Breakfast Cereal Muffins

Kitchen MacGuyver

If you’re like me, then you might be getting a little bored with the food you have at home during this quarantine. Of course, I’m trying to be strategic in what I absolutely NEED to go out and get, but lately, it’s even more important to get creative with what you already have in the fridge. I call it “Kitchen MacGuyvering”! It reminds me of that scene from Friends when Chandler asks Monica, regarding what food Joey has in his fridge, “you’re a chef. What can you make with baking soda and beer?” 🙂 Well, after channeling my inner Monica, doing some research and taking inventory of my pantry, I decided on these Breakfast Cereal Muffins!

Cereal Fanatic

Now you might be wondering what type of cereal would work best in this recipe. And my response would be – ANYTHING! My husband happens to love cereal, and we’re talking any and all varieties of sugary cereal. Sorry Ellie – but hey, I still love you, even if you eat Fruity Pebbles every morning.

So, while yes, I could have used up some of his breakfast treat for these, I prefer to use this awesome, low-carb keto-friendly cereal. I found the company Magic Spoon a few months ago. Not only do they make super delicious childhood-like favorite cereals that are low-carb, and high protein, BUT they are KOSHER! It was truly “magical” for me. 🙂

Full disclosure here on these muffins. Since they’re made out of flaxseed meal, these have a bit of a “spongy” texture to them. I think they turned out great, but my husband who is not as much of a fan of the texture of some gluten-free foods, was not super into them. To me, they’re light, airy (and m-word – you know what I mean) and don’t give you that heavy feeling you’d normally get after eating a muffin of any size. Either way, I’m a fan.

Hope you all are staying healthy and safe – and why not use this time to get your creative juices flowing with your cooking or baking, am I right?

Well, regardless, happy food experimenting!

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Breakfast Cereal Muffins
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Breakfast
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp Ground Flaxseed
  • 1 1/2 cups Breakfast Cereal Use any kind you like or whatever's leftover!
  • 4 Large eggs
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 2 tbsp Almond milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tbsp Sugar, or sugar substitute
  • 4 tbsp Coconut oil, melted You can also use butter or a light-tasting oil like avocado oil!
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp Coffee Totally optional but I added in some leftover cold brew for a little hint of coffee flavor - the perfect breakfast bite!
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners

  2. In a bowl, mix together the coconut oil and cereal - then add in the rest of the ingredients

  3. Let the batter sit for a few minutes

  4. Pour the batter in the muffin trays and bake for 18-20 min, watching carefully so the tops of the muffins don't get too dark

  5. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

  6. If you want to make a glaze, I mixed 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (or powdered Swerve) with 3 tbsp lemon juice (for a burst of tartness) or almond milk. This will leave you with leftovers which you can keep in the fridge and use to top homemade pancakes, waffles or brownies!

Pit Beef With Homemade Horseradish Sauce

Pit BeefWith a small crowd this Passover I ended up with a quite a bit of leftover grated horseradish. I also had an extra French roast that sat uncooked in my freezer. The first thing that came to mind was roast beef with horseradish sauce, but I wanted to put my own spin on it.  The weather has also been getting better here, so I have been itching to fire up the grill. And then it came to me, pit beef. What is pit bit beef you ask? Pit beef is Baltimore’s answer to southern style BBQ. It takes a tough piece of meat and cooks it on a grill over charcoal or wood, and that is about where the similarity ends.

What is Pit Beef?

Pit beef uses a lean cut of meat cooked to medium rare, sliced thinly, and served on a kaiser roll.  It usually calls for an eye of round, but that is not a cut that is generally available in the kosher market.  The French roast I used seemed to work well and is readily available wherever kosher meat is sold.  Ideally you would cut it on a deli slicer, but that is not practical for the average home cook. Use your longest, thinnest, and sharpest knife.  Cut against the grain and take your time and it will be OK.

Most of the recipes I have seen for pit beef call for oregano (which to me sounds like Italian beef). I went with celery seed for a Chicago style twist (yes, I know a Chicago style hot dog uses celery salt not celery seed). The tricky part about making pit beef is getting medium rare most of the way through with a good char on the outside using the grill.  The way to accomplish this is to use two zone cooking to split your grill between direct and indirect heat.

