Matzah Brei

Passover is here again. Wow time really does fly!  Most people who celebrate Passover aren't very fond of the holiday, I am the complete opposite. Here's a list of things I like to eat on Passover: matzah pizza, love chocolate chip macaroons, my grandma's charoset (which I hated when I was little, go figure), and finally these brownies aren't bad either!  On the flip side, I hate gefilte fish and am really am not fond of my grandma's matzah cake, but I remember loving it when I was little.

Today I am sharing with you the healthy version of another Passover favorite of mine...Matzoh Brei.  I eat it sweet with splenda and maple syrup, usually for breakfast.  No salt. No pepper.  However, I don't mind having prepared in a savory way either! This recipe has a points+ value of 7.  Add 1/4 cup sugar-free syrup and it's a points+ value of 8.

Matzah Brei
(serves 1)
2 boards of Matzah
2 egg whites (large or jumbo are good, otherwise add another egg white)
2-3 packets Splenda (optional)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Non-stick cooking spray

Wet the matzahs by placing under running water until soft, but not too soggy.  Break both pieces of matzah into small pieces using a fork in a small ball.  Add egg whites, splenda, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Mix to combine.  Spray a large non-stick pan with cooking spray and place on medium heat.  Pour matzah batter into the pan and cook about 7-10 minutes.  Enjoy with syrup or powdered sugar!

Notes: 
*If you want your brei like a pancake(see below), shape batter into a circle, or use pan as its shape, cook on one side for about 5 minutes and then flip over to cook on the other side for another 5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. I would slide the "pancake" onto a clean plate and do a plate flip so that you don't have matzah brei all over your stovetop!
*If you like your brei scrambled, pour batter into pan, and use spatula to stir batter around to make a scramble, about 7 minutes. 

Trim Down Tuesdays: Q&A + Passover Pancakes

Welcome to Trim Down Tuesdays with Karen Moreno, RD, CDN!  Each Tuesday Karen will post answers to questions that you, the readers, ask about diet and/or nutrition AND of course, she'll post one of her own recipes.

If you have questions that you'd like Karen to answer on Feed Your Sister please do one of the following:

*post a comment below

*email me at feedyoursister@gmail.com

*post a comment on our Facebook page, click here

*post a tweet or send us a message on our Twitter page, click here

Here’s the question and answer for this week!

Now that Spring is in the air, and people are starting to think about swimsuits and the beach, what are some tips on how to kick-start feeling great, both mind and body?

June 21^st is the first day of summer-that’s exactly 10 weeks to get your body into bikini shape!

Here are my top 3 tips to whip your body into shape!

1. Start with a cleanse, both for you and your cabinets.  Throw out any foods that may be tempting you-whether it’s that big bag of potato chips, those chocolate Milano cookies, or even those all natural licorice that seem to be healthy. Replace all the processed junk foods with healthy alternatives such as fresh fruits and vegetables, natural peanut butter, and some healthy fiber bars (I like GNU flavor and Fiber Bars).
2. Now that you have your kitchen cleaned up and ready to go, start by making smart choices when dining out and cooking at home. Try to eat Omega 3 rich Salmon at least 2x a week and opt for grilled chicken breast instead of red meat on most other nights of the week. Studies show that eating 1 serving of fatty fish a week such as salmon can decrease your cardiac risk by up to 50%. Also, switch from white rice to brown rice and try to make all the grains you eat 100% WHOLE WHEAT. Snack on baby carrots or cut up fruit during the day and fill up on veggies both during lunch and dinner (along with 3-4 oz of grilled chicken or fish and ½ cup of brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or baked sweet potato).
3. Exercise-now that you’re avoiding sweets and trying to be more conscious of what you’re putting into your body set an exercise goal for yourself. Since summer is coming try to set a goal of 3-4x a week of working out, and that can be consecutive or spread throughout the day. However, if that’s impossible, always remember that something is better than nothing. So if you can already run 30 minutes, aim for 40 minutes at your next workout. If you can’t run at all, then try alternating three minutes walking with one minute of a light jog, and when that gets easy, challenge yourself with a two minute jog in between. Also do pushups and planks. Those are great ways to tone your whole body in very few minutes. Check out this new great FREE website, www.gainfitness.com, which gives you access to hundreds of free full body workouts that will get you beach body ready by June 21^st!


Here's Karen's recipe for this week! Enjoy!

Passover Pancakes

Serves: 4-6 (Makes 10-15 pancakes)

Time: 20 minutes

Pancakes

3 eggs

4 tbsp matzoah meal

¼ cup orange juice

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Sugar Drizzle

1 cup water

1 cup sugar (or Splenda)

Whisk all the ingredients for the pancakes.  Spray non stick oil onto a pan, over low-medium 
heat and pour batter to make mini pancakes. 
Let them sit on pan for 2-3 minutes, then flip over for another 2-3 minutes until lightly 
browned 
and fully cooked.

To make the sugar drizzle: In a small pot, pour water and sugar. Mix it until it boils and 
is hot.

Take off of flame. Let cool. Serve pancakes with sugar drizzle or see healthier 
options mentioned above.

