Kosher for Passover Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

• 9 tablespoons Passover margarine or butter
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 4 organic free-range eggs
• 2/3 cup cake meal
• 2/3 cup potato flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Passover baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons milk or water
• 6-8 tablespoons jam of your choice
• superfine sugar, for dusting
• 3/4 chopped walnuts For decoration

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 7-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the margarine or butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs and beat in the yolks only. Sift in the cake meal, potato flour, and baking powder, and fold in carefully. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Add a spoonful of the egg white to the cake batter and mix in thoroughly. Now fold in the rest of the eggs whites, taking care not to knock out any air. Spoon the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and golden.
3. After the cake has cooled, slice in half horizontally and spread the bottom half with jam. Replace the top half and sprinkle superfine sugar over the top. Enjoy!

Grandma's Sweet Cheese Pie

I found this other Bubbie Shirley gem while flipping through my bridal shower recipe collection. It feels good to share as much of her joy of cooking with you as I can. She really was talented in the kitchen. Here's a visual; Shirley was tall, about 5'10, black hair, brown eyes, and very regal and statuesque. I most certainly did not get her height. She loved to write greeting cards in her beautiful script for every occasion. She was excellent at rhyming, something she passed down to many women in the family, myself included. She loved to write her own lyrics to songs and sing them to the crowd at family occasions. I definitely have done that my whole life 🙋🏼. She ended every song or poem with her signature lines,

"Mazal and bracha, gazunt and Hatzlocha, we wish it all for you."

That is Jew speak for blessings, health, and success. We all knew these lines were coming, so the crowd would jokingly sing along in unison. The power of words and music bringing people together never ceases to amaze me. The same holds true for food.  This dessert is perfect for a brunch, dairy meal, and the upcoming holiday of Shavuot.

Oven 350. Mix a cup and a half of graham cracker crumbs with 1 tbsp of cooled, melted butter. Press down firmly and evenly in a greased 10 inch pie plate or springform pan. Bake the crust for ten minutes. Set aside.

Filling: a pound of farmer cheese. 3/4 cup each whole milk and sugar. 1 egg. 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well, pour in crust, and bake 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Whip a cup of sour cream or plain yogurt with a tsp and a half of vanilla. Spread on top of pie. Top that with sliced strawberries, any type of other berry, or drained crushed pineapple. Do not attempt if you are lactose intolerant😂.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This is one of my Bubbie Shirley's famous recipes. For those of you who have been reading the blog from the start, she is the grandmother of applesauce fame. She was a phenomenal cook. There were things she made from scratch that I've never known anyone else to make. Chocolate pudding, gefilte fish, perfect pinwheel cookies. She made these tiny, chocolate chip cookies that looked as if they came from a factory. Every holiday that she and my Pop would visit for, she'd bring the chocolate chip and pinwheel cookies in these vintage tins. One blue, the other yellow. They had a flower motif. Those cookie tins were synonymous with her, and they were all I wanted after she died. No one could find them. However, I did get something really special from her apartment that I use and cherish. A metal bread box that's easily 100 years old. It was from her mother, my GG (great grandmother). It's large but fits perfectly in one of my counters corners.

Having it in my kitchen brings me joy. I am very sentimental, and it's so cool to know that I am another homemaker of a different generation using this heirloom. Bubbie's sour cream cake, with its sheer, delicate coating of sugar on top, was fought over by everyone. Second slivers stolen when no one else saw. There was never one crumb left. I love sharing meaningful recipes with you. Food really is love❤️. Bubbie Shirley, this one is for you🍰.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter or margarine softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

4 eggs yolks and whites separated

1 cup sour cream

3 cups Presto flour sifted.  **Sifting is a must here. This cake has the most delicate texture because of it.

 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Beat butter and shortening in a mixer with paddle attachment, gradually add sugar, add egg yolks one at a time mixing after each, add sour cream, slowly fold in the flour, vanilla, and egg whites. EGG WHITES MUST BE BEATEN STIFF PRIOR (eek, sorry for yelling but this is crucial. I want perfection for you!).

Put in a ten inch UN greased tube pan. Add the following crumb mixture on top. OMG, the topping is magic I swear. 1 tbsp shortening, 2 each tbsp flour and sugar. Mix flour and sugar with a fork, add shortening.

Bake at 350 for one hour.

She's so cute. I got this recipe from her own handwritten card at my bridal shower. At the end she wrote "be Tay Avon". This is Hebrew for Bon ap petit 😊. Bubbie Shirley died many years ago, but I still taste her cake in both my mouth and heart 🍰👄❤️. From her kitchen to yours. I'm just the messenger here. 

Kale and chickpeas in tomato sauce

I stopped eating meat and chicken three months ago, pretty much overnight. I started to have a hard time eating things that were once in such pain. I know the animals are being killed anyway, and I do believe from a religious standpoint that God intended us to eat them as part of the circle of life. I just didn't want to participate anymore. Fish is on the way out too. I'm just slowly losing interest.  I think meat tastes delicious, but the texture started to feel awkward and unappetizing. I don't miss it, and I feel so good putting mostly plant based foods on my body. I feel cleaner and leaner. I haven't weighed myself in years, but a few people have commented that I look a bit thinner. Who knows, but I'll take it🙋🏼. Watch, I just wrote that so of course I'll wake up bloated AF tomorrow 🐋.

