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Charoset: A Passover Delight

9 Apr

Happy Passover everyone. Have you made Matzo Lasagna yet this year? There are still 5 more days left of the holiday, so get your cheese on! And if you have a hankering for dessert, try my Kiss n’ Swirl meringues (just use Kosher for Passover vanilla, or omit it altogether).

I love Passover because the food is so unique and holds so much meaning and tradition. Charoset comes from the Hebrew word for clay, and is meant to symbolize the mud which the Israelite’s used to hold the bricks together when they were enslaved in ancient Egypt. You can read more about the story of Passover here.

Charoset is made from grated apples, nuts, dried fruit, and sweet wine…all whizzed up in the food processor or blender (or by hand if you are feeling rustic). I find Charoset utterly delicious, so sweet and full of my favorite ingredients. I like to use dried figs and raisins, but in the past I have also used dried apricots/dates/prunes. Fuji apples are my go-to because they are so crisp and sweet. And the wine has to be Manischewitz Concord Grape. People either love Manischewitz wine or they hate it. I can’t seem to get enough of the sweet stuff.

Charoset

Makes about 5 cups

*Note: you do not have to follow these measurements exactly. I just add ingredients to my liking, using these ratios as a guide. You can use whatever nuts/dried fruit/apples/wine/spices you like. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup dried figs, I like to use Turkish figs

1/2 cup raisins

3 fuji apples

1 cup Manischewitz wine (you can use grape juice or another sweet red wine)

2-3 tablespoons cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Method:

In a blender or food processor (I used a blender because that is all I have), pulse the nuts until roughly chopped. Empty the nuts into a large bowl. Now place the dried fruit in the blender. Pulse until chopped and add to the bowl with the nuts.

Chop the apples by hand, halve them, quarter them, and chop each quarter into about 4 or 5 small chunks. Add the apples (you may have to add one at a time if using a blender) and wine to the blender and pulse just until roughly chopped into small pieces. Add the apples to the bowl with the nuts and dried fruit. Add the spices and stir everything together by hand. Taste and add more wine or spices as needed.

Let the charoset sit for a few hours in the fridge to let the flavors develop. Enjoy with matzo and horseradish, or mix it into yogurt.

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An At-Home Beauty Product Experiment + Chocolate Dipped Apricots With Sea Salt

20 Dec

Last night I put a combo of oats, wheat germ, and cornmeal on my face. Today after showering I rubbed a mix of pumpkin puree, vanilla yogurt, and honey on my face. Yes, I put food on my face. The experience was…weird.

The oats/cornmeal/wheatgerm were mixed with water into a paste which I then rubbed on my face. It felt gritty. It looked totally wacko, it kinda smelled, it looked like I took my morning oatmeal and put it all over my face.  My roommates were making fun of me. But hey, I figure that I have a dry winter ahead of me and I should exfoliate my face once in a while? Luckily I am blessed with naturally good skin and don’t do much else than soap and water with some moisturizer. Not sure that I will keep up this new beauty routine, but it was still fun to try it out.

Cereal Grain Face Exfoliant

from EcoBeauty

2 T. rolled oats

2 T. cornmeal

2 t. wheat germ

Mix everything together and store in a jar or airtight container. To use, combine 1-2 teaspoons of the mixture with 1-2 teaspoons of water to create a paste. Gently rub onto your face and wash off with warm water.

The pumpkin pie facial was another wacky experience. I stirred together 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree (from the can), 2 T. vanilla yogurt, and 1 T. honey and put about 1 teaspoon of the mix on my face after I finished showering. I waited about 10 minutes then washed my face with warm water.

So I think I am done experimenting with my face, but next up I am looking into this brown sugar coconut oil hand and foot scrub. Working in a restaurant 5 nights + cooking at home does quite the job on my poor hands and feet (I am in want of cute rubber gloves for dish washing at home!).

I would now like to discuss these chocolate dipped apricots with sea salt. This is a holiday treat that you can feel good about. Dried apricots have fiber and vitamin A and iron and are a nice alternative to the mounds of cookies and cakes that you will see during the holiday season. Dipped in whatever chocolate you fancy (dark, semi-sweet, milk, white…) and sprinkled with a dash of sea salt, these orange beauties are made to please.

I tried to open my apricots up with my fingers before dipping to make things easier. I purchased my apricots from Trader Joe’s.

