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A Lesson in Patience…
sitting in JFK
flight is delayed for
about 2 hours now
and…
its 3:30 in the AM!
technical difficulties
says the “staff” …
who sit and chatter and say things like
“we don’t know anything”
“no clue as to how much longer”
“we will call you when it is time to board”
now…
with my front seat view of the desk
I witness…
all matters of people…
and their patience.
and I wonder?
does it really help
to mucher and harras
the people at the desk?
sit…
relax…
there is no way you….madame..
are going to get yourself
on that plane any quicker…
if you ask.
and ask.
and ask again.
no matter how angry
how frustrated
or how tired and upset you really are.
sometimes you have to just realize
that…
when the plane and crew are ready….
fixing whatever they are fixing…
ONLY then
will you, me and the other 300+ passengers
are going to get on that darn thing
so
A lesson in patience…
one that I have realized I could use
throughout my daily life
G-d is working, doing what he does best
and only when he is ready and thinks it’s best for me & you
despite my nagging, pleading and frustration
I will not get what I want any faster…
so better for me to sit back
play with my Tunie B.
enjoy this adventure…
and when things are ready and good…
I will be able to appreciate
the ride
all the more

Shana Tova Everyone
May this year be one of blessings and good things for all of us!
Wishing you all a easy & meaningful fast.

The Best EVER Honey Cookie Recipe

Admittedly I tried hard to connect this recipe to this post..but could find none other than ; I love this recipe and you need a bit of patience with yourself when your last cookie is eaten and your not sure how you actually ate the ENTIRE batch because YES – they are that good.

My Aunt Rachel (a never ending source of delicious foods) makes massive batches of this cookie for this holiday season. I personally received my own tin and have set the record for the most honey cookies eaten by one human being in one sitting! (I checked -people! )

Personally I can not stomach honey cake or the normal honey cookie recipes that most people love. But these cookies, are in a class by themselves, subtly sweet, not to chewy not to dense…just perfect bites to dunk in a cup of tea after your meal or in the morning before the madness of the day starts.

This recipe comes from another very talented person – Leeba R. who generously allowed my aunt to share it with me – and hence you lucky people!

Ingredients:
4 c. Flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 c. Oil
1 1/4 c. Sugar
4 T. Honey
3 eggs

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 325 F degrees.
Mix all your ingredients in bowl until well combined. Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scooper, drop small dollops of cookie batter on to your cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Tip: Add one egg if batter is too dry.

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Orange Chocolate Pomegranate KitKat Squares

The inspiration for this recipe came from a combination of this chocolate pomegranate bark recipe  and my recent kitchen dabbling for my upcoming party inspired cookbook. I have been arduously baking and eating, all in the name of trying to perfect the art of tweaking the recipes to my favorite brand candy bars . Its rough work, I know.

While working on my KitKat recipe, I realized the key to the perfect crisp is not corn flakes as most recipes I found had, but actually Rice Chex cereal. Add to it your favorite melted chocolate and a little hot honey and you have a crisp crunchy bottom that is way better than the real thing. For Tu B’Shavt I went a little crazy and added some orange liquor for a more sophisticated flavor, but feel free to leave it out if you think your kids would not appreciate the liquor taste.

PS. These bars also make a terrific Purim treat for your M’shloach Manot.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
6 cups rice chex cereal
3/4 cups roasted slivered almonds
7 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp. orange liqour (optional)

For the Chocolate Topping:
7oz bittersweet chocolate
3 tbsp. butter
zest from 1 large orange
zest from 1 large lemon
1 1/2 cups fresh pomegranate seeds
3/4 cups roasted slivered almonds

Directions:
In a food processor, plus together the chex and almonds for 7-8 pulses until you have a coarse pebble like mixture. Place the chex mixture into a large mixing bowl.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter together (2 minutes). Remove from microwave and mix until smooth and all the chocolate bits have melted.

Add the melted chocolate into the chex and nut mix, and blend together with rubber spatula until full incorporated.

In a small sauce pan heat the honey on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the liquor and mix. Pour the heated honey into the chex and chocolate mixture and combine totally. You should now have a crispy mixture that sticks together and is ready to be formed into your kitkat square crust.

In a wax paper lined  11×14 tray (spray the wax paper with non-stick spray), add the crushed chex and chocolate mixture. Using your hands, mold and press the chex mixture into a flat even crust that is about 1/2 inch thick. Refridgerate for 20-30 minutes

In another microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter for the topping.
Using a rubber spatula or knife, spread the melted chocolate evenly over the chex crust.

Quickly add both zests, pomegranate seeds and roasted almonds all over the chocolate. Place back in refrigerator for another 20 minutes.

Remove the chocolate (still on the wax paper) from the tin and place onto flat surface.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the ragged edges off – making an even rectangle.
Then slice long strips, and then cut into 1 1/2-2 inch wide squares.
Serve and enjoy

The post No Bake Orange Chocolate Pomegranate KitKat Squares…Happy Tu B’Shvat! appeared first on the Patchke Princess.

I still can’t wrap my head totally around it..
Yesterday after nearly 3 years of being chained I FINALLY received that precious GET! (Insert fist pumps & happy dance)

You would think the night before this all went down I would be cautiously excited desperate to jump with joy screaming at everyone I met, “it’s happening, it’s happening..”

But instead, I was drunk on food from post t’shabav feasting, and laying in bed with my Tunie B. curled up and fused to my spine like sweaty camel humps, the only thoughts running through my head were…

What exactly does one wear to pick up her GET?
I know…really…Sarah? You think those Bet Din Rabbis are going to take one look at you and say…she wore that short black skirt, sorry NO GET for her?

But the mind is a funny thing. It plays games trying to protect you from emotional overload, your psyche creeping up in the haze of your stormy thoughts using it magic fingers to disguise your feelings in mundane curiosities.

What did I wear to get my GET?

I wore the last 2 years 8 months 36 days and 15 hours of battle scars.
My pockets were filled with the pain that is seeing my marriage end in it’s entirety. Yet knowing absolutely it’s end will be my salvation.
I wore my bruised heart on my shirt sleeve.
My feet dragging in the laced up bittersweet mixed emotions that was the awesome happy relief and deep sadness I was muddling through.
My hands held by the support of my friends and family, totally naked of rings, clearly marking my much anticipated singleness to come.
I was dressed appropriatly.

As I sat across from the table of men at the bet din, staring at the proxy that was sent by my ex in his place, reading out loud the words written on that small piece of paper, I picked nervously at my sleeves hem.

I pulled at the stray threads like I would the petals of a daisy, counting to myself….
(One thread for) good memory,
(One thread for) bad memory,
Good memory,
Bad….
Till the proxy finished & I was officially divorced.

My battle for freedom is over.

I stepped out of the Bet Din that day into the bright shining sun, thinking one thought…

I can now run the streets dressed in the patchwork of the experiences and lessons of the last decade that was my marriage and divorce.

And like Scarlet O’Hara in her green curtain dress, sing at the top of my lungs …

“Free at last! Great God Almighty, Free at Last!”

I am grateful.

The post What to wear when picking up your GET? appeared first on the Patchke Princess.

There are two kinds of people in life, the ones that love a heavy thick and creamy vanilla cheesecake and those who prefer the low fat,low sugar slightly watery “healthy” vanilla cheesecake.

The latter types…must lead very sad and lonely lives. (ok ok I am just kidding…slightly)

As you can tell from my perhaps bias opinions – I am from those who are lovers of the original vanilla cheese cake. You know the one made with, full cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and sugar, that is then baked in a gentle water bath to a custardy creamy perfection with a delicious buttery graham cracker crust thrown in for good measure.

So why I decided to cut out as much refined sugar as I could in my diet right before the Shavout holiday, is literally mind boggling to me. Have I joined the ranks of those who put health before indulgence? me… the person who wrote the book on butter and cream, literally called The Dairy Gourmet..have I crossed into the dark side?