I have incorporated more healthy carbs into my diet, in the mornings so I can work it off the rest of the day. This is a nice change too, since carbs are yummy. As my trainer says, "carbs are not the enemy. It's which ones you eat and when you eat them that matters." My fave breakfast is a cup of Special K protein plus soaked in almond milk, in between yoga and cardio. It makes the cardio a little less dreadful🔫 by giving me extra motivation to burn it off. My daughter requested I make something like this after seeing the concept in a food mag. This is a child who has been known to order potato chips from Amazon, so I was thrilled to receive such a request! She was like, "I might eat this..." This dish took ten minutes and was a big hit. It's a fabulous vegan main or side. Serve over a grain such as Farro to really make it a complete meal.

Ingredients:

•  Two pounds chopped kale.
• A large can of crushed tomatoes.
• A can of chickpeas rinsed and drained.
• A cup and a half vegetable broth.
• Half a tsp each salt and garlic powder, a quarter tsp pepper.   

Directions:

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide pot or deep pan. Sautée kale, adding broth as needed to deglaze the pan, a couple tbsp at a time.

When kale is softer and bright green, add the crushed tomatoes and rest of broth. Stir well. Add seasonings. Simmer covered on low  for ten minutes. Add chickpeas and simmer another ten minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve over bowls of Farro, brown rice, or whole whole grain pasta     

Carrot Soup

Though I love hot soup all year round, there's something special about eating it during the winter. The calm, rhythmic chopping, the sizzle of the sautée, the simmering, and the aroma truly warms both the kitchen, as well as the soul. Soups are such a healthy, clean way to begin (or be) a meal.

I've been going to town with my immersion blender lately. It's my fave kitchen tool. I get that soups can be intimidating to attempt if you're not used to it. However, you can make a wonderful, easy soup with vegetables, stock, and seasonings. It's quite simple, but you'll feel like a culinary rock star. Soups freeze wonderfully, I divide them into pints and take out as needed. My second daughter is loving all these new puréed soups I've been playing with. This carrot soup is delicious and not scary. The color is lovely and seasonal. It's great for babies as well since it is puréed. Not that it ever once occurred to me to make this for my babies when they were younger👶🏻😜. If this makes a lot for you, just divide and freeze.

You'll need:

• Three bags of large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks.
• A medium onion diced.
• A large dried bay leaf
• A packed cup and a half of chopped fresh dill.
• A tsp of grated fresh ginger, grated on the medium hole size on a box grater. The ginger is optional, add more if you like that flavor intensified, but be careful since it's so strong. Ginger also clears your sinuses.
• A teaspoon each of garlic powder and cumin.
• Two tsp salt.
• 3/4 tsp fine ground black pepper.
• A third cup of white cooking wine.
• Two to three boxes of vegetable broth/stock. 

Prepare carrots and set aside. Heat some olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the diced onion until very aromatic and starting to turn golden. Deglaze the pot with the white wine as the pot dries during sautéing. This adds a nice undercurrent of flavor. Layering flavors is so crucial in cooking.

When the onions are ready, add all the other ingredients except the dill. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the flame to a simmer for about 45 minutes. Add dill after you reached your simmer point. The carrots should be very soft, so simmer more as needed.

When ready, remove from heat and uncover. I like to let this rest and release some steam before I blend, about twenty minutes. Forget that if you're in a rush. Blend the soup with your immersion blender, handling the tool carefully. Add salt and pepper to taste after testing it first. Garnish with a sprinkling of extra chopped dill, and toasted pumpkin seeds as croutons. Honestly, this is the basic formula for a good, simple soup. Onion, vegetables of choice, broth, spices, and blend. Done.

About an hour from start to finish, but you're only working for the first fifteen minutes and the last two. The rest of the time is yours to relax (yeah, right) and enjoy knowing what you're cooking up for your family. I cannot resist wishing you a "soup er" day. Sorry not sorry, I love me a play on words. But you knew that.

Love, Lady Soup er Fly

Love = Lasagna❤️

So it's not exactly Valentine's Day, but here at Lady Blaga we believe in love every day. Greeting cards, chocolate, teddy bears, and gifts are obviously all nice, but my favorite way to give love is through food.

I began thinking about a V Day food post awhile ago. I enjoy having my mind wander about beautiful things like that. It's one of the healthiest coping mechanisms out there. In a fantastic book I just finished, "Brida" by Paulo Cohelo, he compares thoughts and emotions to wild horses. Beyond true. I have actually begun to visualize myself as a horse tamer, whispering to this row of horses that represent my thoughts. I find this imagery helpful. It's a reminder I am in control of what rents space in my head. Let the horses run free, then gently reign them in and tie them up. I must have needed a positive distraction a couple months ago, which led to coming up with an original idea for a food post that symbolizes love.

Typically, romantic food is centered on dessert. I get it; sweet, indulgent, decadent. Combos of chocolate and berries, vanilla and cream, heart shaped everything. All delicious, all been done a million times. I wanted to be more metaphorical. I thought of what I would want to make for someone to symbolize deep love, the message I would want to send to this special person. It had to be more than just sweet. It had to be deep. It had to have layers. It had to be lasagna.

Love is at once so clean, yet so complex. It is one delicious, magnificent entity comprised of numerous layers, all different yet working together to achieve completion. Love should be comfort food. The very idea of the person you love should feel like home. Their name sounds like what a hug would sound like. They turn the doorknob and your heart leaps a lil bit...         

