Seedy almond and cinnamon granola {gluten-free}

Good morning! If you find that store-bought granola is overly sweet or have never found the one granola that you liked, then this simple recipe is just for you! It consists of just a handful of ingredients I always keep in my pantry. I would rather make my own, so I can control the sweetness and flavors and use whatever seeds or nuts that I like. Besides, it's super easy and quick to make.

This crunchy granola is packed with healthy nutritious seeds, almonds, gluten-free oats and naturally sweetened with honey. It is totally customizable; swap in any nuts/seeds you like, you can add puffed quinoa, dried fruits, toasted coconut flakes or chunks of halvah… the possibilities are endless.

I love to serve it as a cereal with almond milk or sprinkled over gluten free oatmeal or yogurt, with seasonal fresh fruits, a drizzle of raw tahini and honey or silan (a date honey).

This batch should last for a week or two… if Izhar won't nibble on it between meals. ;-)
Once you make it, you will never buy store-bought granola again!

Have a lovely weekend! xoxo

Seedy almond and cinnamon granola

Makes 3 cups granola

Baker's notes:

• I keep seeds and nuts in the fridge to prevent them from going rancid.

• Granola clusters will form after it cools completely in the pan.

1/4 cup canola, or grape seed oil
4 tsp honey
1 cup gluten free, old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raw, unpeeled whole almonds
1/2 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 365°F (185°C) and have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready.
 
In a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine the canola oil and the honey. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, almonds, pepitas, sunflower and sesame seeds and cinnamon and mix to combine. Add the honey mixture to the seeds bowl and stir everything to coat. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 16 minutes, stirring mid-way, until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely! The granola will crisp up as it cools. Store in an airtight container or a sealed glass jar for weeks. 

Banana, tahini and spelt cake + variations {gluten free option}

I baked a cake and ate it, too!

Eating a slice of cake is a rare treat for me! I have been living with peptic ulcer for the past year and just as I was getting used to my very restricted daily diet, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. I was relieved to learn the cause for the chronic pain in my hands, but the diagnosis limited my diet even more.

There are only a handful of foods I don’t like to eat, so it was difficult to accept the need to eliminate so many of my favorite foods from my diet; despite the benefit to my own well-being.

The list is long: dairy; legumes; all wheat products except spelt; caffeinated and alcoholic beverages; high-fat foods including chocolate and butter; and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, and more. Added to the list are members of the solanaceae/nightshade family: tomatoes and tomato products; potatoes; eggplant; bell peppers and chili peppers. Most desserts have to take a hike, including cakes, cookies, pies, pastries and doughnuts. And hit the road spicy, acidic, and fried foods!

Good Heavens… WHAT’S LEFT?!  I felt uninspired to cook and blog but I’m reinventing my thinking and focusing on what I CAN eat, instead of dwelling on what I can't. As I slowly adjust to this new restrictive diet, I admit I feel a lot better, energized. I’m very excited to explore new ingredients and develop new recipes.

Bananas are a great source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, and fiber, plus vitamins B6 and C. I read that adding three bananas to a healthy diet may help prevent ulcers and reduce ulcer pain. You can simply eat bananas, add them to a smoothie, or consume them in any other way you may enjoy.

This incredibly moist banana cake is made with olive oil and tahini! Just the kind of cake that satisfies my sweet tooth cravings! Whenever I have very ripe bananas, that's a good excuse to make it.  Okay… so maybe I leave them on purpose to over- ripen, just so I can make it. :-)

I love to eat this cake warm, straight out of the oven. Have a wonderful week and go make yourself a sweet treat! XOXO

Banana, tahini and spelt cake + variations {gluten-free option}

Makes one 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf cake or 6 cup bundt cake

This cake is really easy to make.  It’s not too sweet and has a perfectly fluffy and moist texture - thanks to the combination of olive oil and tahini.

Baker's notes:

• Baking times may vary between 30 to 38 minutes depending on the shape and material of the pan you are using.
  

• If using a bundt pan, make sure to grease the pan thoroughly, and dust it with flour. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.

Ingredients

Unsalted soft butter for greasing the pan
1 1/4 cups white spelt or gluten-free flour all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon for dusting the pan
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 small or 2 medium bananas)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup raw tahini
½ cup light brown sugar, packed or demerara sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil

Variations:

Banana chocolate chunk cake - add 50gr. chopped dark chocolate 50% cocoa.

Banana nut cake - add 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts to the batter and sprinkle on top as well.

Banana blueberry cake - add 1/2 cup fresh blueberries.

Banana chocolate marble cake - mix 2 TBS sifted dutch cocoa powder with 2 TBS boiling water and add to third of the cake batter, whisk to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan alternating plain and chocolate. Swirl with a knife.

