After-Pesach Muffins

I'm a big muffin fan.

Muffins are an easy way to pack fruit, nuts and fiber into a few easy-to-make delicious bites. They make a quick snack and are perfect with fresh fruit and tea on Shabbat morning.

How did I end up with muffins after Passover this year? Normally we eat home-made granola for breakfast. But immediately after Pesach, that's a problem. I usually make granola in large quantities – enough to last a month or so, and who has time and energy to do that right after Passover?

So we bought a box of muesli to tide us over. Muesli is the unbaked version of granola, without sweetener and oil. Ours had rolled oats, wheat, bran and lots of raisins.  It was fine for a few days, until I was ready to make my own granola. Then I was left with almost a full box of muesli. Here's what I made:

Muesli Muffins (Dairy)

1¼ cups muesli

1¼ cups low-fat buttermilk

¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup canola oil

1 egg

1/3 cup brown sugar

Combine the muesli and buttermilk in a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

After the muesli has softened in the buttermilk for 30 minutes, add the oil, egg, brown sugar and flour mixture and gently mix everything together. Don't over mix.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. These do not rise much.

Remove to a baking rack to cool.

Makes 12 muffins

Diet and Acne

Between 80 and 90% of all adolescents get acne. So do many adults. Does diet have anything to do with it?

Immigration studies show that acne increases when a population shifts to a more Westernized diet. What's the cause? A 2009 review of scientific literature showed that dairy products and high-glycemic-index foods (like simple carbohydrates) may be to blame. There's also evidence that omega-6 fatty acids play a role in acne.

When I was a teenager, we thought that eating chocolate caused acne. But there's no scientific evidence to back that up. Salt doesn't seem to play a role either.

Dairy Foods

Researchers think that hormones in cow's milk play a role in acne. Skim milk showed the strongest association with the frequency and severity of acne in teenage girls, leading scientists to believe that hormones and not milk fat are to blame.

High-Glycemic-Index Foods

The glycemic index measures how fast and how far blood glucose rises after eating foods containing carbohydrates. Foods that are absorbed more slowly after ingestion (like whole-grain, complex carbohydrates) cause a slower rise in blood glucose levels and have a low glycemic index. Other foods – like those containing lots of sugar and simple starch (like white bread, cookies and cake), are digested quicker, causing blood sugar to rise faster. As blood sugar levels rise, the body secretes insulin to help metabolize it. In a number of studies, people given a low-glycemic-index diet showed an improvement in their acne. Scientists believe that insulin and hormones are involved.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Acne, depending on the type, may or may not involve inflammation. Although no large studies have been done, it's believed that high levels of dietary omega-6 fatty acids, which produce inflammation, may be associated with acne. On the other hand, omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory, may decrease the incidence and severity of acne.

What Can You Do?

Severe acne should be treated by a dermatologist. If you'd like to try dietary measures to reduce the frequency or severity of acne, here's what you can do:

1. Go "dairy-free" for at least several weeks to see if there's an improvement. Be sure you get enough calcium from alternative sources, like fortified soy milk, almond milk or orange juice, canned salmon and sardines, leafy greens, tofu, or a vitamin supplement.

2. Choose foods with a low-glycemic index, like whole grains, legumes, nuts and vegetables.

3. Stick with fats that are high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, like olive and canola oil. Eat plenty of fish, especially fatty fish like salmon and sardines. Ground flax seeds and walnuts are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Reduce your intake of corn, soybean, safflower and sunflower oil, which are all high in omega-6 fatty acids.

4. Limit your intake of processed foods, which tend to be high in simple carbohydrates as well as unhealthy fats.

If acne is a problem, these relatively easy-to-do dietary measures just may make a difference. It's worth a try!

Whole Grains from the Middle East – Freekah

Years ago I read about green wheat – freekah in one of Paula Wolfert's cookbooks. It sounded interesting, but I didn’t go out of my way to find it in the US. Years later, after I moved to Israel, my friend Sophie called me. Her son bought freekah at an Arab market in Haifa and she wanted to know how to cook it. A few months ago she told me that freekah was now sold at the upscale natural food store near her house in Tel Aviv. Another ethnic food that's become a "health food"!

