Vegetarian

Low-Carb Summer Squash/Zucchini Kugel

The McCarthys just delivered another enormous batch of home-grown produce (see A Salad of Bounty and Inspiration), among which were some beautiful yellow and green squash.

mccarthy produce with squash

Dorothy sent me an Ina Garten recipe for zucchini pancakes, which looked delicious, but a bit too labor-intensive for my carefree summer frame of mind.

Instead, I just used the squash to make a simple and delicious zucchini kugel.  A kugel is a classic Jewish souffle made from sweet or savory ingredients.  This was so simple to prepare, so colorful and oh, so tasty.

I would suggest making this in an oven-to-table pan (like a Pyre pie plate or ceramic souffe dish).  Since squash has a very high water content, this kugel is crisp on top but rather mushy on bottom.  Therefore, it is best served directly in the crock in which it was baked.

zucchini kugel-ingredients

 

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Simple Corn Grilled in the Husk

There are certain things that are best cooked in their natural packaging.  Corn on the cob falls into that category.  The perfect natural packaging for corn on the cob takes my breath away.  I find it miraculous that corn grows so perfectly in the husk with a protective layer of corn silk to cushion the tender kernels of corn.  If you look closely, it is so easy to see the daily miracles in nature.  Corn in the husk reminds me of the divine miracles that are so easy to miss in everyday life.

corn on the cob

For the best ears of corn, choose ears that are medium to large in size.   As you gently press on the husk, the kernels should feel thick and plump with no gaps.  Look for tassels of corn silk sticking out of the top that are brown and slightly sticky, not black and dry.

The simplest and best way to grill corn is right in the husk.  This method simplifies the preparation as you do not need to shuck the corn before cooking.  The natural silk and husk leaves protect the corn as it barbecues.  Once the husk chars, the corn is perfectly cooked inside.  Just peel back the leaves to reveal shiny and deliciously sweet ears of corn.

corn in husk on grill

This way of preparing corn is best for eating outside because the charred bits of husk and silk tend to make a bit of a mess.

This is simple.  This is delicious.  This is divine.

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A Salad of Bounty and Inspiration

vegetables from the mccarthys

 

There are friends who transform your  life.  They may not be the friends you see regularly.  They may not be the friends that are your neighbors or even part of your community .  They are people who have entered your orbit and make you see the world differently.  They are people who live their life and transform others with the enormity of who they are.  Our friends, Dorothy, Patrick and Aimee McCarthy are precisely those type of friends.

Dorothy and Patrick are parents like no one else.  They have met life’s challenges with great courage, tenacity and good humor.  They have raised Aimee, their daughter, with the greatest spirit of empowerment and positive energy.  Although Aimee has faced so many medical hurdles, she is one of the most inspirational women we have met.  Aimee is a young woman who embodies optimism, strength and spirit and someone who leads others by example.

Dorothy and Patrick have shown us how  to show appreciation to those who have impacted their lives.  Dorothy and Patrick have gone above and beyond the call of duty to celebrate life’s joys and sadnesses with us.  At Aimee’s twenty-first birthday party, Dorothy and Patrick invited us and ordered catered glatt kosher food for us and their other kosher guests.  When my mother-in-law passed away, the McCarthys planted a gorgeous lilac tree on our property in Mom’s memory.  Over the years, these wonderful friends have made generous donations to the Yad Eliezer soup kitchen in Tzfat, Israel in memory of my in-laws.  They are so appreciative of  the small measure of friendship that we have shown them and are friends that we admire so immensely.

Yesterday, Patrick dropped off an enormous box of vegetables and herbs from their garden.  The idea of sharing the bounty of one’s hard work in planting and tending to a garden is divinely inspired.  It is reminiscent of the bekurim (first fruits) that were dedicated to G-d and given to the Cohanim (Priests) in the Beis Hamikdash (Holy Temple).at Shavuos (Jewish Holiday celebrated 7 weeks after Passover) : Bekurim: First Fruits from Hollister.

This bounty speaks to the munificent spirit of  these wonderful friends and the enormity of appreciation that defines them.

