FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Learning New Tricks in the Kitchen

Ellisha Caplan, JLD Editorial Committee Member

In looking for ways to cut back on my sugar habit and have also been helping a loved one to cut back on their salt intake. With help from local nutritionist and Congregation Beth Shalom member, Janie Truitt of Accessible Health, I’m finding my way to some new, healthier habits, and figured out some new and pretty delicious recipes along the way. In the spirit of the Talmudic instruction “lilmod ul’lalmed,” to study and to teach, I’m sharing a couple of my new discoveries and finessed recipes here for you. Batei avon and l’chaim!

Dessert First: Delicious Flourless Dark Chocolate Coconut Loaf
For me, living without chocolate would not really be living. I adapted the recipe from one for brownies on the back of the coco-nut sugar bag, and was really happy with the result. This deeply chocolate loaf is delicious with fresh fruit, and because it is pretty dense, a thin slice is totally satisfying. It just happens to also be gluten-free and dairy free, too!

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup organic brown coconut sugar
• 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spray an 8”x4” pan (or any equivalent small loaf or baking pan) with oil, and line with parchment paper).
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until smooth, then pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30–40, checking at the 30-minute mark for done-ness, and waiting until a toothpick comes out clean.

Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas
This is an older recipe adapted from Deb Perelman’s The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which has come back into my repertoire due to its high flavor, not-too-much salt qualities. My friend and fellow JLD Editorial Committee member, Jenn Steinberg told me that she just cuts the salt in half on every recipe she sees, and I think it works with this recipe!

Ingredients:

Chickpeas

• 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced, divided
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt or salt substitute and freshly ground black pepper

Meatballs

• One pound (455 grams) ground turkey
• ½ cup panko, or another plain, dry breadcrumb
• 2 Tbsp water
• ½ tsp kosher salt (this is half of what the original recipe calls for)
• 1 large egg
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp cayenne, plus more to taste
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, or mint leaves, or a mix thereof, plus more to garnish

For Serving

• 3 Tbsp lemon juice (from about ¾ of a lemon)
• Toasted pita wedges
• Schug or another hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine chickpeas, fennel seed, cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and half the red onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 25 minutes, until beginning to firm/crisp up.
3.  Meanwhile, make meatball mixture. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a fork or (my recent discovery) a potato masher to mix. Form into 1.75-inch meatballs; I use a #40 cookie scoop, which holds about 1 ²/3 tablespoons.
4.  Remove sheet pan with chickpeas from the oven (leave oven on) and move the chickpeas to the sides of the pan, clearing a space in the center. Lightly coat center with a thin coat of oil, either brush or spray it on, just to be safe. Add meatballs to oiled area, not touching. Place baking sheet in oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
5.  Meanwhile, toss remaining onion slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
6. Combine yogurt with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
7. When meatballs are cooked, scatter remaining fresh herbs over the tray. Serve with lemony onions and yogurt, toasted pita wedges and hot sauce. Repeat as often as needed.

Bonus Recipe!

Kid-Approved Whole Wheat Challah Rolls

I’m incorporating more whole wheat everywhere I can, and it was a huge win last week when I got my kids to try my usual challah recipe made with 50% whole wheat flour, and they said that it was as good as my normal recipe. High praise! I’ve been making rolls out of half of my dough, which is another new thing that I’m trying! This recipe makes one large challah or two smallish challahs, and 12 challah rolls, which I made by rolling out dough ropes to about 6 or 7 inches and then making a loop and putting one end through the loop, creating a knot.

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups water, lukewarm
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ cup sugar or honey
• ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
• 3 large eggs (one for brushing the loaves)
• 4 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur)
• 3–4 cups all purpose flour (I also use King Arthur)

Instructions:

1. Pour the lukewarm water into a very large mixing bowl and add the yeast. Add the salt and sugar and combine. Add two eggs and the oil, mix again to combine. Begin to add flour, one cup at a time. I like to use a bread whisk, but in the absence of that, use a large wooden spoon to mix together, until it is too dense to mix any further. (If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment for the wet ingredients, salt, sugar and eggs, then switch to the paddle as you add the flour, and finally replace the paddle with the dough hook as the mixture comes together.)
2. Flour a large cutting board and pour the dough onto it. Mix in enough additional flour (try ¼ cup at a time at this point) so that the dough is not too sticky, and knead for at least five minutes. 
3. Wash your bowl, and spray or rub oil inside of it, then place the kneaded dough in the bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise for at least two hours. It should double in size.
4. Uncover the dough, and punch it down with your fist. Recover, and leave to rise for another hour or so.
5. After the second rise is complete, place the dough on a lightly floured cutting board and cut into two, returning one half to the bowl.
6. Split the first half into two equal pieces, then again into six. Roll out the individual pieces into long ropes, then braid, and place on a baking sheet or in a greased bread pan to rest for at least 30 minutes.
7. To make the challah rolls with the second half of the dough: Split the dough into six pieces as before, but after you have created the six braids, cut each in half, then make a knot. Place them a few inches apart on two large baking sheets.
8. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
9. Brush the challahs with egg wash (that third egg, whipped lightly), and place into the oven for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375°, take the challah out and brush again with egg wash for a perfect glossy brown finish, and bake for another 20–25 minutes until it reaches desired shade of brown, or measures 185 degrees in the center.