Roasted Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"

Cauliflower mashed potatoes? Cliche, you say... The dieters way to feel as though he/she is eating mashed potatoes is to commonly throw cauliflower into the mix. Well I'm not dieting per se but I had a head of cauliflower and 2 red potatoes so I figured I'd do something different besides for what I usually do which is plain old roasted. I was going to make roasted cauliflower soup but let's face it- it's just too hot. I used the 2 potatoes (small ones) just to give the mash a bit of body, and added some chopped herbs in at the end.

Roasted Cauliflower Herbed Mashed Potatoes

-1 head cauliflower (or a bag of frozen), roughly chopped, soaked, & dried
-5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
-2 peeled and cubed red potatoes
-salt & pepper
-olive oil
-Chopped herbs of choice (I used fresh parsley & dill)
-1 tsp. Lemon or lime juice

-Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
-arrange the cauliflower, potatoes, and garlic cubes scattered on the baking sheet. Toss liberally with olive oil, salt, and pepper until coated. Roast for about 20-25 minutes
-When everything is cool, add to the food processor and purée. I streamed in a bit of olive oil to make it more smooth. However you can leave it chunky if that's how you prefer it.
-Add the roughly chopped herbs and the teaspoon lemon juice and season with more s&p if needed.

It can be a warm side to any protein, steak chicken or fish, and honestly it can even be served cold as a party dip for vegetables or crackers (if you let it purée enough it takes on the texture of chummus). Garnish with more herbs and enjoy this light mash where really you don't miss the potatoes! Plus it's a great trick for sneaking in some vegis into your kids!

Keep cool & have a wonderful Shabbos!

E

Two Chicken Recipes

I have been very into "2 of __" lately on my blog posts, so I will just continue that trend for now & offer up 2 chicken recipes! Perfect for Shabbos, or even during the week. One was an accident, through which I came up with a great recipe (if I may say so myself). & the second is from my new "The Whole Foods Cookbook" (unrelated to the store) by Levana Kirschenbaum.

My first recipe is a mixture of all the flavors I love- fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, capers, & tomatoes. I accidentally opened a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes for baked gefilte fish as I couldn't find marinara sauce. Then, I found the marinara and didn't want to use the canned tomatoes for it! So, here I had chicken on the counter waiting to be dressed up & so here it is:

Lemon Caper Tomato Chicken
-4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
-olive oil
-salt & pepper
-1/4 cup white wine
-1 28 oz. can fire roasted (or regular) tomatoes (whole or crushed, not stewed or sauce)
-8 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
-3 tbsp. capers
-fresh parsley & dill, finely chopped
-1 lemon, halved (1/2 for juice, 1/2 for slices).

-Preheat oven to 375.
-Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with pam
-Season the chicken with olive oil, salt & pepper and add to the pan skin side down when hot.
-In the meantime grease a large baking dish with Pam. Arrange the thin slices of half the lemon in the dish. Cook the chicken just a minute or 2 on that one side and then transfer to the baking dish but don't turn off the fire. Scatter the garlic cloves around.
-Immediately deglaze the pan with the white wine, & stir up all the bits. Bring heat up to high & let reduce a bit. Add juice of half a lemon, continue to stir. Add tomatoes (if they were whole, break them up in the pan), capers, herbs, & salt, pepper. Stir until it comes together into a sauce, and thickens a bit. If you want, you can dissolve a tbsp. of cornstarch in a little water to make a slurry and add that to the sauce. It will thicken it nicely.

-There are 2 options now, you can bake the chicken as is at 375 for 30 minutes (tented loosely with foil) & then add the sauce on top of the chicken and bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or so, or add the sauce on immediately, & bake right away for 1 hr, rotating the pan half way through. I want to try it the first way next time, as the chicken shrunk much more than usual, & I think it was because of all the acidic flavors. Regardless, it was very good. The garlic cloves roasted in the oven, & became deliciously soft & spreadable!

