Pesach Cake Delight!!!

Unfortunately I can not take credit for the following cake recipe (nor can I take credit for pretty much any baking I do), it is from Vegetarian Times & it.. is.. heavenly. It was not written as a "Passover" recipe (sadly no mention of Passover in the April issue like many of my other foodie magazines), but it totally should have. Rather, it's a traditional gluten-free (shout out to D my love!) flourless chocolate cake, and the good thing, especially for Pesach is that this cake will not weigh you down like the traditional potato starch cakes/brownies (& I can imagine the matzah meal cakes will do the same!)... Obviously I'm not saying to sit down with a whole cake but hey, whatever.. The coulis (fancy name for sauce) is a perfect complement..

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Coulis
-8.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips
-3/4 cup margarine (1.5 sticks), or half margarine half unsweetened applesauce
-4 large eggs, separated, and divided
-2 egg whites
-1/2 cup sugar

-Melt chocolate in a glass bowl over a double boiler with the margarine (or melt the chocolate in the microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring in between- this method usually can overmelt the chocolate until it seizes up though so I'd recommend double boiler which is just a small saucepan with a few inches of water simmering, place the glass bowl on top and make sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Keep stirring)
-Whisk egg yolks, then stir into the chocolate
-Beat all 6 egg whites with a mixer on high 1-2 min, until foamy. Add sugar, beat 4 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture until combined. Pour into a greased pan and bake 40 minutes.
-To make the strawberry coulis: combine 1.5 cups sliced fresh strawberries, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice in a bowl of food processor. Add 2 tbsp. water and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Drizzle on top of cooled cake.

(yes this is a picture from the magazine)

This cake I'm sure will be a welcome addition to your Pesach or "anytime" recipes!

Have a happy & a healthy Pesach! Eat cake!

E

Polenta & Vegetable Cheese Bake

Since the last few polenta recipes (check them out here & here), people have been asking me what polenta is... well here is another recipe utilizing my favorite non-pasta friend.

Here is a short background on WHAT polenta is. Originally Italian, polenta is basically cornmeal, traditionally made into a grits-like dish with water or stock (read: gloppy maize mess). Despite its baby food texture, it does have the versatility and "blank canvas" quality that rice & couscous have. Now for the good part, the polenta gods have brought us the more updated, modern, and more pleasurable version of polenta which is packed into a log/tube form (I get it at Trader Joes for $1.99-bargain! But I've seen it also at Aron's next to the meat). See picture:

I've used it to make mini pizza rounds (note: gluten free!), topping them with a bit of sauce, a spinach leaf, and cheese; they are perfect grilled atop a salad or sauteed with greens and mushrooms (my previous recipes, linked above). I've also grilled polenta rounds and served them aside steak! Totally works...

My recipe today using polenta is an alternative option to a heavy baked ziti. It's packed with sauteed vegetables, marinara sauce, cheese, & of course- polenta. You won't miss the pasta... I can guarantee it.

Polenta & Vegetable Cheese Bake
-1 tube polenta
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 zucchini, chopped
-1/2-1 cup finely chopped eggplant
-A handful of loosely packed fresh spinach
-Marinara sauce
-Shredded mozzarella cheese
-Chopped parsley
-3 tbsp. Panko breadcrumbs


-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Heat some olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, a pinch of salt & pepper, and let saute a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
-Add the zucchini & eggplant, and saute for a few minutes more.
-In the meantime, cut the polenta into 12 thin slices. Sometimes I use 2 tubes, but 1 is enough for 2-4 people, it just might not be even layering, but who cares.
-Spray a baking dish with Pam, and spread the bottom with some marinara & then layer the polenta (you don't have to fill the whole thing, just make sure they're spread out)
-Top with some more marinara sauce (I don't use very much as not to drown it in sauce), and then a layer of the fresh spinach, then top with the sauteed vegis (you don't have to cook the spinach first because the hot vegetables + cooking will do the trick)
-Sprinkle just a bit of cheese to hold it together, then layer the rest of the polenta. Top with more shredded cheese (I use Natural & Kosher Mexican or Chefs blend), & then sprinkle the panko & parsley on top.
-Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown & bubbly!

Now you have enough polenta recipes to fill your repertoire, so go try!

