Israeli Stuffed Hasselback Eggplant .

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.

Zaatar Rainbow Carrots

Ingredients:
2 lbs rainbow carrots, peeled, washed and dried well 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
1 tbsp silan (date syrup, you can use maple syrup or honey alternatively)
1 tsp dijon mustard 
1 tbsp zaatar
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
1 tsp sea salt 
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. 
Mix together all ingredients and coat on carrots. 
Spread on baking sheet (I lined with parchment but probably best to use non stick cooking spray for improved caramelization). Roast for about 45 minutes, turning halfway through, until all carrots are soft and a fork can easily go through. 

Tu Bishevat Chocolate Bark

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.

Sweet and smoky rosemary grilled chicken

Ingredients:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp silan (date syrup)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp smoky paprika
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt 
Freshly ground pepper 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut in half to form 2 cutlets.

Directions:
Mix together mustard, silan, oil, rosemary, garlic, smoky paprika, lemon zest, salt and pepper. 
Spread over chicken. Allow to marinate for up to an hour. 
Grill on BBQ or grill pan over medium-high heat, flipping when edges get white and chicken starts appearing slightly opaque. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. (Cilantro just for picture purposes, I actually dislike it and accidentally bought it).

Pretzel Crusted Maple Mustard Salmon with Broccoli

This recipe can be made as fish sticks or as a salmon filet – or both, whichever you prefer!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp dijon mustard 
1 tbsp maple syrup 
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for broccoli)
1/3 cup flour (for fish sticks) 
1 salmon filet, large enough for 2 
1/2 cup crushed pretzels 
1/2 head broccoli, cut into small florets

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F
For fish sticks: 
Mix together maple syrup and mustard. You can add a bit of mayo to this mixture if you’d like. 
Dredge salmon in flour. Then coat with mixture of mustard and maple. Finally dip in crushed pretzels. 
Spray generously with non stick cooking spray. 
Bake for 10 minutes. .
For salmon filet and broccoli:
Mix together maple syrup and mustard. 
Spread half of mixture onto salmon. 
Mix remaining mixture with oil and coat broccoli. 
Generously sprinkle salmon with crushed pretzels. 
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of salmon.

Miso Sushi Bowl

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 

Greek Seasoning Blend

Inspired by http://www.daringgourmet.com , this spice blend is delicious and I use it in a few recipes coming your way. I make a batch, store in a spice jar and use whenever I need to. .
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp sumac 
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Trader Joe’s umami seasoning (or chicken soup base)
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon .
Just blend all ingredients together!

Lemon Herb Pargiot

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.

Green Kale Salad with Peanut dressing

Dressing:
2 tbsp peanut butter (I did not use a natural brand – if you do, you may have to add extra maple syrup for sweetness)
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp soy sauce or GF tamari
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1 tsp sesame oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon 
1 tsp freshly grated ginger 
Squirt of Sriracha hot sauce 
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste .
Salad:
Kale
Snow peas
Fresh mint 
Peanuts .
Blend dressing ingredients. Coat kale with dressing and gently massage it in. Top with snow peas, chopped fresh mint and peanuts.