Chicken in a Pot (adapted from Whole Foods Cookbook)
I was a bit skeptical about this recipe at first, & I made it today so I still haven't tasted it but my awesome friend Shevy (shout out!) convinced me to do it. I needed something quick, as I had to take out new Shabbos food this morning due to a certain "leaving food out all night" fiasco. It's deceivingly easy, yet smelled so good. It's just chicken, water, some spices & literally whatever vegis you have on hand. I only had onions & celery so that was that but I am told (S!) that potatoes work wonders on the broth. Levana writes options for fennel (the one vegetable I can't wrap my head around), mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, garlic, you name it. I was reassured that it wouldn't be like boiled chicken from chicken soup. The recipe was for 2 whole chicken cut in eighths, but I obviously was only making 1/3 of that for us. I will post the original recipe though.

-2 chickens, cut in eighths
-3 cups water
-2 tsp. turmeric
-ANY VEGETABLES YOU HAVE
-(here is my addition: chopped parsley, juice of half a lemon, salt, & pepper)

[for 2 pieces, I did 1 cup water, 1 tsp. turmeric]

-Add everything to pot, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium for 1 hr (since I only had a couple pieces, I lowered it to medium-low because it was still boiling on medium).
-Remove the chicken and as many pieces of the vegis as you can, and boil the broth until it reduces to a nice sauce (you can do the cornstarch method here too. I found since I only used onion and celery, it wasn't thickening quickly, so I did it and I got a silky sauce. It will coagulate in the fridge but will be fine tonight once heated up again). The chicken had that falling off the bone look, & smelled delicious, so based on that I am vouching for it and posting it!

Hope it's good :-)

Good Shabbos!
E

Kani Salad x2

So.. I loooove kani. Otherwise known as "fake shrimp." Now, I feel like kani is way more popular now than it was yeeeears ago, and I've been eating this stuff from the package since forever. We first discovered it years ago at Brach's appetizing counter, "shrimp salad"- which had the fake shrimp-cubed, celery, peas, and a mayo dressing. Me & my mom used to eat it by the pound. But you can get it in the freezer section, there are a couple of brands but Dyna-Sea is the one I prefer the most. They come in "shrimp" & "lobster"- the lobster has a "fattier" taste if that makes any sense. The shrimp also comes in sticks. These 2 are the types that are primarily used in sushi. Then there's kani in the shape of shrimp. All this stuff is made with actual fish (pollock usually), but it's not raw. I love it sauteed with a tiny bit of Tamari sauce at the very end, but the options are limitless. It's popular in "sushi salad"- which is basically a deconstructed roll of sushi, with vegis, sushi rice, and shredded kani. Or, spicy kani salad at sushi places. Here I used it 2 different ways, one as an homage to the shrimp salad from Brach's, yet wayyy more updated & way less mayonnaise-y. The other one is a lettuce salad with all the components that I love in sushi (crunch by peanuts, mango, cucumber, and avocado) with breaded and lightly fried shrimp pieces.

Everything Sushi Salad
-3 pieces shrimp-shaped kani (really can use any type)
-2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
-Sesame oil
-1 tsp. sesame seeds
-1/4 cup shelled edamame
-1/4 cup frozen thawed peas
-2 small carrots, finely chopped
-1 stalk celery, finely chopped
-3 tbsp. light mayonnaise
-Sesame seeds
-1 tsp. sesame oil
-2 tsp. low-sodium Tamari sauce (preferred brand: San-J)
-1/2 tsp. lime juice
-La Choy chinese noodles, optional

-Add the cabbage to a bowl, drizzle with a little bit of sesame oil & 1 tsp. sesame seeds, & a sprinkle of salt and let sit for a couple minutes while you prepare the rest.
-Cube the shrimp into bite-size pieces and defrost in the microwave for 20 seconds
-Combine shrimp with the peas, edamame, celery, carrot & set aside
-In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sesame oil, lime juice (just a small squirt), and soy sauce. Sprinkle in some sesame seeds too.
-Add the shrimp mixture to the cabbage, and then pour the dressing over. With a cabbage-type salad, a little dressing usually goes a long way. If you feel like there's not enough dressing, just add some more mayonnaise, not a big deal.
-Let the flavors meld together in the fridge for a few hours (great prep-ahead salad)
-Serve with La Choy noodles, or any type of chinese noodles on top.

Warm Breaded Kani Salad

-2 kani sticks, defrosted, and cut into 4-5 pieces each

-1-2 tbsp. any kind of Italian dressing (I use pre-made "Good Seasons" balsamic dressing)- this is to coat the kani pieces before breading, so you can use an egg but I find this easier & more flavorful.

-3 tbsp. Panko crumbs

-2 tbsp. cornflake crumbs

-Salt & pepper

-Canola oil

-Cut romaine

-Baby spinach

-1 Persian cucumber

-Chopped mango

-1 small carrot, peeled & diced

-1/4 of an avocado, diced

-Honey roasted peanuts, chopped (optional) [truly any kind of nut would work just fine]

-To 1 bowl add the dressing, and to another add the Panko/cornflake crumbs with a pinch of salt & pepper
-Put all the kani pieces in the dressing, toss so all coated (add more if needed) & then transfer to the crumbs and coat with a spoon
-In a saute pan, heat a thin layer canola oil over medium-high heat.
-When oil is warm, add the kani pieces, one by one.
-Let fry a few minutes per side until golden brown.
-Prepare the salad, using more of the dressing you used for the shrimp as the dressing for the salad. Combine the lettuce/spinach, mango, cucumber, carrot, and avocado
-When the kani is done, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate
-Add warm kani to the salad
-Top with peanuts/nuts

If you never tried fake shrimp, go for it. I can't vouch for it tasting like the real stuff, but I always imagine that it does :-)

Enjoy these options!

E

Jicama Salad

This salad's main ingredients is an all-time favorite vegi of mine- jicama. It looks like a huge turnip with a thick, annoying skin, but once peeled and sliced it's great. It sort of tastes like a cross between a mild radish and a cucumber, with the texture of a baby carrot. It makes for the perfect crudite, slaw, or in this case - salad. It's so simple yet so delicious... 4 main ingredients, plus the dressing... Sometimes I add in diced mango. Alternatively it can be shredded to replace cabbage in a version of cole slaw.

Jicama Salad
-2 jicamas, peeled, and cut into uniform spears
-2 (just-ripened) avocados, diced
-Chopped dill
-juice of 2 limes
-salt & pepper
-A small drizzle of olive oil

-Whisk together the lime juice, salt and pepper, dill, and stream in just a tbsp. or so of olive oil. you don't need a lot.. Just to bring this dressing together
-Combine the avocado and jicama and mix. It's okay if the avocado mushes a little into the jicama.
-Pour the dressing over and mix with a wooden spoon. Season more to taste. Ideally, the salad should sit in the dressing for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld together.

It's so simple, foolproof, & fresh, perfect for a quick springtime salad. It can go alongside pretty much anything, from BBQ to pizza.

E

Salmon Burgers

Salmon. It's probably THE most cliche fish on the dinner table. I won't get into the ins and outs of wild vs. farm raised salmon, there are many reputable sites that you can look up the pros and cons, but I choose to go wild. It has a bad rap being that it's generally much more expensive than farmed, but in the summer, Costco carries freshly packed (family-sized, obviously) wild salmon (according to the OU, salmon with skin doesn't need a hechsher, as it is discernible that it is in fact salmon and not another [non-Kosher] fish. That's a whole other conversation). ANYWAYS, when Costco has it, I stock up. Trader Joe's also carries frozen Alaskan Sockeye as well as Coho (which is what I prefer) at only 7.99-9.99 a pound (it's about $20 a pound at the local Kosher supermarkets). That is the most convenient because they usually pack them 2 fillets to a pack, or 1 large one, so I don't have to waste or separate once it's defrosted.