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the lower third

Grease pan with butter using a pastry brush. Dust pan with flour and tap out any excess flour.

In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the rest of the wet ingredients.

Combine both and whisk just until you get a smooth batter. (Over mixing will result in a chewy, dense texture).

Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-38 minutes *see notes.

Cool cake 10 minutes in pan; then turn out of pan onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Covered tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, cake will keep fresh at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Mini Panettone yeast doughnuts

To say that Hanukkah is my favorite holiday is an understatement! I mean, no other holiday can beat eight days of fried foods!
I used to eagerly wait the entire year for Hanukkah to come around and devour my mom's latkes and sufganiyot-Jewish jelly doughnuts. While most kids ate cold store-bought doughnuts filled with a neon industrial jelly, we ate warm yeasted doughnuts right out of the fryer, dusted with confectioners' sugar and filled with homemade strawberry jam. It was a real treat!

Nowadays, sufganiyot come in an array of flavors and toppings. In Israel, jelly doughnuts are typically sold around Hanukkah, unlike in the states where doughnuts are sold year round.
Around the same time of year, panettone which is an Italia-Milanese sweet bread loaf, is usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year.

This Hanukkah-Christmas mini panettone doughnut combo is inspired by a trip I took to northern Italy a few years ago, and although I still stay true to the classic old-fashioned jelly filled doughnut as my Hanukkah go-to, these panettone doughnuts are simply heavenly! The buttery brioche dough is studded with candied orange peel and rum-drunken dried cranberries. They're like fried clouds; golden crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The dough is a breeze to make, and you can get the kids to help you cut up the doughnuts. Watch them disappear straight out of the fryer! Once you taste a warm, freshly-made doughnut you'll be hooked, too!

Happy Hanukkah! xoxo

Mini panetonne yeast doughnuts

Makes about 30 doughnuts

Tal Shofman-Schejter

This is my go-to recipe for making different variations of doughnuts. I've been using this recipe ever since I got married and wanted to continue Mom's tradition, even when we lived oceans apart.
You can make the dough a few hours before you plan to fry them. Simply let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour (or until double in size) and place in fridge until you are ready to make the doughnuts.

Baker's notes:

• Start by making the rum drunken cranberries as you'll need them for the dough.
  

• If you don't have a deep fryer, a Dutch oven is an ideal alternative.
  

• You will also need a candy/deep-fry thermometer, which can be purchased in any kitchen supply store.
  

• Keep the doughnut holes and fry them in a separate batch.

Ingredients

For the candied fruits:
1/4 cup candied orange peel, cut into small dice
1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/2 cup dark Rum
2 tsp sugar

For the doughnuts:
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream, room temperature
40 gr. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg + 1 large yolk, lightly beaten
2 2/3 - 3 cups flour plus extra for rolling
Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp. 3% milk

METHOD:

Rum-drunken cranberries/cherries
In a small pot, bring dark Rum and sugar to a simmer. Add cranberries/cherries and continue simmering until the fruit absorbs all the Rum. Transfer to a small bowl and let it cool completey.

The dough
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, place yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 cup warm water. Whisk together and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

Add whipping cream, butter, egg, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 2 2/3 cups flour and beat on the lowest speed for 1 minute until combined, then beat on highest speed for 5 minutes until a smooth, soft dough (not tacky) forms. Add in more flour as needed. Add the fruits (keep 2 tablespoons of fruits for garnish) and mix for a minute more until evenly distributed.

Transfer dough into a large bowl dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap, and let dough rise until it doubles in bulk (about an hour).

In the meantime, cut 30 3-inch parchment paper squares (As each doughnut will proof on a separate parchment square). Arrange two baking sheets with the parchment squares. Have a colander and a slotted spoon ready.

Gently punch down the dough. Roll the dough out (using as little flour as needed) to a 1-cm thickness (1/2 an inch).  

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out doughnuts as close together as possible, dipping the cutter in flour before each cut. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut a hole in the center of each doughnut. (You can save the holes and fry them or just keep re-rolling scraps to make more doughnuts).

Carefully transfer each doughnut to a parchment square. The doughnuts will have time to proof uncovered during the time it takes to heat the oil.

Heat 4-5 cm. (about 2 inches) of oil in a large stockpot to 165 C/325 F, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan.

Lift a doughnut with the parchment and carefully dip it in the oil while holding the tip of the paper with your fingers, allow the doughnut to slide off of the paper. Fry doughnuts until golden brown.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a colander to drain.

In a medium bowl whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until completely smooth. Dip each doughnut in the glaze and serve. 

*This recipe was originally published in Laisha Magazine.