Check out some of our other grilling recipes and BBQ related adventures here:

BBQ Related Posts

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Pit Beef
Pit Beef With Homemade Horseradish Sauce
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 

Baltimore's answer to BBQ, with a Chicago twist.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Meat, Sandwich
Cuisine: American, BBQ, Kosher
Keyword: BBQ, Beef, kosher, pit beef
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Pit Beef
  • 4 lb French Roast
  • 1/4 Cup Mustard
  • 3 tbsp Granulated Garlic Power
  • 3 tbsp Granulated Onion Powder
  • 3 tbsp Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Celery Seed
  • 6 Kaiser Rolls
  • Wood Chips Optional
  • Charcoal
  • 3 Onions Sliced into thick rounds
  • 3 Pickles Sliced into rounds
Horseradish Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup Horseradish Root
  • 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Mustard
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Salt To taste
  • Pepper To taste
Instructions
  1. Trim any silver skin or large pieces of fat from the roast. Also, trim off any thin pieces of meat from the end of the roast (they will burn) to get a nice uniform shape.

  2. Coat the roast on all sides with a thin layer of mustard.

  3. Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and celery salt in a small mixing bowl. Coat the roast on all sides with a layer of the spice mixture. The layer of the spice mixture should be just thick enough so you can no longer see the mustard.

  4. Create a two zone fire in your grill. The goal of this is to create one area of your grill that is meant for high, direct heat similar to a stove, and a second area with lower, indirect heat similar to your oven. This is done by banking a small amount of coals on one side of your grill. I would recommend using fewer coals than you think you need. You can always add more coals to increase the heat, but it is a lot harder to remove lit coals to cool down your grill. If you have, throw on some wood chips or chunks for additional smoke flavor. The wood is not a must, but it is will give your meat a little something extra.

  5. Put the roast on the cooler, indirect heat side of the grill (the side without the coals). Put the probe from your thermometer in the middle of the thickest part of the roast. Cover the grill and allow the roast to cook until it hits 130°F.

  6. Once the roast hits 130°F remove the thermometer and move it to the hotter, direct heat side of the grill and cook on each side until you get a nice char. This should get the internal temperature to about 145°F, medium rare. Remove the roast from the grill to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil, allowing it to rest for at least ten minutes

  7. While the roast rests, throw the onions on the hot side of the grill and cook until they start to char. Keep an eye on them as they will burn easily and be careful to not let them slip through the gaps in the grill grate.

Horseradish Sauce
  1. Peel the horseradish and add it along with the mayo, garlic clove, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. This can be done in advance, but not too early or the horseradish will start losing its bite.

Assembly
  1. Once the roast has rested, slice it as thin as you can against the grain. This will shorten the fibers of the meat creating a more tender tasting piece of meat.

  2. Toast the buns on the hot side of the grill, being careful not to let them burn. Put some of the horseradish sauce on the bottom of the bun, then the pickles, followed by the sliced beef. Top with the grilled onions and the top half of the bun. Serve immediately.

cooler

Passover Basics: Quick Carrots With a Little Something Extra

Passover Kumquat CarrotsDid you ever come across an item in the grocery store that you you aren’t sure what you are going to do with, but you know you have to try. Last week when I was doing my Passover produce shopping, I came across kumquats. Kumquats are miniature oranges that are eaten whole (peel and seeds included) and are quite tart. I love citrus fruits in general, but have never had the chance to try kumquats. When I saw them I knew I had to buy them and figure out what to do with them later.

In keeping with the  theme of keeping it simple this year, I wanted to create another easy recipe that is quick and can be made the day before. Carrots are a tasty vegetarian side dish and by adding some sweetness hopefully even your kids will eat them. I know kumquats can be hard to find and can be left out of this recipe without any major issues.  If you like the tartness kumquats provide, but you can’t find them, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the recipe. If you find the recipe to sweet without the kumquats use less honey. The recipe also calls for cinnamon and ginger which also add some complexity to the dish. If those flavors offend you (or your children) feel free to omit them as well.

Quick tip: If you don’t want to bother peeling and cutting carrots, use packaged baby carrots instead. I personally prefer regular carrots, as I find baby carrots have a funny taste and texture but they will work in a pinch.

Here are some of our other kosher for Passover recipes:

Honey Roasted Chicken

Seder Roast

Sweet Potato Knishes

Herby Cabbage Salad Perfect for Passover

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Passover Kumquat Carrots
Quick Carrots With a Little Something Extra
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 

A quick and easy side dish great for any occasion with a little something extra. This recipe can be made without even turning on the oven. This recipe calls for the option of adding kumquats, a miniature orange that can be somewhat tart, but if you can't find them you can leave them out. It also calls for cinnamon and ginger, but if you don't like either of those feel free to leave them out as well.

