21 Tuesday May 2013
Available in WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP- CHOCOLATE CHIP-CARAMEL.
E-mail or text for price info.
Mywifethechef@gmail.com
914-391-1542
Available for delivery in Kew Garden Hills.
Available for pick up in White Plains, NY.
* All ingredients are kosher, and utensils are dipped. ( OU- Chaf K- CRC)
21 Tuesday May 2013
Posted in Crock pot dishes, Healthy dinner, School night dinner, shabbos
Tags
#basmatirice, #crockpot, #crockpotinner, #dairyfree, #dairyfreedinner, #mywifethechef, #rice, #turkey, #turkeywings
A new crock-pot delight! No matter what new dishes I create and blog about, my crock-pot dishes are always among the most viewed by my readers. I guess I’m not the only one who loves the simplicity and ease of a crock-pot 
.
When I was doing my weekly grocery shop, I noticed just how inexpensive turkey wings are. I have purchased them before, not in a while, but never compared their prices to chicken cutlets or ground beef. I bought a package of 2 huge turkey wings for $5.58! Everything else I needed was already in my cabinets or fridge…dinner = done! I usually use white rice in my crock-pot dinners, but this time I mixed white rice with basmati, and used my left over Farmer’s Market basil and I must say..YUM!
Crock-pot TURKEY:
1 cup white rice
1 cup basmati rice
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 package turkey wings
1 tablespoon parsley
2 sprigs fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon onion soup mix
* Enough water to submerge but not fully cover the turkey
Yields: 5, 1 cup servings of rice and 2 portions of protein.
Directions:
I usually serve a soup or salad with dinner, but this is more than enough to fill you up! My son loved the turkey so much that he ate half of my wing! I will definitely be making this again, and will of course share any additions with you all.
Happy Tuesday!
20 Monday May 2013
Posted in dairy free dinner, School night dinner, soup
Red lentil, anise & carrot soup. Packed with vitamins!!! As I mentioned in last night’s crouton post, I am going through a “soup phase”. As I have been trying to incorporate more protein and vegetables into my family’s dinners, and less complex carbs ( and dairy), I have become obsessed with how easy it is to make a delicious, healthy, and filling soup. Whenever I go to the grocery store now, I browse the vegetable section, creating the soup in my head and then jotting down my idea ( or rather, typing it into my phone). This past Shabbos, my mother in law made an amazing chicken soup, adding the usual ingredients of dill, onion, carrot, chicken etc, This time, she added anise. For those of you who have never seen an anise, full name pimpinella anisum, it looks a lot like a fennel bulb. Fennel is actually an herb and anise is a vegetable. I may be the only nerd out there who is interested in this stuff, so hang in there, I’m almost done with my veggie rant.
Anywho, I was reading up about anise, and many case studies show that a diet rich in Vitamin C can help shorten the duration of a cold and even aid in killing off cancer cells in the colon. Sign me up! Anise is also chock full of vitamins that help strengthen your immune system and help keep your heart healthy. I love serving my family dinner and at the same time knowing they are eating something that is actively keeping them safe from the inside out.
This soup was super yummy, especially when topped off with my crunchy homemade croutons. Try it this week and let me know what you think! Stay healthy!
Red lentil, anise & carrot soup:
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1/2 anise bulb ( stem included)
1 large carrot
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 dash salt
Yields 8, 1 cup servings.
Directions:
20 Monday May 2013
Posted in appetizer, Bread, dairy free dinner, Salad, Side dishes
Tags
#basil, #croutons, #dairyfree, #freshherbs, #healthydinner, #joyofkosher, #mywifethechef, #parsley, #soup
My first attempt at creating delicious, homemade, crunchy and savory croutons was a success! My husband and I just finished an incredibly scrumptious and healthy dinner, topped off with my fresh herb infused croutons. I am going through a “soup phase” right now, blending different vegetables and spices together every night. Tonight’s soup was a delicious red lentil, anise and carrot blend. I will leave the soup ( and arugula, mushroom and turkey salad) until tomorrow’s post, because tonight’s is devoted to my special croutons!
