Anything 20 minute is going to be key over the next little bit. This one is a staple in our house. It’s quick and easy, and forgiving. And even though it only takes 15 + minutes of active cooking time, the flavor is NOT lacking in the slightest. Also it gets in protein, veg, and you can basically serve it a top any grain. Can’t get better than that, especially as we are heading into the third full lockdown here in Israel.

A few notes before I get to the actual recipe. Going to keep this post short and sweet because that’s all anyone has time for these days, am I right?

1. any veggie combo goes here. You have picky kids that only eat a certain veg? add it in! If they can’t handle any veg, totally fine too! leave it out! As I mentioned, this is a really forgiving recipe.
2. I use coconut sugar for my sweetener but I realize this can get pricey. Feel free to swap with whatever sugar you have on hand: honey, maple syrup, even regular sugar will do (but shh I never said that 😉 Just swap with the same amount.
3. I happen to really like serving this with rice noodles. Really been happy with the consistency of these ones from Kerem recently. And my kids enjoy it much more this way. If you need more “sauce” action, feel free to make extra glaze in a sauce pan and serve at the side for everyone to add freely. You can also just have some soy sauce and top the noodles that way.

Think that’s it guys. Hope this one saves your last minute family dinner prep as much as it has saved me!

xoxo

We are always looking for easy non hassle chicken recipes aren’t we? My favorite recipes are the ones I can toss in a bag to avoid too many dishes. The best ones are the ones that have minimal mess. That’s how this one was invented.

I used to hate, and I mean HATE curry flavor, or any of those strong Indian spices. But I recently learned that it’s all about pairing them with the correct flavors and making them a subtle backdrop. My kids happen to love this recipe too. That’s always my indicator of keeping a recipe around.

The recipe itself is so incredibly simple. You’re going to be hooked. Also it re-heats beautifully on the plata, so it’s a wonderful Shabbat day option. But also totally yum for a midweek dinner. Pair with an Asian slaw and some taters. Mmmm can’t get better.

Hope you and your family enjoy just as much as mine.

Xoxo

I have to admit. I’ve never loved chicken. Even as a little girl, I had my problems with it. My mom used to have to cut the chicken off the bone for me before I agreed to eat it. And even if it was boneless, it had to be thin enough to my liking, not to “chickeny,” you get the point. Still not chicken’s biggest fan even as an adult.

I think karma has come back to bite me because neither of my girls are chicken fans. And the things I have to do to even get them to try it…you wouldn’t believe. So Ima, here’s my official and public apology to you for all those years of denying the chicken you spent your evenings making for me. For all the tricks and recipes you tried to get me to even take a bite. I wish little me could have gotten a look into parenthood back then to realize how agonizing I was making it for you.

But with this chicken aversion comes a bunch of fun and flavor bursting recipes. For me and my girls, we can only tolerate chicken in sauce, with a very flavorful profile that gets rid of the “chicken-ness” of the chicken. Ladies and gents, I give you my Chicken and Wine Sauce. It’s a keeper. And even the pickiest of chicken eaters have a chance here.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more picky chicken eater faves! Maybe we’ll even make a whole cookbook of it one day 😉

xoxo

But seriously you gotta try this one. I know everyone has access to shakshuka at their nearest cafe. But I often find that they’re just not as good as they can be. It’s about development of flavors, the right spice blend, not using watery tomato sauce. There’s so many factors that go into making it right. I think I’ve figured out the perfect blend of everything. It took me a while to get here, but through these many lockdowns, I’ve done my fair share of testing. This one turns out on point every time. It’s turned me into a shakshuka snob and it’s turned a lot of my family and friends in to shakshuka snobs as well. No longer can we just go to our local cafe for a shakshuka. Now we make our own at home. And now we most definitely always enjoy.

Now that restaurants are only open for takeout here in Israel, thought it would be the perfect time to share this recipe. Because let’s be honest…bringing shakshuka home in a box is just not the same as freshly cooked shakshuka. Makes for a lovely breakfast or lunch with your spouse if the two of you are working from home these days. Honestly I even make it for dinner sometimes. Ok enough talk. Please try this one. I really think you’ll be hooked.