Freekah is young, green durum wheat that's processed by burning. The chaff is scorched, making the grain easier to remove. It's got an almost wild, grassy smoked taste and a haunting aroma.

Nutritionally, freekah is a winner. Compared to other grains, it's high in fiber, protein, calcium, iron and potassium. (This is according to the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories. A company there is marketing freekah.) It's also got a low glycemic index, so it's an especially good carbohydrate for diabetics.

I like to serve freekah as a side dish with roast chicken or turkey breast. For a lovely vegetarian grain salad, cool the pilaf and add fresh parsley, mint and/or coriander. To avoid rancidity, store raw freekah in your freezer.

Freekah Pilaf (Parve)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 cup freekah, picked over and rinsed

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baharat *

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion until it's soft and lightly brown.

While the onions are cooking, soak the freekah in water for about 5 minutes. Drain it well and add it to the onions, along with the salt and baharat. Cook it for a minute or two, while stirring. Add the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are cooked. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 3 cups

* Baharat is a blend of spices used throughout the Middle East. In Israel, Pereg Gourmet sells a fine blend. I'm partial to the baharat (with a "bite") made by The Spice House in Milwaukee, a mix of black pepper, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, paprika and chile peppers.

If you don't have access to store-bought baharat, make your own using either of these recipes:

Baharat Blend 1

2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Baharat Blend 2

1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ tablespoon ground allspice

½ tablespoon ground nutmeg

Grain Gratins

What's a gratin? It certainly wasn't anything in my mother's repertoire. Well – actually it was. But she called it a casserole.

If you want to get technical, a gratin is baked in a shallow pan and a casserole in a deeper one. Both are served in the dish they're baked in. I envision a gratin having a rich creamy interior and a crispy crust. A casserole brings to mind a thriftier concoction of leftovers mixed with sauce to stretch into another meal.

Here's the basic idea of a gratin based on grains:

Combine cooked rice (or other whole grain), a vegetable, sauce and a little cheese; mix them together and put it into a shallow baking dish; sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake. That's it!

The sauce (called béchamel) doesn't have to be a high fat, high calorie fancy French affair. You can make it with low-fat or non-fat milk or even vegetable stock. Use olive or canola oil instead of butter. Make the sauce in the microwave to cut the prep time in half. You can even mix it all together in the morning and bake it just before serving. What could be easier?

Since I nearly always serve a whole grain for Shabbat dinner, I prepare more than I need so I'll have "planned" leftovers for another meal during the week. I'm careful to keep grains parve, so they can be served with meat on Erev Shabbat and later as part of a dairy meal.

Here's what I made from last Shabbat's leftover red rice:

Rice and Broccoli Gratin

Prepare a white sauce in the microwave:

Put 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1/4 cup finely minced onion into a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave the onions for a minute or two, until they're soft. Whisk 2 tablespoons of flour into the oil and onions and microwave for another minute. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of low-fat milk and microwave, whisking occasionally, for 2-4 minutes, until the sauce is thick and starts to boil.

Meanwhile, cut leftover steamed broccoli (a cup or two) into bite-sized pieces. Put it into a mixing bowl with 2 cups of cooked red rice. Shred a little kashkeval (or other variety) cheese into the bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Pour the cooked sauce over the rice mixture and mix it all up. Pour it into a lightly greased shallow casserole or pie pan and sprinkle some bread crumbs over the whole thing. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 20-35 minutes, until it's heated through and bubbly.

Winter Eating

Should you differently now that it's winter?

Obviously, there are basics for healthy eating all year round – lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and low-fat protein.

But there are some special considerations during the winter months.

For boosting your immune system, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables are your best bet. Eat vitamin C rich citrus fruit, strawberries, and kiwi. Avocado, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots and other root vegetables are full of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to help keep you healthy during the cold and flu season.

