Recipes

Rockstar Roasted Cauliflower

Last week, I roasted cauliflower as a weekday side dish. It is one of our favorite sides and it is the perfect accompaniment for most any main dish. I have served it with all types of fish, poultry and meat. It is always a star side dish, so well received at my table.

But, at last week’s dinner table, the roasted cauliflower was a rockstar.

Each cauliflower floret was soft and velvety on the inside and crunchy and toasty on the outside. Everyone around the table commented that it was a whole new level for roasted cauliflower.

And, I scratched my head to try and figure out just what made it so delicious.

I replayed the dinnertime meal preparation in my head.

It had been one of those hectic weeknights. I had been working in my home office and instead of roasting the cauliflower on high heat from the beginning, I placed it in the oven on medium heat to cook alongside the Baked French Fried Onion Chicken until the chicken was ready. Once the timer for the baked chicken sounded, I removed the chicken from the oven and increased the heat for the cauliflower to my normal 450 degrees F roasting temperature.

That seemed to be the magic. I had started the cauliflower off at medium heat and had increased the heat after 25 minutes until it was finished.

I was determined to recreate the superstar cauliflower the next night. And, I did!

INGREDIENTS

1-2 heads cauliflower, separated into florets and cleaned (see kosher notes)
Oil
Kosher Salt
Granulated or fresh minced garlic (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or greased foil.

Spread cauliflower in a single layer on baking sheet(s). Drizzle with oil and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and garlic.

Cook for 25 minutes and then increase temperature to 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes more, checking that vegetables are soft and browned before removing from oven.

KOSHER NOTES

Kosher laws disallow the eating of any whole insects and therefore cauliflower require a process of soaking, rinsing and in some cases, pureeing. Kashrut authorities differ on the proper checking of cauliflower and some disallow its use altogether. This blog was not designed to be your kosher authority, so please consult your local rabbinic authority regarding using and preparing cauliflower.

Lazy CrockPot Chicken with Dumplings

Now that the weather has started to get colder, my crockpot is busy most days. I have been making soup, stews and all in one dinners in the crockpot. Crockpot cooking is simple and requires very little attention during the cooking process. The only thing different about crockpot cooking is getting all the ingredients into the crock early in the day, so that they will have enough lazy time to cook and be ready in time for dinner.

This recipe for chicken with dumplings is one of those comfort dishes that never fails to impress. It warms the soul on those cold, dark wintry evenings. It is simple, but really packs a satisfying bite. The chicken can be cooked with the vegetables and served without the dumplings. The dumplings soak up much of the liquid and make this dish extra hearty.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
2-3 cups chicken broth or water
1 onion
carrots
3-4 cloves garlic or garlic powder
4 stalks celery
mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Dumplings

1 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cups water
1 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours.

One to two hours before serving, prepare dumplings:
In a medium bowl, stir water, egg, oil, salt, and pepper. Gradually add flour, and stir until thick. Drop dumplings into the crockpot using a spoon or a fork. Do not stir until ready to serve. Gently ladle out portions.

NOTES
Know your crockpot and which settings to use. I cook my soup on the high setting of my six quart crockpot for about 6 hours and only turn it down to low or auto once the soup has been completed. Your crockpot may need to be set to auto for the duration of the cooking. If you are not sure, start your soup at high. Check on the soup after 3 hours. If it tastes ready, then turn it down to auto or low until serving. If not, cook the soup for longer, checking every hour.

This recipe can easily be made with bone-in chicken and can be adapted to incorporate your favorite vegetables.

TIPS

When I anticipate preparing something in the crockpot, but know that my morning will be hectic, I prepare the ingredients (including seasonings and liquid) in the crock the night before. I store the crock filled with ingredients in the refrigerator overnight. To be safe, I usually keep the poultry ingredients separate until ready to cook. Then, all I have to do is place the crock into the pot and plug in the next morning. It eliminates the stressful morning rush and offers me a hearty cooked dinner several hours later. This recipe will require you to prepare the dumplings 1-2 hours before serving. The dumpling dough is very forgiving and can be prepared the night before and just added to the crock 1-2 hours before serving.

That Turkey! Baked Apple

I love warm baked apples. There is something simple about the flavor and preparation, yet it is one of those recipes that never seems to get old.

For Thanksgiving, I decided to dress up my Simply Delicious Baked Apples and create a Thanksgiving-inspired baked apple turkey.

It really was simple. Oh, and whimsical. And, of course, delicious! (more…)

Thanksgiving Quinoa Salad

Thanksgiving celebrates the bounty of the harvest. Giving thanks is central to Judaism and offering thanks for agricultural success (Bekurim: First Fruits from Hollister) is an important Jewish theme. Traditionally, foods like cranberry, almonds and corn are included in the American Thanksgiving celebration. This salad celebrates the breadth of so many delicious salad ingredients, some old, some new and some recreated. The addition of pumpkin pie spice to the toasting of the seeds and nuts adds a familiar Thanksgiving taste and aroma to this salad. (more…)

Baked Cranberry Salami Slinky

Baked salami is a real treat in our house. It is one of those simple recipes that I prepare to serve in the afternoon before a festive meal. It is a treat for Erev Shabbos (Friday afternoon) and Erev Yom Tov (afternoon before a Jewish holiday).