We layer, we pile on, we add, we assemble parts of what we want our love lives to be. Then we put it all together and trust it will turn out the way we dreamed. Spicy, steamy, soft, hot, with the right amount of Valentines Day cheese🧀. We, as individuals, are so damn layered. As part of a couple those layers double. When we can meld our parts with those of another in harmony, that is love. If I made this lasagna for someone, my message would be this: here are my layers, and I want yours too. This recipe is from my aunt L. It's the best I've ever had. I have enjoyed this dish for decades. I still work off the card she wrote out for me for my bridal shower. It gets better each time I make it. Life is layers, chapters, parts, pieces, whatever you want to call it. Just make it meaningful.

I love you more ❌⭕️❌⭕️,

Lovey Blaga

Ingredients:

• Lasagna Noodles (uncooked)
• Ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• Spinach chopped box defrosted
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Marinara Sauce  

Directions:

Mix ricotta, spinach, egg, 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, and spices in a bowl. 

Spray a lasagna pan with pam.  Pour a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Cover with a layer of dry uncooked noodles, and then a layer on top of the ricotta mixture.

Repeat steps until you reach the top of the pan.  Finish with a layer of marinara sauce and cheese on top.

Pour 1/3 cup water into each corner of the pan.  Bake at 350 for one hour until brown.

ENJOY!

Pizza Potatoes

Need a super easy, fun, fast, kid pleasing dinner? If you're not an asshole, the answer is YES🙋🏼.  This JESScipe is essentially idiot proof, or as I love to say, "a 🐵 could make it." Sarrah, that was for you🙊. I needed a quick, yummy dinner for my girls last week. Voila; pizza potatoes 🍕. I mean, you had me at 🍕.

I had some leftover baked potatoes from the night before. I sliced them in half lengthwise, scooped out the flesh (ewwww, so Silence of the Lambs), filled them with two different sauce and cheese combinations, then baked them for a few minutes. My daughters thought I was a Michelin award winning chef. At the very least, I felt like I could work in Jimmy Pesto's restaurant on "Bob's Burgers". I hope for your sakes that you get that reference; that is one of the best shows on tv.

I used classic combos of marinara sauce and cheddar, and another of pesto and mozzarella. It was easy layering of cheese, sauce, cheese, topped with a drizzle of olive oil to crisp up the tops. No utensils needed🍴, this is like a mini potato calzone. You probably have most of these ingredients on hand:

• Large Idaho baking potatoes
• Shredded cheddar
• Shredded mozzarella
• Marinara sauce
• Pesto sauce.

Preheat oven to 400. Rub whole potatoes with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Cover with foil, bake until soft. Check by piercing with a sharp knife. Let cool. Easier if you bake the potatoes in advance! When cool enough to handle, cut in half length wise. Fork out the flesh (barf). Can totally be used for any of your mashed potato needs. In the dug out wells of the potatoes, layer your cheeses and sauces, ending with cheese. Drizzle with olive oil. Put back in the oven and bake until golden brown. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes and oregano on top, just like in the pizza store. Eat with hands. Burp. Have another. Whoever said Jewish and Italian mothers are alike was right✔️.

Shortbread #2 Chocolate

Give me chocolate or give me death‼️🍫. This chocolate chip shortbread is a nice take on a classic CCC🍪. It's way quicker since there's no rolling, flattening, and rotating cookie sheets. One pan, mucho yum. Easy to make, pretty quick to bake, even faster to take.

Substitute any of your favorite mix ins, just stick with the general amount so the dough can support whatever you add in. I have learned the hard way that if you over add, the dough will crap out. If that ever happens btw, don't freak. Simply crumble your crumbs on top of ice cream and pretend you did that on purpose to compose a sophisticated sundae🍨🍪. Add chocolate syrup and whatever berries are in the fridge. This would probably be an even bigger delight to your guests who are always eyeing the ice cream at the birthday party. These bars are sturdy, so they'll wrap and present well should you choose to share (no judgements if you don't).

For this JESScipe, click on the previous shortbread post and substitute the blueberries for chocolate. YUM!

C is for 🍪, LB

shortbread series

I'm guessing this cookie/bar hybrid is called this because of the short time it takes to make it. This was my first shortbread attempt and I loved it! It felt nice and homey to bake a good old fashioned classic. I love how I was able to make different kinds just by playing around with mix ins. The blueberry ones looked so pretty, like mini cobbler situations. The crumbly texture of the cookie mixed with the gem like blueberries is so inviting. Blueberries are best used in the summer when they're in high season, but recently I've been finding these gargantuan blueberries. Their golf ball like size is slightly concerning (as in black market growth hormones), but they are bursting with Flav.

These bars are pre cut, so it's easy to just plate and serve. And they didn't stick to the parchment paper, which drives me to drink. Def whip this up when you're short on time and long on love❤️. Which is literally always😂.   

🐝Good, J

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1.5 cup blueberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.  Combine ingredients in an electric mixer.  Once fully combined add in blueberries and stir in gently.

Coat a 9x13 pan and line with parchment paper.

Press dough firmly into baking dish and bake for 25-30 min.  

Enjoy!

Queen of Hearts❤

🤔 which JESScipe to post for my birthday ? 🙋🏼I know; these decadent, delicious chocolate and raspberry finger sandwiches. God forbid I should allow myself an entire regular sized sandwich ,and risk awakening and angering the ghost of Dr. Atkins😝👻🍞. These mini treats are so sweet, pretty, and easy to make. They serve beautifully, with just a couple on a small plate next to a cup of tea or coffee, or with more of them delicately stacked on a platter or cake stand. What's so special about them is their ❤️ shape, easily made with a heart cookie cutter and a regular loaf of white bread. These are essentially grilled chocolate sandwiches.