E

Tofu 2 Ways

So, this post is a long time coming. I probably make tofu once a week or every other week, & it's one of our favorite dinners (if I may speak for both me and Avi). Tofu has a bad rep among people who have never had it, or have never had it made well/right! So don't be a hater & if you don't like tofu kindly leave your opinions to yourself ... & those of you know who I'm talking about!  ;-) I owe these recipes to a bunchhh of people, so here it is.

The main thing about tofu is that there are a few different kinds. Silken tofu is a good substitute for yogurt in a smoothie, or mayonnaise in a creamy dressing. The best tofu for sauteeing or baking is EXTRA FIRM (Nasoya, or Trader Joe's, among other brands- I don't see a difference between brands, but TJ is usually the cheapest). You must prep the tofu at least 1 hour before you plan on cooking with it. It's imperative to drain the tofu because there's a lot of extra water in it and that makes it mushy, which is probably why people think it's.. mushy! Well, it doesn't have to be. Open the package and put the tofu on a (real) plate, and put 2 plates on top of it. I have ceramic dishes so they're quite heavy. You can also put a measuring cup in a small pot and put that on top of the plate. After about 20 minutes, pour the water out and put the plates back. I usually let it sit on the counter like this for an hour, draining a few times in between. My first tofu recipe is super simple, & I use my favorite Teriyaki Sauce, Soyaki from Trader Joe's. The second is a lighter tofu option, dredged in cornmeal and baked until crisp.

Teriyaki Tofu with Steamed Vegetables & Rice
-1 Extra Firm (or firm) block of tofu, drained, and cut into cubes (cut the block in half crosswise [like opening a book], then cut into 20 cubes)
-2 tbsp. flour
-1 tbsp. sesame seeds
-salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley
-Canola oil
-Mixed vegetables, steamed or blanched (I just pour boiling water over them)
-2 frozen garlic cubes (i.e. Dorot)
-1/4-1/2 cup Trader Joe's Soyaki
-Chopped scallions, honey roasted peanuts, & chopped mango, for topping

-In a large Ziploc bag, add the flour, sesame seeds, some dried parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Shake to mix.
-Season the tofu with salt and pepper.
-Heat a bit of canola oil in a large saute pan over medium-high, & place all the cubes (separate them) in the bag and shake to coat each cube.
-When the oil is hot, add all the pieces slowly, and let saute (don't move them) for a few minutes & then turn them all (I find it's easiest to use to 2 spoons to flip each one). Even though it can take a while, I like to do each side so that they all get crispy.
-Transfer the tofu to a plate, & add the garlic cubes to the pan with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Add the vegetables, and stir until the garlic defrosts and coats all the vegetables. Transfer vegis to the bowl and add the tofu back into the pan, & add the Soyaki. Bring the heat up to high and swish the pan so that all the cubes get covered with the sauce & it slightly thickens. Obviously you can leave the vegetables in the pan and add the tofu into that and put the sauce on everything, but I happen to like everything separately.
-Top with some more sesame seeds, mango, scallions, & chopped peanuts (these are my go to garnishes for anything chinese I make). Serve with brown rice, or cellophane noodles.

This one is from a few months back, I used fresh string beans and snow peas...

Tonight's I made without rice, & frozen vegetables...

I find that even if you aren't "vegetarian friendly" you would probably still like this dish, the Soyaki and the toppings are delicious, whereas the next recipe is more plain, but equally good in my opinion.

Cornmeal Crusted Baked Tofu with Mango Black Bean Salsa

-1 block of extra firm tofu, drained

-3 tbsp. flour, on a plate, seasoned with salt pepper & garlic powder

-1 beaten egg, pour on a plate

-Cornmeal

-Chopped parsley & dill

-salt & pepper

-Cooking spray

-Cut the tofu in half (again, like opening a book), and then cut each half diagonally to form 4 triangles

-Season each triangle on both sides with salt & pepper

-Add chopped herbs to about 1/4-1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal

-Preheat the oven to 450 (or even 500) degrees, and spray a baking rack and set over a baking sheet

-Dredge the tofu in the flour, then egg, then cornmeal and place directly on the rack

-Spray each triangle with cooking spray & bake for 15 minutes. Flip the tofu and spray lightly, and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Alternatively you can low broil it. 

-Serve with steamed or sauteed kale or spinach, & 

Mango black bean salsa:

-Chopped mango, parsley, black beans, lime juice, salt & pepper to taste- it's that simple! Sometimes I add avocado to it.

