Kosher Toddler Lunch Ideas for the Bento and Beyond

I recently joined a Facebook group filled with mommies much like myself who struggle to pack exciting meals every single day of every week for the lovable little monsters we call children! Well, I'd already started photographing my lunch creations, mostly because I'm an avocado-toast-loving millennial who can't get enough of Instagramming my food (or my kids' food in this case). So here are some of my go-to kosher toddler lunch ideas that I pack for my 4.5 year old and 2 year old. I can't wait until Zusha is on solids. I'm going to go bananas with his lunches, too!

Kosher Toddler Snack Ideas

I usually pack my kids two morning snacks and two afternoon snacks, because they're in preschool from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, and, let's be honest, they are growing like weeds and never stop eating. I usually pack these combos in reusable sandwich-size bags that are labeled with their name and are machine washable for when they get super gross. Here are my favorite combos:

• Applesauce packet + Trader Joe's fruit and grain bars
• Pirate's Booty + fruit strips
• Cheese crackers + banana or pear
• Mini pretzels + fruit cup
• Mini muffins + applesauce packet

You get the idea! Believe it or not, they rarely come home with uneaten snacks. 

Kosher Toddler Lunch Ideas for Preschool

When it comes to lunches, I try to give my kids a little bit of everything: fruit, vegetable, protein, grain. I don't always achieve this massive goal, but I do a pretty good job. You'll see that I put a yogurt with every single meals and that's because it's one thing my kids will always consistently eat, which is my number one pro tip for packing a toddler's lunch: Always pack one thing you KNOW they will eat no matter what else is in the box. Here are some visuals on lunches I've put together lately: 

My kids eat better than I do! @noosayoghurt @gogosqueez @snyders_hanover #palisadepeaches #momlife #colorado #bento #kidlife #lunch

A post shared by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett (@thechaviva) on Aug 27, 2018 at 6:37am PDT

Black grapes, carrots, @stonyfield yogurt, @kraftrecipes cheese, and a @superpretzel! #Kidlife #parenting #momlife #denver #bento #lunch

A post shared by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett (@thechaviva) on Aug 7, 2018 at 5:37am PDT

Today’s bento? Eggo waffle, @stonyfield yogurt, a homemade egg cup with kale feta and roasted tomatoes, and a delicious local Palisade peach. #momlife #bento #kosher #kidlunch #lunchideas #kidlife #workingmom

A post shared by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett (@thechaviva) on Aug 3, 2018 at 6:00am PDT

Bento style! #kidlife #bentobox #bento #homemade #eggmuffun #oatmuffin #healthyliving #healthyfood

A post shared by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett (@thechaviva) on Aug 2, 2018 at 6:11am PDT

Bento style for the kids. Nomnomnom. #momlife #busymom #kidlife #lunch #bento #healthy

A post shared by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett (@thechaviva) on Jul 31, 2018 at 6:28am PDT

And here are a few I didn't instagram:

Now that you know what I pack for my kids, I have to know ... what kosher toddler lunch ideas do you have for the bento and beyond? Share in the comments!

Hop Into My Kitchen: Cooking with Chavi

It's only appropriate that I follow a post about body image and being overweight by writing about ... food! You see, I spend my Sundays when Ash is napping cooking for the week, or at least for the next few days. So here's what I was up to.

First thing I did was put the laundry in the wash throw together some Baked Salmon Cups. Basically, they're salmon cakes but made the lazy easy way in a muffin pan. The recipe I use is sort of "choose your own adventure," but I know they're done when they're crisp around the edges.

Ingredients
3 cans salmon (~18 oz)
1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
3 Tbls mayo
1 Tbls lemon juice
1/2 cup egg white replacer (you can use regular eggs)
dried parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder + whatever else you want

Directions: Mix it all up. Make sure the mixture isn't too dry, and place in a 12-cup muffin tin. Flatten the tops a bit and throw on some more gluten-free breadcrumbs. I baked these for about 12 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit and wasn't happy with the progress, so I bumped it up to 425 Fahrenheit for another 7 minutes or so and they got crispy. As I said, I take a very "choose your own adventure" approach to cooking.

They make great finger food for toddlers. If you want, mix some mayo with sriracha or with dijon for a nice sauce to have with them.

---

Then I threw together some Corn Salad (corn, mayo sour pickles, dill, salt, and pepper) and Dijon Hearts of Palm and Tomato Salad (red wine vinegar, dijon, olive oil).

And then? Then the easy stuff. I trimmed and steamed some green beans I picked up at the Farmers' Market this morning. Love the farm-to-table life.

Then, my life was made a bit easier thanks to an awesome package from the kind folks at CookSimple with oodles of goodies to try and coupons to share and buy more, too. The great thing? All I did was write about how easy they'd made my life and how I would have been better off had I discovered them eight months ago (no, seriously). It's healthy, few-ingredient meal aids and meals in a box that are gluten free and kosher. A girl grown up on Hamburger Helper, I'm elated to find something that tastes better that fits my diet.

On the menu for this round of cooking was the Chipotle Sorghum Pilaf. It smelled like Autumn and tasted even better. Ash enjoyed it, despite my worries that the chipotle would have too much kick for a 17 month old, but he is his father's son. It was so tasty and easy. Check out this video for a bit more on it (and the bit in the video about the box + confusion has to do with using the bag as a measuring cup):


And lastly, I made two things at the end of last week that are particularly delicious that I'm quite proud of, although the recipes are completely not my own. The first is Breakfast Yogurt Pops, which Asher absolutely LOVES and the second is Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins, which I love.