Course: Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine: American, Jewish
Keyword: carrots, Passover
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Carrots 1 Bag
  • 3/4 Cup Orange Juice
  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • Salt To taste
  • Pepper To taste
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger Optional
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Optional
  • 25 Kumquats Optional
Instructions
  1. Peel the carrots and cut in to ½ inch thick coins. If you want to get fancy, cut them on a diagonal.

  2. If you are adding the kumquats slice them in half and arrange them neatly in the saute pan, cut side down. Cook over medium heat until the kumquats begin to brown.

  3. Add the carrots along with the orange juice and the honey to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add the cinnamon and/or ginger at this point.

  4. Cook until the liquid in the pan thickens to a sauce and the carrots begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately or store in the an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

 

Passover Basics: Honey Roasted Chicken

An Apocalyptic Passover

Honey Roasted Passover ChickenThe holidays usually means large meals with big crowds. Spending time in Shul (AKA Synagogue) and visiting with friends and family. But this year everything is different. With everyone stuck at home alone for Pesach (AKA Passover) due to the Covid-19 (AKA Corona Virus) quarantine, many people are cooking for Pesach for the first time and others are struggling to figure out how to cook for a small crowd. I wanted to share a simple recipe that is perfect for feeding a small family. It so easy that even first time Pesach cooks can make it.  This is my go to easy chicken recipe that I use all year, but is also perfect for a simple holiday meal.

This recipe calls for a whole chicken spatchcocked. I find whole chickens stays more moist when cooking and are often a little cheaper than buying pre-cut chicken. Spatchcocking is easier than you think.  You simply cut out the spine with a heavy chef’s knife or kitchen shears and flatten out the bird. By flattening out the bird, it cooks more evenly. Pro tip: when spatchcocking a chicken don’t throw away the spine, save it for your chicken soup. That being said, if you don’t trust your butchery skills, this recipe works just as well with a pre-cut 8 piece chicken or even leg quarters (AKA bottoms).

Something a Little Different

While this recipe is pretty basic for Pesach, you can always jazz it up for something a little different during the year. If you like things a little spicy, use a hot paprika or some cayenne pepper. For something a little more complex try a curry powder or for an Asian twist try some soy sauce and Chinese five spice powder.

What is your go to simple Passover recipe for a small crowd? Let us know in the comments.

Recipe: Honey Roasted Chicken

0 from 0 votes
Honey Roasted Passover Chicken
Honey Roasted Chicken
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 

A quick and easy whole chicken recipe that is sure to please.

Course: Main Course, Main Dish, Meat
Cuisine: Kosher, Passover
Keyword: Chicken, Passover
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Whole Chicken
  • Garlic Powder To taste
  • Onion Powder To taste
  • Paprika To taste
  • Salt To taste
  • Pepper To taste
  • Honey Enough to drizzle both sides of your chicken
Instructions
  1. Start by removing the backbone of the chicken by cutting down each side of the spine. This is know as spatchcocking. You can do this with a heavy chef's knife but I prefer to use kitchen shears. Then flip the chicken over so the breast is facing up and press down on it flattening the bird. The reason for this is by flattening the chicken out it will cook more evenly

  2. Season both sides of the chicken with the garlic, onion, paprika, salt, and pepper. Then drizzle with honey. Don't put on too much honey, as it can burn. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and cover tightly with foil.

  3. Preheat your oven to 350°F and roast the chicken until the deepest part of the part of the breast reads 160°F. Then remove the foil and increase the heat to 425°F and allow the chicken to continue to cook until the skin is browned and crispy, but keep an eye on it so it does not burn

  4. Once the skin is browned pull the chicken out of the oven and allow it to rest. Once it is cool enough to handle, cut the chicken in to quarters by cutting the skin between the breast and the thigh and split the breasts in half by cutting through the breast bone with a heavy chef's knife. If you have a lot small children, you may want to cut the chicken into eights by cutting the leg off of the thigh and cutting the wing off of the breast. Serve immediately.

Happy Passover!

Why is this Passover Different from all others?