Does winter weather leave you feeling "blue"? Complex carbohydrates are high in mood-boosting serotonins that can help lift your spirits on gray winter days. Eat oatmeal or other whole-grain cereal for breakfast. Choose whole-grain bread for sandwiches. Aim for at least three servings of whole grains a day.

Don't forget to drink. In the winter, you may not feel very thirsty. But fluids are essential for controlling body temperature –whether it's hot or cold outside. Drink tea (herbal, green and black), soup and water. If your throat or sinuses feel sore, fluids are just the thing to help soothe them.

Do you stay away from dairy products during the winter? There's no science behind the belief that dairy foods increase mucous or influence upper respiratory infections. Probiotics in yogurt may actually help protect your immune system, and low-fat dairy foods are an excellent source of calcium and vitamins A and D.

Some of us (like me!) never manage to thoroughly warm up until April or May. But food can help. Casseroles, stews, cholent and soup are a real comfort on cold winter days. Now is the time for hearty bean and lentil soups, minestrone and chili.

A soothing winter meal might be a bowl of thick soup with whole-grain bread or savory muffin. Then there's hot cocoa (made with low-fat milk, cocoa and just a bit of sugar) and soothing green tea. Just wrap your hands around the cup, sip slowly and you'll be warmed up within minutes!

Sound Healthy? Think Again

Just because a food sounds healthy, doesn't mean it really is. Here are some products that can be misleading:

Multi-grain Bread

If it's really high in whole-grains, the first ingredient listed on the label will be whole-wheat flour. Many healthy sounding breads and crackers are made primarily of refined white flour, with some whole grains thrown in for flavor, color and crunch.

Energy Bars

Check the label of your favorite snack bar for calories, sugar and fat. Some energy bars have over 300 calories each. That's high energy, all right, but closer to a whole meal than a snack.

Fat-Free or Low-Fat Foods

Fat's not the whole story. Total calories, sugar, sodium and other ingredients count too. Read the ingredient label, not just the bold print, before deciding to buy a reduced-fat product.

Muffins

Bran, oatmeal and blueberry muffins sound pretty healthy. But there's more to a muffin than might meet the eye. Like sugar, fat and total size. Today's store-bought muffins are often huge, with enough calories to qualify for a whole meal. Check the ingredients before you bite in. And consider cutting your muffin in half – half for now and the other half for tomorrow.

Sports Drinks

If you're running a marathon, you may want a sports drink to replenish calories and electrolytes (like sodium and potassium) that are lost during strenuous exercise. But if your exercise is more casual or you're looking for a beverage to quench your thirst, tap water is the healthiest and least expensive choice.

Don't be fooled by healthy sounding names and seductive labels. Read the ingredient list and ask questions. Then decide for yourself if it's really good for you.

Dinner in 10 Minutes

I got in late this afternoon, with no idea what I'd make for dinner. Was there enough leftover potato soup from Shabbat? Would it be omelets again? We just ordered pizza the other day. It was six and I was already feeling hungry.

What was in the refrigerator? Leftover cooked farro (a whole-grain related to wheat), blanched beet greens, soup, broccoli, mushrooms, tofu and the usual assortment of cheese, eggs, carrots, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. I didn't have the energy to explore our completely stuffed freezer.

Broccoli and tofu? Stir-fry sounded too ambitious and time consuming. The soup was good, but we'd been eating it for the last four days.

Leftover grains, beans, pasta and vegetables can usually be transformed into an enjoyable meal on short notice. Tonight I created "Farro and Greens":

Sauté a small onion in some olive oil. While the onions are cooking, take a handful of dried cherry tomatoes from the freezer and cut them in half. (Fortunately they were right at the front; otherwise, I never would have seen them.) Coarsely chop the cooked beet greens. When the onions are soft, add the farro and cook for a minute or two. Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Serve with parmesan crackers that just happened to fall out of the freezer with the cherry tomatoes.

Grains Made Easy - Without a Mix

A "10-Minute" pre-cooked grain mix (see my previous blog) is nice to have around when you're really in a hurry. But it's very easy (and a lot less expensive) to cook most grains at home with a minimum of fuss. All you need is a saucepan, water and the grain of your choice.

