Simple Potato Recipe

Cut (clean!) potatoes to bite sized cubes.
In a baking dish lined with parchment paper
Add:
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper (black)

If you like also add: parsley or garlic.

Drizzle with olive oil and stir.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F or (about 160 C) for about half an hour. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until browned.

Yum!

Zucchini Lasagne Recipe

This recipe uses slices of zucchini in place of traditional lasagna noodles. You can use this as a main course or as a side dish, what ever suits your needs. It takes a bit of time to put it together but it's really worth it and people love it.

I'm not giving you a measured recipe here but you'll get the idea. If it's too confusing, let me know and I'll refine this and do it again with measured amounts.  

Ingredients:

Zucchini or yellow squash
Onion, garlic
Salt
Pasta sauce (ideas below if you want to make your own or live in Israel)
Vegan Cheeze (you can buy this or make your own, do an online search for "vegan cheese recipe" or vegan mozzarella)
Olive oil

Optional (the more you add the better!): 

• Chopped spinach  
• Olives (pitted of course) 
• Eggplant 
• Fresh tomatoes 
• Mushrooms

Cut and saute the onions and garlic in a bit of the olive oil. You can add this to the sauce or just sprinkle in the layers.

Wash the zucchini and cut off the ends to discard. 

Slice them lenghwise so you have flat "noodles." The thinner you make them, the faster they'll cook. But you can not really make a mistake here.

Oil the bottom of a 9x13 pan (or what ever size you want to make). 

Layer sauce, "noodles," cheeze, veggies, sauce "noodles," cheeze, veggies, etc until you get to the top when you'll end with "noodles" and sauce. The "noodles" are not uniform. I layer them so that they are lengthwise in the pan for one layer, then crosswise for the next, and so on.

Drizzle with olive oil. The more concerned about your family going for this one, the more generous you should be with the olive oil. Salty, oily foods are comfort foods so if you want to make this one a comfort food, add a double drizzle. 

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 F or about 170 C for about 45 minutes. Check to see that it's cooked all the way through. Some people like crispy vegetables and that's fine. (I've found that it is eaten up faster if the zucchini is very soft.)

Homemade pasta sauce
Start with tomato paste and add water until it is the consistency of a thick sauce. For this recipe you want your sauce thick because the zucchini has a lot of water and as it cooks, it will release the water. 

To the sauce, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, a dash of hot pepper, and a small splash of balsamic if you like.

Vegan Cheese ideas
I want to tell you that when I started making this lasagne, I did not use vegan cheese, I just ground up cashews and sprinkled them in like cheese. It was still good. That said, give these a try...

You can try this recipe. Don't be intimidated. If you've never tried making something like this before, give it a go. You can get anything that isn't in your pantry at any health food store. Most vegan cheese recipes are made with nuts, but here's a recipe that is nut and seed free. 

Easy Cabbage Sauté -- Delish!

This recipe is so simple and fast and tasty! While I give you approximate measurements below, it does not have to be exact at all, you can taste as you go. The only thing you really have to be careful about is the seasoning so be conservative and you can always add more to your own tastes.

Ingredients

Onion, cut in half, then sliced thin
Half a head of cabbage
Rice noodles, about a quarter of a package (eyeball it so you have proportions that you like)
     --these are the noodles you can get in the Asian section of the grocery store
1/4 - 1/2 cup Frozen peas
1 - 2 Tbs Sesame (or any) oil
1 Tbs selon
1-2 Tbs natural peanut butter
Salt
White pepper


Instructions

Start water boiling in a pot (the noodles will be tastier if the water is salted)
Cut up onion and start to sauté in the sesame oil in a big pan
Slice the cabbage in thin strips to kind of match the noodles
Once the onions are translucent, add the cabbage and stir together
Add the peas

By now the water should be boiling
Add the noodles and stir until they are tender
Drain and add to the pan with the cabbage and onions
Stir in the selon and the peanut butter
Add salt and pepper to taste


Variations (can use any or all of these)

use snow peas and add at the same time as the cabbage
add a red pepper sliced into thin strips to the onions
add chopped spinach (adds color and nutrition!)
add some cayenne pepper to taste
add some coconut cream to taste
sprinkle with sesame seeds OR roasted cashews

Raw Banana Cream Pie Recipe

The thing about a raw dessert is that you don't bake it and you can taste it as you go. Here's what I used in this one. Please note: I filled it to the top and this is kind of a double recipe because it will last longer and feed more people. I had a lot of company when I made this one.

