Easy and refreshing Cucumber Salad; perfect for these sunny days!
Easier Salad Ever
Growing up when I heard or thought about the word “salad” in my mind I always saw a bowl full of variety of vegetables. Maybe that is the reason way I used to think salads were kind of “complicated”. That was until I met my husband.
We were recently married and for our first Shabbath dinner I made a boring salad of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber (up to that point that would be “a green salad” for me). Next Shabbath, he made the salads and this was one of them. I couldn’t believe such a yummy salad can be made with just 5 ingredients!
He also made Moroccan Carrot Salad, Creamy Carrot Salad, Tomato Salad, Beets Salad and others. I couldn’t believe my eyes! So easy to make and you can level up a very simple meal, and fill up your shabbath table with a variety of foods without even notice! I love it!
For this Cucumber Salad you just need 4 ingredients: cucumber, onions, fresh dill, lemon juice, and salt. Optional you can add extra virgin olive oil.
Even though this recipe won’t take more than 5 minutes to mix up, I personally like to mix onions with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and rest for like an hour in the fridge, before adding the sliced cucumber. That way the onion is less sharp and a bit softer. I add in the cucumbers and dill right before serving so the cucumbers are crunchy and the dill is fresh, green and beautiful.
You can also mix all ingredients and let them rest altogether in the fridge. The cucumbers soften up a bit, and the dill doesn’t look as green but also have a milder flavor, which some people may prefer.
We usually have the “crispier version” for Shabbath dinner, and the second version for shabbath lunch (because we usually have leftover that has rested overnight on the fridge). Either way is still delicious.
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The day before my last trip, I wanted to make some brioche to take to the airport (When traveling with kids you just have to be creative) but I realized I didn’t have butter or milk as the original recipe call. I thought, why not to substitute those ingredients with coconut milk and coconut oil and make a brioche with coconut flavor? I love coconut so the answer was “Let’s do it!”. Let me show you how how to make Coconut Brioche with Chocolate Chunks.
For this recipe you will need: bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, coconut milk, coconut oil and some chocolate.
Bread baking is a therapy for me; specially when I knead the dough by hand. But because we are talking about coconut brioche and this dough can be super sticky, you’ll need a stand mixer.
I haven’t made this specific recipe by hand, but as soon as I do I will post an update. Let me know if you do it first!
Bread flour, Yeast & Chocolate
The most important ingredient here is the bread flour. Bread flour is very different from other flours (aka. all purpose, cake flour, etc) because it has a higher protein contain (gluten) which means that once you have mixed the dough, and the fermentation process begins, your dough will be more stable and trap more air, resulting in a better crumb and fluffy bread.
You’ll also need yeast. For this recipe I used instant yeast that is widely available in the supermarket. The difference between “instant” and “dry yeast” is simple: you don’t need to proof instant yeast in warm liquid, you can add it directly to your flour. On the other hand, dry yeast (aka: granulated dry yeast) needs proofing in warm water that helps to activate and dissolve the bigger granules. Instant yeast is usually also marketed as rapid rise yeast.
Keep in mind that there is another type of yeast, most commonly used by professional bakers which is called baker’s yeast and this is usually sold in blocks. If by any chance you have baker’s yeast at hand, you can use that, just triple the amount of yeast called in the recipe and, dissolve it in a tiny bit of warm coconut milk, before adding to the dry ingredients.
I personally love dark chocolate (74%) and is what I used for this recipe to balance the little sweetness of the bread, but feel free to use whatever chocolate you like (semi sweet, milk chocolate or even white)
Dry ingredients: Bread flour, sugar, salt & instant yeast.
Liquids: Coconut milk, Eggs & Coconut Oil
For this Coconut Brioche I substitute the milk in the original recipe with coconut milk. Because I wanted a more strong coconut flavor, I also added Unrefined (Extra Virgin) Coconut Oil. I guess you can use the refined version of coconut oil, but in that case I will add some coconut flavoring.
Because fats in the coconut milk tend to solidify when cooled, warm the milk a little in the microwave or stovetop and then cool to room temperature, before adding to your dry ingredients. The same applies to the coconut oil. Weight it and leave at room temperature until has a spreadable consistency. You don’t want the coconut oil to be hard or melted.
Eggs should also be a room temperature.
Liquids in: lukewarm coconut milk and eggs
Mixing & Kneading
Once you start mixing the ingredients you will see the dough foming into a hot mess. Don’t worry. At this point the main goal is to incorporate dry and wet ingredients the best that you can. Make sure to use an spatula to mix in any dry flour that may be at the bottom of the bowl and continue to mix on low speed until there is no big lumps of dry flour.
Add the coconut oil, and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, until you have a silky smooth beautiful dough.
Liquids mixed in, before coconut oil.Coconut mixed in. Dough ready for bulk fermentation.
Once the coconut oil is mixed in and the dough is kneaded, I added some chocolate chunks but forgot to take the pic. Arrg! Add the chunks and pulse for a few times until the chocolate is incorporated.
Bulk fermentation & Shaping
Transfer this baby dough to a lightly oil bowl, cover in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least one hour, or until is double in size.
Ready to Roll!
The bulk fermentation can also be achieved in the fridge, it will just take a little longer for the dough to double in size; but this comes in handy if you need to go out for an hour or two. I don’t recommend more than that because the dough can suffer and deflate.
Once the bulk fermentation is done, punch the dough and start dividing the dough into your different baking pans.
From this dough I’ve got 1 medium loaf (500 gr) and 22 buns (30 gr)
Once you divide the dough, brush some egg wash and, you can also sprinkle the top with some fine shredded coconut (optional).
Don’t make the same mistake I did of preparing my muffin tin with paper cups because I was out of baking paper. That went so horribly wrong! They stuck to the bottom of the buns and were a complete pain to peel off. Avoid the pain by greasing your pan generously.
Second fermentation & Baking
Your loaf and buns are ready for the final fermentation and then baking.
Cover the pans with a light wet towel and let rest until double in size. As in bulk fermentation, this can vary depending on the weather and your kitchen temperature, but it should be around 1 hour. If so, Once the dough has rested for 40 minutes, turn on the oven to 180°C (350°F) so that it can reach the correct temperature by the time the dough is ready to bake.
The loaf is ready after 30-35 minutes and the buns in 20-25 minutes, or when the top is golden brown and the bread has registered an internal temperature of 85°C-88°C (185°F-190°F).
You did it! You are now ready to devour your homemade Coconut Brioche with Chocolate Chunks!
If you have any question regarding this recipe let us know in the comments section below. We love to hear from you!
Finally, don’t be shy and show your Coconut Brioche with Chocolate Chunks on instagram with the hashtag #sisterblissdiary. If you love this recipe don’t forget to follow on instagram and pinterest to keep up with our lastest recipes, and of course, share with your friends and family! It really means a lot to us!
Hey, there lovelies! Today I want to share with you my recipe for classic hummus. Super easy to make, thick and creamy. Will be the perfect match for anything you eat with spread!
Hummus: Simple yet exquisite
Apparently hummus is “the spread” of the century because is everywhere, and of course, there are reasons for that: It is so easy to make, ingredients are easy to find no matter where you live, it is creamy, it is vegan, has no gluten, dairy or added sugars, I mean… if glory has flavor, it will probably be hummus.
When I tried hummus for the first time I was hooked. I loved the creamy, thick and with simple ingredients. I wanted to do it right away, but well, we didn’t have internet back then, and the recipe I found forgot to mention the tahini (sesame paste) so I ended up with chickpeas puree. Still a good, but not hummus.
At that time we didn’t have internet at our fingertips as we do now so I just kept changing my ratios of garlic, oil and lemon hoping that some hummus will came out, but obviously that didn’t work.
