Vegetarian Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup)

Since Sukkot is just around the corner (yup, starts this Friday night), Daniel and I thought “why not a soup challenge”?

Well, you may not have asked, but we answered! I present to you, Vegetarian Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup). This soup is total comfort in a bowl – warming aromatics, earthy, umami flavors and a perfect blend of spice and brightness of acidity. To be honest, any kind of hot soup is perfect for a chilly night in the Sukkah, but this one will warm your whole body with the bold spices.

Currently craving…

Maybe it’s because Daniel made his Thai basil chicken tacos recipe a few weeks ago but lately I’ve just been craving Thai food.  The kind of spice that isn’t too overpowering but you feel that heat develop with each bite. That’s what I’ve been wanting lately!

I had all of these ingredients at home already, so if you’re like me, you may only need to get a few extras. I stock up on coconut milk and coconut cream (mostly from Trader Joe’s) to use as a parve “cream” for soups, or desserts! And the fresh lime just takes it over the top with the perfect acidity punch. If you’re wondering where to find Thai red curry paste, I snagged some at The Spice House in Evanston. Note – be sure to check their Milwaukee catalog if you’d like to confirm what’s kosher.

And since it was tricky for me to find kosher Thai red curry paste, I made my own! It’s super easy to make with ingredients you probably already have. And for the fish sauce? I got the Red Boat certified kosher (OK) on Amazon, but if you don’t have it, you can substitute soy sauce, coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce. if you use Worcestershire sauce, you’ll still get a good “funk” that’s needed, but not as much from soy sauce or coconut aminos, but it’ll still give a nice umami flavor. Feel free to top your soup with a drizzle of fish sauce along with sliced green onions, cilantro and squeeze of lime.

My twist on tradition (as usual)

This soup is traditionally made with chicken but I decided to omit it and make it parve. The mushrooms really give a nice meaty flavor and you don’t miss the meat at all, especially with SO much flavor! But if you prefer to make this a fleishig soup, use chicken broth and add in some chicken breasts when you add in the stock and coconut milk. You can also top this soup with more sliced chilies, if you want more of a PUNCH. Of course, if you DO use chicken for this recipe, make sure to substitute the fish sauce for soy sauce or coconut aminos, or if you can find fish-free Worcestershire sauce, by all means, do it!

Another part of the traditional recipe includes galangal (Thai ginger, but I used regular ginger) and Kefir lime leaves. You can get some dried online or you can find it in specialty stores, but using regular limes for this recipe is totally acceptable – that’s that’s what I did. 🙂

When I made the soup to take photos, I basically inhaled 2 bowls of it. And no, I’m not ashamed of that!  It was incredibly satisfying and the perfect amount of heat. Shockingly, my husband Elliott actually tried it! Knowing that he hates mushrooms (or maybe he wasn’t sure what was in it), he didn’t hate it! That’s a win in my book – always.

Oh, and don’t judge my very obvious old and faded cutting board. I guess it’s time for a new one? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Chag Sameach everyone! May your Sukkot holiday be filled with good food and good company (for those who ARE having company over).

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Vegetarian Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Thai Red Curry Paste
  • 1 tbsp. Red Curry Powder
  • 1 tbsp. Fish Sauce Or substitute soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. Neutral Oil, like avocado oil
  • Squeeze of half a lime
Soup
  • 1 tbsp. Coconut oil
  • 1/2 large onion, diced Or 1 small-medium onion, diced
  • 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 Jalapeno, seeded (if you want less heat) and minced Or use a 3-4 Thai chilies, minced
  • 1 Inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
  • 1 Lemongrass stalk Remove the tough outer stalks and cut off the root. Then pound it with a meat mallet or with the side of a knife and cut into 2-inch long pieces, this helps release the natural oils! If you can't find lemongrass, you can substitute lemon zest!
  • Red Thai Curry Paste See recipe above
  • 4 cups Vegetable stock Or use chicken stock if you're making this soup Fleishigs and not parve.
  • 4 cups Canned full-fat coconut milk About 2 cans' worth
  • 8 oz. mushroom caps Use any type you want, I happened to have a "fancy mix" on hand - baby bella and shiitake
  • 2-3 tbsp. Fresh lime juice
  • 2-3 Green onions, sliced thin on a diagonal Ya know, because they look pretty
  • 1 handful Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 Lime, for garnish and squeezing on top of your soup If you're like me and LOVE acidity, add more!
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. I ended up using my Instant Pot since I can sauté right in the container and then switch to soup mode

  2. Add the onion, garlic, Thai chilies (or jalapeno, if using), ginger, lemongrass, mushrooms and red curry paste

  3. Stir for about 5 minutes or until onions and mushrooms are softened

  4. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil

  5. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Or, if you're cooking in your Instant Pot, press "soup" mode and cook for 30 minutes

  6. Once soup is ready, ladle into bowls and top with sliced green onion, fresh chopped cilantro and a big squeeze of fresh lime! Feel free to add a drizzle of fish sauce too, for an extra "funk"!

Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce

Who can believe that Rosh Hashanah is just 1 week away??!! This year could not have gone any faster, which I guess is a good thing, right? Oy vey.

My husband and I have a yearly tradition to go to the Peikes’ for first night of yom tov. And if you caught his Braised Short Ribs post, you’ll notice that this year is an Asian-themed menu! Sort of a “Chinese New Year”-style. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Ah, see what we did there? 🙂  Okay, well technically, the Chinese New Year is in Feb 2021, the year of the Ox, but who knows, maybe Daniel will use that as inspo and make a braised oxtail recipe? #challenge

And so, it’s my turn now to present you with my easy-peasy Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce!

Symbolic Foods

Scallion Pancakes are the more traditional version of this dish, but in honor of the Jewish New Year, leeks carry major symbolism. Why are they symbolic on our Rosh Hashanah seder table you ask? Well, the ancient Aramaic word for leeks is “karsi” sounds like the word “yikarsu” which means to “destroy” or “cut”. It’s pretty simple – in the prayer we say right after eating leeks, we ask G-D for protection against our enemies, that they should be “cut off” in the upcoming year. Pretty deep stuff for a humble allium.

But by all means, you can make this dish on Rosh Hashanah, or all year round, either with leeks or scallions. I mean, they’re basically cousins, so why not?

Scallion Pancakes, also known as “Cong You Bing“, is a staple in Chinese cuisine, more so in the appetizer category. Specifically, a savory, unleavened flatbread or pancake with sliced scallions/green onions (or in our case, sliced leeks) and sesame oil folded in. Traditionally, it’s made using a dough instead of a batter and pan-fried to give the pancake crispy edges and a soft chewy bite.

A twist on a classic

Well, I’m going outside of tradition just a tad with my own spin on this Leek Pancake to make it as easy-as-possible. How did I do that? Well, we’re making pancakes after all, so I went with a batter instead of a dough. And hey, it’s okay to experiment with these recipes! I’m a big believer in playing with your food and coming up with interesting alternatives. So I say go for it!

I also went gluten-free and low carb with this too, but feel free to use all-purpose flour instead, you might just end up with a crispier pancake than mine, but it’s still tasty. I was really going for a super-simple recipe for these pancakes – no intimidating dough to make here.

And finally, don’t forget the spicy dipping sauce – with HONEY, perfect for Rosh Hashanah, for instilling a sweet new year. The sauce brings the sweet, tangy and spicy component to compliment the pancake.

From us here at Meat Your Vegetables, wishing you a Kesiva V’chasima Tova – here’s to a sweet, happy, healthy and SAFE New Year, 5781!!

 

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Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6 medium-sized pancakes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Scallion Pancakes
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Sugar, or sugar substitute
  • 1 Leek, thoroughly cleaned and sliced into half-moon shape, or you use scallions/green onions Leeks are very sandy and dirty, so my trick is to cut off the dark green leafy end and cut off the root, then slice down the middle and into half-moon shapes. Fill a large bowl with water and soak the leeks for a few minutes. Using your hands to try and remove the grit. Then scoop the cleaned leeks into a colander to drain.
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
  • 1 tbsp. Sesame oil
Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. Coconut Aminos Or use soy sauce or Tamari
  • 1 tsp. Sambal Oelek Asian chili sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes Optional, in case you want more of a punch of heat
  • 1 tbsp. Honey You can use raw honey if you like, just make sure you dissolve it thoroughly into the sauce
Instructions
  1. To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk the egg, salt, sugar, leeks (or scallions) and almond flour

  2. Slowly add in water in 3 batches and keep whisking the batter, the add sesame oil

  3. Let the batter rest for 5-10 min until thick

  4. While the batter is resting, make the spicy honey dipping sauce

  5. Whisk vinegar, coconut aminos, sambal, honey and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste and adjust flavors if needed

  6. Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium heat and drizzle a teaspoon of oil (I like to use avocado oil because it has a high heat point and is neutral-tasting, but you can use sesame oil too)

  7. Add 1/4 cup of the batter to the pan so you get a evenly round pancake shape

  8. Cook until you see bubbles forming on the edge, about 3 minutes per side

  9. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown, but not burnt

  10. Repeat with the rest of the batter

  11. Once the pancakes are cooled, cut half and then into wedges, or cut into whatever shape you like to dip into that spicy dipping sauce!

