Almond Flour Chicken Schnitzel

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 15 MIN

PASSIVE PREP TIME: 12-15 MIN

Making Healthier Chicken Schnitzel

Chicken schnitzel is a favorite food in Jewish households. It is quick to cook. Kids love eating it. And it is satisfying and filling – especially when you need a quick meal on the table.

When I was a teenager, all the bar mitzvahs I attended served the kids a piece of schnitzel. What kid can pass up the hard crunch of a piece of schnitzel, with that corn flake crumb outer shell?

Unfortunately, schnitzel is not the healthiest food: the corn flake crumbs are high in sugar and empty calories, while the chicken is fried in vegetable oils that are high in inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acids.

There is an alternative.

Why Make Chicken Schnitzel with Almond Flour?

Using almond flour in place of corn flake crumbs, you can easily upgrade from the conventional schnitzel recipe to a healthy and fully nutritious version. This homemade coating is gluten free, paleo and keto-friendly. It is also delicious and much lighter than the conventional coating.

To keep the meat moist and tender, coat the chicken in arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch.

Rather than frying it in oil, it is baked in the oven. By baking instead of frying, you get a much healthier meal while preserving the same delicious flavor.

The mint and dill weed that seasons the breading imparts a delicate and refreshing flavor while infusing the kitchen with an inviting aroma.

Ingredients

• 2 precut boneless chicken breasts (or schnitzel cuts)

• 1 egg (beaten)

• 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (for Passover, replace with potato starch)

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp dill weed

• 1/2 tsp dried mint leaves

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 small lemon cut into wedges

How To Make Almond Flour Chicken Schnitzel

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and grease with a bit of avocado oil

3. Prepare the chicken breasts by slicing it lengthwise with a sharp knife

4. Lightly coat each piece of chicken with arrowroot starch

5. Dip each piece in the beaten egg, then coat with the almond flour mixture

6. Place the breaded schnitzel pieces on the baking sheet

7. Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until slightly crisp

8. Remove from the oven and serve with sliced lemon wedges

The Benefits Of Eating Healthy Schnitzel

This is a very quick recipe that can be whipped up on a busy weeknight. The kids can participate too. As an added bonus, make extra and chop it up into bite-sized pieces to throw into the kids’ lunchboxes the next day.

Why Natural Resources Are Important

Editor’s Note: My 7-year-old son wrote this piece with me about why natural resources are important. ThIs is a topic about which he is very passionate. The piece has been lightly edited for syntax and grammar.

I use natural resources when I drink water. I use them for building toy robots out of cardboard, which is made out of wood. I wear clothes and shoes made out of leather. And I eat fruits and vegetables that are grown in soil.

I wrote this article because I was curious about why natural resources were incredibly important and how I could learn about them. Without these things, we would have a hard time living on this planet.

I wanted to write this on my dad’s blog, Consciously Kosher, because it is all about showing respect for the resources we use and how we use them.

What’s A Natural Resource?

Natural resources are resources on our planet that were not made by humans. Natural resources include: clean air, fresh water, wind, trees and forests, animals, plants, coal, oil, soil, natural gas, phosphorus, minerals like bauxite and metals like iron, copper and gold

Renewable resources are natural resources that get replaced in nature over time. Some are remade all the time, like fresh water, or grow, like trees.

But some take a very long time to make again. We need to be extra careful with them. For example, coal and oil come from animals that died millions of years ago. These are not renewable. We will eventually run out of them.

Why Are Natural Resources Important?

They enable us to breathe, feed ourselves, keep warm and get from one place to the other.

They provide us with soil to grow plants, grass to feed animals and sunlight to make solar energy.

What Do We Do With Natural Resources?

We use natural resources:

• To build houses

• To create paper

• For food to feed ourselves with fruits and vegetables

• As energy that comes from fossil fuels, wind and solar power to move cars and elevators and to power our devices and to cook

• For keeping warm with firewood

• For dressing ourselves with plant fabrics and animal skins

How Does Something Become A Natural Resource?

Some resources like coal and oil, come from plants and animals that lived many years ago. So these take millions of years to form. Other resources like sunlight and water are always available.

Why Is It Bad To Not Take Care Of These Natural Resources?

Some of them, like sunlight, air and water, are renewable. This means that they are created by nature and we can use them over and over again. But others, like coal and natural gas, are not renewable, which means that they will run out if we keep using them.

What Happens When We Use Them Up?

Once we use up the resources that are not renewable, they are gone. So we need to be conscious of how we use them.