I reasoned: why not dress the recipe up for Thanksgiving and serve it Erev Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving eve), too? (more…)

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pumpkin Pie Spice is synonymous with the flavor of autumn and is a taste so well associated with Thanksgiving. It imparts that special favor and aroma to pies, soups, stews, roasts and salad toppings. Most recipes call for just a bit of this spice and it is comprised of spices that you probably have in your spice cabinet, anyways. So, why buy a new bottle if you can easily make just what you need?

This recipe can be used to prepare your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. It is a simple blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves or allspice that can be easily adjusted to your taste and recipe.

pumpkin-pie-spice

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons ginger

2 teaspoons allspice or ground cloves

DIRECTIONS

Add the spices to a spice container or glass baby food jar. Shake to combine.

NOTES

Play with the proportions to suit your own taste.

Add a unique label to your pumpkin pie spice jar. Using glue stick, I adhered a custom simpletowow.com label to an empty spice jar. If you would like to print your own simpletowow spice jar label, feel free print out this pumpkin-pie-spice-label The paper label also allows you to jot down the date when you prepared the mix so that you can keep your pantry fresh and organized.

Roasted Rainbow Skewers

Rainbow vegetables are a side dish staple in our home. I prepare several trays of roasted vegetables just about every Friday. I leave some trays of roasted vegetables on the counter for an Erev Shabbos (Friday afternoon) treat and save the rest for the Shabbos meal. Most of the roasted vegetables are enjoyed before Shabbos even begins.

I usually choose vegetables that are in season and easy to clean. My favorites are peppers, zucchini, beets and sweet potato. My recipe for Simple Rainbow Roasted Vegetables is simple and yields beautiful and deliciously caramelized vegetables. My kids have grown up with this “vegetable candy” as part of their Erev Shabbos (Shabbos eve) experience.

Recently, I have been preparing cabbage in different ways. I saute cabbage (Colorful Confetti Cabbage), prepare it in kugels (Simple Cabbage Kugel and Kale and Cabbage Kugel: a Pareve Souffle) and use it in a myriad of salad combinations (Colorful Red Cabbage Quinoa Salad, no oil necessary and Asian Red Cabbage Salad…Simple and Wow).

Cabbage has many health benefits. It is low in calories and carbs and high in fiber and vitamins. Cabbage is low in saturated fat and boasts high levels of vitamin C and vitamin K. Best of all, it is inexpensive and available year-round.

For this recipe, I skewer wedges of red and green cabbage as well as zucchini. Once skewered, I drizzle olive oil and sprinkle garlic and kosher salt before roasting. The skewers are simple and just delicious!

INGREDIENTS and SUPPLIES

1/2 head red cabbage, cleaned and cut into small wedges
1/2 head green cabbage, cleaned and cut into small wedges
2 zucchini, scrubbed and sliced

heavy skewers

SEASONINGS

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Granulated or fresh minced garlic
Kosher Salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or greased foil.

Skewer cabbage wedges and zucchini. Spread skewers in a single layer on baking sheet(s). Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and garlic.

Roast for 40-45 minutes, checking that vegetables are soft and browned before removing from oven.

VARIATIONS

Lightly drizzle balsamic vinegar in addition to olive oil and kosher salt for a zesty alternative.

Purple Cupcakes for Avigail

Avigail’s favorite color is purple.

Well, most of the time Avigail’s favorite color is purple. Except when she changes her mind and decides that her favorite color is pink.

In Avigail’s family, a favorite color is very important. Her Bubby’s favorite color is blue. Aunt Sarina’s favorite color is purple, too.

I had a hard time admitting to Avigail that I don’t really have a favorite color. My dining room is orange. My bedroom is yellow. My family room is terra cotta. I wear a lot of black.

So, I explained to Avigail that I like all the colors that Hashem (G-d) created, each in its own way. Thankfully, Avigail understood. Whoow!

Avigail just turned three years old and we were in Israel during her birthday. So, when she visited us last, I decided to make a batch of cupcakes for her.

I took a deep breath and hoped that she would not change her favorite color for that day.

She didn’t.

Avigail informed me that she still loves the color purple.

Except, she also emphatically reminded me, “It is not my birthday. My birthday was last week!”

At least, we don’t have to go over the favorite color thing.

These are the cupcakes. Enjoy all the purple, Avigail and Sarina!

INGREDIENTS

one dozen cupcakes, baked and cooled

2 cups of purple frosting. I used Pillsbury purple frosting

one recipe of Colorful Chocolate Bark using purple chocolate melts. I used Gefen pareve purple melts and the sprinkles from the Pillsbury purple frosting and craisins

DIRECTIONS

Bake a dozen of your favorite cupcakes and allow to cool.

