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!
 

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.

 

 

kosher krab cakes Jewhungry blog

It happened that when I was 10 years-old I got drunk.  I didn’t mean to get drunk.  To be honest, I didn’t know what ‘drunk’ was and it’s not like I set out to get drunk either.  It’s just that when a byproduct of your culture/religion is a beverage that can only be described as the simple child of the marriage between grape juice and cheap red wine, children will get drunk.  They just will.

Manischewitz was the game and I was the player.  The adults around our Passover Seder table were smart enough not to finish their required 4 cups of Manischewitz (it’s not even known as ‘wine’; that’s how sugary sweet and cheap Manischewitz is).  And so, when no one was looking I finished everybody’s cups.  I mean EVERYBODY’S.

krab cakes kosher jewhungry the blog

I don’t have to tell you what several glasses of Manischewitz can do to a 10 year-old.  Needless to say, there were stomach aches and there may have been a fetal position here or there but I did survive.  I also didn’t learn my lesson. Fast forward 9 years and there were definitely a few bottles of Manischewitz passed around a gathering of the only Jewish kids at my small Ohio liberal arts college in the name of celebrating Passover.  Because hey, nothing says ‘freedom’ like celebrating Passover in college.

krab kosher jewhungry blog

And now I’m nearly 34 and we’ve moved way beyond Manischewitz.  Heck, we’ve moved way beyond matzah.  Passover in our house still smells of the usual potato kugel and roast chicken.  But thanks to the glory of almond meal and quinoa and my own confidence in the kitchen, Passover food in our house is healthy, delicious and void of the overly sugary and overly processed.

The recipe in this post was inspired by my intense craving for a former favorite meal of mine back in my treif (non-kosher) days.  When I was living in Athens, GA and working at the Hillel at the University of Georgia, I would indulge my ultimate Southern food cravings with occasional crab cake.  I’m not saying I’m proud of it, but I am saying I loooooooved it. And now that we’re a kosher home, I wanted to find a way to indulge my Southern cravings with my kosher kitchen. It was easy to make this recipe Kosher for Passover with the addition of some fresh and raw zucchini.  If you don’t have a Julienne peeler, you can cut them up into small slices or even shred them in a food processor.  However, if you want a Julienne peeler, they’re super cheap and you can get them on Amazon.

krab cakes jewhungry the blog

kosher krab cakes jewhungry bog

Krab Cakes with Zucchini Noodles & Avocado Crema

Ingredients

  • 7 Sticks of imitation krab meat, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Small red pepper, diced small
  • 4 Green onions, diced small
  • 1 Jalapeno, diced small
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 Cup matzah meal
  • 1 Bunch cilantro, diced small
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp pepper
  • 5 Tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 large zucchini, sliced into noodles with a julienne peeler
  • {For Avocado Crema} 1/2 Cup sour cream
  • 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 Avocado
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise, 1/2 of an avocado and 1 Tbsp of lime juice. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the Krab meat, the remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise, matzah meal, red pepper, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
  3. Shape the crab mixture into eight small patties (about the size of your palm). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  4. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the cakes until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels.
  5. Serve immediately on top of zucchini noodles with avocado crema and top with a bit more cilantro.

https://jewhungrytheblog.com/krab-cakes-zucchini-noodles-avocado-crema/

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