raw sugar snap peas, thinly sliced
Handful of radishes, thinly sliced
2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup roasted chickpeas

Dressing:
3/4 cup Mayo
2 tbsp Dijon
1 scallion, chopped
1 heaping tbsp capers, chopped
Handful of dill, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp rice vinegar

Mix and combine!

Related Recipes:

Grilled Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Honey Mustard Dressing

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Roasted Baby Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Welcome summer! After a crazy busy winter that flew by faster than I ever thought possible, it’s corn season – my favorite! There’s nothing quite like crispy corn on the cob, and I love it in all forms – raw, roasted, grilled, steamed, and even made into ice cream and pudding. Baby corn though? It doesn’t get much love.

But when I saw my friend Melinda roast it in the oven with some garlic salt, my imagination went wild! So I picked up a couple of bags at Trader Joes, and I made this lipsmacking dish that is inspired by Elote, or Mexican Street Corn. Traditionally, elote is grilled, rolled in a sour cream and mayo mixture that’s seasoned with chili powder, lime and cilantro, and then rolled in cotija cheese (similar to feta). Here, I roasted the baby corn with tajin chili lime seasoning, and made a light Greek yogurt sauce with cilantro, jalapeno, garlic and lime. I finished it with crumbled feta and cilantro and OMG it’s my new favorite dish!!

For the corn:

2 6oz. pkg fresh baby corn
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp tajin seasoning or chili lime spice
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta
fresh cilantro, for garnish

For the crema
2 5.3oz containers Greek yogurt
juice and zest of 1/2 lime
1 cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the baby corn on a parchment lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil, tajin and salt. Roast for 25 minutes or until slightly charred.

While the corn is roasting, combine the crema ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Spread the crema on a platter and top with roasted corn, Finish with crumbled feta and cilantro.

Related Recipes:

grilled corn with za’atar garlic butter
watermelon corn salsa

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Liliane’s Dafina

Ever since I had dafina at the home of Moshe and Titi Haliwa in Marrakesh a few months ago, I’ve been dreaming about it. Unlike bean-heavy Ashkenazi cholent, dafina is a Morrocan stew that’s loaded with meat, bones, chickpeas, rice, wheat berries, potatoes and eggs! I love that the components are cooked separately in little packets and that there’s something for everyone in this loaded overnight stew.

A little while ago, I attempted to make dafina but it was an absolute fail! It was tasteless and watery, and the delicious kishke stuffing that Titi had made with ground beef, bread crumbs and ground almonds came out like dry cardboard. I rarely fail so badly at recipes, but I knew I needed a real Moroccan grandma to teach me the ropes! Luckily, Brigitte Dayan, a longtime follower, invited me to join her mom and sisters one Friday afternoon to learn to make dafina together! They put out an amazing spread of some of Liliane’s homemade Moroccan pastries, and we got to work making dafina and boulettes – the most delicious Moroccan meatballs (recipe coming soon)

Of course Moroccan grandmothers never measure, so I was so grateful that Liliane took the time to roughly measure the ingredients with me. It was so clear to me how much love she puts into her dishes, and she even got all dolled up to cook together! Liliane told me all about her life growing up in Morocco, and how she once hosted the prince for a Shabbos meal! She shared how everyone in town would bring their dafina pot on Friday’s to be cooked in one central area, and then they would pick them up on Shabbat afternoon, or have a local muslim deliver it. Sometimes you would get the wrong pot (her mom put a special sign on the handle)! Liliane’s recipe is very savory, while the one Titi had made was more on the sweet side (she adds dried dates) but feel free to play around and make it your own!

Does your family have a secret dafina ingredient? Share it in the comments below!

Liliane Dayan’s Dafina
(measurements are approximate, Moroccan grandmas don’t measure!)
Feeds about 15 people

Chickpea layer:
8oz. dried chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp shawarma spice (Liliane added this when she came to America, they didn’t have this in Morocco)
1/2 tsp kebab spice (Liliane added this when she came to America, they didn’t have this in Morocco)
2 tsp consommé mix
1/3 cup canola oil
2 discs beef feet (Liliane’s secret ingredient!)
1 piece neck bone
1 piece flanken bone

Rice:
2 cups jasmine rice
5oz Carolina yellow rice (Liliane added this when she came to America, they didn’t have this in Morocco)
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp consommé mix
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup water (rinse the yellow rice bag with the water to extract the flavor)

Wheat Berries:
8oz whole wheat berries
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp consommé mix
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kebab spice (Liliane added this when she came to America, they didn’t have this in Morocco)
1 1/2 tsp shawarma spice (Liliane added this when she came to America, they didn’t have this in Morocco)
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
13/4 tbsp chopped garlic

Potato Layer:
peeled Yukon gold potatoes (3 mini or 1 large per person – Liliane says there were only large ones in Morocco because “everything is big in Morocco!”)
1 peeled sweet potato
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp canola oil
1 egg per person

Meat layer: (can also add lamb neck or stew)
1 lb veal breast or kolichol
2 lbs cholent meat
1.5 lbs. neck bones
1 lb. flanken bones
Add salt, pepper, kebab spice, turmeric, paprika, cumin, consommé mix (at this point everyone was too tired to measure so just go with the flow!)
1/2 cup canola oil

Method:

In an 11qt oven-safe pot, star with the chickpea layer: combine the chickpeas, spices and oil. Top with the meat. (I remember Titi had dried dates mixed into her chickpeas so add that if you’d like!)