Passover is just over a week away and I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s going to be strange. No seder with family. No traveling. But here at Meat Your Vegetables we have put all of our delicious, no-fuss recipes in 1 place for you. We’re here to make this year’s holiday as stress-free as possible. As if you probably weren’t stressed already!

It’s a strange time we’re living in right now and while we’re under quarantine, it might seem like the perfect opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen or creating recipes, but honestly, I’m just trying to get to a new normal – whatever that means. But fear not, I’m still puttering around with some recipes that I think you’ll love – especially for erev Pesach when it always feels like there’s nothing to eat!

Recipe All-Stars

So in the meantime, while I mess around with a new recipe for Passover crepes, or “tortillas”, here are some fantastic recipes, perfect for Passover or anytime of year, that you might have missed on MYV over the years.

And thanks to YOU all – our readers and supporters, we are proud to have been able to bring you content for over 3 years!

From both Daniel and me here at MYV, we wish you and your family a Chag Kasher V’Sameach, a Pesach Sameach – and we hope above all that you and your family stay safe, healthy (and sane)!

PS – if you follow us on Facebook, make sure to check out my recipe for Cheez-Its!  Just ONE ingredient and you have the perfect cheesy cracker that tastes just like the boxed version! Or you can call it a “frico”, if you’re feeling fancy. 🙂 Check out the recipe here!

Jeweled Rice with Crispy Salami Croutons

Latest Obsession

Fair warning, readers!  In the coming months, you’ll come to notice that I have quite the obsession with Adeena Sussman’s cookbook, Sababa. Using her recipes as inspiration, while I drool all over the pages (jk, that’s gross), I adapted her Jeweled Rice recipe for a fun twist on a dish for Purim! Truthfully, I am not paid to endorse her book, I’m just THAT much in love with it!

A New Twist

A few weeks ago, my husband Elliott and I were eating Friday night dinner and catching up on the past week. Occasionally we’ll go down these rabbit-hole conversations and this one was just that. He was helping me brainstorm for a Purim recipe. Now, don’t get me wrong, Hamantashen are great. But we have a good amount of those recipes on MeatYourVegetables, so I thought it was time to do something different.

Elliott made some comment about his love of hanging salamis above our back door and he mentioned something along the lines of “ya know, Haman… hanging… salami.” Ah, here comes the light bulb moment.

It makes so much sense now why serving hassleback salami at a Purim seudah has become a “thing” because Haman was hanged on the gallows. So we put two and two together and decided on “Jeweled” rice, because you know – Queen Esther, royalty, crown, jewels. You get the idea. 🙂 And topped with my ever popular salami croutons – how can this go wrong? And yes, I know, I’m making a dish with MEAT?! Sometimes ya have to switch it up, right?

Household staple

Yes, my salami croutons have become a staple in our house (well, just for Elliott). All I do is dice up some salami (it’s easier to do this with softer salami, but you still can with dried, it’ll just be much harder to peel off the paper and chop) and fry it in a bit of olive oil until they’re SUPER crispy. BOOM- salami croutons. A great way to get my husband to eat salad, HA!

Side note here on the jeweled rice. Just like Adeena’s recipe goes, feel free to use any dried fruit. I opted for apricots because Elliott likes apricots and not much else in the dried fruit category. And I went with sliced almonds because again, he’s very particular and he loves almonds. Adding some pomegranate seeds on top would be a great addition too, for that jeweled look. Or, try dried cranberries, or maybe even sun-dried tomatoes!

So there you have it! A great new twist on a dish that’s perfect for Purim, or any time of year! I’m serving this for our upcoming seudah and for Friday night Shabbos dinner!

Purim Sameach!

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Jeweled Rice with Crispy Salami Croutons
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 
Course: Side
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Basmati or Jasmine Rice If all you have on hand is regular white rice, go ahead and use it. It'll still be delish
  • 1/2 Onion, diced I used red onion for this photo because, well that's all I had in the house and it gives the dish a nice sweetness, so use what you like!
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp Dried dill I love using fresh dill but dried is so much easier to use since most of us already have it in our pantry. If you use fresh, chop up 1/2 cup
  • 1/2 cup Dried apricots, chopped Again, use whatever dried fruit you like!
  • 1/2 cup Sliced or Slivered almonds
  • 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced I had a meyer lemon on hand and love that bright burst of sweet, tart lemon!
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup Salami, cut into cubes
  • 5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Make the rice: Rinse the rice in a sieve and place in a medium-sized pot or rice cooker. Add 2 cups of water and cook for about 20 minutes until fluffy and tender