I whipped up a fresh raspberry dipping sauce for a creative way to marry the wonderful flavor combination of 🍫and raspberry. This is a fast, uncomplicated way to tell someone you love them. Isn't that how expressing love should always be? I hope everyone reading this has someone in their lives, be it a significant other, a friend, a child, a pet, or a teacher, that makes it easy for you to share your feelings with. Love is meant to be sweet, delicious, and enjoyable. It should feel natural and yummy to express. It should give us satisfaction and make us feel special. Food is very romantic in that way, when it evokes the same feelings. This JESScipe reflects how I'm feeling about Love right now. It shouldn't be difficult. It should look beautiful, but more importantly, feel even better going down. It should be a wonderful experience from the outside in. It should be easy to share, and a pleasure to give, just for the sake of giving. It is so much easier to give love to others. The internal challenge we face is to give ourselves absolutely everything we love giving to others. "I love myself" is always on my mantra rotation. It doesn't always feel comfortable to say to myself, which means I need to go deeper into my core and excavate. We find hidden gems when we lower down and dig... If saying that doesn't always feel right, then I need to work on this harder. I do that everyday, some days are easier than others. As with anything, it's practice and commitment. This past year, I have come so far in self love and appreciation. I have undone decades of bad patterns and false conditioning. There is so much further to go, which is very exciting. How wonderful to know that increased joy is so attainable to us. I love these hearts. I love my heart. I'm going to eat these as a symbol of how certain I am of myself in this exact place and time. I love you,40. We have so much work to do together. 🎂❤️🎉💝
Stay with me, Lady Blaga

Ingredients: 

A loaf of white bread

Dark or milk chocolate bars

Butter

3/4 cup raspberry jam

A box of fresh raspberries

Juice from half a lemon

Tbsp of cornstarch       

Use the heart shaped cookie cutter to shape bread slices, set aside. Put jam in a small pot on a medium low flame on the stove. Heat but not crazy hot, just to break it down a bit.

Put in raspberries and gently mash with a fork to blend with jam. Squeeze half a lemon, watching for pits, into the pot. This cuts the sweetness. Add a Tbsp of cornstarch as a thickening agent.

Simmer about ten minutes until texture has reached a thicker, dippable consistency. It needs to hold on the sandwich when dunked, not slide right off. Add more cornstarch by the tsp if necessary. When the sauce is ready, remove from flame and let cool.

Meanwhile, break up your chocolate bars and place a few squares in between two hearts. Brush a griddle or frying pan with unsalted butter and grill until golden brown, or until there are those awesome griddle lines. Yay if the chocolate oozes out the sides! Let cool slightly. Platter and garnish with extra raspberries. Put your sauce in a pretty little white bowl, and dip! Such a fun dessert or brunch concept💝.

Home Hair Mask

Let me clarify: I'm no hair care expert. Take this as a light suggestion. All I can tell you is that I've always been highly devoted to taking care of myself, and love researching self care tips and ideas. This homemade hair mask was born out of dire necessity. Please read this week's Inspire to understand the root of my hairhysteria.

After carefully researching numerous sites on how to repair my stress broken and dry hair, I've settled on making this mask part of my routine. I began doing it two or three times a week when I felt I was at my most helpless. We do whatever we can to desperately try to regain control over our problems. Now I do it once a week as maintenance. I recommend this for everyone. It's a weekly spa treatment for your hair. I've always been so diligent with biweekly face masks, how could I have gone so long without giving my hair the same TLC?

Last year's devastating hair loss was a blessing in disguise, since it taught me how to give my hair what it needs. Hair is alive, it's meant to grow. We must tend to it as we would a plant. It needs vitamins, moisture, hydration, air and sunlight🌱🌞💦.

Our food intake directly affects the rate and quality of hair health, as it does with all parts of us. Healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, salmon, whole eggs, and produce are all members of the Hair Cheerleading Team. I mean, duh.

It's a very common pitfall that many women who feel "middle aged" or who have been in long relationships give up on taking care of themselves. They feel like there's no point. Secure in relationships that may have morphed into stale, passionless routines, it's easy to feel ,"why bother?"  I understand that. I've always been pretty robotically consistent with this, having naturally gravitated towards it as a tween. But there were definitely periods in my life where even though I would take the time to exfoliate, shave, laser, deep condition, I definitely felt it was unnoticed and unappreciated. Which made all my efforts kinda sad.
 

Now, with my renewed appreciation for myself, when I moisturizer everywhere nightly, using various creams for different parts of the body (that's gotta be a marketing scam btw. It must be the same cream manipulatively packaged differently for women like moi. Whatever, they won; I buy into it hook, line, and sinker), I think someday someone will delight in my skin. Someone will be addicted to playing with my hair, and hugging my fairly fit body. Someone will view holding my soft hands as therapy at the end of a long day. Someone will be endlessly dazzled by my Crest whitening strip smile, and my lasered and waxed limbs (please, please let that last one be worth it one day😱). I know it will happen, and that guy will be one lucky son of a bitch. Until then, I'll be the one enjoying all those things, knowing I'm being good to myself from the inside out and the outside in. We need both directions to help us feel on our path to our best selves. I'm with you.
 

It's important to note this mask is a bit messy to apply. Have paper towels on standby near a sink. Oh, and this is waaassyyyy more potent and cheaper than store bought hair masks , which can run up to $30, and contain unnecessary chemicals.

Ingredients and Directions:

You will need a towel to clip around your neck, this is oil based so it will drip.

