Category: Shavuous

Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Pie

Dont forget to enter our Ella’s Kitchen Giveway to win an assortment of gourmet baby food pouches! See this post for more info.

I almost dont want to give this recipe away, it’s that easy! Whenever I serve it for dessert, my guests always seem to think I’ve patchked for hours making gourmet fudge. But the secret is out. This “fake-it-gourmet” ice cream pie is as easy as, well, pie :) If you like peanut butter, you’re in for a real treat!

Since the fudge topping is super rich, I like to use Double Rainbow Vanilla Bean Ice Cream as the filling. I’ve also used their cookie dough ice cream, as well as others. I find that simple vanilla is the best way to go, but if you really want to indulge, you can also use chocolate. To really up the ante on this recipe, use dairy ice cream, but if you are serving it after a fleishig meal, I recommend So Delicious or Double Rainbow ice creams.

I use chopped viennese crunch for this recipe, but feel free to use any topping you’d like. Sprinkles, toasted coconut, chocolate or peanut butter chips and nut crunch or brittle are all good choices.

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{Guest Post} Vegetable Calzones

For me being asked to be a guest blogger on Chanie’s blog is not only exciting but an honor. She sure knows her stuff. She is definitely my go to person when I have one of those ‘how do I…. ‘ questions. If she thinks Im good enough to be her guest (for the second time), I must be doing something right :) I’m not much of a take out, ready made, store bought type of aperson. If it can be done at home (and is not TOO complicated). I usually give it a try. When I was given the idea of making homemade calzones for dinner I was super excited to try it. And it has since made its way to my list of favorite dinners to make/eat! I hope you enjoy this recipe as well.

NOTE: You can also use this dough recipe to make regular dinner rolls when making soup , or even fancy it up to make garlic rolls.

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“Magic” Salmon

Even though we’re not big dairy eaters around here, I’m so excited to cook for the Nine Days. It gives me a chance to think outside the box, and a rest from typical chicken dinners. I’m grabbing at the chance to make delicious and healthy fish recipes which are a great source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.

There are many different ways to prepare fish, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. You can grill, pan-fry, bake, poach or steam fish in many different preparations, but it is best cooked quickly over high heat. If your fish is cooked right, it won’t taste “fishy”.

When purchasing fresh fish, it should smell like the ocean, not like fish. It should have a vibrant color. Pale fish or fish with discolored patches is not fresh. A great tip is to tell your fishmonger that you are making sushi with the fish. This will ensure that the fish is fresh enough to be eaten raw.

One of my favorite ways of preparing baked salmon and tilapia is using Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic Seasoning Blend. The blend is exactly as it is named; pure magic. When baking fish, the key is to bake it at a high temperature for a short period of time. Your fish will be soft, tasty, and best of all, so incredibly quick and easy to prepare. Recipes follow below.

I have lots of ideas brewing for the upcoming week, so I thought I’d share some ideas for those of you who like to plan ahead:

Dairy Recipe Ideas:

homemade pizza
lasagna
– quiches
– risottos
quesadilles
stuffed shells
eggplant parmesan
– fettucine alfredo
– penne alla vodka
– french onion soup
– cream of any vegetable soup
stuffed mushrooms
eggplant rollatini
– macaroni and cheese
pancakes, waffles or french toast
– baked potatoes with broccoli and cheddar or other fillings

Meat-Lovers Recipe Ideas:

vegetarian chili with cheesy corn bread
portobello mushroom burger
tuna steak
– grilled halibut
fish tacos
– falafel

Light ‘n Healthy Recipe Ideas:

salad nicoise
shakshuka
portobello pizza
– sushi rolls or sushi salad
chickpea patties
cheesy stuffed mini peppers
– stir fry with tofu and rice
steamed fish and veggies au papillote
baked sweet potatoes with cottage cheese or other fillings

Other Pareve Recipe Ideas:

– tuna or salmon croquettes
– tuna casserole
salmon pasta salad
Crispy breaded fish sandwich or “fish and chips”

Please feel free to share your Nine Days Menu ideas in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!

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Strawberry Rhubarb Soup


Strawberries and rhubarb are as fresh and delightful as the spring air they herald. They pair wonderfully in recipes and add a burst of color as well as tang. The natural sweetness of the strawberries lends itself well to rhubarb’s tartness for a perfect balance of flavors.

While many people opt for a creamy potato leek soup, or a cheesy french onion soup for their dairy Shavuous meal, I like to take advantage of the fresh seasonal fruits for a cold and refreshing fruit soup. Think about it – you’ve got steaming lasagna coming, and lots of rich and creamy cheesecake for dessert, who needs another heavy plate of soup? This light and refreshing soup makes the perfect starter.

NOTE: the leaves of a rhubarb plant contain oxalic acid and can be toxic. While many stores sell the stalks already trimmed, make sure all the leaves are removed before using.

With minor tweaking, you can also use this recipe as an ice cream sauce or compote, see below for details.

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Easy Paper Napkin Roses


Shavuous is one of my favorite holidays. The beautiful spring weather, the creamy cheesecakes for dessert, and of course all the pretty flowers that adorn our yom tov tables. It’s really a treat to be able to go all out and pick out a beautiful bouquet. You can’t go wrong regardless of what you choose – classic roses, bright tulips, elegant orchids, or exotic anthuriums; you are sure to find something to suit your taste and match your table-scape.

If you really want to up the ante, placing flowers at each place setting makes your table feel like an intimate garden. You can do this in a few ways:

1. Place bud vases alongside each cup with a single fresh flower.
2. Make or purchase floral napkin rings.
3. Use dishes, paper plates, napkins or cups with a floral pattern.
4. Incorporate floral themes into your meal (for ex., cut cheesecake brownies with a flower cookie cutter).
5. Make my pretty paper napkin roses, and place in a see-through cup at each place setting!

These napkin roses are extremely easy to make. You don’t have to prepare them in advance, amid all the hustle and bustle of Erev Yom Tov. Because they are so simple, you can give them to your children to do. They’ll feel so special knowing that they played an integral part in the Yom Tov Seudah!

I found this original creation from Martha Stewart. She uses cloth napkins to prepare the roses, and while pretty, I am sure that most of you do not have cloth napkins in both green and pink/red. It is also hard to fit 2 cloth napkins into a glass – believe me, I tried! Instead, I decided to try her idea using paper napkins, and as you can see, it worked wonders! I almost felt as if I was looking at REAL roses, they are that beautiful! Go ahead and make them with whatever colors you fancy – roses bloom in all different colors of the rainbow. You will sit at your Yom Tov Tish and feel as if you are in a magnificent garden.

What you’ll need:

12 7/8 x 12 7/8 2 ply napkins in green for leaves
12 7/8 x 12 7/8 2 ply napkins in the color of your choice (I like classic red) for roses
glass or hard plastic cups

How to:

1. Open green napkin.
2. Fold green napkin in half on the diagonal.
3. Fold in half again, on the diagonal.
4. Open red napkin.
5. Fold in half, on the diagonal.
6. Fold tip of triangle down to the center of the longest side.
7. Fold in half, lengthwise.
REPEAT STEPS 4-7 (with an additional red napkin, so that you have 2 folded napkins)
8. Roll first napkin from either end, not too tight, but not too loose either.
9. Take first rolled napkin and place on second unrolled napkin, and continue rolling the second napkin around the first one (you need to do this because the rose will be too narrow otherwise and won’t look authentic).
To complete your rose, just push up from the center of the bottom of the napkin.
10. Place rose on the short side of the green napkin.
11. Fold the green napkin over on the diagonal, covering the rose.
12. Place in a vase, folding the leaves over the edges.

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