  2. While the rice is cooking, in a medium-sized skillet, heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil over medium-heat

  3. Add the onions and and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt

  4. Make sure to stir frequently so the onions don't burn

  5. Cook for about 20 minutes until the onions are golden and caramelized - remove from pan and set aside to cool

  6. While the rice is cooling, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil into the pan where the onions cooked and add the salami cubes

  7. Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until crispy but be careful not to burn (they cook pretty fast)

  8. Add the semi-cooled rice in a large bowl and add the dill, chopped apricots, remaining salt and pepper, lemon zest and juice and almonds

  9. Add the salami croutons along with the remaining oil from the salami

  10. Mix well and add in pomegranate if desired!

  11. Serve warm or room temp and enjoy!

 

“Bacon” Ranch Crack Dip

Superbowl Snacking

I know what you’re thinking. Bacon and Crack? Did Rachel fall off the deep end? Not so fast, ya’ll! Since the Superbowl is this Sunday, it seemed only fitting to make a party dip that was so addicting, it was like crack!  Seriously, look up “crack dip“, it’s a thing!

So let’s dive head-first into this (meatless) Bacon Ranch Crack Dip. Obviously we’re not talking about real bacon here. The “bacon” comes from the salty, earthy, umami flavors of… MUSHROOMS! It’s a great way to sneak some veggies into a dish for your kids (or in my case, my husband, who isn’t a big veggie eater, but sadly, he despises these delicious fungi – shhh, don’t tell him there are mushrooms in this dip)!

Easy as…mushroom bacon

This recipe is so easy to whip up for your Superbowl party or any time of year. Yes it’s a lot of fat (and very Keto-friendly), but it’s a fun spin on a typical onion dip. And maybe you get a little tired of guacamole at every party, so this is a great alternative to introduce to your party guests.

Of course if you’re not into mushrooms, you can omit them. You won’t get as much of that umami flavor bomb, but you could always add in some fake bacon bits instead. And for the record, the mushroom bacon came out insanely delicious – crispy, smoky (the shiitakes are known for their smoky flavor), and a little salty – the PERFECT addition to this creamy, cheesy dip!

I like how versatile this dip is (well, aren’t all of my recipes pretty versatile?). You can add in some caramelized onions, to add a hint of sweetness to balance out the earthy mushroom flavors. But how can you go wrong when you mix cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing? I mean, now you can understand the meaning behind “crack” dip, right?

True, the traditional recipes call for real bacon but I put my own twist on it! Adding the meatless mushroom “bacon”, and some freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright pop of acidity to round out all the flavors. And for this recipe, I used Walden Farm’s Bacon Ranch Dressing. Most of the time I have my own homemade salad dressings in the fridge, but I wanted an extra kick of that salty bacon flavor so I went with it for this go-around. But if you want to add in some homemade ranch – go for it!

So whoever you’re rooting for (Go CHIEFS!!!!) and wherever you’ll be during the Superbowl this year (or not even watching it because you’ll forget about it, or just don’t care, ha), go ahead and whip up a batch of this super creamy, salty, sweet and undeniably addicting Bacon Ranch Crack Dip!

And after you made it, feel free to comment below with your thoughts! What did you add to make it more fun? Maybe a squeeze of sriracha or hot sauce? We’d love to know how you liked it!

Enjoy – and Happy Superbowl Snacking!

0 from 0 votes
Meatless "Bacon" Ranch Crack Dip
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15 servings (1/4 cup per serving)
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Shiitake Mushrooms Caps only - use the stems for making veggie stock! Also, shiitakes specifically have kind of a smoky flavor compared to other types of mushrooms, so they work best in this recipe
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Bacon Seasoning, optional I love the brand, Flavor God, the "bacon lover's seasoning" - their spices mixes are awesome, AND Kosher!
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese 8 oz = 1 cup
  • 3/4 cup Ranch Dressing I used the Bacon Ranch dressing from Walden Farms, but use whatever you like - store bought, or homemade!
  • 1/3 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
  • 1/3 cup Green Onions, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 Lemon, halved and juiced
Instructions
  1. Make the mushroom bacon: Pre-heat the oven to 375F and line with parchment paper

  2. Remove the mushroom stems and slice the mushroom caps into thin slices

  3. Add the sliced mushrooms to the baking sheet, and drizzle the olive oil, salt and bacon seasoning (if using). Make sure the mushrooms are coated evenly, then arrange in a single layer, making sure they don't overlap

