Monthly Archives:

December 2018

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: