Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

In my recent attempt to find healthy salads I came across this recipe in the Spice and Spirit cookbook. The only change I made was to substitute the sugar with splenda. Since the vegetables are so crisp it was still good a few days later as leftovers. Note that the cookbook indicated that this serves 8-10 people. We had it at a meal with 12 people and other side dishes/salads and there was a lot left over(and no, not because it wasn't good).

1 large broccoli, cut into florets
1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 zucchini, diced
4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 C. oil
1/3 C. Vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
1 Tbls. Splenda
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/3 tsp. pepper

Toss together all salad ingredients. In a seperate bowl combine or whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Serve chilled.

Chickpea Salad with Tehina and Garlic Dressing

Sorry it's been a while since I have posted. I am working full time now and have very little time for anything else-including cooking.
Lately I have been searching for healthy salad recipes. I know it sounds dumb-isn't all salad healthy? Well when you dump gobs of mayonnaise, oils and sugar into the dressing and then onto the salad then no, it isn't. In attempt to bring some variety into my Rosh Hashanah menus I found some new salad recipes and I will be sharing several with you in the next few weeks.
This first one I found on this blog that I came across recently. I didn't get a chance to photograph my salad but it pretty much looked the same. I did use my progressive dicer to make this salad (thanks for the recommendation Talia) which made it simple to throw together.
The only change I made to the recipe was changing measurements to quantities as I prefer recipes that way so I assume you do too.

2 cans chick peas, drained
2 cucumbers, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
6 scallions, diced
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:
1/2 cup Tehina
4 Tbls lemon juice
2 Tbls water
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Chop all vegetables and toss. Mix dressing and pour over salad before serving.

Caryn's Quinoa Pilaf

You may notice that I make a lot of quinoa. I love how versatile it is and it really is a super food. A few years back I had never had quinoa and I really wanted to try it. For some reason I was a little intimidate by it and the fact that it required rinsing made me even more hessitant. Enter Caryn's Quinoa Pilaf. My friend Caryn gave me this recipe that doesn't require rinsing so it was a good way to ease me into the world of Quinoa. This remains one of my staple recipes. Aside from the fact that it is delicious, I love how colorful it is and that it is so simple to make. Thanks Caryn!

(I didn't have a zucchini this time so the photo is a little less green than usual)


1 Tbls. Olive Oil
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 zuchinni
2 carrots
2 garlic
1 pepper(green, yellow or orange)
1 1/2 C. Quinoa
3 C. Boiling Water
1/2 tsp. Salt-or to taste
1 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash-or to taste

Shred all veggies in food processor. Heat oil in an pan and add the veggies and saute. Add quinoa. Then add water, salt and Mrs. Dash. Bring to boil. Stir. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes on low.

No Cook Cauliflower Salad

I came across this cauliflower salad on a blog I regulalrly read. I didn't have pimento olives so I used sliced manzillo. I only used a half red onion as I thought it was going to be too onion-y. I replaced the sugar with splenda. I also made the dressing seperatly as I made the salad ahead and just tossed the dressing on before serving. It was delicious and I am making it again this week.

Here is the salad undressed.

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 red onion, diced small
1/2 C. sliced green olives
1 medium can corn, drained
1 can (10 ounces or larger 14.5 ounces) chick peas, rinsed and drained

Dressing:
4 Tbls. Olive oil
3 Tbls. Lemon Juice
2 Tbls. Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper (or more, to taste)
2 tsp. splenda

Combine all salad ingredients. Mix dressing and toss with salad.

Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

As you know we are lovers of hummus. I like to try a new recipe every few weeks. When I came across this one I thought it was perfect as I had a few red peppers in the fridge that needed to be used soon.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can Chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted red peppers (If you need instructions take these)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

In an food processor combine garlic, chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add roasted peppers and basil; process until the peppers are finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer hummus to small bowl, cover and chill until you are ready to serve.