I was about to give up on hummus when I was in my college library one day during my free time, which I used to explored every cookbook and culinary art book I could find there, and I saw this eye-catching book with a title I don’t recall. I randomly chose a page and started reading. In a few minutes I read something like this: “Tahini or Tehina, a sesame paste used to make hummus and other middle eastern recipes“, and my eyes lit! I went excited to the supermarket to find this “weird” ingredient, and after a couple of visits I found it!… so crazy expensive for my broken college student pocket so I decided to make my own.
Ingredients & How-to
Tahini (Sesame paste)
This was my first batch of homemade tahini. For this one I used unhulled (whole) sesame seeds which I toasted lightly and then, processed in a blender with some oil (Ratio: 1 cup seeds + 1/4 cup oil). I made hummus with this tahini and it was good. It was a total revelation that I could finally make my own hummus and tahini, but still, the flavor wasn’t right. It was too strong and kind of bitter at the end because of the sesame seeds I used.
After some trial and error I finally made the huge discovery that they are not just the unhulled (whole) sesame seeds, which are very common in DR, but also the hulled version of the sesame seeds that results in a tahini with a lighter flavor and color which is perfect for making classic hummus.
Also, I realized that you don’t really need the extra oil because toasting the seeds will bring out some of the natural oils in them and it will blend smooth with some patience and a good blender. In fact, once your homemade tahini has rested for a few hours, you’ll see the oil separated on top (and now I am thinking, Why I haven’t made sesame oil? Oh, well! lol). If this happens, just mix your tahini well before using.
In case you are freaking out thinking you can’t make your own tahini because you don’t have a Blendtec or Vitamix, freak no more because I made countless tahini batches in a $25 blender for years!, so it is totally possible as long as your blender can process seeds.
Garlic
When I first started making hummus, I used raw garlic, which is fine, but now I do prefer to use roasted garlic because it has a deeper flavor without the sharpness of the raw garlic, that will bring your classic hummus to a whole new level.
As I explained in the Cauliflower Mash post, making roasted garlic is as easy as charring, in an open low flame, a garlic head.
The Rest of the ingredients
For this recipe you will need some lemon juice to bring the flavors together and add some tanginess. And, you will also need chickpeas brine to process the chickpeas. You can use olive oil instead of the brine (aquafaba) but you can save some calories by adding a little bit of olive oil as garnish instead. Finally, you’ll need some spices and herbs to brighten up your plate when serving. My go-to spices for hummus are cumin and paprika plus parsley for garnish.
I think is worth mentioning that to make this delicious classic hummus you don’t really need to take the skin off the chickpeas. I mean, doing that will literally transform making hummus into a labor intensive task. Just be patient and process until you have achieved the desired consistency and the mixture is smooth.
Have homemade thick, creamy, flavorful and hundred times better than store-bought hummus when you want is priceless, and it couldn’t be more easy to do. I love to eat hummus with anything crunchy: toasts, chips and crackers, but also baked potatoes or sweet potatoes, cucumber slices, broccoli or peppers. The choice is yours!
Do you love hummus? What do you eat it with? Let us know in the comments section below! Also, don’t be shy and follow on instagram and pinterest and tag us with the hashtag #kasheribbean so we can delight our eyes with your versions of this humble but exquisite middle eastern spread.
If you love this recipe and other recipes from the blog, spread the love by sharing with your friends and family! It really means a lot to us!
Chocolate Ganache? Is that right?… Yes! In my quest to make a vegan, creamy, chocolaty ice cream, made without an ice cream maker and with minimum ingredients, this is the best version I could think of. (You tell me in the comments if there is any other that doesn’t involve frozen bananas!)
I have read about all of those methods for making ice cream without and ice cream machine, but I didn’t have the time or energy to make ice cream with such a hassle. If it wasn’t easy peasy I rather peel a banana and eat it, or would eat some grapes! (Now you see my level of laziness was really high!)
I was having a sweet tooth and also my 4yo so I needed this to be quick! And because ganache is one of the most (if not the most!) easy dessert on earth and it also has that thick, pudding like texture, I thought maybe, just maybe, it would turn into ice cream (or close enough).