Prepare a batch of Colorful chocolate bark using Gefen pareve purple melts and purple sprinkles or candies. Allow to cool and break into shards.

Fill a large piping bag with purple icing. To do this most easily, I place piping bag with tip inside a tall cup or glass and fold the excess bag over the edge.

I then fill the piping bag with purple icing.

Squeeze frosting toward the bottom of the bag and begin piping, starting from outside of cupcake and piping toward center.

Garnish each cupcake with a shard of decorated purple bark.

Voila!

Simply Reliable One Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

Everyone has their go-to favorite roast chicken recipe. It is that hearty meal that is simple, reliable and oh, so comforting. This recipe is practically one of our favorite and certainly one of our most undemanding Shabbos guests. Despite its simple preparation, it yields a delicious chicken dish with spicy flavored potato wedges on the side.

In our house, this is the roast chicken recipe that I prepare most every Erev Shabbos (Sabbath eve). I prepare it in a large oblong Pyrex baking dish using whole chicken or bone-in chicken parts. It makes the house smell inviting and warm and lets everyone know that Shabbos is on its way. I have prepared this chicken simply and reliably for nearly the past thirty years. It is one of the few things in our home that needs no extra attention on Friday.

It is so reliable that I prepare it in the morning and place it in the oven on a two-hour automatic timer. It is so forgiving that it does not require a preheated oven, but can be cooked in a preheated oven if it is following another recipe. No matter what my Friday brings: heavy work, surprises or extra cleaning, it is ready and delicious just two hours later with no special attention.

Now, if only the rest of my Erev Shabbos was that simple and forgiving…

INGREDIENTS (more…)

Simple Crockpot Broccoli Soup

We returned home from our trip to Israel and found that Autumn has arrived in New Jersey. Gone are the eighty-degree sunny Fall days in Israel. Instead, we returned to crisp Fall days in the Northeast.

These cold mornings have me preparing crockpot soups. This soup is so simple to prepare and makes for a delicious and hearty lunchtime broccoli soup. It is flavorful, nutritious and low-carb.

After lunch, I puree what is left in the crockpot for a smooth and filling dinner soup-two divine soups from one recipe with minimal effort.

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds broccoli, fresh or frozen (see kosher notes)
1 onion or shallot, cut into chunks
4-6 cups water or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon salt
4 cloves garlic or 1 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Fill crockpot with broccoli, onion and/or shallot and seasonings. Fill crockpot 3/4 to top with water and/or stock. Cook on high for at least 4 hours. For a smooth texture, blend with a stick blender before serving.

VARIATIONS
Replace broccoli with cauliflower for another flavor alternative.

Saute onion or shallot before adding for more depth of flavor.

KOSHER NOTES

Kosher laws disallow the eating of any whole insects and therefore broccoli and cauliflower require a process of soaking, rinsing and in some cases, pureeing. Kashrut authorities differ on the proper checking of broccoli and cauliflower and some disallow the use of these altogether. This blog was not designed to be your kosher authority, so please consult your local rabbinic authority regarding using and preparing broccoli and cauliflower.

Mango, Pecan and Pomegranate Salad

Occasionally, I like to prepare a sweet and leafy salad. I usually use romaine lettuce or baby bok choy, since these greens are assertive enough to stand up to the sweet juiciness of the fruit and nuts. I choose whatever fruit is abundant and perfectly ripe.

Over Sukkos in Israel, pomegranates and mangoes were exactly that: abundant and perfectly ripe. I bought candied pecans in the Machane Yehuda Shuk (Jerusalem market) and added those, too.

Davida prepared this salad and is was both beautiful and delcious. I loved the interplay between the soft bitterness of the chopped greens, the sweet juiciness of the pomegranate seeds, the tropical flavor of the mango and the heartiness of glazed pecans.

The dressing for this salad is best made by sprinkling the spices and drizzling the liquid ingredients directly on the vegetables right before serving. That way, the salad remains light, fresh and not weighed down by the dressing.

INGREDIENTS

2-4 cups of chopped romaine or baby bok choy (see kosher notes)

1 mango, cut into small cubes
1 pomegranate, seeded

1/4 cup candied pecans, chopped small

DRESSING

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, sprinkled
Coarse black pepper, just a pinch to taste
juice of half a lemon, lightly drizzled
Olive or canola oil, lightly drizzled (optional)

light drizzle of agave syrup, honey or sugar

DIRECTIONS

Make sure that the lettuce or bok choy is dry. Place mango, pomegranate and pecans right on top of greens. Right before serving, sprinkle salt and pepper on top of vegetables. Lightly drizzle with lemon, oil and syrup, honey or sugar. Toss all salad ingredients together. Enjoy!

KOSHER NOTES

Kosher laws disallow the eating of any whole insects and therefore most greens require a process of soaking, rinsing and in some cases, pureeing. Kashrut authorities differ somewhat on the proper checking of leafy vegetables. This blog was not designed to be your kosher authority, so please consult your local rabbinic authority regarding using greens such as romaine lettuce or baby bok choy.