With the generous selection of vegetables and herbs shared with us by the McCarthy family, I decided to make a fresh and delicious salad.  Here it is:

vegetable bounty from the mccarthys

Ingredients

2 small heads of lettuce, torn or cut into small bits
mixed peppers, cut into thin sticks
2 zucchini, scrubbed and shredded or spiralized

new onions or scallions, thinly sliced
heirloom tomatoes, cut in half

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
parsley, soaked and rinsed (see kosher notes)

Simple, Creamy and Perfect Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

 

Directions

Prepare all of the vegetables and the dressing.  Drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette on top. Toss right before serving.  Enjoy!

mccarthy salad.jpg

Serving Suggestion

Toss sliced tofu and zucchini with olive oil and kosher salt and roast in a 450 degree F oven for 40 minutes.  Serve on top of the salad.

mccarthy salad with roasted zucchini and tofu

Kosher Notes

Kosher laws disallow the eating of any whole insects and therefore most herbs require a process of soaking and rinsing. Kashrut authorities differ somewhat on the proper checking of herbs. This blog was not designed to be your kosher authority, so please consult your local rabbinic authority regarding using herbs such as parsley.

 

Simple, Colorful and Crunchy Baby Bok Choy Salad with Apples, Peppers, Tomatoes and Craisins

baby bok choy salad with apples, craisins, peppers, tomatoes and toasted sesame seeds

 

Baby Bok Choy was on sale this week at our local market. I was determined to create a new colorful and crunchy salad using the baby bok choy as the base green. I added bright tomatoes and peppers for color and green apples for crunch. I finished the salad off with a sprinkling of dried cranberries and toasted sesame seeds. It was delicious with a surprising array of colors and textures.

It was a simple salad that create a wow for both the eye and the palate.  Bok Choy stands up well to dressing since it has a firmer texture than lettuce, so this salad can be prepared several hours in advance with dressing drizzled right atop the salad ingredients.  It is best to toss right before serving. (more…)

Crockpot Drunken Mushroom Soup

drunken mushroom soup ready to eat

I love the heartiness and depth of a wine-based mushroom soup.  Mushrooms and wine are a combination made in heaven, with the wine adding depth to the earthiness of this soup. Made in a crockpot, this drunken mushroom soup is a cinch to prepare and is simply divine.

drunken mushroom soup-preparation

INGREDIENTS

2-3 packages whole or sliced mushrooms
1 small onion or shallot, cut into chunks
1-2 zucchini, cup into 1 inch chunks
4 cups water or  vegetable broth
1 cup wine
1 tablespoon salt
4 cloves garlic or 1 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
dash ginger (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Fill crockpot with mushrooms, onion and/or shallot, zucchini, wine and seasonings. Fill crockpot 3/4 to top with water and/or stock.  Cook on high for at least 5 hours. For a smooth texture, blend with a stick blender before serving.  Garnish with fresh herbs.

drunken musroom soup-under glass liddrunken mushroom soup ready to eat

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 4 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.
For a creamy dairy variation, add 1/2 cup heavy cream to soup ingredients.
Use your favorite mushrooms.  For this  soup, I used a combination of baby bella and white mushrooms.  You can add them to the crockpot whole or sliced.Use your favorite wine.  For my soup, I used the rest of a bottle of  Merlot that was left over from Shabbos.  You can use white, red or any combination of wine.

MY FAVORITE AMAZON SUPPLIES FOR THIS RECIPE
Cuisinart Stick Blender

Stainless Steel 6 Quart Manual Crockpot

Simple Cheesy Zucchini Logs: Gluten Free and Low-Carb

Davida and her friend, Chava, made delicious calzones for Melave Malke a few weeks ago: Davida’s Easy and Delicious Calzones for a Melave Malka Feast. Although the calzones looked and smelled heavenly, Don and I were  only able to enjoy them vicariously. Since we are still on low-carb diets, we needed to find an alternative cheesy dish.

We scrubbed zucchini, cut them is half logs and roasted them for 12-15 minutes .  Once roasted, we scooped out some of the pulp and then filled them with cheese.  We put them into the oven for 5-10 minutes more and voila!

These will make a perfect and simple low-carb recipe for Shavuos (Countdown to Shavuos: Floral Inspirations and Dairy Recipes).  Enjoy!

zucchini logs-up close

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Simple and Easy 5-Ingredient No-Boil Lasagna

 

no-boil-lasagna-before-cooking

 

This is the simplest and most delicious lasagna recipe that you will ever make.  It requires one mixing bowl and one baking lasagna pan with no boiling .  It creates a firm and easy to slice lasagna with minimal effort and mess.  It takes only a few minutes to prepare and one hour of oven time.