Yes, we all make the typical roasted or broiled salmon with some type of dressing up (previous posts: Coconut Crusted Salmon & Mashed Potato Topped Salmon) but this time I made salmon burgers (we called them croquettes growing up- sounds fancy!). My mom made them all the time for dinner because they're easy & delicious, and are also essentially a blank canvas for any flavor profile you want to achieve. You can bake or fry them, I've baked them before but they take much longer in the oven so this time I decided to pan-fry them. You can take the extra step and flake a freshly roasted salmon filet, but the canned salmon is just fine. I used a 14 oz. can of Gefen Wild Salmon from Pesach that wasn't used, and just like tuna, Costco sells a pack of the small wild salmon cans. I was watching Ina Garten make her salmon burgers (she used fresh salmon of course), so I used some of her ideas (adding sauteed vegetables) and doctored up my moms original recipe. So here it is! By the way, this recipe would also work for ground turkey or chicken. My turkey burger recipe is very similar.

Salmon Burgers
-1 14 oz. can of salmon (I ended up with 5 burgers)
-Vegetables for saute (can use anything you want): 1 onion, 2 small carrots, & 1 stalk celery, half a zucchini, all finely chopped
-1/4 cup light mayonnaise
-2 tbsp. dijon
-1 egg
-salt & pepper, garlic powder
-Zest of whole lemon
-Juice of half lemon
-Tbsp each freshly chopped parsley, dill, and basil
-1/2 - 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (unseasoned) or Cornflake crumbs for gluten-free
-1-2 tbsp. chopped capers
-Extra Panko for breading

-In a large saute pan, heat a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for a few minutes, and when slightly golden, add the rest of the vegis. Season with salt and pepper. Let saute until browned and softened. Transfer to a bowl to let cool. Add in the chopped capers, and herbs. Mix just to combine.
-Open the canned salmon and drain out the excess liquid. Add to a bowl. Sometimes the spine with little pin-bones are graciously included, so carefully try and remove as much as possible. It isn't dangerous to eat the little bones as they are super fragile, but obviously it's best if you can get them all out.
-Add in the mayo, dijon, the slightly beaten egg, lemon zest/juice and the Panko. You can add more Panko, or another egg if you don't feel like the burgers are tight enough. You don't want them too dry though. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
-When the vegetables are semi-cool, add them in and mix everything together with your hands (it's the best way to incorporate everything, I usually use gloves).
-Before forming patties, add some Panko to a plate, and prepare a plastic cutting board to keep the burgers on before frying them. Form even patties (good tip ala Rachael Ray: smooth out the mixture in the bowl and score out even portions with your finger), dredge one (or both) sides in the Panko, and place on the cutting board. You can also choose to make them into mini sliders.
-If you want to bake them, do so on a greased cookie sheet (or a baking rack atop a cookie sheet- my favorite method for all-around even cooking) & bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes. If using Panko for dredging, spray the top with Pam.
-Freeze the burgers on the cookie sheet just for 10 minutes or so until they set (or you can refrigerate, they just need to set up or they'll completely fall apart when you pan fry)
-Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a large saute pan over medium-high, and once hot, add the burgers (Panko side down if only dredging one side). Don't move them, let them saute for a good 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and set, then flip and cook on the other side.

-I served mine on toasted whole wheat sesame buns with homemade tartar sauce (mayo, chopped capers, chopped dill and parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice) with kale chips & yukon gold mashed potatoes (I made this dinner on Thursday night so I made extra mashed potatoes to have for Friday night- double duty!)

 Try something new with salmon, you won't regret it!
E

P.S. I'm not one to freeze a lot, but these did freeze well (cooked)!

Fish Tacos - again!

It's been about a year since my first venture into fish tacos. I decided though, that it needed some updating, so I did a fish-and-chips type of thing, the "chips" being my previous post, carrot fries. Last time I used tilapia, but this time I used wild cod and I was able to find great thin filets, so I was able to cut it into small pieces, and it cooked in absolutely no time. FYI, I love yellow cornmeal.