The coolest thing about this recipe is that, it doesn’t require any special equipment, it is no custard based (so, no grains or eggs), doesn’t require extra bags or lots of ice cubes, or rock salt, or hours going back and forth to the fridge (unless you are actually eating it)…
I wanted to keep things very simple so I used the 2 ingredients, the basics of (vegan) ganache: Chocolate (I used 74% Cacao) and Coconut milk. That’s right! This Luscious Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream (which essentially is frozen ganache! Let’s say it! ) can be made with just 2 Ingredients. Talk about convenience!
A few notes on the ingredients
Go Full fat with the coconut milk and make sure it doesn’t have any weird ingredient, sugar, additives or gums for best results.
I used 74% chocolate so, this is a bittersweet ice cream, but you can use sweetener if you prefer. If you use granulated sugar, mix with the coconut milk and simmer until all the sugar is dissolve. Then, continue as normal.
I haven’t tested this with liquid sweeteners but I think it would work in the same way as a simple syrup added to the ice cream base. This also prevents ice crystals from forming.
If you are making for adults, feel free to add alcohol based vanilla, vodka or rum to prevent ice crystals.
How to make Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream
2 ingredients with a ratio of 1:2, Chocolate to Coconut milk. That’s it!
Mix the ingredients and let it rest until the ganache is shiny, thick and pudding-like.
Transfer to a deep container, cover with plastic wrap (making contact with the ganache) and let the freezer make some magic. Depending on your freezer this can take from 30 to 60 minutes.
Scoop the Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream with the help of a warm ice cream scoop, add your toppings and enjoy!
The Downside
This baby is made with ganache which means it melts in your mouth and everywhere fairly quick, so this is not the type of treat you will eat while chatting with that friend who you haven’t talked with for ages. Serve and you enjoy! 🙂
Tell me, what are your preferred base flavors and toppings? Let us know in the comment section and don’t forget to follow on instagram & pinterest!
If you love this recipe share it with your friends and family and if you ever make this Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream, tag us with #kasheribbean! We love to see your amazing creations!
Today we are sharing with you another exciting, colorful, super easy and yummy side: Bulgur Pilaf. Full of veggies and colors, with a combo of spices that is “oh-so-yum!”. Let me show you how it is made…
The basics
Despite the simple ingredients this Bulgur Pilaf is very flavorful and colorful dish.
The parsley gives it a lemony and sharp tone, while the sweet paprika provides deep flavor.
The almost caramelized onions bring some sweetness to this dish while the chickpeas and mushrooms add texture, some creaminess and the bite. I am salivating!
How to make bulgur pilaf
To make this Bulgur Pilaf start by sauteing the mushrooms on medium-high with a bit of neutral oil (you can skip the oil entirely if you prefer oil-free, just cook with a tiny bit of water), some salt and pepper until they were completely cooked and brown in color.
Remove mushrooms from the pan and saute onions until golden brown, add bell peppers and continue to cook until onions are darker in color and the bell peppers get some charred spots.
Take veggies out, add the spices to the pan, chickpeas, raw bulgur and boiling water (1:1 ratio bulgur to water or follow the directions on the packaging). Cover with a lid and cook on the lower heat until all the water is absorbed, then go ahead and fluff with a fork.
Developing flavors
In case you are wondering, there is a reason why I cook some ingredients in the pan and then remove: I want to create layers of flavor without overcooking my veggies. When you finish cooking the bulgur you want the veggies to still hold some texture and bite (Nobody likes mushy veggies!)
When the bulgur is nice and fluffy add in the cooked veggies (peppers, onions, mushrooms) and chopped parsley.
Because I made this Bulgur Pilaf with very fine bulgur, it really cooks in a blink! Literally 3 minutes and you have a beautiful pilaf! So, if it happens that you have some veggies leftovers and some uncooked bulgur you can throw this yummy dish in a matter of a few minutes.
What other ingredients would you add to your bulgur pilaf? Let us know in the comments section below! And don’t forget to follow on instagram and pinterest and show off your pilaf version with the hashtag #kasheribbean.
If you love this recipe we appreciate you share with your friends and family! It really means a lot to us!
