Grilled strip steak with thai slaw fried rice

Grilled strip steak with thai slaw fried rice

I admit, we are all human and we do make mistakes. But I absolutely love when such mistakes happen and I create a new recipe that will stay in my favorite side dishes category! Originally I was supposed to make my regular thai slaw recipe (see bellow), but by mistake i poured too much sesame oil and soy sauce so it became too saucy. That's when I came up with the idea, why don't I just mix it with some steamed brown rice and call it a thai slaw fried rice? And trust me when it came to serving it to my friend, they did not think for a second it was a recipe created by mistake. For a prettier presentation I left some rice plain and i layered it up so it looks like I worked soooo hard to make two kind of side dishes.... Enjoy!

Strip steak

Marinade:
1/2 cup oil
1 T paprika
1 T montreal steak seasoning
1 T salt
1 T black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a ziplock bag, place strip steaks inside and let marinate for at least half hour up to 24hours

Heat grill pan (in better weather on the grill! cant wait!), Take out strip steak from marinate and shake off all excess oil. Grill it 5 minutes on each side or if you like it more well done than leave it for another minute or two. Remove from grill pan and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Thai broccoli slaw

Ingredients

1 bag of broccolislaw
1 bunch of scallion thinly sliced
2 T sesame oil
2 T canola or vegetable oil
2 T soy sauce
1 T sugar (or substitute)
1 T vinegar
1 t ground ginger
 salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)

Heat oils in sautee pan, add scallions and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli slaw and let it soften for 4-5 minutes while mixing it. Pour soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and sugar over, mix well and let it cook for additional 15 minutes. Before removing it from heat sprinkle and mix with sesame seeds.


If you want to serve it as a fried rice add another 1 T of sesame oil and soy sauce to mix  and before serving mix with brown rice or serve separately

Bon appetit

French onion chicken wrap with acorn squah chips and two tone coleslaw

French onion chicken wrap with acorn squah chips and two tone coleslaw

There are those nights when you want just a light sandwich and some salad or chips on the side. This combination is really a healthy and nutritious supper (minus the mayo dressings...), I used wholewheat wrap, but of course you can use any other kind. The acorn squash chips was a try out that will probably become one of my favorite snacks, after kale chips obviously. So crunchy, sweet and salty the same time, a real low fat and low carb treat! Enjoy!


Acorn squash chips

Ingredients
1 medium acorn squash
olive oil to drizzle

Preheat oven to 250
Spray a cookie sheets with oil. Cut in half the acorn squash and scoop out all the seeds. Slice the squash crosswise about 1/16 inch thick using a mandoline or knife.

Drizzle with olive oil and toss. arrange on the baking sheets in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 50 minutes than flip over the slices and continue baking until browned, about 15 more minutes. Transfer the chips to a rack to cool.



French Onion chicken cutlets

4 slices of thin sliced chicken cutlets
2 Tsp mayo
1 cup of French's fried onion crushed to crumbs

French Fried Onion (OU hechsher)

Preheat oven to 400

Dip chicken cutlets into mayo and than into french fried onion crumbs. Place cutlets on a greased cookie sheet and bake it for 20 minutes.

To assemble wrap
You can use a variety of toppings, I used romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, and a honey mustard drizzle. And of course my delicious juicy cutlet.

Mushroom pepper sweetbread

Mushroom pepper sweetbread 

Whenever I see sweetbread on the fancy restaurants menu I always wonder what could be so delicate that they charge as much as a nice piece of steak? Than came last shabbos when I ate by my friend and she served this dish. It's so moist and creamy, you just want to clean off your plate until the last drops of the sauce is gone. I figured if it's not so time consuming I would try out the recipe. Didn't think it would be so easy! As a first time experience my lesson learnt for next time, don't add salt to the recipe, the sweetbread itself is very salty! Once it's all cooked taste the sauce and if you feel it needs more than add.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb beef  sweetbread

2 T oil

1 onion diced

1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 14oz can mushroom

1/2 t black pepper

Place the sweetbread in a pot covered with cold water, cover and boil it up. Once water is boiling lower the flame and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and run cold water over the sweetbread. Once its cooled slice sweetbread to small pieces (remove any membranes)

While sweetbread is boiling, heat oil in a large sautee pan and add onions and peppers to sautee for about 6-8 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue cooking on low for another 10 minutes. Add sweetbread pieces and cover pan. Simmer on low for additional 15-20 minutes until sweetbread pieces are soft and saucy. 

Bon appetit!

