Kale & Butternut Squash Quesadilla? Yay! New Years? Meh.

 

For the passed several years, New Years has been a weird time for me. It’s not for the regular, semi-cliched reasons either. I don’t get sad when I reflect and let it sink in that yet another year has come and gone, though I do get blown away by how quickly time truly does go by. Nope. New Years has become a weird, confusing time for me lately because, well, I already did New Years.

As observant Jews, my husband and I celebrate the new year in the Fall during Rosh Hashanah, known to the world as “Jewish New Year”. That’s the time of year that I get a bit more reflective and/or contemplative. That’s the time of year that I seek to change negative behaviors I see in myself while maintaining the good stuff I see in myself. It’s during this “New Years” that I reach out to old friends to tell them how much I miss them and to make promises to be in contact more often, though we both know it’s probably not going to happen. And because we read the same portion from the Torah every Rosh Hashanah, it’s so much easier to remember just where I was the year before, both spiritually and physically.

I’ll never forget Rosh Hashanah from three years ago. I sat in synagogue listening to the haftorah story of Hannah and her desperate want/pleads to have a child. I sat in that service and so identified with her. My husband and I desperately wanted to be pregnant. I don’t think I ever prayed so hard as I did that new year—begging Hashem to bless us with a child and asking Gd if he/she wouldn’t mind glossing over some questionable behaviors from my early 20s and maybe focusing more on my recent work to help up the blessing ‘ante’. Sure enough, one year later, we brought our 6 week-old baby with us to the very same synagogue to listen to the very same Torah portion and I truly never felt more grateful (or tired. She was only 6 weeks old, after all).

So, you see, this whole December 31st/January 1st thing isn’t such a big deal over here. Now, I’ll take any excuse to by champagne on sale and I do love the glitter that comes with this New Years (mental note: Find way to bring more glitter into Rosh Hashanah), but we already had our New Years’ time of intense reflection. We still do a little count down because we are citizens of this Earth and I do LOVE watching the ball drop from Time’s Square (mental note: Find way to bring a giant ball drop in Time’s Square into Rosh Hashanah) but we don’t go all out for New Years. Last year we started a little tradition of making homemade sushi and setting up the air mattress on the balcony for dinner and a movie al fresco but chances are, I’ll be asleep by 11.

Happy New Year.

There’s no “i” in “Team”, but there is kale.

 

Ok, I made this recipe last Tuesday and I have to say, it’s one of my new favorites. The crispness of a lightly buttered and fried tortilla mingled with the soft, sweetness of butternut squash and Monterrey Jack cheese just does good things to me. You don’t need a lot of spice to this recipe because the natural flavors of the veggies and cheese do it for you. Make sure your kale is chopped small so you can easily get a good bite out of it once it’s in the tortilla and enjoy!

As you can see by the pan, I really do cook these here recipes.

 

Nerd alert: I honestly do pay close attention to what goes in which layer when I make a quesadilla.

 

 

Cheese: It’s the glue that holds us (and this quesadilla) together.

 

When it comes to quesadillas, it really is ALL about what’s inside.

Kale and Butternut Squash Quesadilla:

(Makes 3 – 4 Quesadillas)

What:

1 Cup of kale, destemmed and chopped small
1 Cup of roasted butternut squash (see roasting direction here)
2 Cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 Tbsp cumin
Salt
Pepper
3 Tbsp of oil – Coconut or olive works nicely
Flour or whole wheat tortillas
Butter – for pan
1/2 – 3/4 Cup shredded cheese (I recommend Monterrey Jack or white cheddar)

How:

Break out a sauté pan, turn the stove to medium, and put your oil of choice in the pan (coconut or olive are my go-to). Thrown in your kale and sauté for just 1 minute. Next, throw in the garlic and sauté for another minute or so or until kale is bright green. Remove for heat immediately, place in separate bowl and set aside.

