It is really fascinating, when we are on the road, or too harried, or trying to loose a few unwanted pounds, that we can find a whole meal snugly fitting in a tiny packet, which we can enjoy with great abandon, whipping it out on a moment’s notice, taking no room, making no mess, needing no maintenance, calorically ideal, and making you as strong and energetic as a champ!

Or is it?

It seems every trouble we get into in every area of our lives is, we never bother to read the small print. Think about a few examples: Some marriages not made in heaven; some business deals gone sour; some diets gone unslimming, maybe even fattening; some miracle cures meant to make one stop smoking that caused hallucinations and suicidal thoughts – or worse: actions! All right, I think you get the picture.

A “glowing” example is, the ubiquitous energy bar. I decided to look in earnest into their contents after I used them several times (Delicious: that, they were!) on a multi-city book tour that kept me on the run and included very few kosher amenities. Pretty soon I was doubled over with bloating, cramps and blinding headaches. Probing into it deeper, this sleuth had no trouble finding the culprit: Soy Protein Isolates: I don’t think I will explain it better than the linked article will: Please read it and act on it! I hope it is not too presumptuous or too optimistic to hope that very soon, we will be able to trace many diseases and allergies to the offending soy protein isolates that swarmed our continent and our food, looking treacherously small, tasting treacherously sweet, and ripping through the figures and well being of millions of unsuspecting people. You think because it is marketed as health foods it is good for you? I beg you think again! The Health Food Industry is governed by the exact same principles as the rest of the food industry: tugging at your heartstrings, tugging at your purse strings, and in the process sending out the constant seductive but nefarious message that is getting our country so sick: “You don’t need to cook or do anything! We will do it ALL for you! You just relax!” That’s right, relax, lose total control of what you ingest, and miss a good time: meal time!

When you  need to maintain your diet, with less food and more energy, make yourself hot cereal, which will take ten minutes from beginning to end: Throw in the greatest quick-cooking grains: Thin granulation buckwheat (kasha), millet, quinoa, teff, steel-cut oats, thick corn meal. Mix and match any way you like. Cook it with some water or milk, dairy or dairy-free. Gluten-free? It will work perfectly as well! Add some olive oil or butter, a nice handful of raisins or cranberries, lots of cinnamon, salt to taste. Thin it to your personal taste. Make a nice amount, and save for the next couple days. It doesn’t hurt that it is delicious too!

18 grams protein in 2 ounces of energy bar food? Hello: Shouldn’t this raise a red flag? Twice the amount of the protein contained in a steak the size meant for a St Bernard (to the extend that you would feed your dog, say, fillet mignon!) or Olympic swimmers, and obtained by the most unnatural unorthodox, and yes, dangerous methods? Please repeat after me “High Energy Bars? No thank you! I’ll have hot cereal!”

But what about when we are on the road? OK,  let’s see what we got: Fruit, salad greens, frozen yogurt, cottage cheese, yogurt, hummus, nuts etc… What’s wrong with that? We’ll have more protein at our next meal, always coming up soon enough!

Filed under: Buckwheat, Diet Bars, Energy Bars, Gluten Free Recipes, Hot Cereal, Kosher Recipes, Low Gluten Recipes, Millet, Natural Foods, Oatmeal, Quinoa, Recipe, Soy Protein Isolates, Teff | No Comments »

I’m always asked what my lucky husband gets for dinner every night. And the honest answer is: Salad, salad, and more salad, in every shape and form! Here are three wonderful main-course salads you can adapt to your personal preferences: Play with the flavors and textures and get different results every time! We’ll round out the meal with a surprise dessert!

I’ll be demonstrating:

• Lentil sausage salad with sprouts on baby spinach
• Chicken endive Waldorf Salad
  
• Mock crab, smoked trout, potato and fennel salad on arugala
• Curried tofu egg salad with romaine and rice noodles

Click Here to Register!

Filed under: Cooking Demos Gift Certificates, Kosher Cooking Classes, Kosher Cooking Demo, Kosher Cooking Demos in New York City, Kosher Recipes | No Comments »

Straight from my Latest Cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen

For many years, I have made liqueur from etrog, a very rare citrus fruit—“the fruit of a goodly tree,” as it is reverently referred to—used in the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Every year at the end of the holiday, I call all my friends in the nick of time to bum their etrog before it gets discarded and proceed to make gallons of a fascinating liqueur, diligently and resignedly removing the myriad pits contained in the fruit before slicing it and combining it with other ingredients. This year I decided that since the fruit is so rare and the liqueur made from it so labor-intensive, I would experiment with the fruit that comes closest to it in flavor—the more reliable and widely available grapefruit. I even pushed my luck and made it with agave syrup and made a gallon of fabulous liqueur in no time. After about a week, I sampled the delicious dram: It was a triumph!