Hot 'n spicy chickpea soup

Hot 'n spicy chickpea soup

Chickpeas is such a diversified ingredient in a variety of recipes. Could be pureed, marinated, cooked even fried for a crunchy garnish. I never tried it in a soup though replacing other kind of beans. So one day i figured how bad could it be? I used my hawaij spice to give it that real middle eastern flavor. The house was filled with the spicy aroma that reminded me of those spice stands in any Israeli shuk (market). As always this recipe is quick and easy and the flavor is just unbelievable! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

The main ingredients 

3 T oil

1 leek thinly sliced

1 T crushed garlic

3 celery sticks thinly sliced

2 sticks of carrot chopped small

2 sticks of parsnip chopped small

1 bunch parsley ( wrapped in food mess saver bags)

1 bunch fresh spinach

2 15oz cans chickpeas (rinsed)

1 28oz crushed tomatoes

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 T hawaij spice

1 t sriracha sauce

1 t crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup stelline pasta (optional)

Heat oil in large pot, add leek, garlic, celery, carrot and parsnip, mix well and sautee for 10 minutes. add chickpeas and spices mix well, Add crushed tomatoes, stock and parsley (in wrap n boil bag) and cook it covered on low for 1 hour. Add fresh spinach and pasta (optional) and cook it for additional 15 minutes uncovered. 

Bon appetit!

Mushroom pepper steak with baked cabbage leek "latkes"

Mushroom pepper steak with baked cabbage leek "latkes"

This is my version of pepper steak. Its not the classic recipe, but its a guaranteed way to avoid any leftovers. The cabbage leek recipe I once saw by a chanuka party where it was obviously pan fried and oily. I figured I'll try to come up with a healthier version and honestly it is finger licking good!If you dont like leek you can replace it with scallions or onions or skip it altogether, but don't expect the same delicious result!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb pepper steak
2 T oil
1 onion diced
1 t crushed garlic
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 14oz can of mushroom, drained
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
2 T beef soup mix
1/2 T montreal steak seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan, add onion and garlic and sautee for 5-6 minutes. Add peppers and sautee for additional 2-3 minutes. Add pepper steak slices and mix it until all pieces are browned. Add mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, water, soup mix and spices.Let it simmer covered on low for 90 minutes.

Oven baked cabbage leek latkes

Ingredients

1 bag of shredded green cabbage (16oz)
1 leek thinly sliced (only white part)
3 eggs
3 T flour
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400
Mix all ingredients. Spray out muffin pans. Scoop in mixture to each pan, filling it halfway up.
Bake for 20 minutes or until all "latkes" are golden brown.

Bon appetit

Upside down peach kugel

Upside down peach kugel

This kugel recipe could be used as side dish, dessert or just like a cake next to your coffee. Its moist and light, could be done with canned pears or mangos also, but the visual effect works best with peaches. It's quick and easy to make, perfect for your last minute guests . Enjoy!

Ingredients:

10-12 peach slices from can (leave some for garnish
1 T lemon juice
1 T sugar

Batter:
2 eggs
1 stick margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 t baking powder
1 scoop vanilla sugar


Preheat oven 350
Arrange peach slices in a round 9" greased baking pan. Mix lemon juice with sugar and pour over peaches. Combine all batter ingredients and pour over the peach slices. Bake for 10 minutes uncovered and than for 1 hour covered.

Bon appetit!  

Three bean beef chili with fried egg on top

Three bean beef chili with fried egg on top

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 large onion, diced 

1 red bell pepper, diced 

1 green pepper diced

2 t ground cumin

1 pound ground beef 

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce 

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles

1 t cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in large pot, add the onion and peppers. Cover and cook it until the vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the cumin and cayenne pepper and mix well. Add ground beef and make sure you break up the meat with spoon until all pieces are browned. Add crushed tomatoes, water, chipotle chili and sauce and cook it on low heat for 45 minutes. Add beans and continue cooking on low for additional 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

For the fried egg garnish, spray with oil and heat up frying pan. Place a round cookie cutter in pan and pour egg inside the circle.

To get an evenly cooked fried egg, the trick is to keep the air circulating. The easiest way to achieve that is to cover the egg and create a "steaming area". Cook for 2 minute and than lift the cover to check on the egg. The white should be perfectly cooked and yolk a little loose , when you cut into it should be runny.  Remove it very carefully from pan and place it on top of your chili

Bon apetit!

