Author: erineatsmtl

Chocolate Halva Baklava

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Ingredients:
3/4 cup mixed pecans, almonds and pistachios, chopped into small pieces 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp honey, divided 
1/2 cup chocolate chips 
1/2 cup Halva 
12 sheets phyllo dough 
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
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Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
In a bowl, mix together nuts, brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, chocolate chips and halva.
Cut your phyllo sheets to the size of your pan. I used a 9“ round pie pan. Keep phyllo covered with damp towel when not in use. .
Brush the bottom of the pan with coconut oil. Layer 1 sheet of phyllo and brush with coconut oil. Layer 3 more sheets of phyllo, brushing with oil after each one. 
Spread 1/2 of nut mixture onto phyllo. 
Layer 4 more sheets of phyllo and brush coconut oil after each layer. 
Spread remaining nut mixture onto phyllo. 
Top with 4 phyllo sheets, with brushed coconut oil after each layer. 
Cut lines with a sharp knife all the way through the baklava to form the shape you’d like for your baklava. 
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is nice and golden. 
Immediately, drizzle remaining honey over the baklava. 
Typically baklava is best cool, but this one is yummy when warm (not too hot) as well.

White Bean Soup with Sausages and Kale Chips

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I don’t know the source of this recipe but it is so delicious I wanted to share with you. Please let me know if you know the source so I can give proper credit. (I’ve might very minor changes)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp avocado oil 
1 onion, chopped 
1/3 cup each, diced carrots and celery 
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
1/2 tsp sea salt (use a bit more if you’re using beans with no salt added)
Freshly ground pepper
2 bay leaves 
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used water mixed with @traderjoesumami seasoning)
1/2 tsp liquid smoke 
3 cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
2 sausages (I used @jacksgourmet )
1 tsp oil
Garnish with kale chips (see below for recipe)

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onion, carrots, celery and garlic with salt and pepper, until tender. Add in rosemary and bay leaves and cook for another minute. Add stock and liquid smoke and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in beans and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaves. 
Use an immersion blender to partially blend, but leave some chunks for a nice hearty texture. .
In the meantime, slice hot dogs and fry in a bit of oil to cook. .
Serve soup topped with hot dogs and kale chips if desired. .
Kale chips ⬇️
Preheat oven to 400°F 
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread kale (washed and thoroughly dried) over baking sheet in single layer. Spray generously with additional cooking spray. Sprinkle generously with everything but the bagel seasoning. 
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp

Curried Sweet Potato and Chickpeas

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Ingredients:
3-4 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into wedges
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried 
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp curry 
1 tsp turmeric or smoky turmeric 
1/2 tsp sea salt 
1 tbsp silan (date syrup)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper. .

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F 
Spread sweet potatoes and chickpeas in single layer on baking sheet. 
In a small bowl, mix together spices and oil. Drizzle over potatoes and chickpeas and mix well. 
Bake for 40 minutes. Reduce temperature to 250°F and roast for an additional 30 minutes.

Beef Arayes

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I kept seeing recipes for arayes and had to try them. This is my spin on this new fad – I hope to make variations of these arayes again because they were so easy and a huge hit! .
1 lb minced meat (not lean)
1.5 tbsp shawarma seasoning
1 tbsp zaatar 
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon 
12-15 mini pitas
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Preheat oven to 400°F. 
Mix together all ingredients except pita. Cut openings in the pitas and stuff with meat mixture. Try to flatten each pita, to spread meat mixture out evenly. 
Place on greased baking sheet. Spray cooking spray generously on top as well. 
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. .
FYI – these were too flavorful for 2 of my kids so you can reduce the seasoning a bit for children. 

Humus Sabich Pizza

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My kids are obsessed with pizza – one night I suggested humus pizza and they love it! You can personalize it individually with whatever toppings you prefer. I make it with whatever vegetables and toppings I have on hand. I had leftover cauliflower, eggplant and chickpeas from last night’s dinner (see my previous post) and it was a perfect topping. .
I take a prepared naan bread and warm it, spread humus on and top with some or all of the following:
Roasted eggplant
Roasted cauliflower 
Chickpeas (roasted or not)
Olives 
Grated carrots 
Pickled turnips 
Hard boiled egg
Purple cabbage 
Roasted peppers 
Tomatoes 
Cucumbers 
I garnished with zaatar, tahini and fresh mint

Sheet Pan Shawarma Tofu

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Ingredients:
1 block firm tofu
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dry with a towel
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets, washed and dried well
1 small eggplant, cubed
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 tbsp Shawarma seasoning, divided
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1 tbsp Zaatar
1 tbsp Cornstarch .

