Happy Hanukkah! One of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my BF and family. It's also latke time!

I love this method for making latkes, mainly because it's baked and not fried. You use oil, but it won't splatter all over the stove.

And yes, it's parsnips instead of potatoes. Parsnips taste nutty and sweet, so to complement that sweetness you can top the latkes with tangy creme fraiche or sour cream, hot pepper jelly and chives (as shown in the photos above and below). Smoked fish or poached eggs are also delicious as a topper. The BF and I love them with mashed avocado and a poached egg, drizzled with chimichurri sauce (bottom photo). 

If you don't have a Spiralizer, don't worry, the large grate on your hand grater will work fine. The bones of the original recipe are from Inspiralized, I just changed the quantities to my liking.

Closing on a different note, my cousins in Chicago recently sent me this amazing "Bohemian Chanukah" by Six 13 (see below), and this, along with the fact the BF and I loved the film Bohemian Rhapsody [Ed. note: if Rami Malek doesn't get a best-actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury, the offending non-voters should be studied in a lab], reminded me that Queen is one of my favorite bands of all time.

How favorite? I actually "gave" a Queen documentary DVD to the BF as a Hanukkah gift, and he kindly reminded me that he'd actually received a press-review copy of the same film years ago when he was working as a music journalist. He offered it to me, and for some reason at the time I said no.

Sometimes you need to be reminded.

​Reminding you that we hope you are enjoying a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Shalom.

Adapted from: Inspiralized
Number of servings: makes 5-6 large latkes or 10-12 mini latkes
​
Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 4 tablespoons matzo meal
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 large parsnips, peeled, Blade C, noodles roughly trimmed (or use large grate on hand grater)
• 1 onion, peeled, Blade A, noodles roughly trimmed (or use large grate on hand grater)
• 4 tablespoons (divided) extra virgin olive oil

Optional Toppings

• sour cream, creme fraiche​, chives or scallions
• applesauce, hot pepper jelly
• smoked trout, sturgeon or salmon, poached egg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Line one rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, matzoh meal, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add in the parsnip and onion. and combine.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the baking sheet and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes to heat the oil. Remove from the oven and place parsnip mixture in handfuls onto the oil. Flatten mixture with a spatula.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden and crisp. Remove from oven, flip latkes over and bake for another 10 minutes or until crisp and golden on both sides.
5. When done, transfer latkes to a paper-towel-lined baking rack to drain. 
6. Wipe off baking sheet with a paper towel to remove old oil and bits and pieces. Repeat 2-5.

Labor Day weekend. The end of summer. [Ed. note: Fact check = BOO] Baseball pennant races and the beginning of football season. [Ed. note: Fact check = YAY] During my childhood it was family gatherings, the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon [Ed. note: Fact check = LADY], and literally the next day, the beginning of school. [Ed. note: Fact check = BOO REDEUX] A time many of you fire up the grill, and yet maybe some of you are looking for a healthy alternative.

It's not that I actively solicit requests (although to be clear, please never be afraid to reach out!), but for years this healthy chicken parmesan has been a hit with clients, friends, and family, and they all demand the recipe. The common comment usually revolves around how deceptively healthy this is. Sporting unbreaded chicken and loaded with vegetables, even the BF has said it feels like a pasta-inspired "cheat" that…really isn't. [Ed. note: Fact check = TRUE]

The dish is tasty any time of year. In summer, you can't beat a vegetable medley of zucchini, yellow zucchini, carrots and parsnips. In winter, instead of zucchini I substitute rutabaga, kohlrabi, butternut squash or celery root. Bonus: it's low carb, gluten free, grain free, and ready in under an hour. Perfect for weeknights, and if you are tending a summer garden as we approach Labor Day, this is a wonderful way to utilize those vegetables.

If you own one, you can use a Spiralizer, but I actually found it much easier to simply use a hand-held julienne peeler (see photo below). Last September, I used the same inexpensive tool to whip up the Vegetable Noodle Nest with Soft Boiled Egg. www.moveablefeast.me/blog/vegetable-noodle-nest-with-soft-boiled-egg  

Of note, almost all Spiralized or juilienned vegetables (especially root varieties) hold well for several days in the fridge, with the exception of zucchini, which tends to get a little limp and watery after a day. After Spiralizing the veggies, wrap them in a paper towel and place in a Ziplock bag. Get all the air out of the bag, and presto, you're done. For myself and the BF, the meal prep occurs at the beginning of the week, and all I have to do is sauté the veggies when dinner time comes around. To quote the immortal words of my spirit animal Ina Garten, "How easy is that?"

Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and repeating: if you see anything on the other sections of my web site (i.e., photos) that you'd like to see a recipe blog post for, let me know in the comments below or reach out on any of the social media platforms listed. [Ed. note: We also accept e-mail, snail mail, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, drums, etc.]

​

Inspired by: Giada De Laurentiis, FoodNetwork.com
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients
Chicken Parmesan

• 2-3 tablespoons extra virigin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lbs or 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets) 
• 3 cups marinara sauce or one 24-ounce jar of your favorite brand or homemade (my favorite sauce is Don Pomodoro; contains no added sugar and tastes incredibly fresh)
• 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 8 teaspoons parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Basil, julienned, or chopped

Vegetables

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium green zucchini (not the enormous-bigger-than-your-head zucchini)
• 2 medium yellow zucchini  
• 1  parsnip, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions
Vegetable Prep

1. Julienne the zucchinis, and parsnip just to the core (do not go past that point). Julienne the whole carrot. If using a Spiralizer, do the whole vegetable, no need to worry about the core. Cut super long pieces into smaller strands, about 6-8 inches.

