Pesto & Goat Cheese Crostini

Written by chanie on May 18th, 2012

With a 3-days-of-cooking marathon ahead of us next week, I thought it best to keep it short and sweet today. It doesn’t get much easier than this!

Crostini are small pieces of toasted french bread that are served with a topping as an appetizer. With pesto, goat cheese, and sundried tomato, these make the perfect starter to your dairy Shavuous meal.

In a pinch, you can even use store-bought pesto and melba toasts.

Pesto & Goat Cheese Crostini

1 french baguette
olive oil
pesto
goat cheese
sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Method:

Cut the baguette on the bias about 1/4″ thick. Lightly brush with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees until crisp and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Once the toasts have cooled, spread on a tablespoon of pesto, top with a dollop of goat cheese and garnish with sundried tomatoes.

1 year ago: turkey & pastrami wrapped asparagus

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Pesto Pinwheels

Written by chanie on May 15th, 2012

If you love pesto, you’re gonna fall head over heels for these pinwheels. I mean, who doesn’t love anything made from puff pastry? The light and flaky dough paired with sharp cheddar cheese and delicious pesto makes the perfect appetizer for your dairy Shavuous meal. You can even fill them with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella to make pizza pinwheels, and serve a duo on the table.

The best part about making these is that you can prepare them in advance. Just freeze the puff pastry after you’ve rolled in the ingredients. When you’re ready to make them, just thaw, slice, bake and serve!

Pesto Pinwheels

1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten mixed with 1 tbsp water
2/3 cup pesto
1/3 cup cheddar cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry dough to form a large rectangle. Brush lightly with eggwash. Spread the pesto on the dough, leaving a 1″ border all around. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Starting from the short side of the rectangle, roll the puff pastry to form a log. Make sure the log is tightly sealed at the seam. Refrigerate for 1 hour (this will make it easier to slice). Brush with eggwash and using a sharp knife, cut into 1/2″ slices. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

NOTE: You may prepare the pinwheels in advance and freeze the log. Just remove from the freezer when you are ready to use, thaw, slice and bake as above.

1 year ago: spinach strawberry salad with poppyseed dressing

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Spinach, Walnut & Cheddar Pesto

Written by chanie on May 14th, 2012

With Shavuous just two weeks away, I thought it would be a good idea to do a little tutorial on making pesto. I’m sure most of you have either tasted it or have at least seen it on a restaurant menu. The popular green sauce is traditionally made from a mixture of basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Pesto is surprisingly easy to prepare, as well as delicious and versatile. It can be used as a sauce for fish and pasta or as a spread over crackers and bread. It makes the perfect addition to your Shavuous menu.

Because pesto is a sauce made from raw ingredients, it’s important to use those that are fresh and good quality. Fresh garlic (no frozen garlic cubes!), herbs and extra virgin olive oil are a must! It is also a good idea to toast your nuts beforehand as it brings out their natural oils and intensifies their flavor.

While pesto is usually made from basil, pine nuts and parmesan, you can make pesto using a combination of any greens, nuts and cheeses. The basic components of any pesto include the following:

-fresh leafy greens (basil, spinach, arugula) or herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro)  or mixed
-nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachios)
-cheese (parmesan, romano, cheddar  or any dry, hard cheese)
-acid (lemon, lime, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar)
-oil (extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed, walnut, hazelnut)
-seasoning (fresh garlic, salt, pepper)

Once you have your ingredients, the pesto can be prepared by hand, using a mortar and pestle, or with a food processor or blender.

Pesto Tips & Tricks:

* If you toast your nuts before using (it’s worth the extra step), make sure to cool them off before adding them to the food processor. Otherwise, the heat from the nuts will start to melt the cheese and your pesto will turn gummy.

* To keep your pesto from turning black in the fridge, cover it with an inch of olive oil. Just pour off the excess oil before serving.

