Peas, Love & Carrots

Rosh Hashannah Salatim

For me salads are the best part of any meal. I love those cold, refreshing, crunchy bites in between all the hot food. Making salads on the other hand is the worst!

I force myself to make them on a daily basis because I love them and when I make them on my own I get to put in them exactly what I want. However, I would say that any salad that is not cut up and chopped by me is already halfway there to being my favorite salad.

In an effort to make sure theres tons of cold crunchy veggies on my Rosh Hashannah table this holiday, I made a bunch of salads today that can stay in the fridge and get better everyday they sit! This way if I’m too tired or busy with kids, I at least know I can pull these out!

I made a carrot salad, a fennel salad, a sweet and sour type of eggplant salad, a garlic confit and a bunch of dips to put on the table at every meal.

I hope everyones cooking is going well and can’t wait to see what you all made!

Happy Cooking!

For the printable Moroccan-y Carrot Slaw recipe click here

For the printable Fennel and Apple Slaw recipe click here

For the Pickled Eggplant and Onion recipe click here

For the printable Garlic Confit recipe click here

APPLES AND HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

This chicken dish needs very little explanation. Its description is in the title.

It’s just the right amount of sweetness, with a touch of tartness, moist and succulent on the inside, crispy on the top and most importantly takes less then five minutes to prepare.

I even made more of the honey mustard mixture today so that on Friday all I have to do is cut up the onions and apples. The mixture could stay in the fridge for at leas 10 days so why not get ahead?

The only thing I will do differently next time I make this is that I will make double the amount.

Oh, and maybe add some fennel to the onions and apples on the bottom bc I 💜 fennel.

But thats it.

Happy crunch time everyone!

For the printable Apples and Honey Mustard chicken recipe click here

NO-FAIL CHALLAH RECIPE

The first year I was married I kept trying different challah recipes. No to were alike. They all had different measurements, ingredients, tools, rising times, and braiding techniques. A few months into the insanity of searching for the right recipe I realized that at this point I had tried so many different recipes that I knew what I liked from each one, what my requirements were and that if I tried hard enough I could probably come up with my own recipe. This way I would have a dough that was everything I wanted.

So, what was on my list?

It had to be easy. Meaning no weird ingredients that I don’t regularly keep in my house and as few bowls, spoons and measuring cups/spoons as possible
It had to be a dough that is equally delicious when made by hand as in a mixer. At the time, I assumed I would one day have mixer. Fast forward ten years, nope. No mixer
The recipe had to be extremely versatile. All the ingredients are adjustable. It can be made more or less sweet depending on your mood and it can easily be made with whole wheat or split flour for a “healthier” challah.
Lastly, it had to be really nice to work with. Pliable, not too sticky and not to dry.

It took me a while, but once I knew what to aim for I kept trying and trying until I came up with a recipe I was happy with.

Within this recipe I’ve devised ton and tons of little tips and tricks for how to achieve extra special result. So read the recipe in it’s entirety before you start.

Also, and I do not say this lightly, no matter what you do and how exactly you follow the recipe our challahs will never taste them. A hundred people could make the same recipe exactly the same way and I firmly believe that it will yield 100 slightly different challahs. Everything from the temperature of our houses, to how we need the dough, to the brand of yeast, to the temp of our eggs to the quality of flour and even our emotions will all effect the final product. AND THAT’S OK. Because, then, that recipe truly becomes yours.

For the printable No-Fail Challah recipe click here

Pull Apart Potato Boreka Flower with Shredded Beef

I originally wrote this recipe for FYI magazine over a year ago and I still. can’t get over how much I love it. It’s easy to make, customizable, and a total showstopper on the table!

During this season of endless meals, I like to make one or two of theses flower borekas to keep in my freezer. Then, to change things up a bit I like to alternate what I put in the middle. Sometimes I use shredded beef, like here, or chicken for a main course dish, and sometimes I like to keep it first course style by serving it with a mushrooms sauce, or Israeli style ground beef and chummus, or even just really yummy sautéed veggies.

Really there are so many thing you can do with this!

The recipe for the shredded beef that I made here, happened out of necessity. ~~Shockingly~~ It was another 3 day holiday that brought it on!

developed this recipe when I was trying to figure out what to do with my cholent pot after the first day of yuntif. Most people put their crockpot on a timer but somehow, and I know some of you out there feel me on this, the timer just doesn’t work. It either shuts off too early, doesn’t shut off, or turns on at all the wrong times. And, yes it’s definitely the timer. Not me.