My dad says that we should always be mindful of what we use and give back something when we can. That means planting new trees, like they do in Israel all the time. It means not wasting food. And it means finding new ways to build machines and devices so we don’t use up all the resources on our planet.

Sugar Baby Pumpkin Soup

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 35-40 MIN

A Family Tradition of Pumpkins

When I was in second grade, my home economics class made pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving. I brought home a six-inch-long loaf, shared it with my family and a decades-long tradition was born. Without fail, since 1981, my mother and both sisters have continued baking this recipe every November and December. I cannot forget the image of melted chocolate chips running all over our fingers as we gobbled down the first steaming slices prior to our Thanksgiving guests arriving. To this day, no Thanksgiving is complete without the scintillating aroma of cloves, cinnamon and allspice wafting throughout my parents house while the loaves bake.

Unlike other members of the hard squash family, such as red kuri, butternut or acorn, a pumpkin does not have a particularly assertive flavor. Interestingly, the festive holiday-like flavors come from the spices mixed into it, a mix known as “pumpkin spice”. You can find the recipe here.

Pumpkins: Their Nutritional Benefits

At first glance, pumpkins might appear to be merely a fun seasonal food. But dig a little deeper and you will realize how much nutritional value and culinary diversity a pumpkin packs. Both the pumpkin puree and the pumpkin seeds are edible and can be cooked into a huge assortment of recipes. Although it is tempting to purchase canned pumpkin purée, baking your own fresh pumpkin is always healthier. We purchase our pumpkins from Underwood Farms (based in Moorpark).

Besides the traditional pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice lattes that fill our Instagram feeds and dominate newsprint this time of year, pumpkin can be added to a host of delicious recipes. This includes soups, savory dishes, smoothies, homemade ice cream and pancakes. It is definitely not a one-trick-pony. And don’t forget about the roasted seeds!

Pumpkins are packed with vitamins and minerals. They are a very good source of potassium, magnesium and zinc in the diet. They also contain the powerful antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as beta-carotene, which converts into copious amounts of vitamin A in your body and gives the pumpkin its signature orange color.

Why Make Pumpkin Soup?

Fast forward to 2019. Rather than baking that luscious pumpkin bread with refined flour and sugar, we have updated the tradition into a delicious pumpkin soup.

Why a soup? Soup is very hydrating. It is also easy to digest, so it is an excellent way to gets lots of vitamins and nutrients. And it makes your insides feel warm and comfortable on those cold winter days. Even in SoCal.

The Recipe

• 1 sugar baby pumpkin, baked in the oven on parchment paper at 350°F until soft

• 1 big Hannah sweet potato (or 2 medium-sized potatoes), peeled and diced

• 1 medium onion (preferably yellow)

• 8 cups water

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

• 1/3 cup raw unfiltered honey

• Pinch of sea salt (plus more to taste)

The 6 Steps To Making Pumpkin Soup

1. In a large pan, sauté the onion in avocado oil until they are transparent.

2. To a large saucepan, add the onions and 4 cups of boiling water. Throw in the potato and let boil for 10 minutes.

3. Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Set the seeds aside to be roasted. Add the pumpkin to the saucepan. Add more water if needed to cover the pumpkin.

4. Toss in cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt.

5. Boil for 5 minutes.

6. Remove from heat, let cool for a few minutes, then blend with a hand blender.

Making Soup With Other Squashes: Red Kuri, Butternut

For this recipe, we used a sugar baby pumpkin. It is smaller than a carving pumpkin and has a sweeter, less grainy and more pulpy interior. But this recipe works very well with a variety of hard-skinned squashes, not just pumpkin. We’ve also made this soup with red kuri and butternut squash. These squashes yield a nuttier flavor, which is quite delicious. The texture and warming sensation are the same.

RED KURI SQUASH (CENTER), BUTTERNUT SQUASH (RIGHT) AND DELICATA SQUASH (LEFt)

Kohlrabi Fries

A QUICK SNACK: KOHLRABI FRIES

A weak potato harvest in North America this winter has resulted in a shortage of potatoes used to make French fries. Luckily, there are a number of alternative ways to make fries, using kohlrabi, jicama or sweet potato. Unlike the refined starch of fries made from white potatoes, these vegetable fries are all complex starches; they are baked rather than fried; and they are more nutritionally dense.

It’s the perfect time to talk about kohlrabi, an exotic-looking cruciferous veggie, high in vitamin C and native to Germany – and a veggie that you may not yet know. Its dense fibrous bulbs are crisp and crunchy. The most common variety is green. However, there is also a purple variety sold by some farmer’s markets. It is a bit sweeter. We slice them into French fry-like wedges, dip in olive oil, season with paprika, garlic powder & sea salt and then bake.