That fall season is slowly creeping in here. Nights are getting chillier (and make for great running weather!), my morning coffees are slowly switching over to predominantly hot coffees, and I’ve been eying my sweater shelf now for a few weeks. Can’t wait till I get to live in my big comfy sweaters all winter long. Who’s with me?!

Before the cold months come in, I like to boost up my cooking with some immune boosting ingredients to ensure that my family enters flu season nice and healthy. So even though the weather is still hot most days, my cooking shifts over to big warm and comforting bowls loaded with warming spices and flavors. Curries. Yum.

I actually used to be so scared of all those orange and yellow spices. Never loved ginger or turmeric. Hated curry powder. But over the years as I’ve learned about how beneficial they can be I’ve learned to incorporate them to my liking and now I’m obsessed. The key is to marry the flavors perfectly so that no one spice is too overpowering, and so that all the other ingredients still have a space to shine through. Sounds a bit philosophical lol. But curries are so impressive. They have so many components with so many wonderful flavors and such a huge micronutrient profile. You can basically get all the antioxidants there are out there in a bowl of curry.

Health Benefits

Let’s talk spice profile here:

Ginger:

• It’s claim to fame is a nausea inhibitor. So all those with morning sickness, this one’s a keeper (even though anecdotally it always made me feel more nauseous in the early days of my pregnancies). The same properties in ginger that subside nausea can also help in digestive regulation. This is why are often told to drink ginger-ale when we have stomach bugs. Ditch the sugary carbonated beverage and infuse some water with some fresh ginger and lemon. Should really help settle the tummy.
• But Ginger can do so much more than that! It has a compound inside that literally deters germs bacteria. Such a super power of a spice for the winter months when all the kids are bringing home all the germs and sickness.
• It’s anti-inflammatory powers can actually help in the gum health arena because it deters a build up of bacteria or other inflammatory causing conditions. Another great thing to be getting in during pregnancy since the body is often prone to poor dental health during this time. These anti-inflammatory powers are the same reason ginger can help muscle soreness and arthritis flare ups. Even IBS. he ginger can actually help subside any of these common forms of inflammation.

These are just some benefits to name a few. I can probably write an entire page worth of ginger super powers. But let’s spotlight turmeric too so he doesn’t feel too left out. This one’s a gem.

Turmeric:

• It’s actually the cousin of ginger. Both contain compounds called beta carotene that gives each spice its orange color. The same compound found in carrots and sweet potatoes and squash. This compound is known to fight infection, ward off destructive diseases (cancer, heart disease, brain and lung complications), and is even linked to regulating eye site, memory function and even mood. Because it has been shown to help brain function so effectively, turmeric has even been linked to fighting off headaches. A good idea to get in during cold and flu season for sure!

So much more I can say about these literal superfoods. And let’s not forget the sweet potatoes are actually known to be natures’s superfood! So this bowl of curry will not disappoint. And if you add it in regularly to your family meals, you may up your chances of getting through the winter months unscathed.

It’s really so yum. A big bowl of comfort. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Wishing us all a healthy and strong winter season ahead!

Xoxo,

Liat

This is a favorite in my house. Everyone loves it because of the versatility involved in these “bowls.” All the toppings ensure that every person has option to put together their taco bowl all while ensuring my family is getting in a punch of nutrients into their meal. I’ve been speaking about eating the rainbow a lot lately. Dinner is the perfect time to make up for all the colors you haven’t gotten into your diet that day. And dinner bowls and bars are the perfect vehicle to accomplish this.

This recipe is actually part of a series of dinner prepping I hope to be putting out soon. It’s 5 dinners that can be prepped in one hour at the start of the week. Then each night you need to dedicate an additional 20-30 minutes to assemble and put on the finishing touches. Every one of these dinners is versatile, allows for option, delicious and nutritious. I even tested it on my large extended family over lock down. We had ages ranging from 2 (thanks yaya) to 72 (thanks parents) and every teenage and kid age in between (thanks family). So you can rest assured that even your most pickiest of eaters will have some sort of option each night.

For now, I’ll leave you with this gem of a recipe. It punches in the red phytonutrient we recently covered together, holding anthocyanidine and lycopene compounds which gives produce like raspberries, beets and tomatoes their deep red pigment. These compounds provide the body with iron and antioxidant rich nutrients which fight fatal diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. They are also immune boosting and promote healthy brain and heart function.