Spring form pan (mine is 9") lined with parchment paper. You can use plastic wrap but I'm told parchment is healthier. That's how you get the "design" on the sides, from the wrinkles in the paper.

Crust:
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 overflowing cup of raw walnuts
1 cup mixed golden and regular raisins
about 8 medjool dates
1/4 cup shredded dried coconut (optional)

Filling:
3 cups raw cashews soaked overnight (can soak for less but will be creamier if longer soak)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
5 medium bananas (you don't have to measure, depends on the size of your pan!)
1/4 - 1/3 cup maple syrup (you can taste as you go for desired sweetness)
splash of vanilla

Topping:
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon carob powder
1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup and or honey

To make:
put the crust ingredients in a food processor with the S blade, nuts first, then raisins, then add the pitted dates one at a time while the machine is running. Process until it starts to stick together. Press it into the prepared spring form pan and place in freezer.

In your clean food processor add the ingredients for the filling, starting with the nuts and add the rest as the machine runs. Taste as you go. You might not need so much sweetener since bananas are very sweet o their own. Pour into the pan on top of the crust and put back into the freezer to set up. Let it set in the freezer for around 5 hours.

Before you take it out of the freezer prepare the topping.

With a teaspoon in a small bowl, mix the sweetener and powder. If you're using only cocoa powder, use less because it's more bitter than carob powder. You can always add more if you want to.

Remove from pan and put on serving plate. Drizzle with the topping in random swirls, down the sides of the pie, and even on the plate.

This pie will freeze hard but you'll want to take it out and keep in the fridge before you serve it so it's soft and creamy. In summer it could get pretty melty like an ice-cream cake. It's relish! Enjoy!

Carrot, Garbanzo, Basmati Rice Salad

2 cups grated carrots
1 cup canned or cooked or sprouted garbanzo beans
1/2 cup cooked basmati rice

toss together with the following for dressing
1-2 T lemon juice
1-2 T olive oil
Parsley, dried or fresh to add a bit of green
Cayenne pepper, pinch or more to taste
Salt to taste

Alternative: if you love fresh garlic add it to this salad!

Toss this all together and serve. This salad will travel well--if I go on a day trip, it's one of my favorites to take. The carrots stay crisp and the garbanzo beans and rice feel very substantial.  I have even frozen leftover salad because I didn't want to throw it away and I was traveling. It was still good thawed a couple of weeks later.

Veggie Salad Slaw

I don't really use so much lettuce but I do love salads and this has become a staple at my house. It is really just a mix of any veggies you love and have redly available and fresh. The dressing is super simple.

White cabbage, chopped or grated

Red, yellow, orange peppers (what ever shape and size you like)

Purple cabbage, chopped or grated

Add any of the following as you like:

Cucumbers, small cubes

Kohlrabi, small cubes

Garbanzo beans

Tomato, chopped OR cherry tomatoes

Olives

Hearts of palm

Pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Fresh frozen peas (they will thaw if you put them in the bowl first and then cut the veggies for the rest of the salad

Dressing:

2-3 T Lemon juice (I use the juice of one average size lemon to a serving bowl of salad)

2-3 T Olive oil, cold pressed is always the best

Grey salt to taste

Toss it all together, no need to make the dressing first.

