Endive salad with Balsamic vinaigrette

There is nothing like taking a bite out of a fresh crisp salad. This recipe is similar to one of my favorite salads that my mom used to make me as a kid, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette 

1 TBL & 1 tsp Dijon mustard 

3 TBL & 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar

2 TBL Lemon juice

2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 C Light olive oil

(makes about a cup)

For the salad

A mix of chopped endives and radicchio

baby arugula 

cherry tomatoes 

pita chips or croutons 

Parmesan cheese - Shaved

Procedure

1. In a mixing bowl add the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, Salt, Sugar, and Pepper, and mix well with a whisk.
2. continuously whisk the mixture while slowly adding in the olive oil. remember, the slower you add the oil the stronger your emulsification will be.
3. in another bowl mix all of your greens and the pita chips together and dress lightly with the balsamic vinaigrette.
4. serve and top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Enjoy!

Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my favorite Italian dishes, but not the Lasagna with tomato sauce, the one with a creamy meaty ragu sauce.  The first time I tried Lasagna with meat sauce was at Angelini Osteria on Beverly Blvd. (One of the best Italian restaurants in LA) IT WAS AMAZING! I learned to make this version of lasagna while working at Terroni Los Angeles during my culinary school internship. I love this recipe and it is so rewarding when you actually take the time to do it, so i hope you guys enjoy this one.

Ingredients

2 Medium size carrots rough chop
1 stalk celery rough chop
1 onion rough chop
1 LB ground beef (80%)
1/2 C heavy cream 
2 tsp salt 
3 Tablespoons EVOO
4 C Chicken stock 
About 12 fresh pasta sheets 8x4"

or 
Dry lasagna sheets 
about 1.5 C grated Parmesan cheese
one container of fresh mozzarella cheese

Procedure

1. pulse the carrot, onion, and celery in a food processor until you reach a fine mince consistency.
2. Sweat the mix in the EVOO on a low to medium heat until well cooked. (about 30 min)
3. add the ground beef and continue to cook until the ground beef begins to color.
4. add the chicken stock and bring to a low simmer.
5. cook until the beef becomes very tender and almost all the liquid is gone.
6. add the salt and the cream and bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce thickens just a bit.
7. set the sauce aside to cool.
8. Now cook the pasta sheets in boiling salted water until they are aldente and still have a little bite to them.
9. once cooked shock them in ice water.
10. now start to layer the lasagna in a small square baking pan. about 8x8"
11. Start with one layer of pasta, then a thin layer of sauce and cover the sauce with grated Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese.
12. Rinse and repeat, and at the final layer only top the pasta with Parmesan and Mozzarella, and make sure to fully cover the top layer of pasta withe cheese to ensure that you get a nice cheesy top layer. 

Falafel & Mint Lebne

falafel is a staple of middle eastern cuisine. It is also a dish that is loved worldwide. I personally love Falafel, not just because of the amazing flavor and crispy texture, but because there are so many different ways to eat it. You can have falafel in a pita, you can put it in a salad, you can use it as a side dish, or you can just munch on it alone! This recipe reminds me of my favorite place in the world, Israel! My friends and family love this recipe and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For Falafel

1.5 lb garbanzo beans (must soak 24hr)

25 Grams picked cilantro (about 1.5 cups)

25 Grams Picked Parsley (1.5 Cups)

30 Grams Garlic - Chopped (6-7 cloves)

5 Tablespoon Olive oil

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon AP Flour

1-2 Tablespoons water

For Mint Lebne

220 Grams Lebne

100 Grams Heavy cream

about 1/2 Teaspoon salt

about 1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 Teaspoons Water

about 8 mint leaves - Fine chop

Procedure

1.  Soak the garbanzo beans in water for at least 24 hours (I let mine soak for about 32 hours in the refrigerator)
2. Add the Falafel ingredients to 
3. your food processor and pulse until you reach the consistency shown below.
4. Place mix into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.
5. now place the lebne and the cream into a small bowl and mix until you reach a nice smooth consistency.
6. add the sugar salt mint and water and mix well.
7. cover and let the lebne sit in the refrigerator (note; the lebne's flavor will develop after a short rest in the frige)
8. now just take the falafel mix and form your falafel (the best way to do this is with an ice cream scooper so that you get even falafels. also the less you handel the falafel the fluffier they will be). deep fry the falafel on a low heat until the become dark brown. 
9. let the falafel cool for about a minute and serve with the mint Lebne.