Roasted Spicy Cauliflower

I love cauliflower and usually just roast it with some kosher salt, pepper and olive oil. Last week I decided to try a variation which I found on one of my favorite healthy cooking blogs. The results were a delicious, beautiful cauliflower with a kick.

1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
2 Tbls. Olive oil
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
pinch salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Placed cut up cauliflower, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper into mixing bowl and stir well to combine and coat cauliflower with oil and red pepper. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet. Roast until softened and golden brown for 25-30 minutes.

Basil Mayonnaise

When I told you about the pistachio crusted chicken breasts that my family really enjoyed I mentioned that it was good with a salad dressing or mayonnaise based sauce. One of our favorites is basil mayonnaise which I found on a wonderful website called Challah Crumbs. I know it is mayonnaise based however in moderation this is a great dip for chicken or vegetables. I can get my kids to eat a lot more vegetables with this dip next to them. I have made this with frozen basil however it is better with fresh basil.

1 cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Fresh Basil
1 Tbls. Lemon Juice
1 clove Garlic, minced

Place all in the jar of a blender or food processor. Blend until the basil is well chopped and season to taste. Can be made a day before serving.

Honey Garlic Grilled Eggplant

I have mentioned before that I am not a huge eggplant fan. However my husband loves it-I'd even go as far as saying that prepared correctly it is his favorite food. I am happy to make it and will from time to time try it. On occasion I even like it. This was one of those times. I made honey garlic grilled eggplant with an eggplant I had sitting in the fridge. The only change I made was I didn't include the chili as I didn't have any.

1 eggplant (2 if using small Italian eggplants)
1 Tbls. Honey
2 Tbls. Olive oil
2 Garlic Cloves, mashed
2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and pepper

Peel stripes of skin off the eggplant to create a zebra like pattern of skin and no-skin. This is not only decorative, but makes the skin easier to bite. Slice eggplant into ½ inch thick circles. Lay out a large sheet of paper towels. Sprinkle eggplant generously with salt on both sides and lay out on paper towels. The eggplant will release a lot of liquid. This will help get rid of bitterness (if any) and make the eggplant more succulent and less watery after it’s cooked. Let sit for 15 minutes, then dry both sides well with paper towels.
In a large bowl, mix honey, olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Dunk both sides of each eggplant slice into this marinade.
Preheat the grill to high. Grab a wad of paper towel with tongs, dip it in oil, and brush it on the grill.
Place the eggplant slices on the grill, cover, and turn down the heat to medium. Grill until marked, about 3 minutes. Turn 90 degrees to make cross-hatch grill marks. Grill until marked, about 3 more minutes.
Brush the slices with remaining marinade, flip and repeat the grilling procedure on the other side. Regulate heat so that the eggplant is browning, but not burning. Remove to a plate, and drizzle with olive oil.

Spicy Broccoli

I started getting fresh broccoli deleviered to my house on a regular basis and I was looking for creative new ways to make it that would appeal to my kids. I found this recipe for spicy broccoli and although I knew only 1 of my kids would try it I figured it sounded so simple to make and healthy that it was worth a shot. The 1 who tried it liked it as did all the grown ups who ate it. Since it was already simple and healthy I didn't make any changes to the recipe.

1 1/2 tsp. Olive Oil
3 C. Broccoli, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3/4 C. Canned Tomatoes, crushed

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute broccoli, garlic, and red pepper flakes for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Enjoy!

Roasted Carrots with Garlic

This recipe is from the Uncommonly Kosher cookbook. I have cut down the oil but otherwise left the recipe as is. We have been enjoying this one for quite a while. I often double this one as many get gobbled up before serving and we like the leftovers too.

10 large Carrots, sliced
8 large Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tbls. Olive Oil
2 Tbls. Parsley, chopped
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Place carrots in a bowl. Mix garlic, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Toss garlic mixture with carrots. Arrange on a single layer on a cookie sheet(I use parchment paper for easy cleanup) and bake for 40 minutes. Turn carrots while roasting.

