Gluten Free

Cauliflower Sabzi and Moong Dal

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Cauliflower Sabzi and Moong Dal satisfy all of my senses. This entire meal comes together in just about an hour. Served with fluffy basmati or short grain brown rice or with your favorite flatbread and you have a delicious, slightly spicy and healthy meal. Since we make our own yogurt from goat and cow milk, I usually serve that along with some chutneys to make a meal into a feast. If you wish to keep this vegan, use a plant-based yogurt or skip it. And if you are gluten free, forget the naan or make your own using GF flour.

My husband and I have been following a primarily vegetarian diet for several years now. And the foods that most meet both our nutritional needs as well as appealing to our palate originate from South Asia and the Mediterranean/North Africa. These cuisines really know how to use herbs and spices and to make the most from vegetables and fruits. I have totally converted my husband who came from a big meat-eating family.

Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable that is wonderful at absorbing any spices that you throw at it. If you enjoy this cuisine, you will likely have all of the spices on hand. And because we eat primarily vegetarian, my pantry is well stocked with a variety of pulses (legumes, beans, lentils.) However, if you don’t happen to have Moong Dal on hand, it can easily be purchased online or found in Indian markets. You could also substitute any other dal you prefer. Moong Dal is a very homey, comforting addition that also adds some protein to this meal.

What is Sabzi?

You may also see it as subji. Sabzi originated with Persian cuisine and is a dish filled with vegetables and herbs. Essentially it is a kind of stew that is drier than a curry, but no less flavorful or delicious.

I came across this Cauliflower Sabzi while I was watching Chetna make a Peanut Cauliflower Sabzi and decided to try it with a few of my own changes. Is this an absolutely authentic sabzi? Possibly not, but it is delicious and certainly pays homage to this cuisine. The Moong Dal recipe comes from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey.

Any leftovers can keep for several days in the fridge and require only gently reheating.

RECIPE

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Cauliflower Sabzi

About 1/2 cup (60g) of raw cashews (If cashews aren’t in your budget, peanuts work well)

2 Tablespoons of a neutral oil like Avocado oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

About a Tablespoon of grated fresh ginger (I keep mine in the freezer and grate it as needed)

1 large tomato or two smaller ones, cut into large dice (I used a big, beautiful very red heirloom tomato)

1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of mustard seeds (I used brown mustard seeds)

A handful of fresh or freeze dried curry leaves

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1 pound, but I didn’t measure.) If the leaves are nice and young, use those as well as the florets.

2 smallish red or golden potatoes cut into large dice. The skins on mine were so thin that I didn’t bother peeling them.

1 teaspoon each: kosher salt, chili powder (I like Rajasthan Chili powder), turmeric, Garam Masala

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 to 3 Medjool dates, pit removed and torn into pieces

About 1/4 cup of water

A handful of chopped fresh coriander (If you hate coriander you can use parsley)

Juice of half of a lemon

For the Moong Dal

1 cup moong dal, washed and drained

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoon olive oil or ghee (I used ghee)

1/8 teaspoon ground asafetida

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 to 2 dried red chilis (I used Arbol)

1 medium shallot or 1/2 of a medium onion, peeled and cut into slivers

DIRECTIONS

I would start with the dal since it takes longer to cook.

Put the washed and drained dal into a 2 quart pot and add 3.5 cups of water. Bring this to a boil and skim off any white foam. Add the turmeric and stir to mix.

Partially cover the pot, turn the heat to simmer and cook for about 40 to 45 minutes. Add the salt, mix through and turn off the heat.

If you will be serving this right away, prepare the tadka. Pour the oil or ghee into a small frying pan set over a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the asafetida, cumin seeds and chilis in that order. As soon as the chilis darken, which only takes seconds, add the slivers of shallots or onions. Stir and cook until the onions brown. Turn off the heat and quickly pour the tadka over the moong dal. Stir through to mix.

For the Cauliflower Sabzi

Lightly pan toast the nuts without any oil. If you have a mortar and pestle, pour the toasted nuts into the mortar to cool. Once cool, bash the nuts. You don’t want a powder, although a little powder is fine. You just want a rough chop. You could also do this with a rolling pin or by pulsing in a mini-prep or even by hand with a knife. Set these aside.

Using about 2 Tablespoons of oil, start cooking the onions in 5 quart deep pan with a lid or a Dutch oven. Add 1 teaspoon each of the cumin and mustard seeds. Toss in the curry leaves and mix through. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 to 6 minutes, just to soften and lightly color the onions.

Once the onions have softened, add in the chopped tomatoes and mix through. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes and then add in the garlic and ginger and cook covered for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once everything has softened and released its juices, add in the spices: salt, turmeric, chili powder, Garam Masala and ground coriander. Also add in the potatoes, cauliflower, dates and water.