Ingredients:

2 large grapefruit

4 cups white agave syrup

8 cups vodka (generic brand OK)

Instructions:
Scrub the fruit thoroughly with a vegetable brush under warm water, and cut it in eighths, then in thin slices, by hand or using the slicing blade of a food processor, removing any occasional pits. Place the fruit in a wide bottom stainless steel pot, add the syrup and vodka, mix thoroughly and bring to just below boiling. Transfer the mixture to clean wide-mouth jars. Let the mixture sit for a week at room temperature. Before using, strain the amount you intend to use and leave the rest in the jar, fruit and all.
Don’t just discard the fruit when most of the liquid has been used: Throw in a little more vodka and agave in the jar and let the mixture steep again a few days. The longer it sits the more intense the flavor. Serve chilled. Makes about 1 gallon mixture, 2 quarts clear liqueur. Store at room temperature.

Variation: Apple Liqueur
Substitute 4 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored, quartered and sliced thin, for the grapefruit, and proceed just as above.

Filed under: Apple Liqueur, Apples, Grapefruit Liqueur, Kosher Recipes, Liqueur Recipes, Recipe | No Comments »

The term Tandoori is Indian and signals the present of a yogurt or buttermilk in the sauce ingredients, which makes the chicken or fish prepared this way incredibly moist and tender, and most importantly, dairy-free and suitable for any kind of meal! I obtain the buttermilk tang and texture by making a soy milk-lemon juice mixture curdle: It only takes seconds, and is very useful not only for this Tandoori dish, but for many other dishes calling for yogurt or buttermilk: Blinis, corn bread, lemon cake, salad dressings, etc…. Soy milk is the only dairy-free milk that will curdle with the addition of lemon juice or vinegar, so don’t try with rice, almond or other dairy-free milks.

Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons curry, a little more if you like it hotter
1/3 cup lemon juice or lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, quartered
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
3 pounds salmon or other thick fish, sliced 1 1/2 inch wide, or cubed 2 inches.

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the soy milk and the lemon juice in a large mixing bowl and reserve. In a food processor, place the olive oil, curry, lemon or lime juice, pepper, onion, and ginger, and grind finely. You will obtain a slightly runny paste. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl with the reserved soy mixture.
Rub the fish with this mixture and place on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Filed under: Dairy-Free Recipes, Fish Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Indian Recipes, Recipe, Tandoori | 1 Comment »

If there was ever a time Caesar salad went out of fashion and was eclipsed by a new salad on the block, however briefly, I can’t remember it. The queen, albeit with a king’s name. What is the secret of its enduring popularity? In my opinion, a short but unbeatable classic ingredient lineup. Only the best: crisp romaine, croutons made from good-quality bread, freshly grated Parmesan—all totally attainable! Make a double batch of the dressing and enjoy it with many other goodies. And if you can’t have the cheese, the salad will be good to go even sans fromage!

Ingredients:
6–8 slices good-quality bread, gluten-free OK, cut in ½ inch cubes
3 romaine hearts, torn into bite-size pieces
½ small purple onion, sliced very thin (food processor)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, a little more to taste
1 cup Caesar’s dressing

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make the croutons: Place the bread cubes in one layer in a baking sheet, and toast until light brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Reserve.
Place the romaine, onion, and cheese on a platter. Just before serving, add the croutons. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Makes 8 servings

Filed under: Anchovies, Caesar's Dressing, Caesar's Salad, Croutons, Dairy Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Italian Recipes, Kosher Recipes, Recipe, salad dressing, Salad Recipes | No Comments »

This dressing is much too good to be used only on salad, so go ahead and use it on grilled !sh, or skip the anchovies in the dressing and use it on poached or grilled chicken.

Ingredients:
6 anchovies, rinsed
3 tablespoons capers
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems and leaves
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 large cloves garlic
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon oregano
Ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, about half a minute. If the dressing gets too thick as it sits, thin it with a little more water. Makes about 2 cups. Store refrigerated in a glass jar.

Filed under: Caesar's Dressing, Croutons, Dairy Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Recipe, salad dressing, Salad Recipes | No Comments »

Did you know my Tandoori mixture, from my cookbook “Levana Cooks Dairy-Free!” is a great favorite with kosher and non-kosher diners? You will understand what makes Indian cuisine so delicious and so much leaner. The Indian gamut of grains is so astounding that dinner is gluten-free almost without trying!