This is my second time participating in the JOK Kosher connection link up. I love seeing the amazing, creative and DELICIOUS dishes my fellow kosher food bloggers come up with. This month’s theme was CROUTONS. At first, my mind went wild with ideas. Pumpkin pie cubes anyone? I even bought a gargantuan can of pumpkin in preparation. But last week, my husband and I were on a drive, and I saw the cutest little Farmer’s Market and had to pop in. I love getting fresh vegetables and herbs from the Farmer’s Market. There was an absolutely AMAZING market, hands down the best I have ever seen, upstate where I went to college. I have so missed that fresh, organic, crisp produce! When we stepped in to this little Farmer’s Market, and I saw the fresh herbs, I knew that I had to scrap my pumpkin cubed crouton idea, and opt or something simple, easy and absolutely delicious.
Fresh herb infused croutons:
1 medium baguette
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh basil, chopped
4 sprigs ( 1/4 bunch) fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
The trick to making the perfect crouton – STALE bread. If you only have fresh, pop it in the toaster or oven for 5-10 minutes.
1. Slice baguette in half, lengthwise. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and saute garlic, basil and parsley. Saute until wilted and aromatic.
3. Add bread cubes to sauce pan, stir until combined with herb mixture. Croutons should start to brown. Add a touch more olive oil for a crispier crouton.
4. If you REALLY want a super, crispy crouton, place croutons on a baking sheet and broil for 15-20 seconds. Any longer and they WILL burn!
These crunchy bites were the perfect addition to our dinner of soup and salad. I can’t wait to share my soup recipe with all of you, but for now, enjoy these herb infused croutons! We finished the whole bowl
*They didn’t even get soggy while I took my pictures!
14 Tuesday May 2013
Tags
#cheesecake, #cheesecakecups, #chocolate, #creamcheese, #mywifethechef, #oreos, #peanutbutter, #reese'scup
I had the busiest, most exhausting, but totally rewarding past few days. If you know me, you know I love to cook AND bake. I have been thinking/dreaming of starting a little business out of my kitchen selling baked goods. I have been wavering back and forth, trying to figure out if I even have the time, space, and energy to do this. I stared to think about the holiday of Shavuot/Shavuos, and how much I love making cheesecakes. Thus, my cheesecake sale was born! Hopefully this will turn into something big for me, but for now I feel very accomplished after a week of baking, packaging and taste testing!
I took a lot of pictures that I want to share with you, and just looking back over them makes me smile . Thank you to all of you who inquired and ordered your cheesecakes and cheesecake cups from My wife the chef (me), I really appreciate the support, and will never forget my first sales ever!
Enjoy the pictures & my Oreo cheesecake and cheesecake cup recipe.
^ My most popular cheesecake was my Reese’s cup cheesecake. My sister says the uncooked batter is the best thing she has ever tasted. Looks good to me!
^ This was a low-fat plain cheesecake that I had a request for. I choose not to cook using a water bath, which is just a large pan of water you place your spring form pan in while baking. I prefer the ” homie” or “heimish” look of my cheesecakes. I also like the texture of the outer layer, it becomes a soft crust, and I find it easier to slice perfectly.
^ Delicious and creamy Oreo cheesecake. Where can you go wrong with something that good. I really love Oreos. I had the most fun with my Oreo batter. I sold cheesecake cups as well as cakes, and I think my Oreo cheesecake cups were some of the most beautiful desserts I have ever made.
Right???? Yum. I sold a bunch of these to a really sweet, and pregnant, girl, who e-mailed me last night after she picked up her order and told me that she had a cheesecake cup last night and she loved it so much and it was so yummy. It made my NIGHT! I had some extra batter left over from a batch so I poured it into two ramekin dishes, and had myself a little treat after a long day.