* Leftover pesto can be frozen for future use. Just pour pesto into an ice cube tray for individual servings. Once it’s frozen, add the cubes to a ziploc bag.

What are some of your favorite pesto combinations? Share them with me in the comments below!

 

Spinach, Walnut & Cheddar Pesto

3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3-2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp pepper, or to taste

Method:

Add the walnuts to a dry pan and stir over medium heat until toasted and fragrant. Let cool. In the meantime, add the garlic to the food processor and mince. Add the spinach leaves, walnuts, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper. While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube until all the ingredients are pureed. Start off with less oil and increase until your pesto reaches the desired consistency (you may want thicker pesto to use as a spread, or thinner pesto to use as a sauce). You may need to remove the lid and move the ingredients around to get the mixture going. For a chunkier pesto, pulse your food processor to control the puree. For thinner pesto, blend until smooth.

1 year ago: savory & sweet cheese balls

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Top 10 Reasons to Follow BIB on Facebook!

Written by chanie on May 8th, 2012

Good morning y’all! I’m not sure if you’ve been following the BIB facebook page but I wanted to share with you a little bit about what’s going on there. Whenever I find a good food-related deal, restaurant or kosher ingredient, I want to be able to share it with you, but I can’t put up a whole new post each time. That’s where the facebook page really plays a part. I just got a new phone with decent camera, and I can’t wait to sneak in some pics of what I’m eating at kosher NYC restaurants, or what I’m making for dinner. So join the ride and follow the BIB facebook page, you won’t regret it!

Top 10 Reasons to Follow BIB on Facebook!

#1 I post my Shabbos and Yom Tov menus (and give you the recipes if you ask).
#2 I share deals I find on kosher products, restaurants or pretty servingware.
#3 I keep you up to date about site updates and malfunctions.
#4 I share quick recipes and tips.
#5 I recommend good kosher restaurants.
#6 I share BIB press from magazines and online.
#7 I answer questions that you post on my wall.
#8 I post pics of dinners (+more to come!).
#9 I “like” lots of great restaurants, foodies & other bloggers.
#10 I update my photo albums with all BIB recipes & crafts so you can scroll through for a quick fix!

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BIB Favorite Things {May} Florida Edition

Written by chanie on May 7th, 2012

I’ve been thinking about it and I think I’m going to retire the BIB Favorite Things series. I mean I’m no Oprah or anything, and I’m not giving these things away, plus I haven’t had much feedback from you (my readers) so I’m not so sure it’s that much appreciated (if I’m wrong, and you’d like me to keep it running, please let me know in the comments below!). What’s more is that my friend actually tried to buy me something for my birthday this year, and thinking my Favorites Things list was, well, my favorite things, she tried to buy one thing after the other on my list. Turns out, each and every one was sold out or not available. Plus, I want to try and leave the birthday surprises up to everyone else from now on and not spell out exactly what I want :) (what can I say, I like surprises!)

For the last BIB Favorite Things monthly edition, I wanted to share some of my favorites from my trip to Florida over Pesach.  I was fortunate enough to spend the Chag with my in-laws in Hallandale. If any of you have ever taken a trip somewhere for Pesach, you know how exorbitant the ticket prices can get. The only feasible way for us to afford the tickets was to travel a few days before Pesach and leave a few days after. This gave us a chance to really get around, and I’m so thankful for it. I’m even more thankful to my amazing mother-in-law who babysat countless times so that my husband and I could sneak out by ourselves :) Of course we enjoyed some great family time as well, soaking in the hot Florida sun.