I’ll be demonstrating:

• Vegetable tofu curry
• Fish Tandoori
• Jasmine rice
• Chick pea and lentil paratha with coconut chutney
• Ghee- and saffron-scented sweet potato pudding
• Chai tea

So sorry this demo is sold out. Wonderful problem: We will be full beyond capacity! Would you like to see this exact same menu repeated in the next semester? Please be sure to email me and let me know, and always register in advance: We have lots of exciting demos coming up, and our next semester schedule will be posted just before Passover!

Filed under: Cooking Demos Gift Certificates, Cooking for two, Kosher Cooking Classes, Kosher Cooking Demo, Kosher Cooking Demos in New York City, Kosher Recipes | No Comments »

You will never think of macaroons as institutional fare after you taste these elegant and easy treats, close cousins of the amaretto cookies. Gluten-free without even trying! If you get lazy and would rather use store-bought ground almonds, also called almond flour (warning: you will pay dearly for the extra “convenience”), use 2½ cups ground and mix everything by hand. If you are fond of hazelnuts, or pecans or cashews, simply substitute them for the almonds. The trademark of macarons is their sandwiched presentation, with jam to make them stick together, or very simple fillings, like this one. No problem making them on Passover, if you use nut butter for filling.

Ingredients:

2 cups unblanched almonds

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

3 egg whites

Good pinch salt

1⁄3 cup sugar

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a food processor, grind the almonds, powdered sugar, and flavoring to a fine powder, making sure you do not over mix. Beat the egg whites and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer, then add the sugar and beat again until the mixture is firm. Fold in the almond mixture until thoroughly combined.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop the cookies through a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip, the size of walnuts. Bake 20 minutes, until golden. Do not allow the cookies to darken. Let the cookies cool.
Spread half the cookies with the filling (recipe below), and top them with another cookie. Store at room temperature in an airtight cookie tin. Makes 18 macarons.

Chocolate filling:

1 cup chocolate chips, best quality melted, on a very low flame or in a microwave

1 teaspoon coffee powder

½ cup dairy-free cream cheese

Whisk while the chocolate is still warm. Let the mixture cool before filling the macarons.

 Amaretto Cookies:
No sandwiching, no filling. Skip the coffee in the macarons, and use 2 to 3 tablespoons amaretto liqueur.

Filed under: Almonds, Amaretto cookies, Chocolate Filling Dairy-Free, Chocolate Recipes, Coffee, Dairy-Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Desserts, French Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes, Macarons, Pareve Recipes, Passover desserts, Passover Recipes, Recipe | No Comments »

Due to the overwhelming response we had for this menu, we are repeating it all over again, so those of you who couldn’t register to our sold-out demo get another chance!

Stay home with some French Classics, a good bottle of wine and some baguette: What could possibly beat this treat? I am including my award-winning Bourguignon!

I’ll be demonstrating:

• Cream of asparagus
• Boeuf Bourguignon
• Herb-roasted potatoes
• Bibb lettuce and shallot salad
• Coffee macarons with chocolate filling

Click Here to Register!

Filed under: French Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Kosher Cooking Classes, Kosher Cooking Demo, Kosher Cooking Demos in New York City, Kosher Food, Kosher Restaurants, Recipe, Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen | No Comments »

Another wonderful way to use leftover bread, perfectly adapted to gluten-free and a snap to prepare. Any soft-crust bread will do here. The black-and-white alternating pattern is fun and takes only a few more minutes. The caramel sauce is delicious and you will find many other desserts to use it with.

Ingredients:

1-pound loaf bread, gluten-free OK, cut up in large chunks
4 eggs
4 cups milk or dairy-free milk, low-fat OK
1½ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup rum or brandy
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup pure cocoa powder

¾ cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions:
Combine the first set of ingredients by hand in a bowl, breaking up the bread with your hand as you go. Divide the mixture into two bowls. Add the cocoa in one bowl; add the raisins and orange zest in the second bowl. Combine each mixture thoroughly in their respective bowls.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-by- 13-inch baking pan. Layer the pan evenly with half the black (chocolate) mixture, top with half the white (raisin) mixture. Repeat with the remaining black mixture and the remaining white mixture, spreading gently and evenly so as not to disturb the bottom layers. (You might want to bake this pudding in muffin cups, for individual portions: Same instructions, shorter baking time. Start with 30 minutes).
Bake for about 1 hour, or a little longer, until the pudding looks nice and puffy and the center is barely firm. Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with caramel sauce. Do you want to go all out? A scoop of coconut sorbet will go very well! Makes a dozen servings.

Filed under: bread pudding, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Dessert Sauce, Desserts, Gluten Free Recipes, Gluten-Free Bread Recipes, Gluten-Free Breads, Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes, Recipe | 2 Comments »