Homemade butternut squash fettuccine with red wine braised beef Ragù

I adore the passion Italians have for home-cooked food with an Old World approach. The pride they take in preserving authentic traditional family recipes that have been handed down for generations; the process of making pasta, artisanal cheeses, cured meats, balsamic vinegar, and wines. 

There is something so brilliant in the simplicity of the Italian kitchen. With just a handful of the finest seasonal produce, and the very best ingredients, you can create the most flavorful dishes that are both rustic and exquisite. Hands down, it's my favorite cuisine to cook and eat, in particular pasta!!!

This recipe takes a bit of cutting and prepping, but once everything is in the pan, the oven does the rest of the work for you. The veggies, meat, and wine create such a rich, flavorful sauce that's so wonderful over the homemade fettuccine that absorbs the ragù sauce so well.
It's slow food at its best and the kind of comfort food that fills your home and the neighbor's… ;-) with wonderful aromas! It's cozy and perfect for this time of year, when squash is in season and the air is getting chilly! 

Homemade butternut squash fettuccine with red wine braised beef Ragù

Serves 6

By Tal Shofman-Schejter

Making fresh pasta is quite simple, versatile, and so satisfying. A pasta machine is a must for rolling the dough perfectly and well worth the investment! I hope this post inspires you to give it a try.

Cook's notes:

• The proper way to cook pasta is using a big pot of boiling water to allow plenty of room for the pasta to move around, which prevents it from sticking together. After the water comes to a rolling boil, add about 2-3 tablespoons of kosher salt. The water should taste like the sea. Unlike dried pasta, cooking time is short and requires between 5-6 minutes or until al dente. Drain well in a colander.

• I use roasted squash puree in the pasta dough to give it an orange hue. The taste is less notable.

• For the ragù, I used chuck roast, which is a cut of beef marbled with fat and sinew, but any cut of meat with fat such as short ribs or ox tail would be wonderful too! The fat renders out and the meat gets so tender, it falls apart and melts in your mouth.

• Both recipes can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer. Simply arrange fettuccine in a single layer on a baking pan and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Store ragù in an airtight container and freeze for up to 4 weeks.

Ingredients

For the beef ragù:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (you can use short ribs or ox tail), room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup flour for dredging
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch dice
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 6oz (170g) can of tomato paste
2 cups (500ml) red wine (Shiraz, Cabernet or Chianti)
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 28oz (800g) canned peeled plum tomatoes, crushed with your hands
1 Tbsp Glaze of Aceto Balsamico di Modena 
2 Bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves

To serve
Homemade butternut fettuccine *see recipe below or dried fettuccine
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Parmigiano Reggiano

Method
Preheat oven to 150C (300F) degrees.
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or enamel-coated Dutch oven.

Season meat well with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour until evenly coated and shake off any access flour. Sear beef (don't crowd the pan) in batches on all sides until it is browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add a Tbsp. of olive oil and the onion, carrots and celery and sauté, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are browned, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 4 more minutes. Add wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan, stirring and scraping up browned bits; cook and reduce wine by half.

Add 2 cups chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, balsamic glaze, bay and thyme. Taste and season with salt and pepper and arrange the meat in a single layer. The liquid should come half way up the sides of the meat. (Add the remaining stock and water if needed).

Bring to a gentle simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Put the pan in the oven on the lower rack and braise for 3-4 hours, until meat is very tender and falling apart.

Carefully remove meat and strain braising liquid into a medium pot. Shred meat with 2 forks and add to the strained sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve over the cooked fettuccine. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and top with grated parmesan.

Ingredients
For the butternut squash fettuccine:  
1/2 c. butternut squash puree
6  large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups 00 flour plus more if needed
Semolina flour for dusting fettuccine

Method
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together squash puree along with the yolks and salt.

Mound the flour on your counter and make a well in the center. Pour the squash and yolk mixture into the well. Using a fork, begin incorporating the flour into the mixture, working from the outside edges. When the dough becomes too stiff to mix with a fork, begin kneading it.

Add more flour onto the dough and knead until it is no longer wet and sticky, about 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature to rest.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out). Flatten dough into a square shape slightly thinner than the pasta machine's widest setting (number 1). Dust dough very lightly with flour, and feed through machine fold lengthwise into thirds and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat 4 times on the same setting.

Turn the dial to next narrower setting. Pass dough through twice. Continue to press dough, passing it through ever-finer settings, two passes on each setting, until you reach number 6 on your pasta machine.

Cut the rolled dough into 12 inch pieces and keep it covered on a lightly semolina dusted parchment paper. (You can stack all your rolled pasta in between sheets of parchment paper dusted with semolina). Working with one piece of rolled dough at a time, pass through the fettuccine attachment of your pasta machine. Arrange on prepared baking trays lightly dusted with semolina flour. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
* See cook's notes for how to cook pasta.