Whether you know them from Disney's Encanto film or from your travels to Colombia or Venezuela, these little Latin versions of grilled cheese taste amazing when coming off the skillet! Stuff these with mozzarella cheese, queso fresco or Jarlsberg cheese, and enjoy little bites of cheese goodness hot off the griddle.

Cook arepas de queso on a griddle and top them up with your favourite South American fixings - avocado, tomato, onions, more corn and a couple of delicious salsas - and feel the deliciousness of this crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside cheese arepas recipe. Discover the cuisine made popular by the movie Encanto with this traditional recipe!

This post is sponsored by Jarlsberg cheese, and contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the companies that make this blog possible.

What are arepas de queso?

Arepas con queso (Cheese arepas, also called arepas de queso in Colombia and Venezuela) are fritters that are made out of ground and precooked corn flour (masa de arepa), mixed with shredded cheese and cooked on a griddle.

For more arepas recipe, see my arepas de choclo recipe and my mother-in-law's Colombian arepas.

Colombian arepas are often served warm and eaten for breakfast, slathered with butter and more cheese on top. They are often had with hot chocolate or Colombian fruit salad, another staple of Colombian food.

Discovering arepas con queso in Colombia

My first time arriving in Colombia also happened to be the first time I saw my normally gentle boyfriend truly lose his cool.

"What did I say, mom? What did I say?" he proceeded to yell into the hand-held phone, the cool night air entering the car through the barely open taxicab window, intermingled with the faint scent of rotting fruit and smog.

"I told you NOT to come to the airport, didn't I? And what did you do?" I let my fingers intertwine with his, trying to put all the certainty I wasn't even close to feeling into that one small gesture. The nighttime streets of Bogota passed outside the window, all curves and gentle inclines, the street lamps blinking as though winking at us, conspiratorial.

"Now we have to sit outside and wait for you." SLAM, the phone went into the car seat. A few deep breaths were the only sound audible in the car, except the ticking of the driver's turning signal.

"I warned you, didn't I?" he looked at me, speaking in his usual, quiet voice, his eyes pleading with me not to judge, to understand, to contain his emotions, which suddenly seemed too big and strong for this tiny, rickety taxi barreling dangerously through the streets of Bogota.

"Estamos aquí, señor," the cab driver said in his brusque, clear Colombian Spanish, bringing us back to reality: the gated neighbourhood we arrived in, the youngsters playing soccer at 11 PM, the tiny, makeshift bar on the corner, seemingly populated solely by the owner's best friends.

The Colombian cheese arepas con queso glistening in the glass display cases alongside Colombian baked plantains and Colombian desserts, little golden rounds of fried corn dough holding within them melted treasures.

We lifted our suitcase from the trunk and walked to the entryway, never letting go of each other's hands.

My first time tasting an arepa colombiana came my first morning in Bogota, when, with the stresses of the previous night forgotten, my husband's mom proceeded to heat us up a mountainous pile of arepas stuffed with cheese. 

My first bite into these warm golden pockets was met with a squirt of melted cheese, a burning sensation that was totally worth it for the intoxicating taste of gooey, stringy cheese inside.

It was love at first cheesy corn cake.

After that, we proceeded to buy cheese arepas at various little vendors - for breakfast in the small, sleepy town of Villa de Leyva, alongside boiling-hot aromatica, the local tea made up of a random selection of herbs and plants that never seemed to repeat itself.

I developed this arepas de queso recipe after watching my mother-in-law make them many times. My first time making arepas was not an immediate success, and I encourage you to experiment with this recipe a few times until you get the technique just right! I am thrilled to finally share this melty, cheesy, traditional Colombian recipe with you! 

What is the difference between arepas and pupusas?

Arepas are one of the most popular recipes in Latin America, and many countries have their own version of this Latin grilled cheese sandwich. 

Like Colombian arepas con queso, pupusas are also little corn cakes, often made with cheese. They are most usually Dominican in origin.

However, while cheese arepas are made out of masa de arepa, pupusas are made out of masa harina. They are drier and usually less sweet than cheese arepas.

Recreating Colombian arepas con queso at home

This authentic arepas recipe was brought back from my experiences in Colombia. 

There, I had freshly baked Boyaca-style cheese arepas that could barely contain the inviting fragrance of the corn-and-cheese patties inside.

They were great alongside Colombian ensalada de frutas or beautiful Colombian pear ceviche for a lunchtime snack in the market of Chiquinquira.

It's only natural that I sought to recreate these little tastes of goodness upon my return to cold, wintery Montreal in mid-February.

After trying with a few different cheeses, we finally settled on the Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese as the perfect arepa toppings for our authentic Colombian cheese arepas.

The nutty taste of this otherwise mild, golden cheese is a perfect accompaniment to the sweetness of the white cornmeal. Its beautiful melting qualities made the experience of biting into one golden, fried cheesy corn cake a moment worthy of a celebration.

Making cheese arepa at home is a surprisingly quick, simple affair that will allow you to explore the cuisine of that incredible country, with which I fell in love upon first bite.

Arepa con queso Ingredients

This recipe calls for:

• warm water - any water will do, but make sure it is warm and not boiling hot or cold. This will enable you to shape the cheese arepas better.
• Pre-cooked white or yellow arepa flour, also known as masa de arepa - Goya and P.A.N are common masa de arepa brands in North America. You can find them in Latin or Asian stores, or on Amazon. They have a light, sweet corn flavor that is subtle yet delicious.
• Cheese, grated - you can use Jarlsberg cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, or even queso fresco for best results
• vegetable oil or melted butter - use a good salted butter, or choose a flavorless oil like sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil.
• Salt - used to flavor the arepas de queso.

See recipe card for exact measurements.

How to Make Arepas con Queso Recipe

Make the dough:

Pour water into a large bowl. Add arepa flour, a teaspoon of salt, oil, Jarlsberg cheese, and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest for five minutes.

Working with moist hands, remove about 3 tbsps worth of dough, knead the dough, and flatten it between your palms. Add 1 tablespoon of cheese in the middle, and top with a handful more dough, gently pressing the dough over to cover the cheese in the dough and form a patty about ¼ inch thick.

Shape the arepas:

If you're after those perfectly shaped Colombian arepas, place each ball of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and flatten them to ¼ inch with a heavy cast iron pan. Repeat until you're out of dough and cheese, transferring prepared arepas to a large platter.

Cook the arepas:

Preheat your budare (special arepas pan), griddle or cast iron pan to medium heat. Season with oil or butter to prevent them from sticking. Add the arepas and cook about 5 minutes on one side. Then, another 5 minutes on the second side, until you achieve golden-brown colour and a beautiful char in spots. The best arepas tend to stick to the griddle until they are ready to be flipped, so don't rush it!

Serve Arepas Con Queso with toppings

To serve arepas de queso, cut them in half and put your favourite toppings inside - this is the way Venezuelan arepas are traditionally eaten, but I like it even more than just eating them plain. If not serving right away, transfer them to a 200 F oven to keep warm.

Drizzle with Colombian pico de gallo and spicy aji.

How to stuff a cheese arepa colombiana?

Most of the time, Colombians arepas are had warm, with a pat of butter. This is one of the simplest ways to eat arepas. It's delicious and easy with all that melty cheese!

But when you want to go all out, you can top your cheese arepas with toppings. Or even better, stuff them, as they do in Venezuela.

Whether you put things inside your arepa, making a Venezuelan arepa, or on-top, like a Colombian, here are some of my favourite ideas for arepas fillings and what to eat with arepas:  Colombian Aji is a must with arepas! Avocado, beans, beef, chicken, corn, more cheese, tomatoes, or better yet, Pico de Gallo (also known as empanada sauce). 

Storing Cheese Arepa Con Queso: 

Store leftover arepas de queso in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm them on a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until heated through. Alternatively, place them in a 350°F (175°C) oven on parchment paper for about 10 minutes total time. Avoid microwaving, as it can make the texture rubbery. For longer storage, freeze cooked arepas in a single layer. Then transfer them to a freezer bag and reheat directly from frozen on a skillet or in the oven.

Recipe

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Authentic Colombian cheese arepas with all the fixings

Naturally gluten-free, arepas con queso are little golden pockets of corn flour and delicious Jarlsberg cheese that will melt in your mouth with each bite. Cook them on a griddle and top them up with your favourite South American fixings - avocado, tomato, onions, more corn and a couple of delicious salsas - and feel the deliciousness of gooey-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside fried Colombian cheese arepas.

Serve with my pico de gallo: https://immigrantstable.com/2018/05/03/authentic-colombian-pico-de-gallo-v-gf-paleo/

Serve with my aji hot sauce: https://immigrantstable.com/2018/05/18/spicy-colombian-aji-the-best-hot-sauce/

Course Appetizer, first, Main, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Colombian

Keyword cheese, Colombia, colombian, fall, gluten-free, Jarlsberg, spring, summer, vegetarian, winter

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 374kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

Colombian cheese arepas:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup pre-cooked white or yellow arepa flour also known as masa de arepa - Goya and P.A.N are common brands in North America
• 1 cup Jarlsberg cheese grated
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Pinch salt

Toppings:

• ¼ cup Jarlsberg cheese grated
• 1 ripe avocado sliced
• ½ pint of cherry tomatoes cut in half
• ½ red onion diced finely
• Fresh cilantro chopped finely
• Green onion sliced into thin circles
• ½ cup Colombian pico de gallo (or your favourite salsa)
• ⅛ cup Colombian aji (https://immigrantstable.com/2018/05/18/spicy-colombian-aji-the-best-hot-sauce/, or your favourite hot sauce)

Instructions

• Pour water into large bowl. Add arepa corn flour, salt, oil, ½ cup of Jarlsberg cheese, and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover with a towel and let dough rest for five minutes.
• Working with moist hands, remove about 3 tbsps worth of dough and flatten them between your palms. Add 1 tablespoon of cheese in the middle, and top with a handful more dough, gently pressing to seal the cheese inside and form a patty about ¼ inch thick. If you're after those perfectly shaped arepas, place each arepa ball between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and flatten them to ¼ inch with a heavy cast iron pan. Repeat until you're out of dough and cheese, transferring prepared arepas to a large platter.
• Preheat your budare (special arepas pan), griddle or cast iron pan to high heat. Season with oil or butter. Place the arepas in the pan and cook about 5 minutes on each side, until you achieve golden-brown colour and a beautiful char in spots.
• To serve arepas, cut them in half and put your favourite toppings inside. Drizzle with Colombian pico de gallo and aji.

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 491mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 880IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 309mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Authentic Colombian Arepas con Queso recipe (Cheese arepas) appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

I have learned to judge cookies the same way my grandmother judged winter coats in Jerusalem. Not by how they look on the first day, but by how they hold up after living with you for a while.

A good coat still fits after rain, wind, and being passed from one child to another. A good cookie still feels right after sitting quietly on the counter, tucked into a tin, waiting to be offered with tea.

These strawberry almond thumbprint cookies earned their place that way. I baked a batch on a weekday between errands and preschool pickup. Leo parked toy cars under the table. Lin drew strawberries that looked like red suns. My husband hovered, asking if the cookies were for guests or for us, which usually means both.

I cooled them on the tray, tucked them into a tin, and left them on the counter. Every day, for five days, I took one out. The center stayed soft. The edges kept their shape. The jam settled into the cookie instead of sinking or turning sticky.

That did not happen by chance. Years of plant based baking taught me how cookies age.  Almond butter and oil keep moisture without the heaviness of butter. A modest amount of oat milk is enough to bring the dough together without making it soggy by day two. Cornstarch keeps the crumb tender instead of sandy.

Filling the wells so the jam sits slightly below the rim lets it bake into the cookie instead of spilling out and hardening. These are the small choices that let a tray of cookies survive real family life.

Strawberries already thread through our seasons. In our house, strawberries show up everywhere once winter loosens its grip. They appear in paleo strawberry scones on slow mornings, in a pan of no-bake strawberry tiramisu when I need a make-ahead dessert in the fridge, and frozen into berry yogurt bark that the kids check every few minutes.

These thumbprints are another way to set that same flavor on the table, at home in a Hanukkah tin, beside Russian tea glasses, or on any mixed, noisy holiday plate.

Ingredients

• Almond butter - The base of these thumbprints. It gives structure, gentle richness, and a soft chew that keeps well for days. Use smooth, unsweetened almond butter that needs a stir and is not packed with stabilizers. If you prefer a peanut flavor, natural peanut butter (unsweetened, non-emulsified) works in the same amount and still holds a neat thumbprint.
• Oat milk - Oat milk loosens the dough so it mixes smoothly without adding too much liquid. It helps the sugar dissolve into the almond butter and keeps the centers from drying out after baking. Any mild non-dairy milk, like soy or almond, can stand in. I skip full fat coconut milk, which changes the fat balance and can make the cookies feel a bit drier.
• Strawberry jam - Choose a thicker jam with small pieces of fruit so it stays put in the well and bakes into a soft pool instead of running over the sides. For variety, raspberry, apricot, or blackberry jam work the same way. The dough was tested with all of them, so you can mix flavors on one tray without adjusting the recipe.

See the recipe card for full list and exact quantities.

How to Make Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

When you are ready to bake, this classic recipe comes together in one bowl, turning light and fluffy before you shape the almond dough and add the strawberry centers. Here is how to walk through each step so the cookies hold their shape and the jam stays put:

Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Trays

Set your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. The parchment keeps the bottoms from browning too quickly and makes it easier to lift the cookies once they are cool.

Mix the Almond Butter Base

There should be no visible streaks of oil or thicker patches of almond butter. If the mixture looks separated or oily on top, keep mixing until it comes together. A unified base helps the sugar and flour fold in evenly and keeps the cookies from baking up patchy or greasy.

Add the Sugar, Oat Milk, and Vanilla

At this stage, you are looking for a texture similar to a loose nut butter frosting. If it looks gritty or very stiff, give it another short mix so the sugar can dissolve into the almond butter. If it turns very thin or runny, your almond butter may be too oily; add a spoonful of flour later, only if the dough feels very sticky once all the dry ingredients are in.

Fold in the Dry Ingredients

The dough should look thick and soft, and it should pull away from the sides of the bowl in one mass. It should not crumble or crack when pressed, but it also should not flow like cake batter. If it crumbles, add a teaspoon of oat milk at a time and mix gently. If it feels very sticky, dust in a bit more flour, a spoonful at a time, until it rolls easily in your hands.

Shape the Cookie Dough

The dough balls should feel soft but not sticky. If they cling heavily to your hands, chill the bowl in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before shaping the rest. Good spacing here helps the cookies bake with neat edges and prevents them from merging into each other.

Make the Thumbprints

You want the well to be deep enough to hold jam, with walls that stay intact. If you see large cracks along the edges, gently pinch and press them back together. Small surface lines are fine and often soften during baking, but wide cracks can allow jam to leak out and harden on the tray.

Fill with Strawberry Jam

If you add too much jam, it will bubble over during baking and form sticky streaks along the sides. If you add very little, the center can look sunken once the cookies cool. Aim for a full but contained pool of jam that feels secure when you tilt the tray gently.

Bake the Cookies

You are not looking for much color change. The edges should feel set when you tap them lightly with a fingertip, while the centers may still look slightly soft and glossy around the jam. If the bottoms are turning deep brown, your oven may run hot; reduce the time for the next batch. If the cookies feel very soft across the whole surface after 17 minutes, give them a couple more minutes, watching closely.

Cool on the Tray and Serve

If you move them too soon, the cookies can bend or crack around the jam. Once cool, the edges should feel firm, the centers soft but stable, and the jam slightly set on top. At that point, they are ready to serve or to tuck into a tin for the days ahead.

