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Liz

Smoothies & Shakes

Peanut Butter Waker Upper

I make this smoothie almost every morning. It gives me a good caffeine boost, fills me up with protein and tastes DELICIOUS. I also add a little bit of Greens Powder, like THIS Supergreens Powder.  My local Wegman’s Grocery Store also has a whole smoothie bar with all sorts of cool green powders.  I add just enough to give me some extra nutrition without having it alter the taste whatsoever.  It’s also naturally sweetened from the Banana and the Dates!

 

Peanut Butter Waker Upper

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By Liz Serves: 1
Prep Time: 5 Minutes

A delicious, filling, energizing and uber healthy breakfast smoothie.

Ingredients

  • 1 Frozen Banana (it MUST be frozen)
  • 2 Tbsp Coffee Beans
  • 1 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder or Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp Greens Powder
  • 2 Tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 cup 0% Fat Greek Yogurt
  • 8 oz Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 2 Medjool Dates
  • 1/3 cup Ice Cubes

Instructions

1

Add everything to your blender in any order you want, just save the almond milk for last and blend until smooth.

 

 

Spreads, Dressings & Sauces

Lemon Vinaigrette

This recipe is a staple and a favorite in my house, and always served with some fresh baby Arugula.  For some reason, my daughter has named this dressing “Slipper”, no one knows why. But she is often known to request “Salad with Slipper”, and we all know what she means. This recipe is enough for a few big salads, so I usually make it in my salad shaker and save the leftovers by putting the whole shaker right in the fridge. I love my OXO salad dressing shaker, you can check it out HERE.  (And no, this is not a paid sponsorship, I just really do love it!)

Lemon Vinaigrette (Slipper)

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By Liz Serves: 8
Prep Time: 5 Minutes

A super simple yet unbelievably bright and flavorful salad dressing.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1

Add all ingredients to a shaker or a bowl.

2

To combine, close shaker and shake vigorously, then pour onto your salad.

3

If using a bowl, combine by using a fork or a wisk and enjoy!

Desserts

Mini-Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Delicious Cardamom Cream Cheese Buttercream sandwiched by 2 tiny soft pumpkin cakes.  You can’t go wrong here.  I make these using a mini-whoopie pie pan, you can get one HERE.  These are great to serve at parties since they are bite sized and super easy to pick up, but super difficult to eat only one.

Mini-Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

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By Liz Serves: 36
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

A delicious bite-sized pumpkin treat, perfect for serving at parties.

Ingredients

  • WHOOPIE CAKES:
  • 2 cups Brown Sugar
  • 1 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 can Pumpkin Puree
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tablespoons Cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons Ginger
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cloves
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • CARDAMOM CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
  • 3 cups Confectioners Sugar
  • 1 stick Salted Butter, softened
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup Milk
  • 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Cardamom

Instructions

1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2

Spray cooking spray on whoopie pie pan.

3

Add Brown Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Pumpkin, Eggs and Vanilla to a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon, until they become one.

4

Add the Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and Salt and stir again.

5

Add the Baking Powder and Baking Soda and stir.

6

Add half of the Flour and combine until you can no longer see the Flour, then add the 2nd half and do the same.

7

Drop 1 heaping teaspoon full into each of the slots on the whoopie pie pan.

8

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, careful not to over bake these.

9

Remove from the oven, wait 5 minutes and then using a mini-offset spatula or a butter knife, gently pop the cakes out of the pan and put on a cooling rack. Repeat until you use all of the batter.

10

Now make the filling by using an electric mixer to beat the Butter and Cream Cheese together in a big bowl until smooth and combined.

11

Add the one cup of the Confections sugar and combine, then add the 2nd cup and combine.

12

Add the Milk and then the last cup of Confectioners sugar, Vanilla and Cardamom and combine.

13

To assemble the whoopie pies, make sure the cakes have completely cooled and then spread about 1 Tablespoon of frosting on the bottom of one of the cakes, and then place another cake on top of the frosting, making a sandwich.

14

I lay these on their sides once they are assembled, to store put in an air-tight container, do not refrigerate.

Batter is all ready to go:

The finished cakes:

Cardamom Cream Cheese Buttercream:

Soups, Salads & Bowls

Curried Carrot Soup

You’ll find many variations of this soup, I like the sweet/spicy combo of my recipe. If you like Cilantro, or are obsessed with it like me, you will find that adding Cilantro as a garnish at the end and getting a little cilantro in every bite, really compliments this soup in the most incredible way.

