Recipes

  • Mexican-Inspired Chicken

    Saturday, January 1, 2011 - 17:15

    This dish was inspired by a Mexican client of mine. It is a quick, easy and delicious way to make chicken. When I say quick, I mean it – 30 minutes. This is less time than it takes to wait for take-out to arrive!

    • 20 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (breasts work too, but thighs are better – if using breasts, you will need 8 small or 6 large) – cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces
    • 1 28 ounce can tomatillos (green tomatoes)
    • 1 ripe red tomato
    • 7 cloves of garlic
    • 1 onion, cut in chunks
    • 1 tbsp chilli powder
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • ½ tsp salt

    Puree the tomatillos (without their liquid!), tomato, garlic, onion and spices. Heat in a medium-size pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve with quinoa and steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

  • Jennifer’s Meatballs

    Monday, January 24, 2011 - 17:15

    As you have probably noticed, my monthly recipe is usually a healthy, vegetarian dish. I am not a vegetarian – although I was for ten years – and enjoy meat in moderation. This meatball dish is one of our favourites. I have adapted it from an old synagogue cookbook. The recipe makes A LOT – prepare to freeze half if you don’t have five people in your family like I do.

    Meat Mixture:

    • 3 lb lean ground beef
    • 1 tsp onion powder
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp meatball seasoning (any kind – just make sure it doesn’t have salt)
    • ½-1 tsp salt (use ½ if using kosher meat)
    • ½ tsp ground black pepper
    • 1 cup bread crumbs, chickpea flour, almond flour, ground pumpkin seeds, or a combination

    Sauce:

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 1 cup ketchup
    • 1 cup unsweetened grape juice
    • 1 tbsp chilli powder
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • ¼ cup brown sugar

    Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook until soft and juices are released. Add the other ingredients for the sauce, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat.

    Combine ingredients for meat mixture by hand (you do not need an egg – I actually find an egg makes the mixture too mushy). Form into balls that are about 1.5” in diameter, placing into the pot as you work. Once all the balls are made, turn heat back on and simmer for 45 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure sauce is not sticking to bottom of pot. You can avoid this by keeping the light as low as possible to elicit a simmer.

    Serve with rice or spaghetti. Enjoy!

  • Jennifer’s Butternut Squash Curry with Tomato-Coconut Milk Sauce

    Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - 17:15

    This month, I am returning to the world of delicious vegan recipes. This dish was created in a mad rush to throw dinner together one evening. We liked it so much it is now something I make frequently. I hope you enjoy it as well.

    Sauce:

    • 1 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes – just the tomatoes, not the liquid
    • 1 can of lite coconut milk
    • 1 heaping tbsp mild curry powder
    • 1 heaping tsp ground coriander
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ tsp black pepper

    Curry:

    • 1 head cauliflower, cut into smaller florets
    • 1 butternut squash, cubed
    • ½ can chickpeas with some liquid

    Blend the ingredients for the sauce with a hand blender; set aside. Place curry ingredients into a large pot, and pour sauce on top. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, mixing occasionally. Serve alone, with brown rice, or with quinoa. Enjoy!

  • Mediterranean Lentil Soup

    Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 17:15

    This month, I would like to share a quick and easy recipe that makes a great weekday meal – Mediterranean Lentil Soup. This particular variation - my most successful – was created at 530am one morning while I drank coffee, packed lunches and backpacks, and got ready for the day. Enjoy!

    • 2 large onions, chopped
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1.5 cups green lentils (sometimes they are sort of brown)
    • 1 can tomato paste
    • 2 soup broth cubes
    • 7 cups of water
    • 2 large carrots, peeled and cubed
    • 1 heaping tbsp coriander
    • 1 heaping tsp cumin
    • Black pepper, to taste

    In a large pot, brown the onions in the olive oil until they are fragrant. Add the lentils, water, soup cubes, tomato paste, carrots, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes. Serve with fresh bread. Yum!

    Note - this makes a very thick soup, so feel to add some vegetable broth in to thin it out.

  • Spinach and Mint Soup

    Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 17:15

    This recipe is wonderful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 6 green onions, thinly sliced
    • 1 leek, washed thoroughly (look for dirt on the inside of the white parts) and sliced thinly
    • 1 tbsp dried ginger
    • 4 cups vegetable stock (the Pacific brand low sodium vegetable broth works very well)
    • 1 can lite coconut milk
    • 4-5 cups shredded spinach
    • ¼ cup fresh mint
    • 1 tbsp lime juice
    • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

    Heat oil in soup pot. Add onions, leek, ginger and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in stock and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add spinach, mint and lime juice. Simmer for 10 minutes until spinach is nicely wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with fresh break and avocado slices!

  • Smooth Gazpacho With Greens

    Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 17:15

    Here is one of my husband’s favourite summer dishes – gazpacho. We both make it, but mine won a blind taste test, so here it is.

    Adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, by the Moosewood Collective

    • 2 cups peeled, chopped English cucumbers
    • 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
    • 2 cups chopped red or yellow bell pepper
    • ¼ cup scallions, chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
    • 2 tbsp white wine
    • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
    • 3 cups tomato juice (low sodium if possible)
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • ½ tsp salt
    • Ground black pepper, to taste
    • 1 tbsp minced fresh green chiles, optional

    Place all chopped ingredients, including the garlic, into a big bowl. Take about 1/3 of the bowl contents and place into the bowl of a standard food processor. Pour in 1 cup of the tomato juice, and puree until smooth. Transfer to a container. Repeat with the next 1/3 of the veggies. When pureeing the last 1/3 of the veggies, add in the white wine, cider vinegar, cumin, salt, pepper, and optional chiles. Once all of the gazpacho is in the container, stir gently to completely combine. You can serve this cold, or room temperature, or with an ice cube in each bowl. It is great with fresh bread for dipping. Enjoy!

  • Israeli Salad With Variations

    Friday, September 9, 2011 - 17:15

    This month, I have decided to share a simple salad with you. I eat this salad almost every day for lunch. In fact, I could eat this salad for every meal if my appliances never worked again. It may be self-explanatory, but I will take the risk.

    • 2 small-ish tomatoes, or one large one, chopped in small pieces
    • ¼ of a red pepper, chopped into small pieces
    • 1 scallion, chopped
    • ½ an English cucumber or 2 small artesian cucumbers, chopped (peel the English one if using that type)
    • ½ of a perfectly ripe avocado, in chunks
    • ¼ cup pitted green olives, cut in half
    • Drizzle of olive oil
    • Salt to taste

    Mix ingredients in a large bowl and be happy! This goes exceptionally well with an iced coffee or mocha.

    Optional additions:

    • Chopped feta
    • Sliced boccicini
    • Chopped fresh mint
  • Maple-Dill Salmon

    Wednesday, October 5, 2011 - 17:15

    I am sharing a nice fish recipe which is fast and easy to make, and also easy to enjoy.

    • 5 pieces of salmon or steelhead salmon fillets
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • 3 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (or smooth, whatever you have in the house)
    • 2 tbsp minced fresh dill
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 2 tsp lemon zest
    • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
    • ¼ tsp each salt and freshly ground pepper

    Using a hand blender, combine all ingredients (except for the fish). Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with cooking spray or olive oil. Rinse the fish and place in the pan. Pour the marinade over the fish. Heat the fish on the stove on a high light until it starts bubbling, then cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

    Note that the fish with continue to cook for a minute or two after being removed from the heat.

    Serve with quinoa and a streamed veggie. Enjoy!

  • Tzvika’s Granola

    Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - 17:15

    This is the granola my husband Tzvika makes. It is wonderful. I like to mix it with Nature Path Smart Bran cereal, which contains 8 grams of fibre in ¾ of a cup. This makes a great breakfast, or even a nice mid-afternoon snack.

    • 3 cups rolled oats
    • ¾ cup pumpkin seeds
    • 1/3 cup flax seeds
    • 1 cup chopped pecans or slivered almonds
    • 1/3 cup honey
    • 1 scant tsp cinnamon
    • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp salt
    • ½ cup dried blueberries or cranberries
    • ½ cup dried cherries
    • ½ cup dried apricot, chopped

    Preheat oven to 300 F. In a bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, flax and nuts. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, vanilla, maple syrup and salt. Pour the honey mixture over the dry mixture and toss until evening coated.

    Put parchment paper down on two cookie sheets. Spread half the granola mixture on each sheet. Put the sheets into the oven and check the granola after 10 minutes, stirring to turn the mixture. Bake for a total of 20 minutes or until the granola is golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and cool until the granola can be handled. Pour into a big bowl or glass jar and mix in the dried fruit while it is still warm.

    Cool completely and then store in a sealed container. Enjoy!

  • Mediterranean Chicken

    Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - 17:15

    This recipe is credited to my wonderful client Ellen, who shares my love of good food. Thank you Ellen!

    • 4 lbs chicken (breasts or thighs, or a combination), cut in pieces
    • 6 cloves garlic, cut in halves
    • 2 tbsp each dried oregano and thyme
    • ½ cup light white or red wine vinegar
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1/w cup kalamata olives
    • ½ cup pitted green olives
    • ¼ cup capers with a little juice
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup white wine
    • Salt and pepper
    • Chopped fresh cilantro

    In a freezer strength ziploc bag, combine chicken with olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, vinegar olives and capers. Marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and arrange chicken in a single layer, spooning marinade over it. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour wine around them. Bake for 50 minutes, and baste as required. Serve with chopped cilantro, and brown rice. Enjoy!