6-Layer Mediterranean Dip with Tnuva Labaneh + Feta
12/24/19

Shalom! Reporting live from the couch where I’m currently enjoying our 2nd day of winter break. I’m trying to ignore the ridiculous episode of Miraculous that my oldest is enjoying after her hour of quiet reading time. Yes, you heard me correctly — an hour of quiet time. This is not me bragging. This is me celebrating! This is the first winter break where we’ve finally nailed down a schedule and nailed it down quickly + it’s going well (I mean, it’s day 2 so . . . ).  Anyway, our schedule is looking like this:

  1. Wake up ( no TV before 7 AM)
  2. 2 Shows + play
  3. Breakfast
  4. Shower/get dressed
  5. Morning activity out of the house
  6. Lunch
  7. Nap for littles + quiet for Siona
  8. 1 hour afternoon TV time
  9. Pre-dinner play
  10. Dinner
  11. After dinner play + 1 episode of Nailed It!
  12. Bed

Good Lord. When you look at it it’s a bit more exhausting. The husband + I are SO blessed to have this break alongside the kiddos since we both work in schools. It’s the time we get to actually enjoy the kids instead of running around like maniacs on a Sunday trying to balance errands with quality time with the kids. The first semester of this year has been insanely busy as I started doing consulting and facilitating workshops on adolescent development and diet culture outside of my regular work at the school I work for plus trying to be present for the kids + this here blog. It’s a lot to juggle and sometimes I can do it and sometimes, well, not-so-much.

Today’s morning activity, however, was truly a study in how joy can facilitate connection + deeper relationships. I find that sometimes, even though I truly love the life I live, I’m not having as much fun living it as I could because I am constantly moving from one thing to the other. I feel like I’m constantly telling my kids to, ‘Hurry! We’re late!” So this 2-week break I am committing myself to one thing — taking it easy and being more present in the moment. So this morning we grabbed the kids + headed out to Santa Monica where we rented a family-sized bucket bike and went riding on the boardwalk path along the beach. I’m not sure the last time I laughed that much. And sure, I almost ran the family into a sand dune but still! The sun was shining, we were smart enough to bring snacks, the girls had their scooters and we just went for it!

 

The other place I am taking it easy this winter break is in the kitchen! And while I’d love to be eating out nonstop because I love eating at restaurants + also I love someone else doing the cleaning + cooking, we can’t afford that life. That said, I do plan on keeping meals simple + using leftovers as much as possible. Case in point, this 6-layer Mediterranean dip featuring my favorite labaneh + feta from Tnuva. I made the fried eggplant for another dish from earlier in the week so when it came to making something fresh and yummy for a Chanukah gathering we were hosting, I snagged those leftovers + added my favorite flavors to make a Mediterranean version of a classic 7-layer dip taco (only minus one layer mainly because it wouldn’t fit into my cute little glass dish — if it would have, I would have added roasted cauliflower). This dip can be made in individual little containers like this one or in a giant dip bowl for sharing. If you aren’t afraid of a little spice, the feta and labaneh would pair wonderfully with a spicy harrisa. You can also take this dip out of the bowl and enjoy it over some tortilla chips as Mediterranean nachos or pair it with some falafel balls for a yummy falafel pita sandwich or deconstructed salad. The world is your delicious, kosher oyster, people! Go for it!

6-Layer Mediterranean Dip with Tnuva Labaneh + Feta

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, chopped

Canola oil for frying (roughly 2 – 3 cups)

kosher salt

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup of Tnuva labaneh, divided

1/2 chopped feta, divided

1/4 cup sliced Israeli green olives

Handful of cilantro, finely chopped

 

Method:

For frying the eggplant –  Layout paper towels. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds and place onto the paper towels making sure they aren’t overlapping. Sprinkle the slices with kosher salt and let sit for about 25 – 30 minutes. This will draw out the moisture making sure the eggplant is crispy and not soggy. After 30 minutes, dab the eggplants with one of the paper towels already out to soak up the water that’s collected on top of the eggplant. Next, place a large frying pan with enough oil to fill the pan to the midway up the pan. While the oil is heating, chop eggplants into cubes. Once the oil is fully hot (test this by dropping a small droplet of water into the pan. If it immediately sizzles, the oil is hot enough and ready for frying). Place about half the eggplant cubes into the pan (you don’t want the eggplant cubes to be on top of each other). Let the eggplant cubes fry until golden brown while occasionally stirring throughout the process. Once one batch is done, remove from frying pan and place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Finish this process until all cubes are fried.

Assembly (this is to your discretion but I went with the following) –

Put labaneh on the bottom layer. Next, add the eggplant + chopped tomatoes + feta cheese + green olives + chopped cilantro. Top with a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce or harrisa to add a little kick to your dip (and to get you to an even 7-layers).

*This post was absolutely sponsored by Tnuva, a company whose products I genuinely love to eat.

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Lemon Garlic Broccoli Meatballs
04/03/19

Hello. Is it me you’re looking for? I hope so! It’s me! I’m back! Can jew believe it? I surely can’t. It’s really nice to be back and writing and creating again and I have my dear friend, Sarah Lasry, and the folks at Pardes Farms to thank for bringing me back from blogging obscurity. Let’s catch up from last we spoke, shall we?