You can use either no-boil lasagna noodles or regular lasagna noodles.  For the no-boil lasagna noodles,   I prefer the ones that are wavy.   If you opt to use regular lasagna noodles, just add more watered-down sauce in the last step to the corners of your pan.  That way, the regular lasagna noodles will soften sufficiently during the baking process.

It is one of our family favorites and it will become yours, too.

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Scallion Confetti Curls: A Simple Garnish

Garnishes put the wow into a dish.  This one is fast and simple.

scallion-garnish-ingredients.jpg

 

Cut green part of scallion into three to four inch sections.  Slice narrow and long ribbons with a sharp paring knife.

scallion granisj-cut small

Separate scallion pieces into thinnest slivers possible using knife or by hand.

scallion-garnish-in-ice-water

Drop the green onion slivers into ice water and submerge completely for at least 20 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

 

 

Voila!

 

scallion-garnish-finished

Asian Red Cabbage Salad…Simple and Wow

Salads should be simple and beautiful. This Asian-inspired cabbage salad was developed by my daughter, Leah, and for the past year has been one of the most popular salads in our home.

Red cabbage is such a gorgeous color that it wakes up just about any salad. In this salad, the color and texture contrast between the vibrant red cabbage, the green cucumbers and the white sesame seeds is breathtaking.

I usually try to eliminate or reduce the oil in salad dressings.  I find that the spices and acid components of dressings are essential for flavor and most of the time, the oil is unnecessary or can be greatly reduced.

This salad is unusually versatile and robust.  The vegetables and dressing may be prepared separately in advance. When you are ready to serve, all you need to do is toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. The leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two days.   This will become one of your favorites, too.asian cabbage salad-up close

It yields 6-8 servings.

 

INGREDIENTS
2-3 cups of shredded  red cabbage (or one large bag shredded red cabbage)

2-3 small or 1 large seedless cucumber, scrubbed and diced.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plain or toasted

DRESSING

4-6 tablespoons oil (optional)
3 tablespoons cider or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4-6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic or garlic powder
dash of fresh or ground ginger (optional)

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients.

Up to two hours before serving, drizzle the dressing ingredients right on top of salad ingredients.  Toss with the dressing before serving.  Sprinkle some extra sesame seeds on top.

VARIATIONS

For a sweeter taste, add 1-2 tablespoons Agave syrup, honey or brown sugar

Sprinkle any of the following after dressing.  Toss gently
diced red onion
slivered almonds or pine nuts
sunflower seeds, raw or roasted
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
celery, scrubbed and cut thin
cut baby corn, well drained
canned water chestnuts, well drained
1/2 package ramen noodles (without the flavor packet)

Simple and Satisfying Tofu Salad

tofu saute

Tofu is a wonderful ingredient to add to a salad for a satisfying source of protein.  Tofu is like a sponge; it merely absorbs the flavor of your marinade.  I find that extra-firm tofu is a reliable ingredient for roasting, grilling and sauteing and I use it often.

To cut down on cleanup, I simply slit open the covering on the tofu container and peel back the top.  I then drain the tofu liquid, slice or dice the tofu  and then add my marinade ingredients right in the original plastic tofu container.

This tofu salad combines the soft texture of the tofu and mushrooms, spicy marinated onions and the crunchy texture of romaine lettuce to achieve a delicious and layered salad experience. (more…)

Balsamic Beet Slaw: Easy, Fresh and Delicious

Leah is our resident vegetarian.  She loves to mix up salad ingredients and find her own combinations of vegetables and dressings.  As a midnight snack this week,  she created this delicious beet salad.

beet cucumber salad without dressing

I often shred and/or spiralize vegetables and keep them in containers in the refrigerator.  I also prepare dressings weekly and refrigerate them in wide-mouth squeeze bottles.  That makes for easy preparation of salads for lunches, snacks and dinner without too much additional fuss.

Leah put together some shredded fresh beets, cubed cucumbers and toasted sesame seeds and mixed in some balsamic vinegar dressing.  The result was this beautiful and delicious beet salad. (more…)

A Salad Bar for the Entire Week

Our family loves salads and we try to spread the love to the rest of the world. From the time that the kids were eating solids, salads became a mainstay in the Respler home. It is rare that we make the same salad twice because there are SO many options.

salad bar in jars-CROPPED,jpg

Most recently, when I entertain, I have been creating a salad bar. A salad bar encourages guests to create their own custom salads and it is a great solution for guests with different diets and allergies. The best perk is that when the dust settles and it is time to put everything away, the salad ingredients have not been dressed, so they are still fresh enough for leftovers. My family clamors to create their own lunches for the next few days from what is left over from the salad bar.