Take on "Meatless Monday!" (or any other day of the week) 

E

Whether you are new to tofu/meat substitutes, and feeling adventurous, try out this delicious Kosher pan-asian vegetarian restaurant, Wild Ginger in Brooklyn (there's also a location in the city)- it's amazing (I could probably eat there everyday)... No it's not grass on a plate, it's filling entrees, excellent appetizers, drinks, and the best cake I ever had! Let's just say there was a lot of peanut butter in it...!

Guacamole Chicken Sandwich on Ciabatta + Tomato Basil Soup

"What to do with Shabbos leftovers?!" The infamous question, something that never ceases to cry for help. I hate eating leftovers, I get bored (which is why I usually end up cooking just enough for Shabbos so that I won't have to deal with leftovers). So, whenever I am faced with leftovers, I try my hardest to transform it into something completely different. Case in point, tonight's dinner (yes, just for one!).. I took a leftover bone-in chicken breast, slathered (yes, slathered) a toasted deeeelicious ciabatta roll with guacamole, then added in the baby spinach, sliced tomato, & of course the chicken which I took off the bone & sliced. You can repurpose any kind of chicken in a sandwich, when can a sandwich fail? Or you can make this sandwich with fresh chicken. This chicken I baked after marinating it in fresh herbs, lemon, a lot of garlic, and a little bit of dijon mustard. But that's for another blog post :-)

The second part of my meal is a good old Tomato Basil soup, the quintessential "sandwich soup"- aka it goes perfectly with any sandwich (I am of course thinking of the classic tomato soup + grilled cheese sandwich). That is why I am specifically putting the recipe on this blog post. I had 4 large plum tomatoes that were getting a bit too soft, so in a way this is also a "leftovers" soup! It took all of 20 minutes to put together (normally I would have roasted the tomatoes with some balsamic, but I didn't have the time, so I just added the balsamic to the saute instead), and I let it simmer for a while before pureeing.

Guacamole Chicken Sandwich on Ciabatta
-2 baked chicken breasts (bone-in or not)
-Guacamole (my go-to easy guac is avocado mashed with some mayo [I like the additional creaminess- guilty pleasure], lime or lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste)
-Spinach leaves
-Tomato slices
-Square ciabatta rolls

-Toast the ciabbata rolls in a warm oven. In the meantime, prepare the guacamole & slice the chicken breast off the bone, and warm it up.
-Spread the guacamole on both sides of the toasted rolls. Top the bottom half with the spinach leaves, sliced tomato, & the chicken. Cover, & cut sandwich in half.

Tomato Basil Soup
-1 medium onion, chopped
-2 minced garlic cloves
-2 stalks of celery, chopped
-3 small carrots, chopped
-salt, pepper, & Italian Seasoning
-1/4 cup white wine (optional)
-2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
-4 large plum tomatoes, seeds removed
-28 oz. box (i.e. POM) or can of whole or chopped tomatoes
-4-5 frozen basil cubes (i.e. Dorot)
-2-3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (i.e. Trader Joe's or Imagine) or water. I used about half a box.
-1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and chopped

-In a pot, heat up a tbsp. of Earth Balance & a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chopped onion, salt, pepper, & a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, & saute a few minutes before adding the celery, carrot, and garlic.
-Let saute around 4 minutes, & deglaze the pan with the balsamic & white wine (if you don't have the wine, then the balsamic will do the job. The acid brings up the all the bits of flavor).
-Add the chopped de-seeded tomatoes, & the box/can of tomatoes. Season again with some salt & pepper.
-Add the potato, & then pour in the broth, better to add in less now & the rest later, than too much because you don't want to accidentally thin it out too much.
-Drop in the basil cubes (they will defrost with the warmth of the soup)
-Bring to a boil & then reduce it to simmer for about an hour.
-Puree until smooth, & season with salt and pepper if needed. 
 

What is more comforting than a sandwich & soup combo? This is the perfect one!
Enjoy
E

Unstuffed Baked Sweet Potato with Polenta Portabella Ragout

I was feeling in the mood for a light dinner and since it's tax season, it's usually dinner for just me. But I somewhat enjoy making myself dinner, thinking up creative things & this dinner just kept giving me more ideas as I was going on. It started with just a baked sweet potato with sour cream, scallions, and sauteed onions. But then I added fresh spinach, mushrooms (tax season is when I can enjoy mushrooms the most since Avi won't touch it!). Then I saw my trusty log of Polenta in the pantry and decided to cube it and add it to the "ragu." This way it's hearty enough yet light at the same time. I've modified the recipe for 2.

