Integrative nutrition and wellness consultant. I work with clients to help them develop sustainable wellness plans that promote better health and longevity.
Crisp Matzo is coated in Caramel and Melted Chocolate
This chocolate- caramel matzo recipe is great to serve for dessert after Passover dinner. Break the chocolate-caramel matzo up into pieces so it’s easy for people to grab a piece. This recipe was given to me years ago by my dear friend Caryn and I continue to make it every year. It is quick, easy and fun to make and it is absolutely delicious. I like to keep the caramel layer thin so it is like a thin sheet of caramel between the chocolate and the matzo. Have fun with this recipe. Add more chocolate chips if you want a thicker coating. I guarantee your chocolate-caramel matzo will come out absolutely delicious.
Some Variations:
After spreading out the chocolate top with crush walnuts or peanuts
I like to incorporate healthy fruits and vegetables into my recipes whenever possible. A lot of flavor can be added to a dish using fruit instead of butter and oil. Cranberries are a great way to add a tangy sweetness to a dish. Cranberries are healthy and have research indicates that they can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cranberries contain polyphenols with anti inflammatory properties which help lower hypertension which results in better cardiovascular health. This recipe for Sweet Cranberry Reduction is a great way to prepare a healthy meal without sacrificing flavor.
Dried Cranberries with Brown Sugar and Balsamic Vinegar
Fillet of Sole with Breadcrumbs
What Are Some Other Ways To Use The Cranberry Reduction:
Colcannon is a hearty Irish dish that combines kale (or cabbage) with mashed potatoes. There are four main ingredients in Colcannon; potatoes, kale, milk and butter. The dish should be served with extra pats of butter on top so that they melt over the Colcannon while it is being served. Ok, so this is not one of my healthier dishes but even my keto loving husband had to stick a fork in the Colcannon after I made it. The white potatoes mixed with the green kale and melted butter on top is quite irresistible. It is absolutely delicious to grab a forkful of the potatoes and kale and dip it in the melted butter. If you serve colcannon in individual portions it makes it even easier to achieve this experience. Try serving the Colcannon in individual ramekins with a pat of butter on top.
What should I serve with the Colcannon?
Typically Colcannon is served with ham, sausages or corned beef. It would also make a nice side dish with stew. If you’re looking to keep the main dish a little lighter then broiled salmon with a lemon sauce would work well.
Tips for making great mashed potatoes:
You must dry the potatoes after you boil them and before you mash them. When the potatoes are tender drain the water and put the potatoes back into the pot over a low flame to remove excess water. Stir the potatoes over the heat for a few minutes to dry them out. This step will insure that you you have fluffy, light mashed potatoes. If your mashed potatoes are dense and gummy it’s because there was too much water left in the potatoes.
Return the potatoes to the pot after draining the water. Stir over low heat to remove excess water before mashing potatoes.
These homemade pancakes are super easy to make. Try them plain or with a few chocolate chips scattered inside.
Weekend mornings were meant for fluffy, light pancakes. This pancake recipe is ready in a jiffy and absolutely delicious. The key to fluffy pancakes is baking powder and not over-mixing the batter. If you mix the batter too long you will activate the gluten. Too much gluten will result in gummy, dense pancakes. This applies to all batter recipes. You want to incorporate all the ingredients but it is ok for the batter to be a little lumpy. In this fluffy pancake recipe I recommend you mix the dry ingredients first then mix the sugar, butter, milk and eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the dry ingredients to blend together. A few turns with a whisk is all you need to fully incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. After the ingredients blend together let the batter rest for a minute while you are heating up the griddle.
The batter should be slightly lumpy but all the ingredients should be combined. Make sure you mix the bottom of the bowl.
What is the best pancake pan?
A cast iron griddle works best for fluffy pancakes. Lodge makes a great cast iron griddle that doubles as a grill available here on Amazon. This is one of my favorite pieces of cooking equipment. I use it for steak, burgers, fish, pancakes and grilled cheese sandwiches. A good cast iron grill will last many years if you care for it properly. After use, wash the grill and dry with a towel then lightly coat with vegetable oil before putting the grill away. This will prevent the cast iron from rusting.
What about the Buttermilk?
Indeed a lot of fluffy pancake recipes call for buttermilk but since I usually decide to make pancakes when I’m still in my pajamas and I don’t keep buttermilk in my refrigerator on a regular basis I had to come up with a fluffy pancake recipe that would use ingredients that most people have as staples in their home. Buttermilk does help pancakes rise but you will be equally pleased with my no buttermilk recipe.
Pancake Add-Ins:
Chocolate chips: sprinkle a bunch of chips on top of the pancake immediately after you pour it in the pan. Adding it to the batter will effect the rise.