So we had a 3rd kid. If you follow me on Instagram this should not be new information for you but if you don’t well, then, SURPRISE! His name is Amos Ephraim and he is such a yummy baby boy. He is very loved and will definitely end up in his school counselor’s office when he gets older and realizes that not everyone claps and celebrates him for every little thing that he does (as is his experience now as the baby of 2 oldest sisters and 2 adoring parents). Our family has spent the year navigating the ups and downs of life — being forced to move out of our home, helping our kids adjust to 1st grade, pre-school, daycare, full-time working parenting, side hustling, etc. We’ve met new friends and have attempted to work on building up and maintaining older friendships. I’ve built a nice little network of friends in my little corner of Los Angeles that I really love though one of my most favorite people moved to NYC. 

 

In reflecting on my life since I last posted over a year ago, I can’t say that I’ve necessarily reached any concrete goals but I also don’t think I set any goals other than trying to maintain a structured and loving household now that there are 3 kids. I knew it would be hard. I did not know it would be this hard, but we are doing it and I can’t believe how far along my hubs and I have come since meeting that day in Jerusalem (read that story here). Blogging isn’t the only thing that’s been left to the wayside since birthing a 3rd human (I remember this thing, ‘exercise’? I’ve heard of it but . . .) but my beloved friends who have been in the parenting game longer than me keep reminding me that I’m in the thick of it right now. I need to remember to be kind to myself and remind myself that these little kiddos won’t be so little for long so try, TRY, to enjoy it. And I do. I honestly really do. 

Lemon Garlic Broccoli Meatballs

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground lamb
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup matzah meal
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1/2 cup Pardes riced broccoli – defrosted and thoroughly dried
3 tbsp oil
 
Lemon Garlic Sauce
3 tbsp margarine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Chopped parsley (optional)
 
Directions
 
Place all ingredients for meatballs into a large bowl. Mix with hands (you get a more even mixture if you do this by hand). Shape into golf ball-sized balls and set aside.
 
Add the 3 tbsp of oil to a large frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Cook the meatballs for 8 – 10 minutes on all sides, until browned and cooked through. Remove to a clean plate and set aside.  
 
In the same skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of margarine. Add lemon juice and minced garlic to melted margarine and let simmer for 3 – 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if you feel you need more acid (a.k.a. lemon juice). Put meatballs back into the skillet and let the sauce and meatballs cook together for an additional 2 – 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Garnish with parsley for added flare. Serve hot!
 
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Roasted Eggplant Matzah Lasagna
04/13/17

Hello and happy Passover! I hope everyone had wonderful Sedarim. We went low-key this year as it’s been a tough couple weeks. Unfortunately, my husband lost his beloved father to cancer the week before Passover. He had been sick for only a handful of months and, as cancer tends to do, it took him quickly. We are still in shock, even a week after his funeral. I flew to Jersey for a quick and emotional 48 hours in order to be with the family as we said our final good-byes. While I lost my grandparents at a relatively older age, this is the closest I’ve come to losing a parent and I’d like to not do it again, thank you very much.

 

 

My husband was gone for a total of 2 weeks prior to Passover and while it was tough to go through all of that with the two kids at home, I gotta say, I continue to be overwhelmed by the support of friends and the community we’ve made here in Los Angeles. People sent food and prayers and showed up at 8am on a Sunday morning for the shiva in order to stand by Yonz and I as we ended the shiva week. It’s amazing how truly wonderful people can be when you ask for help (and accept it).

Now, about this recipe. It wasn’t until I went to Teaneck and had my first Passover at my would-be in-law’s house that I had my first matzah lasagna. When I saw my mother-in-law making it I was like, “ummm, matzah soaked in water and then baked with sauce and cheese? Hard pass”. But then I took a bite and I became a believer. Since then, matzah lasagna has been on our Passover table at least once every year. I pair it with some baked salmon and a spring green salad to help off-set the immense cheesy-ness of it and I have to say, it’s a delightful little lunch (if I do say so myself). Pay attention to the directions below. You do need to soak but not for too long as it will turn into mush if it’s soaked for too long. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Roasted Eggplant Matzah Lasagna

2 large eggs

1 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 tbsp ground black pepper

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1 jar of marinara sauce or 3 cups of homemade sauce

8 standard sheets of matzoh

1 eggplant, roasted (<— click for roasted eggplant recipe)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Fill a baking dish with about an inch of room temp. water and set aside.

In a medium bowl beat the eggs then and add 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, ricotta and 3/4 cup of mozzarella. Next, add the spices and combine well.

Spread ½ cup of sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking dish,

Soak 1 sheet of matzah in the water for about 30 seconds in order to soften (note: You might need to soak 2 matzah slices or 1 1/2 as matzah never seems to be fully the right size for a lasagna baking dish. Just make sure your matzah covers the majority of the length and width of the baking dish). It’s important that you not let it soak for longer than 30 seconds, you don’t want it to fall apart or become mush. Place the soaked sheet of matzah in the baking dish.

Spread ½ of the ricotta mixture on top of the matzoh. Spread ¼ cup sauce on top of the ricotta and then at least 4 slices of roasted eggplant. And sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Soak the second sheet of matzah for 30 seconds and place in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining ricotta, ¼ cup sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella.

Soak the last piece of matzah for 30 seconds and place in the baking dish. Spread with ¼ cup sauce (or more) and top with a few slices of roasted eggplant. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and a tablespoon of grated Parmesan.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is golden and lasagna is bubbling, about 10 more minutes. If sides are bubbling, but you want the cheese more golden quickly, stick it under the broiler for 10-30 seconds.

 

 

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