Lemon pepper salmon en croute

Lemon pepper salmon en croute

Salmon en croute sounds like a dish you would order in a french restaurant and pay big bucks for it. I'll tell you a secret, its really quick and easy and all you need is a piece of salmon, a dough and some kind of a sauce to use for "glue". Here is my version, enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 slices of salmon fillet ,skin off sprinkled with juice of half a lemon to take away "fishiness"

1 T oil

4 5" flaky dough squares

3 T mayo

2 t lemon pepper spice mix

1 t lemon juice

1 egg 

Preheat oven to 375

Place flaky dough squares on cookie sheet. Mix mayo with lemon pepper spice mix and lemon juice. Spread a small line of the mixture across each square. Cut slits 1" apart on each side to create strips for braiding. 

Heat up a frying pan with 1T oil and fry each salmon about 30 seconds each side, until they are light pink. Put aside to cool. Once salmon cooled off, place each slice on top of the mayo mixture across each flaky dough square. 

 Start "braiding" by taking first strip of dough and folding over salmon and continuing with the other side overlapping each other. When you get to last piece just tuck it under the fish in order not to open up by baking

Beat up egg and add few drops of water to egg mixture. Brush each piece lightly with eggs

Bake it for 20 minutes or until its golden brown.

Bon appetit! 

Sesame-soy marinated grilled chicken cutlet with roasted two tone potatoes and apple onion marmalade

Sesame-soy marinated grilled chicken cutlet with roasted two tone potatoes and apple onion marmalade

Tonight I wanted to try my new apple onion marmalade (see recipe in previous post), so i needed a quick and easy chicken recipe and some simple side dish to make the marmalade shine. Toasted sesame oil is one of my favorite flavors when it comes to marinating.Even a few drops could have such a strong flavor in any marinade. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

4 slices of thin chicken cutlet

Marinade:

3 T sesame oil

3 T soy sauce

1 T sugar (or xyletol

2 scallions thinly sliced

1 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

Mix all ingredients for marinate in a ziplock bag and place cutlets inside. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

Heat grill pan (if you dont have than frying pan), Grill cutlets for 5-6 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through and has grilled marks.

Two tone roasted potato:

3 small red potatoes, washed and scrubbed, cut into 1/4 inch slices (i use crinkle cutter)

3 small white potatoes washed and scrubbed, cut into 1/4 inch slices (i use crinkle cutter)

salt and pepper to taste

2 T oil

Preheat oven to 400

Place all potato slices onto greased cookie sheet, sprinkle it with oil, salt and pepper, make sure all pieces are well coated

Bake it for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and crispy

Apple onion marmalade (jam)

Apple onion marmalade 

(perfect for your Tu B'shvat menu)

There are certain foods that you usually see in fancy restaurants menu and most people would never think of recreating it in their own kitchen or probably would forget about it by the time they get to their car outside the restaurant. Well I am the opposite, I love tasting new flavors, diffferent recipes  and try to recreate it. This is my version of apple onion marmalade that I saw once on a menu, but i did my personal twist on it by adding craisins. It could be used as a condiment on any steak or chicken dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 T oil

1 large red onions, diced

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup vegetable stock

2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 t salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t ground allspice

1/4 cup craisins (optional)

Directions

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the apple juice and stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the apples, salt, pepper and allspice. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the apples are tender, about 10-12 minutes. As my personal twist add craisins and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they soften up a little.

Serve warm or at room temperature

Bon appetit

Creamy mushroom chicken pot pie

Creamy mushroom chicken pot pie

This recipe started off as my regular easy creamy mushroom chicken ragout that I usually mix with either farfel or some noodles, but ended up as a pot pie this time. The flaky puff pastry on top takes it up to a whole new different level. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 onion chopped

1 t crushed garlic

2 T oil

16 oz canned mushroom chopped small 

1 lb cubed chicken cutlets

2 T flour

salt and pepper to taste

3 T osem mushroom soup mix

flaky dough squares (I used the 5" squares)

1 egg beaten

Instructions:

Heat oil and sautee onions for 5-6 minutes. Add mushrooms and sautee for another 10 minutes. Cover chicken cubes in flour and add it to the pan. Brown chicken cubes each side for a few minutes, Mix mushroom soup mix with 2 cups of hot water and pour it over the chicken and musrhoom sautee. Simmer on low for another 10 minutes. 

Heat oven to 375

Put each portion of chicken with mushroom and some sauce in oven proof ramekins. Spread flaky dough squares over the top and stretch it over the edges of the ramekins.Cut a few small holes for more even baking.