^ Doesn’t it look like a bowl of heaven? Or ice cream maybe, but it’s my special ramekin full of Oreo cheesecake just for me.
Oreo cheesecake recipe:
24 Oreo cookies
1 stick butter, melted
3 bricks cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
Directions:
1. Place 16 Oreo cookies in a large Ziploc bag. Crush by using a rolling pin until you have semi-fine crumbs.
2. Place crumbs in a bowl with melted margarine, mix to combine and press into bottom of your spring form pan. ( Or evenly into your muffin tins)
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well blended and there are no lumps. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Chop remaining cookies, and gently stir half into the batter.
5. Pour batter over crusts, if making cups, fill each cup about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle remaining cookies on top of batter.
For cheesecake, bake 55-60 minutes. For cups bake 35-40. Let cool then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
( For topping I used whipping cream, but whipped cream works in the same fashion).
Below are a few of the other cheesecake cups i made, sold, and/or devoured.
Thank you again everyone for the support. I love you all! Have a wonderful week, and eat LOTS of cheesecake!
09 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Chicken, Healthy dinner, meatballs, School night dinner
I love how my chicken meatballs look like Matzoh balls. This picture is getting me excited for my Friday night Chicken soup with matzoh balls. 
I posted a couple of days ago, about an article I read in Good Housekeeping, featuring Dr. Oz. I can’t get enough of him! My lettuce wrapped turkey and lentil salad garnered a lot of attention, because people are always looking to change up or improve their eating habits, as am I! Dr. Oz discusses the pros and cons of dieting, and highlights some of the areas in which many of us lack actual knowledge of what we should be limiting and more importantly, what we should be adding into our diet. You can read more about that in my previous post, or by picking up the May 2013 issue of Good Housekeeping.
Dr. Oz suggested serving chicken meatballs over Orzo and vegetables, but I only had basmati rice, and my husband and I are trying to incorporate salad into most if not all of our dinner time meals. ( Besides the high amounts of folate, YAY folate, a super important B vitamin especially for you preggies out there, lettuce has a great deal of fiber and is calorie free!).
Chicken meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Prepare 2 cups of basmati rice according to directions of the package. When fully cooked, add one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of garlic powder. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 450 F.
3. In a medium bowl, mix chicken, garlic, oregano, onion powder and salt. Shape into 2- inch meatballs.
4. Lay chicken “meatballs” on a jelly roll pan, and brush with olive oil. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
I made a tasty, healthy salad of lettuce, raw mushrooms, red onions, and cucumber. I do usually prefer romaine lettuce or spinach leaves but my husband likes Iceberg. I added one cup of my basmati rice to the center of my salad, laid the chicken meatballs a top the rice, and drizzled with a light Caesar dressing.
HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS. Can’t go wrong with that combo!
07 Tuesday May 2013
Posted in appetizer, Holiday, School night dinner, Side dishes
Tags
Shavuos is coming! Bring on the dairy! ( Not for my poor husband, but for everyone else..!).
I made these Mac & Cheese cups a few months ago, completely forgot to blog about them, and now is the perfect time to share them with you! I was never a big homemade macaroni and cheese person. Wacky Mac is, was, and always will be the best in my opinion. But since I had a child, and decided I didn’t want to fill his belly with what can only be described as delicious chemicals in a box, I have been sticking to homemade mac & cheese.
If you follow me, you know that from time to time I love making things in miniature. They’re so cute and fun to eat, and aesthetically pleasing meals taste that much better. So here you go! My Mac & Cheese cups, perfect for Shavuos!
Mac & Cheese cups:
2-2 1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta ( Elbow works just as well if not better, but I only had spiral)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 cup thawed frozen broccoli chunks
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup bread crumbs, olive oil, salt and parsley.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, Add the pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes. Drain and return to the pan.
3. Stir in the butter and egg until combined. Reserve half a cup of mozzarella cheese and put aside. Add the rest of the mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, milk, broccoli, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pasta. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs mixture over Mac & Cheese cup tops.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until topping is nicely browned. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
ENJOY!
