Bonnie's Baba Ghanouj (Smoky Eggplant Dip)

38.5 weeks pregnant & enjoying my nesting! Bonnie Stern is my new Ina Garten. From my experience so far, her recipes are always great. She does a delicious, velvety butternut squash soup (just froze enough for my whole maternity leave) and an outstanding rib roast. Haven't had a bomb yet. Her book, "Friday Night Dinners", has a lot of comfort recipes that piqued my interest that I have been meaning to make...The recipes aren't time intensive and the book is so well put together with great pics.

This one was simple and delicious. Great appetizer for a holiday meal or as a mezze with flatbread!

2 large eggplants
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp tahina (optional and I didn't use)
Dash hot pepper sauce, optional (and I am 39 weeks pregnant and am on enough Tums already!)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (I skipped due to laziness, sure this or parsley would be delicious)

Roast eggplants on parchment at 400 for 40 to 50 minutes until tender or collapsed. You can also put on bbq for 15-20 and turn frequently. Cool.

Place eggplants in a sieve over a bowel and remove and discard skin. Cut eggplants and press out excess liquid.

Mix lemon juice, garlic, salt and mayo. Add tahina and hot sauce if using.

Add in eggplant and sprinkle with cilantro.

Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant Spread

First Rosh Hashanah in our new house brought some new winners and to be honest, some flops.
Our world famous gefilte fish can not be discussed, it will upset my mother too much. It flopped for first time ever. And to make matters worse, we had scheduled a throwdown with the neighbors...lesson: overpromising and underdelivering is not a good feeling, don't do it!
Could it have been the New Jersey sourced fish? The new oven? The not enough time to chill? Let's just say we need to course correct in preparation for next year. Poor Geneve was over and might be scarred. We will fix that.

My chicken soup and matzo balls came out world class though! I am going to need to make more and freeze it! My mother also made a new apple cake from Bonnie Stern's HeartSmart that was a huge hit that I did again that week for break fast.

Onto the subject at hand...This roasted eggplant appetizer was enjoyed by everyone, event those who pretend they don't like eggplant (Lee). It is of course Ina Garten, so it is an obvious 5 star!
Here is the recipe:

Roasted Eggplant Spread
Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Enjoy with pita!

Roasted veggie quinoa

Since we've moved to the burbs, I find myself cooking a lot more. The restaurants around here are average at best and there aren't many delivery options. I also have more space and get to watch food tv and the all new cooking channel while experimenting with new recipes.
Tonight, i decided to try the quinoa that I picked up at a gourmet food show. Quinoa is really interesting cause it is a whole grain and a protein. It is chock full of nutrients, low in calories, high in fiber and makes an unreal replacement for noodles.

very easy, healthy recipe came out of it:

Roast assorted veggies with olive oil and garlic at 425. Try eggplant, peppers, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and red onion.
While veggies are roasting for a good 30 minutes, cook quinoa according to package directions. Make dressing of equal parts olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix it all together....easy,healthy delicious dinner with all pantry and fridge staples.

Bran Flax Muffins

Tasty, super healthy recipe from the side of the Bob Red Mill's Flaxseed Meal (sold at Whole Foods and almost everywhere). They don't photograph well, so I won't try. They're perfect snacks that are packed with 5 grams of fiber.

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat or Unbleached white Pastry Flour
3/4 cup Ground Flaxseed meal
3/4 cup Oat Bran
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Carrots
2 peeled and shredded Apples
1/2 cup Raisins
1 cup chopped Nuts (I use pecans or walnuts)
3/4 cup Milk
2 beaten Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla

Directions:
Mix together flour, Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins (if desired) and nuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

Yield: 15 medium muffins

Notes:
You can also use 1 1/2 cups Unbleached White Flour in place of the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
One muffin contains Calories 220, Calories from Fat 80, Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 30mg, Sodium 310mg, Carbohydrates 34g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugar 21g, Protein 6g.

The Perfect Summer Salad: Avocado & Hearts of Palm

Every time I go back home, I go through my mother's new cookbooks and photocopy the good stuff. I got this recipe from Panache, a kosher cookbook put together by 100 young Montrealers for the Montreal Jewish General Hospital's emergency department. This was light, fast and perfect for a BBQ (see my new suburban tag for BBQ suggestions!). It appealed to Naomi, who is a healthy one, and to the boys who were chowing on dogs and burgers.

It's easy, healthy (without screaming "healthy") and impresses a crowd. I made some edits...

Avocado & Hearts of Palm Salad
Montreal's Panache Cookbook
20 minutes
Serves 6-8 people

Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp dijon or spicy mustard
1/2- 1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Salad:
Pint of chery tomatoes, halfed
can of 14 oz hearts of palms (drain and slice or by them already sliced at Whole Foods)
2-3 scallions, sliced
1-2 avocados, peeled and cubed
2-3 Tbsp pine nuts (I am obsessed with Sahale nuts lately, so I used Valdosta Pecans instead and yum! You can get them at most places now)
1-1 1/2 lbs steamed asparagus, cut into chunks (I skipped)

Combine dressing ingredients. Place tomatoes, asparagus, hearts of palm and scallions in a serving dish. Add dressing. Toss gently. Add avocados and nuts just before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Bye Bye Big Apple

Live from the burbs in New Jersey – it’s the Sparaga/Braude family BBQ . With more than 100 sq ft of kitchen, Sherri and I tag teamed the “situation” under the supervision of Mom. Everyone pitched in, including Leebo who managed the BBQ and even Chip who did the groceries. Guests included the Boidmans in check with Lilly and the Kos from Atlanta.

The menu included: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Geneve’s Moroccan Chicken, Second Helpings Coleslaw, Barefoot Contessa’s Corn Salad and Sherri’s Berry Crumble. The Corn Salad was the top contender with five star reviews from all. Basil, our favorite herb, makes this salad very summery! The berry crumble always gets rave reviews and is always fun with vanilla bean ice cream.



Barefoot Contessa Fresh Corn Salad

Ingredients:

5 cobs of Corn (substitution: 2 cans of corn)

½ cup Basil, cut into Ribbons

½ cup diced Red Onion

3 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tsp Sea Salt

½ tsp Ground Pepper

We kicked off the salad by tossing the corn on the grill for 10-15 minutes; each cob was wrapped in tinfoil and seasoned with salt, pepper and oil. It’s best to soak the corn in water for a few hours prior to the BBQ so that they don’t burn. If you’re looking to skip a step – you can cook the corn in boiling water on the stove top or use corn from the can. Once the corn is cool, shuck it into a large bowl and add all remaining ingredients. Serve salad cold or at room temperature.



Chef Cara

James Beard Parsnip Soup

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not a good photographer. With that being said, I couldn't get a good photo of my parsnip soup. Instead, I thought I'd post this gorgeous photo of the Empire State Building on the night of Thanksgiving.

I found this recipe on the James Beard House's email blast and stumpled upon it as the summer was drawing to a close. This soup is great for fall and would be a great way to start Thanksgiving. While the soup has the velvety texture of a butternut squash soup, it has a taste uniquely of its own. The roasted parsnips yield a subtle, yet sweet taste. I enjoyed, hope you do too! The recipe called for a spice oil, but I don't have time for spice oils....

Mary Cleaver's Parsnip Soup

Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 ½ pounds parsnips, peeled and diced

1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

10 cups vegetable stock, warmed

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss the parsnips with ¼ cup of the olive oil, salt, and pepper in an oven proof roasting pan. Add 2 cups of the stock, cover, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and roast until the liquid is absorbed and the parsnips are a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes, then add cumin and coriander. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the spices are fragrant, then add the remaining 8 cups of warmed stock and the braised parsnips to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully puree the soup in a blender and blend until smooth, in batches if necessary. If a more silken texture is desired, pass the puree through a fine sieve. You may need to add more liquid if the parsnips are particularly starchy and the puree is too thick. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Charna’s Tomato and Basil Spaghetti Squash

The first time I ate Spaghetti Squash, I hated it. Odd consistency and tasted like a water logged noodle. In my opinion, it was a wanna-be carb that would never be approved by Chef Boyardee. I held my ground and refused to eat it - that's until I was invited over to my friend Charna’s house and guess what was being served as the main dish? Now Charna can cook, so with a bit of hesitation and being the polite guest that I am - I indulged. Wow. That's all I need to say.