Storage

For short-term storage, cool the strawberry almond thumbprint cookies completely so the jam sets. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in a single layer or with parchment between layers so the jam centers do not stick. In very hot or humid weather, keep them in a cool spot or the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

For longer storage, these cookies freeze well. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then move them to a freezer-safe container or bag with parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 1 month and thaw uncovered at room temperature.

Recipe

Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

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Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Tender strawberry almond thumbprint cookies filled with thick strawberry jam, perfect for gifting and make ahead trays!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Eastern European, Jewish

Keyword Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 152kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Hand mixer or whisk
• Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) creamy almond butter unsalted
• 1⁄4 cup (60ml) neutral oil
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp (45ml) oat milk
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (165g) all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp (16g) cornstarch
• 1⁄2 tsp (2g) baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp (3g) salt
• 1⁄4 cup (60ml) strawberry jam

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper so the cookies release easily and the bottoms do not brown too fast.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the almond butter and neutral oil until the mixture looks smooth and glossy. You should not see streaks of oil or thick clumps of almond butter.
• Add the sugar, oat milk, and vanilla. Beat or whisk until the mixture is thick and creamy. It should look like a smooth nut butter paste.
• Sprinkle the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt over the bowl. Fold everything together with a spatula until no dry patches remain. The dough should be soft, thick, and easy to roll without crumbling.
• Scoop slightly heaping tablespoon portions of dough. Roll each scoop between your palms into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls on the lined baking sheets with about 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) between them so they have room to spread.
• Cup one dough ball in your hand and press your thumb, knuckle, or the back of a teaspoon into the center to form a well. Press slowly so the dough moves outward instead of cracking. Pinch any big cracks back together so the jam will not leak.
• Spoon strawberry jam into each indentation. Fill almost to the top, but keep the jam slightly below the rim so it does not flow over the sides in the oven.
• Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, until the edges feel set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The centers around the jam will still look a bit soft.
• Leave the cookies on the baking sheet to cool completely. This helps the centers finish setting and the jam thicken in the wells. Once cool, move them to a plate or tin and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 33g | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2.8g | Fat: 7.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.7g | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 10.3g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Candles flickering on the windowsill. Fairy lights glinting just below the ceiling, landing a soft, playful atmosphere to the room. The smells of frankincense and myrrh, cinnamon and cloves permeate the air. And in the middle of it all, your crowning achievement lies on the table: a simple, delicious gluten-free, sugar-free and naturally flavoured paleo orange cranberry cake that is as easy to make as it is to eat. If you'd like to try another gluten-free cake, check my Gluten Free Almond Eclair Cake or French Apple Cake.

The holidays are a strange time. On one hand, it is a season when everything around us practically commands us to feel joyous and loving, generous and welcoming. We are asked to give to those in need, invited to join parties, cajoled into getting gifts for all of our loved ones - and even those we like less. We are hugged and prodded, sprayed with scents and stuffed with tasty treats. We are pampered and loved.

Yet on the other hand, we are also harried and stressed and maybe, without telling anyone, just a little bit sad. We miss those who used to matter but are no longer here. We worry about money and mounting expenses. We feel pressured to make everything look perfect, feel perfect, taste perfect. We fret over our waistlines and sugar intake and carbohydrate servings.

And I'm here to tell you that It's. All. Good. It's all valid. It's all going to be fine. You will come out on the other end of the first week in January, mostly unscathed: your bank accounts may suffer a bit and your jeans waistlines may feel just a bit tighter. But you'll also have a host of new memories and gifts and possibly, even friends to carry you over into the new year: 2019.

But other than reminding you that whatever you're feeling IS OK, in this season of excess, I'd like to help ease at least one burden off your plates: your sugar. In place of those sugar-packed and white flour-laden cakes, bake yourself a paleo orange cranberry cake. Sweetened with natural Greeniche stevia, free of grains, gluten, refined sugars and other bad-for-you additives, it's the kind of treat that will help you feel good about the season - and also about your waistlines.

(Scroll down for the recipe)

This year, bring the holiday season into your kitchen with the scents of cranberries, oranges and spices, without taking on any unnecessary sugars and calories. Bake a paleo orange cranberry cake, serve it with a cup of milky orange pekoe tea, and SUBSCRIBE to my Youtube channel - because hey, it's also the season of showing some love to your favourite bloggers 😉

Recipe

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Paleo orange cranberry cake

Bake a paleo orange cranberry cake & bring the holiday season into your kitchen with the scent of cranberries, oranges & spices. Sugar, gluten & guilt-free.

Course cake, Dessert

Cuisine Health food, Healthy, Paleo, Russian

Keyword cake, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, grain-free, oranges, sugar-free

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 269kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

For one 6 or 9-inch round cake:

• 1 orange whole
• Zest of an orange
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• 1 ¾ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup arrowroot flour
• 6 tsps granulated stevia
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 5 drops orange-flavored Flavorall stevia
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen

For stevia powdering:

• 1 cup granulated stevia such as Truvia
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder prevents caking

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 340F (170C). Grease and line a round cake pan with a removable bottom with parchment.
• Put the orange in a pot and cover with cold water (it will float a little). Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle, cut into quarters (remove any seeds) and place in food processor. Add the zest of another orange and process until smooth.
• In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, stevia and salt. Add ½ cup of cranberries.
• Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
• Combine yolks in another bowl with melted coconut oil and ½ cup of the orange mixture. Whisk to combine. Add egg yolk mixture to the large bowl with the flour, and whisk until batter is smooth without any lumps.
• Using a mixer, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.
• Stir baking soda into the dough batter and, using a rubber spatula, immediately beat in one third of the whipped egg whites. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.
• Pour batter into prepared 6-inch baking dish for a tall, single-layer cake, or a 9-inch baking dish for a shallower cake with a larger diameter. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cranberries on top (reserve a few for topping the final cake).
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, make powdered stevia for topping: Place all ingredients in a high speed blender. Pulse until formed into a powder.
• Remove cake from oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife along the edge, remove outside ring and transfer cake onto a cake stand. Let cool completely before dusting with powdered stevia and topping with remaining cranberries.

Video

Notes

I buy my stevia and flavored Flavorall stevia drops from Greeniche. Their products are affordable, tasty and clean. 

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg

Full disclosure: I received monetary compensation in exchange for this post. However,  I am proud to only work with those companies and brands whose products I truly love. And as always, all opinions expressed here are my own; you can always expect me to be honest with you guys!

To stay on top of what I'm eating and cooking these days, follow At the Immigrant's Table on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin', or Twitter - and now, YouTube! Subscribe to my mailing list, or contact me about advertising and becoming a sponsor. If you make one of my recipes, don't forget to tag it #immigrantstable @immigrantstable!

The post Orange Cranberry Cake appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

We are seated around a long hexagonal table whose midsection has been stretched beyond proportion with extension leaves, like a snake that's gorged itself on a large rodent and now can do nothing but lie in wait. The sun is shining brightly over our heads, illuminating a table overflowing with Salada Russa, vinaigrette salad, and all manner of spicy garlic dill pickles. Our wine glasses are half empty, and the conversation is loud and raucous; my sister and I have placed bets on which of the grandparents will start the fight first. Despite the mounds of food, everyone is a bit hungry still, waiting for the main course of this al fresco lunch. And then she walks in, my mother, triumphantly holding a tray in her hands - in the centre is a baking dish filled with cold haddock in carrot lemon sauce. And the room quiets just a little bit.

My mother is not much of a cook. Besides stewed cabbage and strudel, she mainly sticks to simple salads, tried-and-true quiches and cheese platters. Yet fish is her pièce de résistance, the one thing that she pulls out during festive events that she knows everyone will ooh and ahh over.

In winter, she serves a whole salmon side, caked in cream and baked in high heat on a bed of potatoes until all of its juices have let out and flowed on the bottom of the tray. It's a sight to behold, but an even better experience to eat.

In summer, my mother goes to the local fishmonger and buys cheap white fish, which often tends to be haddock. She grates carrots, whole dozens of them, until the pile of carrot shreds by her cutting board passes the lowest shelf above her sink. Onions are chopped coarsely, and a whole host of lemon juice is squeezed into a little pitcher. And then she mixes it all together, letting the carrots and onions and lemon macerate and bake into a sauce that is silky and sweet and tart all at once. The fish, unable to resist any longer in the face of all that goodness, lets out one last cry of resistance before finally collapsing under the mound of delicious carrot lemon sauce. The whole thing is let to cool down in the fridge and served the next day, when the flavours have blended sufficiently and the cold haddock can truly shine.

When I asked my mother how she came up with her cold haddock in carrot lemon sauce, she hummed and hawed. She avoided my questions for months. She served me more fish. But eventually, she leaned in in a conspirational manner and whispered:

"It's based on your grandmother's recipe. But don't tell her of she'll let it go to her head."

Today, when I am standing in my little kitchen in Montreal, I can close my eyes and imagine that raucous table at my parents' yard in Israel. I can taste the white wine and the garlic hummus. I can hear my grandparents, fighting among them about the state of Russian politics. I can feel the fork in my hand, the same one I had used since I was a teenager and which I refuse to throw out, insisting food just tastes better on it. I can smell the flowers blooming all around us.

Or I can do one better: I can go to the local fishmonger and buy locally raised, Canadian haddock. I can read about the journey it makes from Georges Bay to my table. I can buy Quebec carrots from Nantes, colourful roots with their tops still attached and the smell of earth still on their bodies. I can use maple syrup to balance out the sourness of the lemon, if the carrots aren't sweet enough on their own.Like a true immigrant, I can create a dish that is at once a stark embodiment of my parents' house and their Russian cuisine, and the Canadian terroir in which I chose to make my home.

So I don't get homesick anymore. I just make cold haddock in carrot lemon sauce in the midst of the Canadian winter, and feel it all over again.

Recipe

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Cold haddock in carrot lemon sauce

Perfectly cooked haddock rests under a sauce of carrots, onions and lemon sauce that is silky, sweet and tart all at once. A perfect gluten-free, dairy-free one-pot meal.

Course Main

Cuisine Russian

Keyword Cold haddock, Cold haddock in carrot lemon sauce

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 225kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

• 1 kg Canadian haddock
• 2 pounds carrots
• 2 onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 5 tomatoes
• 156 ml tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or citrus marmalade
• 2 lemons juiced
• 1 bunch cilantro or parsley according to preference
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cut haddock into bite-sized pieces (about 2-3 inches in length and 1 inch in width). Salt fish slices. Preheat a large pan to high heat, adding 1 TB of Canola or grapeseed oil. Fry fish slices until they have browned on one side and come off the pan easily, about 2 minutes. Turn over and repeat until you have fried all the fish slices. Set aside.
• To prepare the marinade, grate carrots. Coarsely chop onions. Mix carrots with onions, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, spices, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add maple syrup or citrus marmalade, taste and correct seasonings as needed. Add to pan and cook until carrots have softened and sauce has became more liquid in consistency.
• Liberally coat the bottom and sides of a large covered baking dish with oil. Layer fish and sauce liberally. Bake, covered, at 400F for 20-30 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.
• Let cool overnight in fridge. Serve cold. Bon Appetit.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 1088mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6807IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Cold Haddock in Carrot Lemon Sauce appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Whether you are camping or grilling salmon on a charcoal barbecue, this unique method of cooking salmon over fire is going to be a game-changer. If you love grilled fish, you might want to try my Mediterranean Whole Grilled Mackerel recipe!

This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn small commissions on your purchases. Thank you for supporting the companies that make this blog possible!

Discovering Norwegian salmon cooking techniques

A roaring fire, sending sparks into the air. Burning wood, crackling and spitting with each additional log. And the spittle of juices dripping off a big piece of salmon, falling back onto the coals in a cascade of smoke and flame.

The first time I tasted fire-cooked Norwegian salmon was in a Christmas market in Lubeck, where I went during the holiday season a few years ago. I began drooling as soon as I saw the massive chunks of Norwegian salmon fish cooking over the open fire.

I watched in awe as burly men added coals and stirred logs, producing a burst of flames that would send rivulets of juice dribbling down onto the open flames. The smell alone was intoxicating, more appealing to me than any glass of mulled wine.

Served with potatoes and a delicate cream sauce, Norwegian fire-grilled salmon was everything I could have wished for on a cold winter day.

Authentic Viking salmon cooking method

For two years, I dreamed of recreating my own Nordic fire-grilled salmon at home.

I began researching this unique salmon grilling method, and discovered it dates back to Viking times. It is called plankefisk, or the art of slow roasting salmon on a plank. Plankefisk på bål is plank fish over a campfire.

It is a method for cooking Norwegian salmon, Scandinavian salmon, and generally can be thought of as a Viking Nordic salmon recipe.

Originally in Viking times, Norwegian salmon was nailed to the board with wooden nails that were especially whittled, but in modern times wires or metal strips are often used.

Uncovering the method for modern fire cooked Norwegian salmon

My husband and I brainstormed various ideas on how we could replicate the contraption that enabled the Viking fire-grilled salmon to cook so expertly on an open flame.

Whether we were cooking salmon over a campfire or cooking salmon on a charcoal barbeque, we wanted the results to be easy, delicious and authentic to original Viking recipes.

How to build the contraption for Norwegian salmon cooking over a fire

After enough planning, we finally headed down to a local hardware store and purchased the necessary supplies:

• two grilling planks of your choice of wood (this is the cheapest batch of cedar grilling planks I found; if you'd like to purchase less than 12, this is a good option).
• an untreated craft wire;
• Regular coal (avoid briquettes for a more natural, longer burn); and
• barbecue wood chips (optional - it gives the fish an additional smoky taste).

We then purchased some fillets of fish with the skin on - we tried both salmon and trout, and both turned out expertly.

And on New Year's Eve, off to work we went on making Nordic fire-grilled salmon.

And after many times of cooking this fish since then, I can honestly say this is the best way to grill salmon with skin.

Why you need to try this Scandinavian salmon recipe for cooking fish over fire

Try this Scandinavian salmon recipe the next time you are looking for a dish that is:

• Engaging - watching this ancient Viking salmon grilling method turns a simple gathering into a real winter festivity, or a summer campfire salmon cookout into a celebration!
• Authentic - this salmon recipe and salmon grilling technique date back to ancient Viking times!
• Beautiful - with the flames dancing on the salmon, it makes for quite a show.
• Produces juicy salmon - without direct contact with heat, the salmon retains its juiciness and maintains flavor.

This Nordic salmon recipe is a recipe for special occasions that comes together quickly once you have all the supplies - and that makes quite a show!

What to serve with this Norwegian salmon recipe

In Viking times, fire grilled salmon was served with Rugbrød (Rye Bread with Smoked Barley). You can try serving it with another ancient bread technique - Italian sourdough.

I like to serve it with potatoes and cream sauce for an authentic gluten-free grilled Norwegian salmon dish.

You can also make a sauce out of mayonnaise, cream, mustard and dill for another authentic Scandinavian salmon recipe. (see the recipe in the Notes section!)

Served with some hot toddy or a glass of gluhwein, Nordic fire-grilled salmon is the perfect dish for your winter gatherings.

Ingredients

• Large salmon fillets, skin-on - grab a big side of salmon, but make sure the skin is on. Trout will also work well here.
• Potatoes - you can use any potatoes you have on hand, but I like white potatoes. Peel them before serving.
• Cream - regular 15% cooking cream or the non-dairy cream of your choice will do.
• wild garlic or oregano (optional) - you can also use watercress for authentic Viking salmon preparation. This adds a touch of flavor and color to this delicious salmon recipe.
• salt
• pepper

See recipe card for exact quantities.

Equipment

• grill or open campfire
• grilling planks
• craft wire
• Drill

Instructions

To prepare Viking open fire grilling station:

Soak grilling planks in water for at least one hour.

Using an electric drill, drill holes along the short edge of two grilling planks. The holes should be about double the diameter of your chosen craft wire. Pass wire through both grilling planks, tying them together - this should look like a spiral-bound notebook.

Fire up your charcoal barbecue or campfire, getting it to a high heat and an open flame.

Pat fish fillets dry.

To cook Norwegian salmon recipe:

Lay one salmon fillet along each grilling plank, facing each other (the two fish should be on the inside of a triangle created by the planks when they stand). Secure each piece of fish to its grilling plank using several rows of craft wire. Turn plank face-side down to ensure fish stays on.

Let fish cook for 30 minutes, stoking the fire periodically to maintain a lively, strong flame. After about 30 minutes, turn the planks top to bottom for even cooking.

With red charcoals burning, add flavored smoke wood chips - this will release the aroma of the wood.

Stand the grilling planks upright on top of the barbecue or around the open-flame campfire, forming a triangle. Try to ensure the flame isn't touching the fish - you should even be able to hold your hand to the fish without it burning.

Norwegian salmon is cooked when the flesh is soft and cooked through, after about 1 hour total. Remove from flame at this point - the fish will continue cooking as it rests, so take care not to overcook.

To prepare potatoes:

• Boil peeled potatoes in a large pot with salted water, about 20 minutes.

How to serve Fire-grilled Nordic salmon:

Slice potatoes into circles. Arrange on a plate. Top with a piece of the Nordic fire grilled salmon. Drizzle generously with cream - it should permeate everything! Sprinkle with salt, pepper, chopped wild garlic or oregano before serving.

Adaptation: Try this Norwegian salmon sauce!

You can also make a Norwegian salmon sauce out of ½ cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, the juice of half a lemon and a handful of chopped dill.

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Recipe

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Nordic fire-grilled salmon with potatoes and cream

Cooked over an open fire, Nordic fire-grilled salmon with potatoes and cream is an elegant and captivating dish for the most special winter gatherings.

Course Fish, Main, Main Course

Cuisine dairy-free, German, Germany, Nordic, norwegian, Scandinavian

Keyword barbecue, barbeque, campfire, chantilly cream, German, gluten-free, grilling, potatoes, salmon, summer, trout, winter

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Soaking time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 331kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• grill or open campfire
• grilling planks
• craft wire
• Drill

Ingredients

• 2 large salmon fillets, skin-on trout will also work well
• salt
• pepper
• 8-10 potatoes peeled
• 250 ml cream
• wild garlic or oregano

Instructions

To prepare Viking open fire grilling station:

• Soak grilling planks in water for at least one hour.
• Using an electric drill, drill holes along the short edge of two grilling planks. The holes should be about double the diameter of your chosen craft wire. Pass wire through both grilling planks, tying them together - this should look like a spiral-bound notebook.
• Fire up your charcoal barbecue or campfire, getting it to a high heat and an open flame.
• Pat fish fillets dry.

To cook Norwegian salmon recipe:

• Lay one salmon fillet along each grilling plank, facing each other (the two fish should be on the inside of a triangle created by the planks when they stand). Secure each piece of fish to its grilling plank using several rows of craft wire. Turn plank face-side down to ensure fish stays on.
• Let fish cook for 30 minutes, stoking the fire periodically to maintain a lively, strong flame. After about 30 minutes, turn the planks top to bottom for even cooking.
• With red charcoals burning, add flavored smoke wood chips - this will release the aroma of the wood.
• Stand grilling planks upright on top of barbeque or around the open flame campfire, creating the shape of a triangle. Try to ensure the flame isn't touching the fish - you should even be able to hold your hand to the fish without it burning.
• Norwegian salmon is done cooking when it is soft and the flesh has fully cooked, after about 1 hour total. Remove from flame at this point - the fish will continue cooking as it rests, so take care not to overcook.

To prepare potatoes:

• Boil peeled potatoes in a large pot with salted water, about 20 minutes.

To serve:

• Slice potatoes into circles. Arrange on a plate. Top with a piece of the Nordic fire grilled salmon. Drizzle generously with cream - it should permeate everything! Sprinkle with salt, pepper, chopped wild garlic or oregano before serving.

Notes

For another Viking salmon preparation, you can also make a Norwegian salmon sauce out of ½ cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, the juice of half a lemon and a handful of chopped dill.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 1135mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 483IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Fire-grilled Nordic salmon recipe appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

This post is a collaboration with Happy As a Yam. I am proud to only work with people and businesses I truly believe in!

What is Pepita Salsa, or Salsa Macha?

All this talk about halloumi cheese is great, you may think, but what about the other ingredients in our tacos? For example, what is pepita salsa, also known as Salsa Macha?

Salsa Macha is an unusual rich sauce that hails from Veracruz, Mexico. Unlike more typical salsa that is based on fruit or even veggies, Salsa Macha is made from ground and processed dried chiles, garlic, nuts and seeds.

A lot of Salsa Macha is made largely from peanuts or sesame seeds. For my recipe, I wanted to make a salsa based on another seed: pumpkin seed salsa.

In this deeply flavored salsa, ground and toasted pumpkin seeds are joined with mixed dried chiles, sesame seeds and garlic and ground into a delicious, slick pumpkin seed salsa. This salsa goes beautiful with the cheesy flavor of hallomi cheese, but I also love drizzling it on tofu, roasted cauliflower or using in other vegetarian tacos of your choice.

For example, it would go really well on my friend Katia's Curried Jackfruit Tacos.

You can find my pumpkin seed salsa recipe here. When I don't have extra salsa macha in my fridge, I love making a quick homemade salsa to spice these tacos up. It's so refreshing!

Blogger Spotlight: Happy As a Yam

Let me tell you a bit about the blogger who sparked up this delicious recipe: Katia from Happy As a Yam.

I got to know Katia through Instagram, where her colorful and beautiful feed of gluten-free and vegan recipes made me drool every time. Once we started chatting, I was thrilled to discover Katia was also based in Montreal, spending her days cooking and baking gluten-free dishes, just like me!

With a unique palette, an eye for international recipes and an easy-going, light and bright photography style, Happy As a Yam's recipes offer something for everyone. I can't wait to try her gluten-free and vegan croissants, her savory portobello mushroom spaghetti squash boats, or her eggplant ratatouille once my favourite summer vegetable appears!

For this recipe collaboration, Katia developed mouthwatering Curried Jackfruit Tacos that would put any pulled pork recipe to shame. They remind me of my vegan pulled pork sandwich, only they sound even better!

Halloumi Tacos Ingredients

To make these veggie tacos with grilled halloumi cheese, you will need:

• 1 halloumi
• 1 avocado
• 8 corn tortillas (i love these Brown Rice Tortillas)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• ½ purple onion
• Fresh cilantro, to taste
• Lime wedges, to taste
• ½ cup pumpkin seed salsa (salsa macha)

How to Make Halloumi Tacos

Make Salsa Macha

Follow my recipe to make a fiery pumpkin seed salsa, or use your favorite store-bought pepita salsa.

Toast Tortillas

Lightly toast your corn tortillas in the same pan you used to fry the halloumi cheese. Lay 2 pieces of grilled halloumi cheese per taco, topping them with halved cherry tomatoes, and a few slivers of purple onion.

Pan fry halloumi cheese

Drizzle a non-stick pan slightly with oil, and preheat it to medium-high heat.

Add halloumi cheese to the pan; cook for 2 minutes on one side, and 1 minute on the other.

Remove halloumi from the pan. (To see other methods for cooking halloumi cheese, check out my post on this amazing Cypriot cheese).

Assemble halloumi tacos:

Dilute desired quantity of pumpkin seed salsa with a few teaspoons of water to make it more drizzable. Top halloumi tacos with a generous drizzle of salsa and a generous sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Adaptations

vegan and dairy-free

To transform these grilled halloumi tacos into vegan tacos, substitute the halloumi cheese for sliced extra firm tofu. Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper before grilling the tofu slices the same way you would prepare the halloumi cheese.

keto, paleo and whole 30

For keto tacos or Whole 30 tacos, sub the corn tortillas for thinly sliced daikon radish or a keto tortilla. You will end up with miniature, bite-size halloumi cheese tacos that are adorable!

Accompanying Dishes

The following dishes can go nicely alongside these halloumi tacos with pumpkin seed salsa, the ultimate in Mexican - Middle Eastern fusion!

Halloumi is incredibly versatile. If you love these tacos, be sure to try my Grilled Halloumi Burger, crispy Harissa Halloumi Fries, and Fried Halloumi Salad.

Recipe

Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

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Halloumi Tacos With Pepita Salsa, Cherry Tomatoes And Avocados

Halloumi tacos with homemade salsa macha, cherry tomatoes and avocados will give a little Middle Eastern kick to your taco night routine! Our Salsa Macha is a take on pepita seed salsa or pumpkin seed salsa, and it's a delicious sauce you'll go back to over and over again.

Course Main Course, Tacos

Cuisine Mexican, Middle Eastern

Keyword avocado, cherry tomatoes, chiles, chili, cilantro, dairy, gluten-free, halloumi, onions, pepitas, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 649kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• Non-stick pan
• blender OR
• Food processor

Ingredients

• 1 halloumi
• 1 avocado
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• ½ purple onion
• Fresh cilantro to taste
• Lime wedges to taste
• ½ cup Pumpkin seed salsa (Salsa Macha) Recipe here: https://immigrantstable.com/pepita-salsa-macha/

Instructions

Make Salsa Macha, or grab your favorite salsa

• Follow my recipe for making salsa macha, or use your favorite store bought salsa.

To grill halloumi cheese:

• Drizzle a pan slightly with oil, and preheat over medium-high heat.
• Add the halloumi cheese slices directly to the pan; for 2 minutes on one side, and 1 minute on the other.
• Remove halloumi from the pan, and use in the halloumi tacos immediately.

Assemble halloumi tacos:

• Lightly toast your corn tortillas in the same pan you used to fry the halloumi cheese. Lay 2 pieces of grilled halloumi cheese per taco, topping them with a few avocado slices, some halved cherry tomatoes, and a few slivers of purple onion.
• Dilute desired quantity of sunflower seed salsa with a few teaspoons of water to make it more drizzable. Top halloumi tacos with a generous drizzle of pumpkin seed salsa and a generous sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

To transform these grilled halloumi tacos into vegan tacos, substitute the halloumi cheese for sliced extra firm tofu. Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper before grilling the tofu slices the same way you would prepare the halloumi cheese.

For keto tacos or Whole 30 tacos, sub the corn tortillas for thinly sliced daikon radish. You will end up with miniature, bite-size halloumi cheese tacos that are adorable!

Nutrition

Calories: 649kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 1144mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 5821IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Halloumi Tacos With Pepita Salsa, Cherry Tomatoes And Avocados appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

What Is Halloumi Cheese?

Halloumi cheese is a salty cheese that originates from Cyprus. It is originally made from goat's and sheep's milk. It is known for its high melting point, which makes it ideal for grilling and frying. It's also very popular in Middle Eastern recipes!

I discovered halloumi cheese when I was growing up in Israel, and I learned how to cook halloumi through many trials and experiments, and from learning from other Middle Eastern chefs.

Cypriot Halloumi cheese has a distinctive flavor that is mild but still quite salty, so it works best in dishes with other bold flavors. Its taste is most similar to ricotta salada - a mild salty cheese.

Some people think that halloumi is a raw cheese, but it's actually made with pasteurized milk. I love using halloumi cheese in many recipes like halloumi tacos, Halloumi Burger and Harissa Halloumi Fries.

If you've never cooked halloumi before, my How to Cook Halloumi Cheese guide walks you through every method before you make this salad.

Why you should try halloumi cheese in a salad

A popular way to enjoy halloumi cheese is as part of a grilled halloumi salad. This recipe for halloumi salad is one of the most popular dishes at the Israeli coffee chain, Aroma Espresso Bar, and after craving it for years I just knew I had to replicate it for you!

This Middle Eastern, Asian-inspired halloumi cheese salad includes a mix of salad greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, fresh herbs and slices of grilled halloumi cheese. The mushrooms and peppers are pan fried with an Asian salad dressing, and then added to the salad while warm. The same tangy sauce is then added to the salad to bring out the flavor of the halloumi and other ingredients. 

Grilled halloumi salads are delicious served warm or cold and they make great side dishes or light main meals. The saltiness of the cheese pairs nicely with the crispness of the vegetables and brightness of the herbs, making it a great addition to any salad!

What does halloumi cheese taste like?

Halloumi cheese is a type of cheese that is particularly salty and has a unique taste. It often has a slightly crisp texture when cooked, and it can range from white to light brown in colour.

The flavour of halloumi cheese is quite strong, so it's usually served as an accompaniment to other dishes rather than as the main course. It goes particularly well with vegetables or salads like this one.

I love to fry halloumi cheese for a crispy texture, which really brings out its salty flavour.

Halloumi cheese is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, but it's gaining in popularity around the world due to its unique taste and texture. Whether you like your halloumi fried or just plain, there's something special about this salty, crispy cheese that's sure to please any palate!

Is halloumi healthy?

While halloumi is often enjoyed as part of a meal, some may wonder if it is truly healthy to eat. Like most ingredients, the answer depends on how it's prepared and what it's served with.

Halloumi contains protein and calcium, so can be considered a healthier choice than other types of cheese. However, due to its high fat content, it should be eaten in moderation.

Adding halloumi to salads is one way to enjoy this cheese without overdoing portions, as salads tend to contain fewer calories than fried dishes.

Eating halloumi as part of a balanced diet can be beneficial for overall health, but watch out for added condiments or sauces which may add extra calories and unhealthy fats.

What type of salad greens can you use?

Salads are a great way to get your daily dose of nutrition, and the types of salad greens you choose to make this salad with can drastically alter the taste and health benefits.

To most closely resemble the flavor of the Aroma Halloumi Salad, you should use arugula and a curly-leaf lettuce, also known as Arabic lettuce or romaine lettuce. Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, and arugula are packed with nutrients like vitamins A and C.

For something more crunchy, I also use cabbage in this salad. You can also try adding some iceberg lettuce or endive.

If you'd rather have a sweeter flavor profile in your salad, opt for Bibb lettuce or butterhead lettuce.

Lastly, this salad has parsley - you can use flat leaf or curly leaf parsley. Some people prefer to add herbs like fresh mint, Thai basil or cilantro to their salads for an extra pop of flavor. 

Experiment with different combinations of these different salad greens to create the perfect combination for your tastes!

Why You Should Make this Salad

This salad is extremely popular in Israel, and with good reason! It is:

• Sweet and salty
• Has a variety of textures
• Easy to make
• Combines cooked and raw ingredients
• Packed with nutrients
• Unique - combines Middle Eastern ingredients and Asian flavors
• Gluten Free
• Vegetarian

Grilled Halloumi Salad Ingredients

How to make Aroma halloumi salad

Mix fresh ingredients

In a large bowl, combine lettuce and arugula leaves, carrot, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, onion, and parsley. 

How to make pan fried halloumi

To the same pan, add cubed or sliced halloumi cheese, along with 1 tablespoon of the marinade. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning from side to side to ensure all the sides are golden brown. Remove from heat.

Make salad dressing

In a small jar, make the salad dressing: 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of mustard, juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Add the rest of the ingredients

To the bowl with the vegetables, add the cooked mushrooms and peppers that you fried at the beginning and the pan-fried halloumi cheese. Sprinkle with a little sesame seeds, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour salad dressing onto the salad, mix and serve immediately.

Tips for Making this Halloumi Salad Recipe

• Don't overcook the peppers and mushrooms - you want them to retain some bite and texture.
• Don't add too much soy marinade to the fried cheese or the vegetables.
• Try other vegetables and greens - like purple cabbage, or even kale. 

Substitutions and variations:

There are so many variations you can come up with - just make sure to keep the ingredients fresh and flavorful for the best results!

• Try using fried halloumi slices as well as halloumi cubes. Traditionally, this salad is made when this firm cheese is cut into cubes and grilled, but halloumi is a great cheese to try and cut into thin cheese slices of about ¼ inch thickness, and about 2 inches in width. To make the slices, cut the block of halloumi into slices across its narrow side, arrange them on a grill or grill pan in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• If you want to add more protein to this salad, feel free to add some chickpeas for an extra boost of protein! 
• Try adding avocado to the salad.
• If you don't have halloumi, try this recipe with another Mediterranean cheese - Circassian cheese.

How to Store Leftover Halloumi salad

This salad does not keep well, as the marinade will make the greens soggy. 

If you want to make this salad ahead time, saute the vegetables and grill the halloumi cubes a day in advance, and keep them in individual sealed containers. Keep the salad dressing separate. You can combine the fresh ingredients except the cherry tomatoes, and keep those separate as well. 

FAQ

When to serve this salad

Because of its combination of cooked and raw elements, this makes for a great salad for colder months - I love to serve this as a winter salad!

It also works great as a fall recipe alongside other fall-themed dishes like roasted carrots with hazelnuts.. I love to serve this salad for Thanksgiving too.

It is a very substantial salad that makes for a filling lunch.

Accompanying Dishes

This salad would go very well with a soup, like this Keto Zuppa Toscana. I love accompanying it with homemade sourdough bread, or gluten free cornbread.

For an Israeli meal, serve it with vegan shawarma or chicken kebabs. Or just a selection of salads like Israeli tuna salad.

Its Asian-influenced favors also make it go very well with Asian main course, like Chinese bourbon chicken. I love serving this with a big pot of rice topped with gluten-free General Tso Shrimp for my kids!

More Ways to Enjoy Halloumi

More Mediterranean Salad Recipes You'll Love

Did you enjoy this salad recipe with halloumi cheese? Let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate the recipe, pin it for later on Pinterest and share on social media by tagging @immigrantstable.

Recipe

Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

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Copycat Aroma Espresso Bar Fried Halloumi Salad Recipe

This fried halloumi salad combines halloumi cheese, arugula, cabbage and mushrooms in a juicy Asian inspired sauce. This copycat Aroma halloumi salad recipe draws inspiration from the popular Israeli Aroma Espresso Bar.

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine Asian, Israeli, Middle Eastern

Keyword Aroma Espresso Bar, arugula, bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, cherry tomatoes, fall, gluten-free, halloumi, lettuce, mushrooms, vegetarian, winter

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 167kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• 1 Chef's Knife
• 1 Grill Pan
• 1 nonstick pan
• 1 Cutting Board
• 1 Salad Bowl

Ingredients

For Aroma halloumi salad

• 1 package halloumi cheese cut into ½ inch cubes or thin slices
• 2 tablespoon Tamari sauce or soy sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoon honey
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ½ small cabbage thinly sliced
• ½ purple onion slivered
• 20 cherry tomatoes of various colors halved
• 1 handful arugula
• 1 handful lettuce diced into ribbons
• 4 mushrooms thinly sliced
• ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 carrot julienned
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

For salad dressing

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• ½ lemon juice of
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoon Tamari sauce or soy with 1 ½ teaspoons of honey. Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture to a grill pan along with 1 tablespoon of oil, mushrooms and bell peppers, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Season with sesame seeds. The veggies should still retain their bite, so don't overcook. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine lettuce and arugula leaves, carrot, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, onion, and parsley.
• To the same pan, add cubed or sliced halloumi cheese, along with 1 tablespoon of the marinade. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning from side to side to ensure all the sides are golden brown. Remove from heat.
• To the bowl with the vegetables, add the cooked mushrooms and peppers that you fried at the beginning and the pan-fried halloumi cheese. Sprinkle with a little sesame seeds, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• In a small jar, make the salad dressing: 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of mustard, juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Pour salad dressing onto the salad, mix and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 4484IU | Vitamin C: 95mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Copycat Aroma Espresso Bar Fried Halloumi Salad Recipe appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Ingredients

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs - this cut is juicy and flavorful, perfect for roasting or braising.
• Basmati rice - provides a fragrant and fluffy base that absorbs the dish's flavors.
• Pomegranate molasses - adds a sweet and tangy depth, enhancing the overall flavor profile.
• Honey - contributes natural sweetness that balances the savory elements of the dish.
• Chicken stock - adds moisture.
• Large onion - diced, brings sweetness and depth to the dish, complementing the chicken.
• Garlic cloves - minced, imparts a strong, aromatic flavor that elevates the dish.
• Olive oil - used for sautéing, it adds richness and helps to develop flavors.
• Ground cumin - provides a warm, earthy flavor that enhances the overall dish.
• Ground coriander - adds a citrusy, slightly sweet flavor that brightens the dish.
• Cinnamon - introduces a warm, sweet-spicy note that complements the other flavors.
• Pomegranate seeds - add a burst of sweetness and a pop of color for garnish.
• Pistachios - chopped, provide a crunchy texture and nutty flavor that contrasts with the softness of the dish.
• Fresh parsley - adds a fresh, herbaceous note and brightens the presentation when chopped.

See recipe card for exact quantities.

Step-by-step Instructions

This pomegranate chicken and rice casserole is an excellent choice for an easy, flavorful and comforting meal, ! Packed with tender chicken, fragrant basmati rice, and a touch of sweetness from pomegranate molasses, this dish is sure to impress your family and friends.

Season the Chicken

While the oven is heating, season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, and cinnamon. Make sure to coat the chicken evenly with these spices to enhance its flavor and create a deliciously aromatic dish.

Brown the Chicken

In a large ovenproof pot or pan - we recommend a Dutch oven - heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces to the pan. Brown the chicken on both sides, which should take about 4-5 minutes per side until they are crispy and golden. Once browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.

Sauté the Onion and Garlic

In the same pan, add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté them over medium heat until they become translucent and fragrant, which should take about 3-4 minutes. This step builds a flavorful base for your chicken and rice casserole.

Add the Rice

Next, add the uncooked basmati rice to the pan with the sautéed onion and garlic. Stir the rice well to coat it with the oil and the flavors from the pan. This will help the rice absorb the savory flavors as it cooks.

Prepare the Liquid Mixture

In a separate bowl, mix together the pomegranate molasses, honey, and chicken stock. This mixture will add sweetness and depth to the dish. Once combined, pour this mixture over the rice in the pot, ensuring that the rice is evenly covered.

Arrange the Chicken

Carefully arrange the browned chicken pieces on top of the rice. Make sure the chicken is evenly distributed to ensure even cooking. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer on the stovetop to allow the flavors to meld together.

Bake

Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice is tender. Check the chicken's internal temperature; it should reach at least 75°C (165°F) to ensure it is safe to eat.

Garnish and Serve

Before serving, garnish the casserole with fresh pomegranate seeds, like in my butternut squash wild rice pilaf, chopped pistachios, and fresh parsley. This adds a pop of color and extra flavor to the dish. Serve warm and enjoy your delicious pomegranate chicken and rice. Whether it transports you to the Middle East or not, it's going to taste delicious either way.

Storage

To store leftover Pomegranate Chicken and Rice Casserole, allow the dish to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. You can refrigerate the casserole for up to 3 days.

If you want to freeze it, portion the casserole into freezer-safe bags or containers, removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. To reheat, place the casserole in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. You can also use a microwave, heating in 1-minute intervals until warm. Be sure to check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) before serving.

What to Serve with Pomegranate Chicken and Rice Casserole

This dish pairs wonderfully with sides that highlight its rich, savory flavors. For a veggie-forward option, you might enjoy my Jewish carrot tzimmes or Moroccan couscous salad-both bring a fresh and vibrant contrast to the hearty chicken and rice casserole. I love pairing it with a Marry Me vegetable medley - the creamy flavors of the latter just work so well here!

Hummus also makes a lovely addition, and I've got plenty of recipes to choose from, including canned chickpea, white bean, sweet potato, and beet hummus.

If casseroles are your thing, you'll love my butternut squash lasagna with spinach, or quinoa chicken casserole with broccoli and pumpkin. They're just as easy to make as this one, and perfect for cozy, satisfying meals. I also love to make this One Pot Ground Chicken Fajita Pasta as another 1-pot chicken and side option, for those who prefer pasta over rice.

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1-Pot Pomegranate Chicken and Rice Casserole

Enjoy the vibrant flavors of pomegranate chicken and rice casserole, a dish that combines juicy chicken, aromatic spices, and fluffy rice for a perfect family meal.

Course Main

Cuisine Israeli, Middle Eastern

Keyword pomegranate chicken and rice casserole

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 863kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• Oven
• Pot

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 300 g basmati rice
• 100 ml pomegranate molasses
• 50 ml honey
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 1 large onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt and black pepper
• 100 g pomegranate seeds
• 50 g pistachios chopped
• Fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
• Season chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon.
• Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot or pan (a Dutch oven works great). Brown chicken on both sides. Remove and set aside.
• In same pan, sauté onion and garlic until translucent.
• Add rice, stir to coat with oil.
• Mix pomegranate molasses, honey, and stock. Pour over rice.
• Arrange chicken on top of rice. Bring to a simmer.
• Cover and transfer to oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until chicken is cooked and rice is tender.
• Rest for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and parsley before serving.

Video

Notes

Adjust seasoning to taste. For a more intense flavor, marinate chicken in spices and pomegranate molasses for 2-4 hours before cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 759mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 208IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg

The post 1-Pot Pomegranate Chicken and Rice appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Join me for a trip down memory lane and an updated recipe for gluten-free krembos with pistachios, based on the book Sweet Noshings by Amy Kritzer. This childhood Israeli treat never tasted as good as this!

The rain drips down the back of my neck, slow rivulets making their way into that warm space between the liner of the jacket and the delicate skin of my nape. My fingers shake as I struggle to form them into delicate pincers that would be impervious to the cold air all around us and help me to peel the wrapper from the treat I am holding in my hands.

Eventually, the krembo begins to reveal its shape: a dark chocolate dome, frozen around a delicate marshmallow centre that sits, like a king on its pedestal, on a thick vanilla cookie. A slow smile curls the corners of my lips, and my eyes close as I dip my head down to take a bite, filling my mouth with melting shards of chocolate, cloud-like marshmallow and crumbly cookie.

It's 15C, winter in Israel, and I can barely survive long enough to finish the end of my biscuit.

Krembos are a ubiquitous part of every Israeli child's winter. Given as treats at birthday parties, bartered for marbles or the lesser, year-round wafers ("waflot") in the backyard, or stuffed into your pocket by an obliging parent after a visit to a particularly annoying relative, krembos are our one joy in a season of rain, warm jackets and hearty soups.

But here's the truth: I never really liked them.

There was just something about the commercially-produced marshmallow puff, the chocolate cover so thin it crackled in your hands upon the slightest touch, the hard cookie you had to suck on for hours just to get it to an edible state. Despite their mass appeal and the widely held reverence with which my fellow immigrants viewed this asli (bona-fide) Israeli treat, krembos just weren't my thing.

So you just know that as soon as I laid my hands on Sweet Noshings, the first book by superstar Jewish food blogger Amy Kritzer of What Jew Wanna Eat, and saw that there was a recipe for homemade krembos, I just had to try my hand at remedying this childhood treat.

I met Amy at the Harvest Gathering Schusterman Connection Point for Jewish food professionals I participated in last year. She was the loud, fun girl in the bright blue unicorn t-shirt with the big head of blond curls who seemed to find life immensely amusing, and everyone worthy of her undivided attention. Yet she also found the time to run around with three fully assembled bagel halves - with all the trimmings! - and photograph them against the coolest backgrounds. In short, she was the life of the party and the girl EVERYONE wanted to be like.

I knew we would be fast friends.

Which is why it feels immensely satisfying to hold Amy's debut book Sweet Noshings in my hands. Full of glossy pictures and modern renditions on old Jewish classics, this book is the perfect compendium for the typical Jewish millennial. We like unicorns and social media and puns, but we're also deathly attached to our childhood treats: grandma's chocolate babka, mama's chocolate covered matzos, rugelach of all shapes and colours. Amy gets it; she takes our cravings for the old and familiar and updates it ever-so-slightly, making it better, just a bit more ironic, and more Instagram-ready.

Amy's are Jewish desserts for the new generation, and I am loving it.

So let's talk about these gluten-free krembos with pistachio that I made from Sweet Noshings (in Amy's original, the cookie is not gluten-free), similar to my no-bake chocolate pistachio cake. In two words, they are The Bomb. It begins with a perfectly crumbly shortbread cookie studded with pistachios. On it you pile (or pipe out) a tower of homemade marshmallow batter, a substance so delicious and simple to make that I will never, ever, ever buy commercial marshmallows again. The whole thing gets frozen and dipped in melted, high quality chocolate, and then sprinkled with pistachios. And then devoured within the span of 30 seconds, because your heart just can't handle all this goodness.

Yeah. Gluten-free krembos with pistachio are that good. So do yourself a favour and make them - or better yet, grab a copy of Amy's book Sweet Noshings and make them along with a host of other modernized Jewish classics.

NOTE: Sweet Noshings is on an insane sale today on Amazon.ca, costing ⅓ of its original price. So I definitely encourage you to get it, now.

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Gluten-free krembos with pistachios and Sweet Noshings by Amy Kritzer

Gluten-free krembos with pistachios are The Bomb. It begins with a perfectly crumbly shortbread cookie studded with pistachios. On it you pile (or pipe out) a tower of homemade marshmallow batter, a substance so delicious and simple to make that I will never, ever, ever buy commercial marshmallows again. The whole thing gets frozen and dipped in melted, high quality chocolate, and then sprinkled with pistachios. And then devoured within the span of 30 seconds, because your heart just can't handle all this goodness.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jewish

Keyword krembos, krembos with pistachios

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 18 -20

Calories 210kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

• 213 gram GF flour mix (I used a homemade one based on this ratio)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 140 gram unsalted butter chilled, cut into chunks
• ½ cup unsalted, shelled pistachios, plus more chopped for garnish
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For marshmallow filling:

• 6 egg whites
• 300 gram granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For chocolate shell:

• 1 package 12 ounce/340 g semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoon coconut oil butter, or canola oil (coconut oil works best, but use what you have)

Instructions

• To make cookies, place GF flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter, pistachios, egg, and vanilla. Pulse until pistachios are very fine and dough comes together.
• Form a log about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter on wax paper, using the wax paper to help you mold it. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. If you are in a rush, freeze for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
• Cut log into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices, and bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Cool.
• While cookies are baking, make your filling. Make sure the bowl and whisk are very clean and dry. Make a double boiler with a pot or heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (not touching the water) and place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the top pot over simmering water over medium heat. Whisk for 5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. Do not let it boil. Mixture should be frothy, warm, and not gritty. If you have a candy thermometer, it should be about140ºF/60ºC.
• Remove from heat, transfer to a large heat-resistant bowl (or use the bowl it's already in) and beat with a stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment until thick, shiny, and stiff peaks form, 10 minutes or more. Then beat in vanilla.
• To make krembos, put filling in a pastry bag with a wide tip or a plastic bag with wide tip. Pipe onto cookies in a swirl, about 2 inches (5 cm) high, and freeze for at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, to make chocolate coating, melt chocolate and oil over medium heat in a double boiler until chocolate is melted and shiny.
• Then dip chilled krembos in the chocolate (or just get messy and pour it on top) and sprinkle with extra pistachios. The chocolate should harden right away; refrigerate if not eating right away.

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Gluten-free krembos with pistachios and Sweet Noshings by Amy Kritzer appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Fiery love to get you through winter

Bushels of blood red peppers, their stems reaching up like thick, perky green vines. Fragrant allspice spheres, their floral scent masking the lip-puckering bite of vinegar. Bay leaves and peppercorns, sugar and salt. These are the parts that make a whole, the parts that soothe the soul and let alchemy takes over.

I gather them all in my hands like precious stones, taking care while making the crown jewel of fall preserving: Russian marinated red peppers.

A bit of fiery red love to get you through the rough months of winter.

Market trips

Halfway through the month of June, my phone inadvertently rings. On the other end is Oxana, a co-worker and community organizer extraordinaire who has in many ways become my surrogate mother in Montreal.

"So, when are we going to the market?"

For you see, on Saturday mornings beginning in mid June, when the first local berries appear on the stands, Oxana, her husband and I make our way to a small farmer's market in a nearby Montreal suburb.

No one can say for sure why we go there of all places; it is no bigger, cheaper or more varied that Montreal's famous Jean Talon.

But its small scale, free parking and easily navigable layout make it Oxana's favourite, and therefore, my Saturday hangout.

After a cursory run through all the stalls and a few pointed questions to the vendors ("When were these onions picked?"; "Do you have any strawberries for jam making?"; "Where's your fresh horseradish?"), we make our purchases.

Depending on the season, we fill cart after cart with pungent local garlic, plump raspberries, Kirby cucumbers and, when the time is right, the reddest bell peppers you've ever seen.

Creating magic

The same afternoon, the alchemy that is Russian marinated red peppers begins.

After carefully washing all my bell peppers and cutting out any blemishes, I turn on the stove to sterilize jars.

I cook a marinade, letting sugar and oil and vinegar and peppercorns and bay leaves and allspice work their magic together, coalescing the liquid into a viscous, shiny brine.

I add garlic in the very last minute along with my cut bell peppers, and let them cook just until they become soft and pliable.

And as I layer my red peppers into the clean jars for Russian marinated red peppers; as I smell the allspice and bay leaf and garlic; as I watch the pinkish, oily marinade pour into the jars and fill every crevice; I know that I, too, will go through the winter cocooned by the love and comfort of friends.

That with time, the heart will mellow and the soul will become softer, sweeter, more amenable. The bite of garlic and the pain of old wounds will recede.

And for the time being, that's quite alright with me.

Accompanying dishes

For other recipes with bell peppers, I love to roast bell peppers for roasted bell pepper bisque. Roasted bell pepper salad is also amazing use of bell peppers in the height of summer. For a main dish featuring bell peppers, try stuffed bell peppers with turkey or chicken.

Recipe

Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

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Russian marinated red peppers

Sweet, sour and fragrant Russian marinated red peppers provide a bit of fiery red love to get you through the rough months of winter.

Course Preserves

Cuisine Russian

Keyword marinated red peppers

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 2 litres

Calories 238kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• 2 litre jars

Ingredients

• 1 KG red bell peppers cleaned, trimmed and sliced in half or quarters (depending on size)
• 200 g water
• 100 g vegetable oil
• 100 g vinegar
• 50 g sugar
• 40 g kosher salt
• 4 peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 allspice
• ½ head of garlic peeled and divided into cloves

Instructions

• Sterilize jars in a hot water canning pot.
• In a large pot, combine all marinade ingredients except garlic. Bring to a boil.
• Add garlic and sliced bell peppers, and cook just until peppers soften and become pliable - this can take anywhere from two minutes to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the peppers (take care not to overcook!).
• Distribute peppers into sterilized jars, and cover with marinade, leaving ½ an inch of headspace. Cover with lid, and gently screw down the metal rim with two fingers, just until resistance is met (do not close jar tightly - the air should be able to escape between the lid and the rim for the jar to seal properly). Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Leave closed jar on the counter for 24 hours, until the lid has popped in and sealed properly (you should see a dip in the middle of the lid where the vacuum has sealed it).

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 7778mg | Potassium: 1066mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 15669IU | Vitamin C: 640mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

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What are Tamales Colombiano?

Tamales Colombianos are Colombian chicken tamales.

Variations of tamales can be found throughout Latin America, each more uniquely delicious than the last. 

Mexican tamales are perhaps the most recognized variation, with a ground cornmeal dough, meat filling, and a corn husk wrapper. 

However, Colombian tamales have a special place in my heart. I may be slightly biased by my Colombian husband, but it's really the deep, rich flavor of these tamales that won me over. 

Unlike their Mexican counterparts, Tamales Colombians are wrapped in banana leaves. The filling inside is made out of pre-cooked corn flour called arepa flour, like I use in making my arepas con queso, or masa de arepa (unlike the Mexican use of masa harina). Both are variations of cornmeal - but while masa de arepa is cooked, masa harina is used raw.

They are also packed with a delectable meat filling that adds so much flavor, but also makes the tamales incredibly filling. In Bogota, chickpeas are added for additional protein.

The filling is wrapped in banana leaves, steamed, and then served with a Colombian red sauce. One bite of these tamales and you'll understand why they're reserved for big celebrations and holidays. 

Colombian chicken tamales require some work, but the resulting richness of flavor and texture makes them the perfect treat for an international feast on Christmas day, just like the traditional adjiaco colombiano!

What makes these into Colombian Tamales Bogotano style?

Bogotano style tamales have a bunch of unique ingredients, like Colombian longaniza (pork sausage) and chickpeas. Because my husband is from Bogota, we wanted to make a filling that would remind him of home and his mom's Colombian tamales. However, because I wanted to make chicken tamales, I had to omit the pork sausage - but I definitely kept the chickpeas!

I think chickpeas add a unique touch to these Colombian tamales.

When to serve Colombian tamales

In Colombia, tamales are traditionally served for Christmas Day breakfast or lunch. They are also incredibly popular at New Year's parties.

Because this recipe is quite involved, and requires many stages, I recommend making these tamales colombianos in advance and then freezing them until you are ready to eat.

Thus, you can serve Colombian tamales for Christmas, New Year's, or for a luxurious and special Sunday meal.

Are these traditional Bogota style tamales? 

Yes and no. This tamales recipe is traditional in flavor, with a unique twist on the filling.

Traditionally, Bogota style tamales include pork, beef and chicken - three meat variations in the filling. However, as someone who doesn't eat pork meat or beef, I opted for a mouthwatering chicken filling instead. 

The Colombian red sauce for tamales is also a traditional component to the dish that normally relies on artificial flavoring called "sazon. In this recipe, the artificial ingredients have been omitted for a whole foods approach. 

Even with these variations, this chicken tamales recipe still captures the authentic flavors and feelings of Bogota style tamales. 

Why I love this Colombian chicken tamales recipe 

This recipe is easier than it looks, but tamales are one of the most special treats for the holidays. Here's why I love this all-chicken adaptation:

• Freezer-friendly: I love eating these chicken tamales fresh, but they also work so well in the freezer. This recipe makes a lot of tamales, and it's customary to freeze at least half of the batch to use later.
• Gluten-free: This dish is naturally gluten-free thanks to the banana leaves and the arepa flour. 
• Easily meal-prepped: These tamales don't have to be reserved for special occasions. Make a batch of the tamales and then store them in the freezer for easy weekday meals - a tamal or two makes for a filling meal! 
• Delicious: The marinade for the chicken does wonders for the flavor and texture, especially alongside the Colombian red sauce. This dish is bursting with flavor, but still remains warm and comforting. 
• Kosher tamales:

Equipment

• Induction stovetop
• Mixing bowls
• Butcher's string
• blender
• Large pot
• Steaming basket or steaming insert

How To Make Colombian Chicken Tamales

To make Homemade Sazon seasoning

Mix all the seasonings in a bowl and set aside.

To make a chicken marinade

Transfer all the marinade ingredients, along with 4 tablespoons of the spice mix, to a blender and process until smooth. Transfer into a large bowl or ziplock bag, add all the chicken meat and chickpeas (reserve potatoes and carrots). Transfer to the fridge overnight to marinate.

To make Guiso

Set a large pan to medium heat. Add oil and diced onion, and cook for 5 minutes until it changes color. Add green onions and garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes and diced peppers, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until everything is soft and a slightly cohesive sauce is formed. Add 1 tablespoon of homemade Sazon seasoning, salt and pepper and water. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until thickened.

Reserve ½ cup of the guiso for the tamales masa.

To make Masa:

In a large bowl, combine boiling water with masa de arepa, salt, reserved guiso, and homemade Sazon seasoning. Mix well with a wooden spoon until well combined.

To make Colombian tamales:

Place 1 piece of banana leaf on a counter. Cover perpendicularly with another piece, forming the shape of a cross.

Top with ½ cup of masa in the center of the banana leaves.

Place two thick slices of potatoes on top, and 2 slices of carrot.

Top with a piece of chicken, trying to get a bit of each type of chicken meat piece and place about 1 tablespoon of chickpeas on top of the meat.

Seal Tamal Colombiano:

To close each tamal colombiano, fold each side of the banana leaves up, one at a time, so the leaves overlap each other and enclose the filling. Tie the package with butcher's twine.

Continue the process, repeating until you are all out of filling.

To cook tamales colombianos

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and place a steaming insert in the bottom. When water is boiling, add the tamales to the steaming insert, standing them upright next to each other like little orderly packages. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for nearly 2 hours (tamales need to cook for a long time because we're working with raw meat). Check the water level periodically, adding more as needed.

Remove the tamales from the water, and serve each Chicken Colombian tamal on a plate with empanada sauce or aji colombiano.

Storage 

Colombian chicken tamales can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Frozen tamales will keep for up to 3 months. 

Top Tips

• Let the chicken marinade. The marinade is the secret to the deep flavor of this dish and the chicken's soft texture. In fact, I'd even recommend preparing the marinade the day before so the chicken can marinate overnight. 
• Don't overfill the banana leaves. It'll be tempting to pile as much of this incredible filling onto a leaf as possible. However, an overfilled banana leaf will make it impossible to fold and seal. 
• If you don't have a steaming rack or insert, you can place rocks or even extra banana leaves at the bottom of the pot. You need to prevent the tamales from scorching directly from the heat.

Variations on this Colombian chicken tamales recipe 

• Colombian tamales are usually prepared using pork, including pork belly and pork ribs, rather than solely chicken. The pork would be marinated in the same sauce as the chicken in this recipe. In Bogota, pork sausages are also used.
• If you would like a vegetarian variation, then swap the chicken for tofu. You can even create a shredded meat texture by grating the pressed tofu with a large box grater. 

Recommended Dishes

Explore more of Colombian food with these dishes: 

• Colombian fruit salad - Ensalada de frutas Colombiana
• Colombian ceviche with pear, fennel and mango
• Colombian Ajiaco recipe that will transport you to Bogota

Pin for Later!

Recipe

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Chicken Colombian tamales recipe {gluten-free, kosher)

Colombian Chicken Tamales have a filling with three types of chicken meat, tamale red sauce and chickpeas. This variation is popular in Bogota, Colombia. Celebrate the holidays with this delicacy, wrapped in banana leaves and served traditionally for Christmas Eve or New Year's Day, or freeze and eat any day of the week for a special take on Colombian tamales!

To develop this recipe, I consulted the seasoning recipe from Sweet y Salado, and several Colombian tamales recipes and preparations.

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine Colombian, Latin American

Keyword authentic, breakfast, brunch, chicken, chickpeas, christmas, cornmeal, New Year, onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, winter

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Resting time 8 hours hours

Total Time 13 hours hours

Servings 24 tamales

Calories 267kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• Induction stovetop
• Mixing bowls
• Butcher's string
• blender
• Large pot
• Steaming basket or steaming insert

Ingredients

Sazon seasoning replacement

• 1 tablespoon ground annatto achiote, paprika or turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ tablespoon black ground pepper

Chicken marinade

• 1 onion
• 4 green onions chopped roughly
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoon homemade Sazon seasoning
• 3 cups water

Filling:

• 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken thighs diced
• 1 ½ pound chicken breasts diced
• 1 can chickpeas drained of liquid
• 4 large potatoes peeled and sliced into rings
• 4 carrots peeled and sliced into rings

Guiso (red Tamales sauce)

• 1 onion diced
• 4 scallions chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 4 tomatoes chopped
• 1 tablespoon homemade Sazon seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups water

Masa

• 5 cups boiling water
• 1 pound yellow precooked cornmeal masa de arepa
• 2 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cooked guiso
• 2 tablespoons homemade Sazon seasoning

To assemble tamales

• 2 pounds banana leaves cut into 15-inch-long pieces (this is about 2-3 bags of frozen banana leaves), defrosted, washed and dried
• Cooking twine
• Large pot of water
• Salt

Instructions

• Directions

Homemade Sazon seasoning

• Mix all the seasonings together in a bowl and set aside.

Chicken marinade

• Transfer all the marinade ingredients, along with 4 tablespoons of the spice mix, to a blender and process until smooth. Transfer into a large bowl or ziplock bag, add all the chicken meat and chickpeas (reserve potatoes and carrots). Refrigerate overnight to marinade.

Guiso

• Set a large pan to medium heat. Add oil and diced onion, and cook for 5 minutes until it changes color. Add green onions and garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes and diced peppers, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until everything is soft and a slightly cohesive sauce is formed. Add 1 tablespoon homemade Sazon seasoning, salt and pepper and water. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until thickened.
• Reserve ½ cup of the guiso for the tamales masa.

To make Masa:

• In a large bowl, combined boiling water with masa de arepa, salt, reserved guiso, and homemade Sazon seasoning. Mix well with a wooden spoon until well combined.

To make Colombian tamales:

• Place one piece of banana leaf on a counter. Cover perpendicularly with another piece, forming the shape a cross.
• Top with ½ cup of masa.
• Top with two slices of potato, and 2 slices of carrot.
• Top with chicken, trying to get a bit of each type of chicken meat piece and 1 tablespoon of chickpeas on top of the meat.
• To close each tamal colombiano, fold each side of the the banana leaves up, one at a time, so the leaves overlap each other and enclose the filling. Tie the package with butcher's twine.

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 663mg | Potassium: 543mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 603IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Chicken Colombian tamales recipe is the hallmark of Christmas Colombian food appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

We are sitting at a long wooden table. There are children's toys between us, our two computers, my camera, and a bowl filled with unpaid bills and pieces of mail. And two bowls of steaming carrot dill soup. There might as well be a canyon between us for all the effort it would take to sweep it all aside, take a deep breath and embrace each other.

Anyone who has been in a relationship knows that there are those moments when it all just Feels. Like. Too. Much. When you're tired of climbing up that mountain, a big boulder strapped to your shoulders while the gales of winter beat at your face and rip at your clothes, doing everything in their power to sweep you off your feet. When you're not sure why you bother: to get up in the morning, cook that weekend breakfast, heat up a bowl of soup for the two of you.

It's at those moments that I usually start dreaming of cliffs. They're not always real cliffs, sharp and high and intraversible. Sometimes they're figurative: I'm standing on a stage before a speech that I've always been afraid of delivering, or I'm about to jump into a big pool of water, so deep and dark blue I can hardly see the rocks on the bottom… But I know they're there. Always just out of sight and beyond reach is the possibility of failing, of crashing down and breaking my spine and losing myself and everything I love so entirely, so completely, that I will never gain it back.

I wake up in cold sweat, clutching at the blankets around me. Clutching at his hands, wrapped tightly around my mid-section. Clutching at us like it's the last thing in the world that matters.

Then I take a few deep breaths. And I get up. I make some coffee and kiss him goodbye, and go to work. And then I come home, and sometimes it starts all over again, that endless battle against no one but yourself and that person who is all but an extension of you… But sometimes, just sometimes, it ends there, with that dream.

And always, those two bowls of carrot dill soup.

Can't get enough soup? Try my Jewish Chicken Soup, or my Fresh corn soup recipe.

Recipe

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Carrot dill soup

A clean, smooth soup that crystallizes the taste of carrots and dill into one beautiful bowl. The secret here is in the toppings: a bit of coconut milk or spicy red peppers take this carrot dill soup to the next level.

Course Soup

Keyword Carrot dill soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 187kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 inch Knob of ginger grated
• 1.5 lb carrots peeled and chopped
• 1.5 liters vegetable broth
• Dill for topping

For optional toppings:

• Sour cream or vegan soy or coconut cream
• Fresh spicy peppers diced

Instructions

• Preheat a heavy bottomed pot to medium-heat. Add oil and onions. Sauté onions for 10 mins, until they start turning translucent. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add carrots and broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and let cook, covered, for 20 mins. Add salt, pepper and dill, and blend thoroughly. Taste.
• Right before serving, drizzle sour cream, coconut milk or soy cream, top with additional chopped dill and spicy red peppers.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1049mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6288IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Carrot dill soup {GF, V} appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible.

This Slovakian sauerkraut soup from the gorgeous and detailed food bible Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes is tangy and rich in flavour, full of plump mushrooms and juicy strands of cabbage. A full winter meal! 

My search for a sauerkraut soup began with an email from a friend and a former co-worker in Winnipeg, Jude. An avid and knowledgeable foodie long before the word became fashionable, Jude is always on the lookout for the strange and unique in the world of food. She clips Georgian recipes with walnut sauce for fish, is an expert in Indian cooking, and was the first to introduce me to upma (which I have yet to cook, Jude - I'm sorry!). So when Jude writes to me in search of a recipe, I know it's worth my time to look for it.

Jude's requirements for Sauerkraut soup were simple - it must have a respectable amount of fermented cabbage, and it must not be cooked too long for all the juices and flavour to seep out. Armed with that knowledge, I turned to the internet. I unearthed treasures like Bess Feigenbaum's cabbage soup, this leek and peas sauerkraut soup and finally, this Russian schi and sauerkraut soup, but none of them fit exactly what I had in mind.

I was on a mission, and that mission was sauerkraut soup.

So when I came home, I turned to my cookbooks. I have yet to share this with Jude, but her request inspired an hour-long search, from flipping through tomes I haven't opened in years, to looking through the familiar index of cookbooks that are so stained and dog-eared, it's practically a health risk to still have them in the kitchen. But nothing came up.

Then, I turned to an unexpected place. Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns' Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes cookbook has been on my shelf for about six months. You know those cookbooks so pretty that you avoid cooking from them, instead treating them like an objet d'art? Always in fear that an errant sauce drop will fall and stain the pages, turning what was once a pristine masterpiece to a flawed house object, you relegate them to the back shelf, preferring to look and not touch.

Well, that's what Bar Tartine was like to me.

I have flipped through it many times, drawing inspiration from its inventive recipes and detailed instructions for every homesteading and DIY trick and recipe ever known to man. From beet kvass to kefir cheese, this crazy-beautiful cookbook sounded more like the Ukrainian Farmer's Almanac... and I just wasn't ready for it.

Until the need arose for sauerkraut soup.

And there, amidst the pages of this gorgeous San Francisco ode to slow food, was a simple recipe for Slovakian sauerkraut soup. Its ingredients were all simple, and mostly all present in my fridge and pantry. The instructions were detailed and clear, a perfect blueprint for an inexperienced home cook and an expert Master Chef alike. You could delve deeply into the recipe, making each item like the sauerkraut or dried apricots yourself, or buy them from the store as I did. You could make it vegetarian by omitting the sausage and bacon, or you could the recipe and stick to tradition.

Whatever you did, you could rest assured that Bar Tartine's sauerkraut soup would be exactly what the doctor ordered in the midst of winter.

So I made this sauerkraut soup, using my grandparents' homemade Russian pickled cabbage. And I read the Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes cookbook some more. And before I noticed, the sun had set and the light from my candles flickered, and G came in smelling like winter and frost and roads and said, "This is the best soup I've ever had in my life."

And I knew that once again, Jude had set me on the right path.

To win your copy of Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes, go to my feed on Instagram. Repost any of my pictures, tagging them #immigrantstablebartartine and @immigrantstable in the process. And that's it! The competition will close at midnight on Sunday, January 31, when I will choose a winner at random. Only entries from Canada and the U.S. are accepted.

I am able to offer one lucky reader a copy of this beautiful book thanks to the generosity of Raincoast Books. Though the copy was provided to me for free, you can bet that all opinions expressed here are my own, and that this cookbook is really worth your time.

More Soups to Save the Day

If you are looking for another delicious vegetarian soup, I recommend this kabocha squash soup. If you are interested in incorporating meat in your soup, you have to try my family favorite instant pot fish soup or classic chicken soup.

Recipe

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Bar Tartine's Sauerkraut Soup (vegetarian)

This Slovakian sauerkraut soup is a traditional part of the Christmas meal at Bar Tartine's Nicolaus Balla's household, and it will now become a favourite in ours. This sauerkraut soup is tangy and rich in flavour, full of plump mushrooms and juicy strands of cabbage. Serve it on top of a mound of mashed potatoes for full effect.

Course Soup

Cuisine Slovakian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 137kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

• 2 liter vegetable broth
• 3 cups drained sauerkraut (you can make your own following my grandfather's recipe, or use store-bought)
• 1 cup sauerkraut brine
• 230 gram button mushroom
• 4 green serrano chiles stemmed and thinls sliced
• 2 green bell peppers stemmed, seeded and diced
• 2 sweet white onions cut into large dice
• 60 gram apple wedges pitted prunes, dried apricots or dried cherries, cut into bite-size pieces
• 225 gram russet potato peeled and diced OR cooked and mashed into a puree and set aside
• 2 large tomatoes cored and diced, juice reserved
• 12 garlic cloves chopped
• 5 tablespoon hot paprika
• 10 dried chipotle or arbol chiles
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds toasted
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon kosher salt
• sour cream for garnish - optional
• Freshly group black pepper

Instructions

• If you have chosen to serve the soup atop mashed potatoes, then cook and puree your potatoes using your favourite method. Otherwise, keep going with the recipe.
• In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine broth, sauerkraut and brine, mushrooms, serranos, bell peppers, onions, fruit and potato and bring to a simmer. Cover and turn heat to med-low. Maintain a gentle simmer and cook gentle until potatoes are tender but firm, about 30 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, garlic, paprika, chipotles (if using), caraway seeds, bay leaves and salt and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are just about to fall apart, about 20 minutes longer. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
• Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish each bowl with pepper (and sour cream, if using).
• Leftover soup will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 3967mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3283IU | Vitamin C: 74mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Bar Tartine's Sauerkraut Soup appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Borscht recipes are a dime a dozen.
This may not be the smartest thing to tell you at the beginning of a post giving you yet another borscht recipe. But it's the truth - each Slavic family has its own borscht recipe, its own way of mixing together beets and potatoes and water and cooking it all slowly, so it melds into one bright symphony. Each family has its own secrets.
And today, I'd like to share with you G's father's vegetarian Ukrainian borscht.

I told you about Terry before. Along with his cucumber salad and piles of books on the dining room table, this borscht was one of the first things about G I discovered, one of the first things that told me I belong with the boy sitting across me at dinner. One of the first things that made me feel at home in the blue house on Queenston.

Though so different from the borscht we make at home, Terry's vegetarian Ukrainian borscht was a creation so rooted in tradition, so mired in generations of life off the land and your pantry, that it sang to me in its own way. Though so different from what I thought was right, I was surprised to see that Terry's borscht wasn't wrong. And perhaps, that was the first step on the road to my becoming a more open-minded, accepting adult (ha!....)

Terry's vegetarian Ukrainian borscht is so thick with vegetables, you can barely drag a spoon through it. It's got a lovely balance of tart vinegar and natural sweetness from the beets, and a melange of textures from carefully diced carrots, potatoes, onions and, the secret ingredient, a mix of frozen vegetables. It's vegan and gluten-free, but no self-respecting Ukrainian would dream of eating it without a generous dollop of sour cream. In short, it's a borscht recipe that deserves to be made a part of your regular soup repertoire.

I've been planning on sharing with you Terry's vegetarian Ukrainian borscht recipe for a year now. So this Christmas, when everyone but Terry and I went to watch the new Star Wars, I watched him make it. I followed his movements closely as he chopped onions, and as he added vegetables to the pot, and as he measured out his vinegar. I couldn't help myself and added a few additions of my own - fresh dill instead of dry, a bay leaf and some allspice. But mostly, I watched Terry, and I memorized.

So when I came home, I immediately set to work on making Terry's Ukrainian vegetarian borscht. Amidst unpacked suitcases and bags of groceries, I stood at the counter chopping beets and steaming up my windows. I sang Russian songs and danced a little. I felt joy.

When I had my first taste of this soup, I knew I nailed it. This was it, Terry's mythical vegetarian Ukrainian borscht. With this recipe, I fell in love with G; with this recipe, I knew I could cement his love to me. I ladled out soup and dropped a dollop of sour cream into his bowl, sprinkling fresh dill on top.

I carried the bowls triumphantly over to the kitchen, setting them on the inlaid mosaic table in the living room. I gave G a spoon and watched the smile spread on his face as he had his first sip. I rejoiced as he nodded solemnly, savouring each bite, each carefully selected seasoning, each note.

And then I sat there in horror as he said the next few words, my jaw dropping with each syllable:

"But you know, my dad always cuts his vegetables into matchsticks, as they do in Western Ukraine. This is how you know this borscht was made by an insolent Eastern conqueror."

Trust me though - what this borscht lacks in authenticity, it more than makes up for in flavour and ease of preparation. Whether you chop your vegetables into a fine dice, or carefully cut them into matchsticks, this borscht deserves to be made. Promise me that.

If you are looking for more Russian recipe inspiration, then you're in luck! I will be taking over the Huffington Post Canada Living Instagram account all of this week, and showcasing some of my favourite Russian and Israeli recipes! Please follow my #huffposttakeover exploits over on the HuffPost Canada Living Instagram, January 18 to 22!

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Vegetarian Ukrainian borscht

Terry's vegetarian Ukrainian borscht is so thick with vegetables, you can barely drag a spoon through it. It's got a lovely balance of tart vinegar and natural sweetness from the beets, and a melange of textures from carefully diced carrots, potatoes, onions and, the secret ingredient, a mix of frozen vegetables.

Course Soup

Cuisine Eastern European, Ukrainian

Keyword Borscht recipe, Ukrainian borscht

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 87kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

• 2 beets peeled and diced into small cubes
• 1 large onion peeled and diced into small cubes
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• Two carrots peeled and diced into small cubes
• 6 cups water
• 2 potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes
• 2 cups chopped frozen vegetables mix or 1 cup frozen green peas
• Bay leaf
• 5 whole allspice
• White vinegar to taste (start with ⅛ cup and add as needed)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Dill fresh or dry, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon dry dill or half a bunch of fresh dill)
• Fresh parsley and/or cilantro optional
• Sour cream optional

Instructions

• Add vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot. Add beets and sauté until a bit softened, about 30 minutes, covering after 10 minutes. Uncover, add carrots and sauté an additional 15 minutes. Add onions and garlic, add sauté another 10 minutes before adding the potatoes and water. Cover, increase heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add bay leaf and allspice peppercorns, reduce heat to medium and let everything cook together until all vegetables are soft, about 20-30 mins. Add frozen vegetables and chopped herbs. Taste, and season with vinegar, salt and pepper, as needed.
• You can eat the borscht right then, thought its best allowed to rest overnight for the flavours to come together. Serve with sour cream and more herbs.

Notes

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 414mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2319IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Vegetarian Ukrainian Borscht appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Russian Olivier salad was one of the first dishes I learned to make as a child. My vegetarian Olivier salad is both an ode to the original, but made into a lighter, healthier and meat-free modern Olivier salad. Instead of plain mayo, my Russian Olivier salad recipe uses white wine vinegar and grainy French mustard. We set aside the ham, bologna, chicken and calf's liver that are used in the meat recipe, but keep the hard-boiled egg that gives the salad its protein. And for pickles, I use my homemade spicy garlic pickles, though you can use your favourite store-bought brand.

My vegetarian Russian Olivier salad is a filling, hefty meal that will satisfy any household.

What is Russian Olivier salad?

Russian Olivier Salad (салат оливье) is as native to Russian cuisine as potatoes. In fact, the famous salad is the Russian version of the American potato salad - but zestier, mellower and more full of sweet, contrasting flavors!

Russian Olivier salad is a classic salad dish that originated in Russia during the 19th century. It is also known as "Russian Salad" or "Olivier Salad". The ingredients usually include boiled potatoes, diced vegetables such as carrots and peas, eggs, pickles, and either beef or chicken. It is usually dressed with mayonnaise and served cold.

While it originated in Russia, Olivier salad has since become popular all over the world due to its easy preparation and delicious taste. The flavors of the vegetables combined with the tangy dressing make it a favorite side dish for many people. Russian Olivier salad is a great way to liven up any meal and can be customized with different types of vegetables or proteins to suit your tastes.

The history of Olivye Salad

The story of Olivye Salad is filled with legends. One popular tale says it started at a Russian nobleman's home, where a French chef amazed him with fancy dishes. When a potato salad became a favorite, the nobleman named it after the chef, Olivier salad. However, this connection to French cuisine was just a coincidence.

The more likely story is that Lucien Olivier, a Belgian chef at the famous Hermitage restaurant in Moscow, created the salad. The original recipe was a secret, but its mix of flavors has made it a cherished dish in Russian culinary tradition.

When to Serve Olivier Potato Salad?

Olivier potato salad is most often served on Russian New Year's Eve, alongside a glass of champagne, infused vodka or Russian mulled wine warming on the stove.

The twinkling light of candles. Your grandmother's laughter. The clinking sound made by two glasses of champagne, meeting. Your sister's sigh of exasperation. The scrape of a fork over a porcelain plate. Your mother's gentle reproach. Juice pouring from a carafe, ice and liquid mingling into one rhapsody. Your father's loud, booming voice, halfway through a joke.

Just like no Russian New Year's Eve dinner would be complete without these, so it wouldn't be complete without Olivier salad. My vegetarian Olivier salad is so good, it won't have you missing the cow's tongue and crayfish tails of the original.

A Russian hit in Latin America: Ensalada Rusa and Salada Russa

Though salad Olivier may have originated in Russia, by now this salad made its way all over the globe. It's understandably popular in Ukrainian cuisine, but I was most surprised to find it in Argentina.

This Russian recipe is known across Latin America as Ensalada Rusa and Salada Rusa. It is a common delicacy in Colombian cuisine, where my husband is from, as well as in Peru, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Brazil and Argentina.

In these countries, Olivier potato salad has been adapted with local ingredients to fit the palate of Latin American cuisine. The addition of spices like cumin and chili powder gives the salad an extra kick that makes it stand out from other salads. The creamy texture of the mayonnaise is often combined with sour cream to make a crema, and the different textures of the vegetables make Ensalada Rusa a popular choice amongst locals and tourists alike. Whether served as an appetizer or side dish, Ensalada Rusa is sure to be a hit at any Latin American gathering!

