Cooking: Israeli Cuisine
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Lacto-Fermented Pickled Vegetables Are Healthy And Delicious!
Fermented foods like pickled vegetables, sourdough bread, kombucha tea, kefir and yogurt, to name a few, are all great ways to eat healthy pro-biotic foods in order to colonize your gut with good things. One of the interesting and really important things that I learned towards the end of 2016 is what a major role…
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Moroccan Matbucha Cooked Tomato Salad
Matbucha, said with a gutteral “ch” is a cooked tomato relish, that is cooked for many hours over a low flame, and whose recipe differs greatly depending on whom you ask! Here in Israel it is called a “salad” and is a universal dish eaten with challah at the shabbat table, together with an array…
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Moroccan Semolina Soup Is Simple And Perfect For Fall!
My husband at long last introduced us all to the beloved soup his grandmother used to make for the family on winter mornings, it is called shmeed in the Jewish Moroccan language, but we’ll just call it semolina soup, or rather semolina porridge if you’d like to eat it for breakfast! This dish is simple…
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Whole Wheat Pita Pockets Make The Perfect Succah Meal!
It has been quite some time since I’ve made some delicious whole wheat pita bread for my family, and so these pita pockets were especially enjoyed by all yesterday for brunch in the succah. I served the pita bread with an assortment of cheeses, and especially feta cheese to enjoy with the Israeli salad, and…
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Hot Pepper Relish: Fresh And Delicious (Very Hot Or Not!)
Many of the cuisines from countries in the Middle East and Mediterranean include spicy food, so it is no surprise that here in Israel, schoog, or hot pepper relish, is a staple amongst those with Sephardic or Yemenite heritage. My husband’s family hails from Morocco, so I have also learned to prepare hot peppers to…
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Mini Kugel Platter Is Perfect For Receiving Guests!
Last week a neighbor’s son got engaged, so I had to send a little congratulatory something over to her house on Friday…..but what? At first I was going to send a challah, but then I realized that with all the excitement going on, it is better to send food that can actually be eaten by…
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Homemade Hummous Is Delicious!
Last week I at long last made homemade hummous, instead of buying it, and while of course it does take more effort to make it yourself than grab it off the shelf, the effort is well worth it— it’s downright delicious and so very healthy! Serve it with some roasted pine nuts and arranged on…
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Healthier Potato Kugel With Vegetables
Ready to use your creativity in the kitchen to help your family eat more healthfully? Lets start with potato kugel, something I’ve started making on Fridays, instead of my Moroccan chickpeas, as part of a lunch that generally includes a sampling of shabbat salads, or a plate of fresh vegetables. Potato kugel is a staple…
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Cooking With Fennel
Engraving source here, photo source here. Are you familiar with fennel? It’s a very popular root vegetable here in the Mediterranean and Middle East, and for good reason! And my friends, right now is fennel season, which means that not only is fennel quite inexpensive, it’s at it’s best! I am enjoying fennel everyday as I just…
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Baking Delicious Challah Without Eggs
Challah is one of those things that connects many Jewish families to their Jewish roots, and when it’s home baked it’s even more special. So while many think they just don’t have the time, I can tell you, it’s worth the extra effort and once you get the hang of it you’ll want to fit…
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A New Spice In My Life: Introducing Baharat!
I know, you thought this photo was of pigments right? Wrong, this is one example of the artful way in which spices are sold in Morocco. Yes, spices! No, not those little jars you buy in the grocery store, I’m talking about the real freshly ground thing, that plays heavily in the Middle Eastern/Northern African…
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Serve A Delicious And Healthy Israeli Salad For Breakfast!
Okay, I have to admit it, this salad looks really delicious. And guess what? It is! One of the interesting things about basic Israeli cuisine is the emphasis on fresh vegetables for breakfast and for supper, which is traditionally a light meal. (The largest meat meal is eaten in the afternoon, a very healthy way…