Next, wipe the pan down with a paper towel and put a little bit of butter in it. Turn the heat to medium low and place one tortilla in the pan followed but a layer of shredded cheese. Next, add your sautéed kale/garlic mixture and top that with a heaping scoop of butternut squash. Smush the squash down a bit so it’s evenly spread out in the center of the tortilla. Next, add another layer of shredded cheese and the other tortilla. Once that final tortilla top is on, give the quesadilla a nice final smush so that everything gets nicely “stuck” together. Let tortilla sit on the heat for 2-3 minutes, checking a few times to make sure it’s not burning. The secret to the perfect golden and melted quesadilla is too cook it slow and low (heat). After you’ve checked and the bottom tortilla looks good and golden, carefully flip quesadilla over using a wide spatula. If you feel it necessary, and I ALWAYS feel it’s necessary, add a bit more butter to the pan and make sure it gets under the new bottom tortilla. Let sit another 2-3 minutes, checking for perfect golden-ness. Once done, remove and serve hot with favorite toppings (my go-to are sour cream, Sriracha and cilantro).

15 Delicious + Decadent Mac n’ Cheese Recipes

 

Shalom.  My name is Whitney and I am a cheese-aholic.  I love cheese so much.  I love it cold, melted, on a sandwich, smothered over fries, shredded over a salad and/or sprinkled (heavily) over some delicious pasta. I’ll eat American “cheese” too. Really, I’m no cheese snob. My love of cheese knows no bounds. When I decided to start keeping kosher, I realized there would be meal decisions in which I was faced with making a choice between meat or cheese (come on, it’s no contest. Cheese wins every time). I had to reckon with the fact that there would even be times when these types of decisions would be made for me by whomever’s house I was visiting for a meal and if they decided to go meat, well, I would have to say “good bye” to my beloved cheese for at least 6 hours (read why here).

Now that it’s been a solid 4 years since deciding to go “kosher”, the things or situations I was initially concerned about are no longer on my mind. Kosher is so ingrained in our everyday life that I don’t miss cheeseburgers or cheesesteaks (too much . . . and neither does my cholesterol level). But, the one meal in which I miss my cheese is the Thanksgiving meal. In true Southern style, my dad’s family used to have the turkey, the dressing, the dinner rolls and a table completely dedicated to casseroles all scattered, covered and smothered in cheese. Gd bless my Southern family. Every year I would haul over to that casserole table and set up camp for hours. So since there is no cheese-laden table at my kosher Thanksgiving feast, I’ve decided to start dedicating Christmas Eve to that dish that is so revered in my mind . . . Macaroni and cheese. Macaroni and cheese represents all that is good and holy about casseroles, in my mind, so as a late Chanukkah/early Christmas gift, I bring to you an ooey, gooey, macaroni and cheese recipe round-up. Break out your Tums y’all, it’s going to be a glorious night.

 

 

Jeanette’s Healthy Living

1. Creamy Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese Recipe {Gluten-Free} 

Alida’s Kitchen

2.  Lighter Stove-top Mac and Cheese

i heart eating

3. {Secret Ingredient} Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Nosh and Nourishment

4.  Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Kitchen Treaty

5. Southwest Mac & Cheese with Optional Chicken

Diethood

6.  Oven Baked Macaroni and Feta Cheese

What Jew Wanna Eat

7.  Kale and Mushroom Quinoa Mac and Cheese

Jewhungry

8. Decadent White Cheddar Mac n’ Cheese

Julie’s Eats & Treats

9.  Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

This American Bite

10. Dairy-Free Mac n’ Cheese (w/cashew cream sauce)

 

The Noble Pig

11. Food Truck Mac n’ Kim-Cheese

A Cedar Spoon

12. Baked Mac & Cheese with Panko Breadcrumbs

Putting It All on the Table

13.  Grown Up Mac n’ Cheese

Persnickety Plates

14. Pepperjack Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

Jenni Field’s Pastry Chef Online

15.   Grand Ewe with Pine Nuts, Golden Raisins and Macaroni

Life Buoy: Love + Venetian Pizza

The second in our August Love Stories comes from Katia Bishops, the incredibly talented creator and blogger of IAMTHEMILK. I was blessed to discover Katia through several avenues, one being that of fellow blogger and my sister-in-law, The Joy of Caitlin. Katia speaks from the soul and does so with humor and authenticity. She doesn’t try to push any agenda but rather, wants to tell a story; her story.

Katia is a mother of two boys, 4 Year Old and 11 Month Old, currently on mat leave, fulfilling a lifelong dream of writing and making people laugh. And cry, which was not her dream nor intention. Katia writes about her children and occasionally about her husband, 37 Year Old. The serious stuff she writes about includes infertility, miscarriage and immigration. You can find her blogging at IAMTHEMILK (http://iamthemilk.wordpress.com) and on Twitter @KatiaDBE.