1. Skyward Kites at Haulover Park skywardkites.com
Skyward Kites is a little booth located in Haulover Park in Miami Beach. They sell kites in every size and color, for newbies or more advanced kite-flyers. I really enjoyed flying the kites with my kids (and nephews), and singing “lets go fly a kite” as we did! :)

2. Playmobil Funpark Palm Beach Gardens PlaymobilUSA.com
The Playmobil Funpark was about an hour ride from where we were staying, but was well worth the drive. The place was surprisingly empty when we got there, so my kids had all the amazing stuff to themselves. There are some life-sized figurines as well as various stations set up with different themes of play including dollhouses, farms, police, pirates etc. My kids are young (5 and under) so this place could keep them busy for a while. May not be suitable (ie. boring) for older kids.

3. Mozart Cafe in Sunny Isles, Hollywood & Boca Raton mozartcafefl.com
Mozart is an Israeli style cafe with an expansive menu including pizza, paninis, pasta, sushi, smoothies and many other dishes. The highlight of our lunch was definitely their delicious pizza. It’s worth a trip!

4. Family Bike Rentals on Hollywood Beach A&A Beach Services
Hollywood Beach is a beautiful place to take in some sun, walk along the boardwalk and bike ride with the family. There are several places to rent all sorts of fun cycles for yourself or your family. We had a great time riding along with our kiddies – highly recommended!

5. Cafe bambini cafebambinimiami.com
I wish they had a place like Cafe Bambini in Brooklyn. It houses a great play area for kids (ages 5 and under) complete with a dress-up area, play kitchen, climbing toys, book nook and tons of smaller toys. The cafe was not kosher but they did have some kosher snacks and drinks available. Cafe Bamibini was bright, clean and spacious with free wifi, making it the perfect place for work and play.

6. Cine Citta Grill 9472 Harding Avenue, Surfside, FL, (305) 865-8383 menu
It’s funny how we ended up here. My sister in law recommended that we try out a different restaurant in Bal Harbour, but we didn’t make reservations and when we got there, there was a line out the door. We found this humbler establishment down the block, and we’re so glad we did. I’m not sure if it was because it was one of our first chometzdik meals or not, but it was one of the best restaurant meals I’ve had in a long time. We started with marinated chicken skewers, and a crab cake, and ordered veal chops and a steak for our main. The chops came with the most delicious mushroom risotto, while the steak was served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. The restaurant also boasts a bar with a wide variety of cocktails and wines. The waitress was friendly and knowledgable and happy to accomodate us in any way. Although the decor is simple and plain, don’t pass this place up – the food is anything but that.

#7 Serendipity Ice Cream Parlor 9457 Harding Avenue, Surfside, FL, (305) 865-1506 serendipityyogurtcafe.com
Serendipity is a cute little spot in Surfside, serving up delicious ice creams and sorbets. Full assortment of toppings and other confections as well as some gourmet sorbet in their freezer (pear reisling, anyone?).

#8 St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort stregisbalharbour.com
The St. Regis is the newest hotel to hit Miami Beach and it’s anything but ordinary. Located directly across from the Bal Harbour Shops, this modern and luxiurious haven boasts the most gracious staff, outstanding service and amenities as well as magnificent ocean views from a private  beach (think private cabanas and free cucumber water + sunscreen).

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Carrot Muffins

Written by chanie on May 2nd, 2012

You all know that I’m not that much of a baker, so if I decided to make carrot muffins, there must have been a reason for it. Well, here it goes…

Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Take this past Shabbos, for example. I had a full house for the weekend, and my menu was planned down to the tee. I usually leave the salad prep to right before the meal, preparing only what needs to be checked or processed in the blender beforehand. I had planned on making a slaw, so I shredded my carrots in my food processor and put it aside in a ziploc. Fastforward a couple of hours and I’m about to prepare the salad. I grab a jar of mayo from my pantry and open it up to find that someone has taken out a spoonful and returned it to the pantry instead of the fridge. I’m afraid to admit that that someone was probably me getting a headstart on my cooking at 12 PM the previous night! So now that there was no mayo, there was no slaw (or caeser salad…or deviled eggs…). Then I realized that we were also out of horseradish for the gefilte fish. While I would normally whip up a russian style dressing, that was not in the cards either. So I served the gefilte fish with wasabi sauce, stashed the shredded carrots back into the fridge, and redid my menu just as my guests were walking through the door.