  12. Serve the pancakes with the sauce and garnish with more sliced leeks or scallions and sesame seeds

 

Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil

It’s a BASIL challenge!

It’s been a hot (potato) minute since Daniel and I decided to do an ingredient challenge, since we’ve both been dabbling in the herb and veggie growing scene since the start of the pandemic. Truthfully, the basil challenge was my husband’s idea, since we’re both growing several types of basil, it just made sense for us to highlight this sweet, licorice-scented herb! So thanks Ellie!

In my outdoor patio garden, I’m growing sweet basil, purple basil and lemon basil so clearly I had enough to work with, though my plants are not as abundant as Mr. Peikes’, but he was kind enough to let me snag some of his sweet basil that was growing like crazy!

A Dish is Born

Any of you out there like me, that scour through cookbooks just to get inspired for my next dish? I could spend HOURS just reading 1 cookbook, thinking how I can re-invent this dish, or make it kosher, or spruce it up with different herbs or spices. And that’s exactly what I found with these Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil.

Reading through one of BuzzFeed’s Tasty cookbooks, I found a recipe for tornado potatoes and thought “what a fun spin on curly fries!” But their recipe called for melted butter and different spices. And then it hit me. Instead of drizzling melted butter, why not slather on some garlicky-basil oil?! It’s such a great way to get inspiration for a recipe but switch it up and make it your own! humble potato – an oh-so-perfect vessel to highlight basil.  Oh and I ended up using a mix of all of my different basil types, but featured the sweet basil more prominently.

Also, I learned something new today! Tornado potatoes, or “twist potatoes” or “tornado fries” are a common street food in South Korea. And I mean, talk about the perfect street food eaten on a stick. Crispy potatoes – check. Basil oil (or butter) – check. Fresh grated Parmesan cheese – check!

Recipe Notes

As always, here are my notes for this recipe.

  1. You can use either Yukon gold or russet potatoes (see the notes in the recipe block below for details)
  2. I had to practice the “tornado” spiral a few times to get it (even remotely) looking right. I suggest looking up some YouTube videos of how to get the right technique. The trick is to go slow so you get hopefully even layers. Mine aren’t perfect, but that’s okay – they came out great anyway!
  3. And if you don’t really want to both with this fancy-looking technique, use a spiralizer instead and you’ll end up with curly fries! Definitely nothing wrong with that.

Want to kick up this basil challenge even more? Try these Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil served alongside my Basil Garlic Dressing to dip! Just a word of caution, your significant other might ban you since you’ll stink of garlic, but it might just be worth it. 😛

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s basil post: Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos

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Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
31 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 2 potatoes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Tornado Potatoes
  • 2 Medium-sized Yukon Gold Potatoes You can use russet potatoes either peeled or unpeeled, just be aware they will take longer to cook
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese I prefer to buy a block of Parm and keep it in the freezer, instead of buying expensive pre-shredded. Then I just shred it over a microplane when a recipe calls for it!
  • 1 handful Chopped Basil leaves, for garnishing I take my basil leaves and roll them up into a little cigar and slice into ribbons, or "chiffonade", which makes a beautiful presentation. You can also use chopped parsley if you prefer, or don't have enough basil for garnishing
Spicy Basil Oil
  • 1/4 cup Packed, fresh basil leaves, stemmed and washed
  • 1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Water
  • 1 Clove of Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes Feel free to omit but it really does bring a nice heat to the basil oil and works great with the potatoes. You can always add more if you're feeling like you need a spice kick!
  • 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika I happened to have smoked paprika on hand, but use what you got! Any type would work - Hungarian sweet, Spanish hot, or just your regular 'ole paprika!
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325F

  2. Add the potatoes to a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes to cool. If using russet potatoes, cook for 2 min in the microwave