VARIATIONS

Substitute star fruit or granny smith apples for mango

Enjoy!

Salmon Terrarium Appetizer

We were fortunate to have spend the past Sukkos (Fall Jewish Holiday celebrated in temporary huts covered in natural materials) in Israel. We always marvel at how our Jerusalem sukka is so much larger than our doll-size apartment living space. Our sukka is tucked into one of those beautiful, dusty and wonderful corners of Jerusalem. It is surrounded by gorgeous Jerusalem stone walls and is just beneath a main street with people strolling by on their way to the kotel (Western Wall) via Sha’ar Yafo (Jaffa Gate).

On sukkos, our sukka was home to many guests. Our guests over Yom Tov are our friends, our family, our neighbors, Aaron and Davida’s friends and their friends’ friends. Over the past Sukkos holiday, I served lots of food to many, many guests. I try to keep the food simple, so that I can enjoy the spirit of the Yom Tov (holiday). To keep things interesting, I try different table settings and plating techniques.

One of my appetizer mainstays is salmon. I usually prepare a side of Perfect Salmon with Roasted Vegetables. For the first meal, I usually serve the salmon as is. It is beautiful just as is.

As an alternative, I often plate the salmon differently for the next Yom Tov meal. This time, I flaked it in small pieces and served it in a clear square bowl with some Simple and Perfect Spicy Mayo and dill sauce drizzled on top and garnished with a few chive sprigs. I just placed a few fancy lettuce leaves on the side for garnish.

Simple to Wow!

Simple Baked Gefilte Fish Terrine

Gefilte fish is a traditional Jewish food served on Shabbos and the Jewish holidays. It is a loaf created with various types of ground fish and is usually boiled and served cold with sliced carrot and horseradish. There are a number of gefilte fish companies that prepare a frozen gefilte fish loaf ready for cooking.

Of course, I have experimented with different ways of preparing gefilte fish. This is one of he simplest. It is delicious and beautiful, too.

It will take a traditional gefilte fish and transform it into a wow appetizer.

INGREDIENTS
2 loaves of gefilte fish, partially defrosted
fresh or frozen spinach, soaked, rinsed, and dried
cooked carrot slices
cooking spray

SUPPLIES
loaf pan
parchment paper
silicone or rubber spatula

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Partially defrost 2 loaves of gefilte fish. I defrost the fish overnight in my refrigerator.

Line loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving enough on sides to fold over gefilte fish loaf.

Remove first loaf of gefilte fish from wrapping and press into parchment-lined loaf pan using spatula to spread the gefilte fish evenly and smoothly.

Place dry spinach leaves or a very thin layer of dry chopped spinach on top of gefilte fish.

Place a single layer of thinly sliced carrots on top of spinach.

Remove second loaf of gefilte fish from wrapping and layer right over the carrot layer, pressing to make sure that the second layer of gefilte fish closes any gaps created by the spinach and/or carrots. Spread evenly and smooth top.

Spray top of gefilte fish with oil spray and fold parchment paper over the top of the gefilte fish terrine, making sure that the fish is well covered. Cover top of parchment paper with foil if the fish is not completely covered by parchment.

Bake for 90 minutes. Allow to reach room temperature before refrigerating terrine in the loaf pan .

To serve, wait until the terrine is completely cold. Carefully, remove terrine from the loaf pan. Unfold parchment paper top and sides, leaving parchment on the bottom. Cut the terrine in slices and serve cold.

Enjoy!

Kohlrabi Confetti Salad

We are in Israel for Sukkos and kohlrabi is plentiful here. It is sold in the Machane Yehuda shuk (market) and in fruit stands throughout the country. In the past, I have used kohlrabi in soups and have cooked it in a myriad of ways. Today, I prepared a shredded salad for dinner in the Sukka using fresh kohlrabi. It was simple, delicious and very satisfying.

Kohlrabi is a root vegetable also named German turnip or turnip cabbage. It has a white interior with an either light green or purple peel. Kohlrabi has trademark antennae, making it look like an alien vegetable.

But don’t let its antennae scare you off. Kohlrabi is a low-calorie option that is loaded with vitamins. It has a crisp and crunchy texture and a mild sweet flavor. Its flavor is reminiscent of broccoli stem and apple. Kohlrabi may be cooked into soups stews or mashes. It may be roasted like a turnip. When roasted or cooked, it takes on the texture of a typical turnip. When visiting Israel, I add cubes of kohlrabi to my chicken soup.

This was the first time that I have prepared raw kohlrabi and my family really enjoyed it. The salad was so simple to prepare and oh, so delicious!

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

2 kohlrabi, peeled
2-3 Granny Smith apples, scrubbed
1 zucchini or summer squash, scrubbed
3 small cucumbers, scrubbed

salt and pepper, to taste
a splash of lemon juice

light drizzle of honey or agave syrup
a light drizzle of olive oil (optional)
slivered almonds (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Cut apples off of core in several pieces. Place cut apples in a solution of 4 parts water to 1 part of lemon juice to prevent apples from oxidizing. Grate or spiralize vegetables and apples.

