This cookbook is a compilation of recipes from kosherscoop.com. Most, if not all, of the recipes are posted there. Most of the recipes are from Estee Kafra who has an annoying habit of using double negatives, but there are other contributors as well. Unless I say a recipe is from someone else, you can assume it's Estee's.
I love Estee's simple cooking philosophy (most of her recipe are easy and delicious, some are also healthful) and found a lot of recipes in this book that I liked. I own Estee's 2 other book and use them pretty regularly.
The cookbook is really gorgeous. There's a beautiful photo for almost every recipe (and AFAIK Estee does all the pictures herself), the book is the perfect size- not too big to be bulky on the kitchen counter or not fit on your bookshelf, but not too small that it's hard to read. It comes with a bookmark which I LOVE. The pages in the book are thick and glossy and the pages generally stay put when you turn them and don't turn back.
1. Introduction-
A page telling you about kosherscoop
Estee explains why she wrote the cookbook
Estee explains different cooking techniques
A cookbook key
2. Appetizers
The empanadas looked like they would be yummy. I like my mom's recipe so never tried them.
The bistro mushroom salad looks like a yummy salad to make for yom tov (mushrooms cooked in wine with sauted baby bok choy and pastrami over romaine with a balsamic dressing). I made a lazy version of the recipe once and it was yummy. The dressing does have some sugar in it.
Savory mushroom squares- puff pastry dough topped with caramelized onions and goat cheese sauteed mushrooms. For sure tastes heavenly, but I probably will never make it because of my aversion to puff pastry.
The section has a lot of options for dips also. Dips don't interest me so I skipped them, but they're there.
3. Brunch- Estee has a lot of great options here.
Eggs:
"Diet" roasted vegetable shakshouka- basically a mostly egg white omelette with veggies and tomato sauce. Estee seems to be a low carb dieters.
Egg "muffins"- basically scrambled eggs with veggies baked in muffins tins
Inspired quiche- It looked good but I have a recipe that's delicious that doesn't use any mayo, while Estee's recipe does.
Granola- There were 2 options, they're probably good, but I love the recipe I currently use so won't be trying them. (Granola is an awesome yogurt topping BTW)
Sheet pan pizza- Estee gives 2 dough options ww or white. She also offers a standard pizza topping or a white cheese topping. She spikes up the pizza sauce with some seasonings. I like her ideas and maybe one day will try them.
Busy mom Creamy pasta sauce- Estee gives a basic recipe for a tomato cream sauce that can be mixed up in minutes. It doesn't call for heavy cream (and I love that most or all of Estee's recipes avoid heavy cream). It makes a nice amount and the leftovers can be frozen!!!
Zucchini parmigiana- Eggplant parmesan with zucchini instead. The zucchini is fried. I wonder how it'll taste baked. I find this recipe interesting since I dislike eggplant (or think I do) but love zucchini. (Chai Frishman)
GF Roasted vegetable lasagna- a lasagna with lots of added veggies, rice flour noodles and a ricotta/feta/mozzarella cheese filling. The veggie roasting part is putting me off from making this recipe. I would probably use regular lasgna noodles if I ever make this. (Daphna Rabonovitch)
Four cheese and mushroom lasgna- I would love someone to make this for me, but the hard to find ingredients and many steps turn me off from making it myself. (Daphna Rabonovitch)
4. Breads- a lot of her bread recipes call for seeds to be added in or call for interesting flours.
Water challah- very similar to Reb. Kanievsky's recipe
Gluten free oat challah- I am not GF, but there's a hamotzi challah option for GF eaters that can tolerate oats. (Sharon Matten)
Honey quinoa rolls- these are part ww and can be made dairy. It doesn't call for any white sugar or any weird ingredients (besides quinoa). it sounds like it would taste good.
5. Soup- Estee doesn't believe in soup mix although she sometimes offers it as an option in parenthesis
My family favorite soup- This soup is so easy and tasty and is full of veggies! I made it today and got a HUGE pot (I froze some). It's really, really good and calls for very basic veggies (carrots, celery, onion or leek, peas).
Squash pears soup- butternut squash with pears, cinnamon and milk/coconut milk. The flavor profile sounds similar to the sweet potato soup that I adore from the Secret Restaurant Recipes cookbook. I want to try this.
Mushroom barley soup- Levana adds lots of veggies (turnip+ parsnip which I usually don't see in mushroom barley soup + the usual onion, garlic, mushroom, carrots, celery) to her soup and even offers a GF option. She adds thyme, bay leaves and dill for flavor which is also not so usual. (Levana Kirshenbaum)
Creamy Carrot and Parsnip soup- Garlic, leeks, parsnips, carrots and coconut milk with some spices.
6. Salad- Estee is not very into lettuce based salad.
Spinach, mandarin and almond salad- If I would be bothered again to check spinach, I would probably give this salad a go. It calls for fresh baby spinach/red onion/bell pepper/grated carrot/craisins/canned oranges (I would probably use fresh) and slivered almonds. Dressing is olive oil/honey/vinegar/orange juice/dijon mustard (BTW orange juice is AWESOME in salad dressing). (Norene Giletz)
Sweet and salty salad- spinach/sweet potato (roasted with maple syrup)/feta/parsley. There isn't much of a dressing on this salad. If I would make it, I would skip the maple syrup- sweet potatoes are sweet enough IMO.
Pan-roasted pear and goat cheese salad-A patchke of a salad that I would love for someone to make for me (you need to make 2 bowls+ a frying pan dirty). (Shani Malka)
Summer salad- easy seasonal summer salad made with oranges/romaine/radicchio/scallions/goat cheese/granola (doesn't sound very summery to me...but it probably tastes good...). Dressing is super simple- just orange juice and sesame oil- I must try that dressing ASAP.
Winter salad- romaine/apple/grapes/walnuts/feta (grapes are more summer than winter to me but wtvr...). Dressing is mayo/maple syrup/white wine vinegar/sugar. If I make this salad, I'll be using a different dressing, the one the recipe calls for is too sweet.
Asian Pasta salad- Spaghetti with a lot of veggies. You can easily use ww pasta for this since the soy sauce/honey/sesame oil/garlic dressing hides the darker color and masks the ww flavor. I made this and it came out great. I loved that it calls for so many different veggies. I used ww pasta so this recipe and no one even realized.
Quinoa Pilaf- sounds easy and tasty. My only complaint is that it calls for a bit of sugar along (and it already has craisins in it...)
Whole wheat pasta salad with tomatoes and feta- It's basically ww pasta with roasted tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil and feta. I made this a few times, it's yummy and easy.
Creamy pasta salad- peas/pasta/ricotta/lemon/olive oil/garlic
Asian purple cabbage salad- cabbage/peas/scallions/water chesnuts/almonds dressing with olive oil/vinegar/honey/soy sauce
Classic french vinaigrette- this recipe is virtually identical to my go to salad dressing that I came up with. It's an easy and tasty dressing. I love that it doesn't use any sugar or mayo. (Daphna Rabonovitch)
To purchase this cookbook on Amazon click here. This cookbook is available in a Kindle version which you can read FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited (which Amazon allows you to try free for the first 30 days).
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