  3. While the potatoes are cooking in the microwave, make the basil oil

  4. Add the basil, garlic, water, salt, red pepper flakes and paprika to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times

  5. Add the olive oil and blend until a smooth saucy basil oil comes together

  6. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, insert a wooden skewer into the bottom of each potato and gently push all the way through to the top

  7. Using a spiral motion, hold a sharp knife at an angle, turn the potato the opposite direction of cutting and cut all the way to the skewer. Make sure to go slow and cut thin, even layers all the way down

  8. Carefully fan out the potato slices until you have even spacing throughout the "tornado" and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

  9. Drizzle the basil oil all over the potatoes

  10. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the oiled potatoes - make sure the potatoes are covered evenly with the basil oil and cheese

  11. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. If using russet potatoes, bake in 425F oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown

  12. Garnish with additional basil oil and cheese and chopped fresh basil or parsley and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Meatless-stuffed Eggplant with Cilantro Tahini Sauce

There are many classic culinary pairings: lemon and blueberry, tomato and basil and the good ‘ole, eggplant and tahini. Well, you can also add in other pairings with eggplant like ground beef or lamb (or Beyond Meat in my case), parsley, lemon, garlic.. oh the list can go on and on.

Momspiration!

A few weeks ago, Ellie and I traveled to Kansas City to visit my parents and see my brother and his family who also came to visit. While I wasn’t planning any blog posts that week, I ended up getting a big dose of inspiration!

My mom makes this roasted eggplant dish, topped with tahini, for her Shabbat lunch lately and it’s a hit! Thanks mom, for the “food/mom-spiration” for my post: Meatless-stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce – a perfect dish for #meatlessmondays!

She makes hers as more of a side, rather than a main meal that accompany’s her extravagant Shabbat meals. Such Shabbat food at the Katzman house might consist of grilled salmon, lamb and white bean stew, beet and mango salad and endless amounts of warm challah and chilled wine. Just sitting here typing this, I can smell the kitchen on Shabbat morning with the smell of garlic and rosemary in the stew. #YUM

Impressing your Friends

You can absolutely make this with the intention of a side dish, but I thought, “why not add some protein and make this into a full meal?” It’s just one extra step that really packs a flavor punch. I also added some warm, aromatic Indian-inspired spices to this dish (allspice, cinnamon and cumin), all while truly fulfilling my current Israeli-food kick.

In case you’re wondering, I used the ground Beyond Meat (the one that comes in the square packaging, not the burger patties). But by all means, this would be incredibly delish (or assuming my meat-eating friends and family would say so), with ground beef or lamb. Plus, it re-heats nicely, so it’s a great addition to your menu anytime of the week!

Feel free to make the beef mixture ahead of time before roasting the eggplant, if that helps you save some time.

And the tahini sauce will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks and it’s great on pretty much on, well, anything. 🙂

Happy summer-eating!

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Meatless-stuffed Eggplant
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Israeli
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 Large eggplants, halved and stems removed
  • Salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 Medium-sized yellow onion, diced
  • 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups Ground Beyond Meat Or, use real ground beef or lamb!!
  • 1 tsp Ground Allspice
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped Or use parsley if that's more your jam! I had cilantro in the fridge so that's what I used
  • 1/4 cup Pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 Lemon
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 425F and place parchment paper in a casserole dish

  2. Place the eggplant, flesh side up, on a large tray. Sprinkle the top with salt and set aside for 20 minutes. Working in the sink, gently squeeze the eggplant and wipe the tops of the eggplant dry

  3. Cut a cross-hatch pattern into the eggplant flesh then brush with a little bit of olive oil. Lay the eggplant in the casserole dish, flesh-side down. Drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil on top (you can also use a pastry brush to slather the oil all over the eggplant, so you have more control of how much oil is being used)

  4. Roast the eggplant for 30 minutes or until flesh is tender and golden brown (but not burnt)

  5. While eggplant is in the oven, make the meat stuffing mixture

  6. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add ground Beyond Beef (or ground beef or lamb, if using) diced onions and garlic

  7. Brown the Beyond Meat mixture over medium-high heat until for 3-5 minutes. Season the with salt and pepper, allspice, cinnamon and cumin, Remove from heat

  8. Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed

  9. When eggplant is done roasting, remove from oven and set aside for a few minutes. Lower oven to 375F

  10. Using a spoon, gently push the eggplant flesh to make room for the meat mixture. Spoon the meat mixture to top the eggplant halves and top with the pine nuts

  11. Cover the casserole dish with foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes

  12. Top the eggplants with a good squeeze of lemon and drizzle the tahini dressing on top. Garnish with extra chopped parsley or cilantro and even some green onions if you want. These are from my porch garden! Serve warm with extra tahini dressing on the side, some hot sauce and a crusty piece of challah!