A little sweet, a little tart, a tad salty. These are great as gifts or as a snack to place on the table after dinner when company is over. When I was in school, my friend Alison’s mom would send her a care package during finals and she almost always threw in chocolate dipped apricots. These were not just any old apricot, but the juiciest freshly dried apricots from B&R farms in Hollister, CA. SO GOOD! Alison was always kind enough to share with me and it was these apricots (+a little studying) that got us through finals.

Chocolate Dipped Apricots with Sea Salt

1 lb of dried apricots

1 lb of chocolate

flaky salt, such as Maldon

Have a sheet tray lined with parchment paper ready. In the microwave or in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate. If using the microwave, vigorously stir your chocolate every 30 seconds.

Quickly dip you apricots in chocolate, either just the tips or the entire thing and then lay on the parchment. Note that you may need to reheat the chocolate if starts to harden midway through dipping. Sprinkle with sea salt while the chocolate is still wet.

Once finished, place the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer so the chocolate hardens.


Healthy On-The-Go Breakfast or Snack: Banana Walnut Quinoa Muffins

10 Oct

Another twist on the Everything Muffin. This time with mashed banana, cooked quinoa, walnuts, raisins, candied ginger, flaxseeds, and wheat germ. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. All good things, combined into one muffin batter.

A hearty on-the-go breakfast or snack packed with protein and fiber to keep you satiated. Perfect for dipping into coffee.

The bananas and quinoa help keep the muffins moist and provide an even crumb with a slight crunch.

This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins. Gotta love that. And it was a great way to use up the leftover quinoa that I had from when I made this tofu panang curry last week.

I’m feelin’ good, people. Working at night lets me have my mornings to sleep-in, work-out, and cook up healthy meals and snacks to keep me nourished and excited about good food.

Banana Walnut Quinoa Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe bananas, roughly mashed

2 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup flour (I used AP, you can use whole wheat pastry flour if you like)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 tablespoons wheat germ

2 tablespoons flaxseeds

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. raisins

2 T. chopped candied (crystallized) ginger

PROCESS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mash your bananas and whisk in your eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. These are your wet ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, wheat germ, flaxseeds, quinoa). Make a little well in the center of your dry ingredients and add your wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. Add in your nuts, raisins, and crystallized ginger.

Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, drop into lightly sprayed or oiled muffin tins (fill each tin about 3/4 of the way). Sprinkle with a touch of sugar. Bake for about 22-25 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking process.

Serve warmed with coffee, jam, peanut butter, yogurt, fruit, etc. Or take it on-the-go when you are rushing to go to work or school. Instant energy!

Biking Adventures, NYC + Concord Grape Sorbet

19 Sep

Yesterday I went on a bike ride to the tip top of Manhattan along the West Side Highway bike path. With the Hudson River at my side and the beautiful greenery protecting me from the raging NYC traffic, everything should have been perfect…but alas, I am a first class WIMP.

Why is it that if I have not ridden a bike in just 2 months that I start getting the shakes and the shivers at the thought of going up and down a hill, switching gears, stopping. Oh, stopping on my bike. It should be so easy. I like to think that I am a graceful lady, but on a bicycle I seem to lose all my balance and dignity. And there I was, walking my bike down the tiniest hill because I am too afraid to take the plunge.

I only fell once, and for that I am proud, and I got right back up and continued biking after my minor fall. I did not even realize that I scratched my hand until I saw the blood marks on the handle bars. Eh, no big deal.

In the end, it was a nice ride and I became more confident as the ride continued. Eventually, I was even able to stop and slowly hop off the bike in a graceful way. My reward for making it up to the top of Manhattan was eating at the taco stand inside one of the parks there. Seriously good homemade flour tortillas.

Hopefully come next week, I’ll be a biking pro.

There was no better way to quench my thirst after that bike ride than to have a spoon of homemade concord grape sorbet, right out of the container.

Concord grapes are all over the place right now. I also love the variety called “Jupiter” because they have no seeds. These grapes taste like they were made for wine, for jam, for sodas, for SORBET.

I cooked my grapes down with a touch of water until they started to pop and release their juices.

The grapes got pureed in my blender. I added a little bit of homemade simple syrup to them. Chilled everything and then spun it in my ice cream maker.