Sprinkle, splash and drizzle seasoning right over vegetables. Sprinkle almonds on top of salad.

Toss.

Low and Slow Oven Brisket: No Braising Necessary

This week, I prepared the most delicious brisket.

I purchased a 3 pound top of the rib brisket that was extremely lean. I did not have time to marinate or braise the meat and because of its lean composition, I was nervous that it would be tough.

I developed this simple and perfect low temperature recipe that cooked while I was out of the house. When I returned, I was delighted to find the most delicious and succulent piece of meat. I refrigerated the meat for several hours before cutting, so that the meat would cut without shredding.

INGREDIENTS

3-4 pound brisket, top of the rib

1/3 cup olive oil, mayonnaise or Simple and Perfect Spicy Mayo

1/2 cup very thinly diced onions or french fried onions

2/3 cup wine

DIRECTIONS

Pierce the brisket with a fork all over on both sides. Place in roasting pan and pour wine over brisket, turning over so that wine penetrates both sides. Place fattier side of the brisket up so that fat keeps the meat tender during cooking. Coat the top of the brisket with oil, mayo or spicy mayo, spreading evenly with small spatula or basting brush.

Place onions atop coating, pressing into brisket. Cover tightly with foil.

Let brisket come to room temperature or place in oven on delayed cook mode.

Set oven to cook for 4 hours on 275 degrees F. Let roast stay in oven until the oven cools down, at least one hour.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate before slicing.

Colorful Confetti Cabbage

Cabbage is one of those under-rated ingredients. It is available year-round, is low-carb and can be delicious in a saute or salad. This recipe is one that I prepare often and one that my family really enjoys. It is a simple recipe that started out as a mistake…

Before one of the holidays, I had purchased quite a bit of produce. I turned on my extra refrigerator and stored my overflow vegetables in that refrigerator, not realizing that the refrigerator temperature setting had been set to maximum.

When I went to retrieve the cabbage from the refrigerator, I realized that the cabbage had frozen. It was no longer suitable for salad, so I tried to think of another use for the frozen cabbage. I had a batch of onions that had just been sauteed, so I used some of the onions as starter. I then added the frozen cabbage to the saute pan with garlic, salt and pepper. (more…)

The Virtue of Siblingly Love

The idea of love and devotion between siblings is at the core of our Torah. So much of the foundation of the Jewish religion begins in the home. We are taught that the place chosen for the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was selected based upon the following incident.

There were two brothers living in Jerusalem. One brother had a large family with so many of the needs and challenges associated with a sizable family. The other brother was a wealthy man, but he lived all alone.

These brothers were completely devoted to each other. They tried to think about each other’s needs and dignity. One evening, each brother devised a plan to help the other brother.

The wealthy single brother thought, “my brother has so many children and probably not enough food to put on his table. I will bring a large bundle of wheat to his doorstep, so that he will be well provided for.”

The brother with many children thought, “my brother has nothing but his wealth. I will bring a sizable bundle of wheat to him. At least this extra wealth will fill some of his loneliness.”

That night, each brother carried a bundle of wheat through the hills of Jerusalem. Each brother was committed to the needs and dignity of his brother.

In the middle of the night, they met each other, each carrying a large bundle of wheat. They were surprised and asked each other what the other was doing. When they realized how much they cared for each other, they embraced and cried tears of fulfillment and happiness.

God looked down from the Heavens and proclaimed. “The very spot where these two brothers met is where I want to have the Holy Temple built. It should be a place built upon brotherly love.”

Last week, we were on our way early in the morning to attend a family Bris. On the Garden State Parkway, one of our tires suddenly went flat. We called for emergency road service and a Garden State Parkway certified tow truck arrived to tow us off the toll road.

The tow truck driver was surprised that we had been waiting for a while and that none of our “brothers” had stopped to help us. He told us that he has witnessed the most incredible acts of kindness in the many years that he has serviced this road. He has seen “brothers” helping change tires, administer CPR, haul cargo and even pray at the side of road for their brethren in need.

It is about siblings helping siblings.

As a parent, I now understand how significant it is to feel that our children help each other. That must be how G-d felt when He saw the brothers hauling the bundles of wheat and what He hopes for us, as His children.

Several years ago, we took Aaron and Davida on vacation to Florida. Aaron’s good friend, Mo, came along. Every day, we tried to plan activities that everyone would enjoy. One day, we decided to visit the Everglades to combine crocodile sighting with fishing.

On the way to the Everglades, we stopped at a rest area to ask for directions. The boys saw some crocodiles in a swamp near the rest area and they saw two men fishing in the swamp. They were mesmerized and asked if we could just stay and watch.

When we got closer, we noticed that the two men were fishing in separate parts of the swamp, but seemed to know each other. One was using word cues to help the other from afar.

The boys approached the men so see if they had caught any fish. They struck up conversation with the two men and ended up fishing with them most of the day. They learned so much in those hours about fishing, and most importantly, about love between brothers. The older man told this story and this has stayed with us as the paradigm of love between brothers.

