Shepherd's Pie Redux

I originally published this recipe in November of 2009, but I've recently improved it. I hope you like the changes. For WW followers, this is about 11 points per serving if you use lean ground beef (less if you use turkey or chicken), and I count the whole recipe as having five servings.

What do you cook when you don't have much in the house except leftover turkey, or a random pound or two of ground meat from the freezer? Here's something really, really good that you can make with a pound of lean ground beef, turkey or chicken, or even a mound of leftover turkey, chicken or beef.

Quick savory pie crust (makes 1 crust):

1 cup flour
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 and 1/2 tbsp water
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Mix together in a bowl with a fork and press into a pie pan. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven.

Shepherd's Pie filling:

1 cup carrots, minced
1 cup celery, minced
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup butternut squash, minced (optional)
1 15 oz. can mixed garden vegetables, drained (optional)
1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried thyme or rosemary
1 pound lean ground beef, turkey or chicken (or 1 pound turkey or other meat slices, chopped)
1 tbsp flour
1 cup vegetable stock

Topping:

1 and 1/2 to 3 large potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled, boiled and mashed with salt, pepper and granulated garlic

First, put your potatoes up to boil. Then, in a large deep bottomed saute pan, combine the carrots, celery, onions and squash and cook with olive oil until softened and lightly browned, about ten minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking an additional three to five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the beef or turkey, making sure each piece is reasonably bite-sized. If you are using ground meat, make sure the meat is already thoroughly cooked and drained, with no pink. If you are using canned veggies, add those after the meat, as they are already cooked and quite soft.

Now, push the veggies and meat over to reveal a fourth of the pan, where you will make a very simple low-fat roux. Place your flour in that empty corner and combine it with a small amount (approximately 1 or 2 tbsp) of the vegetable stock. Mix thoroughly, until the mixture thickens and starts to boil. Continue mixing it for approximately 20 seconds to cook out the floury taste, then add the rest of the stock and mix the roux together with the meat and veggie mixture. It should be smooth. Taste and correct seasoning if necessary. Turn heat to low and cover.

Mash the potatoes. For additional creaminess, you can also add 2 tbsp of almond milk, MimicCreme or non-dairy creamer, but generally, I recommend salt, pepper and granulated garlic.

Pour the meat mixture into the pie shell, and then spread the potatoes over the mixture, so that no meat shows through. For added sheen and that trademark crispiness, spray cooking spray on top of the potatoes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for half an hour, until the potatoes are crisp and the inside is piping hot. Enjoy!

Happy First Birthday Applesauce Vanilla Mini-Cupcakes!

For my daughters' first birthday, I just had to make them cupcakes. They're really just healthy-ish muffins with a decadent sweet frosting. For adults, this would be good with sliced almonds, pecans or chocolate chips. Enjoy and Chanukah Samayach!



2 and 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)
2 and 1/3 cups applesauce
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
cooking spray

Vanilla Frosting

2 cups 10-X (confectioner's) sugar
2 tbsp water, rice milk or milk
2 tbsp margarine (I use Earth Balance soy veggy sticks)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash ground cinnamon


For the cupcakes: Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In a mixer, beat eggs with sugar and oil, then add the applesauce alternating with the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined. Pour batter into cupcake tins sprayed with cooking spray.

For the frosting: Combine ingredients and beat in a mixer until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate if you're not using it right away!

Baked Butternut Squash Latkes!

Yay! Butternut squash is a Weight Watchers "points free" food, and it's so similar tasting to sweet potato that it makes a super-delicious oven-baked latke (although with the egg and oil, this isn't a completely "points free" food any longer (but it's still a pretty good bargain!). The natural sweetness of the squash combined with lots of pepper and salt adds so much dimension to the flavor and really makes the latkes delectable. Even my husband, who DOES NOT LIKE vegetables, ate these and asked for more.

Be warned: It takes extra time to get the latkes crispy. My squash latkes were in the oven for over 90 minutes. But, if you have the time, it's a truly healthy side dish and in my house, the dish they were served in was licked clean. If you are watching Weight Watchers points, my calculations indicate that a serving of two squash latkes is two points. Chanukah Samayach and please let me know how you like them!

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and grated
2 medium yellow onions, grated
1/2 cup refrigerated egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp kosher salt (or more, to taste)
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
3 tbsp white or white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp canola oil
cooking spray
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 425F (convection will take less time, so use if possible).

Peel and grate onions and squash and place both in a colander to drain excess moisture.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the egg substitute, salt, pepper and canola oil. In a small bowl, mix together the baking powder and flour, and combine both mixtures.

Drop two to three tablespoons of the squash mixture onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil (this is key!) that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 60-90 minutes, checking several times. The cooking time will vary based on the temperature of your oven and how well done you like your latkes. Latkes should be deep gold on both sides when done.