  4. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, then flip each slice over. Return to the oven for 7 more minutes, until the mushroom caps are browned, but not burnt. They'll get crispy around the edges but even if the centers are soft, don't worry, they'll crisp up as they cool

  5. Cool the mushroom bacon for at least 15 minutes. Remove any excess oil with a towel and chop into small pieces, to use for the dip later

  6. And now, make the dip! Pre-heat the oven again but this time at 350F



  7. Heat the cream cheese slowly in the microwave until it's warmed (NOT hot) and stirs easily. I popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirred, the 30 more seconds until warm and melty

  8. Pour the ranch dressing into the cream cheese, and mix until smooth, then add in the sour cream. Once mixed thoroughly, add in the cheddar, mushroom bacon, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice (but NOT the green onions)

  9. Add the dip into a 1/2 quart baking dish (or similar size) and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly

  10. Garnish with the green onions and serve hot or warm with cut up veggies, tortilla chips or low carb chips or crackers!

Lemon Bars

Lemon Love

I love acid. I know that sounds bad, but if I could squeeze lemon juice on top of everything, I’d be happy. Lemon ANYTHING is my favorite. Lemon meringue pie is my favorite dessert (we served it at my wedding). And acidity really does help round out the flavors of a delicious meal, especially on a perfectly-cooked piece of salmon. So when Trader Joe’s started carrying Meyer Lemons for the winter (a sweeter version of a lemon), I had to make something super lemon-y. And in my book, that means lemon bars.

Even though my lemon bars are gluten-free, dairy-free (perfect for a Shabbos dessert) and low-carb (yay Keto-friendly), it doesn’t mean that these are without flavor. Quite the contrary. The perfectly crumbly golden crust and the sweet yet tart lemon filling, dusted with some powdered sugar (or I like to use powdered Swerve for a no-sugar alternative). It’s truly heaven in a square-shaped bite.

Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!

I had a total craving for these lemon bars and luckily they’re only 5 ingredients so they’re super simple to whip up in no time! Just make sure that you give the crust a good 10 minutes to cool down before you pour the filling on top. And I doubt that anyone would know these AREN’T made with gluten, sugar or dairy!

Or, if you’re an acid lover like me, feel free to swap out the lemon (or Meyer lemons, in my case) with key lime! How can you go wrong with a key lime tart? Just the thought is making me daydream about sitting on the beach with a cocktail in hand and these bars stacked high on a plate in the other. So there is your cue to make these ASAP!

Happy eating my friends!

0 from 0 votes
Lemon Bars
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
48 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, or Betterine (margarine alternative) You can use butter if you want to make these dairy!
  • 1 3/4 cup Almond Flour
  • 1 cup Sugar, or Swerve sugar alternative
  • 1 tbsp Powdered sugar, or Powdered Swerve, sugar alternative
  • 1/2 cup Lemon juice, or juice from 3 lemons (or use Meyer Lemons like I did!), or use bottled
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Lemon extract Optional, for an extra kick!
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F and line an 8x8" square baking pan with parchment paper

  2. Mix melted coconut oil or Betterine in a bowl.

  3. Add 1 cup of almond flour, 1/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix well

  4. Pour into the pan and using (damp) hands, press the crust into the pan

  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes (watch it carefully that it doesn't get too brown) and let cool for 10 minutes

  6. In another medium-sized bowl, combine the lemon juice, extract (if using), eggs, 3/4 cup of sugar or Swerve, 3/4 cup of almond flour and a pinch of salt. Whisk together to smooth out any lumps in the batter

  7. Pour filling onto cooled crust and bake for 22 minutes until just barely jiggly in the middle. I over-baked mine for 1-2 minutes which made it crack but that's okay, it's still delicious! Dust with powdered sugar or Swerve and cut into squares and enjoy!

Low Carb Vegan Cornbread

New Inspiration

A few weeks ago, a colleague of mine said to me in passing, “I have some news for you. Oh don’t worry, it’s nothing bad, I just think you’ll find it interesting.” Well, glad she made a mention that this wasn’t anything to worry about, phew! And she was right, I DID find it interesting. She had recently gone vegan (not cold turkey, but at her own pace) and wanted to pick my brain on recipes and ideas for making her cooking life easier. Granted, she’s not low-carb, but making this recipe keto-friendly was an added bonus for me!