Give everything a good stir, cover the pan and cook on medium low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. You don’t want mush. The cauliflower and potatoes should be tender but still have some bite.

Just before serving add in about half of the bashed nuts and 3/4 of the chopped cilantro. Add the juice of half of a lemon.

Top each portion with some additional cilantro and chopped nuts. Now enjoy!

Eggplant Artichoke Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

This Eggplant Artichoke Salad is the perfect addition to your salatim repertoire. Perfect for Shabbat or any weekday that you want to make just a bit more special. It is absolutely wonderful and so easy to make. While it may be at its absolute best the day you make it, I have successfully used it for 4 to 5 days, stored in the fridge. Just bring it to room temperature before serving. Then dig in with your challah, pita or Kubaneh bread. My husband and I went through half of an entire bowl in one sitting. It’s THAT good.

I know that there are people who say that they don’t like eggplant. I admit that I cannot understand a pronouncement like that. Eggplant, in all of its beautiful varieties, is one of the most versatile of vegetables. Okay, it’s really a fruit scientifically, I get it. But it’s savory; it’s sweet; it’s mushy enough to make into wonderful dips and it can be crispy. Eggplants can be wonderful side players or the star of the show.

The Eggplant Artichoke Salad is vegan/pareve on its own and will compliment a vegetarian or vegan meal. But it is equally delicious as a side with poultry, meat or fish. It’s a bit briny and bright with the smokiness from the roasted eggplant.

This salad originated with Sivan’s Kitchen and I have made some additions. Over time, I may make some more, although it is pretty perfect right now. And there are no special skills needed to make this and measuring is mostly by eye. The only cooking is the eggplant and everything gets dumped into one bowl. To serve, just spoon it into a favorite bowl.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant (about 1 to 1.5 pounds)

12 oz. jar of marinated artichokes (they will be coarsely chopped AND you will use the liquid as part of the dressing)

1 good handful of chopped herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro or a mix)

2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

salt and cracked black pepper to taste

About 15 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if small or quartered if on the larger side

Juice of one large lemon

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F or 400 degrees F if using a convection oven with the fan

Pour enough Avocado or other neutral oil onto a rimmed sheet pan to cover the bottom with a thin layer.

Trim the eggplant and make 1-inch thick slices. Then cut the slices into a large dice – about 6 pieces per slice.

Place the eggplant onto the baking sheet without crowding and flat side down. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and drizzle with avocado oil (or use a spray of oil.) Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning the pieces over once. (You don’t have to be too precious about it. Just take a spatula and flip a bunch at a time. Perfection is unnecessary.

While the eggplant roasts, prep everything else and toss it all in one bowl.

Once the eggplant is finished roasting, remove it from the oven to cool. Once cool, toss it in with the rest of the ingredients. Mix through and that’s it! Now enjoy!

Vegan Orange Malabi with Roasted Strawberries and Pistachios

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

My Vegan Orange Malabi is a dessert that you will not say no to. It’s light, citrusy and silky. Vegan Orange Malabi is the perfect ending to any meal.

Malabi is a Turkish snow-white milky pudding, flavored with rose water that is not too dissimilar to Italian panna cotta. It was initially introduced into Israel as a street food and can still be found today on some food trucks. It is silky and light and the pudding itself is not very sweet. However, it is traditionally served with a VERY sweet, bright red syrup.

My husband is not a fan of rose water and always complains that it tastes like he is eating pot pourri! Initially, I was simply going to substitute orange blossom water for the rose water. However, during one of our long walks, Andrew asked if I intended on adding orange zest. I thought about it and then decided to go all the way with the orange theme, using orange juice to substitute for the water in addition to the orange zest and orange blossom water. Purists may find this a sacrilege, but I think it turned out beautifully. If you think serving it as “malabi” will outrage someone, then just call it vegan orange pudding!

Vegan Orange Malabi is made with coconut milk and this version is topped with roasted strawberries and chopped pistachios. The base for this version comes from the wonderful cookbook Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Cooking by Einat Admony and Janna Gur. But my riff on this dessert is what I have included below.

I was first introduced to Malabi when I volunteered on Kibbutz Kissufim over 1973 to 1974. There was food rationing on the kibbutz at the time, a result of both the 1973 war and the fact that Israel was still a pretty poor country then. In 1973 it was almost unrecognizable from the prosperous tech giant it has become as well as now a foodie’s paradise.

Eggs were rationed and any treats like chocolate or strawberries were distributed among the children of the kibbutz. There was always great excitement if one of the volunteers received a care package from home. I still recall with fondness the time our friend Lois was sent a salami all the way from Chicago. Lois generously shared it among the volunteers, with each of us receiving a chunk or thin slice. The salami had the exact perfect ratio of fat to meat. To this day, no salami ever tasted or will taste better.

Malabi first arrived as hot cereal for breakfast. It was something like a cream of wheat or cream of rice with nothing on top. Anything that wasn’t eaten up was repurposed. So by dinnertime, the trolley carts circulating in the dining hall would include a cold custard with a thick bright red syrup for dessert made from the breakfast cereal.

Malabi still is considered a street food, although top chefs have now transformed it into an elegant dessert with elaborate toppings.

Vegan Orange Malabi, which is also Gluten Free, is the perfect light and refreshing end to any meal.

RECIPE

YIELD: 4 Servings but can be doubled

INGREDIENTS

For the pudding

1 can (13.5 ounces) of full-fat coconut milk

2 Tablespoons of water

A pinch of kosher salt

2 Tablespoons of fresh orange juice without pulp

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1.5 Tablespoons of cornstarch

1.5 teaspoons of Orange Blossom Water

Zest of one large orange

DIRECTIONS

Prepare your slurry by placing the cornstarch, orange blossom water and 2 Tablespoons of orange juice in a small bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and flows easily. Set aside.

Pour the coconut milk into a medium saucepan (preferably non-stick) Add 2 Tablespoons of water and the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and quickly add in the well-mixed slurry, whisking vigorously! The mixture will almost immediately begin to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the orange zest. There should not be any lumps.

For family style, pour the mixture over into a pretty bowl.

Or use individual custard cups if you prefer that look. Place plastic wrap directly onto the top of the smooth custard. Refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to serve, remove the custard from the fridge and carefully remove the plastic wrap. Don’t worry if a bit of custard comes up with the plastic. Your topping will cover any issues. Now enjoy!

For the topping

Michelle Polzine’s Slow-Roasted Strawberries

Yield: About 1.5 cups (450 gr.) This is more than you need for the Malabi but it is wonderful on so many things that you will be happy that you made extra.

Ingredients

2 pounds (900 gr.) of fresh, ripe strawberries

1/2 cup (100 gr.) of granulated sugar (You can add 2 additional Tablespoons if the strawberries are not especially sweet on their own.)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 250 degrees F. Rinse and hull the berries. Leave any tiny ones whole and either quarter or halve the rest so the pieces are all about the same size.
  2. In a non-reactive pan (I used a stoneware baking dish) that will hold all of the berries closely packed in a single layer, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar.
  3. Roast slowly in the oven, uncovered for 3 to 6 hours, gently moving them around occasionally with a wide spatula. Mine took 5 hours. They are done when the juices have reduced to a syrup but not darkened into caramel and the berries are jammy. They can be stored in the fridge in an airtight jar or container for just about ever!

Garnishes

There are all kinds of toppings you could you substitute that are only limited by your imagination. A quick and simple sauce is to place frozen berries in a saucepan and add sugar to taste (about 1/4 of sugar to 12 oz. of berries). Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until the berries start to break down. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 Tablespoon of fresh orange or lemon juice. That’s it. If you want to be fancier, you can add a couple of tablespoons of a liqueur like Creme de Cassis or Grand Marnier.

Roasted pistachios, chopped

Shabbat in a Pot

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Shabbat comes once a week and you want it to be special. But special doesn’t mean difficult. This Shabbat in a Pot is a one pan meal that takes about 20 minutes of prep time and then it just does its thing in the oven for 3 hours or so. Meanwhile, you can go about your business or sit back and relax. Depending on where you live and what you have access to, you can also use this time to prepare your salatim or ready a dessert.

Shabbat in a Pot could be made in a slow cooker, but I like to sauté my onions first before adding everything else. My slow cooker doesn’t have a function for that so I prefer the stovetop/oven method.

These slow cooked meat dishes may not always be the most photogenic, but believe me when I say that when you smell the incredible aromas and taste the finished product, the LAST thing you will be thinking of is whether it is photo worthy.

Because it was only me and my husband, I used a fairly small cut of meat. However this can easily be sized up. The only limit is the size of your pan and the whether it fits in your oven.

I used chuck roast but you could use any meat that benefits from slow cooking such as short ribs, brisket, flanken or dekel. Chuck roast is a rich meat that is usually well-marbled. For health reasons (and because we just don’t eat that way anymore) it is something to enjoy occasionally. But enjoy it, you will.

RECIPE

Yield: About 6 servings, depending on sides and if you have teenage boys or very athletic girls!

INGREDIENTS

2.5 pounds of boneless chuck roast

2 Tablespoons of Avocado or other neutral oil

2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced thinly

10 to 12 peeled garlic cloves, left whole

4 to 5 carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into about 3-inch pieces

Baby Bella or Button Mushrooms, cut into quarters or 6 pieces, depending on size (How many you use will depend on the size of your pan. I actually would have liked to have added more.)

Preferably a 2-pound bag of small golden or red potatoes left whole (If you only have bigger potatoes, cut them into pieces about the size of the carrots. (But if you use whole ones, they just go into the pot as is! Again, I would have used more if I had had more space.)

1.5 generous teaspoons turmeric, divided

2 teaspoons of salt

Cracked black pepper to taste

1 generous teaspoon of ground cumin

1 generous teaspoon of sweet paprika

Pure date syrup (Silan) for drizzling (If you don’t have date syrup, you could use Pomegranate Molasses or even tamarind paste. Each will change the flavoring some, but all will be good.)

14 oz. can of tomatoes in their own juice (I like to use whole tomatoes that I crush with my hand.)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 12-inch deep pan with a lid, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Sauté until softened and well-colored.

Lay the meat on top of the onions and surround the meat with all of the veggies. Drizzle the date syrup over everything. Sprinkle the cumin, paprika, remaining salt, turmeric and black pepper over the meat and vegetables.

Pour the can of tomatoes over everything and using your hand, squish the tomatoes. (You could use canned, diced tomatoes if you prefer.)

Pour about 2 cups of water over everything. I eyeballed it. The water should not quite cover the meat and vegetables. Depending on how long you end up cooking this, you might add a little more water. You could use beef broth if you prefer, but it really isn’t necessary.

Bring the pan to a boil. Then cover it and place it in the oven. Now let the magic happen. Leave it untouched for 2.5 hours. Baste the meat and veggies with some of the liquid. Then turn the heat down to 325 degrees F. You can continue cooking for up to another 2 hours. Just check that all of the liquid hasn’t boiled away. You don’t want this swimming in liquid – just enough to keep everything juicy.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes. Then remove the meat to a cutting board and slice it thickly against the grain. Now dig in!

Eggplant Supreme

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

We all LOVE eggplant in my family. This Eggplant Supreme is sweet from roasting the eggplant. It is savory and bright with lemon, almonds and mint. Serve it with or without crumbled feta and it will be a delightful addition to any table. This Eggplant Supreme is along the lines of something I saw Jamie Oliver make on YouTube and it turned out to be a big hit.

Eggplant Supreme can be a wonderful side to a meat, fish or vegetarian meal. If you add some crumbled feta, it makes a light lunch. Best of all, it can be made ahead and will hold up in your fridge for about a week – unless you devour it like we do!

I enjoy it best at room temperature, but it can also be eaten straight from the fridge. Just be sure to use a quality olive oil. I like to use the Mediterranean Medley Olive Oil from Sciabica, but a good quality lemon or garlic oil would also be great here. Fresh mint is classic in Mediterranean cuisine and it just brightens things up. However, if for some reason you are not a fan, you could use pretty much any fresh herb as a substitute.

I chose to use a shallot, but you could use red onion, Vidalia, yellow onion or even a scallion. Because I used a shallot, I didn’t feel the need to add any fresh garlic, but you certainly can.

Another thing I love about this eggplant dish is that there is no messy frying. The eggplant planks are roasted in the oven. I do strongly encourage you to cook the eggplant on parchment rather than using foil or even directly on the pan. Using anything else tends to make the eggplant stick and then you end up with large rips in the planks. And while I used a mortar and pestle to make the topping, you could chop the things together and then mix in the olive oil, lemon juice and zest.

Eggplant Supreme is great for Passover and all year long so give it a try.

RECIPE

YIELD: About 6 to 8 servings as a side

INGREDIENTS

3 eggplants about a pound each

About 1/3 cup Olive Oil, divided

Zest and juice of one lemon

1/3 cup chopped raw almonds

About 1/4 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1 small shallot, chopped or about 2 tablespoons of any onion you prefer

Feta cheese – Optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. If you are doing multiple sheet pans and have convection, preheat to 375 degrees F. Line your sheet pans with parchment and set aside.

Cut off the tops and bottoms of each eggplant. Then lay the eggplant on its side and take a thin slice off, which should mostly be skin. You then want to slice planks that are about 1/2 inch thick. Don’t worry if they are not perfectly the same. Mine NEVER are! I have found that it is easiest to stand the eggplant on its now flat bottom and to slice down vertically from the top. Some people prefer cutting with the eggplant on its side. Do whatever is easiest for you.