Put the grain in the saucepan. Add water to cover by at least an inch (2.5 cm). If excess sodium isn't a concern, add a pinch of salt. Now bring it all to a boil and cook until the grain is done to your liking.

That's it!

It works for long grain rice (brown, red, wild and white), quinoa, barley, wheat berries, faro, spelt, whole oats, couscous, cracked wheat and kasha.

I suggest that you rinse grains in a strainer before cooking them and drain them well when they're done. Some grains cook faster than others, so you'll need to taste occasionally to know when they're ready. Couscous, for instance, might take 5-7 minutes, while wheat berries may take an hour or so. If the water starts to evaporate before the grain is cooked, add more boiling water to cover.

Toss the finished grain with olive oil, herbs and vegetables for a great salad or side dish. (Sautéed onions and mushrooms make a great addition to most any grain.) If you don't plan to use the grain right away, mix it with a little olive oil and store it in the refrigerator.

Looking to save even more time? Cook up a double or triple batch of grain. Use what you want now and store the rest for later. Grains can be refrigerated for several days and frozen for a few months.

Grains and Beans Made Easy

I’m a big fan of whole grains and beans. They're full of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and protein. They're a great source of fiber – a nutrient that most of us don't get nearly enough of. They're low-fat, salt-free, vegetarian and parve. They're versatile and they're delicious.

But most people stay away from them. They take too long to cook. They need to be pre-soaked. How many of us have time for that?

Thanks to the Israeli company Sugat, it's now easier than ever to eat grains and beans. Their "10-minute Collection" includes six mixes that take just 10 minutes to cook. They include grains like barley, spelt, rice, kasha and kamut as well as red, yellow and brown lentils and split peas.

How can whole grains and legumes cook in just 10 minutes? Sugat has done a little pre-cooking for us. All you do is bring some water to a boil. Add the mix and cook for 10 minutes. (I tried the Five-Grain Blend and found that it cooked to my liking in just 7 minutes.) Drain the grains and serve.

The possibilities are endless: Patties, pies, salads, soup, side dish or main course. I added vegetables an egg and cheese and used it to stuff red peppers. The next day I heated the leftovers with milk and cinnamon and enjoyed it as a breakfast cereal. The (English) website has lots of yummy sounding recipes for inspiration.

Look for these mixes in (Israeli) grocery stores near the packaged rice, grains and beans.

Yes You Can! Piecrust

Ready-made piecrusts usually contain saturated fat, sugar and excess salt.

Why not make your own from healthy canola or olive oil and a bit of flavorful whole-wheat flour?
It’s really not that hard. It’s also tasty, healthier and less expensive.

Here are two recipes to get you started.

For the first, you don’t even need a rolling pin. Just mix the ingredients together right in the pan. What could be easier? Use it for dessert or savory pies and quiches.

Plan ahead for the second recipe, as the dough needs to “rest” for 30 minutes before you roll it out. It’s great for rustic-style vegetable pies.

NO-ROLL PIE CRUST (Dairy or Parve)

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
¾ teaspoon sugar (for a sweet pie)
¾ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons milk (dairy or soy)

9 “(23cm) pie plate

Whisk together both flours, sugar (if using) and salt right in the pie pan. Mix the oil and milk together. Add them to the flour mixture in the pie pan and mix with a fork or your fingers. Add more milk, if necessary, until the dough holds together.

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan and even-out the edges.

To pre-bake: Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C). Place a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper over the dough and fill it with dry beans. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C), carefully remove the beans and foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Or fill the crust with your favorite filling and bake as directed in your recipe.

Makes one 9” (23cm) crust


SEPHARDIC PASTRY DOUGH (Parve)

¼ cup water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ - ½ cup all-purpose white flour

Combine the water, oil and salt in a bowl. Stir in the whole-wheat flour. Gradually add enough of the white flour to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead gently in the bowl and shape into a disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C)

Generously grease a 9” (23 cm) pie pan with cooking oil spray. Roll the dough into a round to fit the pan. Fill with your favorite filling and bake until the filling is set and the crust is brown.

