Sides

Creamed Potatoes {Vegan, GF}

Passover, Recipes, Shabbath, Shabuoth, Sides /

One of the easiest side dishes on the planet: Yummy Vegan Creamed Potatoes. Versatile, kid-friendly, delicious and also budget-friendly. There’s nothing that can go wrong with this dish.

This is another one of those recipes that has been waiting to be published for months. I first came out with these Vegan Creamed Potatoes one ereb shabbath, when I needed that “little extra” because I felt something was missing for the Shabbat dinner. I quickly thought about what can be done with what I had on hand, and that was it. 

My husband says it is obvious I have ancestry from eastern and central Europe, because I love my potatoes, lol. I mean, they are just so versatile. Am I right? 😛  If you love potatoes as much as I do, also check out our super easy Lemony Potato Salad. I will eat those two dishes every other day if I could!  

As I told you already, this Vegan Creamed Potatoes are extremely easy to make. Just gather your ingredients, boil the potatoes for a few minutes (This is what I like to do so I don’t end up with raw potatoes and dried sauce, but I guess you can do this if you have a mandoline), mix the ingredients for the sauce, cook a bit on the oven, and voila! Creamed Potatoes ready to enjoy! 🙂 

Let’s talk about the ingredients…

Simple ingredients. Great results

For the Vegan Creamed Potatoes you’ll need just a handful of ingredients: coconut milk (Do you realize already I love coconut?), nutritional yeast, mustard, nutmeg, some flour and a touch of salt and pepper. 

Those few ingredients will give you a delicious white sauce that you will use to dress up the humble potatoes. 

This particular time I used mini potatoes, that I cleaned well before boiling for about 10 minutes. I left them whole and with the skin on for this occasion because I was out of time, and also because I wanted to give another look to these Vegan Creamed Potatoes, but you can also peel the skin off and slice to make like a more traditional scalloped potatoes dish. 

Nutritional yeast + mustard + nutmeg, is a key combo for this recipe. I find that these 3 ingredients combined add a subtle but fantastic flavor to this dish. I hope you like it as much as I do.

If for any reason you want to make this paleo-friendly, use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch, and you are good to go. 



What would you pair these Vegan Creamed Potatoes with?? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to share pictures with the hashtag #kasheribbean, when you make this recipe. Follow up on instagram and pinterest to keep up with other quick and easy recipes from us and the blogosphere! 

Until next time! 😉 

 

 

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Lemony Potato Salad

Passover, Recipes, Salads, Shabbath, Sides /

A humble Lemony Potato Salad get a punch of flavor from lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley. Keep reading to get the recipe. 

To be honest, this recipe has been sitting on my drafts for over a month now. I made it when the days where way too hot, so it was sitting there while I tried to bring other more “summer friendly” dishes to my table and the blog. 

At the end of the day I posted a very fresh Grilled Eggplant & Avocado Salad two weeks ago, and then decided to take a week off as I was setting up the website for the home-based cake business I just started. Yay!. That was a little bit stressful. 


I think this came to be actually the perfect time to post this Lemony Potato Salad because this salad portraits the transition on the weather I am experiencing here right now. It has the bright lemony flavor characteristic of sunny days, but it is also satisfying and filling, sort of a comfort food you’ll want to eat on a much cooler, rainy days. 

Let’s talk about the ingredients…

Simple ingredients. Great results

For this Lemony Potato Salad I used the most humble ingredients you can think of, but they blend beautifully to give you the perfect, but not overpowering, tangy lemony flavor that goes very well with potatoes.  

To get the most amount of juice from the lemon don’t forget to press a little bit against the kitchen counter.

For this particular salad I peeled the potatoes, and cook until they are fork tender. The reason why I peeled is because I want to mash a bit of the potatoes, and that little mash, when mixed with the egg yolks, mayo and mustard, will add to the creamy texture without adding too much mayonnaise. 

To get perfect hard boiled eggs for this, or any recipe, place the room temperature eggs on a pot filled with water (make sure the water covers the eggs) and put over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat, and let it cook for 6 minutes. Get off the heat and cool off the eggs with cold water. Peel off and they are ready to use. When you cut in half you should be able to see a beautiful, perfectly cooked, creamy and bright yellow yolk. 

Mayo, mustard, onion and lemon are the main seasoning for this salad. I love how these 4 ingredients marry together to compliment the creamy potatoes. 

Yes! I also chopped the stalk of the fresh parsley

Finally, we have sweet peas and parsley. The fresh parsley has a peppery taste that goes really well with the lemon juice and zest. That combo is what gives you the bright flavor of this salad.

On the other hand, the sweet peas add a little bit of sweetness and a pop of color. I always put the frozen sweet peas to a strainer, and then add the hot potatoes on top. While the potatoes cool down, the sweet peas will defrost.   

How do you love your potato salad? Let us know across social media with your delicious pictures and by sharing with your friends and family!! Follow on instagram and pinterest where we share our favorite quick and easy recipes from the blogosphere! We appreciate your support!