Blueberries sprinkled on the pancake just after pouring the pancake in the pan
Roasted Butternut Squash with Sweet and Spicy Sausage and Fresh Sage
This keto friendly sausage and butternut squash dish is a cinch to prepare and is packed with flavor. This roasted butternut squash and sausage recipe is surprisingly low in calories. It’s so good, you won’t believe that it is diet friendly. The sausage flavor balances perfectly with the butternut squash and fresh sage. I also add a little spinach to the dish for a little extra color and vitamins. This sheet pan recipe is so easy to prepare and is filling enough to serve as a main course. The recipe calls for a three pound butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into one inch pieces, often you can find butternut squash already cut in the supermarket which will greatly reduce the prep time. Roasting the sausage and butternut squash in the oven results in butternut squash that is a little crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Butternut squash season is almost over so I recommend making this recipe before the end of March. I like to serve it with an arugula salad on the side and a crispy baguette for those not watching their carbs.
Another option is to serve the roasted butternut squash and sausage as a side dish. Doubling the amount of spinach in the dish will create an interesting leafy green side dish that pairs well with roasted or grilled chicken. Try serving it on top of thinly pounded chicken paillard.
Tender Beef with Carrots and Peas Topped with Puff Pastry
Beef Stew Topped with Puff Pastry
On a cold winter day I absolutely love to make a big pot of stew. You need to take your time with stew, it is not something that you can rush. The good news is that beef stew tastes great for several days so you can make it when you have some free time and then refrigerate it for another day. You can also freeze the stew for two months so it is the ideal dish to prepare and freeze in portions.
I take the beef stew up a notch by serving it in individual tureens that are each topped with golden puff pastry. It adds such a nice touch to beef stew. I think that serving beef stew this way makes it perfect to serve on a regular night or for a holiday. Make the stew the day before and then warm it up, put it in individual oven safe tureen bowls, top with puff pastry and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. I like to make mashed potatoes on the side. Some people like to eat the beef stew out of the tureen, others spoon the beef stew over the mashed potatoes. The combination of the buttery puff pastry and the tender beef with gravy is simply delicious. It will warm you up from the inside. There is something special about slow cooked beef stew.
Just out of the oven. These beauties are ready to be served.
Please note that it is not mandatory that you serve the stew in individual tureens topped with puff pastry. The stew is delicious served without the puff pastry as well. The puff pastry just makes it a little more special. I also intentionally do not put potatoes in my beef stew because I like to serve it with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles on the side but you can absolutely add some cubed potatoes to the stew when you add the carrots if you prefer to serve a one-pot meal. I would recommend peeled and cubed yukon gold potatoes. The carrots and peas add such beautiful color to the velvety brown gravy. The addition of Dijon mustard to the stew creates a little spice and another layer of flavor. You will notice in some beef stew recipes they add vinegar, the Dijon mustard is a replacement The tangy spice of the Dijon mustard adds depth of flavor to the beef stew. As always, you can email me with any questions and I will be happy to answer them. You can also comment below.
Beef Stew with Carrots and Peas Topped with Puff Pastry
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs45 minutesmins
Total Time3 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: meat, beef stew, pot pie
Servings: 6people
Ingredients
4tbspvegetable oil
¼cupflour
1¼lbstewing meat
2tbsptomato paste
1cupchopped onions
1cupred wine
5carrotspeeled and cut in ¼ inch rounds
1cuppeasfrozen is ok
2cupsbeef broth
1¼cupwater
½tbspdijon mustard
2tbspcornstarchmixed with ¼ cup water
1tspthymeleaves only, no stem
3dried bay leaves
1tspsalt
1tsppepper
1½sheetpuff pastry
1eggmixed with 2 tbsp water
Instructions
dredge meat in flour
heat 2 tbsp oil in heavy bottom pot
sear meat in batches, adding more oil as needed and place beef on side
saute onion in pot for 3 minutes until translucent
deglaze with red wine
add beef broth and water
add tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper
put beef back into pot
add bay leaves
mix cornstarch with ¼ cup water and add to pot
add dijon mustard
bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer and cover
simmer for 45 minutes then skim fat off top
cover and simmer for another hour
add carrots and simmer for 30 minutes
add peas and simmer for another 15 minutes until beef is fork tender
you may need to simmer for an extra 15 minutes, you want the meat to be tender when pierced with a fork
remove bay leaves and spoon stew into individual tureens
roll puff pastry a little and cut out rounds that are just bigger then top of tureens
place puff pastry on each tureen and press to seal, cut a small slit on top to release steam, brush with egg wash and place on baking sheet
bake on middle rack at 400 for 15 minutes until golden brown
Notes
You do not have to serve the stew in individual tureens, you can simply skip that step and serve the soup without the puff pastry on top. This will save time and the stew will be delicious. Serve with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.
