the final chapter: mint moroccan tea

Today is the last day of Chanukah, and today is the last post on Everyday Kosher.

Growth is a beautiful thing.

As mothers, we all have our ways to cope, deal with the day to day on a day by day in the hopes of navigating life, transforming and growing.  In 2012, this blog became one of my personal projects, I was a young mom of two adorable little girls - 5 and 6 at the time. I went on exploring and sharing the kosher joys of living in Quebec, from scouting honey and lavender farms to sharing all kinds of recipes that my heart desired.

Today, I outgrew this blog.  My growth has taken a turn towards new aspirations, projects and innovations, hence the moment has come for me to temporarily close the chapter on Everyday Kosher. I spoke from the heart, you listened from the heart, and for this, I am forever grateful. Kosher blogging is a beautiful art form, I met amazing and talented people along the way.  I cannot express the extent of respect, the admiration I have for fellow kosher bloggers. Thank you for all those who supported and savored recipes from this blog, please continue to do so. I look forward to sharing new initiatives, please feel free to follow me on Instagram @leslieperezpr for updates, inspiration or to simply connect.

I conclude this blog with a recipe of mint Moroccan tea.. so relax, sip a cup of soothing tea and continue to read through this blog. More importantly though,  continue to gather your families and friends around your table. The kitchen is the heart of our homes.

 Enjoy and le'chaim!

Moroccan mint tea

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total time: 10 min.  | Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon loose Chinese gunpowder green tea

5 cups boiling water

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

1 large bunch fresh mint (1 ounce)

Special Equipment


1 to 1 ½ quart teapot

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Put tea in teapot and pour in 1 cup boiling water, then swirl gently to warm pot and rinse tea. Strain out and discard water, reserving tea leaves in pot.

2. Add remaining 4 cups boiling water to tea and let steep 2 minutes. Stir in sugar (to taste) and mint sprigs and steep 3 to 4 minutes more.

Serve in small heatproof glasses. Enjoy!

"Give back a lot, feed people a lot and love the little things in life a WHOLE lot." - Leslie Perez

fattoush salad

Pesach is over, the pitas are coming! :) In case you don't live in Canada, you probably missed the snowy days we've been experiencing this spring this far in my hometown of Montreal. Luckily, that won't stop me from making fresh, zesty and SUPER CRUNCHY salads in my cozy kitchen, starting with this Fattoush Salad. Fattoush Salad is a Middle Eastern salad recipe that is very delicious combining fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, aromatic herbs and toasted pita. You can make this salad for dinner, lunch or even for brunch, it's great for a potluck or dinner party as well. 

fattoush salad

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep time 10 min. | Total time: 20 min.  | Serves 2 |  Dairy Weight Watchers Friendly: 7 points
INGREDIENTS

Two 8-inch thin pita
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons za’atar or sumac
2 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, chopped
3 kirby cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into half-moons
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

1.  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay the pitas on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 12 minutes.

2. Take out from the oven and let cool fully, and break into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoons of the olive oil, and stir to coat.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, yogurt, sumac (or za’atar), lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.

4.  In a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Fold in the toasted pita pieces. Drizzle the dressing over the top and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

banana chocolate chip macaroons

I have news to share this Passover eve.... I'm turning the big 40 this summer and I am so beyond excited! For starters, I do not look 40... and secondly,  I certainly do not feel 40. I am not sure why millennials think 40 is old... because in many ways I feel like I am starting a new chapter at this moment in time. ;) The one thing I have noticed though,  is a slowdown in my metabolism, and with the winter months behind us, I decided to join Weight Watchers and check out what their new Freestyle program is all about.

On one hand I always loved amazing food, on the other hand, I always felt like I needed to stay away from amazing food - especially baked goods. Who else relates with me? What I really like about this program is the inspirational women I meet, and the delicious healthy foods I am indulging in! Adopting this eating program for the coming months, I have decided to apply Weight Watchers points on all of my recent recipes. More so, I am developing delicious, yet health conscious baked goodies.   So this passover, I came up with Banana Chocolate Chip Macaroons with no added sugar or fats. These make about 8 servings and are 3 points for 2.

banana chocolate chip macaroons
with No Added Sugar or Oil

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep time 5 min. | Total time: 20 min.  | Makes 16 | Passover Friendly
INGREDIENTS/ INSTRUCTIONS
3 oz of coconut flakes 1/3 cup of bitter sweet chocolate chips 1 ripe banana    1 tbsp of honey 1 egg pinch of salt PREP TOOLS Parchment paper  Cookie Sheet	1.  In Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside. 2.   In a bowl, mash the banana, then combine the coconut flakes, honey, egg and pinch of salt. Once well combined, toss in the chocolate chips. 3.  Make little balls of he mixture with a spoon. You should have enough for 16 balls. 4.  Bake in the over for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool. 5.  Voila! You have a nice treat with no added sugar or butter!

one-pot chicken and asparagus

Short on time this Passover? Go the one-pot recipe route with this chicken thigh and asparagus recipe. 