Unstuffed Baked Sweet Potato with Polenta Portabella Ragout
-2 sweet potatoes
-1 onion, diced
-3 cups fresh spinach
-1 large portabella mushroom cap, cut into cubes
-1/2 a polenta log, cut into cubes
-olive oil, salt, pepper
-Sour cream or Earth Balance for the sweet potato
-Chopped green onion

-Pierce a sweet potato with a fork or knife a few times, wrap in tin foil & bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.
-Saute 1 small onion in a few drizzles of olive oil, add salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of sugar. Saute on medium-low so that the onions slightly caramelize. Add 1/2 a chopped portabella mushroom cap, stirring, adding a touch more oil if necessary.
-Push the mushroom/onion mixture to one side of the pan and add the polenta, and season the cubes with salt & pepper. Let it get brown before tossing/turning them (it might be annoying to start turning each cube so just move them around in the pan after a few minutes of sauteeing on one side)
-Add the spinach, roughly chopped, to the onion/mushroom and saute just until wilted. Incorporate the polenta. Season with more salt & pepper to taste.
-When the sweet potato is done, carefully make a slice down the middle, not going all the way through and push the sweet potato open. Season with salt, pepper, green onions, & sour cream on the side :-)

I am off to eat!! (again, sorry about my phone pictures, terrible quality.. Waiting for an Iphone so that my blog pictures don't look so sad! I take pics with my regular camera but when I want to post immediately, I have no patience for uploading!)

E

Simple Pasta Lunch

It's not hard to make pasta stand out with a simple & delicious sauce, it totally transforms it. I bought heavy cream a few weeks ago, but being that it isn't the type of thing you use daily, I froze 1/4 cup increments in Ziploc bags, & then when I want it, I let it defrost. Today I microwaved it in a bowl for 45 seconds and then stirred it & it was ready to go (because I forgot to take it out). I used fresh baby spinach, but any green can work (arugula, kale...) or even frozen if that's all you have. It just ups the ante by adding in some green at the last minute. You can use any shape pasta that you have, even spaghetti or angel hair, but I used Rotini (corkscrews).

Rotini with Pink Sauce & Spinach
-3 cups cooked Rotini pasta (I use Barilla Plus)
-1/4 cup chopped red onion
-2 garlic cloves, cut only in half
-salt & pepper
-1/4 - 1/2 cup "light" heavy cream
-1/4 cup marinara sauce
-1 tbsp. prepared pesto
-4 cups roughly chopped spinach
-Lemon zest & parsley, for garnish (optional)

-Heat some olive oil in a large saute pan, & immediately add the halved garlic cloves (you'll be taking them out). Add the chopped onion & saute, sprinkle some salt & black pepper.
-Once the onions are sauteed a few minutes, lower the heat to medium-low, pour the cream in, & stir. Take the garlic out & discard.
-Slowly raise the heat again to medium/medium-high, & add in the marinara & pesto.
-Add freshly ground black pepper & a pinch of salt
-Continue stirring, & then add the spinach off the fire. Continue stirring until it wilts down, and finally add the pasta in.
-Top with chopped parsley & lemon zest (optional)

(Sorry about the poor picture quality- it's from my phone)..

hmm, sorry it looks like a crime scene, it tasted soooo much better than it looks!

E

Sorry, Coffee Bar!

My next salad recipe is one that I get whenever I am at Coffee Bar in Lawrence when I am in the mood for a salad. I love a hearty salad, not just lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, rather one with enough substance to keep me full. I made it at home today for lunch, & it's perfect!!!! My dressing, though, comes from Ina Garten (if I remember correctly?) and not Coffee Bar, considering mayonnaise based dressings (what they mostly have) is by no means Greek! (P.S. black olives is the one thing I left out, because I didn't have any)

Greek Salad
-Romaine lettuce, washed & dried
-Hothouse cucumber (or kirby, whatever you have)
-Tomato
-1 hard boiled egg
-Feta Cheese
-Avocado (my addition)
-3 stuffed grape leaves (preferred brand: Galil)

Greek Vinaigrette
-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
-2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
-1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
-pinch of salt & pepper
-2 tbsp. olive oil

Whisk all the dressing ingredients & pour over the salad! ENJOY!