Sweet Corn Angiolotti

Fresh pasta is probably one of my favorite things to see on a menu.  There is just something magical about getting a nice hot plate of Hand made pasta, whether it is tagliatelli, papardelle, Ravioli, or Lasagna, it just doesn't matter. Fresh Pasta is AMAZING! after a lot of trial and error I finally found a pasta dough that I really love and I have been making pasta at home ever since. So give it a shot, and if you master the dough you will never have to buy dry store bought pasta ever again (I still buy dry pasta, don't worry its not a crime) 
This recipe is for the more advanced home cooks out there, but even if you haven't ever made fresh pasta don't hesitate to try. You might be a natural!

Ingredients

For the filling

6 Heads of white corn - Grated

1 Cup heavy cream

1-1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

1-1/2 Teaspoon salt 

For the Dough

2 Cups all purpose flour 

 2-3 large eggs

1/2 Teaspoon extra virgin oil

Semolina flour for dusting

(Makes About 1/2 Pound)

(you will need about 8-10 sheets of dough)

For the sauce

About half a stick of butter

3-4 sage leaves (fresh)

1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Salt To taste

Procedure

1.  Add the flour, eggs and olive oil into a mixer and mix with the dough hook on a low speed until the dough starts to form.
2. Once you see that the dough is coming together take it out of the mixer and place it onto a lightly floured work surface and start to kneed the dough with the heel of your hands.
3. Continue to kneed the dough until all of the flour is incorporated. Depending on the size of the eggs and the moisture in the kitchen you may need to adjust the dough. if the dough seems to wet add a little more flour. 
4. kneed the dough by hand for at least 5 minutes.
5. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky, but not wet.
6. While the dough rests make your filling
7. Place the heavy cream and grated corn into a medium pot and let it cook on a medium flame stirring frequently so it does not burn. do not let it boil
8. Once the mix has cooked for at least 30 min. season with salt and sugar.
9. set aside and cool.
10. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temp for about 30 min.
11. Cut the dough into small pieces and start to gradually roll it through a pasta machine.
12. I like my dough to be thin so I roll it up to the 8th level on my machine (I can slightly see my hand through the dough when i hold it)
13. the pasta sheets should be about 6x12 if they are too long cut them to size.
14. lay the pasta sheet down on your work surface and pipe a line of the filling down the center of the sheet.
15. Fold the pasta over the filling and seal the edges with your hands.
16. now shape the angiolotti as shown in the pictures below, and cut them.
17. Sprinkle with semolina and put in the fridge.
18. Boil the Angiolotti in heavily salted water for about 2 minutes.
19. While the pasta is cooking melt the butter in a saute pan and add the sage to the butter and take of the heat.
20. Drain the pasta and add it to the melted butter and sage. 
21. put the pan back on a low flame and add the grated Parmesan to the pan and mix.
22. Serve and garnish with grated Parmesan Cheese. 
23. Save any extra dough in the Fridge.

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Spicy Tuna Tartare

I love sushi, and one of my favorite things to get when I eat sushi is spicy tuna, I know not traditional but I love it. This is a simple and easy way to enjoy the flavors of a spicy tuna roll at home without having to learn how to roll your own sushi. Enjoy this recipe, and there will be many more recipes to come!