About a year before, the younger brother had suddenly gone blind. He became depressed and withdrawn and felt so isolated by his new blindness. The older fisherman, his older brother, tried to encourage him, but nothing seemed to pull his blind brother out of this deep depression.

After much thought, the older brother offered to take his blind brother fishing, one of their favorite pastimes when they were younger. The blind man protested, explaining that it would be so difficult for him to set up and use the rod without the ability to see. He couldn’t possibly imagine how he could reel in the fish if he caught anything. The older brother insisted that he would help him and the two set out to their favorite fishing spot.

The older brother set up his younger brother in the best spot near this fishing pond and helped set up a bucket nearby. He stood at his brother’s side, placing the bait and straightening the rod when necessary. He gently encouraged, prodded and helped his brother and they successfully caught enough fish for dinner that evening.

The younger brother felt great about being able to fish.

The older brother was delighted that he had found a pastime that his brother could enjoy and ultimately master.

The two men returned to this fishing spot among crocodiles almost every day since. The older brother would work this fishing time around his work and family schedule. The two brothers shared so much over this love of fishing.

As the younger brother gained confidence, the older bother moved to a fishing spot farther and farther away, always making sure to give his blind brother the best fishing spot. He kept a close eye on him throughout their fishing time, making sure that no crocodile came too close. He helped in reel in fish, but most importantly, he helped him rebuild his self-esteem through fishing.

That day, we all experienced more than just a fishing lesson. It was truly about the devotion of brothers.

May our homes be founded upon this type of love and devotion. May the merit of love and caring for each other earn us all a Ksiva Vechasima Tova and a happy and healthy New Year.

..In the Honey: Rosh Hoshana Honeycomb Cupcakes

Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) is coming and our friend (and Davida’s superMom), Staci Segal, is sponsoring a pre-Rosh Hashana bake sale to benefit benefit Ohr Meir U’Bracha, The Terror Victims Support Center of Israel.

Last year, Davida baked delicious muffins for this bake sale. This year Davida and Staci’s daughter, Chava, are studying in Israel, so I offered to bake and send over some cupcakes for this important event. Although Davida and Chava are the true masters in my kitchen, I felt that I needed to prove that I still had some kitchen prowess.

I decided to bake two sets of cupcakes to represent the important and symbolic tradition of dipping an apple in honey on Rosh Hashana. The first set of cupcakes were Dip the Apple… Rosh Hashana Cupcakes.

Now, all we needed were the honey cupcakes. For these, I decided to prepare cupcakes shaped like beehives, with edible chocolate honeycombs and adorable jelly bean bees.

We dip an apple into honey at our festive evening meals on Rosh Hashana to symbolize our hope and prayer for a “sweet” New Year. Honey is one of the symbols for the Land of Israel as the Torah describes Israel as a land “flowing with milk and honey.” It symbolizes the connection between G-d, the Jewish nation and the Land of Israel.

The honey referred to in the Torah is date honey. Today, date honey is sold in Israel, but most of the honey found is bee honey. These cupcakes were shaped liked beehives to represent this sweet symbol.

These cupcakes are available for sale among other delicious desserts at the Segal Home this Sunday, September 25th, 2016 from 2-8 PM. Their address is 475 FDR Drive #301 on the Lower East Side. For more information, please contact Staci at 917-295-7295 or stacisegal@aol.com

SUPPLIES

Cupcakes

Melting wafers (for honeycomb pieces)

Parchment or wax paper

Clean bubble wrap

White frosting

Chocolate frosting

Mini cup cones

Black and yellow jelly beans

Slivered almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

Bake your favorite cupcakes.

Melt chocolate wafers or chips. I use the defrost feature on the microwave. I spread the chocolate out on a microwave-safe dinner plate and place it on defrost for 6-8 minutes.

Spread the chocolate out on a piece of parchment or wax paper, keeping the chocolate thin but not translucent. Press clean bubble wrap with bubble side down onto melted chocolate.

Keep bubble wrap until chocolate has hardened and carefully peel off. Break the chocolate into chards that resemble pieces of honeycombs.

Place a mini cup cone upside down in the center of each cupcake, pressing down until it is set into place.

Fill a ziploc or piping bag with white or yellow frosting. To do this neatly, place a bag in a tall glass and fold the top of the bag over the edge of the glass like a collar. Using a spatula, fill the bag. Cut corner of bag with an opening big enough to pipe thick frosting. Squeeze frosting to corner carefully.

Pipe frosting on each cupcake, surrounding upside down cone and piping to top of cone.

Place a chocolate honeycomb chard on the side of each cupcake. Place one or two jellybeans on each cupcake. Place slivered almonds on either side of each jellybean.

Fill two small ziploc or piping bags with chocolate and white frosting. To do this neatly, place the bag in a tall glass and fold the top of the bag over the edge of the glass like a collar and fill with frosting. Cut corner of bag with a tiny opening to pipe thin stripes on the jellybean bees. Carefully squeeze frosting to corner.