I usually think of myself as an ice cream person rather than a sorbet person. But this summer I have realized how refreshing sorbet can be when you have really flavorful fruit. Plus sorbet is SO much easier to make than ice cream because it is literally fruit and simple syrup or sugar. And the colors that your sorbet can be–bright orange (mango, melon…), lipstick red (strawberry, cherry…), deep fuchsia (raspberry, blackberry, concord grape…)…oh so fabulous!

Concord Grape Sorbet

from The Kitchen Sink

1 1/2 pounds Concord grapes (about 1 quart container)
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup Simple Syrup

Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Combine grapes and the water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid begins to bubble and grapes start releasing liquid, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat, and simmer until juices are dark purple and grapes begin to break apart, about 3 minutes.

Puree the mixture with a food mill, an immersion blender, a blender, or a food processor (I used a blender). Then pass it through a fine sieve into a large bowl set in the ice bath; stir frequently until completely cool. Stir in simple syrup.

Transfer mixture to an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

Summer Peach Pie

29 Aug

A double-crusted summer peach pie. Filled with slippery peaches and spiced with a cozy combination of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

There was no better way to spend my time stuck inside this rainy weekend than to bake a pie.

I baked this summer peach pie. I bought Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I put the two together on a plate. I licked the plate clean.

Today is my dad’s birthday. Happy birthday, Pops! I love you. I wish you could eat this pie that I made. I am beginning to master the art of writing “Happy Birthday” in chocolate on a plate. This is what I do at work. I write on plates with chocolate. My hand is still a little shaky, so no plate-writing photos yet.

When it comes to pie, I am a big fan of the all-butter crust. Don’t bother with shortening or any other fats. Butter. I always have it on-hand. Butter. Use it. Cube it. Chill it. Love it.

For the filling, I used cornstarch to thicken the fruit mixture. In the past I have also used quick-cooking tapioca (see: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie). The cornstarch worked great for the peaches-they were still super juicy and had just the right amount of viscosity.

For the crust, a small amount of vinegar (or any strong acid) is added to help keep that crust nice and flaky, just the way it should be.

Summer Peach Pie

I heart JOY! she has beautiful descriptions and photos of the step-by-step process

For the Crust:

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ice cold water

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the Filling:

about 3 pounds ripe peaches (I used about 6 peaches)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

scant 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

2 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for topping crust before baking

To make the crust, the first thing I do is cube my butter and stick it in the freezer. I also drop a few ice cubes in a glass of water and set it aside. Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  Take your cold, cubed butter out of the freezer and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture.  Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas. Measure out the ice cold water and stir it together with the vinegar.   Create a well in the butter and flour mixture and pour in the water and vinegar mixture.  Use a fork to bring to dough together.  Try to moisten all of the flour bits.  On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture.  It will be moist and shaggy.  That’s perfect.  Divide the dough in two and gently knead into two disks.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, wash and slice peaches and put them in a medium bowl (I just used the same bowl that I made the crust in).  In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, spices, flour, and cornstarch.  Pour the sugar mixture over the fruit, and gently toss together with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Place bowl of fruit in the fridge to rest while you roll the crust out.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place a rack in the center of the oven, and place a baking sheet on the lower rack, just below where you’re going to place the pie.  This will catch any pie drippings without making a mess of your oven.

Remove one of the pie dough disks from the fridge.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into about a 13-inch round.  Roll the dough a few strokes, then use your fingers to move the emerging circle around the floured surface.  This ensures that the dough isn’t sticking to the work surface.  The circle won’t be perfect, that’s ok.  Try not to get any tears in the rolled out dough, but if you do, they can be patched together with extra dough.    When you roll the dough and you can see it start springing back, that means that the butter is warming and the crust shouldn’t be rolled out anymore.  Gently lift the 13-inch round from the floured surface and center in the 9-inch baking dish.  Place in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.

Roll out the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, moving the dough across the floured surface every once in a while, and creating a roughly 13-inch circle.  Remove the bottom crust and fruit filling from the fridge.  Gently pour the fruit filling into the pie dish.  Carefully remove the top crust from the work surface and drape over the fruit in the pie dish.  With a small knife, trim the crust, leaving about 3/4-inch overhang.  With your fingers press the top and bottom crusts together and fold under.  Use a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges of the dough.  Cut five small slits in the top of the crust so the juices and steam can vent.  Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place pie in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven heat to 375 and bake for 45 to 55 more minutes.  Remove from the oven when crust is browned and golden, and the juices are bubbling.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before serving.  Place covered in the fridge to store.  Pie lasts up to 3 or 4 days.

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