In the past, I have been less than successful in creating the perfect salad bar. I had found that the salad ingredients were messy and unruly, with everyone breathing on and touching everything. I have finally found a good solution to creating a neat and orderly salad bar.

I purchased gallon and half-gallon glass candy jars online that can be seated vertically or on an angle. Each jar has a metal lid and plastic tongs that hang right on the lid.

SALAD BAR JARS WITH TONGS

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Kaitlyn’s Simple and Spicy Roasted Green Beans

I recently hosted Sheva Brochos (wedding after-party with seven blessings) for Gila and Shimshon. I wanted a simple, delicious and green side dish that would stand up well on a buffet. My daughter, Kaitlyn, suggested this simple and spicy roasted green bean recipe.

She suggested using Trader Joe’s fresh Haricot Verts (French Green beans).  They come in a two-pound package with the beans already trimmed.  I used frozen french green beans.  It can be made either way, with fresh or frozen.  French green beans are slimmer and longer than standard green beans, so if you use regular green beans, you may have to adjust the roasting time and roast them for a bit longer.

Kaitlyn used the Dorot-brand frozen cubes of garlic and chili, four each.  I used chili powder and fresh minced garlic, instead.

It was simple. It was green. And, it was delicious.

roasted green beans with drizzle

Here is the recipe: (more…)

Simple Celery and Mushroom Crockpot Soup

My kids have been getting tired of all the pureed soups that I have been preparing over the past few months.   I have decided to surprise them with a vegetable soup that is not pureed, so that they can enjoy all the different textures of the vegetables.

mushroom celery soup

Here is the simple, delicious and low carb recipe, suitable for Passover:

 

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Crockpot Orange Root Vegetable Soup

orange soup before cooking in crockpot

This is one of the simplest soups to prepare and it is a favorite soup classic at my dinner table.   It is easily adaptable to any combination of orange vegetables, but the key is the seasoning.  It has a unique flavor, thanks to the combination of sweet and savory ingredients.

 

INGREDIENTS

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1-2 whole onions, scrubbed
1 pound of carrots, peeled
1 whole butternut or acorn squash (optional)

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon powdered or freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
dash of cinnamon

 

DIRECTIONS

Scrub and rinse unpeeled sweet potatoes and squash.  Place whole sweet potatoes, onion, peeled carrots and halved squash cut-side down on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F.

Remove carrots after 20 minutes.  Bake sweet potatoes, onion and squash for an additional 40 minutes or until soft.  Once cool, remove peels of onion, sweet potatoes and squash. Carefully remove squash seeds.  Discard seeds or clean and toast for use as a soup garnish.

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Pizza Potatoes

One of the simplest and most satisfying Erev Pesach (Pesach eve)  and Chol Hamoed (middle days of Passover) meals for the kids has been pizza potatoes.  It is gluten-free and it is not one of those menu items that we prepare often during the year when we have pasta and pizza available to us.  But it is a simple and filling dairy dish, perfect for Pesach (Passover).  The kids look forward to Pesach pizza potatoes throughout the year.

 

INGREDIENTS

whole potatoes
your favorite pizza sauce
shredded cheese

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake potatoes in oven for 40-60 minutes. Slice potato in half lengthwise and spread sauce and cheese on each half.

pizza potatoes uncooked

Bake for 15 minutes more, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

 

pizza potatoes

VARIATIONS

Try using different types of potatoes and even sweet potatoes.

Add your favorite pizza toppings like peppers, onions, mushrooms, scallions, chives, fresh mozzarella and basil.

Enjoy!

 

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Sauce and Cheese

Davida and her friend, Chava, made dinner for themselves this week.  They looked around the kitchen and found a spaghetti squash sitting on the counter.  They roasted it, scraped it, filled it with sauce and cheese and then rebaked it just until the cheese melted.

It was a simple and delicious meal, gluten free and kosher for Passover.  I think it will be one of my new favorites, too.  Thanks, Davida and Chava!

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Nutty Warm Mushroom Salad

Who says that salads have to be cold?  This one is delicious and warm.  The interplay between the fresh greens, warm mushrooms and nutty topping is heavenly.  To add a bit more pizzazz, the warm mushrooms are combined with lightly marinated red onions.

