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!

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.

nutella truffles

We are busy moms. As joyful the holidays are, Purim brings upon a load of work, chores and cooking in Jewish households. We often resort to a mishmash of store-bought candies, chocolates or treats to fill mishloach manot baskets. To me, the best kind of mishloach manots are homemade food baskets. I love the personal touch, often more cost-effective and appreciated. This year I decided to make - IN ADVANCE and FREEZE - assorted chocolate truffles for family and friends. I love the fact I can make these the week before Purim.  This year's truffles include:

NUTELLA TRUFFLES,
TIRAMISU TRUFFLES,
RUM TRUFFLES, AND
MINT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES.

I bought beautiful boxes from the dollar store to wrap them up, you can also find miniature cellophane bags or mini boxes at your local art supply store. 

Although these are made dairy using Nutella, I included a link to make a homemade hazelnut chocolate spread. To make these pareve, you can also use pareve Elite chocolate spread and insert a toasted hazelnut inside the truffle. Up next is the Tiramisu Truffle recipe.

NUTELLA TRUFFLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Time: 2.5 hour  | Serves 24-30 |  Dairy
INGREDIENTS	INSTRUCTIONS
GANACHE 8 ounces quality semisweet or dark chocolate 3/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (AKA Nutella) OR Homemade Nutella spread 1/2 cup heavy cream or pareve coffee creamer from the frozen aisle COATING AND TOPPING 3 ounces of dark chocolate or chocolate chips for the coating 1 teaspoon vegetable Roasted, finely chopped hazelnuts for sprinkling, skin removed	TO MAKE THE GANACHE 1.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. 2.  Using the double boiler method, pour water in a small saucepan halfway and simmer it (avoid boiling water- you want to avoid moisture going into the chocolate).  Also, avoid using a wooden spoon. Place the heatproof bowl on the saucepan, and heat up the heavy cream until hot, but not boiling. Place the 8 ounces of chocolate into the hot cream. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until fully combined and the chocolate is melted. (it should be smooth and creamy not clumpy).  Stir in chocolate hazelnut spread. Remove from heat, let cool for 5 minutes, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set. 3. With the help of a small cookie scoop or melon baller (about 1 teaspoon), scoop out chocolate mixture and form into balls using your hands. Place them onto prepared cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 15- 20 minutes. COATING AND TOPPING 4.  In the meantime, heat remaining chocolate - the same double boiler method as above. Add oil, and stir to combine.  5.  Remove chocolate balls from the freezer and place one ball at a time into the melted chocolate. Using a fork or wooden stick, evenly coat each ball with the chocolate. Use the fork to remove the truffle from the chocolate. Before transferring it back into the baking sheet, slightly tap the fork (with the truffle pricked on it) against the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Place each truffle on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chocolate balls.  6.  Pour leftover melted chocolate into a small Ziplock bag, cut off one corner and pipe melted chocolate in a linear up and down motion on top of each truffle and top with the crushed roasted hazelnuts. 7.  Return truffles to the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes or until truffles are set.  Try to keep these cool, when you hand these to people, specify these should go in the refrigerator.  NOTE: Nutella Truffles will keep up to 7 days stored in the fridge or up to 4 weeks in the freezer in an airtight container. If these are not for Purim, you can eat them right away of course.

a conversation with marcie goldman

Photo Courtesy Marcy Goldman

Some things never change and we don't want them to. We want to hold on, and treasure our Jewish culinary roots because it's important to cherish where we come from.

15 years ago I found myself at Coles Bookstore, standing and gazing at the line-up of Jewish cookbooks. I didn't plan on buying anything that day, but I did, and it was Marcy Goldman's A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking cookbook. So when I had a chance to interview Marcy on our common passion last month, I was excited! With over 6 baking cookbooks, this fellow Montrealer had a few AHA moments before she knew baking was her calling. Between giving a helping hand in her feminist mother's kitchen, feeling such gratification each time her live-in blind grand-mother qvelled over her baked goodies, her passion was fueled. The idea that baking was so mysterious, and magical, and she loved the challenge, she was IN. Today, she spends her time in Montreal writing, pitching, baking, developing recipes for cookbooks, her BetterBaking.com website or a series of ebooks she is working on.