Tag: appetizer

Fish Nachos

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I made fish tacos, prepared a beautiful picture, but when I bit into them, I realized that the taco shells were expired and rancid. So what do we do for dinner? …
Make fish nachos instead! We loved them and they were actually easier to eat than fish tacos!

Ingredients:
Here’s a rough recipe. There are a few different parts, but they’re all very simple. 
Ingredients:
1 salmon filet, large enough for 2 people, skin removed 
1 tsp mayo 
Taco seasoning 
Chili lime seasoning 
Juice of 1 lime (divided)
1/2 head broccoli, cut up into florets (washed and dried very well)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
1 avocado 
Handful of cherry tomatoes (and optional golden berries)
Parsley 
Purple cabbage, thinly cut
Kale, chopped into small pieces 
Tzaziki Greek yogurt dip 
Tortilla chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F
On salmon, spread mayo, sprinkle taco seasoning and chili lime seasoning and drizzle on a bit of you lime juice. Place on one side of greased baking sheet. 
On remaining half of baking sheet, place broccoli, drizzle on oil and sprinkle with additional taco seasoning and chili lime. 
Bake for 20 minutes .
In the meantime, prepare your salsa and slaw. 
For salsa, mix together, avocado (mash slightly), tomatoes (and golden berries if using), most of the remaining lime juice, chili lime seasoning and chopped fresh parsley. 
For slaw, mix together kale, purple cabbage, some oil, remaining lime juice and chili lime seasoning. .
Break up salmon into smaller pieces. Spread on serving plate, interspersed with broccoli, slaw, salsa and drops of tzaziki Greek yogurt. .
Enjoy with your tortilla chips! 

Israeli Stuffed Hasselback Eggplant .

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Don’t be scared off by how elegant this dish looks, it’s actually quite easy to make

Ingredients:
1 medium sized eggplant
1 tbsp zaatar (I used from @all_shuk_up – it’s fabulous and not sponsored)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp smoky paprika
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
Drizzle of lemon juice .
Stuffing:
1/4 cup babaganoush
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup each sliced olives and chopped cooked beets
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Garnish:
Tahini (I used @mightysesamecosqueezable tahini thanks to @kosherdotcom )
Zaatar
Additional parsley
Humus (omit for passover)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Slice eggplant almost all the way through into 1/4” slices (you can place chopsticks on either side of the eggplant to avoid cutting all the way through). Mix together zaatar, oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Brush scantly onto eggplant, on all slices.
Bake on greased baking sheet for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare stuffing, by mixing all ingredients together.
When ready to serve, carefully place eggplant on serving dish. Separate each eggplant slice and fill each opening with some of the stuffing.
Spread some humus on platter. Drizzle with tahini, sprinkle with zaatar and parsley. .
The eggplant can be cooked and the rest of the dish can be assembled at a later time.
You can add shawarma chicken or a sautéed meat blend to the plate, to make a more substantial meal.
For Passover, omit the humus and serve with babaganoush instead.

Tacotaschen

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Ingredients:
1 tbsp grapeseed oil 
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed and gently mashed with potato masher 
1 cup crushed tomatoes (I used fresh but canned works well too)
1.5-2 tbsp taco seasoning
Grated cheese (I used a blend of mozzarella and cheddar)
10 puff pastry squares
1 egg, beaten OR melted butter

Salsa
8 grape tomatoes, chopped 
1/2 small mango, chopped 
1 avocado, mashed gently with a fork 
1/2 tsp chili lime seasoning
Freshly ground pepper 
Juice of 1/4 lemon 
Parsley or basil or cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. 
Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add beans and tomatoes and cook for a 2-3 minutes, add seasoning and continue to cook for another few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (**if you use unsalted beans, you will more likely have to add salt)
Use a 3.5-4” round cookie cutter to cut puff pastry squares into circles.
Spoon 1.5 tbsp bean mixture in center of puff pastry rounds and top with some grated cheese. Fold to form hamentaschen. 
Brush with egg or melted butter. Top with additional grated cheese. 
Bake for about 20 minutes, until puff pastry in nice and golden. 
In the meantime, make salsa, by mixing together all ingredients. .
Top hamentaschen with salsa and enjoy! 

Miso Sushi Bowl

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Ingredients:
2 slices of salmon (skin removed)
1 tbsp miso
1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger 
1/2 tbsp soy sauce or GF tamari
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame oil 
Squirt of sriracha hot sauce 
1 cup of rice, cooked according to package directions (I used brown rice)
Edamame (cooked)
Grated carrots 
Purple cabbage 
Pickled ginger
Avocado 
Nori
Hoisin sauce 
Sesame seeds .