And… this is the time in the story where the wheels in my brain start turning furiously. First, I mentioned all of the vegan recipes I had in BOTH of my blogs, Riskyveggie and of course, the vegan recipes here in MYV. Then I suggested the fantastic Megan Gilmore of Detoxinista – WOW does she have a huge repertoire of vegan recipes galore!

The wheels in my brain came to a screeching halt. And born was my Low Carb, (Keto-Friendly), Vegan Cornbread! And don’t worry, it’s still delicious, even without the dairy. Of course eggs are not vegan-friendly so I made a chia egg. It sounds weird, but the texture imitates that of an egg – really! I already had a bag of ground chia seeds (you can use flax seeds too), but if you don’t, I recommend grinding your own. Not that you can’t use chia or flax in your cornbread but it might have a strange texture, so I use ground.

Not Vegan? No Problemo!

The nice thing about this recipe too is that you can totally mix it up to what YOU like! Add in some diced jalapeno for a nice kick, or if you’re not vegan, go ahead and add some shredded cheddar and real eggs too (3 in this case). I love using nutritional yeast in vegan recipes because it gives that cheesy flavor with no dairy but added in Vitamin B6! And for those Keto fans out there, this is a great option for you – with or without the baby corn.

This side dish is a perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal, as an addition to your chili while watching football, or really, any time of year! Even for a picnic, it’s great to serve since it doesn’t require refrigeration.

This is for you, Sarah! ENJOY! Happy vegan-cooking!

Catch ya’ll in 2020!

3.25 from 4 votes
Low Carb Vegan Cornbread
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
 
Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cornbread
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Almond Flour
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
  • 3 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt (or Pink Himalayan Salt, for those electrolytes!)
  • 1/2 cup Avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp Chia Seeds, preferably ground Or you can use flax seeds
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Water
  • 1/4 cup Almond Milk Or any non-dairy milk you like!
  • 25 drops Liquid Stevia
  • 1 cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 2/3 can Baby Corn, chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno, diced, seeded and ribs removed Optional - but a good kick!
Instructions
  1. Make the chia egg (egg substitute): Mix the chia (or flax) seeds, preferably ground, with the 2 1/2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken

  2. Pre-heat the oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch casserole dish with avocado or olive oil

  3. In a medium-sized bowl. combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any clumps and and set aside

  4. In a another (large) bowl combine the chia or flax egg, avocado oil, almond milk, liquid stevia, diced jalapenos (if using) and nutritional yeast. Whisk until full no lumps. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet so you have 1 thick batter

  5. Fold in the chopped baby corn and transfer all to the casserole dish

  6. Bake for 37-40 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and slice into squares. Garnish with some green onions and non-dairy sour cream - or serve alongside chili for a hearty meal!

Pulled Beef Filled Mini Doughnuts With a Trio of BBQ Dipping Sauces

Pulled Beef DoughnutsWhat’s the Deal With Doughnuts

Chanukah (or Hanukkah if you prefer) is upon us. On of the things I love about Chanukah are the doughnuts (or is it donuts).  Ok, I love doughnuts any time of year, but on Chanukah I have a good excuse. Doughnuts, along with other fried foods such as latkes, are eaten on Chanukah to celebrate the miracle of one night’s worth of oil found after the Greeks invaded the Temple burning for eight nights in the menorah.

Everything is Better With Brisket

If you follow this blog,then you know one of my culinary passions is BBQ. How could I combine doughnuts and BBQ you ask? I happened to have a smoked 2nd cut brisket in freezer waiting for just such an occasion. I felt like I needed some sort of sauce to compensate for the lack of frosting or creamy filling.

This gave me the opportunity to showcase three different regional styles of BBQ sauce. You can choose to serve any or all of them. These included a spicy southwestern chipotle sauce, a sweet Dr. Pepper sauce in the Kansas City style, and finally a tangy South Carolina mustard sauce. I originally thought of adding the sauce to beef filling or tossing the doughnuts in the sauce, but after talking to some friends, I ultimately decided to keep the sauce on the side.  This allows the diner to chose the type and quantity of sauce the desire and prevents the doughnut from getting soggy.