Directions:
Cut tofu into 1/2-3/4” cubes. Place on clean kitchen towel, fold towel over to cover top as well. Top with heavy cutting board and let sit for 30 minutes to squeeze out liquid.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix together cornstarch, 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp shawarma seasoning. Coat tofu with this mixture. Spread on half greased baking pan – tofu pieces should be spread and not overlapping.
Mix together remaining oil, shawarma seasoning, zaatar and sea salt. Coat eggplant, chickpeas and cauliflower. Spread some on remaining part of baking pan and the rest on a second baking.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until crisp. I left the tofu on the upper rack.
Serve over a bed of humus, as pictured. Garnish with zaatar, tahini and fresh parsley.
Alternatively, serve in a pita or laffa with your choice of traditional shawarma toppings. .
Thanks to @sylviafallas for sharing her shawarma eggplant, inspiring me to add 🍆 to this yummy mixture.

Mini Chocolate Halva Croissants

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Puff pastry squares 
Chocolate chips 
Halva (any flavour) 
1 egg
1 tsp silan or honey .
Spread chocolate chips and crumbled halva in the middle third of each puff pastry square. Fold top and bottom edges down slightly to keep filling from seeping out. Fold sides over and place crease-side down on parchment lined baking sheet. 
Repeat with remaining squares. 
Beat egg and mix with silan. Brush egg mixture on top of each croissant. 
Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned on top. 
Serve warm 

Stuffed Chicken Marbella

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8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
1 cup prunes, chopped 
8 cloves garlic, minced 
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup green olives, chopped 
1/4 cup capers 
2 tbsp oregano 
Freshly ground pepper 
1 cup dry white wine 
2 bay leaves 
4 tbsp silan (date syrup)
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Mix together prunes, garlic, vinegar, oil, olives, capers, oregano and pepper. Place about 1 tbsp of mixture into each live of chicken, fold over and secure when toothpick. Place in Pyrex baking pan. 
Allow to marinate for a few hours. .
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
Drizzle silan over chicken. Pour wine around chicken and tuck 2 bay leaves into pan. 
Bake for about 35 minutes. 

Facon and Spinach Stuffed Acorn squash

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Ingredients:
3 acorn squashes, cut in half and seeds removed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 package @jacksgourmet Facon, chopped
1 onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cup spinach
1 bag chestnuts
1 cup cooked quinoa


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix together oil, salt and pepper. Brush each squash half inside with oil mixture. Place on greased baking sheet and bake skin side up for about 40 minutes, until insides and soft and easily pierced with a fork.
While the squash is cooking, in a large pan, add avocado oil and fry facon for a few minutes. Put facon into a bowl but don’t clean out pan. Add onion to pan and sauté on low heat until soft and golden. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another few minutes. Add cinnamon to pan until fragrant. Add onion and garlic to facon bowl. To pan, add spinach and sauté until wilted. Place spinach into facon bowl. Finally, sauté chestnuts for a few minutes and then add to bowl.
Once squashed are out of oven, scoop out the insides carefully, making sure to keep shell intact. Cut up squash and add to facon bowl with cooked quinoa. Mix everything together and scoop into squash.

Sweet Asian Tahini Eggplant

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One of my best friends brought something similar to our house for a meal and we all gobbled it’s up. I had to recreate it with the ingredients I had on hand! I now make this recipe almost every week for Shabbat!
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Ingredients:
1 small eggplant, cubed
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp soy sauce or GF tamari
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 tbsp chopped ginger fresh 
Freshly ground pepper
Garnish with drizzle of tahini, silan and fresh mint .
Directions:
Mix together lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, soy sauce (or tamara), oil, ginger and pepper. Coat eggplant and spread on greased baking sheet. 
Bake at 400° for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally to brown all sides 
Garnish with drizzle of tahini, silan and fresh mint.