What are you making/baking/cooking these days? Share your favorite go-to recipe with me, please!

Giveaway: Secret Restaurant Recipes Cookbook

Although there aren't many kosher restaurants here in Denver, I was lucky enough to experience the amazing kosher options in the New Jersey and New York area, not to mention in Israel. Pair this with a childhood grown up with my mom whipping up some classic restaurant recipes from places like Red Lobster (those cheddar biscuits were to die for), and a cookbook with secret kosher restaurant recipes was made for me.

Yes, this is a review and giveaway post, and I shocked myself with this cookbook. After looking through the index and knowing a lot of the restaurants, I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anything with my two at-home cooking criteria:

• gluten free
• vegetarian

Luckily, I'm a creative cook and the recipes are easily changed for the discerning and committed cook.

As one of the things I'm missing most in the world is amazing kosher Chinese food (oh those evenings with Chopstix in Teaneck, I wish I had cherished you more), I immediately decided to make the Sesame Chicken from Kosher Chinese Express in Manalapan, New Jersey happen with tempeh in place of the chicken and tamarin in place of the soy sauce.

The result? This is seriously the most delicious thing I've made lately, and that's after absolutely falling in love with Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Buffalo Tempeh Sandwiches. I have a new love, and it's the sesame sauce in this recipe. I can't believe I never tried to make my own, because it was really easy and it's super tasty. I could put this on just about anything, and the tempeh was an excellent, meaty substitute.

Then I decided to tackle the Tilapia with Terra Chip Crunch from The Purple Pear, as Terra Chips are naturally gluten free, fish is a staple in our house, and when I lived out east I loved The Purple Pear. (Yelp has the reviews to prove it.)

I will admit that I didn't have granulated onion or garlic on hand, and I ended up subbing in some mirin for the corn syrup. I also picked up some seasonal Sweet Potato-Pumpkin Terra Chips instead of the Terra Sticks and Sun Dried Tomato Terra Chips. The result? Delicious and beautiful.

This cookbook has everything (yes, thinking SNL here): tips from the restaurant chefs and owners, advice on kitchen tools, beautiful pictures for every recipe, and more. I have to tell you that pictures are so critical in my decision on whether to purchase a cookbook. Basically, I only buy cookbooks with tons of pictures. I need perspective!

Thus, giveaway of this cookbook (a $29.99 value) just in time for Chanukah, too, so even if you're not a cook, you surely know one!

(NOTE: You must enter on the web. It will not work properly on mobile.)


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Happy Thanksgivukkah!

The great thing about this cartoon is that it reminds me of the people 

that drive around with the chanukiyah (menorah) on top of their cars!

On this most holy of days, two deliciously gluttonous holidays merge into one. Yes, even in Israel there are those of us who are celebrating Thanksgiving and Chanukah, with the latter being normative and the former being, well, odd considering it's the commemoration of a fake narrative of something that didn't really happen in America. 

But old habits die hard, and my darling English husband is willing to indulge those of us who jones for the classics. However, we are holding off to make our Thanksgivukkah a Shabbat experience, and we're pot-lucking with friends at our place with the turkey and all the fixins (don't worry, our kitchen is still vegetarian, we're getting creative to make this happen). 

On the menu? 

Turkey (a la Rebacks)

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole (Me)

Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole (Me)*

Portobella Mushroom Rice (Rebacks)

Gravy (Rebacks)

Cranberry Sauce (Rebacks)

Latkes (Me, maybe ...)

Sufganiyot (store-bought, of course)

Raw Pumpkin Chai Spice Pie Bars (Me)

Quite the meal, no? And the awesomeness that is Mel will also be joining us with husband in tow providing our paper goods and all that goodness since our dishes are dairy and the meal is (obviously) meaty. 

I anticipate Shabbat lunch being quite the low-key affair (some kind of salmon dish and lots of salads). I also anticipate being comatose most of Saturday and Sunday as a result of the festivities. Baby hasn't left much room for food these days, unfortunately. What's a soon-to-be mama to do? Eat very slowly ... and scarf the leftovers!

Also: Tonight I'm celebrating Thanksgiving the way it was always meant to be celebrated ... with American football! Yes, Israel has its own American football league, called the IFL, and the coach of the illustrious Judean Rebels is none other than the husband (Coach!) of blogger Ruti. So tonight, it's all about the Chanukah Bowl. 

What's on your menu for Thanksgiving and/or Chanukah? Any special or unique traditions that your family absolutely abides by? 

*Green bean casserole has always been a standard in my family, and Thanksgiving simply isn't Thanksgiving without it. However, the days of canned cream of mushroom soup, French's fried onions, and frozen green beans are over for me, as it's all lacking in "gluten free" and non-dairy categories. So I've made my own homemade mushroom gravy, will be attempting some gluten-free "fried" onions (majorly modifying this one), and mixing it all up in the hopes that it comes out tasting like awesome. Stay tuned! 

Shanah Rishona Guilt

Gluten-free enchiladas, granola bars for Mr. T, gluten-free pizza and fries,
pasta with sautéed spinach, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms. 

One of the toughest things about having a full-time job, being pregnant and energy-less part of the time, and having a busy and awesomely ravenous husband is figuring out the proper balance to my day so that Mr. T doesn't end up eating pita and hummus for dinner and I don't end up gorging at one meal and feeling sick/exhausted the rest of the day.