Pipe stripes of white frosting on black jellybeans. Pipe stripes of chocolate frosting on yellow jellybeans.

Wishing you all a Kesiva Ve’Chasma Tova (a positive inscription and seal for the upcoming year).

Dip the Apple… Rosh Hashana Cupcakes

Rosh Hashana is coming and our friend (and Davida’s superMom), Staci Segal, is sponsoring a pre-Rosh Hashana bake sale to benefit benefit Ohr Meir U’Bracha, The Terror Victims Support Center of Israel.

Last year, Davida baked glazed carrot muffins for this bake sale. This year Davida and Staci’s daughter, Chava, are spending the year studying in Israel, so I offered to bake and send over some cupcakes for this important event. I wanted to make sure that the Segal bake sale would have adequate Respler representation.

I sat down to think about what I could bake that would be unique and delicious. It needed to be something easy to transport, interesting and something appropriate for Rosh Hashanah.

The first thing that came to mind was an apple dessert. The apple is such a strong symbol of Rosh Hashana.

During Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year), we eat apples dipped in honey as a symbol for a sweet new year. It is interesting that an apple is chosen as the fruit to dip.

One reason is that in King Solomon’s Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs), the nation of Israel is compared to an apple. “As the apple is rare and unique among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved (Israel) amongst the maidens (nations) of the world.” Furthernore, an apple is symbolic of the love between the nation of Israel and G-d as we read in Shir Hashirim , “Beneath the apple tree I aroused you.”

We are taught that an apple tree sprouts the tiny core of each apple before the leaves surround and protect the young fruit. In the same way, the young Jewish nation accepted the Torah before understanding the myriad of details within. The famous acceptance of our nation was verbalized as “we will do and we will understand”. We committed to the holy observance of Torah commandments even before we understood the full extent of what this commitment entailed. Therefore, the apple has become a symbol and remembrance of the commitment to our faith and acceptance of Torah at Mount Sinai. We recall this on Rosh Hashana when our mission is to proclaim G-d as our King.

I decided to prepare cupcakes designed to look like red apples. I baked vanilla cupcakes for this recipe. Perhaps, next time, I will prepare honey cupcakes to fully represent the Rosh Hashana tradition of “dipping the apple in the honey”.

SUPPLIES

Cupcakes

White frosting

Red sanding sugar or sugar and red food coloring

Brown licorice, brown taffy or small pretzel nub

Green taffy or gum

INSTRUCTIONS

Bake your favorite cupcakes.

Cut pieces of brown licorice, taffy or pretzels to resemble stems.

Flatten green gum or taffy and use knife to cut out leaf shapes. Use blunt knife to form leaf veins.

To make red sanding sugar, combine 1 cup of sugar with red food coloring, adding food coloring until the desired depth of color is reached. I pulsed this in my food processor. Alternatively, you can combine the sugar and color in a ziploc bag or in your mixer.

Frost cupcakes generously with a small knife or spatula, heaping frosting to form a mounded top for each cupcake.

Using spoon, sprinkle sanding sugar on top of each cupcake until well coated. Gently shake off excess sanding sugar.

Insert brown stem and green leaf.

Wishing you all a Kesiva Ve’Chasma Tova (a positive inscription and seal for the upcoming year).

Arugula Salad Wrapped and Upright

We recently attended a wedding and I was entranced by the appetizer. It was an upright mesclun salad wrapped in a long slice of cucumber. The dressing was poured into the tightly packed upright salad and the appetizer bowl where the salad was placed was garnished with gorgeous fruit.

When the cucumber peel was uncurled, the salad opened up and it was coated with the dressing and was garnished by the fruit.

I loved the presentation, the flavors of the salad and the whole idea of serving a salad wrapped and upright.

Of course, I was determined to create my own version of this type of salad. I decided to try it first with arugula, one of my favorites. It was not even much of a challenge. I nailed it on the first try.

Here it is:

INGREDIENTS

Arugula, soaked and rinsed (see kosher notes)
Lemon Vinagrette
Long Seedless cucumbers
fruit or tomato garnish

DIRECTIONS

Carefully peel long slices of seedless cucumber with a peeler or mandolin.

Soak and rinse arugula, shaking out all excess moisture and/or wrapping in paper towels to dry. Wrap cucumber slice around bundle of arugula, securing with a toothpick or small skewer, if necessary.

Stand bundle of arugula up on appetizer plate or shallow bowl so that arugula leaves are standing up. Squirt dressing into center of arugula bundle, directing the tip of the squirt bottle into the arugula bundle so that dressing is contained within bundle and does not disperse or color the arugula. Garnish with slices or fruit or vegetables.

VARIATIONS

Substitute arugula with other greens like mesclun, kale, romaine lettuce or shredded cabbage.

KOSHER NOTES

SERVING SUGGESTION

Simple and Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

Our favorite dressing is Simple, Creamy and Perfect Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette. It has been our go-to homemade dressing for as long as I can remember.