This makes approximately 20 small latkes. The recipe can be easily halved or doubled. Chanukah Samayach!

Oven-Baked Potato Latke Cups

I've committed this Hanukkah to making truly baked latkes. In previous years, I have made the incredibly sinful and delicious sweet potato and leek latkes and of course plenty of classic potato latkes, but these days I am generally making Weight Watchers-friendly recipes. I'm happy with this recipe as it really does yield a crispy, satisfying latke, and it fills your home with the same latke aroma as fried latkes, though it takes longer. The high cooking temperature combined with just a little bit of oil is what makes the dream a reality. (Note: For even healthier latkes try my new Butternut Squash latkes. They're fab!)

2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and grated
2 medium yellow onions, grated
1/2 cup refrigerated egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
3 tbsp white or white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp canola oil
cooking spray for cupcake tins
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 425F (convection will take less time, so use if possible).

Peel and grate onions and potatoes and place both in a colander to drain excess moisture. Stir mixture and repeat, allowing the potatoes to drain for at least 5 minutes. Place several paper towels on the mixture to ensure that most of the mixture has been drained.

Transfer potato mixture to a large bowl and stir in the egg substitute, salt, pepper and canola oil. In a small bowl, mix together the baking powder and flour, and combine both mixtures. Refrigerate mixture for 10 to 30 minutes.

Drop two to three tablespoons of the latke mixture into cupcake tins lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil (this is key!) that has been sprayed with cooking spray. You can also use baking sheets for more a more classic latke look. Bake for 20-30 minutes, then when the potato has pulled away from the side of the cupcake tin and browned as much as you like, turn the latkes over with a spoon or tongs, and bake for an additional 30 minutes. The cooking time will vary based on the temperature of your oven and how well done you like your latkes. Latkes should be deep gold on both sides when done.

This makes approximately 24 small latkes. The recipe can be easily halved or doubled. Hanukkah Samayach!

Fruit Bouquets How-To

I'm still teaching my class on how to make fruit bouquets, and have done two wonderful classes this season. Fruit bouquets make great gifts and they are of course *zero* WW points! It's a fun class and I always bring a very easy to follow how-to guide. Let me know if your shul or organization is interested; I'm happy to share prices and other pertinent information about the class.

Classically Kosher is Nominated for a Best of Kosher 2011 Award!

The new magazine Joy of Kosher, has developed a contest called Best of Kosher 2011, and my blog is nominated for Best Kosher Food Blog! I would love it if you would take the time to vote for my blog here. There is no login required. If I win the contest, perhaps I will finally get the opportunity to turn my recipe collection into a cookbook.

As my girls grow, I find it's even more important to cook and bake using healthy ingredients, while attempting to maintain the delicious "geschmack" of our classic Jewish dishes. This is what my blog is all about, and I'm excited to welcome visitors who are coming to see me from the Joy of Kosher site. Please feel free to look around! And don't forget to vote! Thanks!

White Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

My cousin Laurie's pumpkin chocolate chip loaf is continuing to thrive in my family's kitchens every autumn. It's a perfect pareve dessert and breakfast item (lunch, afternoon snack, dinner...). The fall flavors of cinnamon and spice pair perfectly with the pumpkin, so all that's left is really to lighten it up. It's one thing to get your family eating pumpkin, but it's another thing to think that since it's pumpkin, you can have five muffins. Not at this calorie count, unfortunately! (9 WW points for a large muffin, btw).

I have used agave nectar and honey it in to replace the sugar, which works but makes a very different product, and this year I am experimenting with different kinds of flour to try to add fiber and the other health benefits of whole grains to dessert items. (Stay tuned for my recipes involving coconut flour, coming soon).

So this is the same recipe as before, but with white whole wheat flour. I found it to build a slightly chewier muffin, which was not altogether unwelcome. Remember that with the muffin method, it's important to only mix the batter until combined; Any longer will overactivate the baking powder and make a crumbly muffin. With white whole wheat, it holds together well but is drier than the same product made with white flour, so feel free to add a couple of extra tablespoons of pumpkin puree or applesauce. In this recipe's next incarnation, I am going to try a combination of agave, applesauce and honey along with the white whole wheat, to replace some of the sugar and all of the white flour. I invite you to try your own combination and tell me what you think!

3 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice mix
4 large eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups canola oil (I like Mazola Vegetable Plus! with Omega Threes)
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift dry ingredients together. Beat eggs, sugar and oil until light in color. Add, alternately, dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing between each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour until half full into large, ungreased tube pan (or 9 x 13 pan). Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until dry in center. This cake also may be baked in muffin tins, two 8”x 8” pans, or two large loaf pans or three small ones. The baking time will be shorter if you use smaller pans or muffin tins, so keep an eye on them. Recipe can be easily halved or doubled.