Fear not…I have not lost my buttery edge. Instead I found a cheese cake that both sides can sink their teeth in, and not feel like they are compromising their cheesecake morals.

The Japanese Vanilla Cheesecake – a hybrid of the original new york cheese cake and your favorite diet version. This light as air mousse like cheese cake, does not disappoint those who are looking for a creamy textured cheesecake. With a little less than 1/4 cup of sugar in the whole batter, it is guilt free in my world of eating less sugar.

Now I do admit to making this blueberry caramel sauce that is in the category..CHOCK FULL of sugar. But because I only put 1 tablespoon or more on my slice and it is Yom Tov…..I think I got this sugar thing pretty much handled.(baby steps people)

And for the record I adore this cheesecake plain without the sauce.

Japanese Vanilla Cheese Cake w/ Blueberry Caramel

Sauce

Ingredients:

• 10.5 oz (300 g) cream cheese
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 2/3 cups of milk
• 3 1/2 tsp. + 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Cut a strip of parchment that is 3 cm higher than the height of the cake pan.

Fold 1.5 cm along the long edge and cut a notch to the fold line every 2 cm to allow the strip to line the side of the cake pan. Slits should point into the center of the cake pan. You want the strip to be at least 1 cm taller than the cake pan. (Basically, the notches are just so you can build a perfectly round collar around the base of the pan.) Cut a parchment paper round to line the bottom of the cake pan.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

1. Put the egg whites into the freezer so it just begins to freeze around the edges. Sift the cornstarch.
2. Place the cream cheese in glass bowl and microwave until it becomes soft to the touch. You do not want to heat it up. (I did this in about 15 second intervals.)
3. In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the cream cheese and whisk well to combine.
4. In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and 3 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. Mix in the cornstarch.
5. Heat the milk in microwave (covered) for about 2 minutes on high.
6. In a double broiler add the egg yolks and hot milk and whisk until thickens. Add this mixture to the cream cheese and combine well.
7.  Add 1 tsp. of sugar to the egg whites and mix in electric mixer on medium low speed for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and beat on medium until a soft meringue forms.
8. Add ¼ of the meringue to the cream cheese mixture and  gently fold in with a a rubber spatula to combine. Add the remaining meringue to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold to combine completely.
9.  Fill the cake pan and smooth the top.
10. Put the cake pan in a roasting pan and add boiling water so it comes up 1-1.5 cm up the cake pan.
11. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 325F and continue to bake for 25 minutes until the top turns slightly golden.
12. Turn off the oven and leave the cake pan for another 40 minutes to an hour.

Note:  The cake will continue to bake with the heat off so do not over bake. Depending on the oven, the cake may not turn golden but should avoid cooking much longer than the suggested time.

Take the cake out of the roasting dish and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate and chill completely before taking it out of the pan. It is best served the second day.

Blueberry Caramel Sauce

recipe adapted from Bon Appetite Magazine (May 2014)

Ingredients:

• 1cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Cook sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to turn golden brown around the edges.
2.  Stir to incorporate melted sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until all sugar is melted and caramel turns a deep amber color, 6–8 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and carefully add vinegar to caramel (mixture will bubble vigorously and seize), then add berries.
4. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until seized caramel is melted and berries are softened, 6–8 minutes. Let cool.

DO AHEAD: Caramel sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

The post Japanese Vanilla Cheesecake with Blueberry Caramel Sauce appeared first on the Patchke Princess.

Over the Top Blueberry Sour Cream Crumb Muffins

The dairy Shavous Kiddush, has become the event I look most forward to a whole year. Naturally, it is really my excuse to pull out every single delicious dairy pastry recipe I have filed away, and display them all at once in a buffet of decadent indulgence.

Last year, a client asked me to make her something, that was “not a cheesecake”, she could serve with tea and coffee for her own kiddush. Coffee Cake anyone? But it had to be more than just the crumbly dry one we are all use to…

So I set out to tweaking my favorite sour cream coffee cake recipe (Dairy Gourmet Cookbook).  Starting with adding applesauce to the batter, I achieved my goal of creating an extremely moist muffin instead of the normally drier texture that is found in traditional coffee cake. Naturally my favorite part of the coffee cake (the crumb topping), was doubled and I put a  heaping amount of the crumb topping (because lets face it, that is by far the best part of any good coffee crumb cake). Then finally  throwing in the sweet tart Jersey blueberries that are in season during this month for good measure, was the my personal “over the top” achievement in recipe creation.