Lime & Cornmeal Crusted Cod
-3 filets wild cod, cut into chunks/small pieces
-Zest of a lime
-Juice of a lime
-salt & pepper
-1 beaten egg
-Cornmeal
-Finely chopped fresh basil, parsley, & dill
-Canola oil, for frying

-Last time I dredged the fish in flour then egg then cornmeal. I left out the flour part for laziness but also to make them feel and taste lighter. Especially since I decided to (lightly) fry them instead of baking.
-Place the pieces of fish on a plate, sprinkle salt pepper, and the zest of half the lime. Sprinkle some of the juice of the lime, but save the bulk of the juice for the salsa
-I let the fish marinate for a few hours with the lime but you don't have to if short on time.
-Beat the egg in a large glass bowl, and pour cornmeal onto a big plate
-To the egg add: 1/4 of the remaining lime zest, salt and pepper
-To the cornmeal add: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and the chopped herbs (whichever you decide to use)
-Add all the fish to the egg and toss with a spoon.
-Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a large saute pan, and begin to dredge the fish pieces in the cornmeal mixture. I like to dredge them all before adding them to the pan because otherwise pieces will be done cooking by the time you add subsequent ones. Add the fish to the pan and it only needs 3-4 or so minutes per side. A little longer if it's thicker.

-Alternatively, you can bake them on a baking rack fitted over a baking sheet on 425 for 10/15 minutes.
-Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, and sprinkle with more lime juice

-Serve with all or some of the following: mango black bean salsa, coleslaw, tartar sauce, shredded lettuce hard or soft wheat or corn tortillas for building your own taco. There are endless options for toppings- salsa, guacamole, etc.

-Serve with a wedge of lime. [See last year's post for mango black bean salsa recipe. This time I took the easy route & only used black beans, avocado, and mango. The dressing is always fresh parsley, lime or lemon juice, salt & pepper. Important to let it sit in the fridge so the flavors meld].

The finished plate :

E

Carrot Fries

This side I made next to fish tacos (post to follow), I figured I'd make it a separate post since it's essentially THE perfect side to any protein at all. They really come out tasting like fresh fries but they are- CARROTS! I've made roasted carrots many times before, but these are dressed up with cornmeal to give them a more fried feel. I got the idea from one of my favorite restaurants in the village (Kosher Vegan), Sacred Chow. I follow their Facebook page and they constantly have specials. Last week they posted a picture of their cornmeal crusted carrot fries with all these funky spices which I don't have because I simply don't like them (i.e. cumin, cayenne). Anyway, I decided to put my own fresh spin on these carrot fries. I know that they're good because my mom made them the next day and she said Rosie practically ate half! But, she did try to eat chalk today so.. :-)

Cornmeal Coated Carrot "Fries"
-1 lb. bag carrots, peeled, & cut into fries (I cut each carrot in half the short way, and then cut the 2 halves twice in half the long way). They should all pretty much be the same size. Alternatively, you can half baby carrots (shout out to M who did them this way the next day! Total convenience tip..)
-Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
-1-2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill
-Olive oil
-1/2 cup cornmeal (can add more if you feel)

-Preheat the oven to 425. Spray a baking rack and place atop a foil-lined baking sheet (easy clean-up)
-You will need 2 large bowls. In the first, add the carrots, drizzle with olive oil, just enough so that they are lightly coated so that everything can stick. Add the spices and dill.
-Pour the cornmeal in another large bowl (I did this in a large saute pan, no heat, because of more surface area to toss), and transfer the carrots to coat.
-In a single layer, spread the carrots on the baking rack (utilizing the baking rack just makes an all around crispy fry, and no need for flipping anything). Spray a LIGHT layer of Pam over the top, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

They are totally foolproof, and much easier than making potato fries. Plus, you can eat a whole plate of these without feeling too guilty about it! Don't they look like sweet potato fries? I've made breaded baked zucchini before (with Panko), but I think I'll try that with cornmeal too for a lighter feel... I'd think these are great tricks for kids who don't like vegis. 

Look for the next post coming soon...
E