In our family, we have plenty of carnivores and some herbivores.   Although our resident vegetarians are content to eat cold salads, warm salads really hit the spot.  This warm and nutty mushroom salad has an earthy and meaty flavor, despite its vegetarian status.

warm mushroom salad

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Simply Delicious Baked Apples

baked apples up close

 

There are some recipes that are truly simple and easily overlooked. Baked apples definitely falls into that category. They are simple to prepare and can easily become a wow show-stopper.

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Simple and Delicious Low-Carb Basil Pesto

 

I love pesto served with chicken, fish or pasta.  This recipe is simple and beautifully fresh and green.  It can be prepared quickly and can really wake up grilled chicken, fish or boiled pasta.

It is important to make sure that the basil is dry before preparing the pesto, so that the pesto remain bright green.

It is simple.  It is delicious.  It really adds the wow to simple dishes.

 pesto sauce in purple container

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Simple Low-Carb Broccoli Crust Pizza: Perfect for Passover

brocolli pizza crust-in ovenCauliflower rice has become the rage as an ingredient in faux fried rice and as a low-carb pizza crust alternative.  As an experiment, I tried similar adaptations of broccoli and have found it to work beautifully.

My family is always looking for something delicious and nutritious to eat on Erev Pesach (the eve and day before Passover begins).  Since we cannot eat bread and it is customary not to eat Matzo until the seder, it is a challenge to find satisfying foods that will keep everyone full until the seder begins later in the evening  evening.

I have created this delicious low-carb broccoli pizza recipe, suitable for Pesach.  It is a simple pizza to prepare and pretty much fool-proof, as long as you keep the crust as dry as possible.  It is important to squeeze out any liquid before baking and to layer the cheese on before any sauce to keep the crust as dry as possible.  Feel free to experiment with different toppings.

It is simple.  It is delicious.  It will create a wow for your family this Erev Pesach.

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Simple Cabbage Kugel

Most Pesach (Passover) recipes are heavy on the potatoes and eggs.  I have been trying to discover new ingredients that fit within my low-carb diet that can be used for Pesach (Passover).   Cabbage is one of those simple, inexpensive and delicious ingredients that was right under my nose all the time.

This cabbage kugel recipe was simple to make and delicious.

cabbage kugel (more…)

Simple and Passover-Ready Individual Mushroom Onion Quiches

My friend’s daughter, Gila, is getting married and her friends planned a shower for her.  I volunteered to make a dairy Onion-Mushroom Quiche.

Since the shower guests may be arriving at different times, I thought that it would be best to prepare individual mini-quiches.  That way, the platters would look complete all evening and the individual quiches could be easily warmed up as needed.

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes.  It is simple.  It is low-carb.  It is suitable for Passover and an excellent Chol Hamoed (Passover intermediate days) dish.  Serve it up with a fresh green salad and it is a winner!

quiche-baking in oven

 

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Simple and Vegetarian: Beet-Stuffed Peppers

I have begun preparing for Pesach (Passover) and I have been trying to create recipes that are simple, nutritious, delicious and beautiful.  I think that this one is a winner.

I have remarked for years that beets are an under-appreciated ingredient.  Many people are turned off by its texture and have only been exposed to canned beets. Roasted beets are spectacular, both in taste and in color.  Beets are packed with nutrients and are a great source of  manganese, iron, fiber, folate, potassium and vitamin C.

Beets are the rock stars of this recipe.

beef-stuffed pepper on plate (more…)

Simply the Best Potato Kugel Ever

potato kugel-ingredients

This week, I have started compiling my favorite simple Pesach recipes.  Here is one that I plan to make for Pesach this year.

My daughter, Michelle, was married last June and moved to California.  While growing up, Michelle never really showed much interest in cooking, but was always quite a baker. Since getting married, though, Michelle has become quite an accomplished cook.  She spends much time poring over kosher cookbooks and finding the best recipes to prepare for herself and Scotty.  She has shared some of her new recipes with me and they have become some of my new favorites, too.

When we visited Michelle and Scotty late last summer, Michelle surprised us after our long flight with a hot and delicious potato kugel.    It was simply the best potato kugel that I ever tasted.  Michelle got this recipe from her mother-in-law,  June, who is a renowned cook.

This recipe is simple and  delicious.  It is gluten-free…  and it is a winner!

potato kugel-in oven

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