Recipe

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Vegetarian Russian Olivier salad

Russian Olivier salad is the classic Russian potato salad with eggs, carrots, pickles, sweet peas and a fresh, bright mayonnaise dressing. Make this vegetarian olivye Russian salad recipe and fall in love with Russian food!

Course Salad

Cuisine Russian

Keyword New Year, russian new year, Russian Olivier salad

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chilling time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 6 servings

Calories 59kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• 1 Large pot
• 1 Chef's Knife
• 1 Cutting Board
• 1 Small saucepan

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes washed and cleaned
• 2 carrots washed and cleaned
• 3 eggs
• 2 large dill pickles chopped finely
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 1 cup frozen peas defrosted
• 2 tablespoon mayonnaise or half mayo and half sour cream
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 teaspoons French white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic

Instructions

• In a large pot, place carrots and potatoes with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, and cook potatoes and carrots until easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Cook three hard boiled eggs.
• Peel potatoes, carrots and eggs (I use the back of a sharp paring knife to peel the potatoes and carrots). Chop finely. Combine in a large bowl with onions, pickles, peas and dressing ingredients. Mix until well combined - eggs will break a little, and that's OK - they will help flavour the sauce. Taste and correct seasonings. Let sit In the fridge for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. Serve with a little bit of fresh dill on the side.

Notes

Lighten it up! - mix half the mayo with half sour cream for a lighter, healthier Olivier salad.

Latin American style - add a pinch of cumin or even chilli powder to the salad dressing for a Latin American take on this delicious salad.

Vegan Olivier Salad - when I have vegan friends joining us for dinner, I make Olivier salad with vegan mayo and omit the eggs.

Nutrition

Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 637IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Ingredients for a vegetarian Olivier Salad

• Potatoes - Any type of tater will do! I prefer Yukon gold or red potatoes as they hold their form when cooked and don't get too mushy if you accidentally overcook them.
• Carrots - Any form of carrots are acceptable here, excluding the mini peeled ones.
• Eggs - hard-boiled eggs are the protein in this vegetarian version of the beloved Russian classic. You can omit them for a vegan Olivier Salad.
• Dill pickles - these give a great zing and acidity to the salad. Don't skip them! I recommend using homemade dill pickles. For another Russian salad using pickled vegetables, try my Vinaigrette salad.
• Onion - you can use a sweet white onion or a yellow onion.
• Peas - I usually use frozen peas because I like their firm texture and sweet flavor, but you can also use canned peas is that's what you have on hand.
• Mayonnaise - Russian mayonnaise is the classic dressing for this simple salad. You can lighten your salad by using half mayo, half sour cream.
• grainy mustard- this is one of my two secret ingredients. Otherwise, you can also use spicy Russian mustard or horseradish.
• French white wine vinegar - this works to make the salad sweeter and more effervescent. Much better than white vinegar, and takes the salad to a new level!
• Fresh garlic - adds depth to the salad
• Fresh dill (optional) - this adds freshness to the salad and makes it look nice. But you can skip if you find it too strong!

Equipment

• 1 Large pot
• 1 Chef's Knife
• 1 Cutting Board
• 1 Small saucepan

How to make Russian Olivier Salad

Make my Russian Olivier salad? Rate and comment below, pin for later, and share your creations with us on @immigrantstable!

The post Vegetarian Russian Olivier salad appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

This is my mother's long-standing, tried-and-true traditional Russian blintzes recipe. Like all her recipes, from Russian syrniki, Russian vareniki, and Russian pancakes, it's focused on being convenient and fast. It uses butter, eggs, white flour, and a bit of sugar, and it's perfect just the way it is. 

Blintzes are a type of thin pancake made from crepes batter. Fill blitzes with a sweet cheese, fruit sauce, or cottage cheese for cottage cheese blitzes, then fry in a pan. Though we also can have savory snacks with meat and mushrooms! They are popular in countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary.

Since I created this recipe, I have made many blintzes. I even organized an all-you-can-eat blintzes brunch every year for Maslenitsa! So you can rest assured that this easy blintz recipe is foolproof.

What is the difference between crepes and blintzes?

The main difference between crepes and blintzes is the type of batter used.

French crepes are made with a thin, pancake-like batter that is poured onto a hot skillet or griddle, typically a savory dish and served warm or cold. The batter often has no eggs.

Blintzes, however, are made with a thicker batter that is spread onto a griddle and then folded over to form a pocket. They almost always have eggs at their base. Either savory or sweet and traditionally served piping hot! 

Ingredient Notes: Amount of Milk to Use

My mother's recipe varies in how much she uses, based on how fancy she feels. The more milk, the thicker and more luxurious your crepes will be - but the harder to spread. But using too little milk makes them thin and brittle.

After making tens of thousands of blintzes over the years, I have discovered the golden ratio! You can also use any milk or plant-based milk you like.

Steps to make this Blintz Recipe

Make batter

Whisk together eggs and liquid until well combined. Add oil, sugar, and salt. Continue whisking, gradually adding a cup of flour in small portions. Continue whisking until the mixture is perfectly even and the consistency of yogurt or low-fat sour cream (should be easily pourable but not watery).

Place just a touch of butter at the bottom of a large plate. Set aside.

Cook blini

Set a nonstick skillet over medium heat - the pan should sizzle when you add in the oil! Add a teaspoon of oil, and pour in ¼ cup of the batter while you swirl the pan to spread it thinly and evenly. The blintz should start cooking immediately!

When the edges of the blintzes curl, after about 2 minutes, use a thin spatula to flip it.

Cook briefly on the other side, and remove from the pan onto the buttered plate. Top the cooked blintz with a touch of butter.

Continue cooking

Repeat with the remaining batter.

(Please note that the first blintz rarely turns out; use this one to taste and correct the amount of sugar, flour or salt in your batter. If mixture is too watery to cook properly, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time).

Blintzes Filling Recommendations

While I serve my blitzes with either sour cherry sauce or blueberry sauce, you can have these thin pan fried blintzes with the following sweet or savory fillings:

• Cottage cheese - Russians often use farmer's cheese that's known as tvorog for a traditional filling
• Ricotta and cream cheese filling, similar to a cream cheese ricotta cheesecake filling. 
• Blueberry jam 
• Served with fresh fruit
• Mushrooms (use the filling from this bourekas recipe)

How to make cheese blintzes recipe filling

Start by combining ricotta cheese with a bit of sugar to sweeten it. Add a touch of vanilla extract for extra flavor and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness of the cheese blintz filling. Mix everything until smooth and well combined to make the filling. You can also incorporate some lemon zest for a hint of citrusy freshness. 

Once mixed, spread a generous spoonful of the cheese filling onto each blintz before folding and cooking. This creamy and slightly sweet cheese filling adds a delightful richness to your traditional Russian blintzes, making them even more irresistible. 

How to Store and Reheat Blintzes

Fold them into triangles and place in an airtight container in the fridge. Store filled blintzes seam side down in a container.

If freezing, allow them to cool completely after cooking. Once cooled, arrange the blintzes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze them for 1-2 hours until firm. Then, transfer the frozen blintzes to airtight containers or freezer bags, labeling them with the date. Store the frozen blintzes in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

When ready to enjoy, thaw the blintzes and filling overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and assembling as desired. You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven set to 200 F for 10 minutes, arranged on a baking sheet.

Recipe

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Traditional Russian blintzes

There is nothing like waking up to the sound of blintzes sizzling on a frying pan. Golden brown and freshly made, they are the brunch of your dreams.

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine Jewish, Russian

Keyword all purpose flour, authentic, butter, cheese, easy, eggs, foolproof, jam, Maslenitsa, milk, spring, traditional, winter

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Calories 64kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups liquid milk, water, or combination of 2 glasses of milk and one glass of water
• 1 Tbsp. Grapeseed oil olive oil or butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbsp. sugar more for sweet blintzes
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups flour or more, as needed (start with 1 cup if using only water)
• Butter as needed

Instructions

• Bring eggs to room temperature.
• Whisk together eggs and liquid until well combined. Add oil, sugar and salt. Continue whisking, gradually adding up to a cup of flour in small portions. Continue whisking until mixture is perfectly even and the consistency of yogurt or low-fat sour cream (should be easily pourable, but not watery).
• Place just a touch of butter at the bottom of a large plate. Set aside.
• Preheat a pan to medium-high heat - the pan should sizzle when you add in the oil! Add a teaspoon of oil or butter, and pour in ¼ cup of the the batter into the pan, tilt the pan and swirl it around to spread it thinly and evenly. The blintz should start cooking immediately! When the edges of the blintzes curl and bubbles appear, after about 2 minutes per side, use a thin spatula to flip it. Cook the blintz briefly on the other side, and remove from pan onto the buttered plate. Top the cooked blintz with a touch of butter. Repeat with remaining blintzes, and transfer the blintzes onto the plate. You can also fold cooked blintzes into triangles.
• (Please note that the first blintz rarely turns out; use this one to taste and correct the amount of sugar, flour or salt in your batter. If mixture is too watery to cook properly, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time).
• You can also whizz the blintz batter in a blender or food processor to avoid any lumps.

Notes

You can also whizz the blintz batter in a blender or food processor to avoid any lumps. 

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Traditional Russian Blintzes Recipe  appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

At first, it's the smell that draws me in. Rich and layered, it reminds me of chocolate and bonefires and early cool mornings when everything around you is just waking up. Then, it's the sight - black and shiny, with a perfect layer of crema on top that hints at the secrets within. The taste is the last thing that hits me, but it's what seals the deal - creamy and strong and resolute.

Good coffee is like a long-lost lover, your stomach contorting in anticipation each time you lay your eyes on him. And your first kiss - that first sip you take from a cup - is like a tall glass of water on a parching summer's day.

I love coffee. I try not to love it so much, because I know it's not so good for me, the oily black gold causing my stomach to clench in more ways than just anticipation. I also hate the way it makes me feel - jittery and happy and motivated at first, but then, very quickly, as exhausted and drawn out as a night-shift worker.

Yet I can't refuse its siren call. In the early morning, as I am getting ready to go to work, I make myself a cup of latte in our Nespresso machine. Then at work, I'll often get another cappuccino in the afternoon, letting its foam envelop me in a cocoon of warmth, melting away the stress of the waking hours. In coffee shops, I get a cappuccino or a cortado, letting myself splurge on the extra splash of milk. In Israel, I always ask my mom to brew me some of her famous mud coffee - with cardamom and sugar, it's the best cup of joe I could possibly imagine.

So when one of my favourite bloggers, Kimberly of The Little Plantation, asked me to participate in a very special blog party promoting Malawian coffee, I didn't have to think twice. Malawi is one of the lesser known coffee-producing regions in the world; this is despite the fact that most of the coffee that comes from Malawi is fair  trade and of high calibre. In a world where so much of the products we buy are sourced in questionable ways and through questionable means, the opportunity to support such worthwhile coffee is one I wholeheartedly endorse.

I knew right away that I wanted my recipe to bring together coffee and cardamom, two of my favourite flavours. And in honour of Chanukah, the Jewish festival of light, I decided to try my hand at preparing gluten-free sufganiyot with cardamom coffee cream. And after several tries, I am proud to present to you my dessert of choice for this Jewish holiday season (the sufganiyot recipe is adapted from this great recipe for gluten-free donuts from the Culintary Institute of America).

Coffee lends itself beautifully to desserts, its bitterness highlighting the sweet undertones of sugar and spice. In these gluten-free sufganiyot with cardamom coffee cream, the coffee is paired with gently sweetened cream and piped into freshly fried Jewish donuts. The result is a decadent affair with cream, coffee, and a gentle dusting of icing sugar.

If you're looking to try some Malawian coffee yourself, I bought my single-origin Malawian beans from San Diego Coffee on Amazon. You can also source Malawian coffee from Toms and Igourmet in the U.S., or from Coffee Direct in the UK (there's even a 20 per cent discount code for readers of this post - just use #loveMalawicoffee when you purchase from this site! Valid until Dec 31).

If you are as big of coffee fans as I am, check out these other great recipes showcasing Malawian coffee.

Winter Spices Coffee Cake by Twigg Studios

Coffee Crunch Chocolate Mousse by Bettina's Kitchen

Vegan Malawi Coffee ice cream with salted caramel swirl by The Little Plantation

Christmas Coffee and Vanilla Eggnog by Marrbell

Tofu Skewers with Chocolate Coffee Sauce from Jenny Mustard

Coffee and Hazelnut Buns with Orange Icing by Mademoiselle Poirot

Cream of Celeriac with Coffee Drizzle by Plants on your plate

Zabaione al Caffé by Life Love Food

Coffee blondies with homemade nutella (vegan, gf) by The Green Life

Salted Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes from Wife Mama Foodie

Coffee Brownies (gf) by The Full Helping

Recipe

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Gluten-free sufganiyot with cardamom coffee cream

In these gluten-free sufganiyot with cardamom coffee cream, the coffee is paired with gently sweetened cream and piped into freshly fried Jewish donuts. The result is a decadent affair with cream, coffee, and a gentle dusting of icing sugar.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jewish

Keyword sufganiyot

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Calories 458kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

For sufganiyot:

• 1¼ cups white rice flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅞ cup potato starch or corn starch
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon chickpea flour or soy flour
• 4 teaspoons xanthan gum or psyllium husk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
• 7 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 1 ¼ cups warm milk of choice or water
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter melted
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 4 cups vegetable oil or more
• Extra sugar powdered sugar or cinnamon, optional

For coffee cardamom cream:

• 500 ml whipping cream
• ⅛ cup cold strong brewed Malawi coffee use 2 TBs to brew this amount
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• 1 TB sugar

Instructions

• Place rice flour, granulated sugar, potato starch, tapioca starch, chickpea flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and dry yeast in a large bowl. Beat briefly with a mixer or whisk to combine.
• Add milk, melted butter and eggs to dry ingredients. Beat for 5 minutes at medium speed.
• Let dough rest for 20 minutes in a warm, draft-free area.
• Cut 5x5-inch squares of parchment paper, and spray them with oil spray. Arrange each square in a muffin tin (it's ok if it's not perfect). Spoon dough into each parchment square, trying to shape it like a ball. Let proof for 20 minutes in a warm, humid environment.
• In a deep pot or electric fryer, heat oil over medium heat until oil reaches 350 degrees, and a bit of dough you flick into the oil immediately start to cook. Gently slide 2 donut sheets into the oil and fry 4 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the paper and gently turn donuts. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a tray lined with several sheets of paper towels.
• Prepare cream: beat whipping cream until it can hold stiff peaks. Slowly add sugar and cold coffee, 1 teaspoon at a time, continuing to whisk to incorporate (make sure the coffee is cold! Adding hot coffee will curdle your cream).
• When sufganiyot have cooled a bit, cut them in half and spoon cardamom coffee cream. Sprinkle sufganiyot with powdered sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1050IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Gluten-free sufganiyot with cardamom coffee cream {GF} appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And throughout it all, there were chocolate hazelnut bars.

I developed this recipe for two very different Passover celebrations. One, replete with kid-friendly dishes and children's laughter but seemingly devoid of joy. The other, geared toward adults, was filled with various dishes but little in the way of healthy desserts. 

This simple gluten free no-bake chocolate dessert is healthy, raw and vegan. It is full of flavor with roasted hazelnuts, and a filling of unsweetened dark chocolate and luscious cashews, like my healthy dark chocolate tart and no-bake chocolate pistachio cake. The base contains sweet Medjool dates and dessicated coconut for a crunchy cookie base. The result is a cross between a cookie and a cheesecake.