I particularly love this dish because I was never a tomato lover, and unfortunately that preference got passed down to my children. The hubby is also not the biggest tomato fan. So tomato sauce on pasta won’t cut it here. But for some reason this dish is the perfect marriage of flavors that don’t overload the tomato flavor. And their are actually fresh tomatoes hidden in! So I’d say win!

All the topping and side recommendations are jus that: recommendations. The thing about bowls and bars in general is that you can dictate what to include. No one in your family likes red cabbage? No problem! leave it out or swap with some carrot slaw instead. Some kids don’t despise rice?! Fine! Swap out the rice for some tortillas or tacos! Hate beans? No worries, you can totally leave it out!

Vegetarian Options

I love this topic. We aren’t vegetarians, but we do tend to live a pretty plant based life with occasional animal protein splurges during the week. Otherwise, we really save animal protein for the weekends. So when we aren’t feeling the meat vibe, we often turn this into an awesome veggie taco bowl. You can just tripe the bean quantity by adding in a variety of beans in addition to the black beans. I’ve done pinto beans and kidney beans, both yum! But if you want a vegetarian option here are two of my favorite meat alternatives:

1. Teva Deli makes a “ground meat.” They have two versions: one that’s intended for bolognese and one that’s meant to make “burgers.” I like the bolognese option in general but have to admit that I have not tried it in this recipe. I’ve made the bean version of this recipe and been quite happy, but it’s definitely worth trying out this product if you want a more “meaty” option. Here’s the link to the product. I’ve seen it at most health food chains as well as in Shufersal and Tiv Ta’am.
2. Vega makes a great fake ground meat alternative. Really quality ingredients and no chemicals at all. There are 2 disadvantages though: a) they come in really small packets, so you’d need a lot to feed a large family and it can get pricey. But if making for 2-4 diners, 2 packs should do. b) they come pre-spiced so definitely do change the flavors of the dish a bit.

Hope your family enjoys this just as much as mine did

Happy Rainbow Eating my fellow Sabras

xoxo,

Liat

Always looking for ways to please my kids in the food department. My three year old is one of the pickiest eaters I’ve met. Seriously though. My siblings have lots and lots of kids (I think I’m at 20 nieces and nephews from my side?) and non of them have had kids this picky. At first I thought there was something wrong with her, even had her assessed for sensory issues. But overtime I came to realize that there are just picky eaters in the world. And she didn’t get it from no where 😉 But look how I turned out: foodie/nutritionist in the making! So I guess there’s hope. I recently came to realize why my mom was always so stressed when I continuously refused foods she suggested. You just want your kids to eat, and I get that so much now.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about kids behavior and how to support healthy eating habits. I learned that my daughter needs to be pleased with her eyes before she can agree to put it in her mouth. She needs to help in making the food decisions so that she is excited to eat the food. She needs to be told that she doesn’t NEED to eat a certain food, but only try it. When she is given the option to spit it out if she doesn’t like it, she is always more willing to try. Just some tips for those of you struggling with picky littles.

Moving on though…

These turkey meatballs have become a staple in our house. So if my picky girl can practically finish an entire pot full on her own, they must be some sort of magic. Wanted to share the wealth with you all.

The recipe itself uses a small amount of natural sweetening from silan, aka date syrup. There are a lot of brands available throughout the country, but most important to look for brand without any additives, you want the pure date syrup. This is a brand I like, and I find it readily available throughout the country. Tomato wise: I like to use the plain crushed tomatoes from Shufersal because it has no added sugar. Purely tomatoes.

For those of you who have kids who can’t handle texture, I often blend the sauce before putting the turkey balls back in. Gets rid of the onions and makes the sauce much more thick and yummy.

Let’s talk about the benefits of turkey for a second as well. People often associate meat with having the most amount of iron, but turkey actually packs in the iron with the added bonus of less fat! This recipe can definitely be done with beef though, or even a mix of turkey and beef. So all in all, this is a lovely weeknight dinner (or Shabbat) that pleases all and packs in protein, iron, and veggies without mass amounts of sugar. Pair with some rice or a side of veggies and you are looking at a superstar meal!

