Happy Pi Day! Chocolate Sweet Potato Pudding Pie with Maple Coconut Cream

 

Happy Pi Day everyone!  Ah, March 14th, 3/14, where everyone stuffs their faces with pie (much more tasty than pi).  Math nerds, unite!  This latest challenge is none other than (duh)…PIE!  #yum.

Funny, I almost forgot about “pi” day this year, until my chiropractor’s office provided a gentle reminder of their annual “pie contest” on pi day of course (shout out to my peeps at Chiro One)!  I mean, doesn’t this just make for a perfect blog post?  Although it was a wee bit quick after Purim to make something new for this blog, yet again, I did remind Daniel that he didn’t have to re-invent the wheel with this one (and of course, we want to give you all some fresh new content).  “How about using some of your leftover BBQ chicken from your hamantaschen, or the smoked duck from the seudah, and making a pot pie?” But who am I kidding…would there actually BE leftovers?  (In case you’re wondering, yes, there were, let’s be honest, he did make 4 different proteins for like 5 meat-eating adults).

In any case, I got right to work on my pie.  I figured Peikes would make a savory pie (and boy was I right), but for this I wanted to go back to the basics – homemade coffee date nut crust, cocoa powder, sweet potato (your kids will NEVER know they’re eating sweet potato in this), chia seeds for that extra nutrition boost and all around yumminess.  This concoction was mostly a thought of “ok, what do I have in my pantry that I can work on getting rid of, because Pesach is around the corner?”  I ended up with canned organic pureed sweet potatoes (um, super easy and takes way less time than baking your own), raw cocoa powder, and some other yummy ingredients that you’ll see if you take a look at my recipe below. Oh and feel free to use whatever crust you want.  I happened to be making a big batch of my famous coffee coconut date balls (for a friend who had a baby and for a soon-to-be-mom at work), soI ended up using some leftover “date ball” mix for my piecrust. Yea…multitask for the win here. It’s easy to whip together in a food processor, plus it’s gluten free, vegan, soy free, dairy free and sugar free (but NOT taste free). 🙂

Wondering how I made the whipped coconut cream?  Thinking it’s going to be super difficult? Well, fear not my friends because this is the easiest homemade whipped cream (and healthiest) topping ever.  Step 1 – place 2 cans (1 can isn’t quite enough for this pie) of full fat coconut milk in the fridge. Step 2 – remove the cans and carefully remove the coconut cream that has risen and hardened at the top (save the coconut milk for another use).  Step 3 – place in bowl, add maple syrup and mix until fluffy peaks of creamy whipped topping are born (just FYI, it won’t be “exactly” like real whipped cream, so just note that, but it’s close enough, and oh yea, it tastes good too).  Step 4 – shmear on top of pie.  Step 5 – (cool in fridge and then), DEVOUR.  The yummiest part of this pie, in my opinion?  The coffee in the crust!

So that’s it my friends!  My pie for pi day.

Disclaimer: I do not take any responsibility for any extra weight gain on this day, from eating lots and lots o’ pie.

Comment below and let me know how your pie turned out! Also, let me know if you liked my recipe or Daniel’s better.  You can find his here: Happy Pi Day: Smoked Duck Personal Pot Pie

5 from 1 vote
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Chocolate Sweet Potato Pudding Pie with Maple Coconut Cream
Prep Time
30 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 30 mins
 
Servings: 1 pie
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup dates I like deglet noor, I just like the texture of them, and I don't have to remove the pits, WOOT
  • 1/2 cup nuts I like pecans, but for this one I used walnuts, because I was out, but use whatever you have on hand
  • 4 T almond milk I like the Califia Farms brand
  • 1 dash cinnamon
  • 1 T good quality ground coffee
  • 1 15 oz can organic pureed sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup organic coconut sugar
  • 2 T pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice - or just use any of these spices you have on hand
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup white chia seeds (this is my secret ingredient, instead of using other thickeners, I use chia seeds - they are a perfect thickener and you won't taste them at all, plus they're a great source of protein, omega-3's and antioxidants)
  • 2 cans Full-fat coconut milk
  • 2-4 T pure maple syrup Add in 1 tablespoon at a time and adjust sweetness as needed
Instructions
  1. Make the crust: add the first 5 ingredients into a food processor and mix until fully incorporated (here's the deal - I don't really measure when I make the crust, but I adjust if I need to - it the crust is too sticky, add in a handful of nuts, if it's too dry, add in a few more dates and some more almond milk. If you don't want coffee in it, omit it, or use leftover brewed coffee from earlier that morning).
  2. Grease a 9-inch pie plate with coconut oil.
  3. Press the crust and use your hands and fingers to press it in the bottom and up the sides.
  4. Place the crust in the freezer while you make the filling.
  5. Place the rest of the ingredients into a high-speed blender (to grind the chia seeds) until thickened. Pour into crust and place in fridge for 4 hours or until completely firm in the middle. Place a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge while the pie is chilling.
  6. After a few hours, remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge, and very carefully, open the top and scoop out the solidified cream (save the milk for a later use).
  7. Place the cream in a stainless steel bowl and using either a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the coconut cream for a minute or so, and slowly add in the maple syrup, one tablespoon at a time (you can always add more sweetness). Whip until the maple syrup is incorporated and the cream gets a bit fluffy (it won't become the exact texture of whipped cream, but close). Add to the top of the pie and place in fridge to firm up.
  8. Serve chilled - ENJOY!

 

A Very BBQ Purim

 

So what you may not know is Rachel and I have a kosher BBQ team known as 5 Dudes and a Vegetarian and until recently I was living in condo where I could not grill or smoke.  On the first of the year I finally moved in to a house, and I bought myself a new grill and smoker. So for Mishloach Manot  and the Purim se’udah this year I decided to do a BBQ theme. Check out my menu below.

Appetizer:
Vegetable Soup: Pulled out of the freezer

Proteins:
Cherry Glazed Smoked Duck: I am going to put 2 ducks on new 22” Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker for a few hours at about 250°F basting with apple juice every hour or so until they hit an internal temperature of 160°F.  Then I will glaze the ducks with some homemade cherry jam and finish them over high heat on the Weber Original Kettle 22″  to set the glaze and crisp up the skin.

Smoked Top of The Rib Roast:  I refer to this cut as a poor man’s brisket.  It usually comes netted and rolled, but if you take the net off and unroll the roast, it is a thin striated piece of meat very similar to brisket.  I plan on applying a dry rub of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, pepper and brown sugar.  The roast will be cooked alongside the duck on the 22” Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker at 250°F until it hits about 200°F and then I will let it rest and slice it.

Beef Burger Sliders:  Seasoned with just salt and pepper and grilled on the Weber Original Kettle 22″. Served on a pretzel bun with all the fixings including slow cooker caramelized onions and home pickled jalapenos.

Romanian Hot Dogs: Because the kids love them! Grilled of course on the Weber Original Kettle 22″.  Served on a poppy seed bun, but no ketchup. (We are in Chicago after all)

Sides
Sides are being brought by guests.
Brought By Rachel:
Super Spicy Drunken Noodles
Raw Falafel Balls with lemon za’atar dipping sauce
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
You can see her Purim se’udah menu ideas here:  Purim Se’udah Menu – the Rachel way

Being brought by another guest:
Roast Potatoes
Squash Kugel

Dessert
Dessert by my wife, Ronit:
S’mores Turnovers: Puff pastry triangles filled with chocolate and marshmallows, and baked until golden brown

And of course plenty of wine, beer and whiskey to go around.
Let me know what you think about the menu in the comments.  Happy Purim everyone!

Purim Seudah Menu – the Rachel way

 

Hi all and happy Purim!

Even though Daniel and I just made our hamantaschen and posted about it this week, I still cannot believe that we’re in March, and even though Pesach is around the corner, I’m still in denial that it’ll be here before you can say “gluten free hamantaschen”.

So here we go – it’s seudah time!  We’re each giving you some ideas of what to serve at your seudah, and here’s mine!

Appetizer:

My caramelized onion, mushroom, fig and goat cheese GF pizza crust hamantaschen (omit the goat cheese if you’re doing a pareve or fleishig seudah).

Main Dishes:

Super Spicy Drunken Noodles

Raw Falafel Balls with lemon za’atar dipping sauce

Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Dessert:

My coffee maple date hamantaschen with lemon blueberry chia filling

When I first thought of “Purim” food (ok, besides the obvious hamantaschen), I immediately thought of “drunken noodles”.  I mean, clearly, for the whole Purim theme and all, BUT here’s the kicker – there is not one trace of alcohol in this dish!  The whole point of making drunken noodles is that it’s so fiery hot that you’ll want to drink a vat of alcohol (which I do not recommend, for that matter) after eating this super spicy dish.  Or may I just recommend a nice tall glass of…almond milk to wash it down? 🙂 Only I would say that, right?  This dish is typically made with Asian ingredients, but I would use gluten free brown rice pasta (Jovial brand is my fav – holy delicious batman, it tastes just like the real thing), and add some aromatic spices to the mix, to make it unique.  Some cumin, coriander, curry (or whatever, throw in whatever spices and herbs you like), add in some Thai chilies, sriracha, sambal olek (Asian chili sauce), umeboshi plum vinegar (which I’m a little obsessed with, it has a salty, umami flavor that would be spot on in this), and top with some fresh cilantro and plenty of fresh limes wedges to squeeze over the top and this is one dish worth salivating over.

But after that, I was stuck.  What else would be great to serve for a Purim seudah, without being too cliche or specific to one cuisine?  Then it hit me.  Persian flavors (DUH).  Hello, Rachel, the whole story of Purim happens in Persia.  So, I went with some Middle Eastern flavors (which I did with the noodles, image that), with some Rachel flair of course.  The raw falafel bites is an idea that I borrowed from one of my favorite cookbook authors and bloggers, Megan Gilmore, a.k.a. Detoxinista, and I love that these are raw – so no baking required and they only take a few minutes to whip up in the food processor.  Walnuts, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, parsley – done.  If you want to add chick peas, by all means, but I wanted to do something a little unexpected, and the walnuts give it a nice texture.  If you want to flatten them and pan fry them into patties, then go for it!  Make sure you experiment with your food, the way YOU like it – after all, you’re the one that has to eat it anyway, right? Serve these up in pita (gluten free or not), or lettuce cups and top with some zesty lemon za’atar sauce.  Just mix in some mayo (homemade is super easy to make, or just use whatever you have on hand), add in some lemon zest and juice, chopped parsley, garlic powder and za’atar seasoning and mix!  Done and done.

And last on the list was the cauliflower tabbouleh.  If you’ve checked out my other blog, riskyveggie.com, you’ll note that I am slightly obsessed with the ever popular cauliflower “rice” – just raw cauliflower chopped into rice-sized pieces.  I love a good tabbouleh – that fresh bite of tomato, cucumber, sharp raw onion, fresh parsley and a refreshing finish of lemon juice (ok now I’m making myself hungry), but instead of bulgar or even a gluten free grain, how about cauliflower rice!  It resembles similar texture and it cooks in half the time!  I just like to throw it in a pan with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for maybe 5-10 minutes at max, otherwise it’ll get mushy and I like my cauliflower ‘al dente’.

So that’s the whole megillah, folks (I know, I couldn’t resist).

Hope you enjoy my menu ideas for a Purim seudah!

Freilichin Purim!

Not one, but TWO healthy Hamantaschen!

 

Okay, so I’m a bit of an overachiever, and for this Hamantaschen challenge, I decided to make not just one type of “hummy” but TWO freaking recipes.  Sweet and savory.  I know it looks like a potchke, but I promise that I’ve given you some helpful shortcuts to make these easier than they look!

For the savory one, I used Simple Mills brand gluten free pizza dough mix (yes, you read that correctly – gluten free). For the filling, I made a caramelized onion, mushroom, fig and goat cheese mixture, with some spices to round it out but I like the contrast of the sweet figs and onions and umami mushrooms (I used oyster mushrooms for this, but use whatever you have on hand). To be honest, I was slightly panicked when I realized I didn’t have any dried figs in my pantry, but to my surprise, I found Trader Joe’s California green figs in my freezer (and perfect timing to clean out my freezer right before Pesach anyway).  So that’s what I used, but if you’re using dried figs, I would put them in some warm water to soften them up before you saute with the rest of the ingredients.

And for the sweet one – here’s the kicker for this, it’s NO BAKE!  Did I hook you guys up or what?  It’s a coffee maple date “dough” with lemon blueberry chia filling! Truth be told, I played around with the dough for a while on this one, adding liquid when needed to make it a little more pliable, but that’s kind of the beauty of this, there’s not really an exact science to it, no precise measuring, just throw some stuff in a food processor and adjust as needed.

So readers, there you have it!  My take on this year’s hamantaschen.

Freilichin Purim everyone!

5 from 2 votes
Print
Caramelized onion, mushroom, fig & goat cheese hamantaschen (GF)
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 8 medium hamantaschen
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 box gluten free pizza dough mix I like the brand Simple Mills - you just add water, oil and apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion Use any type of onion you have
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms (wiped clean with dish towel) Again, use whatever you have (I used oyster mushrooms, but any type will work)
  • 1/4 cup figs Use fresh or frozen, but if using dried, soak them in warm water to soften first
  • 1 small handful crumbled goat cheese I just eyeballed this, about 10 crumbles
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp 21 seasoning salute I get this at Trader Joe's - it's a fantastic mix of all different herbs and spices and perfect for savory foods like this!
  • 1 tsp unrefined coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Follow the instructions on the back of the gluten free pizza dough mix - set aside.
  2. Melt the coconut oil in a saute pan and add onions, mushrooms, figs, salt, pepper and spices. Cook for about 15 minutes until fragrant and caramelized.
  3. Add in the crumbled goat cheese and cook for 5 more minutes until melted.
  4. While the goat cheese is melting, pre-heat oven to 350F and place parchment paper on baking sheet.
  5. Wet hands and scoop a golf ball sized amount of dough, flatten into circle, scoop a small amount of filling and fold in the corners to make a triangular shape. You may have to re-wet your hands for this part, so you can seal the corners and the sides, since the dough may crack a bit.
  6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Top with fresh or dried rosemary. Serve warm or room temp and devour!
5 from 1 vote
Print
Coffee maple date hamantaschen with lemon blueberry chia filling
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 55 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 10 hamantaschen
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup dates I like to use Deglet Noor, I just like the texture better and you don't have to remove the pits, like Medjool
  • 3/4 cup nuts I like to use pecans for this, but almonds or walnuts would be great too
  • 3 T pure maple syrup
  • 1 T ground coffee You can use either leftover coffee, or good quality granules
  • 1/2 cup almond milk or any other dairy-free milk you have handy
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 T shredded coconut
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 T white chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 T unrefined coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Melt the coconut oil in a pot and add the blueberries, coconut sugar, lemon zest and juice and cook until the blueberries have all popped and mixture has thickened.
  2. Turn off the heat and add the chia seeds and mix well until the filling is thick, like jam.
  3. Add the dates, nuts, maple syrup, coffee, almond milk, vanilla extract and shredded coconut into a food processor and pulse until all combined. Once it's all blended, remove the lid and scoop out some dough to see if it'll hold together when you fold it into hamantaschen. You may need to add some almond milk or water, or more nuts depending on the consistency.
  4. Scoop some dough onto a baking sheet covered in wax paper, and flatten into a circle. Add a small amount of filling and carefully fold up the sides to make a triangular shape. You may need to wet your hands for this one to press down the sides and corners. Sprinkle with coconut sugar.
  5. Place in the freezer to set up for 1 hour, then store in a container. Defrost for 15 minutes before serving.

Let me know how you liked the recipes in the comments.  Also let me know if you liked my hamantaschen or Daniel’s better. His can be found here: Barbecue Chicken Hamantaschen

Barbecue Chicken Hamantashen

 

In honor of the upcoming Jewish holiday of  Purim I challenged Rachel to hamantaschen throw down.  I figure I should be able to best her easily, as they are usually high in sugar and carbs which are Kryptonite  to my compadre.

While hamantaschen usually take the form of a sweet triangular cookie, I went in a completely different direction creating a savory appetizer version.  For the BBQ sauce I recommend my Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce .

5 from 1 vote
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Barbecue Chicken Hamantaschen
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs
 
A great a savory twist on a traditionally sweet cookie. It makes a great appetizer.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, BBQ
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 12 Round Won-ton skins Thawed
  • 1/2 Chicken Chopped (Roasted, Grilled, or Smoked Store bought rotisserie or leftover chick works great for this
  • 2 Cups BBQ Sauce
  • 1 Whole Egg Beaten
  • Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions
  1. Add the chicken and BBQ sauce to a pot and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
  2. Add a teaspoon of the chicken to the center of the won-ton skin, brush egg on the edges, and fold the edges to make a triangle with an open center. Repeat for all 12 won-tons.
  3. Fill a heavy frying pan with about a 1/2" of oil and place over medium heat. Fry over until golden brown on each side and serve immediately.

Please let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments. Also let me know if you liked my hamantaschen recipe or Rachel’s better.  Her’s can be found here: Not one, but TWO healthy Hamantaschen!

Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

 

This is a great all purpose sauce that takes advantage of that special something you get from the 23 secret flavors that are combined to make Dr. Pepper.  If you don’t want to take the time to reduce Dr. Pepper to syrup you can use Soda Stream’s Dr. Peter Sparkling Drink Mix.

I love this on chicken and often use it balance out spicy rubs on wings.  It also makes a great condiment for burgers.  Please let me know how you like it in the comments.

5 from 1 vote
Pulled Beef Doughnuts
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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.