 

Curried Carrot Soup

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By Liz Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

A warm, earthy and slight spicy vegetarian soup that will comfort your soul and light up your senses.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Salted Butter
  • 1 medium Onion, diced
  • 1.5 lbs Carrots, chopped into discs
  • 32 oz of Vegetable Stock
  • 1 tsp Curry Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Tumeric
  • 1/2 tsp Corriander
  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (omit to make soup mild tasting)
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 can Light Coconut Milk
  • Cilantro for Garnish

Instructions

1

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

2

Add diced onion and sauté until translucent.

3

Add carrots and cook with the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

4

Add the Vegetable Stock and the spices (don't add salt yet) and stir.

5

Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender if you poke them with a fork.

6

Turn the heat off and add the Salt, Brown Sugar and Coconut Milk.

7

Using an immersion blender (or if you don't have one you can pour mixture into a blender), puree all of the ingredients together.

8

Serve immediately and garnish with fresh Cilantro.

9

You can save in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze.

Sautéing the onion:

Chop the carrots like this:

Main Dishes

Potato Latkes

Potato Latkes, are of course, a Hanukkah staple.  I’m an old fashioned latke purist. When I sit down to eat my latkes I just want that crispy fried outside and the soft inside of potato and onion topped with sour cream and sprinkled with salt, ok, a lot salt. These are surprisingly quick and easy to make, especially if you have a food processor.

Potato Latkes

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By Liz Serves: 12
Prep Time: 10 Cooking Time: 20

A classic, no frills latke recipe that is sure to please everyone.

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs Russet Potatoes
  • 2 large Onions
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 Tsp Black Pepper
  • Canola Oil for frying

Instructions

1

Peel the potatoes.

2

Peel the onions and slice them in half or in quarters.

3

Using a food processor with the grating blade, feed the potatoes and the onions in, shredding them. (If you don't have a food processor, you can use a hand grater.)

4

Dump the entire contents of the food processor into a clean, thin, and large kitchen towel. Gather the corners of the kitchen towel and twist so the shredded stuff cannot escape. Now squeeze it very hard over your kitchen sink, getting out all the excess moisture. You want to squeeze really hard and get out as much of the water as you can.

5

Now open up your towel over a large mixing bowl and scrape off any straggling shreds with your hands.

6

Add the Eggs, Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Pepper to the bowl.

7

Mix together using your hands, its truly the best way.

8

In a wide, heavy bottom pan pour oil to a depth of about 1/4 inch.

9

Place a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan and place in a 200 degree oven and leave it, you will use it in a bit.

10

Heat oil over a medium high heat.

11

Test oil heat by dropping one tiny shred of potato from the latke mixture, if it sizzles, its ready. If it splats everywhere, its a bit too hot.

12

Form latkes with your hands by picking up some of the mixture and making a patty, then gently place it in the oil, careful with your hands! Depending on size of your pan, put 2-4 latkes in at once. I put 4 at a time in my pan, but you want the latkes to have room to cook, don't crowd them.

13

Let the latkes cook for about 2 minutes, then flip them. (The cooked side should be golden brown, if it's not cook a little longer.) Cook another 2 minutes.

14

I usually flip the latkes again and cook for another 2 minutes on the original side because I like mine extra crispy.

15

Using a slotted spatula, pick up latkes, one at a time letting excess oil drip back into pan. Then open up the oven and place the finished latkes on the rack/sheet pan that you placed in there earlier. This will keep the latkes warm and crispy while you make the rest.

16

Continue the above process until all of your latke mixture is fried into delicious latkes.

17

Serve with sour cream, applesauce, and if you are me, a pinch pot of salt.

The final mixture, ready for frying:

Keeping warm in the oven on a cooling rack:

 

Main Dishes

Gratin aux Legumes

While traveling through France, I stayed in a tiny village called Puycelsi. I popped into 1 of the 2 restaurants in the village for lunch. I was feeling vegetarian that day and so I ordered the Gratin aux Legumes (Gratin with Vegetables). It was so delicious and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. 2 years later, I’ve finally set out to recreate that delicious dish. It was served in an individual cast iron dish at the restaurant, but I’ve made it more of a family style version, in which you scoop out servings. To me, this dish is comfort food at it’s best.

Legume Gratin

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By Liz Serves: 6
Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes

A cheesy, warm vegetarian comfort food.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Salted Butter
  • 4 Leeks, choped
  • 1 Yellow Squash, sliced thin
  • 1 Zucchini, sliced thin
  • 1 Eggplant, chopped into strips
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit.

2

Start by melting butter in the bottom of a large dutch oven or saucepan on medium high heat.

3

Add chopped leeks and stir with a wooden spoon until leeks have cooked down and some are brown (about 5 minutes.)

4

Add the Zucchini and the Yellow Squash and continue stirring and letting the squash cook for another 5 minutes.

