Indian Style Yellow beans
We, my immediate and extended family and I, live on side dishes. Instead of making a main dish with a side dish, we make two or three vegetables dishes with a condiment on the side or a bunch of mezzes…
African Stew with Peanut Butter
I adapted the recipe from Mark Hayman’s cookbook What The Hell Shall I cook? Mark adapted it from Hugh Jackman. I googled the recipe to see where it originally came from; Central and West Africa but I was wondering who’s…
Moroccan Carrot Salad With Harissa
Carrot isn’t the most exciting vegetable, right? But when you steam it lightly, to soften it just slightly, then mix it with homemade harissa (or store bought) and lemon juice it becomes the sultan of the garden. So make a…
Wild Rice With Vegetables & Herbs
I have a confession to make: I’m not a fan of leftovers. There, I said it. I don’t enjoy eating them, and I definitely don’t like storing them in containers, knowing full well they’ll probably end up going to waste.…
Moroccan-Style braised Vegetables & Chickpeas
This dish is based on a Moroccan fish recipe which my mother and grandmother used to make only on weekdays. God forbid if you made it for Shabbat dinner. Moroccan Jews can be very particular about weekday food vs. Shabbat…
Roasted Vegetable Couscous
On hot summer days, when I can’t eat anything but vegetables, I like to roast any vegetables I have on hand and serve them with some sort of grain, such as rice or couscous, cilantro, parsley, or dill, and toasted…
Roasted Vegetables with Toasted Almond & Barberries
I have no problem planning trips, photo shoots and dinner parties but I suck at meal planning. I don’t know why. I find it ten times easier to cook with 5 ingredients than to plan a meal in advance. Most…
Moroccan Cooked Tomato salad
You can’t write about salada matbucha without writing about Yeruham. The Jewish Moroccan spicy tomato cooked salad and my hometown in the Negev, the desert of Israel, go together. The aroma of tomatoes cooked with garlic and charred green spicy…
Potato Salad With Caramelized Onion
Potato salads come in all shapes and sizes, and I love every single one of them. However, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be this soul gratifying right here. This humble, easy-to-make salad is an absolute flavor…
Toasted Israeli Couscous With Pine Nuts, Currants & Parsley
A non-israeli friend of friends made this dish for Fourth of July, while we were visiting them in Montana. She told me that if she had known that we were Israeli, she would have made something else. I am glad…
Zucchini & Zucchini Blossom Tempura
First time I made tempura. Honestly, I was surprised how easy it is. The most exciting part is that you can tempure everything, including ice cream, cheese cake and a shoe string and it would be delicious. Keep in mind…
Leftover Rice With Caramelized Onions, Toasted Almonds & Herbs
I usually make this when I have leftovers of basmati rice. If you don’t have rice leftovers, it takes 12 minutes to cook basmati (but make sure you wash it thoroughly). You can make it with one type or bunch…
Smoky Butternut Squash, Eggplant & Bell Pepper Salad
I made this dish for lunch with friends and served it with hummus, tahini and burnt peppers and everybody loved it, except for my son, Leo, who doesn’t know yet how much he loves eggplants. Alex, my younger son, who…
Couscous With Caramelized Onions & Toasted Almonds
My older sister, Liraz, gave me the recipe. I love how she makes it but she lives 6,745 miles away from me. God knows, when will I be able to fly again. This is a great side dish. The other…
Vegan Tortilla Soup
The last time I ate a tortilla soup was in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Cozumel, Mexico, six years ago. Not sure why it took me so many years to make it. Especially when it’s my husband’s favorite soup (I didn’t…
Korean Glass Noodles with Sweet Potato & Mushrooms (Gluten-Free)
Sweet potato noodles are Korean vermicelli or glass noodles made from sweet potato starch. Some people love their unique, slightly chewy texture and some don’t—but since I’m sharing this recipe, you know I’m obsessed! When I go to a Korean…
1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
I like to make this lentil shepherd’s pie when a vegan friend comes over for dinner—it impresses and satisfies EVERYONE. People can’t believe my mashed potatoes don’t have any milk or butter – that’s the magic of olive oil and…
Easy Sweet Potato Fritters
I learned to cook from both of my parents, mostly from my mother. But I learned to improvise from my father. He taught me not to stick to a script and not to let anything stop me from cooking, even…
Parsnip Dip Topped With Croutons
In this recipe, I make hummus with parsnips instead of chickpeas. This makes it a great alternative for people who cannot eat legumes. However, this dip would appeal to anyone who appreciates earthy and unique flavors. Parsnips and turnips are…
Simple Yeasted Bread
I bake bread on a weekly basis. I make gluten-free sourdough for me, wheat sourdough for my husband and boys, challahs for Shabbat for my guests and simple yeasted bread when I don’t have time or patience to make a…