After one bite, you will totally agree, these muffins are truly the ultimate way to start your Shavous morning this Yom Tov!

A sneak peak recipe from my new cookbook The Dairy Gourmet 2 (October 2014)

Over the Top Blueberry Sour Cream Crumb Muffins

Yields 13

Tip: I like to use the flower cup muffin holders for this recipe for less mess. If you are using standard muffin holders, make sure to spray the top of your pan with non-cook spray for easier removal and clean up.

Ingredients:

For the Topping:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted in microwave
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 4 oz (1/2 cup) ground walnuts

For the Muffins:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
• 1 lb. frozen blueberries

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Prepare a muffin tray with paper liners.

Make the Topping:

1. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Pour in the melted butter and mix well with a whisk until blended. Add the cinnamon and mix well.
3. Add the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and the walnuts and mix using your fingers until combined. The texture should be a clumpy yet crumbly one. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the Muffins:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well blended.
2. In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed until just combined, scrape the bowl as needed.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined (scrape the bowl again).
4. Slowly add about 2 cups of the flour mixture into the bowl with the butter and eggs. Beat together until combined.
5. Now add the applesauce to the bowl, beat till combined.
6. Add another cup of the flour mixture and beat everything until combined.
7. Scrape the bowl, and now add the sour cream and beat again until combined.
8. Add the rest of the flour, (scrape again if necessary) and beat everything together.
9. Remove the bowl from the stand and using a rubber spatula gently fold in the blueberries.

To Assemble the Muffins:

1. Place a small dollop of your crumb mixture into the bottom of every muffin liner. Firmly press down with your fingers until you have formed a small layer of crumb crust.
2. Using an ice cream scooper or large spoon, scoop the muffin batter evenly into all your muffin liners. (they should be filled to the top of the liner).
3. Place in oven (on lower middle rack) and bake for about 10 minutes until the edges of the muffin are slightly set and the rest is very jiggly. Remove the tray from the oven and place on a heat proof counter top.
4. Now generously scatter the walnut crumb topping evenly over each muffin top. Place the tray back into the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. The muffins are ready when the cake part springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

TIP: Check the cake early. If the crumbs are golden but the cake part is not fully baked, cover it loosely with foil and continue to bake.
Let cool on rack for at least 20 minutes and serve warm or room temperature.

The post The Best Blueberry Sour Cream Crumb Muffin …Over the Top {Shavous Recipe} appeared first on the Patchke Princess.

I have been at this for a long time…cooking and baking that is. It never fails to surprise me how much I still have to learn. The art of combining fat with flour, sugar with salt, is a true science that produces the most delicious of experiments (most of the time).

Now in school, the subject of Science was not something I particularly excelled in. Like any student who didn’t want the wrath of their parents ruining their weekend plans, I memorized my elemental tables and crammed on my required readings ,just enough to pass my tests and keep the (must have or die) telephone in my room.

Regrets are not something I carry around, but I do wish I payed just a little more attention to Mrs. Senderowvitz in High School Science. Then maybe  I can explain why  this incredible magic custard cake works, a simple recipe, that when combined in one baking pan, creates a 3 layer WOW of a dessert.

I have become so obsessed with trying to figure the “magic” of this cake out, ever since I saw the recipe earlier this year, on a few of my favorite food blogging sites.

How exactly, does this extremely liquid batter, produce a piece of cake that has a gooey light  custard middle sandwiched between two delicious dense, not to sweet cake layers? I filed the recipe on my must try list, until this week, when I FINALLY decided to tackle it. Not realizing my delay, kept me from experiencing what all before me had. This incredible rush of awe & giddiness, as I sliced into the cake for the very first time, and saw those 3 gravity defying layers of pure impossible deliciousness.

