creative jewish mom

Chocolate Almond Cranberry Bark For Tu B'Shevat

Tonight is Tu B'Shevat, and the almond trees are on the verge of blooming here in Northern Israel, so to celebrate I just prepared this chocolate almond cranberry bark to surprise the family. Plus I've used 60% cocoa dark chocolate, and raw almonds, so it's really verging on what one might call "healthy!" 

I'll be serving the bark together with a nice spread of dried fruits, nuts and a few fruits that we haven't eaten this year, like coconut or maybe star fruit. I've purchased a nice assortment of olives to eat during the salad course, and even some preserved cherries to eat with ice cream or the apple cake we'll make shortly. Hopefully that's more than enough to help us celebrate this special holiday!

Ingredients:

• three regular sized (100g) dark chocolate bars, 60% cocoa (you can use more chocolate if you want a great ratio of nuts to chocolate, I just trying to keep the sugar content as low as possible!)
• 2 cups chopped almonds, I used raw, you can also roast them yourself, but roasted nuts are not as healthful
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preparation:

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, and add 1 1/2 cups of almonds and about 3/4 cup of cranberries. Stir and pour onto parchment paper (placed in a 9x12 pan) Spread to about 1/4" thick, and sprinkle remainder of almonds and cranberries on top.. Set aside to cool and break up into smallish chunks. Note: It was devoured, and I must say, an amazing treat!

Enjoy, and wishing you all a very happy Tu B'Shevat! I'll be back next week with my yearly photos of the almond trees when they're just a tiny bit in bloom, my favorite!

Delicious Spelt & Oatmeal Rolls, With Date Syrup!

These spelt rolls made with oatmeal and date syrup were a huge hit last night at dinner, and I have to admit, they were delicious! So delicious in fact that I couldn't quite believe it! A neighbor and I recently found a way to order our favorite organic spelt flour directly from the supplier in bulk, so I'm planning to be doing a lot more baking, starting with these rolls, which are really just a revised version of my whole wheat mini baguettes. 

These rolls are fabulous for sandwiches, or toasted open faced and spread with a little coconut oil, my latest culinary discovery, and oh so delicious and healthy!

Simply follow the recipe for the whole wheat mini baguettes, substituting spelt flour for the whole wheat flour, and if desired make your rolls bigger, I made 14 from 1 kilo of spelt flour and they are the perfect size for a nice sandwich.

Also, since I was using spelt flour, and I wanted them to be as least dense as possible, I did set the baking rack on the stove top for about an hour such that the rolls could rise before baking, after which I brushed on egg white and sprinkled on the sesame seeds. That's it, enjoy! 

And if you feel like having a little fun in the kitchen, how about substituting spelt for whole wheat, in my whole wheat pretzel rolls?

The Perfect Bowl Of Oatmeal....With Coconut Oil!

I really don't know why it is that I never actually figured out how to make oatmeal properly all these years! Truthfully I have not been adding enough water (or milk), which explains why it was so gloppy most of the time! Now thanks to my friend from Amsterdam, who at the end of our stay in Barcelona gifted me with a leftover box of Dutch Quaker oatmeal, I have finally learned the trick. Of course I did have to run to the computer to translate the cooking instructions from Dutch to English, but it sure was worth it.

Now this winter I'm enjoying a large, delicious and healthful bowl of oatmeal almost every morning, with a few delicious additions:

Ingredients: For 1 hearty serving or maybe 2 smaller child-sized portions

• 1 cup oatmeal, quick cooking, buy it in the cans so you'll have some containers for crafting!
• 2 cups water (or 2 cups homemade almond milk, recipe here)
• 1 oz chopped almonds
• 1-2 tblsp organic maple syrup, the real thing (grade B)
• 2 tsp coconut oil

Instructions: Add water, oatmeal and almonds to a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir for one minute or so, until water is absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and add coconut oil and maple syrup.

Note: You may or may not have heard about the latest info about coconut oil? I've been reading about it lately from holistic health practitioners, and was happy to see that it's new identity as healthy, as opposed to terribly unhealthy, is generally accepted. Yippee! Check out this mainstream article here, which also has some interesting information.

So if you love coconut, go for it, it's downright delicious— instead of butter, as a cooking oil (the healthiest oil for high temperature cooking) on greenbeans, wow, or with a baked sweet potato, yumm. Coconut oil actually comes in solid form, so is most easily used with hot foods.

And while I don't know prices in the rest of the world, here in Israel it's a bit pricey, at my local store 54 shekels for  684ml But truthfully you don't need a lot, and in the end if you invest in a larger quantity, it may not be much more expensive than good olive oil. Invest in a small jar and give it a try......I know I'm absolutely grateful for this new addition to my family's diet!

Homemade Spelt Tortillas!

Sorry, I don't have a photo for you, at this point the tortillas are history! I made a batch of spelt tortillas right before shabbat, because my oven isn't working and I really didn't have time to bake some pitas using my whole wheat pita recipe, (but with spelt) and my pita pot (which only seems to be available in Israel). And, I'm trying to stay away from yeast (which the pitas do have) as well as wheat, so this seemed like the perfect solution. And guess, what? They were quite tasty, and even my husband who was munching away on my traditional challah (with white flour and sugar, alack alas) agreed!

