Kale Shakshuka
Posted: May 16, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Breakfast, Dairy Free, Vegetarian Leave a comment »
Kale recipes never get me as many “Likes” as sweet recipes. I understand, completely. I wasn’t excited about kale either, until I finally learned how to cook it properly. I do think kale needs some help to become more delightful and appealing to my taste buds, but really, as I discovered, with the right food combinations, cooking technique, and the perfect amount of seasoning, it’s actually amazing!
And, if it helps psychologically, it’s an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamins (A, C, K, B6), minerals (calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, iron, and magnesium), and protein. No wonder it attracts all those stubborn tiny aphids that won’t let go of the leaves just by washing them in cold water. The only way to get rid of them is to soak the kale in cold salted water for at least ten minutes. But after that, it takes about ten minutes to prepare this healthy little breakfast, which keeps me positive and full until our late lunch/early dinner. Read the rest of this entry »
My Glorious Breakfast Rice Bowl
Posted: May 8, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Breakfast, Light Lunch, Rice, vegan, Vegetarian Leave a comment »
While most people – normal or not – eat cereal in the morning, my husband, kids, and I eat other things. Cereal is served for breakfast only on the weekend.
My kids’ breakfast usually includes a fruit smoothie, toast with avocado (which Leo loves with cayenne pepper sprinkled on top), yogurt with homemade granola, or oatmeal (their least favorite).
My husband will eat whatever the kids don’t finish.
I like to eat my breakfast after my workout, usually at around nine o’clock. I nibble on a fruit or some nuts while I prepare my meal. Basmati rice and quinoa take about 12 minutes to cook, and that’s enough time to prepare the rest. You can use spinach or Swiss chard instead of kale, and add any other vegetables you have at hand. Yesterday, it was radishes and jalapeños, but other days it’s avocado, cucumber, bell pepper, scallion, and so on. Really, anything goes. Read the rest of this entry »
Moroccan Vegetable Cake (El-Machamar)
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dairy Free, eggs, potatoes, Vegetarian 8 Comments »
On Monday we celebrated Alex’s fifth birthday with my own version of a South American tres leches, which I had a feeling he would love, because this year he didn’t want a chocolate cake (?!?) And to make him feel even more pleased, I put my health concerns on the side and I put some (natural fruit-colored) jelly beans around the cake to make it colorful, just how he likes.
Upon the little sugar addict’s request, I also made meringue kisses, just like the ones he saw on the cover of the Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine. To make sure I didn’t change anything, he said, “Mommy, but the same!” Poor kid, he knew I would modify something in the recipe. As they say in India, “same-same, but different.” I made them the same, but a different color – because artificial colors are not an option and I couldn’t find a natural yellow or orange at Whole Foods, plus the red one they have was pretty expensive, so I juiced my own fuchsia. Beets produced the most vibrant and beautiful pink-purple color. When Alex saw them he forget all about the yellow and orange.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been eating and sharing a lot of sweet recipes. Unfortunately, when I overdose on sugar, my health gets compromised. So if I can’t make any sweet cakes, I’ll make something more nutritious. Machamar is a Moroccan fluffy cake (pashtida in Hebrew) that my mother always makes. The basic original recipe is much more simple, but I like to play with it. It is an excellent vegetarian main dish. You can add all kinds of vegetables, like zucchini, leeks, peppers, sweet potatoes, or spinach – either mixed in, on top, in the middle, or on the bottom. Read the rest of this entry »
Never Too Late — Coconut Meringues
Posted: April 18, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dairy Free, Dessert, eggs Leave a comment »
I usually make this next recipe for Passover (and when I just want something yummy) but with all of the holiday pleasant chaos, I let myself forget. But it’s never too late to make those sweet and light treats (which are also dairy-free). My grandmother used to make them all the time and so do I. They are really delicious. Read the rest of this entry »
Seasonal Fruit Salad with Rosemary
Posted: April 17, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Dried Fruits, fruits, Salad, snack 2 Comments »
A while ago, my husband and I went to see a friend performance of some kind – something with lights. I still have no idea what kind of performance it was, because when we got to the bar where the show was to take place (somewhere in Echo Park), the bouncer told us that the show wouldn’t start until much later, after 11pm. Luckily both, my husband and I have a massive passion to food, so we both agreed not to wait (thank god, because I have no patience to wait and certainly not for a late night show in dive bar), because waiting means less sleep and more money (for babysitting). And we both agreed on doing something else instead, like exploring the area, finding a cute little café or a restaurant, or some place with exciting foods. My googley husband instantly googled the neighborhood on his celph. We had dinner earlier with the boys so we were not really hungry, but the two of us always have some room for something exquisite or delightfully sweet like a vegan carrot ice cream, based on coconut milk (which was excellent for me and my dreadful dairy intolerance) or unusual zesty herbed fruit salad. I wish I remember more often how satisfying a simple fruit salad can be, especially like the one we had in Sage Café, it was uniquely delicious! The combination of apple, pear, kiwi & rosemary with fresh pureed mango dressing was a blessing to my taste buds and to my craving. The rosemary is a killer! The vegan ice cream at Sage Café’ was also stunning. Read the rest of this entry »