The classic Korean beef dish that can be thrown together in 5 minutes has too much refined sugar for my liking. I feel like it gives my children a sugar rush right before bedtime. I also wanted to find a way to get a some more nutrients into my kids in addition to the meat and rice that we pair it with. This is where the edamame came in. Truthfully, ended up helping me in more ways than I expected because my three year old loves edamame but hates all things ground meat. She actually can eat three helpings of this meal, so I feel like an accomplished mommy if nothing else.

Instead of using brown sugar, as most traditional recipes do, I added maple syrup. Let’s talk maple syrup for a second. I use it a lot in place of regular sugar, but this does not mean my recipes don’t have sugar. In fact maple syrup is still pretty caloric and high in sugar. What I like about maple syrup though, is that you don’t need a lot of it to get the sweetness you’re looking for. So whereas a normal recipe might use 1 cup of white sugar, I’d use half the amount of maple syrup. Another important note when it comes to maple syrup, is that maple syrup has a slightly lower glycemic index (GI) than regular sugar, which essentially means the body metabolizes its carbs slower and raises blood sugar levels at a slower pace. A lower GI carb can also use those sugars more efficiently for energy. Generally speaking, a low GI is 55 or lower. Regular sugar has a GI of 65, while maple syrup has a GI of 54. There are sugar subs that are even lower in GI than maple syrup, like coconut sugar for example (see my 4 ingredient Almond Butter Cookies). But I like to use these swaps in baking when I’m adding larger amounts of sweetening. For cooking, I find the little bit of maple syrup I use goes a long way and adds amazing richness to the food.

Again, this doesn’t mean you can just use maple syrup unlimitedly, but it definitely dodges some of the problems associated with regular sugar.

Let’s face it, diabetics, or people on low carb diets stay away from Asian cuisine because its usually loaded with added sugar and carbs.  But when you pair the small amounts of maple syrup in this recipe, with the edmame, a low GI veggie (with an added boost of protein, if I may add), then you are looking at an Asian meal really ok for those of you looking for a low carb, high protein meal.

Another great perk of this dish, is that the meal is made in like 10 minutes. Always a great sell for a busy mommy.

Enough chitchat, you’ll find the recipe below. Let me know what you all think, and more importantly, let me know what your kids think!

Avocado. My Love. Actually, my kids’ love. These children eat avocado like its water. No joke. But hey, it’s a superfood loaded with healthy fats, and a nice balance of protein to carbs, so I’m really not complaining. Since I always have avocado on hand in surplus, I’m always looking for new ways to use them in recipes before they go bad. This is one that my family loves.

Truthfully, the recipe was invented because I had bought too much basil, but had no pine nuts at home to make real pesto. So I started experimenting. This is where all my recipe keepers sprout. So this recipe used almonds instead of pine nuts, and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan. If you are dairy free, or vegan, this one’s for you. The nutritional yeast is also the perfect swap  for those who keep kosher because you could top this dish with some grilled chicken breast and make a wonderfully balanced weeknight meal out of it.

I start by pulverizing some basil and fresh garlic. I love to use my immersion blender. I just find the cleanup to be much simpler than getting my blender or food processor involved. But obviously both work great. While this is happening, I just drizzle maybe a tbsp or two of olive oil over my blanched almonds to get them soaking and easier to blend down later. Important to note that I used the skinned almonds, but if you were to use whole almonds, I’d say soak them either overnight or for a few hours to make sure they fully breaks down into your pesto.

Next I add the almonds to the basil mixture, and keep blending to combine. Here’s where I add the fresh lemon juice, and the avocado to form the smooth mixture. To top off I sprinkle the salt and nutritional yeast, and give a few more pulses to fully combine.

I used black rice pasta this specific time because my kids chose the black spaghetti over the regular brown rice spaghetti. I always tell my fellow moms, whenever you are trying new recipes, always give your kids a choice in the ingredients. This trick gets my picky eaters excited to eat every time without fail.

I used Hasedeh brand rice spaghetti. Generally, I find their rice noodles to be great in texture, and really stick to sauces well. The key to using them though is to really follow cooking instructions, and rice under cold water right away to prevent them from getting sticky.

For the adult bowls, I often top it off with some roasted Portobello mushrooms, or broccoli and we have ourselves a nice comforting bowl of HEALTHY and balanced pasta. How often can you say that?!

Ok , enough talk. Let’s talk recipe