A disposable plastic shower cap.

Paper towels.

A headband to prevent the mask from dripping onto your gorgeous face.

Mix a whole egg (protein) , a quarter cup of coconut oil, two tbsp castor oil, a tbsp of honey, and two tbsp of avocado oil. If your hair is very dry add a super mashed, ripe banana for moisture. This will look and feel like diarrhea, but it won't smell bad at all🍌.

Lol, I gotta warn you about that last part. If you're looking to speed up growth, add two tsp each curry powder and mustard powder, and a tsp of rosemary oil. The latter ingredients kick follicles into high gear. I leave this on for a couple hours. These days I'm omitting the spices, since I got myself to a comfortable place with growth. For months I slept in a state of curry. If you do that, sleep on a thick towel to protect your sheets. Use one of your crappy towels.  Just spread it evenly over entire head root to tip, really working your fingers in there. Cover with the shower cap. Once every three weeks I'll put two tsp of peppermint oil with a half cup of water, and mush it into my roots to clarify and get out all buildup. Rinse after several minutes and shampoo and condition as usual. This is like exfoliating your skin. Things must be cleansed and unclogged in order to receive the full benefits of nourishment.

This is true physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I cannot stress that enough. If you are having inflammation and irritation on your scalp, I read that tea tree oil really helps with that. Please look online for further info, treatments, and measurements. Happy nourishing! You, and your hair, deserve only the best nature had to offer. The sheen in your hair will really make you smile😀. Shine on, however you can. Don't let anything about you feel dry and neglected. Love, LB

Warm Winter Stew

I am knee deep in a steamy love affair.

With...my crock pot.

There is nothing more wonderful and homey than walking into a kitchen infused with the scents of something slow cooking. Extra points if it's being done overnight. The cold winter months are the perfect time to invite warmth into your home in any way possible. My boys are terrible eaters, but my daughters love walking off the school bus and entering the house to the smell of stew. After a long day that ends in a dark bus ride home, their faces light up at knowing the yummy dinner that's in store.

The idea of throwing a bunch of quality ingredients in the crock pot and just leaving it alone to all slowly come together is thrilling to me. It's amazing what results from two minutes of prep. It's an entire meal. The crock pot knows what to do. It takes all the delicious components of your dish and gently simmers them together. It's perfectly controlled culinary harmony. Hearty potatoes, root vegetables, an earthy grain, chicken so soft it falls off the bone,and fresh garlic and herbs, all simmering in a spiced, layered liquid base. Substitute short ribs on the bone or just make this vegetarian/vegan. A green salad to lighten the mood, and a beautiful loaf of fresh bread rounds this out entirely. You can make this on high in the morning, or set your crock pot on low the night before. I usually prefer that so we can wake up to the smell in the morning. Plus, I don't have to give dinner a second thought that day. It's not good to let things stew in your mind, but it is terrific to let things stew in your slow cooker🍠🍖🍞🍴. Serve in cute, earthenware mini crocks for a less "gruel in the orphanage" feel. Stew by nature is fantastic, but she ain't the prettiest girl at the dance 💃🏼.

Ingredients:

Four Idaho potatoes cut into chunks, skin on. Or a pound and a half of small red potatoes cut in half.

Four each large carrots and parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks.

Four celery stalks cut into fourths.

A cup and a half of Farro or short grain brown rice.

Six skinless chicken thighs on the bone.

An onion peeled and halved.

Three cloves fresh garlic.

A large dried bay leaf.

A sprig of fresh rosemary and a small bunch of fresh thyme tied tightly together in a bouquet garni mesh bag.

A large can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes for a thicker texture.

A box of beef stock.

A third cup of red wine.

Two tsp salt, a tsp pepper, a tsp and a half of turmeric and cumin, a tbsp each garlic powder and paprika.   

Directions:

Place the garlic cloves and potatoes on bottom with one onion half. Put half the Farro then the chicken on top in an even layer. The other onion half, the bay leaf, and the rest of the Farro.

Add the rest of the vegetables and other onion half. Put the herb bag on top, nestled in. Mix the beef broth, tomato sauce, wine and all the spices in a large bowl with a whisk. Pour on top. Use low setting overnight or high setting for seven hours that day. Simmer, inhale, and enjoy!

Winter meals warm the soul like nothing else. Look around your kitchen, and take pride in what you've built. Not all moments are easy, and most are quite imperfect. But in this time and place, savor what you've created.

You did good today. Love, LB

Nuts

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 TBSP butter 
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract 
• 3 cup almonds/cashews 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except nuts over a skillet. Cook while stirring for about two minutes.
• Add nuts and stir for another 4 minutes.  Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Stir once and let cool.

Enjoy!

Holiday Sugar Cookies

This is my favorite Barefoot Contessa shortbread cookie dough recipe. It's simple, delicious, and versatile. I make this dough annually and then bust out whatever cookie cutters make sense at the time. This is a nice, sturdy dough so it doesn't crack or crumble when the kids roll and shape. The refrigeration step is necessary to ensure that the edges remain firm and intact while you futz (btw, auto correct left "futz" alone. It's part of the vernacular!✡🕎).

Last year, for a family Hanukah party, I made an assortment of shapes, made different color icings with food coloring and powdered sugar, different sprinkles and candy toppings, and let the kids go to town. It was adorable and a huge hit. My daughter did the funniest thing. I was deep into "Empire" at the time, so she made me a cookie of Cookie Lyons. How awesome and clever is she??? It made my year. I bought cute takeout containers that the kids decorated with markers to take home their cookie creations in. Sometimes I think I should have been a preschool teacher, but then I think I'd lose my shit😂. Much love and respect to all the teachers doing stuff like this with our puppies on a daily basis❤️.