I also think this recipe, whether using spelt or whole wheat is a good thing to know for those who for example have dietary restrictions, or keep kosher and may find themselves somewhere in the world where the kinds of food they'd normally eat are unavailable. All you need is some basic ingredients, a rolling pin, and a frying pan! And if you're traveling, these tortillas certainly are easy to take with you, kind of like the matzo that our ancestors baked and took with them on their way out of Egypt!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour, try organic, it's the real thing and delicious!
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (or just a tad more)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup warm water, or the amount necessary to achieve a non sticky dough.

How To:

1. Combine flour, Baking powder and salt. Add olive oil and stir will. 
2. Put in warm tap water in increments, and add more water or more flour if necessary. 
3. Knead dough on floured surface. 
4. Let dough rest for 15 minutes or more. 
5. Divide dough into 10-12 equal portions and shape into balls. 
6. Dip each ball in flour, and using a rolling pin roll out each ball as thin as possible, the thinner the better, and the larger your tortillas will be! To get round tortillas (or pitas) I roll in one direction and then lift up the resulting ellipse, rotate 45degrees and roll again. Of course once your tortillas are really thin they'll be difficult to lift up, so only do this a few times.
7. Bake on an un-greased skillet over medium-high heat on each side about 30 seconds or until puffy. 
8. Wrap in a towel to stay warm, and serve. Freeze the extras to enjoy later.

These were delicious with purple cabbage salad and techina. Enjoy!

Yeast Free Spelt Rolls

Eating spelt instead of wheat and avoiding yeast altogether has helped many people with digestive problems as well as a myriad of other health problems. "You are what you eat", so hopefully all is well, but if you do decide to try some changes in your diet or need to suit the needs of a visitor, a few yeast-free, wheat free recipes are always great to have on on hand! And these little yeast-free spelt rolls are sure to please, since the yeast free spelt bread you'll find in the health food store is a dense little loaf that's pricey, and  honestly isn't all that delicious! And while I do plan to get into baking yeast free sour dough bread, that takes quite a bit of effort, so this little recipe which I came up with myself is doing the trick for the moment, until further notice!

These little rolls that look like muffins will please just about anybody who likes whole grain bread, and they are especially delicious toasted. Yesterday I had a nice little lunch which consisted of making open face sandwiches with some slices of goat cheese and delicious summer tomatoes. It was truly divine!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic spelt flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 apple, pureed in the blender, or 1/4 cup sugar free applesauce
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 envelope of Israeli baking powder, or 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (do not use more to get bigger rolls, they will taste terrible!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup water

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix, slowly adding water. The exact amount of water necessary varies depending on the flour you're using, but the end result should be something like a very thick pancake batter. Spoon batter into a silicone muffin tray or use cupcake liners in a metal muffin tray. Bake at 200 C for about 1/2 hour, or until lightly browned. Makes 12 rolls.

How To Make All Natural Almond Milk

Photo source here.

Ever thought about making your own all natural sugar-free almond milk at home? And guess what, it's really quite simple and a great way to enjoy almond milk without all the additives you'll find in the store bought version. And, for those of you, like me, who might for some health or allergy reasons be avoiding cow's milk at the moment, almond milk is the solution to not having to forgo that morning cup of coffee or tea with milk. A big PHEW, is all I have to say. It's pouring rain outside a the moment which means taking photos of some recent projects isn't possible with ease, so I thought I'd share this with you!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds, soaked for 8 hours in water, or blanched
• 1 liter of water
• 1 large date (optional)
• a splash of vanilla 

How To:

Add almonds, date, and half of the water to a strong blender and blend. Strain almond milk into a pitcher using a cheesecloth bag, or in my case a clean brand new knee high. (You can also use a fine strainer over a bowl, or a piece of cheese cloth inside a strainer over a bowl.) I put the knee-high over the mouth of the blender, put the bottom of the knee-high in the pitcher and then carefully pour the contents of the blender into the set-up.  Squeeze out the straining device of your choice into the pitcher to get every last drop, and return the remaining pulp to the blender one more time and repeat with the remainder of the water. 

If you will be using the almond milk for coffee and it bothers you if it separates, I just read that one can heat the milk to avoid this happening. Heat on low and simmer for 15 minutes. Not sure if this extra step is worth the trouble, but just keep it in mind. Also, the milk keeps for no more than 5 days, and possibly less if not well sealed, so you may want to consider halving the recipe, which is what I've been doing.

Do save the left over almond pulp for baking, or adding to ground meat or who knows what else. Haven't done too much with that idea yet. I did add it to some whole wheat pasta, which seemed like a great idea to me, but wasn't met with so much excitement by at least one kiddo. So maybe I'll try some healthy cookies or something, I'll keep you posted! And by the way, almond milk really is delicious as a milk substitute with say oats or quinoa, or granola, and I have to say it's the only milk substitute that really actually stands on its own taste wise. So giving up cow's milk really can be done with minimal discomfort, yippee! 