Most recently, though, I have been making a lemon vinaigrette that runs a close second in the race to become my favorite dressing. This vinaigrette may be made in a container and simply shaken. It is best prepared in a blender or food processor, because the blending keeps the dressing emulsified and very smooth. Once smooth, I store this dressing for several weeks in a squirt bottle in my refrigerator.

This dressing is simple and can be made with any type of citrus juice.

RECIPE

juice of 2 large lemons or 3 medium limes (about 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
3 cloves of garlic or one teaspoon granulated garlic
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup oil
squeeze of mustard (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Using an s-blade in the food processor, combine balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and mayonnaise. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil and process until combined and smooth. Carefully decant into wide-mouth squeeze bottle.

NOTES

This dressing can be made in a mason jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Just add all ingredients and a small squeeze of mustard (for emulsification). Shake vigorously.

Mayonnaise can be reduced or eliminated. If eliminating the mayonnaise, add a bit of mustard or drizzle oil extra slowly when running the food processor in order to keep the vinaigrette emulsified.

Decant the dressing into an empty sport-top water bottle or squeeze bottle for easy drizzling.

Add a unique label to your balsamic vinaigrette. Using glue stick or clear packing tape, adhere a custom lemon-vinaigrette-label to an empty squeeze bottle. This custom SimpletoWow lemon-vinaigrette-label also allows you to jot down the preparation date of your dressing.

Enjoy!

Elul: The Month our Nation Tries

In that spirit, I will post some simple inspirations throughout the month of Elul to bring us closer to G-d and to each other.

May the merit of the teshuva (return and repentance) during this month bring us, our families and our nation a most favorable judgement for the year ahead.

Simple and Healthy Fruit Salad Ice Pops

Avigail and JuJu are here for “Bobby Camp” and we are having a ball. The weather has been hot and getting increasingly humid again. I wanted to prepare a healthy, beautiful and colorful ice pop as a refreshing treat for them on these last hot summer days. They love fruit and this recipe really hit the spot!

I chose to use unsweetened iced tea as my liquid base with a variety of mango, berries, nectarine and kiwi as my fruits. You can easily adjust this recipe to use any variety of juice or soda as your liquid base and just fill with your favorite summer fruits.

I cut a variety of beautiful and delicious fruit into small pieces…

I layered the fruit into some dixie cups and filled the gaps with some unsweetened homemade Iced Tea.

I placed a craft stick in the center of each cup, placed the cups in the freezer and several hours later, voila!

INGREDIENTS

strawberries, cleaned and cut into thick slices

blueberries, rinsed

mango, peeled and diced

nectarines, rinsed and diced

clementine, separated into sections

kiwi, peeled and sliced thin

SUPPLIES

small dixie cups

wooden craft sticks

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare all fruit and mix together in a large bowl. Fill each dixie cup with fruit 2/3 to top of cup. Fill in gaps with iced tea or your favorite drink. Freeze until firm. To loosen pops, rinse outside of frozen cup under running water.

Low-Carb Zucchini Pizza

Zucchini is one of those fresh ingredients that I almost always have on hand in my refrigerator. I use it in a myriad of ways: in my Simply the best chicken soup…ever!, in Warm Zucchini-Mushroom Salad with Almonds and Sunflower Seeds, in Simply the Best Low-Carb Zucchini Soup and a myriad of other recipes, many of which you will find on this blog. Just about every member of the family likes zucchini.

But, who knew that you could make a delicious pizza crust from zucchini?

(more…)

Tisha B’Av: The Day Our Nation Cries

This Shabbos is officially Tisha B’av (the Ninth of the Hebrew month of Av). It is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, a day of Jewish national tragedy throughout the ages. It is the day that both of our Holy Temples were destroyed and a day that is filled with mourning, trepidation and many tears. Since Shabbos is a day of joy, this year, we commemorate Tisha B’Av on Yud B’Av (the tenth of Av), this Sunday.

It is the day that our nation cried and continues to cry throughout the ages.

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simple to wow

simple kosher recipes, designs and inspirations to wow you

Recipes

Rockstar Roasted Cauliflower

Lazy CrockPot Chicken with Dumplings

That Turkey! Baked Apple

Thanksgiving Quinoa Salad

Baked Cranberry Salami Slinky

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Roasted Rainbow Skewers

Purple Cupcakes for Avigail

Simply Reliable One Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

Simple Crockpot Broccoli Soup

Mango, Pecan and Pomegranate Salad

Salmon Terrarium Appetizer

Simple Baked Gefilte Fish Terrine

Kohlrabi Confetti Salad

Low and Slow Oven Brisket: No Braising Necessary

Colorful Confetti Cabbage

The Virtue of Siblingly Love

..In the Honey: Rosh Hoshana Honeycomb Cupcakes

Dip the Apple… Rosh Hashana Cupcakes

Arugula Salad Wrapped and Upright

Simple and Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

Elul: The Month our Nation Tries

Simple and Healthy Fruit Salad Ice Pops

Low-Carb Zucchini Pizza

Tisha B’Av: The Day Our Nation Cries

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