Makes one 9” (23 cm) crust

What Should I Eat? Popcorn

Popcorn

For an easy and nutritious snack, stock your pantry with popcorn.

Popcorn is a whole grain with plenty of fiber. If you don’t add a lot of butter or oil, it’s low in calories. And if you go easy on the salt, it’s also low in sodium.

Eat three cups of air-popped popcorn and you’ll get one serving of a whole grain and almost 4 grams of fiber. All for a mere 100 calories and less than 1½ grams of fat.

The healthiest popcorn is air-popped, which requires a special electric machine. We make popcorn in a covered pot on the stove using just a small amount of canola oil.

If you prefer microwave-in-the-bag popcorn, make sure it’s low-fat. And read the label to be sure there’s no hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fat in the ingredient list.

Did you know that popcorn eaters in the US got 250% more whole grains in their diet than people who didn’t eat popcorn? A survey reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association indicates that popcorn eaters generally have healthier eating habits than those who don’t indulge.

So next time you’re looking for a healthy snack, go for whole grains with a batch of popcorn.

What Should I Eat? Whole Grains

Here's another in the series "What Should I Eat?" Each post is about "normal" food that is good for you. Nothing exotic or expensive - I promise.

Whole Grains

Think whole grains for healthy wholesome eating. Chock full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, they’re low in fat and high in taste.

Try bulgur, cracked wheat, barley, millet, quinoa and brown rice. Our current favorite is farro – an heirloom strain of wheat that we first tasted in Tuscany. Chewy, soft and mild, it’s easily digestible and cooks faster than whole wheat berries. It makes a lovely summer salad and a tasty side dish to fish and poultry.

Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice. But if you don't have a full 45 minutes or so to cook it, you can plan ahead with these two "short-cuts".

1. Soak the rice (1 cup rice, 2 ¼ cups water) for an hour or so before cooking it. This also works if you’re using a rice machine.

2. Parboil the rice: Boil 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot. Add 1 cup of rice. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain. Use it now in your favorite white rice recipe, or store it in the refrigerator and use it within a few days.

Whole-Wheat Pastry Flour: The Israel Story

When it comes to cooking and baking, you can usually find everything you need here. But there are exceptions. Here's a question (with my answer) from one of my Israeli readers that I want to share with everyone.

Hi Chana,

What is whole-wheat pastry flour called in Hebrew? Where do you get it? In my local health food store they have two types of wheat flour, 100% whole and 70%whole. As far as I can tell 70% is as whole as white flour. Am I missing something?

Rivka


Dear Rivka,

This sounded like a pretty straight-forward question, until I started looking into it. It seems that not all flour is necessarily what it appears to be!

I called the chief food technologist at Stybel, the large flour producer in Israel, who was extremely helpful. In addition, I contacted health-food store managers in Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva as well as a company that produces stone-ground whole-wheat flour.

Let’s start with whole-wheat pastry flour. In the US, it’s 100% whole-wheat flour made from soft winter wheat. That means it’s lower in gluten than regular whole-wheat flour, making it especially good for cakes, cookies, muffins and biscuits. Unfortunately, it’s not produced in Israel. The Stybel technologist said that they could easily produce it here if people wanted it, but right now there’s no demand.

At one time I used קמח מלא מנופה – sifted whole-wheat flour, in place of whole-wheat pastry flour. It was less gritty than regular whole-wheat flour, which indicated that it had indeed been sifted. But apparently there’s no standard definition for this flour. My contact at Stybel refused to even talk about it, as to avoid speaking badly about any other flour company! A health-food store manager who sells it in Beer Sheva told me that it was 70% whole-wheat flour – whole-wheat flour with 30 % of the bran removed (sifted out).

That brings me to 90% and 70% whole-wheat flour. In my mind, that sounds like 90 or 70 percent whole-wheat flour mixed with 10 or 30 percent white flour. Wrong!

These are blends made mainly of white flour, with wheat bran and germ mixed back in.

What are your options for baking whole-grain cookies, cakes, muffins and biscuits in Israel?