one-pot chicken and asparagus

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep time 5 min. | Total time: 25 min.  | Serves 6-8 | Passover Friendly Weight Watchers Friendly: 5 Points
INGREDIENTS/ INSTRUCTIONS
6-8 boneless chicken thighs or breasts 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic fresh parsley or herbs of choice ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon garlic powder 2-3 tbsp of water	1.  Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pan/skillet over medium-high heat, place olive oil, garlic, spices and herbs and until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. 2.  Reduce heat to medium, add chicken to pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook another 5-7 minutes. (Chicken should be nearly, but not completely cooked through by this point) 3.  Scoot the chicken over the sides and add remaining add 2 tbsp of water and asparagus. Season asparagus with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, rotating throughout, for 4-6 minutes until tender and chicken is completely cooked through. 4.  Serve immediately garnished with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh herbs if desired.

hearty couscous with squash, chickpeas and raisins

What are you making for dinner tonight? Whatever it is, MAKE IT WITH YOUR KIDS. 

It's winter break, and north of North America had a track record of below 25 freezing weather for the past two weeks. More so, I'm cold indoors seeing kids glued to all forms of screens or tech (choosing tech to connect with each other). Snap-chatting away, glued to Netflix or Youtube Slime how-to videos, playing the 'HQ' trivia app game... we live in cold times, not just on the seasonal front. 

So how do we fight this cold? The answer: cooking together :)

Yes, cooking together it is. Go for it, confiscate all things tech, call every kid down, gather around the chopping board, heat that oven, turn-on that stove... make cooking-together happen at once, and of course print this couscous recipe if need-be :)

Couscous is a staple in most Sephardi homes, we can all use a hearty recipe like this one, one dear to our roots, filled with wholesome veggies, aromatic spices and of course heart-warming comfort. Enjoy this heartiness! 

hearty couscous
with squash, chickpeas and raisins

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep time 20 min | Total time: 40 minutes  | Serves 8-10 | Meat or VegetarianInspired by Modern Jewish Cooking
INGREDIENTS	INSTRUCTIONS
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil 2-3 onions  3 vine tomatoes, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups of couscous, Zinda medium blend (brand of choice) 2 1/2 cups of water 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained 2 to 3 cups of cubed butternut squash 2 carrots, peeled and cut in large dices 1/4 cup of raisins 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth SPICE BLEND 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon of ginger 1/2 teaspoon of cumin 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander 1 teaspoon of ground sweet paprika 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes 1 tsp of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Roughly chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley	For the veggies 1.  In a medium pot, heat olive oil and sauté the onions on medium heat. Stir often, until soft and lightly browned, up to 10  minutes. Toss in diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. 2. Add garlic, and spices, stir frequently. 3.  Add the chickpeas, squash, carrots, raisins and broth and 1 tsp of kosher salt and pepper. Turn heat down to a simmer and cover with lid, until vegetables are nice and tender about 15 minutes. 4. Uncover and continue and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, the texture of the mixture should be thickened. Add salt to taste. For the couscous 5. Follow package instructions 6. Place couscous on a platter, add vegetables and top with roughly chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley and voila!

veggie egg muffins

Last week was C2 Montreal week in my hometown, it's Montreal's commerce and creativity industry conference... and yes Martha Stewart was there along with stellar chefs like Italian Michelin  Chef Massimo Batura, Canada's top chef, Jeremy Charles, and Antonio Park... and more. Granted they aren't kosher, but they are top chefs conveying an important message on food waste. A movement is being established to avoid food waste, turning to a social economy, via technology or apps,  to share produce that are going bad.

So when you need to clean out your fridge, and produce isn't as fresh as it could be, make an omelet, or better yet, a veggie egg muffin (like these). Eggs are loaded with protein, satisfying, substitute high carb breakfasts, and can take on so many flavors. I've eaten a fair share of eggs in my life and needed to jazz them up a little more into these mini veggie muffins. Easy to make, they are great snacks on the go and kid-friendly!  Enjoy these for brunch, snack or breakfast to go, you can even make them the night before. So next time food is going bad, make an effort not to throw it in the bin- I am guilty of this as well, and will try to benefit from an App like BonApp not to do so. Bonne appetite!

veggie egg muffins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep time 5 min | Total time: 25 minutes  | Yields 8-10 | Dairy or Vegetarian
INGREDIENTS	INSTRUCTIONS
6 large whole eggs 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt black pepper 3 tablespoons thawed frozen spinach, drained 1/4 cup diced tomatoes 1/4 cup diced onion or green onions 1/2 tsp of nutmeg salt & pepper to taste 4 mushrooms diced 1/4 cup diced bell pepper 2 oz shredded cheese	1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray muffin tray. 2.  Whisk the eggs, add the salt and stir in the veggies. 3.  Add the mixture in each muffin tray and put it into the oven for 15-20 minutes. You'l know they are ready when they pop out and are slightly browned on top. 4. Allow them  to cool, and put them in the fridge. Serve them with a dill and sour cream spread.