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Cilantro Tahini Sauce
Course: Condiment
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3/4 cup Tahini
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/4 cup Cold water, to thin out the sauce The tahini will solidify in the fridge, especially if yours is pretty dry, so make sure you have enough water on hand to thin it out to the consistency that you'd like. Or you can add a boat-load of lemon juice to thin it out, like I did. Because ya'll know, I LOVE lemon!
  • 1 cup Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped Or add parsley instead!
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until all ingredients are combined

  2. Add water if the tahini sauce is too thick

  3. Serve drizzled on top of the roasted eggplant or serve with pita chips and veggies for an Israeli chips and dip!

Cauliflower Risotto with Lime and Sumac

A while back (yes, WAY before COVID hit), I had some work friends over for Shabbat dinner. And before you ask, yes, indeed, they wanted to come enjoy Shabbat with us! So of course I had to spend time putting together a great menu. And my cauliflower rice with coconut milk and lime came to the forefront of my mind. This rice dish is more of a risotto since the coconut milk gives it a rich and creamy base to soak up all of the cauliflower rice and the lime adds a pop of acidity and a brightness of flavor.

But, when I was gifted a copy of Adeena Sussman’s new cookbook “Sababa“, which I am completely obsessed with, I got a TON of inspiration from all of her totally approachable recipes for modern Israeli food. And no, I am not getting paid to promote her book, I just love it THAT much. But it was her love of sumac made me think, “why not add in some sumac into my cauliflower risotto? That’ll be a great addition with the acidity of the lime – plus it’ll look pretty in the dish”. And there ya, go, the dish was born.

Su-WHAT?

Sumac is a fuchsia-colored (sometimes dark reddish) powdered spice that comes from the crushed seeds of the sumac shrub. It’s used primarily in Middle Eastern dishes and has a distinctly tart, lemony flavor. If you’re ever in the Shuk market anywhere in Israel, you’ll see heaping mounds of Sumac alongside many other spices, piled high into enormous peaks – a truly memorable experience!

Whether you’re trying to cut back on carbs or want a lighter side dish to serve alongside chicken or fish, this cauliflower risotto with lime and sumac would pair perfectly and it comes to together so quickly, in under 30 minutes.

I also added sliced green onions and pomegranate seeds on top, not only for a pretty garnish but the sharpness of the green onions balances with the sweetness of the pomegranate and it all just works so well together. But feel free to experiment! Try sliced toasted almonds, or some sliced dried apricots. Once the dish is complete, I always add one last extra squeeze of lime, just to brighten up all of the flavors and marry everything together for the perfect bite.

Or…you could do a total 180 and make this a sweet dish!  Adding some sugar and cinnamon to the cauliflower rice and coconut milk or even garnishing with sliced almonds and chocolate chips. WUT?? It’s basically a coconut chocolate rice pudding. BAM. Now THAT is what I love about using versatile ingredients like cauliflower and coconut! And honestly, using the cauliflower won’t be too overpowering, if you add sugar and some cinnamon and vanilla extract. You know me, I’m always encouraging ya’ll to experiment and play with your food in the kitchen.

Enjoy, stay safe and happy eating!

0 from 0 votes
Cauliflower Risotto with lime and sumac
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 12 oz Bag of Frozen Cauliflower rice, thawed I love using the Trader Joe's brand - I keep a bunch stocked in my freezer!
  • 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 13.5 oz Can of Full-fat Coconut Milk Same thing here - I keep a bunch in my pantry. I also love Trader Joe's brand
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Dried Sumac
  • 1 Lime, with zest and juice
  • 3 Green onions, sliced thinly
  • 3-4 tbsp Pomegranate seeds Add more if you like, this is just about a handful
Instructions
  1. Heat a large saute pan with a small drizzle of olive oil

  2. Add the cauliflower rice and the coconut milk (add both the milk and the coconut cream that collects on the top of the can) on medium heat.cook for about 15-20 minutes until thick and creamy

  3. Add in the salt, pepper, sumac and lime zest and juice and cook for about 15-20 minutes until thick and creamy

  4. Garnish with sliced green onions and pomegranate seeds

 

Key Lime Cheesecake (with a no-bake filling!)