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Mix together miso, ginger, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil and sriracha. Spread half on top of salmon, reserve half as sauce for bowl. 
Bake salmon for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. .
Assemble bowl – top rice with cut up salmon, edamame, carrots, cabbage, pickled ginger, avocado and nori. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Drizzle with remaining miso marinade and hoisin sauce. 
You can also top with additional sriracha. .
You can also add the follower to your bowl: mango, cucumber, fake crab, sushi grade salmon/tuna (uncooked), jalapeños, sliced peppers etc 

Instant Pot Split Pea and White Bean Soup

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Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp hawaij for soup (thanks @busyinbrooklyn for introducing me to this deliciousness)
1 cup dried white beans
1 cup dried split peas (I did a mix of green and yellow)
1/2 cup farro
1 smoked turkey drumstick, skin removed
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
This soup can be made on the stove as well. It must be simmered for a few hours. .
Warm 1 tbsp oil in instant pot on sauté setting and add onions. Sauté until they are sweating and translucent. Add carrots and celery and continue to sauté for another few minutes. Mix in garlic and hawaij. Sauté for another minute.
Next add beans, peas, farro, salt, pepper and 10 cups of water. Top with turkey.
Seal instant pot and select bean setting (30 minutes). Once it is done cooking, allow for natural release for 10 minutes and then vent.
Remove turkey from bowl and remove meat from bones (be careful as there are many bones). Use an immersion blender to partially blend soup. Return turkey to soup and enjoy!

Cheesy Potato Latkes

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Ingredients:
2 cups grated potatoes (I use the frozen shredded hash browns, but I haven’t found them kosher in Montreal, only in the US)
1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella/cheddar blend 
1 egg
1/4 cup flour 
Salt and pepper 
Oil to fry (I use grapeseed oil)

Directions:
Fill frying pan up with 1/4” of oil. 
Heat oil over medium heat until it sizzles when you put in a small piece of the mixture. You can add a carrot to the oil to help keep the oil clean. 
As the oil is heating up, mix together potatoes, cheese, egg, flour, salt and pepper. 
Form small latkes with your hands (this ensures they’ll stay together) and drop into oil. Flip once you see the edges browning. 
Remove from heat and allow to cool on cooling rack.

Meat egg roll style triangles

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Ingredients:
7 oz roast smoked turkey breast, chopped
2.5-3 oz gourmet salami (I used
@amsellemgourmet_butcher ), chopped
1/2 cup chopped @jacksgourmet fake bacon, chopped
16 puff dough squares
2 cups white cabbage
1 egg
Everything but the bagel seasoning
Dijon mustard

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté cabbage and meat for about 5 minutes. So cabbage is wilted and everything is nice a flavourful together.
Squeeze a bit of dijon mustard on each puff pastry square and spread (leaving edges clean). Spoon about 1.5 tbsp of meat mixture on each puff pastry square. Fold in half and seal to close. (You can freeze at this step). Place on greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
Beat egg and brush onto each triangle. Sprinkle with everything but the bagel seasoning.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned.

Fennel Salad

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Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, sliced 
1 tbsp honey mustard
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
Handful craisins 
Crushed terra chips
.
Directions:
Mix together honey mustard and oil. Coat fennel. Garnish with craisins and crushed terra chips. .
This salad can be made in advance, just add the terra chips when ready to serve.

Phyllo Meat Triangles

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Ingredients:
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 leek or 1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
~1.5 lbs minced meat
2 tbsp shawarma seasoning
2 tbsp tomato paste (I use @tuscaninifoods because it comes in a tube!) 18 phyllo sheets
1/2 cup margarine (melted) plus additional olive oil .

Directions:
In a large pan, sauté leek over medium heat. Once softening, add garlic and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Add meat, breaking up chunks. Cook until starting to brown. Add shawarma seasoning and tomato paste. Cook until meat is cooked through.
This meat mixture can be used for a “humus basar” (Aka humus topped with meat) or stuffed in eggplant or just eaten as is because it’s delicious. .
If you’re making with phyllo, preheat oven to 375°F.
Keep phyllo that you aren’t using covered. I purchase fresh phyllo dough, which is much easier to work with.
Mix melted margarine with some olive oil to make it easier to spread.
Lay out 1 phyllo sheet, brush with margarine. Place another sheet on top, add more margarine. Finally place a 3rd sheet.
Cut phyllo rectangle into 4 strips (rectangle should be oriented horizontally so you end up with 4 shorter and wider strips). Place about 2 tbsp of meat mixture towards the corner of each strip and fold over to fold a triangle and keep folding over.
Repeat with remaining phyllo. You can freeze them at this point.
Place flat on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with margarine/oil mixture.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. ** if phyllo steps are unclear, see highlight**
.
Tahini dipping sauce – this wasn’t necessary but I mixed together 2 tbsp tahini, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tbsp zaatar and water to thin .