I am sure there is someone reading this who did better than me in Science class.

But I for one, am happy to be a student…of Magic!

Magic Custard Cake

After reading through all the blogs with this recipe, it was White on Rice Couple that had the best tips for making this cake work every time I tried it last week (just lets say that I have very happy neighbors). Their recommendation for making sure that you pay attention to the temperature of the milk and butter is key. They also figured out how to make a CHOCOLATE version of it – a definite dessert that will be on my Shavout table this year.

Now I just decided to take myself off sugar, so it was very …NO VERY hard to only take a really small taste bite of this cake (I took one for team). This cake however surprisingly is not  overt sweet at all, in fact too much sweetness would ruin the overall subtle light flavor of this cake. Next time I make it, I think I would add some lemon zest to batter because I love the combination of custard and lemon.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Butter

2 cups Milk

4 eggs, separated

4 drops White Vinegar

1 1/4 cup Confectioner’s Sugar

1 Tbsp. Water

1 cup Flour

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

extra confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish.

1.  In the microwave melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool.

2. In the microwave warm the milk for about 40 seconds until lukewarm and set aside.

3. In your stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip together the egg whites and vinegar to stiff peaks. Set aside.

4. In a separate extra large bowl, using a hand whisk, beat the yolks and sugar until combined and light. Then mix in the melted butter and the water for another minute or two until totally combined.

5. Pour in the flour into the egg yolk mixture and mix until evenly incorporated. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until everything is fully combined.

6. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the egg whites slowly. (I found that if I do it in parts it worked better, don’t be afraid of the clumps, just break it up with tip of your spatula and continue to fold)

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden. Allow cake to completely cool before cutting and then dust with confectioner’s sugar.

You can also speed up the cooling of the cake by placing it into the refrigerator.

The post Magic Custard Cake {simple dairy must for Shavous} appeared first on the Patchke Princess.

Happy May Monday! I figured I just have to jump right back into this blog thing…

Happy Israel Independence Day! And nothing I like more than having a topic of “freedom” handed on a platter for me to blog about!

It’s been a long while. For those of you who follow me….May will hopefully be the month that I get to shed the chains wrapped around my neck and be finally free after 2.5 years to frolick in the sun as a free woman! There is sunshine in my future…I can taste it, finally.

It has changed me entirely, this knowledge of freedom ahead. My days are brighter, I am no longer feeling as if there is no hope for the future, I am actually making plans. The torturous limbo of divorce with no GET  is almost over.  I knew I was having a rough time, but I thought I was doing extremely well despite it…living life.

But literally, until I had confirmation that the GET was imminent, I didn’t realize how heavy a weight I was carrying in my soul.  When I went running the other day, as the clouds moved slowly away with the rising of the sun, I personally felt her embrace. It’s bright hot rays shined down and filled me with a  warmth from the outside in.

It’s finally Spring.

A Veggie Chili Feast

Thursday night dinner with the Leibermans have become a sacred routine for me & Tunie B.  This last Thursday night I almost canceled because I just had one of those extremely crazy days and didn’t think I was going to make it home on time to cook anything. With my new promise to myself that I was not going to stock up after Pesach and be more mindful of leftovers, I didn’t have a thing in my fridge except for a few essential ingredients.

But knowing how much Tunie B. & I look forward for Thursday nights, I was going to do my best to make it work. So when I got home with 45 minutes to spare, it was time to be inventive.  This Veggie chili feast was inspired by the avocados I had and the few cans of beans sitting on my shelf. Not sure if I can make a chili in under 30 minutes I was taking a chance of having to order up pizza if things didn’t go my way.

Canned beans were the key, and I was surprised how tender and delicious the chili really was. Adding my favorite gaucamole a few soft tacos, sour cream and some cheese and we all ate very very well that night.

Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion,diced

1 pint mushrooms, chopped

1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed

1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed

1 can (15.5 oz) dark red kidney beans, rinsed

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

3 tbsp.tomato paste

2. Tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp.each of  oregano, thyme, and basil

2 tsp. sweet paprika

1 tsp. mustard powder

1/4 cup maple syrup or silan

1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

In a medium pot over med-high flame , sautee the onions in the olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Add the mushroom to the pot and mix with a wooden spoon. Cover pot and let cook for about 3 minutes.

Remove cover and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything well.

Cover pot and let cook on stove top for another 20-25 minutes. Make sure to mix every 5-6 minutes to evenly cook the beans and prevent burning the bottom of the pot.

Serve hot with your favorite guacamole and chips or make it Taco night in your house.

The post A Veggie Chili Feast (in 30 Minutes or Less) appeared first on the Patchke Princess.

Baked Crispy Chicken Legs & Pancakes

Day #10 of Operation: Eat it or Clean it… and I am finally in my groove and it sorta has rocked my dinners these days. So while every person I know is looking to finish cleaning so they can start the monumental task of “cooking for Pesach”…I am busy giving you pre-Passover recipes that will help you use up what you have and maybe even save you some cash, before you turn over. (It’s a good thing – I promise!)

I am actually loving the discipline this idea of “what’s in my pantry” kind of cooking, has been forcing me to adhere to. Instead of making what I am in the mood of (my usual thought when it comes to dinner), I actually have to take the time out to take stock of what I have and only then use my cooking mojo to come up with something that both me and Tunie B. will be happy to eat.

It gets easier to come up with the recipes each night and now it’s really all about keeping it balanced and not creating leftovers for me to have to throw out later on. Yesterday’s salmon empanadas dinner were todays breakfast for me and school lunch for Tunie B.

Today as I was cleaning my house for Pesach (almost done whohoo!) I was doing a mental inventory of what (now memorized down to the last detail) is  left in my freezer and pantry.  The idea for baked crispy chicken and waffles came instantly to my head. This incredible savory and sweet combo was my go-to crave dish when I was pregnant with Tunie B.

I literally had my “ex” (still no get) make midnight runs to my local Glatt Bite for their chicken wings as I whipped up the super quick waffle batter to go along. It was pregnancy heaven…pure full on binge bliss.

Today that craving came back full force and I HAD to make this dish, even though I spent an hour looking for my pareve waffle machine, to no avail.

Plan B. – Pancakes.  Chicken & Pancakes …I could live with that.

Now the key to making great BAKED crispy chicken is the old southern trick of soaking the chicken in buttermilk for about 15 minutes before breading. I just use almond milk, you know the kosher thing…

The soaking really plays a dual role in making great crispy chicken, a great glue for the breading and helps keep the chicken really moist on the inside.

The other key to my success in creating the ultimate baked crispy chicken, is the breading mixture. By using both flour and corn meal with a little zesty spice blend, my chicken now had a coating worthy of finger licking. It also helped make a dent in my unreasonable stock pile of corn meal in my pantry…WTH?

Now why bake it instead of fry it? Well, the obvious of course…the guilt factor. (I am on a mission to loose those stubborn 15 “baby” pounds I still carry 4 long years later) Not to mention the easier clean up and after a day of vigorous Pesach cleaning, I really did NOT want to clean more than I had to.

 Now when you have a 4.5 year old, pancakes ALWAYS come in Mickey Mouse form. 

This time when I was making my quick batter, I used the leftover self rise bread flour I had in my pantry, and to my surprised delight, these were the fluffiest pancakes I have ever made! Making me seriously think, that after the holidays there will be some serious pancake recipe testing in my future.

All in all, Operation: Eat it or Clean it has been a success in my book. Despite still spending close to $100 in produce, dairy and eggs this past Friday and totally blowing my seemingly unrealistic goal of just $50 for the week. I still seriously cut down my weekly shopping bill by 50%.  

Not too shabby….not too shabby…

Crispy Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs Chicken Drummetts (I used the Meal Mart Frozen bagged ones)

2.5 cups Almond milk

1 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup corn meal

2 tbsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Olive Oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and drizzle olive oil over it.