Sun Dried Tomatoes

In attempt to use and preserve all the tomatoes I bought on sale I decided to "sun dry" some. I really had no desire to leave the tomatoes outside and let the cats that roam eat them so I found a way to dry them in the oven.

Cut Roma tomatoes into quarters. You can also try this with cherry tomatoes cut in halves. Place cut tomatoes on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Place in oven at 175F degrees for 8 hours. Larger pieces may require more time. Store in a glass jar filled with olive oil to cover tomatoes, or in a plastic container in the refrigerator for non-oily tomatoes. You can also store these in the freezer.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Today tomatoes were on sale for .49 agrout per kilo which is a few pennies per pound so I bought the 3 kilo I was limited to. I decided to make some tomato soup. I believe this recipe originated in a South Beach Cookbook. I doubled the recipe since it doesn't make a lot and I had a lot of tomatoes. I still have a bunch so if you have any good tomato recipes you'd like to share I am happy to receive them!

2 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes(about 10 tomatoes), cut in half lengthwise
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 Tbls. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper
1 Tbls. olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up and scatter onion and garlic in a single layer around the tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil, oregano, salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Bake on middle rack until tomatoes are golden on the bottoms and start to collapse, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and put in pot, add 1/2 cup of broth and puree until smooth. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup of broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm.
Makes 4 (1 1/4 cup) servings.

Baba Ganosh Take Two

A while back I posted a Baba Ganosh recipe that we really liked. I had some eggplant sitting in my fridge and decided to try another Baba Ganosh and we found another winner. The only change I made to this recipe was I didn't char the eggplant prior to roasting. Otherwise it was delicious.

3 medium-sized Eggplants
1/2 cup (130g) Tahini (roasted sesame paste)
1 1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
3 Tbls. Lemon Juice
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
1/8 tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbls. Olive Oil
a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance. Remove from oven and let cool. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Spicy Carrot Sticks

I found this recipe in the Kosher By Design Teens and 20-Somethings cookbook. The only change I made was using splenda rather than sugar. These were so good that most of them were gone before they finished cooling. From now on I will need to make a double batch of these.

6 large carrots, peeled and trimmed
1 egg white from a large egg
3 Tbls. Olive Oil
1 Tbls. Water
1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 1/2 tsp. Splenda
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. White Pepper
1 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Cut each carrot in half to make 2 (3–4 inch) pieces. Cut each carrot half in half lengthwise. With the cut-side down on the cutting board, cut each half into 3 equal strips. Place the egg white into a large shallow bowl or container and whip with a fork or whisk till foamy. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, water, garlic powder, cumin, sugar,paprika, and white pepper. Place the carrot sticks into the beaten egg; toss the egg white. Stir the carrots into the spice mixture. Arrange in a single layer on a prepared pan. Sprinkle with the salt. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Crustless Quiche

I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers website many years ago. You can use any vegetables you'd like or have on hand. Most recently I made it with just onion and red pepper. I also doubled the recipe to make it in a 9X13 pan. If you do so you need to add about 15-20 minutes to the cooking time so the center finished cooking.

1/4 green pepper, diced
1/4 yellow pepper, diced
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 crown broccoli, chopped
1/4 Onion, diced
6 Egg Whites or 3 Eggs
3/4 C. Cottage Cheese
Salt
Pepper

Saute the vegetables in pam. Beat eggs and add cottage cheese mixing well. Add a
little bit of salt and pepper for flavor. Spray a 8X8 pan with Pam. Combine the vegetables with the cottage cheese mixture and pour into prepared pan. Cook at 350 for approx. 20 minutes or until lightly brown and set.

Stir Fried Tofu with Peppers and Onions

With Passover approaching the dinner options in my house are minimal. I had a package of tofu in the fridge that I decided to make last night with no real recipe. I took a chance and was pleasantly surprised that both my husband and 2 year old really liked this one.