When I emailed Katia to ask her if she’d write for the series, I never thought she’d say ‘yes’. Not because she doesn’t seem incredibly kind in her writing, but because she’s like, famous and stuff in the blogging world. I admire her honesty and where she’s taken her blog so for her to agree to contribute and to add a recipe, well, we’re in for a treat folks.

Katia and Husband

A Life Buoy

A life buoy thrown to me in moments of deep all encompassing darkness. Moments that represented my ultimate failure. Moments that represented my ultimate vulnerability. Moments when I felt most exposed to the elements, usually in the form of people, were cushioned by you.

I’m sure you know by now that my Achilles Heel is the need to avoid conflict and to please all in the name of being accepted, being embraced. Some of the worst moments in my life were when I failed at that. Like the time when I lost that opportunity in London after much abuse from my millionaire brat of a boss. You know what I’m talking about. Failure at excelling, failure at independence, failure at the hopes built around this. I felt like I was quickly falling into a dark and very deep and wide pit. I’m not sure that you know that it was your life buoy that pulled me out.

I’m sure you remember October 2011 when we’ve received the devastating news about my second pregnancy, the one we were fighting so hard for. You drove home from work and we sat side by side on the sofa. I was sobbing, no – bawling, and you were comforting me, us. In a sea of comforting words from everyone who knew, words that failed to achieve their purpose, you told me that night that you’ve already spoken to him. We knew it was him. And that you’ve asked him to come back strong and healthy. I’m not sure that you know that it was your life buoy that I put my head on, rested for a while and then kept swimming.

I know you know how much I like food and travelling. I’m not sure you know my favourite trip was the one we took back in the year 2000 to Italy. I know you remember Venice, wandering around for a while in search of where we would eat lunch. You probably remember walking into that busy restaurant that felt more like a huge, noisy dining room, the mature waiter running around like a headless chicken and seeming bothered by the fact that the patrons were interfering with his work. Remember how we walked back out into the rain and decided to look for some place else? You remember the little “hidden cove” of a restaurant under the tiny bridge, I know you do. It looked more like a room in somebody’s home with two tiny tables and it probably was. We sat down at one of them and the server came up to us and instead of handing us menus she said “Pizza. With everything”. Half asking, half confirming. I know that you know how much I appreciate important decisions being made by someone else. I know you remember that we agreed. I’m not sure that you know that pizza was the best meal I ever had.

Quatro Formaggi Venetian Pizza with Everything Recreated by me For New Year’s Eve When Ben Was 7 Months Old

• Pizza dough: I can’t remember the specific recipe I’ve used but this seems very close. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_pizza/

Ingredients:

Sauce: Instead of tomato paste I use one of the pasta sauces you can find at grocery stores- Marinara, Bolognese – you can go as fancy or simple as you like. I usually go for the tomato basil one.

Cheeses: I always use more than one. Grated Parmesan (I prefer an actual slice of Italian Parmigiano cheese to the pre grated ones you buy at stores), mozzarella, feta and/or blue (don’t overdo it, they are both pretty salty).

Egg: One of my favourite things about the Italian pizza was the sunny side up. Add the egg 5-6 minutes before you finish baking.

Herbs: Parsley and Basil. I sprinkle them at the very end, about 3 minutes before you take the pizza out of the oven.

How:

I know you know how to make pizza and I don’t need to tell you the order in which you put the ingredients on. Make sure to preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes.

Before the pizza goes in the oven, lightly sprinkle it with olive oil.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden.

It’s All about Brunch: A Guest Post by THE Confident Cook, Hindy G.

Good Morning Readers!

I hope everyone is doing wonderfully. Things are going well in the Jewhungry kitchen these days.  I’m exhausted but pushing through.  Quick story:  I went to get my haircut last week (I decided the Omer was on Monday as well) and of course, the conversation in the salon quickly turned to food.  I go to a salon that focuses on using only organic products and so the folks that work there tend to lean towards a more ‘green’ lifestyle.  So, when I started talking about the meals I cook for my regular client and mentioned the cauliflower crust pizza, the next thing I know I’m walking out with a trim and two orders for pizza and a quinoa dish of my choosing (I made quinoa ‘meatballs’ and they are delicious. Keep an eye out in a future post).  Business is booming y’all and though it’s a bit overwhelming I can’t help but feel a little excited too.