When you get to the last piece of each eggplant, again take a thin slice of skin off to expose the meat of the eggplant. Lay each plank on the prepared pans without overlap. Brush each plank with the olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Bake the first side for 20 minutes.

Then remove the pans from the oven and carefully turn the planks over. Brush this side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. This side will cook faster so only bake it for another 8 to 10 minutes. Ovens vary so just watch it. You want the eggplant tender and beginning to brown.

While the eggplants bake, prepare the topping. You will use about 3 Tablespoons of the oil for this and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remember that you already salted the eggplant and if you use feta, cheese, that also adds salt. Put everything into a mortar and pestle or small food processor. If you are using a mortar and pestle, bash everything to get a coarse, paste. If using a processor, pulse everything until you get a coarse paste. You want texture! If you are just chopping by hand, then add all of the chopped bits into a bowl and mix through with the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Once the eggplant has finished baking, lay the planks on a platter in a pleasing arrangement. There is no one right way.

Spread the topping over the middle of the eggplant. If you are using feta, crumble it over the top. Drizzle a bit more olive oil and add a few cracks of pepper if you are using feta. Now enjoy!

Passover Brownies

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Over nearly 5 decades of preparing Pesach meals, I have made many wonderful desserts. You will find most of them on my blog and I will also link to them below. For several years I tried to make these brownies from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America. This doyenne of Jewish cooking tells the best stories, but I have always found her recipes to be problematic. And the recipe for these Passover Brownies created by the Capsouto Frères NEVER worked. I finally figured out that there was a mistake in the recipe.

I have fixed the mistake and made a couple of small tweaks to the recipe. These Passover Brownies are just delicious and for those who must avoid gluten, they are good enough to enjoy all year. Rich with dark chocolate, dense and yet light because of the eggs and almond flour, they are a wonderful addition to any Passover meal.

And perhaps best of all, these brownies get EVEN better as they age which makes them a perfect make-ahead dessert. The flavors intensify and the brownies themselves become a bit denser while maintaining their lightness.

This recipe is a more old fashioned Passover recipe that does not take advantage of Kosher for Passover baking soda and baking powder which was unavailable decades ago. Our only leavening was lots of eggs that we separated into the yolks and whites. The whites had to be beaten into stiff peaks and gently folded into the rest of the mixture which included the yolks. While a bit of a tedious process, it still works.

When eggs were scarce during the pandemic, it was certainly nice to have other options. But recreating some of these older recipes brings me closer to my parents and grandparents, may they all rest in peace. I especially wanted to make some of these older recipes this year when my family is far away and it is just me and my husband. It reminds me of a happier time when our family was bigger and lived close by one another.

If you have a hand or standing mixer, this recipe is not too onerous to make. But it will take a little more effort than a standard brownie recipe to achieve the delightful result. And if we can’t take a little more effort during the holiday, well when can we?

For More Passover Desserts

Turkish Walnut Cookies for Passover (Mustacudos de Muez)

Fudgy Passover Brownies – Gluten-Free

Chocolate Orange Vegan Passover Cake

Vegan Dark Chocolate Mousse

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

Iraqi Almond Cardamom Cookies

Passover Sephardic Wine Cookies

Passover Almond Coconut Macaroons

Passover Florentine Cookies

Passover Orange Ginger Spice Cookies

Chocolate Chip Vegan Meringue Buttons for Passover

Vegan Almond Coconut Macaroons

RECIPE

Yield: One 9″ square pan (You decide how big or small to cut them. I got 16 pieces)

INGREDIENTS

1.5 sticks of unsalted vegan or dairy butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 large eggs, separated

6 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate (try for 70 to 72% cacao)

6 ounces finely ground natural almond meal or flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

A good splash of dark coffee (about 1 Tablespoon)

DIRECTION

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment and lightly spray it with avocado oil or other kosher for Passover neutral spray.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. I just use an oven-safe bowl that I place over a pot with hot water. You can melt chocolate in the microwave but it’s a fussier process. Just heat the water and have the bowl sit in the pot just ABOVE the water. Stir occasionally with a spatula. Once melted, remove the chocolate from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

While the chocolate melts, cream the better and sugar, scraping down the bowl periodically. You should cream the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes in either a standing mixture or with a hand mixture. Slowly add the egg yolks one at a time. You want this to be light and fluffy.

Then add the slightly cooled chocolate, the vanilla extract, coffee and the ground almonds. Mix through.

In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Take about 1/4 of the whipped egg whites and thoroughly mix it into the chocolate batter to loosen it up. Then in 3 other portions, gently but thoroughly fold in the remaining egg whites just until no whites are showing. Use a rubber spatula for this and make figure eights through the batter to incorporate the whites without deflating them too much.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes. The top should look baked and just slightly cracked.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting. Don’t worry if the center sinks a little as it cools. Now enjoy!

Turkish Walnut Cookies for Passover (Mustacudos de Muez)

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Mustacudos de Muez are a Passover specialty of the Jews of Turkey. These unprepossessing cookies are simple to make and quite delicious. Unlike the many varieties of almond and coconut cookies that are ubiquitous during Passover, the Mustacudos de Muez are not as chewy or as sweet. The walnuts have a unique depth of flavor and the orange zest and cinnamon will transport you to the Bosporus.

These cookies are great with tea or coffee, but also would be wonderful with a sweet dessert wine. When you bite into one, there is a bit of crunch to the outer shell of the cookie and then you experience just a slight chewiness as you inhale the orange, walnut and cinnamon goodness.

I found the recipe in Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food.

If you looking to arm chair travel this Pesach holiday, you can’t go wrong with these delightful and simple cookie. They are fairly sturdy so also make a good treat to bring if you are lucky enough to be invited to someone else’s Seder.

There are many wonderful desserts on my blog that are Kosher for Passover and I’ve just added another. Tomorrow I will post my Passover Brownies recipe. After all, you can’t have too many great desserts.

RECIPE

Yield: Between 16 -20

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (250g) English walnuts

1/2 cup (90g) granulated sugar

1 large egg

Zest of 3/4 of a large orange (navel or Cara Cara)

3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. or 325 degrees F if using a convection oven.

Line rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a Silpat.

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture forms a firm paste with the walnuts still retaining some coarseness.

Moisten your hands with a bit of water or a thin coating of a neutral oil so that the paste does not stick.

Form the mixture into balls the size of walnuts in their shell. Arrange them on the prepared cookie sheets leaving about an 1.5 inches between. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before storing the cookies in a tin or airtight container.

Triple Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Triple Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins are one of my go to breakfast muffins. They taste like a great chocolate banana bread but with an ooey, gooey chocolate center and a hit of Dutch-processed cocoa to up the chocolate game. And did I mention that they happen to be gluten free? I mean, come on!

These Triple Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins will keep you going all morning long or for a healthy afternoon snack when dinner is hours away. When making these delicious muffins, it is essential to use VERY ripe, even black, bananas. These add lots of natural sweetness without adding a lot more sugar.

If you want to make these muffins a bit more tropical add 2 Tablespoons of unsweetened, finely shredded coconut to the mix before baking. These muffins can be frozen or refrigerated. I usually take out four muffins at a time which we go through in 2 days. Do zap the muffins before eating to re-gooify the chocolate centers. Sooooooo good!

RECIPE

YIELD: 12 standard size muffins

INGREDIENTS

3 medium bananas – VERY ripe, peeled and mushed leaving just a few whole bits of banana visible. If your bananas are really black, there will even be liquid.

1/3 cup dark chocolate vegan chips

1.75 cups of superfine almond flour (I like to mix blanched (without the skins) almond flour and natural (with the skins) almond flour for the best texture)

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/4 dark or light brown sugar

1/2 cup of your favorite protein powder (I like a Grass-fed vanilla protein powder)

2 Tablespoons peanut butter powder

2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa Powder (I like Valrhona but any good brand will work.)

2 Tablespoons finely shredded unsweetened coconut (Optional)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

3 large eggs

1/4 cup of Refined Coconut Oil, melted and cooled slightly

Chocolate peanut butter or chocolate almond butter

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. with a rack in the middle.

Line a muffin tin with parchment muffin cups (You could spray a non-stick pan instead of using the parchment, but I like the liners.)

In a large bowl, add the almond flour(s), nuts, chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, salt, peanut butter powder and protein powder. Mix thoroughly.

In a separate medium bowl, add the eggs, brown sugar, mushed bananas and melted coconut oil. Whisk together to incorporate everything. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until you no longer see bits of almond flour but don’t continue mixing after that. Allow the mixture to rest for 12 minutes to allow the almond flour to absorb all of the wet ingredients.

Using a 2 tablespoon scoop or measure, add this amount of batter to each muffin cup. It should fill about 1/2 of the muffin cup. Then add about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate almond or peanut butter to the center of each muffin. Fill the muffin cups to the top of the tin with the remaining batter.

Place the tin in the 400 degree oven for 6 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and continue baking for about 11 more minutes. Ovens vary so just watch it until you see how your oven does.

Remove the pan to a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 12 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the tin and place directly on the cooling rack to completely cool.

Once the muffins are cool, they can be store in plastic bags or stasher-type bags depending on how you plan on keeping them. I use three bags and refrigerate 2. We go through these every 2 to 3 days. Unless your house is very warm, the muffins can remain unrefigerated for 2 to 3 days without spoiling. Now enjoy!

Vegan Pulled Chickn’ Sandwich with Homemade Coleslaw

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

This delicious Vegan Pulled Chickn’ sandwich with Homemade Coleslaw will satisfy even meat eaters. And with a few shortcuts, it comes together even on a weeknight. The star ingredient is soy curls. While it’s true that you can buy plant-based ready-to-use meat and chicken substitutes (and I do) I love that soy curls from Butler have only one ingredient – soy beans.

I only started using these over the past year and have become a big fan. Soy Curls are shelf-stable, so you can always have a ready source of protein on hand other than beans. They can easily be purchased online. I haven’t seen them in any of the grocery stores that I frequent, but they may be available in certain locations. I have used them in a stir-fry and in this sandwich with wonderful results. They have a meaty consistency and much like tofu, will absorb any flavors that it is paired with.

The coleslaw can be made ahead and will last in the fridge for several days. It makes a great side with any sandwich or grilled meats if that is your jam.

Vegan Pulled Chickn’ with Homemade coleslaw originated on the Rainbow Plant Life site. You can, of course, use bought coleslaw, but with a few cheats this comes together quickly and you are in control of the seasoning. While I didn’t add this to the coleslaw this time, I could see how adding some crushed pineapple to the coleslaw would nicely compliment the sandwich. The recipe will be at the end of this post.

The original recipe called for this to be served on hamburger buns. While that works, as do Kaiser rolls, I prefer the heartiness of a ciabatta roll. And while you can certainly make your own BBQ sauce, there are so many great options available that I don’t see the point. By using a bought sauce, it also speeds up how very quickly this all comes together. But you do you.

Sides for this delicious Vegan Pulled Chickn’ sandwich are only limited by your imagination, time and preferences. This sandwich would be a terrific choice while watching a game on TV and maybe with your favorite beer. And if you have a favorite gluten free bun or roll option, the rest of the dish is GF. Give it a try.

RECIPE

Yield: 4 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce

2 cups of hot water

2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon “no chicken” or vegetarian base (Bouillon cubes or powder would also work)

4 ounces of soy curls

1 Tablespoon of soy sauce, tamari or coconut amino acids

2 Tablespoons of cornstarch

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 Tablespoon of avocado or other neutral vegetable oil

Directions

Add the bouillon base to the hot water and whisk until dissolved. This can be done on the stovetop or in the microwave if you don’t have instant hot water available.

Add the soy curls to the hot water bouillon mixture and push the soy curls down to submerge them. Soak for 10 minutes.

Then drain the soy curls in a colander and allow to cool for a few minutes. Once the soy curls are cool enough to touch with your bare hand, squeeze out the coy curls. You should have squeezed out about 1/3 cup of liquid which you discard. The more liquid you get out, the better.

The coleslaw can be prepared while the soy curls soak if you did not make it ahead.

If you have thicker soy curls, slice them in half lengthwise. Then place the soy curls in a bowl and toss with the tamari to coat. Then add the cornstarch and black pepper and toss again to coat all of the soy curls.

Heat the oil on medium heat in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet until shimmering. Add the soy curls to the hot oil and stir through to coat the soy curls. Cook the soy curls for 10 to 12 minutes, only stirring about every 90 seconds or so until browned.

While the soy curls brown, toast your bun or roll. You can use a little plant-based “butter” or a few drops of EVOO to help the process along.

When you are ready to serve, toss the soy curls with the BBQ Sauce and heat through for about 30 seconds. Pile your Vegan Pulled Chickn’ onto your bun or roll and top with some of the coleslaw or any other favorite toppings. Now grab ir with two hands and dig in!

COLESLAW RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

About 3 cups of shredded cabbage – green or red (If you use pre-shredded cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix, this comes together VERY quickly.)

About 1 cup of shredded carrot (Again, using pre-shredded carrot or coleslaw mix will speed things up.)

1/2 to 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper thinly sliced (Optional but recommended)

1 handful of chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup of your favorite mayonnaise, vegan or otherwise

2 teaspoons of Dijon, Coleman’s or Spicy Brown Mustard

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Juice of half of a large lemon or an entire small lemon

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon whole celery seeds (The first time I made this, I didn’t have any so added some thinly slice celery with their leaves. It worked out just fine.)

1.5 teaspoons (1/2 Tablespoon) maple syrup or granulated sugar

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

If you are not using pre-shredded vegetables, thinly slice the cabbage and grate the carrot using the large holes of a box grater.

In a large bowl, mix together all of the remaining ingredients. Add the shredded vegetables and sliced jalapeno, if using. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Give everything a good toss and that’s it. Now enjoy!

Turkish Sour Lentil Soup (Ekşili Malhuta Çorba)

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Turkish Sour Lentil Soup comes from Southeastern Anatolia and is eaten in the autumn and winter there. Tradition claims that when people make this warming soup and distribute it to the poor, snow will follow. Apparently, something to be desired. Now it’s probably just a coincidence, but it hadn’t snowed in over a month; I made this soup and the next day we had a snow storm!

As I have gotten older and the world has become a more dangerous place, especially for Jews, I have turned into more of an armchair traveler. I have always been interested in food as being a big part of defining a culture. With a large collection of cookbooks, I read them the way other people read novels. The books that tell stories along with the recipes are especially treasured. After looking through my shelves, I realized that I was missing any Turkish cookbooks. So after a bit of online research, I decided to purchase The Turkish Cookbook by Musa Dağdeviren.

While I have nothing against the Turkish people and have always found them to be warm and hospitable, I do have a serious problem with President Erdogan and feel that he is a dangerous Islamist and destabilizing factor in the Middle East. So my trip to Turkey will just have to wait. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy their wonderful and varied cuisine. I especially enjoy watching Refika’s Kitchen and The Turkish Traveler on YouTube as part of my armchair travels.

My husband and I eat A LOT of soup all year, but especially in the colder months, and we love lentils for their taste, affordability, variety and nutrition. So in paging through The Turkish Cookbook, I came across this recipe for Sour Lentil Soup and thought it would be something good to try. My well-stocked pantry and fridge was missing only one item. I didn’t have any spinach on hand and didn’t want to go to the grocery store. However, I had some beautiful lacinato kale (also called Dino Kale) and used that in its place. I imagine that chard would also be a good substitute and both have more umph than spinach IMHO.

The other change is that the recipe calls for a flavored oil to be added on top just before serving. When I saw that it used 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, I knew that would be too much for us. So I used Aleppo Pepper, which is fruitier and has a milder heat. The addition of flavored oils as a finishing touch (Tadka) can also be seen in South Asian cuisines. It’s what takes otherwise simple dishes to the next level.

Below I will give the recipe and I found it in the cookbook along with the changes I made after tasting it. I liked the lemony, mintiness of the soup, but it definitely needed a bit more oomph that I wanted to come from the soup rather than simply the heat provided by the flavored oil. Now this seems to be a “poor man’s” soup which could account for some of the flavors that I thought were missing. And while my personal preference is for a soup that is a bit more dense, the soup, bread and salad ended up being quite satisfying once I had made a few of the seasoning changes.

The Sour Lentil Soup won’t rank as my favorite lentil soup, but I enjoyed trying something new from my armchair travels. If you are looking for a soup that is not in your usual rotation and which is not difficult, give this a try. Who knows? Maybe we’ll soon see snow!

I served the Sour Lentil Soup with a Turkish Pide although I don’t know if that or a flat bread would traditionally be served alongside.

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

100g (3.5 oz or 3/4 cup) red lentils, rinsed well and drained

120g of onion (4 oz. or 1 medium), peeled and finely diced

6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

50g coarse bulghur wheat (2 oz. or 1/4 cup)

100g eggplant (3.5 oz or 3/8 cup), peeled and finely diced

10 cups of water (Using either a 5 cups of a vegetable or chicken stock plus 5 cups of water would give much more flavor. Since I had made the soup according to the directions, I could only add a Tablespoon of a good bouillon concentrate.)

1.5 teaspoons dried mint (I think 2 teaspoons would be better.)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (I think 1.5 teaspoons would be better.)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (I needed to add a total of 2 teaspoons)

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

150g fresh spinach (5 oz), finely chopped (I used 1 bunch of lacinato kale and I imagine that you could also use chard)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 juicy lemon)

For the flavored oil

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (I used 1 teaspoon Aleppo Pepper)

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

DIRECTIONS

In a 5-quart pot or larger, heat 1.25 liters (10 cups) of water and the lentils over medium heat. Bring this to a boil and skim off the foam that rises to the top. Cover and reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Then add the onion, bulghur wheat and garlic to the pot and stir through. Then add the eggplant along with the dried mint, cumin, salt and black pepper, stir through and simmer for another 20 minutes. This can all be done ahead.

When you are ready to eat, heat the soup to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the spinach or other green used. Add the lemon juice and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

For the flavored oil

Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the dried pepper flakes (in the amount that you feel comfortable with up to 1 teaspoon) and tomato paste and cook stirring for 2 minutes.

Add the flavored oil to the pot of soup, stir through and cook for 1 minute or serve it as I did with a little on each bowl of soup. Now enjoy!