For these cookies I used menorah, dreidel, and Jewish star cookie cutters. The recipe includes the basic icing instructions. Simply add a few drops of food coloring to make different fun colors. The key to getting the sprinkles to stick is to sprinkle while icing is very wet. I suggest sprinkling and icing (I use a pastry brush) on wire racks, with paper plates under the racks to catch the mess. Easy cleanup. Don't store or eat until cookies are completely dry so your icing doesn't smush (autocorrect was cool with "futz" and not "smush"?🤔). I used sanding sugar, sprinkles, and dragees in Hanukkah colors, all purchased at Michael's craft shop. Have I mentioned my deep love for Michael's? Better than Disney (anything is better than Disney when a human kid leash and those horrific turkey legs are involved 🍗).

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3.5 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup confectioners sugar 

Directions:

• Mix ingredients together in a stand mixer.  Once ingredients are blended together place the dough on a floured board and shape into a disc.  Chill for half hour.
• Preheat oven to 350.  Roll the dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with a 3" round cutter.  Place on a baking sheet for 25 minutes.
• Place confectioners sugar with 2 tbs water to make a fine glaze.  Spoon a few drops on the cookies.  Enjoy!

Sweet potato pancakes 🍠

Happy holidays, y'all! Whatever you're celebrating, may it be a joyous time, filled with love and laughter. And latkes!

"Latkes" are the Yiddish word for fried potato pancakes. In Hebrew the word is "levivot", but god forbid we should simplify with just one name.  Jewish folks gobble them up during Hannukah at breakneck speed. We aren't a nation known for our metabolism😂, so there's definitely some damage control to be done after eight days of wolfing down giant tater tots, but so what.  A few extra cardio sessions is worth this annual yumminess.

The idea behind these deep fried treats is to commemorate the miracle of how a days worth of oil stretched to eight days. While the Jewish ancient holy temple was being desecrated and destroyed, the prolonging of the ability to use the oil to light the temple's menorah was a symbol of light and hope. Which is why each Jewish family lights their own menorah to this day. We light at a window to proudly publicize the Jewish victory and endurance throughout history. Say what you want about Jews, but we are survivors. Whatever your ethnicity, I hope it fills you with pride. Not exclusivity and superiority, but pride indeed.

Traditional latkes are made with regular Idaho potatoes. There are more recipes out there for that kind than all the Bubbies in the world would know what to do with. I was determined to create a variation on this classic, one that can be enjoyed on its own, having nothing to do with a holiday. I was aiming for increased sophistication as well, something that could be served objectively as a lovely party appetizer. I wanted to include present, yet not too strong , fresh ginger. Diced green scallions add a pop of color. I was thrilled with how these turned out. This JESScipe makes a lot to feed a crowd, so lessen the measurements if need be. Or increase! Just know you'll want to 🔫yourself after hours of frying. You'll feel like SpongeBob SquarePants, fry cook extraordinaire of Bikini Bottom. Personally, my loyalty has always been to Squidward.

You can make these bite size or larger, depending on what makes sense for your mood and menu. Bite size is great in a cocktail setting, larger as a side at a sit down meal. Served best with my JESScipe for homemade applesauce, please scroll down in Food to locate. It's my Bubbie Shirley's applesauce, and it's always a massive hit. Serve it on the side or put little dollops in the middle of each latke. Cute plating idea: give each guest a plate of latkes with a small bowl of sauce that they can dip themselves. Fantastic appetizer. Have extra napkins on hand, this is not the neatest of foods, though it's amongst the most delicious. The miracle here is to not eat all of them yourself😄.     

You are a miracle. Your life is a miracle. You are a source of light to at least a few people on this planet. Enjoy yourself. ✨✨✨ Lots of Latke Love, She.

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups grated sweet potato. Don't be a martyr; use a food processor. One large sweet potato equals 2 cups. The ones I bought were mammoth and seemed to have been injected with growth hormone shots.

Cup and a half finely chopped scallions, green parts.

I tbsp plus 1 tsp EACH kosher salt and fresh packed grated ginger.

2 and a half tsp fine ground black pepper.

5 eggs.

1/2 cup flour.

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all. Make full tbsp of the mixture and flatten. Fry in canola or vegetable oil, turning gently when lightly browned on each side. Experiment with how many minutes this takes. Should be a couple on each side. You've got plenty to test out, so freak not if the first few fall apart. Top with finely chopped scallions or chives to garnish with a dash of green. EN. JOY.

Croutons, It's On‼️

Ok, this is a fun, monkey proof JESScipe 🙊. Hey, Sarrah! I conceived of this little gem a few years ago while I was prepping for Rosh Hashana. I was serving a choice of soups, and had the notion to make festive, apple shaped croutons. Easy! A loaf of whole wheat bread and apple shaped cookie cutter were pretty much all I needed. This was fun, easy, and a major crowd people. Guests go crazy for the little personal touches. It's so ❤️ warming to know that your hostess went above and beyond to entertain and welcome you. I used the cookie cutter to make little bread apples. I brushed a pan with olive oil, then brushed the tops with oil too. Sprinkled on a drop of kosher salt, some garlic powder, and oregano. Baked in a 400 oven until golden brown and crisp. Let them cool in pan completely so they really crisp up. You can use any shaped cookie cutter for any occasion. Here I used stars. I kept these on hand and use them for soup or  as toast points for various toppings. Lox, tuna, whitefish salad, cream cheese, egg salad , chopped veggies, and guacamole are all delicious. It's a welcome sub for a cracker. Also lovely on top of a salad. The personalization of the shapes makes for a fun, pretty detail. Added bonus: I save the cut out bread slices, put them on a buttered griddle, and cook eggs inside them. Star shaped egg toast for breakfast anyone? 🙋🏼🍞