1 Package Firm Tofu, drained, squeezed and cubed
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tbls. Soy Sauce, divided
1 large Onion, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Tbls. Olive Oil

Combine 1 Tbls. soy sauce with garlic and toss together with tofu. Let sit 1/2 hour. Heat oil in frying pan. Saute onions and peppers. Add tofu with sauce. saute until browned. Add remaining soy sauce at the end to taste.

This would be great over rice.

White Bean Pesto Hummus

I made this White Bean Basil Hummus or as we renamed it White Bean Pesto Hummus tonight. I didn't have fresh basil on hand so I used 2 cubes of the frozen basil. I am not 100% sure what the measurment is for the cubes as they are not fresh however 2 cubes added a lot of basil flavor so I wouldn't use more. Rather than use fresh lemon juice I used the equivilant of lemon juice from the bottle. Everyone loved this and ate fresh veggies with it. The picture isn't so pretty but trust me, this is a keeper. I don't see why you can't make this exact recipe with chickpeas...perhaps I will do that next time.

1 Can Cannelini or Northern White Beans, rinsed and drained
2 cubes Frozen Basil
1 Small Garlic Clove
1 1/2 Tbls. Lemon Juice
2 Tbls. Tahini
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 C. Olive Oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth letting it go for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Popcorn

This recipe was adapted from a recipe by the same name from the Kosher By Design Entertains cookbook. I have only made 3 changes in this recipe. First is I use frozen cauliflower, not because it is better but because I can't always get fresh and when I can I am too lazy to clean and cut it. But if you have fresh cauliflower and aren't lazy like me then I encourage you to use it as it is better. Secondly, I have cut the oil from 6-8 Tablespoons(yikes!) to 2 Tablespoons and it still seems excessive. Lastly I substituted splenda for the sugar. I often double or triple this recipe as we munch on it from the minute it comes out of the oven and my kids like it.

2 Heads cauliflower, cut into medium sized florets OR 1 bag frozen cauliflower(can be frozen or defrosted)
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Splenda
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp. Turmeric
2 Tbls. Olive Oil

Combine all spices and oil in a large bowl or in a ziploc bag. Add in the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast at 450 for 35-45 minutes until cooked and slightly browned. If the cauliflower is getting too brown for your liking you can mix it in the middle of cooking.

Grilled Crispy Mustard Brussels Sprouts

I know that not everyone loves Brussels sprouts. I for one am a big fan and am always looking for new ways to prepare them(as I learned early on that boiling them is not a good way). I was really happy to find this recipe for Grilled Crispy Mustard Brussels Sprouts which uses mustard and cooks them on the grill rather than roasting them in the oven.

I used frozen sprouts which eliminated the first step. I also used a gas grill so that made things easier as well.

1 bag frozen Brussels sprouts, defrosted and sliced in half
1/4 C. Olive Oil
2 Tbls. Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk together olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour mustard sauce over sprouts and toss to thoroughly coat. Place Brussels sprouts on preheated grill, keeping the bowl nearby with the sauce reserved. Grill until browned and slightly charred on both sides, flipping half way through cooking, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove Brussels sprouts to the bowl with reserved mustard sauce. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

Baba Ganoush

I do not like eggplant. My husband loves it but I don't. I have tried it prepared many different ways: fried, battered, in tomato sauce, lasagna, parmagean, roasted, grilled-you name it I have tried it but I just can't get on board. This doesn't mean I don't cook it-I just don't eat it. However there is one way I like eggplant. That is in the form of Baba Ganoush. Something about this salad makes the eggplant delicious to me. So when I saw this recipe for Baba Ganoush I had to try it. I had never thought about making Baba Ganoush before and when I saw how simple it was I couldn't believe it. The only change I made to the recipe was I didn't use paprika as all I had was sweet paprika and I didn't think it was an appropriate substitute for smoky.

1 Eggplant
2 Tbls. Tahina
1 Clove Garlic, minced
lemon juice, to taste
Pinch Smoked Paprika, optional
salt, pepper
Pinch Cumin

Roast eggplant at 425 degrees until black, softened and oozing juice, about 45 minutes. Mash eggplant pulp (remove skin) with rest of ingredients.