guest post – Busy in Brooklyn

I’m super excited to introduce Sina Mizrahi from The Kosher Spoon today! I’ve been a huge fan of Sina’s since she started her blog (give THESE MUFFINS a try, they’re a family favorite!) because I love that her recipes are healthy, Middle Eastern inspired, and her photography is just. so. beautiful. Sina’s not pretentious about blogging [lets face it, we all know how bloggers can be ;)], she just quietly flies under the radar, doing her thing. She blogs when she has time for it, but I’m always there following her amazing talent – stalking her blog, following her Instagram feed for her Erev Shabbat posts, and reading her columns in Binah Magazine.

When I asked Sina to guest post on my blog, she was more than happy to, even with a move and a baby of her own. I can’t thank her enough! And of course she made my favorite food of all time – COOKIES – and of course they involve almond butter because they’re great for nursing moms – and of course they are healthy and Paleo – because, like I said, this girls is AWESOME. And of course the photography is so simply stunning because THIS GIRL HAS TALENT. Welcome Sina!

I am certain a chocolate chip cookie must be every pregnant lady’s close companion. I know that when I’m expecting I can never turn one down; the craving is strong and the willpower low. Thankfully constant exhaustion keeps my habit at bay, being that baking turns into an afterthought not worth pursuing. I’d rather skip dirty dishes even when the sweet tooth beckons. And in all honesty only a homemade cookie has true merit. But then the sweeter, intoxicating smell of a newborn comes and I crave healthy foods again. With my own baby still being under one, I remember being elated when my friend Rina gushed over these Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. First, she’s a real foodie who can chatter on about pressure cookers and coconut oil, and second they don’t need a mixer and can be made in one bowl (the small bowl for the egg is minimal, k?)

These cookies turned out to be everything I needed come baby. Healthy, pleasantly sweet, and easy. I threw in some ground hazelnuts for a deeper flavor. You might be tempted to envision a Nutella-ish taste because chocolate plus hazelnuts, but they are not at all. The hazelnuts add a depth and nuttiness to the cookie that balances the sugar and chocolate. It’s not something I’d skip. If I were in Brooklyn, this is what I’d bring Chanie, the perfect treat for her and Rosie.

Thanks Chanie for having me on your blog! Follow along the kosher spoon as I’m off on a new adventure I’ll tell you all about soon.

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies (Paleo)
adapted from Slim Palate

1 cup creamy raw almond butter*
1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, coarsely ground
4oz. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Method:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease lightly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, mix the almond butter, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and eggs. Fold in the ground hazelnuts and chopped chocolate until well incorporated. If you want plump cookies, refrigerate the dough overnight. If you can hardly wait to take a bite, scoop the mixture with a cookie scoop onto the baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350F. Space the cookies 2 inches apart and gently sprinkle some flaky sea salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges brown. Wait until they cool to transfer them with a spatula, otherwise they might fall apart.

* I found it hard to find raw almond butter so I made my own in a high speed blender by processing raw almonds until smooth. A friend makes it with roasted almond butter and she says they turn out amazing.

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I’m super excited to start off my guest posts with a recipe by the talented, creative and adorable Amy from WhatJewWannaEat! Amy and I met through the close-knit kosher blogging community and we share a love of creating fun twists on traditional Jewish foods. Amy is all about putting the JEW in everything, and her bagel posts on Insta always make me hungry! The girl knows the way to my heart (or should I say, my stomach?) ‘cuz she put her own spin on one of my all time favorite dishes, shakshuka! I can’t wait to cook up this dish, and with the Nine Days upon us, there’s no better time to Jew it. (see what I did there Amy?!)

For more great recipes for The Nine Days, check out my Nine Days category, browse my Pinterest board, or scan through the dairy and fish categories in the index!

If you want to win a copy of Amy’s soon-to-be-released cookbook, Sweet Noshings, plus a bonus gift from ModernTribe, don’t forget to enter my GUEST BLOGGER CONTEST! More details here.

Shalom, y’all! I’m Amy from What Jew Wanna Eat, and I’m pumped to share a recipe over on Busy in Brooklyn today. On WJWE, I blog about modern takes on classic Jewish recipes, like Sumac Roasted Salmon or Chocolate Cardamom Halvah, and my first cookbook Sweet Noshings comes out in just a few weeks! I am also the owner of ModernTribe, an online shop for fun Jewish gifts. So I’m busy, but not as busy as Chanie. I’m impressed how she cares for five children all while running her popular blog and doing numerous cooking demos. So I was thrilled to help out when she asked me to guest post on BIB.

I’ve loved following Chanie for years for creative, sophisticated kosher recipes (like Cauliflower Nachos with Harissa Cheddar Sauce or Drunken Hasselback Salami) and daily eats/impressive Shabbat prep on her Instagram. Because I live in Austin, TX, I was online friends with Chanie before finally meeting her when I was in NYC last year. Now we are Internet and real life friends!

Chanie is an expert at using ingredients in surprising ways (Corndog Hamantaschen anyone?), and I love how she incorporates healthy elements into so many of her recipes. With it being the Nine Days, I wanted to create a healthy, hearty and dairy dish to share with y’all. Chanie has made a few versions of shakshuka over the years, so I thought I would offer my own! I love taking classic favorites, and putting my own twist in them, so I added earthy beets, kale and tangy goat cheese for lots of added color and nutrients to your basic shakshuka (which I also love). If you try this recipe, I’d love to see it over on Instagram!

Beet, Kale and Goat Cheese Shakshuka

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups beets (can be a mix of yellow and red), peeled and diced
¼ cup white onion, diced
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ pound fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced (or 1 ½ 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes)
1 cup kale leaves, packed
¼ cup goat cheese
3-6 eggs (up to you!)
Cilantro for garnish
Crusty bread or pita for dipping

Method:

In a large sauté or cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add in beets and onion with ½ teaspoon of salt and sauté for 5-6 minutes until slightly soft. Then add in garlic and sauté for one more minute.
Add in cumin and red pepper flakes and stir. Then add in tomatoes and simmer uncovered until sauce is thick and beets are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add more salt if desired. Then add in kale and stir to wilt.
Crack eggs one at a time into a ramekin and then gently pour each one into an egg-sized hole you make in the shakshuka, evenly spaced around the pan. This method helps the eggs keep their shape. Simmer eggs for about 5 minutes until the whites are just set. They will continue to cook from the heat of the pan.
Dollop with goat cheese, garnish with cilantro, and serve with crusty bread right out of the pan!

Busy in Brooklyn

Tag: guest post

Beet, Kale & Goat Cheese Shakshuka