Tip: The timing of when to dress this salad is something to consider. I usually dress salads at the last possible minute so that they don't wilt. This one needs a bit more time (not much) so that the larger salt crystals have a chance to dissolve.

If you are not used to grey salt, it's a wonderful flavor that is most satisfying. The salt is grey because it still has all the minerals so I'm told it's so much better for you! You can find it easily at the health food store.

Alternative

You can add some prepared tahini to this salad, on the side, drizzle on top of individual servings, or toss right in. YUM!

Asian Salad Recipe

This is my version of an Asian salad and what makes it unique is the combination of sweet and salty dressing. It's a somewhat healthy version using no sugar, no msg, and good oils. Play with the veggies and amounts of things you add to make it the way you like it or follow my ingredients for a no brainer.

The base (this does not have to be exact):
1 cup purple cabbage
4 cups white cabbage
     the cabbage can be from a bag or  you can chop or grate it to your desired look

Add any combination of the following as you like depending on what you have and like:
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup raw (or roasted) cashews (or peanuts)
1/3 cup thinly sliced red (or yellow or orange) peppers

The dressing:
2 T of cold pressed sesame oil (you can also used roasted sesame oil or olive oil)
2-3 T balsamic vinegar
3-4 T selon (date honey, be sure it is pure without added sugar if that matters to you)
salt to taste
   (this is an important part of the taste of this dressing. You can use tamari or soy sauce if you use it)

Toss it all together and serve!

Here's a photo from my friend Sarah Leah who had the salad at my house and wanted the recipe (which is why you're reading it here now!). She prepared it in advance with the "Salad in a Jar" method. That means you put the dressing in first, then layer the ingredients (start with the crunchiest so the softer veggies don't get soggy). She said it was a hit at her table. I hope you love it too!

(Herbal) Iced Tea Recipe

This is SO simple and a healthy alternative to soft drinks. When I first started serving this, I really did it for myself. I don't drink the sugary lemonade that I make (from concentrate) that the rest of my family likes. I would warn guests that it was only lightly sweetened with stevia and was more like a flavored water. But people do drink it and I serve it regularly now. It does not go in the same quantities as the sugary stuff, but that's OK by me since I enjoy it. :-)

• In a clean glass jar (old honey jar) I put 6-8 tea bags with the tags on the outside. 
• Add filtered water to the top. 
• Set it in the sun (this will also work without sun, by the way but better in the sun) for an hour or so--this does not have to be exact.
• Squeeze out the tea bags to get every drop of flavor and toss them
• Use half the tea concentrate to 2 liters of water and one packet of stevia
• Serve in a pretty pitcher or carafe

If it makes you happy, you can of course garnish with real fruit pieces or cinnamon sticks. 

FLAVORS
I make two kinds of tea blends: in the summer months I make a combo of the fruity teas: cherry, plum, strawberry, hibiscus, etc., what ever you love. You get a bright color for the concentrate which becomes very pale when diluted, but it's still pretty. Alternatively in the winter months during colder weather, I use the spicy teas that are mostly cinnamon flavored. You can use any flavor you love and you don't have to use only herbal teas.

Stevia is a natural plant extract that is used as a sweetener. It has an unusual taste and I have found that if you just use a small amount it tastes best. It can be an acquired taste, and not everybody likes it. It's worth repeating: if you don't like the taste, you might be using too much.

I also add a few drops of the liquid stevia to my lemon water and it helps me drink more during the day.

Fish Recipes

Here are some recipes I've found online that we've made at our house.

This one is a new family favorite. That means there's never any leftovers!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-tilapia-with-secret-hobo-spices/

We don't always have the exact spices for the recipe so we use what we have and it's always been divine!

We've made this one too and it's pretty good as well.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/the-nicest-tray-baked-lemon-sole

Easy Zucchini Recipe

Simple to make and looks like a party! Yum!

This one is easy shmeasy, just the way I like though it does take a wee bit more time.

First, peel your zucchini or yellow squash (or not, how ever you like). Leave the thick stem on! Then slice the long way up to the stem.