Nutrition Content:

Per 3 mini Pancakes: 105 calories, 6.4 g fat, 1.2 g sat fat, 7.14 g carbs, .6 g fiber, 
4.8 g protein

*If using sugar drizzle: Add on about 100 calories, per 1/4 cup

—Karen Moreno, RD, CDN

Trim Down Tuesdays: Q&A + Beet Salad

Welcome to Trim Down Tuesdays with Karen Moreno, RD, CDN!  Each Tuesday Karen will post answers to questions that you, the readers, ask about diet and/or nutrition AND of course, she'll post one of her own recipes.

If you have questions that you'd like Karen to answer on Feed Your Sister please do one of the following:

*post a comment below

*email me at feedyoursister@gmail.com

*post a comment on our Facebook page, click here

*post a tweet or send us a message on our Twitter page,click here

Here’s the question and answer for this week!

1. How can we eat healthy and maintain that type of lifestyle while still enjoying all the foods of the holidays, both Passover and Easter!?

With the holidays right around the corner it can be hard to lose weight. So here's my suggestion! In the two weeks before the holidays, which starts now, focus on exercising and eating right. During the holiday season change your focus to weight maintenance. If you can maintain your weight and refocus once the holidays are over you'll still have time to get in shape for the summer.

Just  a few things to remember:

1. Try to EXERCISE at least 3 times a week. If you can't make it to a gym, try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day and always remember that you can break up your routine into smaller intervals. So three 10 minute bursts of activity are just as good as one 30 minute session.

2. PLAN AHEAD. If you know you are going to a family dinner in the evening make sure to eat a big breakfast and healthy lunch so that your not starving when you get to dinner.

3. If dinner is a BUFFET, make sure to SEE EVERYTHING that is being offered FIRST before starting to build your plate. This way you can pick and choose what you like. Always start by filling your plate with salad and vegetables, then add your protein (chicken, fish, beef) and lastly, add some starch (pasta, rice, potatoes), about a fist-full worth.

4. If your GRANDMA makes your favorite dish only once a year then ENJOY it! Let that be your indulgence and make the rest of your meal healthy.  

5. DESSERT.  If you feel like you need something sweet after your meal, try having a bite of the dessert that's calling for you.  Have one bite for the taste and then stop, because you know the second bite is going to taste just like the first one! :) Fruit is always a good option too.

6. Most importantly, if you give in to your temptations one night, just remember that it's only one meal, be sure to jump right back to where you started the next time around. Don't let one bad meal or snack ruin the day, put a stop to it then and eat healthy at your next meal.

Happy Holidays!

Here's Karen's recipe for this week! It's similar to My Mama's Beets, but not entirely the same at all! 

Did you know that both Beets and Swiss chard are different   within the same plant family? Although beets tend to have a bad stigma due to their high sugar content they are very low in calories. I love beets because of their dark purple color which adds a lot of flavor and color to salads. Not only do beets taste good but they are also full of folate, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C which can help protect against birth defects, heart disease, and certain cancers, especially colon cancer. The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color-betacyanin- has been shown in many studies to be a powerful cancer-fighting agent. In addition, studies have shown that beets have a very high anti-inflammatory effect on the body. 

When preparing beets, be careful not to stain yourself. I always wear kitchen gloves when preparing them so that I don’t ruin my newly manicured hands. If the beets somehow do make it onto your skin, just rub some lemon juice on them and it will remove the stain (a trick my grandma taught me).

Beet Salad

Serves 6-8 (as a small side salad/appetizer)

4 large beets

¼ cup olive oil

4 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp salt** (not necessary if on a salt restricted diet)

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp pepper

4 garlic cloves, crushed

½ of a white onion, finely chopped

**Tip: Salt will blunt beets' color, so add only at the end of cooking if needed.

Rinse and clean the beets—remove the leaves and roots. Do not peel. Boil in a pot of water for about 40 minutes, until they are fork tender. Wearing gloves, peel the beets under running water. The skin should come off easily.  Slice the beets and chop into 1-inch thick cubes. 

In a separate bowl mix all the ingredients and whisk until it thickens a little. Pour over the beets and mix it all until it becomes covered with the sauce. Put in the refrigerator and cool for about 1 hr. Serve cold. ENJOY!

Nutrition Content:

Per serving: 97 calories, 1 g protein, 6.7 g carbs, 1.5 g fiber, 7.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 376 mg sodium, 174 mg potassium 

—Karen Moreno, RD, CDN

Matzoh Cake

Matzoh Cake with Sprinkles

(makes one layer cake)

For the Chocolate Frosting (needs to be made at least one day ahead)

4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped

3/4 cups water

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

4 sticks unsalted margarine

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract (if you like you can add 2 tablespoons of rum extract too)

4 egg yolks

For Assembly

2 cups Manischewitz wine

Room temperature chocolate sauce from day before

10-12 wet Matzohs

Sprinkles for decoration

1. Melt the first 5 ingredients in a pot until dissolved. In a separate bowl whisk the vanilla and yolks together. Temper the egg mixture by pouring some of hot chocolate mixture into the yolks slowly. Then add the yolks back into the hot chocolate mixture.