Passover #1

I am surrounded by the din of children screaming. Kind, usually polite kids are running around the swamp-coloured room hopped up on sugar and excitement, their unnaturally distorted features illuminated by the sharp light of fluorescent lamps. Adults constantly interrupt their conversations to pick up an infant, calm down a crying toddler or swaddle a baby.

As I sit there, chewing on a salad that is in itself worthy of being a conversation a piece but, in the midst of this din, is all but forgotten, my mind drifts to one simple conclusion: if there is a hell, this must be what if feels like.

It is my first Passover night this year.

Surrounded by other immigrants for whom these are the first years living away from home, I expected the meaning of Passover to be particularly acute. Instead, I watched adults eating pasta and pounding back beers in an effort to forget, for at least a moment, the ennui of everyday life.

When another guest brought a mile-high tiramisu cake to the table, its top crowned with curls of cream whose trains cascaded down the sides like waterfalls, I turned to my neighbour and asked in wonderment: "They made a kosher-for-Passover tiramisu cake?" (to be kosher for Passover, foods must be unleavened and otherwise free of wheat, except in the form of matza).

The response was a hearty laughter, picked up by nearly everyone at the table. Apparently, I was naive to assume that one's personal choices to keep kosher would be respected in communal dishes - even the potato gratin had bread crumbs covering its golden top, I was later informed.

As I tuck into the gluten-free, vegan, paleo chocolate hazelnut bars that I had worked so hard to keep free of any allergens, in respect of other guests' diets, I feel the familiar sting of tears threatening to come up my nose.

They are met with oohs and ahhs by those who care to try them, to abandon the familiar comfort of what is, by all evidence, a delicious tiramisu cake... But it barely registers.

We never even crack open the Haggadah.

Passover #2

I am seated at the end of a long table, lit by the soft glow of standing paper lamps. All around me people are singing, breaking their teeth through unfamiliar words in an ancient language.

Wine is everywhere: in our cups, on our plates and under the tablecloths.

My stomach is growling with hunger and my feet throb, swollen from hours spent chopping, stirring and measuring food for two dinners.

Yet my face is locked in an ear-splitting, honest, radiant smile that is emanating from the pits of my soul: this is everything that Passover is about.

It is all here, shared among 20 people who don't even speak the same three languages. Who have not all been through a significant move, or an earth-shattering loss, or life-altering passion. People who are all so different and some of whom don't even like each other very much.

Yet at this moment, we couldn't be closer or have more in common. Perhaps it is because we chose, for two hours, to put our hunger and want and weariness aside and come together in song, and talk, and yes - even prayer.

Or perhaps it is because it's the end of a Saturday, and none of us have kids to hug, or share our joy, or steal our precious free moments.

But I like to think it's because we choose to feel like this.

The appearance of chocolate hazelnut bars

When I bring out the gluten-free, vegan, no-bake paleo chocolate hazelnut bars that I had worked so hard to keep free of any allergens, in respect of other guests' diets, I feel the familiar sting of tears threatening to come up my nose.

But this time, the reason is entirely different.

The bars are eaten faster than we can boil tea, met with oohs and ahhs from grateful friends.

Ingredient Highlights for Healthy Gluten-Free Bar Recipe

This recipe relies on mostly pantry ingredients that are not only naturally gluten-free, but also full of flavor and nutrition. See the recipe card below for exact quantities.

#1 Medjool Dates

Medjool dates are the natural sweetener that binds and enriches the cookie base of these bars. Their soft, caramel-like flesh blends beautifully with nuts and coconut to create a chewy, satisfying crust without the need for added sugar or flour. 

Dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa - as this recipe calls for - contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants that help improve heart health by reducing inflammation and promoting healthy blood flow.

They're a favorite in my kitchen for their versatility: from savory dishes like Chicken Marbella à la Ottolenghi to holiday-worthy desserts like my Gluten-Free Yule Log, where they replace processed sugar with deep, earthy sweetness.

#2 Unsweetened Dark Chocolate

Unsweetened dark chocolate is the heart of these bars-used in both the luscious filling and (optionally) the glossy topping. It brings bold, complex flavor without the added sugar found in milk chocolate.

I love how it elevates everything it touches-from the simplicity of Stuffed Dates with Chocolate and Almond Butter, to the decadence of my easy to make Chocolate Raspberry Tart and Vegan Chocolate Truffles with Blueberries. In this recipe, it gives the filling a cheesecake-like depth and the topping a satisfying snap, all while keeping the bars both raw and refined.

How to Make These Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Bars

Toast the hazelnuts

Line a bar pan or a baking sheet with high sides with parchment paper.

Optional: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast the hazelnuts in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and smell toasty. The skin should come off easily when rubbed with a towel. Let cool in room temperature. 

Soak the cashews

Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with water. Leave to soak for no less than an hour. Drain all the water completely, setting the cashews aside.

Make the gluten free cookie crust

Process all the crust ingredients in a food processor, until the mixture reaches a consistent texture that allows you to mold it into shapes. Proceed to gently press the mixture uniformly into the prepared baking pan.

Make the cashew cheesecake filling

Without washing the food processor, put all the filling ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until the mixture becomes smooth, which takes around 2 minutes. If the mixture appears too thin, gradually add one tablespoon of coconut oil at a time. In case the mixture is too thick, pour one tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time. The filling should be melted and smooth, but also thick and luscious, like a cheesecake.

Afterward, taste the sweetness and add more maple syrup or dates, as per your preference.

Once done, pour the filling into the prepared baking pan on top of the cookie crust, and transfer to the fridge or freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes (it will take longer in the fridge - about 1 hour).

Make the chocolate topping (optional)

The next step is optional because it will stop this dessert from being raw. 

Place a small bowl inside a saucepan filled halfway with water. Add remaining chocolate and coconut oil to bowl, and cook on very low heat until fully melted. Alternatively, you can also melt the chocolate and the coconut oil in the microwave in bursts of 30 seconds, until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.

Decorate the bars

Remove bars from the freezer or fridge. Drizzle the bars with melted chocolate (optional) and sprinkle chopped hazelnut pieces. Press on the hazelnut pieces very lightly so they don't just fall off the bars when they set.

Chill the assembled bars in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Cut into squares, and serve chilled.

Storage for Chocolate Bars

Leftover bars will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze them for later use. They will keep in the freezer for 6 months. To separate the bars in the freezer, use parchment paper or wax paper between the layers. 

More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

Don't miss out on my gluten free chocolate rugelach recipe more another delicious chocolate dessert. Alternatively, try my Argentinian gluten-free alfajores or gluten-free carrot souffle.

More Passover Recipes

For more delicious passover recipes, try my grandmother's carrot kugel recipe (also gluten-free) or coconut macaroon pyramids. More classic passover recipes include my classic jewish soup and kneidlach (matzo ball soup).

Recipe

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Gluten Free Chocolate hazelnut bars (grain-free, vegan, raw, paleo)

 Delicious chocolate-hazelnut bars that are filled with delicious hazelnut vegan cheesecake filling that is made with cashews, sitting on a cookie crust of coconut, dates and and almonds.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Healthy, Jewish, North American

Keyword almonds, chocolate, coconut, dairy-free, gluten-free, hazelnuts, Medjool dates, no bake, nuts, passover, raw, vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 396kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Equipment

• Food processor
• Baking sheet

Ingredients

For base:

• 1 cup almonds
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• ⅓ cup Medjool dates
• 2 TBs coconut oil
• 4 ounce unsweetened dark chocolate
• Pinch of sea salt

For filling:

• 2 cups cashews soaked
• 1 ounce unsweetened dark chocolate
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 TB maple syrup or 2-3 dates the dates will change the texture to being a little softer
• 2 TBs coconut oil
• Non-dairy milk as needed (coconut milk is best)
• Pinch of salt

For topping:

• 1 ounce unsweetened dark chocolate optional, makes the chocolate hazelnut bars not raw
• 1 TB coconut oil optional, makes the chocolate hazelnut bars not raw
• ½ cup Hazelnuts peeled, toasted and chopped

Instructions

• Line a bar pan or a baking sheet with high sides with parchment paper.
• Optional: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast the hazelnuts in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and smell toasty. The skin should come off easily when rubbed with a towel. Let cool in room temperature. 
• Soak and cashews in a bowl for at least one hour. Drain thoroughly.
• In a food processor, grind all crust ingredients together until mixture holds together well and you can form it into shapes. Press evenly into your prepared baking pan.
• Add all filling ingredients to food processor and process until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. If mixture is too runny, add more coconut oil, one tablespoon at a time. If mixture is too hard, add non-dairy milk, one tablespoon at a time. Taste for sweetness and add more maple syrup or dates, as desired. Pour filling into baking pan. Chill in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• Place a small bowl inside a saucepan filled halfway with water. Add remaining chocolate and coconut oil to bowl, and cook on very low heat until fully melted.
• Remove bars from freezer. Drizzle bar mixture with melted chocolate and sprinkle chopped hazelnut pieces. Press on the hazelnut pieces very lightly so they don't just fall off the bars when they set.
• Chill in freezer for at least 1 hour. Cut into squares, and serve chilled - bars can be kept in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 0.4mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Rich but Healthy No-Bake Gluten Free Hazelnut Chocolate Bars Recipe appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

Remember how I shared those quick and easy gluten-free rugelach with you guys a while ago? To kickstart the busy season of holiday baking, today I'd like to present to you the much more-involved, but also much more traditional Israeli yeasted rugelach. So if you're looking for a project for these days of dropping temperatures and days under the blankets, you've come to the right place.

Gone are the cream cheese, food processor and zero work policy. Here you have messy, involved, layered beauties that require a whole lot of love to get to where you want them to be... But that deliver in payback something no quick cream cheese rugelach ever could: layers of deep, unforgettable, crinkly dough that hide among them so much chocolate flavour, it'll blow your mind.

For anyone who has traveled in Israel, the mounds of traditional Israeli yeasted rugelach you see at the markets become one of the most vivid memories we are left with long after the scent of roasting pumpkin seeds and frying falafels has evaporated. Their forms taut and skin glistening with a sticky syrup, traditional Israeli yeasted rugelach hide within them a promise of chocolate, cinnamon and joy for days. For when you bite into these crinkly layered babies, you may forget any other pastry ever existed.

Making traditional Israeli yeasted rugelach is a complicated process that takes hours and requires some experience and delicacy. I would save it for a lazy and cool Sunday, when all you want to do is binge-watch on black-and-white movies on Netflix and hibernate on the couch. Well, these are exactly the days you need the smell of rising dough, melting chocolate and rising, gorgeous Israeli yeasted rugelach.

The beautiful blue cup used in this photoshoot is a handmade piece by Montreal-based Sheila Caplan. To learn more of Sheila's work or to inquire about ceramic classes in Montreal, get in touch with her. I had the privelege of collaborating with Sheila for Tu B'Shevat Under the Trees, and I received no monetary compensation for using her work in my post -  I am proud to support local producers and brands whose products I truly love.

Recipe

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Traditional Israeli yeasted rugelach

Course Dessert

Cuisine Israeli

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 40

Calories 125kcal

Author Ksenia Prints

Ingredients

For dough:

• ½ KG 1.1lb, or 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup water then up to another ½ cup if needed

For filling:

• 3 heaping tablespoons of very fine cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• Spoonful of instant coffee optional
• ⅓ cup oil

For syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2.5 cups water
• Juice of half a lemon

Instructions

• Combine all dough ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer (starting with only half a cup of water). Mix for about 10 minutes - dough should be very soft and very sticky. Cover and let rise for about 40 minutes until doubled in volume.
• In a medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Mix well. If needed, add more oil to dilute the filling into a more easily spreadable paste.
• Gently flour your working area to prevent dough from sticking.
• When dough has risen, cut it into 2 equal parts. Roll each half into a ball and press to flatten slightly into a round about an inch thick.
• Spread cocoa filling on top of both rounds, dividing it equally between the two. Spread filling nicely on each circle, leaving a blank margin of half a centimeter around the diameter.
• Taking the dough carefully by its edges, begin to pull the edges towards the centre, turning your round into a ball filled with cocoa mixture. Pinch and pat to close. Make sure there are no leaks and turn seam-side down on a slightly floured surface. Repeat with second half of dough.
• Let stuffed dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Once dough has rested a second time, with a rolling pin begin to gently roll out each chocolate-filled round, making it as thin as possible. If some liquid comes out, don't worry - just roll it out as thin as it gets without sticking to your surface.
• Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a pizza roller, cut the circle into quarters. Then cut each quarter to five or six long, thin triangles. Shape rugelach by rolling the outer edge inward. Arrange rugelach, pointed side down, on baking sheet with a couple of inches in between, leaving room to expand.
• Leave rugelach on baking sheet to rise for about 30 mins.
• Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
• Prepare syrup. Combine all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, and cook until the syrup thickens but doesn't come to a boil.
• If the syrup is ready before the rugelach are baked, reheat it for a few minutes. Syrup should be spread on rugelach immediately once they are taken out of the oven.
• Once ready to bake, bush rugelach lightly with egg, bake at 400F/200C for 20 minutes. Remove immediately, and spread with syrup.
• Let cool for just a couple of minutes, and serve. Rugelach will keep best if frozen and reheated briefly in the oven right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Members Only: Traditional Israeli chocolate rugelach appeared first on At the Immigrant's Table.

This Moroccan pearl couscous salad takes its cues from Moroccan couscous in flavor, looks and aroma! This vibrant salad is an vibrant, multilayered dish that's great to whip up for weekday lunches, outdoor picnics and potlucks, or as an easy meal prep recipe.

Packed with vegetables and protein, it's also an incredibly healthy meal that still manages to be delicious. You can pack it up for picnic, as it keeps well outside the fridge! (I like to pair it up with Apple Walnut Chicken Salad).

This couscous salad recipe is inspired by Moroccan Couscous salad dishes, but uses as its base tasty Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous.

This pearl couscous salad recipe is by far my favorite with my go-to ingredients and dressing, but you can easily transform it with the ingredients you have laying around your fridge and pantry. Try it as a pasta salad, for example, or as a Moroccan couscous salad with small-grain plain semolina couscous. You can also add Israeli couscous to this Israeli tuna salad.

How I discovered Israeli couscous

As you may imagine, I discovered Israeli couscous as a new immigrant child in Israel. Due to its affordability, Israeli couscous was often served to kids in Israel in place of rice or "fancier" pasta, which often needed to be imported. Ptitim were local, made in Israel, and therefore much cheaper to purchase. But of course, my parents never made them. 

Standing in line among dozens of hungry and tired kids in my after-school program, I took a chance on the unfamiliar dish that most closely reminded me of buckwheat kasha. 

Hoping for the familiar flavor of home amidst unfamiliar and alien surroundings, I brought a hesitant spoon of pearl couscous to my mouth. Looking at the kids I had yet to call friends guzzling this dish like it was candy, I dare to close my eyes and take a hesitant bite. 

The rich, nutty flavor of cooked Israeli couscous enveloped my mouth, and the soft texture filled me with joy. From that moment I knew: I would grow to love pearl couscous in no time. 

What's the difference between couscous and pearl couscous?

Couscous is a vital part of North African and Middle Eastern cooking, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. It's actually so important that the countries of Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, and Tunisia submitted a bid to UNESCO for couscous to gain a cultural heritage status.

People often think that there are two main types of couscous: Moroccan couscous and Israeli couscous. Moroccan couscous is the smallest couscous variety with very small granules, while Israeli couscous or pearl couscous is slightly larger with pea-sized granules. But anyone who thinks pearl couscous is real couscous is wrong!