Place the prepared squash in the baking dish. Now add slices of peppers or onions or any other veggie you want in between the slices of zucchini. This adds color and flavor. You now have a kind of fan.

If desired: drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and crushed hot pepper or any other herb blend that you like. (I do love Mrs. Dash!) In the photo above I added cherry tomatoes for the added color and decoration.

Bake uncovered until tender in a medium oven.

Makes a great presentation and delicious too.

Enjoy! <3

Non-dairy "cheese cake" recipe

I found this recipe on the Internet. It's all over the place so I hope it's ok that I'm jumping on the band wagon. It's a great recipe. I've made it a number of times and it's always a hit. I've changed some things in the recipe so it's actually a little different than the original. The photo is a "cheese cake" I made with a blueberry topping (used frozen blueberries). The first year I made it my daughter also made a chocolate cheese cake and side by side they disappeared at the same rate. :-) (Also I have substituted walnuts or pecans for the crust.)

Just Like Cheesecake
- by Emily Lee Angell

Makes: 24 slivers
Special Equipment: Food Processor

For the Crust:
2 cups raw macadamia (or walnut, pecan, or almond) nuts
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried coconut (optional)

For the cheese:
3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
3/4 cup lemon juice (or lime juice)
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt (optional--I never use this)
up to 1/2 cup water as needed for the "cheese" filling

For blueberry sauce:
1 bag frozen blueberries
1/2 cup dates

DIRECTIONS
To make the crust, process the macadamia nuts and dates in the food processor. Sprinkle dried coconut onto the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Press crust onto the coconut. This will prevent it from sticking OR line the pan with parchment paper. This will make wavy wrinkles in the sides of the cake but I think they look nice. Put this in the freezer while you make the filling.

To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, gently warmed coconut oil (do not use microwave), vanilla, sea salt (if using), and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste.

Pour the mixture onto the crust. Remove air bubbles by tapping the pan on a table.

Place in the freezer until firm. 

For the topping, put most of the blueberries in the food processor with the dates until creamy, then mix with the whole berries and pour the mixture over the firm cake, back to the freezer until you're ready to defrost for serving.

Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in the refrigerator. 

Once the cake is defrosted, it does not need to go into the freezer again. 

Easiest, Yummiest, Healthiest Bar-b-que Sauce Recipe

This is so fast and always a hit at my house. I don't think there's an easier recipe for BBQ sauce than this one! Plus, no white sugar if you're careful with the tomato paste you buy (I make sure the tomato paste I buy is 100% tomato, you really have to check the ingredients).

Sooooooo simple:

1/3 part tomato paste
1/3 part tamari (or soy sauce)
1/3 part selon (date honey) or other sweetener (like maple syrup or agave)

Stir it together well and brush or drizzle over your meat or fish.  This will keep well in your fridge for days. If you're not going to use the whole batch you make remember to be careful about keeping any sauce "clean." By that I mean don't re-dip your brush or spoon into the sauce once it's been used on raw meat, chicken, or fish.

You can make this in a small quantity of 1/3 cup each. Or, if you're having a big bash or want to have some ready in the freezer by making portions, you can just up the measure to a cup or more, what ever will serve  your needs.

<3
Laya

Breakfast!

There is nothing as refreshing and enlivening as a living breakfast. This is one of my current favorites. Skip the corn flakes and give this a try for a while.

Change this according to the season. As it is it's delicious and so yummy.
2 apples
1 banana
3 dates
2-3 tablespoons of raw (shelled, unsalted) sunflower seeds
dash of cinnamon
diluted apple juice (optional) or water (or even yoghurt)

cut up the fruits, add the rest

It is great to add other healthy ingredients like chia seeds as well. Nuts are a bit heavier but also a delicious and healthy addition. If you add water, the dates will very quickly turn the water sweet when you stir it up some.