Here we go again…

On most Shabbat afternoons, you might find me scouring through my vast collection of cookbooks, looking for some inspiration for my next recipe. I never feel like I’m lacking content, but for Shavuot, I always struggle with the perfect recipe.

Do I do ANOTHER cheesecake? Are we sick of those?

Do I do dairy-free? Is that too far out of the spirit of the holiday? Oh how dare I go there…

Well, lately my goal is not to overthink, but just to give you all some good, EASY and approachable recipes – for a holiday, or any time of year.

So for this year’s Shavuot, let’s go with a recipe that isn’t too complicated and doesn’t require a million trips to different stores, all while (most of us) are still treading through the stay-at-home order. This Key Lime Cheesecake is so easy, and let me tell you…it’s addicting. It’s a hard job working on recipes and having to eat them throughout the week, am I right?

But truly the best part about this cheesecake is that the crust is the ONLY thing you have to bake! I don’t love the taste of no-baked crusts, so all it needs is 10 minutes in the oven. And not baking the filling just makes it that much simpler. No eggs, no water baths, no cleaning 8 different bowls. Just simple ingredients for a cool, creamy, perfectly-tart cheesecake. Just top with fresh whipped cream (or whipped coconut cream) and add extra lime zest and voila, dessert is served.

It’s EASY being green!

I’m assuming you might have scrolled down already to the recipe, OR you could have you’ve guessed the secret ingredient as to how the pie gets that vibrant green color. Behold, the avocado! If you’re like me and living with someone who isn’t a fan of the wonderfully creamy green-pitted fruit, well just tell them what’s in it, AFTER they’ve devoured their slice. My husband isn’t a fan of anything that’s tart, but he did say “it wasn’t bad” – and in Ellie speak, that is a huge compliment, HA! I did come clean in the end. 🙂 Clearly this is one of those instances where hiding healthy foods to get your loved one to eat it is just plain worth it.

Last but not least, one more big tip for you all! If you’re feeling rushed or just don’t want the hassle of making the crust and baking it? Ya’ll, just make the filling, set it, then pipe it into custard cups for a key lime mousse. Crust is totally optional, so have fun with this recipe and play around with how you want to serve it. You could also just make the filling and eat it right out of the bowl. I’ll be honest, I just MAY have licked the bowl clean after I poured the filling. Hey, it’s quality control! 🙂

And of course, to all of you gluten-free and/or keto people out there – this recipe is perfect for you. But of course, anyone will love this.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe Shavuot!

0 from 0 votes
Key Lime Cheesecake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Crust
  • 2 cups Almond Flour
  • 1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted
  • 3 tbsp Sugar Or use sugar substitute like Swerve, as I did!
No-Bake Key Lime Filling
  • 2 Medium-sized avocados (ripe)
  • 12 oz Cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 bricks) This is key - you want the cream cheese to be at room temp, otherwise you won't get a smooth filling
  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream
  • 4 Limes, zested and juiced
  • 1 cup Sugar Or use sugar substitute like Swerve, as I did!
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Make the crust: Pre-heat oven to 350F

  2. Grease the bottom and sides of a spring-form pan with oil

  3. In a bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut oil and Swerve (or sugar). Using your hands (or an electric mixer), mix all ingredients until the coconut oil is evenly distributed throughout the dough. I like using my hands for this since it's easier for me to feel that all the ingredients have mixed thoroughly

  4. Press the crust into the spring-form pan and up the sides, making sure it's an even layer throughout

  5. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F

  6. While the crust is cooling, make the filling

  7. In a blender, or big bowl using a hand mixer, blend the avocados, cream cheese, lime zest and juice (you can use regular limes if you can't find key limes), sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract

  8. Make sure the crust is completely cooled before pouring the filling on top

  9. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight until fully set

  10. Top with whipped cream, and garnish with extra lime zest!

  11. Note: Since the pie is made with avocados, it will start to turn a bit brown, but if you cover it tightly, it'll still be delish. Try and cover the pie as best you can, but be warned, the filling might stick a bit to your plastic wrap or foil. But no worries, the pie should last 1 week in the fridge (if it makes it that long without everyone devouring it) and

 

Blistered Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Basil Garlic Dressing

Hooray for easy #quarantine recipes!