Golden Cauliflower

It's not so often you go nuts for cauliflower. It's not the sexiest veggie, but it's quite versatile. I roast it this way at least twice a week. The roasting setting on the oven really caramelizes vegetables, giving us that perfect texture and taste. The turmeric used here gives a deep, middle eastern color and flavor. Turmeric is having a major moment right now, for its anti inflammatory properties. It's being used in tea, in supplements for joint pain, in dressings. I will sometimes put a few dashes in stews and on grilled chicken. This JESScipe is fast and easy, how we like our vegetable sides. Who has time to futz with a side dish on a hectic weeknight? Chop, spice, mix, oven, done.
 

Ingredients: 

• Two heads cauliflower chopped into smallish florets.
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1.5 tsp coarse group or fine pepper
• 1 tbsp Jerusalem spice
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp dried oregano.
• One lemon, half thinly sliced, the other half squeezed into the pan.

Feel free to toss in a couple of thinly sliced or minced fresh garlic, if you are like me and like it extra garlicky. It won't be too much, don't worry. Pass the breath mints!  Mix all very well. Adjust seasonings as needed. The cauliflower should be a bright yellow. Add more turmeric if needed.

Roast on 425 for at least 30 minutes. The cauliflower should be a deep golden brown when it's ready. I like it well done and slightly shriveled. The roasted lemons look and smell beautiful. The yellow 🍋 are a wonderful accompaniment to the yellow color. There's a nice visual theme. This look gorgeous on a white platter or bowl. For a real crowd pleasing side dish extravaganza, please revisit some past Lady Blaga veggie side dishes. Choose three of your faves, and make a large platter. Line them up each in a row. You'll serve a beautiful selection of fresh, delicious vegetables. All can be made a day in advance and brought to room temp. Garnish with fresh herbs. For an extra middle eastern crunch, toast some pine nuts and toss with the cauliflower right before serving. Enjoy! ❌⭕️❌⭕️, Lady B

Just Beet It

While I'm not the biggest beet fan, I love them in this substantial salad. I made this up a couple years ago, and it's always a big hit. It's one of those heartier salads that can easily be a beautiful, vegan/vegetarian meal. There's lots of great stuff going on here: red quinoa, diced red onion, shaved fennel, mint, toasted pumpkin seeds, and pomegranate seeds. All an accompaniment to the full flavored, beautiful slices of red and yellow beets. I admit I buy the beets sliced from this magical produce store I keep mentioning. Supposedly beets are a giant pain in the ass to peel and slice, so throwing money at that problem is a big time saver.

Making a salad should be easy, fast, and enjoyable. I've proudly become quite adept at making vinaigrettes. I hated all dressings until very recently, always preferring to eat my salads plain. I really like that taste of vegetables so I never felt lacking. Perhaps it's indicative of tastebud evolution, that I now appreciate certain dressings. They must remain light, both in color and texture. If I see anything creamy, I bolt. A salad should never be drowning. The point of a dressing is to enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients, not mask or alter them. That would be a darn shame. Sadly, we are not a big salad eating family, so I get to play when I entertain. It makes me happy that my friends look forward to this bejeweled salad. The sparkly pomegranate seeds lend such a sweet tartness. The jewel toned beets are perfect for Fall, rich in color and flavor after being roasted. The fennel and chopped mint add refreshing depth. And the quinoa and pumpkin seeds bring heartiness and crunch. All the various flavors and textures work as a symphony.

When making a vinaigrette, I like to use a juice of a featured ingredient to act as a compliment. For instance, I use heart healthy pomegranate juice here to highlight the pomegranate seeds. I use a vinegar that will complement as well, so here I use a slightly sweeter champagne vinegar. It's fun experimenting with the right juices and vinegars. I feel so accomplished when I quickly nail that down. And I loooooove using my whisk! I feel like I'm on Iron Chef, briskly whisking.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. I like the roast setting to caramelize the beets. Upper oven rack.

Lightly brush a pan with olive oil. Arrange beets in a single layer. I make one pan of yellow and one red. I'd say a dozen slices of each color. Lightly brush the slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until beets are easily pierced. Soft but not mushy. Let cool off and come to room temp.

In a large bowl mix four cups of mesclun greens. I like how the red in the mesclun works with the red beets and Pom seeds. A cup each of Pom seeds, pumpkin seeds, diced red onion.  Two cups shaved or thinly sliced fennel (I'm no martyr; I buy the fennel shaved too, but cutting fennel is easy and kinda fun). Feel free to add more of whatever you feel may need it.

A cup of red quinoa, cooled after being prepared according to package directions. A packed cup of finely chopped mint. Toss to combine well. Then toss with most of the dressing, reserving some to drizzle. Place in a fairly flat large serving bowl or platter. Layer alternating rows of beets, overlapping them.

Dressing:

• Half cup each olive oil and pomegranate juice.
• Three quarters tsp kosher salt, half tsp pepper
• Two TBSP champagne vinegar.

Whisk vigorously. If preparing this a day in advance, just bring the beetsand dressing to room temp before assembling.

This will look like pretty stripes! Sprinkle Pom and pumpkin seeds on top, then drizzle with the extra dressing. Voila! For added affect, play "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. Half kidding. And the beat/beet goes on... Love, the 🐝

Let's Play Butternut Squash

Hats off to one of my all time fave veggie sides! Wait; hats ON (it's cold out there❄️). Butternut squash is a weekly staple in my home. It is a regular Friday night dinner side dish, as well as dinner for me once a week. I've really been losing the taste and desire for meat and chicken lately. I have been having a hard time thinking about my food having been in pain. I very much believe God created animals for our use, ya know; the whole circle of life thing, but I feel myself pulling away from it. Who knows if this will stick, but that's my headspace now. I did do this once before. When I was pregnant with my oldest, meat made me nauseous. Crying nauseous. Close to delivery, my iron levels were low so my doc prescribed red meat. It took one hot dog to reel me back in to carnivore city🌭.

This is different though. Pregnancy does crazy things with our bodies. We have negative control. My current shift is more mental, I'm just not interested. There is no appeal. I'm still gobbling my daily egg whites, and I loooove the roasted red pepper egg white bites  from StarSchmucks, but my egg quota fills up in the morning. I end my day by roasting vegetables for myself, and that feels like a nice, clean way to end my day's digestive journey. This JESScipe always hits the spot.

I've started roasting the squash with coconut oil instead of the usual olive oil. Coconut oil has a subtle sweetness, and it eliminates toxins. My daughter thinks toxins are a myth, by the way. It's hard for me to prove the point on behalf of something invisible🙃... Delicious vegetables are gifts from the ground. They need so little to taste wonderfully satisfying. God knew what He was doing👏🏻.

All this b-Nut needs is coconut oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt , fine ground pepper, cinnamon and dried or fresh rosemary. I use a generous amount of cinnamon. I've used packed dark brown sugar in the past, but it really doesn't need it. Happy to eliminate that.

Directions:

Preheat oven to roast at 415. Bake setting is fine, but roast caramelizes beautifully. Roast is also faster.

Peel and cut a large butternut squash into cubes or rounds. If you can find this pre cut, do it! Def a pain in the ass to prep yourself. I'm a bit of a spoiled princess with my pre cut vegetables. That's a luxury I afford myself. Makes this whole veggie endeavor much faster and more pleasant.

Melt a quarter to a third cup of coconut oil in the microwave or on stove top. Or, use the liquid version. It melts very quickly in the microwave, like 30 seconds. Pour on the squash.

Sprinkle salt and pepper, maybe a tsp and a quarter salt and three quarters of a tsp pepper. A heaping tsp of cinnamon. Tbsp dried or fresh chopped rosemary. I like it very cinnamon y. Add more seasonings as needed.

Mix all well and rub each piece to coat. Roast in a single layer until soft. Cubes will take longer than slices since they are thicker. Check slices after 15 minutes, cubes after 25. I like this very well done, browned, and mushy. However you prefer, it should be very easily pierced with a knife or fork🍴.

Overlap slices on a platter. Cubes can be plattered  densely together too. I always like to serve colorful vegetables on a white rectangular platter. The heat releases evenly. In a bowl, the bottom ones get steamed and suffocated. Garnish with fresh rosemary if you have. No biggie, but it looks pretty. So farm to table, even if you live in Midtown😂.

❤️, Lady Butternut 🍠(sub a sweet potato!)

Lazy, Starving 🍆 Parm

P(h)armocology✔️. So there I was last week, starving and drained after the homework carpool thing. Why is it so freaking brutal😫? Some nights I don't really care what I eat; if it's healthy and there, that'll do for me, whatever it is. That night I just needed something fresh and hot. It's so annoying to have to cook for myself on top of being a short order cook for the kiddies. I'm usually just not in the mood. I looked at what veggies I had available, I'm well stocked in that area. I saw a nice eggplant 🍆🤔and came up with this JESScipe.

I actually made it with both eggplant and zucchini. It was sooo fast and easy! There are certain combinations of flavors that one might consider eating even if it was on a piece of 💩. I know that's beyond gross, but I have legit had this conversation with friends. We are all in agreement that tomato sauce and cheese, like chocolate and peanut butter, is one such combination. 

Ingredients:

Eggplant

Olive oil

Spices such as garlic powder, kosher salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Marinara

Shredded cheese.

 

Directions:

After slicing the vegetables on a bias, I placed the slices in a pan that I lightly brushed with olive oil. I then brushed the tops lightly with the oil as well. I sprinkled a little kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning all around.

I put the pan on the second top rack of my oven, that was preheated to broil. I like the pan on top but not the upper most, to avoid a fire🔥😱.

Within a couple minutes the vegetable slices were browned. I took out the pan but kept the oven on.

Spooned on some chunky marinara, sprinkled shredded cheese, drizzled with some extra oil, and popped back under the broiler. Another couple minutes until the cheese was nicely bubbled and browned.

This whole process is under ten minutes, and so delicious. I get the awesome taste and feel of eggplant Parm without the frying, breadcrumbs, and hour and a half of cooking.  Healthy, low fat, and fast; what could be better?  The large slices of eggplant topped with sauce and cheese platter beautifully. I served this fresh to the Blaga team at our last photo shoot for lunch. All gobbled up. I cannot talk when I cook, but this is so simple and quick, so I was able to assemble it even though there were peeps in my kitchen. Moms, we deserve a great meal at the end of the day too!

🍆🍅🧀, Lady Hungry