To your health!
Love,
Aunt Laya

Veggie Soufflé

Veggie Soufflé 

is another of my easy, healthy comfort food recipes. 

I couldn't even wait to take a bite, I had to start during the photo session! 

You'll need a food processor to whip this one up in a hurry. It will take longer if you chop by hand but you certainly can do it that way too. 

I never measure on this one. Choose the veggies you love. Here's what's in this version:

1 large carrot

2 medium zucchini

1 red bell pepper

~1/2 cup broccoli florets 

1 medium onion

7 eggs (you could put more)

1/4 cup vegetable oil of your choice

salt to taste (1/2 tsp)

pepper few shakes

cayenne pepper to taste (optional of course)

parsley

oregano (OR dill)

tumeric (just a shake will do)

All the veggies in the food processor, the hard ones first, then the soft ones.

Veggies into a big mixing bowl.

Add the eggs, oil, seasoning and pour into a greased 10" quiche pan (or what ever you have!)

Bake in a medium oven for about 25 minutes until you have some golden color on the top. 

Variations:

You could add cheese to this, or melt cheese on it later.

Choose your veggies according to a color theme.

Here are some ideas or other combinations I've used (onion in them all):

spinich, broccoli, corn

tomato, zucchini, olive

yellow pepper, red pepper, zucchini
mushroom, corn, broccoli

Did I say YUM? Yum!

Love,

Aunt Laya

Sweetie, quickie, healthy candy

When I get a sweet tooth and I need something in a hurry, I whip up these yummy treats. 

I use a hand blender that has an attachment to make it into a mini food processor. Be creative, maybe the blender or your regular food processor will work.

Sweetie, Quickie, Healthy Candy

1/3 cup almonds
4 big medjool dates, pitted
heaping teaspoon of carob powder

Process until it looks like a fine, almost powdery consistency. It's possible it could lump together which is fine too. The "dough" will be warm to the touch now.

In rounded teaspoons, compress into the palm of your hand and roll into little balls.
Refrigerate or, better still, freeze for a chewier consistency. Serve. That's it.
Yeild: 12-14 candies

Extra tip:
If you want to make this in the regular food processor in a larger quantity, freeze on sheets of baking parchment to keep them from sticking together in storage.

Wonderful minerals, fibers, vitamins and healthy oil. To your health!

Love ya,

Aunt Laya 

Easiest Chicken Ever!

This is so simple and fast. I cook my chicken on the stove top but you can certainly bake this as well.

Lemon Dill Chicken

Whole chicken cut up, or parts as you like
2 large onions

Lemon juice of one or two lemons
Turmeric
Cracked pepper
Dried dill

Start by cleaning and peeling the onions.
Slice them into rings and lay at the bottom of the pan
(I guess I use a 14" skillet with a lid!)
Clean and rinse the chicken and lay the parts on the onions.

Drizzle the lemon juice on the chicken
Sprinkle the turmeric lightly so all the pieces are covered and lovely yellow
Pepper lightly over chicken
Sprinkle the dried dill over the pieces so they are completely covered with a thin layer

Cook covered for around 45-60 minutes on low flame. You will very likely have lots of juices from this. Save any juice and onion (and even chicken) left over and add it to soup to make it tastier and richer.

No oil, no salt!

Melts in your mouth. Delish!

Chili recipe

My beautiful friend Felicia requested a few of my recipes so there's the reason for the bunch of them in a row.

I make this several times a month because it's so yummy. You can use either a slow cooker (crock pot) or a regular pot on the stove. I always made chili but my recipe is tweaked because of another wonderful friend, Martha, one of the best cooks I or anyone else knows.

This chili is made with pinto beans so the color will vary on the beans you use.
All beans are good so use what you have or what you love.

Mexican Chili
Beans of your choice: 500 gr package (a 1 lb. package is a little less and that's fine)
Soak the beans between 12-24 hours for healthiest results. It will still make up fine if not.
Pour off the soak water and put into a pot with boiling water. Just boil them until soft before you add anything else! (If you do this in a crock pot, put them on high to start so they really boil for a while.)