Anyway, I had to make cholent so that my boys wouldn’t riot but didn’t want to leave an empty crockpot plugged in. So, I made this deckle. I seasoned it, seared it, let it cool and froze it. Before yuntif, I moved it to my fridge to thaw and then after I lit candles the second night, I washed my cholent pot, threw in a bunch of sauces, added the meat and let it do its thing. The next day we had the most amazing, fresh, soft and delicious pulled beef.

Whether you prep this ahead or just make it all in one shot, it’s the perfect yuntif recipe. It’s quick, easy, super yummy and feeds a lot of people for a little money!

You can serve the meat in the center of the pull apart potato flower, or change things up and warm soft tacos to stuff them in, or just on top of some steamed rice. However you do it, make it your own and enjoy!

(You can also make this dish in its entirety, pull the beef, let it cool completely and freeze it. It will hold up beautifully).

THIS RECIPE MAKES TWO BIG POTATO FLOWERS SO DEFINITELY FREEZE ONE FOR A RAINY DAY!

Happy cooking everyone!

Peas out,

Danielle

For the printable Pull Apart Potato Boreka Flower recipe click here

For the printable Prep Ahead Shredded Beef recipe click here

BOURBON APPLE TURNOVERS

Every year I make these and I’m always switching up the “wrapper” that holds the treasure of the most delicious apple filling. I’ve use everything from puff pastry, to phyllo dough to wonton wrappers. And you know what, they’re all awesome.

This year I discovered frozen pie dough and I am officially hooked. I’m usually more of a “from scratch” person but when it comes to baking, especially marathon holiday baking, I’ll take any shortcut I can get. The pie dough is so easy to use and so yummy that I decided to use it as my “wrapper” for the bourbon apple filling.

As happy as I am with the results of the pie dough I am still a firm believer that no matter what you put on the outside of the bourbon apple mixture it will still be the best form of apple you eat this entire fall.

Why?

Because.

BOURBON.

Which ever wrapper you choose to make it in, all options are freezer friendly. Just fill ’em, seal ’em tight, and freeze ’em. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan, freeze till hard, then transfer to a tourer ware or ziplock bag.

To cook them, remove them from the freezer and while STILL FROZEN lay them on a baking sheet to defrost. (If you wait till they are defrosted to separate and place them on the baking sheet it will be much harder). Once defrosted egg them, sprinkle some sugar and bake away!

Happy cooking everyone!

For the printable Bourbon Apple Turnovers recipe click here

BOURBON BRAISED RIBS

I love everything about this dish. It’s meaty, really well balanced in flavor, sticky in the best way possible and completely addictive.

I use this sauce on so many cuts of meat that I really hope you play around with it. If you’re more the pulled beef type, no problem. Just use a brisket instead of ribs, cook it at a little bit of a lower temp for a little longer and, BOOM, the best pulled beef ever! Say your family are corned beef lovers? Prepare your corned beef the usual way and then use this as your sauce! In fact you can even pour it over chicken. It’s that good!

It doesn’t take long to make and these ribs freeze really well so I definitely suggest making a huge batch and freezing it. Then you can go back to the kitchen, cook the million other dishes you need to prepare for all these holidays all while having the piece of mind that you already have at least one killer meat done!

Happy cooking!

For the printable Bourbon Braised Short Ribs Recipe click here

Chicken Pot Pie

What’s crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, filled with tons of veggies and protein, still kid friendly, freezes well and is beloved by all?

Well, if the title didn’t give it away, I’m not going to tell you!

Just kidding. It’s…..

CHICKEN POT PIE

I don’t make it often enough, but every time I do I say the same thing to myself. “Oh, this really is so easy. I’m going to start adding this into my dinner rotations.” But, then the holiday season ends and I vow not to make a single thing we ate during that season for at least month. Due to ~~having children~~ extenuating circumstances, my memory is not what it used to be and by the time my yuntif food hiatus ends, I forget all over again how easy it is to make chicken pot pie. Which is hugely unfortunate. Because really, chicken pot pie rocks!

I wrote you all a very large recipe. Large enough to make 3 very large pie dishes, or 4 medium ones. So that if you too forget how easy it is to make you’ll at least have a stockpile of them in your freezer for a rainy day. Literally a rainy day, because there is nothing better then hot and creamy chicken pot pie when its freezing and pouring outside!