Here’s the scoop. Since we’re all continuing to spend more time at home, I think we’re all looking for easy meals to make, especially while some of you are juggling Zoom meetings, screaming kids and perhaps trying to stay sane. Well, today, I’m giving you an incredibly easy (under 20 min) that is a healthy side dish for Shabbat or any day of the week. This Blistered Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Basil Garlic Dressing is just what the doctor ordered. Well, you know what I mean. 🙂

The trick to making this dish is to get your pan screaming hot. And once you add in the green beans and tomatoes, don’t move them around just yet. Wait a few minutes for them to get a little charred and blistered and the tomatoes have started bursting. I added pomegranate vinegar for a hint of sweetness (you can find it at Trader Joe’s – here’s hoping they still have it)! But fear not, you can use apple cider vinegar, or rice wine vinegar would be delicious too. Then add in some olive oil, salt and pepper, and a BIG squeeze of lemon. Because as we know, everything is better with a squeeze of lemon.

Have more time on your hands? Add in some roasted garlic to the dressing instead of raw garlic. This will bring an additional sweetness and mellow out the garlic a bit.

My Holy Grail Dressing

Full disclosure about this dressing. I can eat it on EVERYTHING. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but this dressing is so versatile! It’s great as a salad dressing, a dip for veggies or tortilla chips, would be perfect for a summer pasta salad, or you can even slather it on chicken or salmon before roasting in the oven, since it’s dairy-free! I also like to make this dressing base and add in other herbs like dill and parsley for a homemade ranch dressing. My husband will typically find me dipping practically anything I can find in our fridge, into this dressing. And he might also find me licking my bowl clean (#sorrynotsorry).

Remember when I said this dish was so quick, it can be made in under 20 minutes? While the green beans and tomatoes are getting charred in the pan, this is your chance to make the dressing. Can we say #multitasking? It truly takes about 5 minute and some of the ingredients like lemon, salt and pepper are used for both ingredients, so less trips to the fridge.

That’s it, folks. Easy, yet impressive-looking side dish that you might want to serve for this upcoming Shabbat lunch, or for your next picnic (only if you’re social distancing, that is). It also holds well in the fridge the next day, though the beans won’t be crispy, but I think this side is perfect served warm, room temp or cold.

Enjoy making this Blistered Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Basil Garlic Dressing – and hope ya’ll are staying safe!

0 from 0 votes
Blistered Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Basil Garlic Dressing
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Blistered Green Bean & Tomato Salad
  • 1/2 lbs. Green Beans, trimmed
  • 1 pint Cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Pomegranate Vinegar Or use apple cider or rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 Lemon
Basil Garlic Dressing
  • 2 Eggs, organic and pasture raised
  • 1-2 Garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup Fresh basil, rinsed
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Truffle and parsley seasoning Totally optional but it's SO good in this dressing!
  • 1 cup Avocado oil Or use another neutral-flavored oil, such as light olive oil, or if you're keto, use MCT oil!
  • 1/2 Lemon Use the other half of the lemon you cut for the green beans
Instructions
Blistered Green Beans & Tomatoes
  1. Pre-heat a large skillet until it's screaming hot

  2. Add in the olive oil, green beans and tomatoes and DO not move for a few minutes until the veggies are starting to blister and tomatoes are starting to burst

  3. Mix the veggies until all are getting equal heat, another 10 minutes until slightly charred

  4. Add in the vinegar and salt, pepper

  5. Finish with a squeeze of lemon

  6. While beans are cooling slightly, make the dressing

Basil Garlic Dressing
  1. In the jar of an immersion blender, add the eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, truffle seasoning, basil and oil

  2. Place the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar and start blending, without moving the blender

  3. Once the mixture starts to emulsify, after about 10-15 seconds, slowly move the blender up to the middle and top of the blender cup, making sure all of the oil is incorporated

  4. Blend for another 20-30 seconds until it's thickened and it look like mayo!

  5. Plate the green beans and tomatoes in a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the dressing (to start, you can always add more, but you don't want the dressing to drown the green beans)

  6. Plate the side dish on a large serving platter and squeeze some more lemon, if you'd like

  7. This dish is great served warm, room temp or even cold!

 

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!

0 from 0 votes
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!

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!

0 from 0 votes
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!