Thai Chicken Won-tons With Peanut Dipping Sauce

 

Hey fellow food friends, welcome to Meat Your Vegetables. A safe food space for carnivores and herbivores alike.  I am Daniel Peikes, by day I do something boring that no one understands for a bank, and on nights and weekend I like to play with my…food.

My partner in crime is Rachel. She is a pescatarian (which means she eats fish but not meat), but is sensitive to needs of all types of eaters.  One of our regular features will we an ingredient challenge, where one of us provides something for us both to cook with that is a little out of the other’s wheelhouse.

I came in to possession of copious  amounts of slightly damaged chicken breast.  They didn’t look very pretty but they tasted fine, so I figured this was the perfect occasion for me to challenge Rachel to a chicken throw down.  I have been dying to play around with some Thai flavors and needed something that would hide the poor aesthetics of the chicken.

5 from 1 vote
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Thai Chicken Won-Tons With Peanut Dipping Sauce
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 12 Pieces
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Pound Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts About 3 medium sized breasts
  • 1 recipe Thai Marinade See recipe below
  • 12 Won-ton skins Thawed
  • 1 Egg Beaten
  • Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions
  1. Add the whole chicken breasts into the marinade and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  2. Chop the the chicken with a chef's knife into a very fine dice.
  3. Fill the won-ton skins with the chicken, seal with the beaten egg, and crimp the edges.
  4. In a dutch oven or a large heavy pot add enough oil to come about 3/4 the way to the top. Place over medium heat and bring the oil to about 350 F. A frying/candy thermometer is an excellent tool for this.
  5. Fry the won-tons in batches of three, as to not crowd the pan, until golden brown. Be careful that your oil does not get too hot or too.
5 from 1 vote
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Thai Marinade
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1" Piece Ginger Grated
  • 3 Cloves Fresh Garlic Chopped
  • 1 Shallot Chopped
  • 1" Piece Lemongrass Sliced thinly
  • Juice from 1 Medium Lime
  • 3 Kafir Lime Leaves
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Chili Paste
  • 1 Fistfull Cilantro Chopped
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine. Add you the protein or vegetable you want to marinate and let it sit if the fridge for a minimum of an hour.
5 from 1 vote
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Peanut Dipping Sauce
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut butter
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes Optional
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook oven low heat stirring constantly until combined.

Please let me know what you think of the dish in the comments, and if you like my Chicken dish or Rachel’s better.  You can find her’s here: Coconut Chicken and Spicy Soba Noodles

Fried Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Bites

 

This Week’s Challenge: Zucchini

Rachel challenged me to do something with zucchini.  Zucchini is one of those vegetables that no one likes as a kid, but most kids I know love things that are stuffed with cheese, breaded, and fried.  You can have some fun with this and use different type of cheese sticks.  I know my kids love the mozzarella cheddar twist cheese sticks and I like the jalapeno ones for a slightly more mature version.

Let me know in the comments how you liked the recipe.  Also, here is a link to Rachel’s recipe, let me know which you like better: Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushroom Coconut Cream Sauce

Fried Zucchini Bites

5 from 1 vote
Fried Zucchini Bites
Print
Fried Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Bites
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
A crispy and gooey way to get your kids to eat zucchini.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 1
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 large Zucchini Peeled
  • 2 Sting Cheese Sticks Get the jalapeno ones if you like it with a little kick
  • All Purpose Flour Seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Large Eggs Beaten
  • Panko Bread Crumbs
  • Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions
  1. Using the handle of a wooden spoon bore a hole in center of the zucchini slightly smaller than the cheese sticks.
  2. Insert the cheese sticks on to the hole. It should be a tight fit. Trim the the end of the cheese sticks to fit.
  3. Slice the zucchini in to 1/2 inch rounds.
  4. Dust the zucchini rounds in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and crust them in the panko bread crumbs.
  5. Heat a 1/2 inch of oil in in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the rounds on each side until golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes

I show this served this with a sriracha mayo, but it would go just as well with a sauce made of crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. While this may not be healthiest way to get your kids to eat their veggies, it should be effective and adults will love it. Do you have other secrets for getting your kids to eat their vegetable? Let me know in the comments.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Date Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

 

img_5350Well, it’s that time of year again – beautiful orange leaves on the trees, crisp and cool weather, and an abundance of squash and autumnal flavors!  This flavor challenge was…Dates!  Yes, the sweet, dessert-like, super versatile little flavor bombs.  I’m up for it.