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Spicy Roasted Potatoes {Vegan, GF}

Passover, Recipes, Shabbath, Sides /

Hello there! Today, I am sharing with you the most amazing Spicy Roasted Potatoes. Super easy to make and super flavorful. Spicy Roasted Potatoes are the best side dish for any occasion and team up really well with any dip or even salad.

Let me start by saying, I LOVE Roasted Potatoes! They are so versatile and can be paired with pretty much anything you please, and even though, potatoes have to deal with some criticism for being “high” in carbs, in the end they are not so different than sweet potatoes!

Let me continue by saying that even though I am not a person who loves (or even can eat) spicy food, this spice blend bring the whole potato game to a whole new level!

Check out other side dishes from the blog: Stuffed Onions with Kale & Onions,  Moroccan Carrot Salad & Ripe Plantains and Eggplant Casserole.

I went to a Morrocan shop

The other day, I went to a Morocco shop and while looking for za’atar, I found a shawarma blend.

This blend has chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, all spice, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. My first thought was using it for some chicken but a few days later, it happened…

We already pointed out, I am a fan of potatoes specially those with Za’atar (a middle eastern blend made of sumac, thyme, oregano, lemon zest and roasted sesame seeds). I usually just sprinkle the za’atar over the potatoes, drizzle with a little olive oil and salt; and to the oven they go.

But, this time, when I was about to enter the potatoes in the oven, it hit me: why not to add shawarma blend to the potatoes? So, I did. It was so incredibly good, the next day I tried again to take notes and take some pics 😛 Between those two days I certainly had a potato overdose 🙂 but it was oh-so-worthy!

The Spice Blend

To make these spicy roasted potatoes I used two blends: za’atar and shawarma mix, but don’t panic; you can always make those blends at home with the right ingredients.

As I mentioned before, za’atar is a delicious mix of sumac, thyme, oregano, lemon zest and toasted sesame seeds (at least the one I got from Israel). I haven’t personally made this myself as I haven’t had the opportunity to find sumac but, you can easily find za’atar seasoning already prepared in middle eastern shops or in the ethnic section of some supermarkets.

The shawarma mix, is easier to make as the ingredients are more common. I found this recipe for shawarma mix with similar ingredients of the blend I bought, although it doesn’t contain garlic or onion powders, but you get the idea.

I also added some paprika for color sake, some dill weed I dried myself, just because 😉 and, of course, some salt.

What potatoes to use?

To be honest, I don’t know much about potatoes. The most I know is that I want these spicy roasted potatoes to hold their shape well, be crusty on the outside (this is one of the reasons I leave the skin on) and soft (but not mushy) on the inside.

For those reasons mentioned above, I usually go for Yukon potatoes for  roasting or I will just pick up any kind of potato as long as is not russet (because I find those too starchy, and the final texture is too mushy, so not the best for roasting).

Once you’ve got your potatoes, you know how it goes: mix in some spices and herbs, add some olive oil and bake.

I added a great deal of spices, so the potatoes ended up with spice “clusters” all over so to speak, but it was awesome because they were like little bombs of flavor in your mouth. So good.

Do you love recipes like this? Let us know across social media! We are on instagram and pinterest sharing our favorite quick and easy recipes!. Don’t be shy and also share with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Until next time!

 

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Cassava Pancakes with Beefless Ground Beef {Gluten Free, Dairy Free with vegan option}

Recipes, Sides /

Hello, there! Today I was feeling the blues, so here we are with another “Caribbean Vibes” post about Cassava Pancakes. Never heard about Cassava or Yuca? Don’t worry, you’ll learn a bit about it today.

What about Cassava?

Cassava (also known as yuca, tapioca or manioc), is a perennial bush, native to the tropical area of the Americas. Its main edible part is the root, although the leaves are also suitable for animal and human consumption. Its exterior is brown, often sold covered in wax for longer shelf life, and its interior is white.

In Dominican Republic it was used by the Taínos (indigenous people that lived in what is today Dominican Republic-Haiti before the arrival of Columbus in the 15th century) as the main ingredient for casabe (crunchy flatbread made from finely shredded cassava, with the starch removed). Today, cassava remains an important part of the diet in the island, and its starch is used in the textile industry and to manufacture paper and adhesives.

Cassava is the perfect ingredient if you need a simple food that will keep you full for a long time, because it is rich in complex carbs – starch (which we dominicans love!); and, with no gluten involved which makes it easily digested.

Buying and Storing Cassava

The best cassava you can find on the market is smooth and bright white inside, with no bruises or black veins. Only way to know in you spotted good cassava is by snapping the ends or by asking kindly to the vendor to cutting it in half.

If for some reason you buy cassava and it has some minor black veins, it won’t be good for boiling to make purees or stews; but you can still use it for hash browns or pancakes, as long as it doesn’t smell bad.

To preserve the cassava for longer time, you can always peel and rinse, then cut lengthwise to remove the  woody core and freeze.

When cooking in stews, you can add it from the freezer straight away to the pot. If, on the other hand, you are preparing these pancakes, let the cassava thaw a little and follow the directions as normal.

Preparing the Cassava

There is no rocket science needed to make Cassava pancake. You literally need just 4 ingredients, maybe 5; if you want to get fancy, and you’ll also need a guayo (box grater) or a food processor, to finely shred the cassava. The process is super straight-forward: peel, grate, mix, cook, enjoy!

For those of you who don’t know, this is the guayo… 🙂

To peel the cassava, cut off both end; then, cut lengthwise through the brown bark and under the pink skin that is under the bark. Pull off with a kitchen knife to loosen the skin. Rinse with cold water before cooking.

How to make Cassava Pancakes

This recipe is incredibly easy to make. You just need grated cassava, egg (or flax egg, to make vegan), salt and pepper.

To make a flax egg, mix 1 Tablespoon of flax seeds meal with 3 Tbsp of warm water, and let sit for about 5 minutes. By that time it will have a thick, gel-like consistency. Add this to the cassava.

To shape the pancakes, I took a spoonful of the mixture and placed it in a hot skillet with a teaspoon of coconut oil. I flatten it out the “dough” with the back of the spoon and let it cook on medium low until the bottom was golden. Flip and let cook for another 2 minutes on the other side, and they are ready for you to enjoy.

This recipe yields 6 pancakes but you can easily double or triple according to your needs.

Meatless meat in the making

Cassava is very forgiving and goes well with pretty much anything, but to accompany these cassava pancakes I made some “beefless ground beef”, basically because I was trying to get the idea out of my head . The ingredients and directions are the same as the ingredients of our Ultimate Vegan Meatballs, with a few tweaks:

  • Make just half of the recipe
  • Substitute quick cooking oats with a mix of ground almonds and walnuts.
  • Don’t add the extra water  (I wanted a more chunky consistency, so the water wasn’t necessary).
  • Follow the directions up until the food processor part, then, put it back on the pan, mixed with the ground nuts and cooked for an extra 2 minutes.

If you want more details on how to make this beefless ground beef, go and visit the Ultimate Vegan Meatballs post 😉

I have to say that the combo of cassava pancakes with the meatless ground beef was excellent and it seriously kept me full for the whole day! Total win!

This is it for today, guys. Hope you enjoy this extremely easy recipe as much as I enjoy sharing it with you (and eating it! lol) If you want to see more recipes like this, let us know in the comment section or head over instagram to let us know! We are also on pinterest, sharing our favorite recipes from the blogosphere! Don’t forget to share with your friends, and why not, make them some cassava pancakes 😉

Until next time!

Hannah

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Garlic Hummus with Black Beans puree {Vegan, GF}

Passover, Recipes, Rosh HaShanah, Shabbath, Sides, Sukkoth /

Hello, everyone! Today I want to share with you this yummy hybrid: The super creamy, thick and luscious Garlic Hummus with Black Beans Puree as an interesting addition. Finally, another hummus post! Yay! 😀 Alongside our classic hummus, this combo will go well with any chips, toast, veggies or anything crunchy really, plus, you’ll get an extra protein boost!

This is a child or grandchild of hummus with ful 🙂

I remember, when we were in Israel last year, specifically when we went to Yerushalayim for the first time, we bought hummus with ful. It was super yummy! and, of course I knew I wanted to make this recipe at home so I asked about the details about it to the vendor, but, back at home and I couldn’t find the dried broad beans for the ful, so this draft has been sitting there, in the blog dashboard for over a year.

When I decided I wanted to make hummus with ful, for shabbath, I went to the turkish shop and couldn’t find it either. Probably, being late and with a hungry child were factors! But I wanted to dress up the hummus anyways do I picked up the nearest thing I could think off: black beans and make delicious hummus with black bean puree.  Obviously, I don’t want to pretend I made the “original stuff”, we will end up with more hummus recipes on the blog when I get my hands onto the dried broad beans! 😛

That hummus with black bean puree ended up being a hit and can be a meal all by itself (protein bomb baby!) And the best part? There is no real secret about this hummus with black beans puree. Only thing you need to do really and nail the classic hummus which is not that difficult anyways! So you have a super easy, relatively quick recipe and oh, so delicious!

I don’t want to fill this up with the classic hummus recipe so, for more information on how to make it go to this page

Making Hummus with Black Beans Puree

For this obviously, you’ll need black beans. To make the puree I just sauteed some garlic cloves and cumin until fragrant, then adding 200grs of very soft black beans that can be either homemade or canned, and finishing up with some lemon juice and some sea salt before pureeing with an immersion blender.

Easy right?

Do you love hummus?Like the idea of adding black beans to the king? What other toppings you add for your hummus? Let us know in the comments section below!And, don’t be shy and follow on  instagram and pinterest (we don’t bite, yet!)

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!

Happy cooking! ?

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