2. Refridgerate over night and assemble the matzoh cake the next day.

3. Take chocolate sauce out of fridge and let it come to room temperature.

4.To assemble the cake wet a 10-12 matzohs with water and place underneath a clean kitchen towel so it stays moist. Place one matzoh on a plate and sprinkle it with Manischewitz wine using a spoon and then spread the chocolate sauce over the matzoh. Repeat this step until all layers are used. On the top layer spread chocolate sauce and sprinkles!

Mandel Broit with Almonds

Mandel Broit with Almonds

1 1/2 cup ground almonds

1 1/2 cup cake meal (you will need extra cake meal for dusting)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon orange and lemon zest (can be omitted if you'd like)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

egg wash (1 egg and water)

Mix together cake meal, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl beat the eggs with sugar until pale yellow. Add oil and vanilla into the egg mixture and then add slowly into the dry ingredients. Fold all together. Dough will be very sticky, so add more cake meal until you are able to manage the dough with your hands. Sprinkle more cake meal on marble surface and form dough into 4 logs about 2 inches wide. Brush logs with egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until golden brown. Cut logs into 1 inch slices when warm, let cool completely and enjoy!!

**If you want your mandel broit to be more crunchy you can bake the cookies again, after they are sliced, for another 20-30 minutes until edges are crisp. Then you will have more of a biscotti-like cookie.

Gefilte Fish

Gefilte Fish in the making....

Underneath all that fish skin, head, and bones is a lot of sliced onions and carrots.

Ground white fish, matzah meal, eggs made into patties and boiled on top of the fish bones.

Passover Brownies

I found this recipe printed out in my mom's Passover collection. I thought it sounded pretty good and I added 3 ingredients to the batter to make them even better!

1 cup NUTELLA,

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

1 cup mini chocolate chips

In the photo above is the final product, and let me tell you they taste really yummy. They don't have the brownie texture you're probably used to and they can be a little crumbly but they're Passover Brownies so what can you expect?? My point exactly! And the kids will love them regardless!! ENJOY!

My Safta's Charoset (My Grandma's Charoset)

About Charoset...(taken from Wikipedia)

Charoset, haroset, or charoses (Hebrew: חֲרֽוֹסֶת [ḥărōset]) is a sweet, dark-colored, chunky paste made of fruits and nuts served primarily during the Passover Seder. Its color and texture are meant to recall the mortar with which the Israelites bonded bricks when they were enslaved in Ancient Egypt. The word "charoset" comes from the Hebrew word cheres — חרס — "clay."

The charoset serves an ancillary function with maror on the Passover Seder Plate. Before eating the maror — in the present day generally horseradish or romaine lettuce — participants dip the maror into the charoset and then shake off the charoset before eating the maror. This action symbolises how hard the Israelites worked in Egypt, combining a food that brings tears to the eyes (the maror) with one that resembles the mortar used to build Egyptian cities and storehouses (the charoset).

Despite its symbolism, the charoset is a tasty concoction and is a favorite of children. During the Seder meal, it may be eaten liberally, often spread on matzah.

Growing up I never really liked charoset, I don't think I ate it. Never did....but now that I have an appreciation for food and all that jazz I have decided that I like the taste of it! And you guys know how much I love dates. So, my Safta, which means Grandma in Hebrew, has been making charoset for Passover like this for many years. I wanted to share the recipe with you all, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Safta's Charoset

(Makes 6 cups)

1 pound pitted dates

1 apple peeled and chopped into big chunks

1 1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup Manischewitz wine (if you are worried about the kids substitute grape juice, but I can't promise anything about the taste!)

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 tsp cinnamon

1. First you must soften the dates by placing them in a glass bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Let them sit in the water for about 10 minutes.

2. With a slotted spoon, fish out the dates and place them into the food processor along with the chopped apple, and walnuts. Process.

3. After blending for a few minutes, stop and scrape down the walls with a spatula. Add wine, cinnamon, and agave nectar and process until the mixture comes out smooth, see photo.

NOTE: If you feel it's needed you can feel free to add more dates, agave, cinnamon, apples, and walnuts. This recipe has always been done by taste, my safta's taste, and then my mom's taste, and now my taste! This is how I made it and I think it tastes pretty damn good!!! If you don't have the taste, follow the recipe and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as my family does!

Passover Macaroons

Easy Chocolate Chip Macaroons

1 can (5oz) sweetened condensed fat free milk

1 bag shredded coconut (14oz)

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together well. Grease baking sheet very generously, to prevent macaroons from sticking to the pan after baking. Using a ice cream scooper like the one pictured here, scoop the macaroon mixture onto the baking sheet. Place in the center of the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown around top and edges.

I calculated that each macaroon has about 205 calories. This recipe made 19 macaroons, if you use the same size scoops that I used. If you make smaller macaroons, just take 3895 (that's the total calories for the macaroon mixture) and divide it by how many macaroons you actually made. This will give you the calorie count per macaroon.

If you are going to eat macaroons during Passover I would save them as an afternoon snack (eat only one) OR as part of your breakfast with a cup of coffee and a greek yogurt or some scrambled egg whites! Gotta get that morning protein in somewhere!