06 Monday May 2013
Posted in appetizer, Healthy dinner, healthy snack, School night dinner
Quick post today. Over the weekend I was reading Good Housekeeping, one of my guilty pleasures, and on the cover was one of my favorite “celebrity” doctors, Dr. Oz. In the issue he spoke about the importance of proteins and how so many people on diets are more concerned with what not to eat rather than what TO eat. There were tons of fabulous protein packed meals, and easy recipes like chicken meatballs and glazed salmon steaks. Last night I made the lentil salad, and paired it with one of Dr. Oz’s 75 calorie wraps. Super easy and super yummy. I may never eat another whole wheat wrap again!
Lettuce wrapped turkey:
1 big piece of lettuce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
3 slices fresh turkey
No need to write the directions!
Lentil salad:
Rinse and drain 2 cups of green lentils. Add to 5 cups of hot water, and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Made a bed of chopped lettuce, add 1/2 cup cooked lentils to the center, and surround with diced cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. Drizzle with your favorite light dressing.
Have a great MONDAY everyone!
05 Sunday May 2013
Posted in Dessert
These cinnamon-walnut cigars were a happy accident. I originally intended on making cinnamon-sugar elephant ears, but the store did not have pastry sheets so I had to improvise. I wanted to test out a few ideas I had for a Mother’s Day treat platter, and these will definitely be making an appearance. I bought mini pastry squares, in stead of pastry sheets, and didn’t know what to expect but am pleased to say these were delicious and completely eaten up over the weekend.
Cinnamon-walnut cigars:
25 pastry squares ( Frozen food section)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
cooking spray
baking sheet
By looking at the ingredients, you are probably thinking, ” this looks too easy”, and it really was. Enjoy!
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray, or line them with parchment paper.
2.In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.
3. On a clean surface, spread 1/4 cup granulated sugar to a very thin layer. Lay 3-4 pastry squares at a time on top of the sugar, so the bottom is coated. Measure 1 teaspoon of your cinnamon-sugar-walnut mixture and spread on each square evenly.
4. Roll each “cigar” like a mini jelly roll, and fasten by pinching the length of the cigar.
5. Lay each cigar on your sprayed or lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart, and bake for 10 minutes at 375 F.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes before moving to wire rack.
* Drizzle a little melted chocolate over the tops for an even sweeter, more decadent treat!
02 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Dessert, Side dishes
Tags
As I am sitting here, drinking my iced vanilla latte and editing pictures, I am craving another piece of this banana cake. Sadly, we finished it all as quick as I made it. As you know if you follow mywifethechef, my husband is now officially dairy free/lactose intolerant. He always knew he had to watch his dairy intake, but now we are really cracking down, and I am on a mission to create for him delicious dairy free dishes. This cake was made for no real occasion, I just happened to have two blackened bananas ready to hit the trash can, when I thought ” you’re a ‘chef’, are you seriously about to throw away overripe bananas”?. Thus, this yummy banana cake was born.
I have been VERY into using coconut milk lately. I really like the taste and I find it works in substitution for so many different things. Try it out and see for yourself!
Banana & chocolate chip moist cake:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter/margarine
2 mashed ( overripe) bananas ( about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F, grease an 11 inch tart dish or an 8 x 8 square pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, coconut milk, eggs, melted butter/margarine, mashed bananas and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and stir with whisk or spoon until smooth.
4. Pour batter into prepared dish, sprinkle your chocolate chips over the top of the batter, and bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan completely before frosting.
I make a really creamy *non dairy, cream cheese frosting. This cake doesn’t really NEED a frosting, but it definitely adds a sweet and creamy touch.
Cream cheese frosting:
1 container of tofutti cream cheese, at room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 stick margarine, unsalted and at room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, margarine and sugar until desired consistency. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before frosting.
^ Notice the Tiffany & Co cake knife. Amazing wedding gift from my Aunt and Uncle..comes with a cake server too.