Chicken Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 475 ˚F. 
2. Prepare a 9 x 13 inch oven-proof vessel and pour in marinara sauce.
3. Mix the olive oil and fresh herbs into a bowl and blend. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Gently pound chicken cutlets until even thickness.
5. Brush both sides of chicken cutlets with the herb oil. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
6. Place cutlets over the marinara sauce and spoon sauce over chicken to lightly cover.
7. Top with mozzarella, sprinkle with parmesan.
8. Bake until cheese melts and chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. After baking, I like to briefly place under broiler to get the cheese a little crispy. Not essential, I just like it.
9. Top with basil.

Vegetables (While the chicken is in the oven​...)

1. Heat oil in large sauté pan on medium-high heat.
2. Throw parsnips and carrots into a pan and stir with tongs for approximately 30 seconds to one minute. Add green and yellow zucchinis, and salt. Sauté for approximately one minute or less. You are looking for veggies to be cooked, but not mushy.
3. Divide between four plates. Top with marinara sauce and chicken cutlet.

I've mentioned before that I'm not great with gadgets. My BF can attest. Just last week I bought a new monthly vitamin/pill dispenser because I thought the top component of the old one was broken. It was not broken. BF fixed it in 30 seconds. [Ed. Note: *whistles innocently*]

For today's recipe we are going to break out the Paderno Brand 3-Blade Spiralizer www.williams-sonoma.com/products/paderno-sprializer/ (again, this is not a sponsored post, I just really love it),  the same magically user-friendly contraption we used to whip up the Vegetable Noodle Nest with Soft Boiled Egg last September. www.moveablefeast.me/blog/vegetable-noodle-nest-with-soft-boiled-egg  

If any of you want more Spiralized recipes, please let me know. I have oodles of zoodles, swoodles  and faux noodles to share. Check out the photos below showing the Spiralizer in action; on the far right is a kohlrabi (if you've never seen one).

Low carb, healthy, gluten free, grain free, and ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for a glorious weeknight meal. The recipe has been adapted from Inspiralized (changed some quantities and a bit of the process).

NOTES: If you can't find kohlrabi in your grocery store, I have successfully substituted celery root or parsnip. You can also use pancetta instead of bacon (or it's fine without any meat at all). Pecorino romano cheese can be subbed for parmesan as well.

Adapted from: Inspiralized
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled, cut in half and very thinly sliced or spiralized
• salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and more for drizzle
• 2 large kohlrabis, peeled and spiralized
• ½ cup shaved parmesan to garnish

Directions​

1. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the bacon pieces and cook until crispy, about 7-10 minutes. When bacon is done, take a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate.
2. Pour out half of the bacon grease, immediately add onion, and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat down to low. Cook the onions until caramelized, 10-15 minutes. If onions stick to the bottom of the pan, add splashes of chicken broth if needed.
3. Once onions are done, remove to a plate and set aside. Wipe out skillet with paper towel. Add olive oil and kohlrabi noodles. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until kohlrabi wilts down and is to your preference. Add onions and bacon and toss well to combine.
4. Divide pasta into four bowls and garnish with shaved parmesan and an extra drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

Gadgets. Not my thing, usually. Was a late adopter to the smart phone, slow cooker, Instant Pot, and mandoline. Still don’t own an ice cream maker, waffle iron or Ebleskiver Pan, nor do I want any.
 
That said, I took swift interest in the Spiralizer www.williams-sonoma.com/products/5965843/ and hand-held julienne peeler www.target.com/p/zyliss-julienne-peeler/-/A-16731252. They appealed to my sensibilities and food preferences, particularly pasta, and introduced the idea of substituting vegetables as a healthy, low-carb alternative.

Kids love twirling the veggie strands onto their fork like spaghetti, and even my meat-and-potatoes loving BF loves it. One of the most endearing things he has said to me was, as I served him Spiralized rutabaga noodles with beef meatballs in marinara sauce, “I don’t miss the pasta.” [Ed. Note: Still don't.]

This is so easy, it’s barely a recipe. You can use a Spiralizer, but really, for this the hand-held julienne peeler works fine. The tool itself is inexpensive and can be bought most anywhere (see photo below).  

The dish is gluten free, paleo, low carb, Whole30 friendly, and a great way to clear out your vegetable garden at the end of summer. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
 
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (I always make extra boiled eggs)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini (not the ginormous-bigger-than-your-head zucchini)
• 1 yellow squash

• 1 large parsnip, peeled
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Sprinkle of garlic powder (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper
• Optional toppings: drizzle of truffle oil, sesame seeds, sumac, Furikake seasoning

 
Directions
Soft Boiled Eggs

1. Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover them with cool tap water. Bring water to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
2. Remove eggs from saucepan and immediately place them in a bowl of cold water until they are completely cool.
3. Remove shells and set aside.
   

 
Vegetable Noodles

1. Julienne the zucchini, squash and parsnips just to the core. Do not go past that point. Julienne carrot.
2. Heat oil in large sauté pan on med-high heat.
3. Throw parsnips and carrots in pan and stir with tongs for approx. 30 seconds. Add zucchini, yellow squash and salt. Cook for approx. one minute or less. You are looking for the veggies to be cooked, but not mushy.
4. Divide between two plates and make a “nest” in the middle of the noodles. 
5. Cut the upper top part off of the soft boiled egg (so you can see the yolk). Place soft-boiled egg snugly in the veggie nest and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper,  additional salt  and optional toppings as desired.