My challenge was to make something for Rosh Hashanah, using dates in my dish.  Now, I could have made something sweet, totally predictable.  Maybe a squash pie with a date and coconut crust.  Or, perhaps the classic stuffed or wrapped date.  But I opted for something else – an appetizer that was delicious, obviously, but not pretentious or even expected.

For this recipe, you can definitely get a whole butternut squash and cube it yourself, (or get it prepared from the grocery store).  Don’t like butternut?  Try something else, like acron, kombucha, or even sweet potato, pumpkin, or anything you like.  Feel free to change it up how you like it!

I love the combination of flavors here – you have sweet, tangy, and even a little bit sharp from the onions.  Here’s a good trick to remove that super spicy bite from the onions.  As you prep the rest of the ingredients, soak the sliced onions in cold water for a few minutes – it’ll rinse off the sharpness, but you’ll still get the onion flavor.

Happy autumn and happy cooking all!

 

5 from 1 vote
Print
Roasted Butternut Squash, Date Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 Medium Butternut Squash
  • 1 Tbsp. Coconut oil
  • 1 cup Pomegranate Seeds You can use 1 whole pomegranate - to get the seeds, slice in half peel out the seeds in a bowl of cold water
  • 1 Medium Red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup Deglet Noor Dates, chopped You can use Medjool if you prefer, but I like the sweeter, stickier Deglet Noor
  • 1/2 cup Fresh Lime Juice About 3-4 limes
  • 1 Tbsp. Lime Zest
  • 2 Tbsp. Raw Honey Any flavor is fine - use what you like
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. White pepper
  • 1/4 cup Fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F and cover a sheet pan with parchment paper
  2. Add the butternut squash to a bowl, mix in the coconut oil, salt and pepper (I like to add a little cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to my squash, but feel free to just simply add the S&P).
  3. Roast the squash for 30 minutes until just cooked through, but not mushy. Let the squash cool for 15-20 minutes
  4. Add the onions, dates, pomegranate and parsley to a big bowl.
  5. Make the dressing: Add the lime zest and juice to a bowl and whisk in the honey. Continue whisking while adding the olive oil in a slow stream. Adjust seasonings if needed. Side note - I love anything tart, so I really don't add a lot of olive oil to my dressing, but definitely check the taste and add more lime juice, honey or olive oil as necessary.
  6. Add the squash to the salad and toss carefully with the dressing so you don't mush the squash too much. Serve immediately. Note - this salad won't last too long in the fridge. It's good for possibly a day, maybe two, but the squash will absorb the dressing and just get mushier.
Recipe Notes

Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushroom Coconut Cream Sauce

 

img_5389For this recipe, I broke out the spiralizer.  Yes, I joined the bandwagon last year and bought a hefty one to use for this recipe (I have the Brieftons Tri-Blade Spiralizer in bright green).

So, even though summer is sadly gone, why not make use of those last summer veggies that have been sitting in your crisper!  This recipe is SO easy, takes very little cook time and really takes only a few minutes to put together – I promise!

5 from 1 vote
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Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushroom Coconut Cream Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Course: Main Dish
Servings: 2 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 Medium Zucchinis Skin removed and peeled into long ribbon-liked strips using a vegetable peeler
  • 1/4 Cup red onion, thinly sliced Tip: If you rinse the onion under cold water, it removes the sharpness
  • 1 Cup Mushrooms Use whatever you like - cremini, button, porcini, oyster, etc - anything works in this dish!
  • 1/2 Cup Tomatoes, roughly chopped Again, use whatever you like - ideally you should use whatever is in season, around peak of summer time. I used a mixture of heirloom tomatoes in all different colors!
  • 1/2 Tsp. Salt, to taste Adjust seasonings as needed
  • 1/2 Tsp. Pepper, to taste Adjust seasonings as needed
  • 3/4 Cup Coconut Cream Here's a great trick - take a can of full fat coconut milk, turn it upside down and place in the fridge for a few hours. Once it's cold, carefully open the top and scoop out the cream, saving the coconut water for another use
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 Handful Fresh basil, roughly torn
  • 4 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the onions, garlic and mushrooms in 1 tbsp of olive oil for 5 minutes.
  2. Season with salt and pepper (be careful not to over-salt your zucchini, otherwise it'll get mushy really quick).
  3. Add the coconut cream, nutritional yeast and tomatoes.
  4. Add the peeled zucchini ribbons to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes until the zucchini is slightly cooked but still "al-dente" (it should have a bite to it, not mushy).
  5. Sprinkle fresh basil and serve!