Tag: clean eating

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tahini Cups

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Ingredients:
1 cup medjool dates (the softer the better)
2 tbsp tahini 
6 tbsp almond milk (you can likely use coconut cream or soy milk or even the water you use to plump up the dates)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt plus additional to sprinkle on top
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp honey


Directions:
Prepare muffin tins with liners – this recipe yielded 12 regular and 12 small chocolates. I imagine that it would make 15-16 regular sized chocolates.

Cover dates with warm water and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to plump up. 
In a food processor, process dates, tahini, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt. Use a rubber spatula to push down mixture that goes up the sides. Keep processing until smooth and creamy – this may take a few minutes. 
In the meantime, place chocolate in a heat safe bowl. Place bowl over pot filled with about 1-2 inches of water (water should not touch bottom of bowl). Melt chocolate by bringing water in pot to a simmer. (Don’t allow chocolate to get wet!)
Once chocolate is smooth and melted, remove from heat and mix in honey. 
Spread about 1 tbsp of chocolate mixture at the bottom of each muffin cup. Next, drop approximately 1/2 tbsp of date caramel into the center of the chocolate. 
Top each with 1 tbsp of chocolate. Give the pan a gentle shake to try to even out the chocolate. 
Sprinkle a drop of sea salt (preferably coarse) over each chocolate. 
Refrigerate until set. 
This can be stored in an airtight container on the counter. I’m fairly certain it’ll freeze well (although I never tried).

Strawberry Apple Oat Breakfast Muffins

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Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats 
1.5 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp cinnamon 
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut 
1 tbsp chia seeds 
1 cup peeled and grated apple (it was 2 small apples for me)
1 cup sliced strawberries 
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/3 cup maple syrup 
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 
1/2 cup applesauce 
1 tsp vanilla 
1-2 tbsp maple flakes .
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, oats, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt, chia and coconut. In a separate bowl, mix together apple, strawberries, oil, maple syrup, eggs, yogurt, applesauce and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients with dry. .
Line muffin tin with muffin liners and measure 1/4 cup of mixture for each muffin. I had leftover batter and used it for 10 mini muffins (1 tbsp per muffin). .
Bake for about 21 minutes, check with a toothpick (For mini muffins, bake for 12 minutes).

Healthy Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Bites

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I was given a variation of this recipe by @nodiet.dietitian – her recipe called for powdered peanut butter. Given that most of us are trying to avoid leaving our homes now, I figured I would adapt the recipe to be made with regular nut butter. I used chocolate, cranberries and coconut, but you can use whatever you’d like to mix in! What add-ins would you mix in if you were making these?

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed 
1 cup nut butter 
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 tsp sea salt 
3 cups rolled oats 
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cranberries 
2 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut 
2 tbsp chia seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
Mix together, bananas, nut butter, egg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Next mix in oats and remaining ingredients. 
Drop large spoonfuls of mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. 
Enjoy!

Sheet Pan Pesto Salmon

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This recipe is quick & easy and kosher for Passoverbut delicious any time of year!

Ingredients:
2 salmon filets 
1/4 cup pesto sauce (store bought or homemade)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
Purple cabbage (not from a bag) cut into small pieces 
Broccoli, cut into small florets 
1 small sweet potato, cut into teeny tiny cubes 
Handful of cherry tomatoes 
@heavenandearthfoods veggie sticks (thank you to @kosherdotcom for sending these my way)

Preheat oven to 400°F. 
Spread half of pesto into salmon. 
Add oil to remaining pesto and use it to coat vegetables well. 
Spread vegetables around salmon. 
Top salmon with veggie sticks. 
Bake for about 15 minutes. .
.
Enjoy!

Trio of Salatim

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The most delicious chickpeas in the world (courtesy of my friend Mindy):
Ingredients:
1 tbsp grapeseed oil 
1 can chickpeas, drained 
1 tbsp smoky paprika 
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin 
Freshly ground pepper 
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/3 cup water 
1/2 cup garlic oil (reserve from confit) 
Sauté chickpeas in oil over medium high heat and add all spices. Mix to coat well and sauté for a few minutes. Slowly add water and mix until incorporated.
Remove from heat. Mix in garlic oil. 
Enjoy! 


