Maple- Glazed Carrots and Leeks With Pomegranate Seeds For Rosh Hashanah

When was the last time you used leeks in a recipe? This recipe for sautéed leeks and carrots with pomegranate seeds is simple, sweet, colorful and delicious. I made it for Rosh Hashanah for our holiday meal. I meant to publish it last week, but got behind while traveling. ( If you just want the recipe and not the backstory, scroll down to the bottom of the post). 

Frozen Limonana -a Deliciously Icy Cold Summer Drink

Make Way For Icy Cold Frozen Limonana!!!

All you need is a medium sized bunch of fresh mint, some lemons or limes, sweetener, and ice and you are all set to enjoy your ice cold juicy limonana which is fabulous on a hot summer day. 

Vegan Shakshuka- Plant-Based and Gluten-Free

If you love Middle Eastern cuisine, you'll love this plant-based version of a traditional Israeli favorite- Shakshuka. 

Traditionally, Shakshuka is made with eggs cracked over tomato sauce with onions, garlic and colored bell peppers. When the vegetables begin to cook and the sauce is nice and hot, eggs are poured into the skillet and poached in the tomato and vegetable sauce until done.

Although the origin of the dish is not specifically known, it is thought to have come from Yemen or Tunisia. Regardless, it is a popular dish that can be found in almost any restaurant in Israel. It is eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

my husband still eats shakshuka with eggs

With the popularity of Israeli chefs and restaurant owners such as Yotam Ottolenghi  who owns seven restaurants in London and 

wrote a few bestselling cookbooks, including, Jerusalem, 

people have started to become aware of dishes such as shakshuka. 

Another popular Israeli chef, cookbookauthor, and owner of multiple 

restaurants in Philadelphia, Michael Solomonov (Zahav restaurant) has

 helped popularize Israeli/Middle Eastern cooking as well. 

Vegan Shakshuka!!

My love of Israeli/Middle Eastern cooking takes a small twist since I

 no longer eat eggs. I veganized the recipe by substituting tofu for the 

eggs and voila- Tofu Shakshuka was born!!

A plant-based version of an old recipe! Of course, it is gluten-free, 

easy, and delicious.

Shakshuka is traditionally eaten for breakfast- 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of sliced onions

1 cup of sliced red, yellow, or green bell peppers

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 jar of chunky organic salsa

2 cups of marinara sauce

1/2 cup of water

1/2 package of firm tofu, sliced into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup of cilantro or parsley

cracked pepper, cumin, paprika to taste 

optional: green or black olives sliced 

Variation: 

I sautéed 2 cups of eggplant in the mixture and 1 cup of mushrooms

Directions: 

Sauté (I sauté in water or broth) the onions and peppers and garlic. 

Add a jar of mild chunky salsa, water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to

simmer, add tofu and cilantro or parsley, seasoning 

and cover for the remaining cooking to give the tofu a 

chance to pick up the flavors.

Serve as is or over cooked brown or white rice.

My Notes: 

1. If you don't want to use a salsa, substitute marinara sauce. 

2. Laura- this is delicious

3. Vicki- you can leave out the garlic 

Egyptian Molokhia (molechaya) Soup

Yum! We love this soup! Molokhia is the Arabic word for a soup made from jute leaves which are a highly nutritious greens that are very popular in Middle Eastern countries. Once again, I am sharing one of my mother-in-laws authentic recipes.