 Brush top of flaky dough with eggs and bake it on 375 for 15-20 minutes, until dough is golden brown and all puffed 

Bon appetit

Pastrami salad with "642" dressing

Pastrami salad with "642" dressing

This salad I recently ate by my friend Rikki on Chanukkah and since than I was so in the mood of copying it. As simple as it is, the flavors are the perfect combination for a refreshing, light, crunchy salad. The dressing as my friend calls  the "642 dressing", its really easy to memorize. Enjoy!

Ingredients per serving

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

3 oz pastrami cut up thinly

few slices of red onion

1/4 cup pommegranate seeds

642 dressing (enough for about 3-4 servings)

6 T oil

4 T vinegar

2 T sugar or substitute ( I use xyletol)

Shake all ingredients in a container 

Instructions:

Mix salad ingredients and pour dressing over it. As simple as that!

Bon appetit!

Hearty lentil bean meat stew

Hearty lentil bean meat stew

The night before the famous Juno snow "blizzard" I was talking to my hubby about next day's supper planning. He said, with such a weather all I need is a good hot n spicy soup. So this is when I decided to make such a 3 in 1 meal. Its a soup, meat and side dish all in one bowl. Since I made it in a 12qt pot there was enough to give for friends and family too, after all sharing is caring! Enjoy this easy and delicious recipe. 

3 T oil

1 leek thinly sliced

2-3 cloves crushed garlic

2 carrots cut into 1/2" circles

2 parsnips cut into 1/2" circles

3 celery sticks cut incro 1/2" slices

2 sweet potatoes cut into 1" chunks

2 cups frozen butternut squash cubes (add it half hour before done)

1 bunch italian parsley (washed well and tied in a soup bag)

1 cup barley

1 cup lentil

1 can of red kidney beans

2-3 meat bones or knuckle bones

2  turkey necks (optional)

1 lb beef stew

3 T paprika

1 T cayenne pepper (if you like some heat)

salt and pepper to taste

2 T osem beef soup mix

3 T Hawaij spice (see pic bellow)

Hawaij spice mix

Instructions:

Heat oil in 12qt pot. Add leek and garlic and sautee for 5-6 minutes. Add rest of the vegetables and sautee for additional 8-10 minutes.Remove all vegetables from pot and put aside. Add meat bones and beef stew and brown all sides (5-6minutes). Put all vegetables back in the pot and add all spices and barley, Fill up pot with water and let it cook on medium high for 2 hours, Add lentil and canned beans and cook for an additional hour. Serve it hot!  

Bon appetit!

90 second Brownie

90 second Brownie

It's cold and snowing outside and all you feel like doing is bundle up on your couch with a good book or movie and just relax. Kids are all asleep or at least in bed, the house is all quiet  And than comes the craving for something yummy for your well deserved midnight snack! This recipe is perfect for those sweet cravings, easy to make and just melts in your mouth from the richness of the cocoa. Just be careful, it is really hot when ready, so even though its hard to resist when you smell the fresh brownie, its not worth burning your tongue! For fancier presentation you can serve it with a scoop of ice cream or with more fruits on the side


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons margarine (or butter if made dairy)
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (not the imitation)
• 1 dash salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 
  

Instructions:

• In a 12 oz coffee mug (microwave safe), add water, melted margarine, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk well. Add cocoa powder, whisk well. Add sugar, whisk well. Add flour, whisk well. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Center should be slightly molten. Careful not to overcook. Enjoy with a spoon. Careful brownie will be hot.

Slow cooker pot roast with root vegetables over israeli pearl couscous

Slow cooker is one of the best way to prepare a hearty supper on a winter day, especially for the working Mommies. Unlike regular recipes, as long as you follow the recipe you just can't go wrong to create the perfect one bowl meal. You can prepare all vegetables the night before and just assemble it in the morning.  Here is one of my versions of the "crock-pot-roast" dinner.

Ingredients:
1 package Osem pearl couscous cooked as directed on packaging

For the roast:
2-3lb pot roast (you can use any other cut, just make sure they cook well in slow cookers)
1 leek sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 carrots cut into thick slices
2 parsnips cut into 1" chunks
3 sticks of celery cut into 1" chunks
1 turnip cut into 1" chunks
2 potatoes cut into 1" chunks (optional)
4-5 shitake mushrooms (optional, put in only for the last 30minutes)
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tsp paprika
1 T montreal steak seasoning
2 T osem beef soup mix
1 T cumin (optional)
water to cover

Turn slow cooker on HIGH
Place all vegetables in slow cooker and than put roast on top. sprinkle with all the spices and fill up pot with water about inch away from top.

Cook for 6-7 hours on HIGH, If you like shitaake mushrooms, add 30minutes before ready to serve!

Bon appetit!