Cooking With Fennel

Engraving source here, photo source here.

Are you familiar with fennel? It's a very popular root vegetable here in the Mediterranean and Middle East, and for good reason! And my friends, right now is fennel season, which means that not only is fennel quite inexpensive, it's at it's best! 

I am enjoying fennel everyday as I just can't resist. We love it raw as a simply delicious salad, and it's great with my Moroccan yellow chicken recipe. The other night I tried it with some ground chicken pot-cooked patties, and it was perfect. You can also roast it Italian style, or even use it in white bean soups. While I think the taste is quite mild, there are those who prefer it cooked and milder. However you choose, think about including some fennel in your menu planning!

Note: Cut off the stalks and generally the outer layer is removed to reveal the more tender inside. Any small leafy green areas should also be removed as they may contain bugs. 

 

Red Lentil Soup

Yes, you're right, red lentils aren't really red, they're orange! But that just makes things all the more interesting when discovering a new food! Red lentils are found widely in Indian and middle eastern cuisine, and until last night's dinner I'd never really cooked them. And boy have I been missing something! Red lentils make a wonderfully tasty and thick soup that's high in protein and is a meal in itself. And apparently they are often added to soups and stews as a thickener.

Okay, I'll admit only two out of three young children enjoyed my s0up, but that's just because honestly it really doesn't look so great, kind of like split pea soup, only a different color. Serve it with some homemade whole wheat croutons, some tasty black olives, and  a huge salad (with some feta cheese thrown in, yumm!), and you've got yourself a great meal, especially now that it's soup weather! 

Ingredients:

Serves 6 roughly

• 2 cups red lentils
• 1 large onion
• 7 cups water
• 2 tablespoons msg free soup/boullion powder (optional)
• 2 tsp cumin (I actually use 1 tblsp, but we like things spicy)
• salt and pepper to taste
• carrots, celery, potato chunks, fresh parsley to add to soup (optional)

Instructions:

Stir fry the chopped onion in a little olive oil. Add lentils and 7 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer roughly 30 minutes until lentils have broken down and a thick soup results. Add additional vegetables if desired and cook until those vegetables are soft, say another 2o minutes. Check the thickness of the soup and add water if desired. Because the soup is thick it has a tendency to burn, so stir ever ten minutes and don't leave it unattended.

The traditional middle eastern soup also includes lemon juice, so while I chose to omit it since I'm not a fan of tartness in my soup, you might enjoy it. Try squeezing a little lemon juice over your soup for a little exotic food experiment, and while you're at it a few drops of olive oil on top are also traditional. Enjoy!

All Natural Banana Ice Cream Made From.....Only Bananas!

Did you know that you can make "ice cream" from just one ingredient — bananas? I first learned this little secret here, and when my husband brought home two huge bunches of bananas for Passover, I had a feeling I'd need to use some of them for some kind of treat. And just when those bananas started to look a little brown I remembered the banana ice cream idea!

Now I have to say, this won't go over well as an actual substitute for those who want to eat real ice cream, but for those avoiding sugar or who happen to be vegan or just love super healthy fare, well this one is for them. And for those of us who enjoyed lots of matzo and other delicious foods during the past week of Passover, ahem, this one is also for us! Though I made it plain, I do think it could be quite delicious with some chopped walnuts, ground coconut, chocolate chips or shaved chocolate (for those not avoiding sugar....), or even some peanut butter mixed in! Have fun experimenting with this and you might even want to make some in an ice cube tray to have some little treats on hand, or as popsicles.

How To:

Slice some bananas and freeze on a plate. After about 2 hours, place them in your food processor or blender and watch in amazement as something that resembles coffee ice cream forms before your eyes! Eat immediately or refreeze, just you'll need to defrost it a bit before re-serving.

Note: The only electrical appliance that I have in my Passover dishes is actually a soup blender, and that worked just fine well!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pretzel Rolls—Fun For Kids In The Kitchen!

Baking with the kids can be lots of fun, and especially great when the results are wholesome rolls that are a great accompaniment to a hearty winter soup! At this point, my kids get much more excited about real dough than modeling clay, so when I started to make these pretzels I had plenty of help. My eight year old daughter made some all on her own, and my five year old son was great at preparing longs ropes of dough for me to shape. I used the recipe for my whole wheat oatmeal baguettes, and since I was in a hurry I didn't even let the dough rise, which was fine in this case, though the rolls are a bit denser than if prepared correctly.

Someday I'd like to make real pretzels, but for now this was lots of fun, and the ones that turned out a bit too plump to pass as pretzels have been great little sandwich rolls! Make sure to roll finger width ropes, not wider. Then again the sandwhich rolls are pretty cute too.

And those roses by the way, were the last blooms that I brought indoors after I heavily pruned the rose bushes in preparation for Spring growth. Speaking of Spring, I know some of you wouldn't mind a little Spring weather right about now, so hang in there and get ready for some colorful Spring crafting, which is coming here soon!