If Charna’s creation wasn’t convincing enough, the next factoids might have you making this recipe sooner then you thought. Spaghetti Squash has been coined the “dieter's dream” since a a four-ounce serving of spaghetti squash has only 37 calories. Spaghetti squash contains many nutrients including folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene.

Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month - buy it, forget it about it and voila, just when you think that you’re all out of groceries and that you might need to order in....Spaghetti Squash to the rescue.

Last but not least, if you’re celebrating passover, this is a great carb substitute that won’t leave you feeling icky (sorry I couldn’t be more eloquent and refined).


Ingredients
serves 4

1 Spaghetti Squash

1 Package of Chopped Fresh Basil

2 Packages of Cherry Tomatoes or Grape Tomatoes Halved
1 small block of Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 diced Yellow Onion (Charna doesnt use an onion)
3 Cloves of Crushed Garlic
2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Clean spaghetti squash and then cut it in half length wise and discard of the seeds and the membrane. 

In a glass baking dish arrange the squash halves, cut side down and pour 1/4 cup water around it. Cover the dish tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave the squash at high power (100%) for 12 minutes, or until it is soft when pressed, and let it stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

To prepare the tomato sauce, use a stock pot on the top of the stove at a medium temperature. Cover the base of a stock pot with 1-3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and add the crushed garlic, chopped yellow onions and the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes with the lid on. Cook the onions until they are translucent and the tomatoes become mushy, add the chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper and continue to cook the sauce covered for another 8 minutes. Stir the tomatoe sauce continuously and keep an eye out to make sure that it doesn’t burn.

Turn off the stove, add the Spaghetti Squash to the tomato sauce in the stock pot while it is still hot and add the crumbled feta cheese. Stir it all together, Serve and Enjoy!

Chef Cara (see Charna's modifications in the comments)

Hadassa’s Raisin & Spinach Salad

I eat at least one salad a day - no Im not a rabbit and no you cant tell (yet!!!!) from looking at me, but I am always looking for new way to make my salad exciting! Yes, I just used the word exciting and salad in the same sentence - if you dont believe me, I challenge you to make this salad below.


This salad is dedicated to my friend Natalie, who will only eats one type of lettuce - Spinach. I'm sorry Natalie if this is a sisterly secretive secret that I wasnt supposed to share with the thousands of subscribers to Braude’s Bites, BUT what are you going to do now that the cat is out of the bag?



This salad originates from Hadassa Srulovicz, who has taught me many recipes over the years and should be awarded for maintaing a constant supply of homemade israeli food in her refrigerator to keep up with the constant demand of the 3 very hungry men in her life. Without further adieu...

Salad

1 pkg Baby Spinach
4-5 Shallots
2 cups Bean Sprouts
1 pkg Mushrooms
1-2 cups Parsley
1 cups Pine Nuts
½ cup Raisins

Dressing

2 cloves Garlic
¼ cup Soya Sauce
½ cup Olive Oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Enjoy!

 Chef Cara

Tofu Scramble with a kick

A couple of months back, I finally went from looking at the gorgeous "101 cookbooks" blog to trying some of the healthy & natural recipes. I dipped my foot in the water with Heidi Swanson's edamame with lemon vinaigrette- it was tangy and delicious. I'm not a vegan, a granola or a hippie- I just love to cook, bake & keep it healthy most of the time. Her blog is fantastic- so far, I have made 3 of her recipes & resounding success everytime! There is nothing like trying a new recipe, especially a time consuming one, to find that you've wasted your precious time, money and excitement (like last week's average mushroom barley soup that got rave reviews online). Her blog, so far, has proven to be a one stop shop for 5 star healthy and QUICK recipes with relatively few easy to find ingredients.

Here is the recipe:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/garam-masala-tofu-scramble-recipe.html

Don't let the word "scramble" turn you off- there are no eggs, I hate eggs!

I substituted pistachios & dried cranberries for chickpeas and almonds- you could put in whatever you have in the pantry & fridge.

My apartment smells beautiful and now I have 2 lunches for this week waiting in the fridge.

Perfect for a busy week when I start my new dream job working on launching a new line of authentically Italian illy chilled espressos in New York. How bad could a job be where they send you to illy's coffee university in Soho for 2 days? It would only be appropriate that I make you some illy mocha chip gelato in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!