After the first trimester, where I spent a lot of time sleeping and laying about (which I could do because I was under employed), I got a boost of energy and appetite -- for about two weeks. Yes, there were two glorious weeks where I was a machine from dawn until dusk and was able to eat just about every last bit of what I craved.

Those two weeks were short lived and a huge tease.

Now my energy levels wane from day to day. Some days I am more than eager to get up at 6:30 a.m. when Mr. T's alarm goes off and work all day and stay up late watching TV and having a nice homemade dinner. Other days, I pull myself out of bed at 9:30 a.m. and am crashing around 6 p.m.

So what's the big deal? I'm rocking a lot of "shanah rishonah guilt." What, you ask is this phenomenon? Shanah rishonah is how Jews refer to the first year of marriage (it literally means first year). For religious Jews, this first year means you're like a king and queen, you can hand out brachot (blessings) and instead of dipping your challah in salt you dip it in honey so everything will be sweet.

For very religious Jews -- who often don't date long before marriage and definitely don't live together -- it's also the chance to really spend time getting to know the other person, and the truth is that for Mr. T and I, it's been very much "getting to know you, getting to know all about you!"

Before we got married, I'd cooked for him a few times, and he cooked for me a few times, but we never shared a bathroom or bedroom or closet or space. We've been incredibly blessed that the transition has been smooth -- he's very easy going when I rearrange the entire kitchen or move things around in the closet. There are bigger fish to fry, as it goes.

But for me, there's still that feeling of needing to perform. I might work full-time now, but I'm home all day sitting at a desk near the kitchen, which makes me feel like I should be able to put up a four-course meal every night when Mr. T comes home from a day of hard-labor (he is an electrician after all). I also feel the need to make sure he's got healthy and filling lunches to schlep in every day to work. The guilt I feel when he comes home and I'm still tapping away working is probably unnecessary (he's even said it's unnecessary), but I know that the first year sets you up for life.

And with a tiny alien growing inside me, I have to wonder: What are things going to look like in six months when husband's working full-time, I'm working, baby is chilling out with me at home ...? And what about Erev Shabbat (Friday) when I basically stand up in the kitchen cooking from the moment I wake up until Shabbat comes in?

The truth is, I could probably take a huge load off of myself by not insisting on having an adventurous kitchen and palette. We have a vegetarian home, meaning that it's a constant battle to find protein-packed options for my most ravenous Mr. T (who can eat and eat and not gain a pound). So between work tasks, I'm scanning the web for gluten-free black bean burger recipes and ways to cook spaghetti squash and tips on using tofu that doesn't involve stir-fry (we over did it a few months ago). I don't like to replicate dishes too much, because I don't want to bore myself or the husband (or iBoy when he's around).

So what do you do? How do you rejigger things when your energy is up or down to keep things running at home? How do you fight that relationship-performing guilt? 

Recipe: The Vegan Loaf

This past Shabbat, I regaled my dear Mr. T with a classic Edwards Family favorite: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes. The big changeup? This loaf was completely vegetarian, but it was hearty and full of tummy-warming goodness. I anticipate this being a regular on my menu, mostly because the ingredients are inexpensive and the recipe is very versatile.

Brown Rice and Lentil Terrine
(adapted from Clean Eating)

1 cup brown rice
1 cup brown lentils
olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 whole eggs (or egg substitute)
2 Tbls flaxseed meal
2 Tbls tomato paste
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
1/4 cup black olives, drained and chopped
1/4 tsp each coriander, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 1/2 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs, plus more if needed (I blended up gluten-free cereal, but you can also use regular or gluten-free bread)

1. Cook the rice (I used a rice maker), then put the lentils on with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 35 minutes. 
2. Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit (200 Celsius). Prep a 9x5" pan with olive oil, butter, or PAM. 
3. Heat about a tsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium and add onion. When the onion starts to brown, stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in eggs, flaxseed meal, tomato paste, parsley, olives, spices, salt, and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly. 
4. Put half of the cooked lentils in a food processor with 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth and process until smooth. Transfer the pureed and whole cooked lentils to a bowl and mix in the rice and remaining 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Mix well!
5. Finally, mix both of the rice/lentil and onion/spice mixtures together until well combined. 
6. Scrape into the prepared loaf pan and mound the center to make it look like that classic meatloaf. Bake until lightly browned and crunchy on top, about 35-40 minutes. 
7. Serve with your favorite brown gravy!

The original called for wild rice, green lentils, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, fresh basil, fresh sage, and pimento-stuffed green olives, but I didn't have them on hand so I just worked with what I had. It turned out amazingly!

For a gravy, I used this recipe because I didn't have any mushrooms on hand. However, I used half of the amount of water it called for and Brown Rice Flour instead of the called-for Chickpea Flour. 

What's for Dinner?

When it comes to food, I'm a sucker for fresh, colorful, and healthy. For dinner tonight, I wanted to use up some of the greens from the CSA, plus a sweet potato I had laying around that looked like it was about to go south.

Tonight, I toasted some bread (gluten free for me, regular brown bread for Mr. T), topped it with diced roasted sweet potatoes (olive oil, pepper, paprika), some sautéed greens (any will do with olive oil salt and pepper), and a poached egg (Mr. T did these) with crumbled feta cheese.

Assuming this wouldn't be entirely satisfying, I also used up some of the cabbage and one of the zucchinis from the CSA to make a Dijon-Maple Slaw. The recipe was fairly quick and easy. I shredded the cabbage with a peeler and then with a knife for some chunkier pieces, used a peeler to thinly peel the zucchini, and then tossed in pumpkin seeds. I tossed in the Dijon-Maple Dressing (garlic, dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper, olive oil), and voila!

I love my CSA. iBoy loves the CSA. Mr. T loves the CSA. Life is good (and delicious).

Adventures in Pizza

I was really excited after a pretty craptastic day to make pizza for Mr. T, because we'd been lamenting for days (if not weeks) about how there's no place in the Gush where I can purchase pizza that's gluten free (there is a pizza place, but, come on, it's kosher pizza, which means it's extra greasy and chock full o' gluten!). Then I came to find out he went out for lunch in Beitar at one of these said greasy pizza joints. Major planning fail! Luckily, with my mad cooking skills in tow, I managed to blow that pizza out of the water, redeeming the pizza cravings that have plagued us for so long.

I have to say that I'm incredibly blessed to have a husband who is down with gluten-free eating, and with our CSA (community-supported agriculture) has been rocking our socks as of late, we've been eating fresh, healthy, and seasonal. Oh it feels so good!

So, I give you, the instructions to make this easy, quick Gluten-Free Roasted Beet and Beet Green Pizza with Feta. Let me know if you try it. Truth be told, the crust could be eaten as a flat bread, or even spread thinner and cooked longer to be an Italian cracker. You'll also notice I use parchment for everything. I like a clean cooking space and not having to scratch food off of my favorite baking sheets. If you have a pizza stone, use it. If you don't, don't. I'm pro-parchment, you should be, too!

The Beets
Yes, this is a popular band known on the hit Nickelodeon cartoon "Doug," but they're also an incredibly messy root vegetable. So put on your rubber gloves, and prepare to wipe down your counter every five seconds so that you don't dye anything red.

With roughly a pound of beets (for me this was three medium sized and two very small), peel them and chop them into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a bowl and toss with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Throw them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes until they're fork tender and aromatic.

While the beets are baking, feel free to move on to ...

The Crust
I decided to go with a mashup of several recipes I found online based on what I had on hand. This crust is shockingly stable, super delicious, and incredibly flavorful.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a KitchenAid (or with a spoon, to be honest), mix together the following:

• 2 cups almond meal/flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp olive oil

When the ingredients are full combined, throw the dough onto a piece of parchment and flatten out with  the palm of your hand (wet your hand to keep it from sticking) to about a 1/2-inch thick or however thick you want it. Place the parchment with the perfectly pizza-shaped (yeah, right!) dough onto a baking sheet (or, if you have a pizza stone, do it all on there) and place in the oven for about 15 minutes until the edges are brown. 

Thank you to Mr. T, the hand model. We were both blown

away by how stable the crust was. No bending, no flopping,

no soggy gluten-free crust over here!

The Other Toppings

I'm a big fan of using every last bit of produce in my CSA before it rots (so hard sometimes, honestly), so I was happy to make this pizza using every last inch of usable beet goodness. 

Grab a large saucepan, throw some olive oil in it, and prepare the following. 

• 1 small or 1/2 a medium/large red onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• The greens from the beets with the stems removed, chopped roughly, rinsed and dried

In the saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and saute the red onion until it starts to brown. Throw in the garlic and cook for another minute. Throw in the beet greens, mix around, and then place a lid on the pan for about 3-5 minutes until the beet greens are slightly wilted but still incredibly colorful. 

Assemble the Pizza!

Once the crust is brown around the edges, take it out of the oven and throw on the beet greens/red onion mixture first, then the roasted beet cubes, then top generously with delicious feta cheese. Yes, I took a bunch of Lactaid to be able to consume this pizza, but I guarantee you the beet/feta combo is unforgettable. 

Place the pizza back in the oven long enough for the feta to get soft and start to brown. Feel free to turn on the broiler to hasten the process. 

Then? Enjoy! Eat the heck out of this pizza. The great thing about it is that it's incredibly filling, doesn't have the greasy grossness of a lot of regular pizza (2 teaspoons of oil, people), and the nut crust and hearty topppings will leave you feeling satiated but not weighed down. 

This is healthy, kosher, gluten-free living. (It's kosher for Passover, too!) Now to find a vegan feta ... 

Wake Up! It's Sunshine Polenta Time

First of all, I have to apologize for the ch-ch-changes going on here on the blog. I wanted something new and fresh to go with my new and fresh existence in Neve Daniel with Mr. T and iBoy, but I'm working out some major kinks. You'll notice that at the bottom of this post from the homepage you won't see any comment link. Nope! You have to click on the title to get into the post and then comment. Argh! Sorry for the frustrating changes, but hopefully I'll get them worked out super stat. You will be happy to note that you can now easily email me through the little GMail envelope link over there on the right.

Now on to that delicious dish up there. The amazing bowl was a wedding gift set from the amazing Schleids, and I can't express how much I love them. We use them for everything -- prep, eating, serving, you name it. We now need to find more of them because of our intense love of said bowls.

I call this Sunshine Polenta because it'll smack you in the face with freshness and wake you up. There are a lot of ways to make it versatile, but it's gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. feel free to throw on some Greek yogurt or something else to make it your own, but this is how I do it.

On the stove, bring 2 cups of any combination of orange juice, almond/rice/coconut milk, and water to a boil. I used a 1 cup almond milk, 2/3 cup OJ, and 1/3 cup water ratio for mine. Once it's boiling, pour in 1/2 cup polenta and stir as the mixture comes back to a boil. Once it's boiling and bubbly in orange deliciousness, let it cook at medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Whisk it good, then take it off the heat, cover, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.

Using an orange or a tangerine, zest the heck out of the polenta until you're heart's content. Slice up pieces of the orange or tangerine and top the polenta (it took about half a tangerine for me).

I topped mine with walnuts, flax meal, coriander, cinnamon, and a drizzle of Agave, but feel free to embellish yours with other fresh, healthy toppings.

And then? Devour! Devour it like you haven't eaten in days! Oh, and be sure to make yourself a cup of delicious Vanilla-Nut Coffee to go with it. If you don't have Vanilla Nut, any old cuppa Joe will do.

Betayavon! (That's Hebrew for Bon Appetit.)

Too Busy to Breathe

I made gluten-filled challah for the first time in exactly 1.5 years.

Mr. T and iBoy got to take part, and I heard it was delish. 

Oh, and it also was the first time I was able to say the bracha. Winning!

Hello faithful blog readers. Yes, I've been neglectful -- horribly neglectful. What happened? What have I been doing? How is married life? How is ulpan and work? How is Israel? Am I still sane?

So very many questions, so little time. I have some announcements to make about some executive decisions I've made, some fun quips about being married, and some hilarious tales about the goings on with bureaucracy (I am now the "mayor" of the Ministry of the Interior in Jerusalem, if that tells you anything). But for now, I'm going to give you a collage of the various head coverings over the past several weeks. I'm going to work on a few videos and some tutorials on how I rock my scarves because I've had requests.

For those that are curious this very second -- no, I don't watch other videos or read books on how to tie my scarves, I just do it naturally. How? Why? It's the neshama, folks. It was born to love gefilte fish and wrap mitpachot, what can I tell you?

So stay tuned. I promise a post in the next few days. Also? More wedding pictures because we just got the gigantic load of photos from the wedding from our amazing photographer Shmuel Diamond.

Want to know something? Demanding answers about what's going on with me? Just ask!

The KitchenAid

From the most amazing mum-in-law in the world. 

Now to find, purchase, and acquire the grain mill attachment.

Soon, all will be right in my gluten-free world!

The Two Burner Superchef

A neighborhood doorway. 

There are many things that I cannot do in the meager kitchen that I have. Among those things is bake anything, or put anything under the broiler, or do anything that requires anything resembling an oven. I have no crockpot (but I'm okay with that because unless you're cooking meat, it tends to destroy the nutritional value in all veggies), no toaster (truth is I didn't use mine much except for late-night snacks), and no KitchenAid (which I only used for making my gluten-free challah).

I'm over all of these things. What really kills me, however, is not having a full-size fridge. Or, at that, a fridge with a working freezer. The college fridge is what I have, and all of us know that such fridges with freezers rarely "freeze" anything and keep it frozen. Add that that the door is broken, and it's serving as space to store more fridge-like things since, well, I have zero space in my fridge to begin with.

The benefit here is that I'm right next to the shuk, so I can go buy fruits and vegetables as I need them. The downside here is that I have a tendency toward laziness when it comes to cooking and because of my lack of fridge/freezer space, I can't really cook when leftovers are involved, making meal-planning a huge pain in my kitchen-loving tuches.

(May this be the worst of my problems.)

I'm considering starting a blog devoted to my ridiculous eating habits (yes, I spent one evening enjoying gluten-free crackers in dijon mustard), something along the lines of how I'm a Two-Burner, Kosher, Gluten-Free, Semi-Dairy-Free Ovo-Vegetarian Who is Willing to eat Chicken and Fish on Shabbat. I'm willing to take name ideas. Make it crafty, make it clever. Otherwise, it's going to be something along the lines of the The Two-Burner Superchef: Adventures of an Eclectic and Restricted Palette. Thoughts?

Anyhow, this is what I put together today. It included the leftover Breakfast Quinoa (golden raisins, cinnamon, coriander, walnuts) that I made over Shabbat, heated up in Almond Milk, topped with Flax Seeds, Walnuts, and Bananas served with some French Press Coffee.

I definitely feel like I'm in college again -- specifically graduate school, where I had one burner, a toaster oven, a few pots, and managed to eat lots of random nothingness. 

I suppose the upside is that there's a chance I might lose some weight, what with all the schlepping paired with all the eating of fruits and vegetables. I will admit that my fingernails seem to be very strong and thick these days, I'm sleeping well (when I'm actually sleeping), and I'm drinking a lot more than ever before, which is bueno for the dehydration. 

Know of any blogs or websites where I can find college-style super healthy, hippie-dippie recipes for someone like me? Share!

It's a MoSHY Life for Me!

Motzei Shabbat cooking ... sweet squash stuffed with lemon-pepper rice.

I've returned to the classic tradition of some of our greatest scholars ... the tradition of MoSHY -- Meat on Shabbos and Yontif. After spending a good bulk of the year as a vegan, I recently started eating fish again, and then with the holidays appearing I realized that my dietary restrictions made me a tough guest for people. So I've opted to be MoSHY for the time being. So the things I'm not eating? Dairy, gluten, and "added" sugar. And meat. But only during the week. 

Food is so complicated, but I've discovered that my body isn't absorbing the right nutrients, at least not in the right capacity, so I'm hoping consumption of fish and some meat will get my body back on track. My aliyah flight is kind of a bummer because I have two options: Gluten Free w/Meat or Vegetarian w/Gluten. Clearly I have to order the former. Chances are good I'll be bringing my own nosh on-board. 

So for Shabbat, I whipped up some delicious Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Salmon Chowder. This recipe was me kind of winging it. I combined roughly four different recipes I found online but didn't like in full, so I picked them apart and put my own together! In the future, I anticipate adding some corn starch to thicken it up a bit and a bit more fish. But overall? Amazing. 

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced 

1 can corn 

2 cups fingerling potatoes, diced 

1/2 bunch kale, roughly chopped 

2 carrots, peeled and diced 

4 cups vegetable broth 

1/2 cup almond milk (or other dairy-free milk)

1/2 cup Original So Delicious Coconut Creamer 

1 1/2 pound salmon fillet, skinned, boned and cut into small cubes 

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

1/2 teaspoon dried dill 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

Plenty of pepper 

Directions

1. Saute the onion and celery until onion is translucent. Add potatoes and saute 5 minutes more. Do not brown. 
2. Add carrots and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are fork tender about 15-20 minutes. You really want the goods to be fork tender.
3. Add milk, half and half, salmon, kale, parsley, dill and pepper. 
4. Simmer over low heat 5-10 minutes or until fish is cooked through and liquid is steaming, but not boiling. Throw on some minced chives if that's your fancy.
5. Add plenty of pepper and salt to taste.

Motzei Shabbat cooking ... a random rice concoction including wild rice,

corn, red pepper, tomato, tangerine, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and ...

I think that's about it. Completely random ingredients I had around.

One Coach Seat

And this is how I started my day. Glowing. Elated. In the world of Tyra Banks, I've got my smize on. Why so happy?


GAH! McKayla! Get off my back! Yes, my flight to Israel to become an Israeli and to fulfill the mitzvah of possessing the land of Israel is booked! I cannot explain how I feel about all of this, how smooth and quick it's moved. As my boss said, sometimes HaShem clears the leaves from the ground and the path is clear and you have no choice but to follow it. Life. Is. Happening! And soon!

When I got the email from Nefesh b'Nefesh, I rolled around in bed giggling to myself as I said Modah Ani, then crawled out of bed and took on the day, starting at the Farmers Market. If you want to start a day off right, start it at the market surrounded by fresh, local produce. It will put a bounce in your step and hope in your stomach.

And then I went to work, where I realized that there are way too many cups on my desk and the place is just a mess this week.

And, of course, I once again stayed late enough that the cleaning guy came in to empty the trash, at which point I realized I really should go home. But about an hour and a half before I went home, I made this video!


And then, my poor car, I took it home.

And now? I'm ready for Shabbos. Just a few days to go ...

Farmers Market + A Recipe!

I know some of you appreciate my food-related posts more than others, but I can't help sharing some of the photos I took at the Cherry Creek Farmers Market this morning as well as a recipe for Mexican Pilaf.

A coworker decided that we should hit up the Farmers Market before work today. It was a stupendous idea, although once I got to work it was really hard to focus. It still is. Hence why I'm here on Blogger, taking a break from some poster-design and website updates. I love Farmers Markets, and lucky for me, the shuk at Machane Yehuda is like the most awesome Farmers Market EVER!

I bought some okra -- my first time! Have a recipe for okra that you dig? Let me know.

And now ... for the lunch ...

And here's the recipe for Mexican Pilaf from "Crazy, Sexy, Diet" -- a book I highly recommend! This recipe packs a hidden punch that you get at the end of each bite. It's crazy filling, too.

Ingredients
3 cups wild rice, sprouted or cooked
3 tbsp green onions, diced
1 1/2 cup tomato, diced
1/2 cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 1-3 hours
1 1/2 tbsp miso (Chad suggested white miso)
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
salt if desired

Directions (Crazy Easy, for reals)
Place rice in mixing bowl and hand toss with the green onions, 1 cup tomatoes, cilantro and oregano. Set aside.

In high speed blender (or hand held one) blend sun-dried tomatoes, remaining tomatoes, miso, garlic, chili powder, cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil until smooth. (Note: I used my mini-chopper. It worked pretty darn well.)

Toss tomato paste with rice and mix well.

SNAP Challenge: Closing Time

Well, I'll admit it: I didn't blog nearly as much as I wanted to about the SNAP Challenge. But the truth of the matter is that you can only say so many times "I had leftover Lentil Taco Meat" or "I had leftover gluten-free pasta with homemade sauce" or, oh, for breakfast "I had more of that delicious Quinoa Breakfast Cereal."

Yes, I made four things this week and ate those four things for every meal. Those four things were Quinoa Breakfast Cereal, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Soup, Lentil Taco "Meat," and Trader Joe's Gluten-Free, Organic Pasta with homemade sauce. I got sick of them, for what it's worth. Really sick of them.

I know that doesn't seem like much, but when you make things en masse, they last forever.

What surprised me was that I have leftovers in the food department. I still have an entire portion (and then some) of the soup left, I never made the other soup I wanted to make, and I have enough lentils for probably two more portions. I didn't use all of the black beans that I bought, and the same goes for the raisins.

So by my estimates, this is how everything came out in the end:

• TJ's Gluten-Free Pasta $1.99
• Raisins $1.50 (of a $1.99 box)
• Corn Tortillas $1.48
• Green Lentils $.75 (of a $1.08 bag)
• Produce $8.39 (less the $3 for the produce I never used)
• Bagged Dry Black Beans $0.50 (of a $.70 bag)
• Carrots $.10 (of a $1.00 bag -- seriously, I ate like two carrots)
• Canned Diced Tomatoes $0.68
• Canned Tomato Sauce $0.33
• Quinoa $4.16
• Daiya Pepper Jack Cheese $3.15 (on sale with a $.50 coupon)
• TJ's Maple Syrup $2.34 (of a $13.00 bottle)
• Coffee $2.45

That comes out to about $3.20 spare, which I'm going to write off for what I probably spent on two cups of instant coffee with almond milk I made myself on Shabbos. Seriously, I couldn't help it.

Now, I will admit to a few things. I did get a Starbucks coffee (at the price of $2 and some change) using a free coffee drink I'd acquired. I also had lunch one day this week on the office, as it was our monthly staff meeting.

I'll also admit to the fact that I suck at eating when I can't just make things on the fly, so there were a few days -- Wednesday in particular -- where I seriously didn't eat much if anything at all. I drank a lot more water this week than normal, and I also seriously took advantage of the free coffee at work (something I rarely, if ever, do).

A few days I woke up famished, and by Thursday the Quinoa Breakfast Cereal wasn't cutting it. Today is another one of those days.

The truth of the matter is that to live on this kind of a budget you have to have a few things per week and just eat them on-and-off for every meal. I honestly can't see another way around it -- unless, of course, your diet is more open and you can buy boxed mac n'cheese and other low-budget, low-health options, which is something I didn't have the ability to do over the week of this challenge.

Ultimately, I wish I had spent more time planning out my snacks. I didn't get into the carrots, and that 2 pound bag for $1 went to complete waste. They're still good, and they'll come in handy during my adventures to Nebraska this week (especially with some hummus), but when it comes to snacking I'm more chips-and-salsa than carrot sticks.

So folks, that's the run of it. Would I do the challenge again? No dice. I missed out on some social opportunities this week because of the challenge, and I found myself staring at the cereal I had and the almond milk when I was too hungry to cook and being frustrated that I couldn't just eat it. But that $6.99 bag of gluten-free cereal and $2.66 carton of almond milk weren't figured into my budget. I suppose I could have divvied it up by servings and made it work, but it was too much work for my meager brain. I also wish that we could have had access to the food bank system (in theory) -- people living on limited budgets have a lot of options in the community with food banks.

Hunger is no laughing matter. People who live in the world of SNAP aren't walking around with easy money to buy gourmet chocolate and Starbucks coffee.

So find a Food Bank and give a little. Or, better yet, donate to Mazon -- the Jewish response to hunger.

SNAP Challenge Day 2: Snack, I Can't

Well hello Day 2 of the SNAP Challenge. Let us begin with a recap of everything that happened after that delicious, filling breakfast yesterday.

Yesterday for lunch I rocked out Lentil Taco "Meat" with some homemade corn tortilla cups. One cup of lentils has an amazing 18 grams of protein. I was stuffed after eating them. Don't they look delicious?

Snack time was carrots, but I'll be honest -- carrots just weren't feeling right. So I filled up on office coffee and water instead.

Then, last night, I hit my personal Big Fail, which is that sometimes when I get home from work, I don't have the energy to make dinner despite feeling famished. Well, guess what, folks? When you're on SNAP Challenge, you can't just have a bowl of cereal, unless that bowl of cereal was in your budget, in which case it wasn't in mine.

Sigh.

I was considering just not eating last night, but threw some of my Lentil Taco "Meat" leftovers into the microwave, threw on some corn tortillas, topped with some hot sauce, and in a fit of desperation I cut open some Daiya Pepperjack Shreds to put on top. With a little over $4 leftover from my produce budget and the fact that I haven't opened my Peanut Butter yet, I had the room to fudge. This, of course, means that I'm not opening my Peanut Butter this week. Protein loss for the desperation of fake cheese.

This morning, I decided to mix up my Breakfast Quinoa Cereal. The leftover quinoa from yesterday was in the fridge, so I threw on the same ingredients of cardamom, cinnamon, raisins, and maple syrup, but I also cut up one of my bananas. So I had a cold breakfast cereal that was downright delicious.

Lunch was a gimme -- provided by work for our monthly staff meeting. Yes, it was part of my rules, so I went with it. Hate on me if you want, but that's how it is. After work I went to the gym, after which I was starving, so I came home to a giant bowl of soaked black beans.

Yes, I bought dried beans because they're cheaper. They're less convenient, but as my boss says, "You can have two out of the three: cheap, healthy, fast." So I went for cheap and healthy. I soaked the entire bag of black beans all day, and then drained and rinsed them. I put them in a stockpot full of about 6 cups of water and brought the pot up to a boil. Once it was boiling, I skimmed the foam off the top, brought them to a simmer, and cooked covered for 45 minutes. Draining and rinsing them again, I began to prepare the Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup, substituting plain old water for the vegetable stock because, well, it's too expensive. Curious where black beans stand? One cup of black beans has 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber!

Crush point. I'm hungry. I want to eat. FEED ME! I have chips and snacks and things I could munch on while waiting for dinner. And here is my major fail when it comes to my diet: I'm a snacker. A hardcore, constant snacker. Vegetables, fruit, chips, you name it, I nosh it. This week is going to teach me that snacking just ain't where it's at.

So I decided to sacrifice one of my romain hearts and half a tomato for a simple salad with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. It did the job. Well, that and a giant cup of water. But I was still hungry. Soup, please?

One thing I've learned in becoming an ovo-vegetarian (a vegan that eats eggs occasionally): Spice is everything. If you have salt and pepper, you can do anything. Garlic? Cumin? Cinnamon? Seriously, with spices you can make anything taste good. I've learned to love spices, hardcore style. If I had to live on a SNAP budget permanently, I'd spend every spare penny I had on boatloads of spices.

And now, the soup -- which is delicious, by the way -- pureed with a bit of cilantro on top.

As it stands, I have $2.02 left to spend this week, and that's without having bought my canned white beans for the Quinoa, Kale, White Bean Soup. Here's hoping I can land a cheap can at Wal-Mart with a hechsher?

Also, note to self: Drink. More. Water. The more water you drink, the more full you feel.

SNAP Challenge: Day 1

Today begins the official SNAP Challenge for me, Susie at Daily Cheapskate, and Mara at Kosher on a Budget. To read the rules and regulations, check this post. 


Last night I went to Sunflower Market and landed all of this for $11.39. Winning! These will make for some delicious soup this week. 

Here you'll see lettuce, bananas, peaches, lime juice, yukon potatoes, yam,
tomatoes, parsnip, cilantro, kale, and leeks. 

Here is what I'll be eating for breakfast just about every day this week. 

I call it Quinoa Breakfast Cereal. It's 1/4 cup raisins, 1 cup cooked quinoa, cinnamon, cardamom, and a dash of maple syrup. Bam. Breakfast.

One cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams protein and 5 grams fiber!

Oh, and the coffee? Part of my rules. It's purchased by work, so I drink it. Take that, SNAP Challenge!


Lunch will be a serving of Lentil Taco "Meat" in White Corn Tortilla "Cups" topped with tomatoes and lettuce and a little bit of sriracha. The snack will be carrot sticks with ... maybe hummus? See below.


So far I have about $4.03 left over, but I have yet to buy the canned white beans I need for one of my soups. I'm also still waffling about whether I'm actually going to open and consume the jar of Peanut Butter I bought for $2.50 or if I want to reallocate that to hummus (which I prefer with my carrots anyway). Stay tuned!

SNAP Challenge: The Preview

Okay, well, after spending a few days stressing out to the max about this SNAP Challenge, I've decided to take it easy on myself. The reason? Well, after having people tell me that living on $31.50 for a week as a single gal my age was a breeze and me beginning to think I was insane, I discovered the USDA Official Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels. Even eating at the most thrifty plan, I'd still be allowed $41.70/week. The Low-Cost Plan is $53.90/week! So don't tell me it's easy. Unless you're going to put yourself in my shoes, folks! If we all sat down and looked at what we eat and every penny we spend, we might find the statistics in this chart to be pretty accurate. 

So the plan is that I'm going to subsite on four basic things.

• Breakfast daily will be a Quinoa Breakfast Cereal. Something along the lines of quinoa with cinnamon and raisins. If I can afford it after I pick everything else up, then some flax or chia as well. 
• Dinner and lunch will be this that and some leftovers. Among the options will be:
• Some semblance of Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Stew
• Some semblance of Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
• Gluten-free Pasta w/Homemade Sauce and maybe Chickpea "Meat" Balls
• Lentil "Meat" Tacos 
• Snacks and sides will be something along the lines of ...
• Simple salad
• Carrot Sticks with peanut butter or hummus (still debating which is cheaper in the budget)
• Drinks
• Water
• Coffee at work
• More water ... 

And these are the rules I'm setting for myself:

• I will drink the coffee that's available at work, because it's purchased by work. Since 41 percent of SNAP folks have earnings (aka job[s]), I'm going to count myself in the 41 percent. 
• I will accept the free lunch provided to me on Tuesday as part of our monthly staff meeting, for the same reason above. 
• I will accept invitations out for Shabbat next Friday/Saturday. 
• I will not be making/eating gluten-free challah. There's no way the costs will fit into the SNAP Budget, and I'll have to go without. Same goes with wine/grape juice if I end up staying in. 

Grocery shopping will commence some time tomorrow. I'm considering just making everything tomorrow and Monday and going from there. I hate leftovers -- I prefer to eat things fresh -- but being a single gal and doing this challenge necessitates rocking out a one-time cooking extravaganza and feeding myself the rest of the week on its leftovers. 

Wish me luck!

My Unorthodox Shabbat

If there's one thing in the world that I miss about being married, it's the big Shabbat meals I would prepare. The apartment filled with the scent of challah as I lit candles. The smell of cholent on Saturday morning filling every bit of air. Lots of vegetables and chicken and dessert and ... people.

Yes, I can make my own gluten-free cholent (I prefer the Moroccan variety with brown rice in place of barley and lots of beans and sweet potatoes and fragrant spices), but I'm not big on leftovers -- or eating cholent alone. I could make challah, but as I can't eat it, there would be no one to eat it. (I'm talking the real stuff here, folks. Yes, I still make gluten-free oat challah for me, but I miss being able to braid and serve my own delicious challot.

So, for now, I have unorthodox Shabbat meals alone. And for now, it will suffice. Items below consumed Friday night with some New Planet Beer (gluten free!).

A Mediterranean-style gluten-free, vegan pizza with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes,
kalamata olives, spinach, and Daiya vegan cheese!

A dessert pizza! Gluten-free crust with a homemade cashew spread,
grilled pineapple, blueberries, and pistachios!

Yucca fries! Boiled for a bit, then baked with olive oil and paprika.