Mix the rice ingredients in a bowl, and then transfer to a sheet of heavy duty foil, folding it up into a flat rectangular packet. (Liliane prefers foil because she says cheesecloth makes the texture more mushy. I would try it with parchment paper as well). Repeat this process with the wheat berries, and place the 2 foil packets, side by side in the pot above the chickpea layer. Cut 5 slits in the foil to allow steam to escape.

Top the packets with the potatoes, spices and oil and then top with a layer of eggs.

Finish the dafina with a layer of meat and spices.

Add a bit of water to the bowls that you used to mix your rice and wheat berries, and pour the leftover drippings over the dafina. Then boil a large kettle of water and pour the boiling water over the pot until it’s almost full. Cover the pot with heavy duty foil, leaving it slightly opened for steam to escape, and bring the dafina to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 hours.

Before Shabbat, transfer the dafina to a 250 degree oven , adding more water if needed to just cover the meat.

To serve, Place the meats in one bowl, the chickpeas in another, separate the rice and wheat berries into small bowls, and serve the potatoes and eggs together. Top everything with plenty of sauce from the pot.

PS this is the longest recipe I’ve ever written!

Thank you so much to the Dayan family for welcoming me in your home to cook dafina together! I had a blast!

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Kosher Tamales


When my friends decided to throw a dumpling party recently, I decided to finally attempt making kosher tamales. I know it’s not a dumping, per se, but it is a stuffed dough of sorts – so while everyone was bringing dumplings from around the world (think perogies, ravioli and mochi!), I went Mexican, and I did NOT regret it!

First things first, I tackle the Barbacoa beef, which was fairly simple, especially in the instant pot.

Then, for the tamale dough, I incorporated refined coconut oil instead of the traditional non-kosher lard, which resulted in a beautifully soft and supple masa dough!

I could not wait to bring my dumplings to the party, and I held my breath as each person unwrapped their corn husks to reveal a delicious package! The tamales were loved by all and I’m so happy to share the recipe for those who want to tackle this project!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Kosher Tamales!

20 corn husks, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
3 cups masa harina (I use Meseca brand)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cumin
½ cup + 1 tbsp refined coconut oil 
3 cups beef broth
2 cups filling of choice (I used this Barbacoa beef)

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk the masa harina, baking powder and cumin. Add the coconut oil and beef broth and mix with your hands until a supple dough forms and all the coconut oil is fully incorporated. (The dough shouldn’t stick to your hands).

Dry the husks off with a paper towel to remove excess water. Lay one flat on your counter with the wider end is closer to you.

Scoop 1/4 cup of dough onto the middle of the husk. Spread the dough towards the wide end into a thin (¼-inch thick) layer using a spatula. Top with 2 tbsp of filling (I used Barbacoa beef).

Place a steaming rack or basket into your instant pot. Fill with 1 cup water. Place the tamales on top of the basket and cover it with a layer of extra corn husks. Lean the tamales around the pot in an upright position. Set the instant pot to high pressure for 30 minutes. Release and enjoy with salsa or extra sauce from the braised beef.

Related Recipes:

Roasted Baby Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Mexishuka (Mexican Quinoa Shakshuka)
Mexican Hot Chocolate Pecan Pie
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

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Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

This week, my foodie friends and I decided to throw a dumpling party, where each attendee contributed another dumpling from around the world! You can watch a roundup here! I decided to go with tamales since I’ve always wanted to learn to make them the authentic way. First, I researched barbacoa recipes for the tamale filling (which you can also fill with beans, pulled chicken, cheese or veggies).

Barbacoa is actually the Spanish word for barbecue. It generally refers to meats over an open fire, but in Mexico, barbacoa evolved into a specific cooking style in which meat is slowly cooked in a pit dug into the ground, which is covered with agave leaves. Cooking the meat sealed in a pit steams the meat by sealing in the moisture while also imparting it with smoky flavor. Home cooks adapted barbacoa to the kitchen and converted it into braised beef, which works well in the Instant Pot or crockpot.

Barbacoa is typically made out of tougher cuts of meat, goat or lamb that require long, slow cooking times. Chuck roast, brisket and beef cheeks are common, but I used deckel because it’s a budget friendly with good marbeling. While tough, the meat breaks down into tender pulled beef in the Instant Pot.

The tamales were a huge hit at the party (full recipe coming soon), and I used my leftover meat to make pulled beef tacos for dinner the next night. I love that this recipe is spicy, savory and full of flavor, different from the sweet pulled beef I’m used to eating. Give it a try!

 

Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

Chipotle Sauce:
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can)
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Beef:
3 lb. beef chuck, deckel, 2nd cut brisket or other fatty braising cut
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced into half moons
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
4 oz canned diced green chilies
3 bay leaves

Method:

In a food processor, blend the chipotle sauce ingredients and set aside. Heat the instant pot to the sauté setting. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add the olive oil to the pot. Sear the meat until browned (you can cut it in half if it doesn’t fit into the pot), remove from the pot and set aside. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and continue stirring until it darkens in color. Pour in the beef stock and scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the green chilies, bay leaves and chipotle paste and stir until incorporated. Return the meat to the pot and set it on high pressure for one hour.

Release the pressure and pull the beef apart. Serve in tamales, tacos, over rice or in pulled beef sandwiches.

VARIATION: If you don’t have an instant pot, sear the beef in a pot and continue as above. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours, or prepare the recipe in a Dutch oven and braise at  325 degrees for 4 hours or until fork tender.


Related Recipes:

kosher tamales
Blogoversary BBQ Brisket
easiest crockpot pulled beef
skirt steak tacos

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