1.  In a large bowl, soak the frozen chicken drummetts in the almond milk for at least 15 minutes.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix together the flour, corn meal and all the spices to make your breading mixture.
3. After 15 minutes, taking one piece of soaked chicken at a time, dredge the chicken fully in the breading mixture fully coating the chicken top to bottom. Lay coated chicken onto your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with rest of the chicken.
4. Drizzle a little olive oil on top of each chicken piece on tray and place in hot oven.
5. Bake for 1 hr until chicken has fully cooked and coating is a crispy golden brown.

Pareve Pancake Batter

Ingredients:

1 cup Self Rise baking flour***

2 eggs

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup almond milk (1-2 tbsp. more if necessary)

vegetable oil 

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add  the first 4 ingredients, and whisk everything together until you have a smooth batter. You might need to add a little more almond milk to get your desired consistency.
2. Heat a small frying pan with a little oil on medium high heat.
3. Using a spoon or a small ladle, pour some batter into the hot oil.
4. Fry for at least 1.5 minutes, until small bubbles start appearing, on one side and then flip. Fry for another 30-40 seconds on the other side. Remove with spatula onto paper towel lined plate.
5. Repeat until batter is finished.

*** If you do not have self rise flour add to your 1 cup of regular flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

The post Baked Crispy Chicken Legs & Pancakes (or Waffles) appeared first on the Patchke Princess.

Quick Vegetable Soup & Mini Salmon Noodle Casseroles 

Day 4 on my Mission to Eat it or Clean it before Passover and it has been interesting to say the least.

It is amazing how much stuff I have in my pantry and freezer, I never thought I was an over buyer.

But It seems that when I go to the grocery store, I don’t do an inventory first, I just buy…

If there is ever a shortage of canned tomato sauce or corn niblets, well come to my house, I just might be to blame. The same goes with rice, flour, frozen bags of shredded cheese and wonton wrappers, I guess I have this fear of running out?

If I would add up all the money spent on all these items just taking space on my pantry and freezer shelves, it would be quite a little haul of cash. Cash that really could have been used for other things that the house needs or happily added to a small haul in the travel wish jar me and Tunie B. started last year.

I am starting to realize I sort of need to change my buying habits. It’s ok to stock up a little I think, I love that I have basic ingredients for most dishes that I could want to make. But I need to come to terms that one or two cans is good enough of each item, do I really need 4?  I am going to make an effort after Pesach to really do an inventory before I buy. I think that 5 minutes of effort before I hit the grocery store is going to give me money to fill up my travel jar pretty fast. I guess will see…

Last night I made my favorite quick super easy vegetable soup and mini salmon noodle casseroles. I use salmon instead of tuna, because both me and Tunie B. have this thing about the canned tuna smell, so we don’t really use it a lot in my house. But feel free to sub the salmon for it.

I made the casserole in a muffin tin, because 1. Everything tastes better to a kid when it is in the shape of a muffin 2. It is easier to keep fresh in the fridge and serve the next day, when it is portioned out this way.

Quick Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 zucchinis, chopped

3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

3-4 pieces celery, chopped

1 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. dried parsley

8 cups water

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, on medium flame, sauté the onions for 8-10 minutes. Then add all the chopped vegetables and spices and mix well.
2. Let them sauté for about 3-4 minutes with cover on the pot.
3. Add the water, raise heat to medium-high, cover and cook on stove top for about 25 minutes until all the vegetables are soft and easy to pierce with a fork.
4. Use a hand blender and blend soup to a thick creamy consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish with cheese crackers or croutons.

 Mini Salmon Noodle Casserole

makes about 12-14 muffin size casseroles

Ingredients:

1 package of cooked thin egg noodles (or any pasta you have)

2 cups of canned salmon (1 large can) or 2-3 cans of Tuna, drained and mashed

4 eggs, whisked

1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I sometimes use the combo orange and white shredded cheese)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. dried parsley

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F . Prepare muffin tin with liners.

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients well with a rubber spatula.
2. Using an ice cream scooper or a large spoon, spoon in the casserole mixture into the muffin liners. Fill to the top.
3. Place in oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.

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