Speaking of excited, today’s post is a guest post by the one and only Hindy G. from Confident Cook, Hesitant Baker.  Being accepted into the Kosher Connection fold several months ago was a highlight of my blogging life thus far.  Through the KC, I’ve been able to meet and connect and most especially, learn from some incredibly talented and supportive people.  I am so eternally grateful for what this group of people has done for Jewhungry and for my own growth as a cook and a blogger.   One of these amazing folks is Hindy, who ever so kindly accepted my invitation to guest on this blog with the theme of “Mother’s Day brunch”.  Now, this will be my first Mother’s Day and yes, it’s a Hallmark holiday and blah blah blah blah, but, I can’t help but be a little excited. Naturally, our plans for this Sunday revolve around food, as most of our plans tend to do and if you have any hesitation as to what to cook for the amazing mama in your life this Sunday (or any day, let’s be honest), hesitate no more because Hindy has cooked up a delicious breakfast tostada that will knock your socks off! Enjoy!

I’ll be celebrating “Mom Life” with this one this Sunday (well, I celebrate mom life with this one every day, to be honest).

Thanks to Whitney for asking me to share my cooking with you! I’ve been keeping an eye on JewHungry for a while now, and love what Whitney has to share on parenting and food!

I’d love to be that kind of person who uses the term “brunch” regularly. I really want it to be part of my vocabulary.  You know those people where brunch becomes a verb AND a noun in their life? My reality is that brunch rarely happens in my life. Ever since I became a parent, I have given my mornings away to my children. I’m not complaining. I love what motherhood has given to me. I just miss my lazy Sunday mornings.  Breakfast is my favorite meal and I would love for it to be leisurely – like a brunch should be.

A few years ago, I went back home to Minneapolis, a rare trip without children – to celebrate my sister’s 30^th birthday. The weekend of celebrations was amazing and ended with Sunday morning brunch at a fantastic place called Hell’s Kitchen. This breakfast tostada that I’m sharing with you today is inspired by the brunch I had there.  This breakfast is perfect hangover food, but also goes great with a mimosa or a bloody mary, or even a cup of coffee. Not that mothers should be condoning alcohol consumption or hangovers, right? Mothers do deserve some fun once in a while.

These breakfast tostadas would be perfect for a Mother’s Day breakfast. Most of the components can be prepared in advance and then you can save the egg prep for Sunday morning.  I love layered dishes like this one.

Breakfast Tostadas

Ingredients:

 

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

6 corn tortillas

Refried Bean Layer:

1 tsp. vegetable oil

½ onion, minced

1 can black beans

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tbsp. vegetable broth

Guacamole Layer:
2 avocadoes

½ red onion, chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground pepper

juice of ½ lime

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

Salsa Layer:

1 tomato

½ red onion, chopped

½ red pepper, chopped

½ green pepper, choped

2-3 tbsp. chopped cilantro

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

1 cup of steamed white corn (you can use canned or frozen if you don’t have fresh)

Beans:

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

Cheese (optional):

1.5 cups Mexican Blend Cheese, shredded

Eggs:

6 eggs

1 tbsp. butter

Directions:

Pan fry the tortillas in the vegetable oil for a couple minutes on each side. The should be brown and crisp. Drain them on paper towels.

For the refried beans, start by heating up the oil and sautéing the onions and garlic. Add the rest of the refried bean ingredients to the ban and cook for a few minutes. After a few minutes, mash with a potato masher or a fork. It doesn’t have to be completely smooth. I like my refried beans a little chunky.

For the guacamole layer, mash everything together. Taste and add additional seasoning if necessary.

For the salsa layer, chop everything up and mix together.

Drain the beans as indicated and set aside.

I like my eggs sunny side up in this dish. If you want, you could poach or scramble the eggs instead. I love my eggs sunny side up with a runny egg.

While the eggs are cooking, start layering the other pieces. This dish is pretty flexible, but I did fried tortillas then refried beans then a layer of guacamole then a layer of salsa then some shredded cheese and then the eggs. I also like to add a dash of hot sauce over my eggs when serving. I love the way the runny eggs integrate in to everything.

Hope you enjoy! A happy mother’s day to all the parents out there!