5

Add the Eggplant and stir for another 5 minutes.

6

Add 1 tsp Salt and 1 tsp Pepper to vegetables and stir together.

7

Cover the pot with lid and turn heat off.

8

In a separate bowl, mix together the Milk, Creme Fraiche, Egg, Fresh Thyme and 1 tsp of Salt and Pepper.

9

In a buttered, oven safe casserole dish, layer the bottom with half of the sautéed vegetables.

10

Next, sprinkle half of the shredded Gruyere cheese on top.

11

Then add the last half of the sautéed vegetables on top of the cheese layer.

12

Now pour the Milk mixture over the top of all the vegetables.

13

Top the dish with the last of the Gruyere cheese.

14

Place dish in the oven and bake for 40 Minutes until the top is brown and bubbly.

15

Serve warm.

Chopped leaks:

Sauteed Vegetables are ready to go:

 

Breads

Cranberry Almond Scones with Orange Glaze

This flavor combo is heavenly. You get a double punch of almond from the almond extract plus the slivered almonds (can you tell I love almonds?) In addition, I have found the secret to perfect scones, it’s sour cream! Make these for breakfast on the weekend. They are the perfect fall/winter breakfast treat. I like to make this full recipe for my family, everyone eats one and then I freeze the rest for the week ahead. They reheat so beautifully that they taste fresh out of the oven!

Cranberry Almond Scones with Orange Glaze

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By Liz Serves: 10
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes

With a double hit of almond, tart cranberries and a hint of orange, these scones fluffy scones will be the hit of your next breakfast table.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Bakin Soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup cold Salted Butter (1 stick), cubed
  • 3/4 cup Cranberries
  • 1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 2 tsp Almond Extract
  • FOR GLAZE:
  • 1 cup Confectioners Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Orange Zest
  • 2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Half and Half

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2

Put flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix together.

3

Add cubed butter to flour mixture.

4

Using a fork, press butter into flour mixture squeezing butter through the spokes of the fork. Keep pressing and pressing for about 3-4 minutes. Then end product should look meal-y, (see photo below.)

5

Add Cranberries and Almonds to flour/butter mixture and stir with a spoon to evenly distribute.

6

In small bowl, beat egg, sour cream and almond extract together and then pour into the dry mixture.

7

Using a spoon, combine the wet and dry ingredients a little bit, but then put the spoon down and use your hands to combine the wet and dry ingredients until they have just come together. (Do not over mix them, because your hands are warm and will melt the tiny chunks of butter, and you do not want this to happen because those little butter chunks help the scones become fluffy in the oven.)

8

Once the wet and dry have just come together, plop your ball of dough on a floured, flat surface (I use a Roul-Pat.)

9

Sprinkle a little flour on the top of your dough and then roll it out using a rolling pin until it's about 3/4 inch thick (pretty thick).

10

Using a round biscuit cutter (or take a cue from my mom and just use a CUP!), cut out round scones and place each on the parchment papered cookie sheet.

11

Once you've used up all the available space, gather the scraps of dough and make them into one piece, roll it out again to 3/4 inch thick and cut more rounds, until you are done. You should have 9-10 scones.

12

Place the cookies sheet full of scones into the oven and bake for 15-18 Minutes, until you see a few golden brown spots on a few of the scones.

13

While the scones are in the oven, make the glaze. Start by zesting your orange. Then, using a fork, mix the zest, orange juice, half n half and confectioners sugar together in a small bowl.

14

Take scones out of oven, let them sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack that is on top of a baking sheet.

15

Using a spoon, gently ladle the glaze onto the tops of the scones.

16

Serve warm or freeze (these reheat beautifully!!!)

This is how your butter/flour mixture should look once the butter is is properly broken apart and mixed in:

Cut scones lined up on parchment paper:

The orange glaze:

These scones have just been glazed:

Desserts

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

This is the pie you want to serve at Thanksgiving.  It’s equally impressive to the eye as it is to the mouth.  You can use this recipe with a store bought crust, or make your own using THIS recipe.  Serve it warm with some of my fresh Vanilla Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

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By Liz Serves: 8
Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 60 Minutes

This amped up version of apple pie is such a natural evolution. It's just a bit more buttery and more cinnamon-y than it's original version.

Ingredients

  • 5 Medium sized Honeycrisp Apples
  • 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Corn Starch
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp All Spice
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Lemon Zest
  • 1 Tbsp Freshly Squeeze Lemon Juice
  • 2 tsp Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
  • For Cinnamon Rolls:
  • 1 Pie Crust, rolled out
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 egg, beaten for Egg Wash

Instructions

1

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2

Peel, core and slice the apples (see photo below for size of apple slices.)

3

Place apple slices in a bowl with the citrus juices, zest, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

4

Roll out the pie dough for the bottom of the pie and place it in 9 inch pie pan.

5

Now put all the apple slices with the spices, juices and all into the pie crust.

6

Time to make the Cinnamon Roll topping: roll out another pie crust.

7

Sprinkle the 2 Tbsp Sugar and 2 tsp of Cinnamon evenly across the pie dough.

8

Roll the pie dough up like a jelly roll. (See photos below.)

9

Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

10

Take the roll out of the fridge, and unwrap it.

11

Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into thin slices, and voila! Mini cinnamon rolls.

12

Place the cinnamon rolls, one by one, on top of the pie until it's covered. You want there to be some spaces to let the steam escape. (I left a little hole in the middle.)

13

Using the beaten egg, brush all of the cinnamon rolls and any exposed crust with the egg wash.

14

Place the pie on a cookie sheet (to catch any drippings) and bake for 1 hour, the crust will be golden brown and the juices will be bubbling out. Serve warm with my Vanilla Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

Adding the zest and citrus juices to the sliced apples:

The final apples into the pie crust:

Rolling out the other pastry crust for the cinnamon roll topping:

Slicing the cinnamon rolls:

This pie is ready to go into the oven:

Main Dishes

Noodles & Cottage Cheese

If you do not like Cottage Cheese, this recipe is not for you.  But if you do, get ready for the easiest, most delicious comfort meal of your life. I grew up eating this for lunch. It is a recipe that came from my namesake, Grandma Liz. She was my Great Grandmother, Liz Federbush, born in Austria in 1898. She brought this recipe all the way to Cincinnati, Ohio. This recipe is my only connection to her, since I never got to meet her.  I’ve successfully converted my husband and children to lovers of this simple dish and I hope I can covert you too.  If you like cottage cheese please try this!

Noodles & Cottage Cheese

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By Liz Serves: 1
Prep Time: 2 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

A simple pasta dish that makes a comforting lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Uncooked Elbow Macaroni
  • 1 Tablespoon Salted Butter
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

Instructions

1

Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt once the water begins to boil and then add macaroni noodles.

2

Boil macaroni for about 10 minutes, until noodles are soft but have a little bit of a bite to them (al dente).

3

Drain the water and put macaroni back into the pot.

4

Add the butter and salt to the pot and stir until all the butter is melted and evenly distributed.

5

Add pasta to the serving bowl.

6

Add cottage cheese to the bowl and stir into pasta until even distributed.

7

Your noodles and cottage cheese is ready to eat.

Sides

Kurkuri Bhindi (Indian Fried Okra)

I absolutely love Indian Food. The amount of spices alone is enough to win me over. I was inspired to make this dish after attending the Diwali Festival at our local community center. This recipe basically tastes like amped up French Fries in the best way. There is such a depth of flavor. A lot of the Kurkuri Bhindi Recipes call for Cumin, but I’ve omitted it because I just don’t like the flavor. A lot of the recipes also use Chickpea Flour. I used regular All Purpose Flour and it works beautifully, but you could be a bit more authentic and use Chickpea Flour if you’d like.

Kurkuri Bhindi

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By Liz Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

A crispy, flavorful side dish to serve with any meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Okra
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
  • 1 tsp Chaat Masala Powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour or Chickpea Flour
  • 1 tbsp Corn Flour
  • Canola Oil for frying
  • 1 Lemon
  • Extra Salt

Instructions

1

Cut the the tops off the Okra and then slice them horizontally into quarters. Some of the seeds will fall out, that's fine!

2

Add Red Chilli powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Chaat Masala Powder and Salt in a bowl and toss all of the spices with the Okra strips until it is all distributed evenly.

3

Let it rest for 10-12 minutes, the Okra will create a little bit of water.

4

After letting it rest, add the Flour and Corn Flour to the bowl and toss it all together so all of the pieces are coated in the flours evenly.

5

In a large saucepan, pour in oil until the bottom of the pain is covered and is 1 inch deep, heat the oil on a medium high heat.

6

Test the oil by dropping in a small piece of Okra, if it immediately sizzles it's ready. If it splatters everywhere, it's a bit too hot.

7

Grab about 1/3 of the Okra and put it in the oil. Spread the Okra out a little in the pan so they have room to cook. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes in the oil until they look golden brown and crispy.

8

Take them out and place them on a plate lined with paper towel to drain the oil.

9

Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top, add a pinch of salt and serve while still hot.

Cutting the Okra in quarters horizontally:

Adding the spices:

Frying the Okra: