Challah French Toast with Caramelized Apples and Whipped Cream

With Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur already passing this year, I am going through some serious withdraws of Challah. Challah is this magical Jewish bread that tastes like sweet pillows of love. I may sound absolutely ridiculous saying that but Challah is pretty much the tastiest type of bread you can possibly eat, and it is even better when it's dipped in egg and milk, fried in butter and covered with caramelized apples and whipped cream!

I made Challah french toast a couple of weeks ago from the leftover Challah that I had from the holidays. I decided to go all out with my french toast because I rarely make any sort of sweet breakfast, let alone bread covered in cream and sugar. For my Challah french toast, I decided to add caramelized apples and whipped cream but you can switch it to caramelized bananas or keep it plain and let the Challah shine on its own!

I like toppings so I added additional ingredients. Here is how I did it:

 Challah French Toast with Caramelized Apples and Whipped Cream

Challah French Toast
- 1 Loaf of Challah
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbs salted butter
- Pinch of salt
- Handfull of chopped walnuts

Caramelized Apples
- 1 large apple (peeked and thinly sliced)
- 4 tbs salted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- Pinch of salt

Vanilla Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Take a shallow baking dish. Crack the three eggs and pour the milk in the dish. Whisk the eggs and milk together. Add vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Whisk all ingredient together.

Heat a large frying pan on the stove. Add the salted butter.

Take the loaf of Challah and slice it into 1 inch thick pieces. Dip the Challah in the egg and milk mixture and flip the bread on both sides. Once the Challah has sucked up enough of the wet ingredients, place it in the frying pan. Cook the Challah on both sides between 3-5 minutes. Repeat for all slices.

Place a separate frying pan on the stove. Add the butter, brown sugar and salt and let it cook until the the sugar has fully dissolved and starts to bubble slightly. Take the sliced apples and add it in the heated butter/sugar. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the apples are soft. Make sure that the sugar doesn't burn.

In a large bowl, pour the cream, sugar and vanilla. Whisk together until the cream becomes stiff  (5 minutes or so).

To assemble the french toast, take a slice of the challah french toast. Pour the carmelized apples over the Challah, add a dollop of whipped cream on top and sprinkle a few pieces of walnuts.

Enjoy!

Anne

Pumpkin Spice Granola

'Tis the season to include pumpkin in every possible product imaginable. Whether it be the classic PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) or in stranger combinations, pumpkin salsa, every product at the grocery store seems to have a pumpkin flavored edition. I'll be honest, I don't hate it, in fact, I kind of love it! I am a pumpkin spice junkie! I recently went to Trader Joe's and had a field day in the Pumpkin flavored isle (yes, they do have a section entirely devoted to pumpkin flavored products). I purchased pumpkin spice oatmeal, pumpkin spice tea.. You name it, I've probably tried it!

I decided to make pumpkin spice granola because one, I obviously have a slight addiction to pumpkin spice and two, I may equally have the same addiction to granola. So I figured, why not combine the two! I am not the first to have done this, but I'm sure glad I tried it!

Here's how I made it:

Pumpkin Spice Granola
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconuts
- 3/4 slivered almonds
- 3/4 chopped walnuts
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbs + 2 tsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- Pinch of salt

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Combine all of the dry ingredients in one bowl and all of the wet ingredients in the other. Add the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.

Evenly disperse the wet granola on two baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes and then stir. Bake for another 15 minutes and stir again. Finally, bake for another 15-20 minutes until dry. Take the granola out of the oven and let it cool before placing it in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Anne

Sweet Potato Veggie Chili

When the weather starts to get cold, the only things I want to eat are soups, stews and chilies.  These three dishes are pretty obvious since they are warm and hearty. I don't typically eat a lot of meat, so to compensate for that, I like to load up these types of dishes with a lot of different vegetables and whole-lot of spices.

This sweet potato veggie chili is exactly the kind of dish that I crave on a chilly evening. The vegetables that I put in are robust and flavorful, and the spices add another layer of warmth besides the temperature. To cool off some of the spice and balance the sweetness of the honey, I like to add some crème fraîche or goat cheese on top.

Here is how I did it:

Sweet Potato Veggie Chili

Sweet Potato Veggie Chili
- 1/2 onion
- 3 shallots
- 1 clove of garlic
- 3 large stocks of celery
- 1/2 pound of carrots (peeled)
-  2 large sweet potatoes (peeled)
- 1/2 a large eggplant (peeled)
- 12 oz can of kidney beans
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
-12 oz water
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs chili powder
- 1 tbs cinnamon
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp hot pepper flakes
- 3 tbs honey
- Salt and pepper to taste

Heat up two tbs of olive oil in a large saucepan. Chop up half an onion, three shallots and one clove of garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Take the celery, carrots, sweet potatoes and eggplant and chop them up into medium sized pieces. Sauté the vegetables with the onions and shallots for about 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Add the can of kidney beans, crushed tomatoes and to the vegetables. Add the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, pepper flakes and honey and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Let the chili simmer under low heat for about 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are completely cooked through.

Serve with crème fraîche or goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Roasted Fig Salad with Honey Infused Goat Cheese

 Roasted Fig Salad with Honey Infused Goat Cheese

Roasted Fig Salad
- 10 fresh figs
- 1/2 tbs brown sugar
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 1 tbs honey
- 3 cups of mixed greens
- 2 tbs toasted chopped walnuts

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette 
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 juice of a lemon
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Take the fresh figs and cut them half way through, in fourths. Sprinkle brown sugar and bake for 15 minutes.

Take the goat cheese and honey and mix together. Once the figs are out of the oven, drop a small amount of goat cheese inside each fig.

For the dressing, mix all of the ingredients together and pour over the mixed greens. Place the salad on two large plates and add 5 figs each. Garnish with some toasted walnuts and pepper.

Enjoy!

Portobello and Goat Cheese Flatbread with Truffle oil

I am a huge fan of flatbread (and all things bread). I love that you can start out with just a base (the dough) and build off of that with whatever you want. You can make simple flatbreads with just cheese, or make fancier ones with extra ingredients and signature pairings like brie and pear or sausage and peppers.

One of my favorite flatbreads is my portobello and goat cheese flatbread with truffle oil. This flatbread is a fantastic appetizer that is definitely a crowd pleaser. The prep is so easy and it takes no time to make. The only way that you can make it more complicated is by making your own dough, but why bother when you can buy fresh pizza dough from your favorite pizza joint or food store.

 Portobello and Goat Cheese Flatbread with Truffle Oil

Flatbread:
- Pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
- 3 large portobello mushrooms
- 6 oz goat cheese
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs truffle oil
- 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Heat up a large sauté pan with 2 tbs of olive oil. Chop three large portobello mushrooms and place in the pan along with the chopped garlic.  Sauté the mushrooms and garlic for 10-15 minutes until cooked and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 tbs of truffle oil.

Roll out your dough with a little bit of flour and place on a baking pan. Drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil over the dough and add the goat cheese over top. The goat cheese doesn't need to be spread out evenly. Put the dough in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Take out the flatbread and add the portobello mushrooms and drizzle 1 tbs of truffle oil. Bake for another minute and garnish with a little bit of parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Garlic Kale Caesar Salad

My favorite salad these days is caesar salad, especially kale caesar salad. Anytime I see it on a menu at a restaurant, I have to order it. I love the salty and tangy taste of the dressing and the kale has more substance than just regular lettuce, that it makes you feel like you are eating more than just salad. The crispy croutons don't only add texture but they are great for when you want to soak up the leftover dressing at the end. 

I decided to make my own kale caesar salad tonight. I made it extra garlicy because I love the taste and I love that it adds some additional spice to the salad.  You can make this salad as a side dish or add grilled chicken or fish to make it more filling. 

Here is how I did it:

 Garlic Kale Caesar Salad

Kale Caesar Salad:
- 6 large leaves of Kale
- 1 1/2 cup of diced crusty bread
- 1 tbs olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Caesar Dressing:
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbs sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs dijon mustard
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare all of your ingredients.

Wash and cut the kale into bit sized pieces and place in a salad bowl. For the bread, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread into medium sized cubes and put on a baking pan. Drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil on top of the bread and sprinkle salt and pepper. Toss the bread and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until completely combined. Pour overtop of the kale and toss.

To assemble, place the salad on a large plate and sprinkle the homemade croutons overtop . Shave Parmigiano Reggiano and add freshly cracked black pepper to finish.

Enjoy!

Anne

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Asian Slaw

The first time I ever tried lettuce wraps was at Sangkee Noodle House. I remember I was with my cousins and they were raving about them. I understood soon after why they were because they were delicious!!! I love that you can use the bibb lettuce as a cup and fill it with whatever you want. I've made plenty of versions of lettuce wraps with rice noodles and vegetables and whatever protein I want.  

These lettuce wraps are by far my favorite ones yet! The almond butter just adds the right amount of nutty flavor to the turkey and doesn't overpower the meat. The slaw is also delicious and refreshing and is the perfect pairing to the turkey. 

Here is how I did it 

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Asian Slaw

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

- 1 head of bibb lettuce

-1 lb of lean ground turkey

- 1 (8 ounce) can of bamboo shoots 

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 tbs fresh ginger

- 2 tbs vegetable oil

- 2 tbs almond butter

- 1 tbs soy sauce

- 1 tbs sesame oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Sriracha to taste

Asian Slaw

- 1 (16 ounce )bag of coleslaw mix

- 1/4 cup sesame oil

- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 

- 2 tbs fresh ginger

- 1 clove of garlic

- 2 tbs soy sauce

- 1 tbs sriracha

- 4 tbs toasted sesame seeds

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 2 tbs chopped scallions 

Heat up a large pan with two tbs of vegetable oil. Chop up two cloves of garlic and one tbs of fresh ginger. Place in the pan with the vegetable oil and toast for a minute. Add the ground turkey. Once the turkey is fully cooked, add the almond butter, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add one can of bamboo shoots (roughly chop the bamboo before you add it in with the turkey). Add sriracha and salt and pepper to taste. 

For the slaw, place one bag of coleslaw mix in a large bowl. Place the sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sriracha in a blender and mix. Pour the sauce over the coleslaw. Add four tbs of sesame seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

To assemble the wraps, layer lettuce leaves with the ground turkey mixture and place a large spoonful of the slaw overtop of that. Garnish with scallions and sriracha. 

This is a great meal to eat with friends. Make it as a started or as your main meal. It's a fun and interactive dish!

Anne