After all the doughnuts have disappeared from the shelves and I have fried my last latke (at least for now), I am craving more wholesome foods with simple ingredients that won’t weigh me down (literally).
I know there are many, like me, who not only eat gluten-free but also like to keep refined sugars to a minimum.
Since I love experimenting in the kitchen, I thought I’d share some of my recipes that I refer to as “guilt-free” – delicious tasting and healthful.
This is the perfect time of year to focus on our health, without holidays interrupting our routine.
Gluten-free almond flour bread
This almond flour bread is so versatile, that you can use it for anything – from a starter to a dessert. Here are the basic ingredients to make this delicious bread, which goes perfectly with dips or jams. I’ve also included some variations in the instructions to spice things up a notch.
Yields 1 loaf pan
- 2½ cups blanched almond flour
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, and baking soda, then add in the eggs and remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Grease a loaf pan with oil or line it with baking paper.
Pour in the batter and smooth it out on top. Bake it for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let it cool for 30 minutes, then keep refrigerated until slicing and serving.
There are different flavor variations you can add to this recipe, like 1 tbsp. of dried rosemary and thyme, or 2 tsp. of ground cinnamon and ginger. You can turn this into a dessert by incorporating half a cup of dark chocolate chips into the batter.
Cabbage soup
I love cabbage in salads, but now I’ve discovered how warming and wonderful it feels to sip hot cabbage soup. Full disclosure, this is the result of having too much shredded cabbage left over that I wanted to use before it spoiled.
I had almost a full bag of red cabbage and a bag of coleslaw mix, which is shredded white cabbage with some shredded carrots mixed in. If you don’t have shredded cabbage, use one head of cabbage chopped coarsely.
It’s made with all natural simple ingredients (no soup mix), creating a healthy and nourishing soup that warms you on these winter days.
Yields 4-6 servings
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot
- 400-500 gr. shredded cabbage
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 1½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. onion powder or flakes
- Dash of sweet paprika
- Dash of dried or chopped parsley
- 4-5 cups water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Heat the olive oil in a pot and add the chopped onions; sauté for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the chopped garlic and diced carrot and mix, then add the salt, pepper, and spices, and add in the water, vinegar, and honey.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add the shredded or cut cabbage to the pot and stir, then add the lemon juice. Add a bit more water if you need to cover the cabbage, but keep in mind that cabbage shrinks when it cooks. Partially cover the pot and let cook for 12-15 minutes until the cabbage has softened. Serve hot.
Kasha (buckwheat) cholent
Gluten-free people understand that cholent (a thick stew that cooks overnight) isn’t generally part of our Shabbat meals. But sometimes you just want that hearty, meaty hot meal on your plate. With a wave of my magic wand (aka wooden spoon), I present you with kasha cholent!
It’s got all the stuff you like about cholent without the barley. I created this on Rosh Hashanah this year when we were headed into our third day of the chag and I needed to throw something together in the Crock-Pot, which was plugged in before the holiday.
I had planned to just throw in some potatoes, carrots, and short ribs (in Israel it’s called asado on the bone, or #9), but a bag of buckwheat caught my eye and I figured – why not? It has a great flavor, and it will bulk up the stew.
Yields 6 servings
- 1 1/5 kilo of asado on the bone
- 1 large onion
- 1 sweet potato
- 3 carrots
- 4 small potatoes
- 1½ cups of kasha
- 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 5-6 cups of water
Slice the onions, peel and cut the sweet potato and carrots into chunks, and slice the potatoes (I like them with the peel on) into quarters and place them in your Crock-Pot. Add in the kasha and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the short ribs on top.
If your pieces of meat are large, cut them into three or four chunks of at least 3 inches in width. Add the remaining spices, however you prefer. Pour in the water until it reaches the meat but does not cover it.
Cover the Crock-Pot and set it on low. Let the cholent cook overnight or for at least 16 hours. For same-day cooking of 8 hours, set the Crock-Pot on a higher temperature.
Serve warm and enjoy every bite.
Guilt-free chocolate chip cookies
This recipe is easy, delicious, vegan, healthy, and gluten-free. I started making these on Passover when eggs were scarce at the high height of COVID – remember that? A friend posted a similar recipe, and I adapted it with the ingredients I had in the house. (Remember how we avoided going to supermarkets during the pandemic?)
I love these so much, that they have become my year-round cookies to have with my morning coffee on weekends.
Yields 16 cookies
- ¼ cup of pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2½ cup ground almonds/almond flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1/3 cup of chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 170°C (350°F) and line a cookie sheet with baking paper. In a mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla and mix until it thickens. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
Roll out 1-inch balls and place them on the baking paper, keeping 1 inch of space between them. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let them cool (if you can wait that long), grab your Jerusalem Post, some coffee, and enjoy!
Enjoy eating and feeling good with these recipes and have a healthy, safe winter ahead. If you want to see videos how to cook some of these recipes, check out my Instagram page: @inthekitchenwithhenny.
The writer is a kitchen coach who helps women with their meal plans and teaches them how to cook so they can get dinner on the table and prepare for Shabbat and holidays on time. www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com