Babaganoush – for those of us who don’t have a gas stove 
Ingredients:
1 eggplant 
2 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp tahini 
1 clove garlic 
1 tsp sea salt, divided 
1 tsp cumin 
A few drops liquid smoke
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 
Directions:
Pierce holes in eggplant all over with a fork. Drizzle with oil and 1/2 tsp salt. 
Broil for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely charred. 
Continue to bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until extremely easy to pierce with fork. 
Once eggplant cools, remove skin and discard. Mash eggplant with fork and mix with remaining ingredients (except parsley). If you prefer a smoother consistency, you can blend eggplant mixture using immersion blender. Top with parsley and enjoy! .


Tomato Garlic Confit 
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
In a small Pyrex, spread baby tomatoes and peeled garlic cloves in a single layer. Top with some fresh rosemary, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Pour olive oil over the tomatoes and garlic, just to cover. Bake for about 1 hour.

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.

Tu Bishevat Chocolate Bark

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Ingredients:
2 cups dark chocolate chips 
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups chopped mixed dried fruit and nuts (I used almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, craisins, dried blueberries, figs, dates, apricots, dried mango)
Unsweetened desiccated coconut (optional)

Directions:
Fill a small saucepan with about 1 1/2 inches water. Water over low-medium heat. Place a heat safe bowl on top of the pot and melt chocolate inside. 
Once melted, mix in honey and remove from heat. 
Mix 2/3 of fruit and nut mixture into chocolate. Spread chocolate on parchment-lined baking sheet. 
Spread remaining fruit nut mixture on top of chocolate and sprinkle with coconut if desired. 
Refrigerate for at least an hour, until chocolate hardens. Break up into pieces. 
This can be stored on the counter in a sealed container. 
Freezes well.

Lemon Herb Pargiot

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Ingredients:
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
1 cup mixed basil and parsley
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp sumac
Freshly ground pepper (lots)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
In a blender, mix herbs, garlic, sumac, pepper, salt, lemon zest and oil. 
Place chicken pieces in a bowl and spread herb mixture over chicken. Let marinate for about an hour. 
Grill chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side over medium high heat. (I used my cast iron pan – you know it’s ready when the chicken releases easily). When it’s almost done cooking, squeeze a bit of lemon juice onto the chicken.

Pecan Blueberry Biscotti

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Ingredients:
3 eggs 
1 cup avocado oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white sugar 
3 cups almond flour 
1 tsp cinnamon
2.5 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt 
Zest of 1 orange
1/2-2/3 cup each dried blueberries and chopped pecans (can use candied pecans if desired)
Handful white chocolate chips, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
In a large bowl, mix together wet ingredients then add in all dry ingredients, up to salt. 
Once dough starts to form, mix in orange zest, dried blueberries and chopped pecans. 
Form into logs on parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure to separate the logs more than you would for regular cookies, because it does spread a lot. 
Use a knife to mark where you’ll be slicing the biscotti after it bakes. 
Bake for 30 minutes. 
Remove from oven and let cool. If logs are now touching, just separate them with a knife. Slice into biscotti and lay on its side. 
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and bake until biscotti hardens, about 30 minutes 

Chili Lime Kale Shakshuka

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I make this for lunch whenever I’m home at lunch time. If you have washed kale that’s ready to go, it’s an incredibly quick and easy meal. 
While on vacation with my family, they all tried it and whenever I went to make it, they all asked if I can make for them too. 
Oh and it’s 4 ingredients… .
Kale, torn up into bite size pieces, veins removed 
Eggs 
Grated cheese (mozzarella or cheddar) – I’ve also used goat cheese and feta 
Chili lime seasoning .
Grease a saucepan that has a lid with butter or non stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. 
Add kale to the pan so it’s spread evenly throughout the pan in a thin layer. 
Form wells for eggs (I use 2-8 eggs depending on # of people I’m feeding and size of pan) and pour a cracked egg into each well. 
Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and chili lime seasoning. 
Cover with lid. 
Shakshuka is ready when cheese is melted. 
I usually eat as is. Here, it is pictured over a slice of toast.