Stybel’s #6 flour is 100% whole-wheat. Their #8 is 100% organic whole-wheat. For cakes and cookies, you could mix your own blend using either of these together with their cake (#5) or cookie (#4) flours, or an all-purpose white flour (Stybel #1 or any house brand).

I’m very happy with the organic whole-wheat flour I buy from a company in Itamar. (They’re part of a Yesha cooperative of small businesses that deliver here every few months.) The owner told me that he uses soft wheat and grinds it twice in an electric-operated stone grinder. Sometimes I mix it with white flour. But it’s fine-grained and light and gives wonderful results in non-yeasted baked goods. It also makes delicious bread.

Given that it’s made from soft wheat, I’d say that this is the closest to whole-wheat pastry flour you’ll find in Israel. An added benefit is that it doesn’t need to be sifted (to check for insects) before using, since it’s kept under constant refrigeration from just after grinding. It also needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer once you bring it home.

I hope this answers your questions. Happy and healthy baking!

Chana

Notes from Beer Sheva...plus a recipe

As of last night, our ground troops are fighting in Gaza.

We’ve been advised to stay close to home in anticipation of rocket attacks. Thank God, here in Beer Sheva it’s been quiet.

Neighbors with young children are staying with their parents. Elderly parents are staying with their children.

Several friends from Jerusalem have opened their homes to us, but for now, we’re staying put. Our family and friends are here.

Schools have been closed for a week now. Many shops are empty. Grocery and pizza deliveries are the only businesses that seem to be doing well.

This morning we phoned friends whose son’s wedding is tonight. Their younger son had just called them to say that he’d either be at the wedding or fighting in Gaza. It’s hard to imagine such a bittersweet occasion.

I’ve been puttering around the house. There’s laundry in the washing machine and garbanzo beans cooking on the stove. Rye bread is baking in the bread machine. Occasionally I check the television for updates. (It took a war in the south for me to learn how to use the remote control.) At least my Hebrew is improving from the constant repetition of the news.

Rye flour reminded me of another recipe. It’s a version of French honey bread, a little like gingerbread. Rich with whole-grains, nuts and seeds, these soft, chewy bars don’t resemble “health food” at all. They’re lovely for dessert or as a snack with coffee or tea. And when the world outside is a mess, you’ll find comfort in the soothing aroma coming from your oven when you bake these.

Multi-Grain Walnut Spice Bars (Parve)

½ cup rye flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown or demerara sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Line the bottom of an 8” (20cm.) square baking pan with parchment paper and spray the pan with non-stick baking spray.

Mix together the rye flour, oats, walnuts, sunflower seeds, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and set aside.

Mix the eggs, sugar, honey, oil and vanilla in an electric mixer. Beat the mixture until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine the ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into squares.

Makes 16 bars

And for Some Variety: Quinoa for Pesach

Most authorities agree that quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is kosher for Passover. * The tiny round quinoa seed is unrelated to the five varieties of grain prohibited during Pesach, and will not ferment or rise. It is recommended to check quinoa carefully (before Pesach) for any extraneous matter and to purchase it from a manufacturer that doesn’t package chametz in the same plant. In Israel, quinoa is very popular throughout the year and is available “Kosher for Pesach” in most grocery stores.

Nutritionally, quinoa is an excellent protein source and is high in iron, potassium, magnesium and lysine. It cooks in only 15 minutes and takes to a wide range of seasonings. It is naturally covered with a bitter substance called saponin. Rinse it in a sieve under cold water to remove this coating.

* It is always best to consult your rabbi regarding matters of kashrut

Try this recipe and then experiment with variations of your own:

FRAGRANT QUINOA WITH VEGETABLES

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small thin strips
1 medium zucchini, cut into small thin strips
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Freshly ground pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the quinoa and salt. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. (You will notice a small opaque spiral around each grain. This is normal.)

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the carrots for 3-5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for another few minutes, until both vegetables are tender but still crisp. Add the paprika and cinnamon and cook for another minute.

Mix the vegetables with the quinoa and serve.

Serves 4 – 6