My mayo-less meal turned out just fine, and that lonely bag of carrots had a calling after all – moist and delicious carrot muffins. You can also bake this into a cake and top with some cream cheese frosting (which I would have done, had I not shredded my carrots in my fleishig food processor). Either way you choose to serve it, you’ll find this recipe delicious. My kids were so excited to come home to freshly baked muffins. I think I have to start doing this baking thing more often!

Carrot Muffins

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots (about 3 carrots)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar to a bowl and mix to combine. Add oil, eggs and vanilla and mix with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in carrots, walnuts, raisins and/or chocolate chips and mix to incorporate. Scoop batter into baking cups and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

NOTE: Feel free to adjust the add-ins to your desired taste. You can choose to leave out the walnuts, raisins or chocolate chips, or adjust amount as desired.

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Crocheted Pacifier Clip

Written by chanie on April 30th, 2012

When I haven’t crocheted in while, I always think I’m going to forget what to do. But honestly, it’s just like riding a bike. The second I put that crochet hook into my hands, it just goes. In this case, my friend had recently had her 5th child and being her fourth boy, I just did not know what to get her. She had all the baby equipment she needed, all the toys you could think of, and plenty of boy clothes to go around. So I asked her straight out and all she really wanted was a pacifier clip (and help with making dinner!) Helping with the food was a given, but I also wanted to make her gift a personal one. Crocheting the pacifier clip made for an adorable gift and gave it the personal touch I was looking for.

This crochet project is super easy and perfect for beginners. You can use any yarn scraps you have lying around as well.

Supplies:

size f hook
worsted weight yarn in 2 colors
Tapestry needle
pacifier clip (available on Etsy)
buttons or other decorative accents

How to:

Crochet a chain of 30 stitches. Single crochet (sc) in each stitch across. Repeat until you have reached exactly the width of the loop of your pacifier clip (should be 4-5 rows). With a contrasting color, slip stitch all around and weave in the ends with a tapestry needle.

Pull the top of the crocheted strip through the loop of the pacifier clip and fold over. Sew the folded edge down with a tapestry needle.

To form the loop that holds the pacifier clip, crochet a chain of about 18 stitches. Slip stitch through each stitch to reinforce the chain. With a tapestry needle and some strap yarn, attach the chain to the ends of the strip you made earlier, forming a loop (or you can just continue to crochet into it and secure together with a chain or two).

Decorate the top of the pacifier clip with a button, applique or decoration of choice (that complements the colors of your yarn).

To attach the pacifier to the crocheted loop, pull the loop through the pacifier ring and pull the opposite end of the pacifier clip around the ring and through the loop. Pull to tighten.

1 year ago: headbands in a pinch

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BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Pizza

Written by chanie on April 23rd, 2012

I’m not usually one for making yeast doughs. I mean, it’s not like I can’t do it, it’s just that I can’t be bothered. With all of the flour mess and sticky dough, I usually just leave it to the companies who prepare the frozen variety. This week, however, the rainy weather was a good excuse to play around in the kitchen. And my leftover hickory BBQ chicken was the perfect inspiration for this dish.

I have to tell you that with Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast, making the dough was super easy. There was no rising time. Simply mix, knead, top and bake. I don’t think I can go back to freezer pizza dough again!

Obviously, cheese on this pizza would probably be delicious but because I’m kosher, I have to leave it out. If you’re brave, you can try using soy cheese but personally that stuff freaks me out!