In a frying pan:
2 Tbs oil
Medium-large onion chopped up

As the onion becomes translucent, add the rest of the ingredients:
1 green pepper (or yellow or red, or all three!)
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes cut up

Spices:
Salt to taste
Cumin (approx 1/4 to 1/2 tsp I just use a couple of good shakes)
Oregano (approx 1 Tbs, or something else green will work according to Martha and she knows!)
Cayenne pepper (hot pepper in Israel) to taste
Love and prayers for your and your family's well being!

When the beans are soft, add the veggies and seasoning.
If you need to add more water at any point, make sure it's boiling water so it doesn't interfere with the cooking of the beans.

For best food combining health serve beans with rice either on the side or mixed right in.

Best blessings!
Aunt Laya

Optional: you can add  1/3 cup of rice to the boiling or just add cooked rice at the end. Rice and beans together make a healthy combination.

You can add ground beef if you want to, or keep it veggie and serve with sour cream or shredded cheese. If you live in the US serve with corn bread!!

Black bean, butternut, and tomato soup recipe

Here’s the newest experiment from my kitchen.

It was a big hit and didn’t last very long at all, I didn't even have time to photograph it, sorry. Maybe I'll add a photo when I make it again.

Black bean, butternut, and tomato soup:

Water to cover all the veggies below

Onion-med, garlic-two cloves (best if sautéed first)

Butternut squash-small (peeled & seeded of course)

Tomatoes-plum are best, any will do (about 3, cut up)

Can of black beans with the liquid

Boil until everything is soft.

Add:

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Lemon (2-3 Tbs.)

Parsley (about 1 Tbs.)

Cumin (two shakes)

Cayenne pepper (to taste)

When all the veggies are soft:

Puree with a hand blender

You could garnish this with a dollop of sour cream or bits of parsley, or even a few pumpkin seeds. 

Amazing Gefilte Fish Recipe

Popular at my holiday table, this is my version of gefilte fish. If you don't know, gefilte fish is sort of like the ground beef of the fish world and is an "Ashkenazi" (Eastern European) Jewish recipe and is traditionally served as a first course on Sabbath and festival meals. Often people will boil the loaf (in the parchment paper) in a big pot of water with a carrot and celery, salt, pepper and maybe some sugar. My "doctored" recipe is a favorite. I gauge if people like it by how much leftovers there are—or not.

Amazing Gefilte Fish Recipe 

© 2011 Laya Saul

Ingredients:

Gefilte fish in a prepared, frozen roll or loaf

Onions

Lemon juice (optional)

Cider vinegar

Olive oil (or other oil)

Salt (optional)

Pepper

Garlic granules (optional)

Dried or fresh basil

Tomato paste thinned to a thick sauce

Instructions:

Take the fish loaf out of the freezer so it begins to thaw

Peel and slice onion into rings

Line a loaf pan with sliced onion rings

Remove the parchment from around the loaf

Place in the loaf pan

Drizzle the lemon, vinegar, and oil over the fish loaf

~about a few table spoons of liquid per ingredient, there should be a little puddle of liquid at the bottom of the pan

Sprinkle the pepper, salt, garlic, and basil onto the loaf

Spread/pour the tomato paste so that the top of the loaf is covered completely

Bake uncovered at a medium temperature ~350 F or number 5.5 European for about 30 minutes uncovered.

Then cover and bake for another 30 minutes. If your oven doesn’t bake things well, you can leave it in to continue to bake a bit longer. (As long as you don’t burn it, it will be fine to bake for longer.)

This finished recipe takes a while to cool. When it has cooled enough to handle, cut into slices and arrange on a serving plate. Arrange the onions around the fish slices. If there is sauce at the bottom, drizzle it over the slices.

It can be served warm or cold from the fridge.