Another goal of this recipe was to make something a little more bite sized. Smaller donuts make a great hors d’oeuvre for your holiday party or an appetizer for shabbat dinner. Originally, I planned to make doughnut holes (AKA munchkins), but soon learned they are too hard to stuff with the brisket. I eventually settled on a mini doughnut ball slightly larger than a golf ball, which worked perfectly. As I have said many times before, I am not baker so I did start with Alton Brown’s yeast doughnut recipe  and then modified it to be a bit fluffier and to make smaller, rounder doughnuts.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s latest Chanukah recipe for the other staple of the holiday: Potato Latke Waffles

0 from 0 votes
Pulled Beef Doughnuts
Pulled Beef Filled Mini Doughnuts
Prep Time
4 hrs
Cook Time
4 hrs
 

A savory twist on a Chanukah treat.

Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Hors d'oeuvre, Side, Snack
Cuisine: American, Holiday, Jewish, Kosher
Keyword: Beef, brisket, Doughnut, Pulled Beef
Servings: 12 Doughnuts
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Doughnut Dough
  • 12 oz All Purpose Flour Yes, get a scale!
  • 2 Large Eggs Beaten
  • 1/4 cup (Non-dairy) Milk I used soy milk to keep it kosher, but if you don't need it to be kosher you can use regular milk.
  • 1-1/4 oz Vegetable Shortening
  • 2 Envelopes Instant Yeast
  • 1/3 cup Warm Water About 110°F
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 cup Sugar Optional, if you want a sweet doughnut
  • Vegetable Oil For Frying. Enough to come 3" up the side of your pot.
Pulled Beef
  • 1 2nd Cut Brisket or Chuck Roast
  • 4 Cups Beef Stock Homemade would be best, but boxed will work in a pinch. You may not need all of it.
  • 1 Carrot Peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 Onion Peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Peeled and roughly chopped
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions
Doughnuts
  1. Add the yeast and warm water to small bowl and stir until the yeast is completely wet.

  2. In another bowl combine the (non-dairy) milk and the shortening. Microwave until the shortening is melted, about 30 seconds. Alternately, you could heat the mixture in a saucepan. Set the mixture aside to cool.

  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the yeast and water mixture, the shortening and milk mixture, the salt, and the eggs, with the paddle attachment on the "stir" setting. At this point, add the sugar if you want a sweet doughnut. Slowly incorporate the flour until the mixture forms a cohesive mass.

  4. Switch to the dough hook and and knead for 5 minutes.

  5. Move the dough to an oiled bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rise on the counter until it doubles in size.

  6. Divide into 12 pieces and roll each piece in to a ball a little larger than a golf ball and allow them to rise on the counter until they double in size again.

  7. Add 3 inches of oil to a large heavy pot or dutch oven and put on the stove over medium heat. Once the oil get to 350°F, fry the doughnuts in batches on each side until golden brown.

  8. Put aside to cool.

Pulled Beef
  1. Season the brisket or chuck roast heavily with salt and pepper.

  2. Add the carrots, onions, and garlic, to a large pot or Dutch oven. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. Add enough of the beef stock to cover the meat about 3/4 of the way.

  3. Cover the pot and place the it on the stove over medium heat and allow the meat to braise until tender.

  4. Once the meat is tender, remove from the pot and allow it to rest until cool enough to handle, and shred using two forks.

  5. Using a knife, cut a slit in the doughnuts and stuff with the meat. Serve immediately with the BBQ sauce of your choice.

0 from 0 votes
Pulled Beef Doughnuts
Chipolte BBQ Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
 

Add a kick to your cooking

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: BBQ, Mexican, Southern
Keyword: BBQ, Chipotle, Sauce
Servings: 1 Cup
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 3/4 Cup Ketchup
  • 3 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped These come in a small can is the Latin food section of your local grocery store.
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Ground Cumin
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to a small sauce pot and simmer until all the solids are dissolved.

0 from 0 votes
Pulled Beef Doughnuts
South Carolina Mustard Sauce
Prep Time
2 mins
 

A tangy sauce from the south

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: BBQ, Mustard
Servings: 1 Cup
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup Prepared Horseradish Mayo Sauce
Instructions
  1. Add all the infringements in a bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.

5 from 1 vote
Pulled Beef Doughnuts
Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: BBQ
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/2 Cup Dr. Pepper Syrup You can reduce a 2L of Dr Pepper or use Soda Stream Dr. Pete Sparkling Drink Mix
  • 1 Cup Ketchup
  • 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1/4 Cup Molasses
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot and simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat while stirring regularly.