All the freezing instructions are in the recipe, so click the link and get cooking!

Happy endless cooking month everyone!

✌🏻💜&🥕,

Danielle

For the printable Chicken Pot Pie Recipe click here

5 More So Simple Salad Dressings

Salads are so personal. The addition or subtraction of one single component in a salad can make it or break it for people. For me it’s tomatoes. You stick even a few cherry tomatoes in that salad and I’m out. I could love every other thing in there and be totally addicted to the dressing, but once the juice of the tomatoes touches the other veggies it goes from appealing to completely off limits.

That’s why, a while back, I gave you all a post all about the dressings. We all pretty much know what we want or are in the mood to throw in our salads, but when it comes to the dressing I think thats where most people get stumped. They either stick to the same old boring dressing they’ve been making for ~~months~~ years, or, even worse, they use, GASP, bottled dressing. Ugh, I know. That stuff is just not right.

Really though, once you understand the really basic principles of making a good dressing, it’s so easy to whip up your own. If your interested in what those are click here to go the original post. Also, thats where the first 6 salad dressing recipes are.

So, here I am again, posting another 6 dressings recipe for you to help with your summertime salad habits. All I crave in this heat is something light, crunchy, fresh and flavorful. Which basically means I’m making some sort of salad every single night. Usually it’s a full meal in a salad. It’s packed with veggies, topped with some sort of protein (grilled chicken, deli, steak or even feta cheese or crispy chickpeas) lightly sprinkled with a little crunch in the form of crispy homemade croutons or crou”tot”s, and drizzled with most yummy and satisfying salad dressing.

I hope these dressings make many, many appearances on all your dinner tables all summer long!

Happy Summer Everyone!

Peas Out,

Danielle

For the printable Mango Sumac Vinaigrette recipe click here

For the printable Lightened Up Green Goddess Dressing recipe click here

For the printable Pomegranate Vinaigrette recipe click here

For the printable Raspberry Lime Vinaigrette recipe click here

For the printable Spicy Peanut Sesame Dressing recipe click here

Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles

FINALLY!!!!!

I have been trying to find time to post this recipe since the day I made it. When I say I have not even had a single second to just sit at my computer and get it done, it is not an exaggeration at all. This week was so insanely fun but so crazy busy.

Between flying to Florida for just a day to see mt grandfather, photography lessons (hence the ridiculously beautiful photos by the ohs talented Miriam Pascal), filming ten brand new videos for kosher.com, kids, husband oh and a few minutes of much needed sleep here and there this week was action packed. Even for me. And thats saying something. Luckily,I loved every minute of it.

Now that I have a few free seconds, I decided to use the time to bring you the recipe I promised I would. I know its a little late to make this for shakos but Im so confident in its level addiction that I felt like you needed to have it.

Whether you make it for a shabbos afternoon, as a barbecue side dish, or as the perfect portable beach day lunch it is one of those recipes thats just perfect. It’s versatile and I included a bunch of variations in the recipe to help you make it even more to your liking! I never know when I make something like this whether mysids will eat to or not, but they all LOVED it. I actually kept the veggies separate and each kid customized what veggies they wanted in their bowls.

Lets talk about these photos. No, I did no take these insanely gorgeous pictures. They were taken by the uber-talented Miriam pascal from overtimecook. I had the unbelievable privilege of hanging out with Miriam and the equally talented Melinda from kitchen-tested. We got together, well actually, they got together and I crashed their photoshoot, to photograph some new recipes. Not only were they gracious enough to let me watch and learn from everything they did, they even told me to bring a recipe that they would tech me how to photograph!

I don’t think I’m quite ready to produce any pictures that look as gorgeous as these, actually I probably need to buy a real camera first, but I can’t wait to get back home and start implanting all the tips and tricks they gave me.

Hope your all having a slamming summer!

Peas out,

Danielle

For the printable Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodle Recipe, click here

Cannoli Cream Trifles with Lotus Crumbs and Blueberries

Creamy, Crunch, Sweet, a little Tart, slightly Tangy and insanely delicious.

Oh and did I mention these only take 10 minutes to make.

Oh, and that they’re fully customizable to your likes and dislikes.

Also, Lotus Cookies.

‘nuf said.

✌🏻💜&🥕,

Danielle

For the printable Cannoli Cream Trifles with Lotus Crumbs and Blueberries click here