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Pizza

2 cups flour (I used spelt)
1 envelope Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup very warm tap water
3 tbsp olive oil
BBQ sauce (I used Hunts hickory & brown sugar flavor)
leftover chicken, shredded
1/4 fresh pineapple, sliced into small pieces
1 red pepper, chopped
1 red onion, sliced thinly into half circles
1 jalapeno, deseeded, deveined and sliced into thin strips
soy cheese, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add water and oil and mix to incorporate. Gradually, add another cup of flour until a ball of dough is formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface, adding additional flour, if needed. Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil and using your hands (flour them, if necessary), press dough out to fill pan. Brush the dough with BBQ sauce.

If you have leftover pan-drippings from your chicken, mix it in to the shredded chicken to moisten it. If you don’t, mix in some diluted BBQ sauce (just add a bit of water to dilute) so that the chicken doesn’t dry out during baking.

Top the pizza with shredded chicken, pineapple, red onion, red pepper and jalapeno (for more heat, don’t remove the vein and seeds). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp.

NOTE: When prepared on a cookie sheet, the amount of pizza dough in this recipe yields a thin crust pizza. If you like a thicker dough, double the recipe.

1 year ago: BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches

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Pepper Steak with Plum Sauce

Written by chanie on April 16th, 2012

As the song goes, it’s “back to life, back to reality.” While Pesach was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family and friends, there’s something nice about getting back into a routine. Not to mention, being able to eat chometz again!

One of my most favorite chometzdik dinners is a dish my mom makes with pepper steak and plum jelly. She found the gourmet jam in Australia, and every time she visits, she brings home a jar. I decided to try and recreate her recipe without the jam, and I think I came pretty close!

It took me a while to learn how to make pepper steak that didn’t taste like I was chewing rubber. I learned, first and foremost, that good pepper steak has to be quality pepper steak. The better the quality of the meat, the softer it will turn out in the end. The second thing I learned about cooking pepper steak is to cook it low and slow. The longer the steak simmers, the longer the meat will tenderize. Lastly, I learned to add the sauce at the end, so that the sugar in it does not burn and harden the meat.

Have you got any tips for making your pepper steak soft? I’d love to hear them!

 

Pepper Steak with Plum Sauce

1 pkg pepper steak
1 onion, sliced into half rings
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 30 oz can whole purple plums in heavy syrup
1/4 cup hoison sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
oil, for sauteing

Method:

Saute pepper steak in a bit of oil until browned. Remove from pan. Add onions and garlic and saute until golden. Return meat to pan, remove pits from plums and add them, with their syrup, to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours. Uncover the pot, add hoison sauce and cook on high heat until reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes.

1 year ago: 1-2-3 decadent molten chocolate chip cakes

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20 Non-Gebroks Things to do with Potatoes & Eggs

Written by chanie on April 10th, 2012

It’s Chol Hamoed and we’re all scrambling (pun intended!) for things to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don’t know about you but I can’t look at another plate of chicken and mashed potatoes. Here are some ideas for inspiration!

20 THINGS TO MAKE WITH POTATOES

1. mashed potatoes
2. shepherds pie
3. fries
4. potato kugel
5. potato au gratin
6. hassleback potatoes
7. potato latkes
8. potato salad
9. potato soup
10. scalloped potatoes
11. tater tots
12. chremslach (mashed potato patties)
13. hash browns
14. potato chips
15. breakfast potatoes
16. stuffed baked potatoes (if you eat peels)
17. roasted potato wedges (if you eat peels)
18. crispy potato skins (if you eat peels)
19. smashed potatoes (if you eat peels)
20. potato blintzes (using egg crepes)

20 THINGS TO MAKE WITH EGGS

1. scrambled eggs
2. poached eggs
3. omelette’s
4. frittata
5. eggs en cocotte (baked eggs)
6. egg pizza
7. shakshuka
8. crepes
9. nut pancakes (eggs with ground nuts and sugar)
10. egg salad (how to make perfect hard boiled eggs)
11. chef salad or salad nicoise
12. deviled eggs
13. souffle
14. crustless quiche
15. egg drop soup
16. mayo/hollandaise sauce
17. creme brulee
18. sabayon
19. meringues
20. mousse

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