Ingredients

.75 lb Sushi grade Ahi Tuna - cut into small cubes

1 Tablespoon pickled ginger - minced

4 Green onion tops - chopped 

1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

1/4 Teaspoon Sriracha chili paste

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Lemon (juiced) 

1/4 Teaspoon Soy sauce

1/2 Avocado - small cubes

Pinch sugar

1/4 pack of wonton papers 

2 Cups oil for frying

Procedure

1. Cut each wonton paper into 4 equal pieces.
2. Fry the wontons in the oil until the begin to lightly brown and then quickly remove them before they burn.
3. Cut the Tuna into small cubes and place in a chilled bowl.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients into the tuna and mix well.
5. Carefully spoon some of the tuna mix onto each wonton crisp, serve and enjoy!

Moroccan Cigars

So if you guys don't already know I am half Moroccan, and I grew up eating a lot of amazing Moroccan food.  One of my favorite things to snack on growing up was Moroccan Cigars.  To this day there is nothing quite like biting into one of these amazingly crispy, beef (or lamb) filled spicy treats.  My mom used to make these for me all the time so when she moved to Israel I had to learn how to make them myself. Traditionally "Cigars" are wrapped in Phyllo dough, but I like to use Egg Roll wrappers instead of Phyllo dough. You can use either or.

Ingredients

1 Lb Ground beef (Preferably 80%)

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 onion - fine chop

1 teaspoon Turmeric

1/8 teaspoon chili flakes (Pinch)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 lemon (Juice)

1 C water

about 1 Tablespoon salt

1 pack Egg roll Wrappers

Procedure

1. Sweat the onions in the canola oil until they are translucent.
2. Add the paprika, turmeric, and chili flakes, and cook on medium heat for about 1 minute.
3. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon.
4. once the ground beef starts to color add the water and the lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
5. Simmer the mix on a low heat until there is close to no liquid left.
6. season with salt and remove from the heat.
7. Run the mixture through a grinder, or process in a food processor until the mixture becomes very fine.
8. Put the mixture in the refrigerator to cool.
9. Once the mix cools it's time to roll some cigars.
10. place small amount of the mix in a line on the egg roll wrapper like shown in the picture below. Fold each corner over the mix and then roll. dab the end of the wrapper with water so that it will stick. 
11. Make sure the cigars are rolled tight, and that the edges are sealed with a light coat of water before frying.
12. Fry the cigars on a medium heat and enjoy! (If you don't want the cigars to be doughy cut the wrapper after one or two rolls, do not overlap too much)

Delicious Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

I have always loved Tomato Bruschetta. When I was a kid I always looked forward to going to Italian restaurants just so I could get my hands on some fresh Bruschetta.  I never knew how they could make such a simple thing taste so good, I always thought to myself "there must be some secret to making Bruschetta" I have been trying out many different variations of this recipe until I could finally capture that same taste I was so familiar with in my childhood, and I would love to share this easy yet delicious recipe with you.

Ingredients

5-6 Roma tomatoes - Small dice

1/2 red onion - Fine chop

3-4 Garlic cloves - Minced

7-8 Basil leaves - Chopped 

1 Cup Olive oil (Preferably Extra Virgin)

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Lemon juice (Fresh)

Kosher Salt To Taste (Aprox. 1/2 TBL)

1 Baguette cut into 1/2" Slices

Freshly Shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish (Optional)

Procedure

1. Preheat your oven to 400°
2. Combine onion, garlic, tomatoes, and a 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Cut the Baguette into equal size slices and place on a sheet tray. 
4. Brush the remaining Olive oil generously on the baguette slices and season lightly with kosher salt.
5. Put the Baguette slices in the oven to toast for about 5-7 minutes, or until the bread starts to become golden brown around the edges.
6. While the Bread is toasting add the Lemon juice, Balsamic vinegar, Basil, and Salt to the tomato mixture. stir and let sit until the bread is ready.
7. Now that the Bread is done toasting just spoon some of the Tomato mixture onto the slices of bread, garnish, and Enjoy!