To say that they are pure addictive bliss is an understatement!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 kohlrabi bulbs (stem, leaves and thick outer skin removed)

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• Dash of salt

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Slice kohlrabi into wedges or long thin strips

3. In a medium bowl, toss in the spices and mix well. Then add the kohlrabi, making sure to coat it well.

4. Place onto a baking rack with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes or until soft and slightly darkened on the outside. Flip over halfway through.

Sautéd Shishito Peppers

A QUICK SNACK: HOW TO MAKE SHISHITO PEPPERS

Shishito peppers make an excellent appetizer and finger-food. They are very easy to prepare.

While Shishito peppers are technically hot peppers, they are about 100X milder than a jalapeño, measuring 50-200 Scoville heat units. From what others have told me, about 1 in every 10 Shishito peppers is hot and spicy. But so far we have not experienced any hot ones. They are also very high in vitamin C. You can find both the green and red versions in farmer’s markets and Asian supermarkets. Their vivid red hue just means that it is a more mature green pepper.

INGREDIENTS

Quantities are approximate, as they really don’t make that much difference.

• Shishito peppers 🌶🌶🌶

• Olive oil

• Lemon juice

• Dash of salt

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Wash and dry Shishito peppers. It is not necessary to remove the seeds or cut the peppers.

2. Sauté in olive oil fort 10 minutes or until the skin gets slightly browned.

3. Keep mixing around.

4. When they are almost ready, drizzle with a little salt, some lemon juice and serve immediately

5. Don't eat the stems or ends.

The Pleasures of Autumn Royal Grapes

AUTUMN ROYAL GRAPES

Beautiful Autumn Royal seedless table grapes. Flanked by Scarlet Royal at left and Princess at right.

With their deep purple hue, sweet taste and crisp texture, Autumn Royal are quite possibly our favorite grape variety this season. They make a remarkably tasty grape juice as well!

As one of the Seven Species, grapes hold a very special place in the Torah. But most commercial grape juices are made of Concord grapes. While the Concord’s presence at a Shabbat table is virtually the definition of traditional, the Autumn Royal delivers a new and exciting experience for us.

It’s always fun to experiment with making familiar juices from unfamiliar varieties. It’s even fun to combine them into blends! When you make your own grape juice, you get to decide on the flavors, textures and colors that you serve yourself and your family for special occasions such as Shabbat meals.

Want to learn how to make homemade grape juice? Try it!

These grapes were purchased from Nicholas Farms, which is located in Orange Cove, CA.

Does Making Healthy Food Choices Mean You Are Missing Out?

homemade sourdough bread and vegan butter

“Making healthy decisions doesn’t mean you’re missing out on the so-called ‘good things in life’. Ironically, it means you’re gaining a better life.”

— Sara Speckels, Professional Whole-Food Plant-Based Chef

Since I was a child, I’ve always loved food. At every major family event, including my own bar mitzvah, I was always the last person to clear my plate. However, as it turned out, the food I was eating was not as healthy as I was led to believe. I suffered from debilitating sinus issues, food allergies and sensitivities for over 25 years. Whenever I would get a cold, it always evolved into a sinus infection.

In 2014, while experiencing brain fog, lack of energy and a host of issues brought on by work-related anxiety and stress, I also learned that I was suffering from advancing adrenal fatigue, which is certainly not helped by the Western diet.

Updating My Diet

On the advice of my doctor, I made a conscious decision to remove the refined breads, dairy, soy, processed and manufactured items, food additives and, for a time, all red meat and wheat products. With my wife’s help, I learned how to make almost all of my food from scratch.

Over several months, my sinuses largely cleared, many of my sensitivities disappeared, I lost 20 pounds, my mind became clearer and my energy began to return.

Eventually, this journey affected my entire household. My wife and I figured out how to make everything from nut milk to sourdough bread to school snacks for the kids.

Seeing Food As Medicine

I learned that the food that we eat can have a powerful effect on the human body. Do I miss eating a bagel and cream cheese, a pizza, a hot dog or a doughnut? To be honest, not really. But that’s just me. Like binge-drinking, eating the wrong foods always felt terrific in the moment. However, I always paid for it later.

I no longer struggle to breathe in the morning (the California wildfires notwithstanding). I have not gotten a sinus infection in nearly six years. And when I do react to something in my diet, it is very easy to identify it and make the appropriate substitutions.

What Are The Health Effects Of The Western Diet?

According to a study reported on by Forbes, 58% of all calories and 90% of added sugars consumed in the United States are from ultra-processed foods. Needless to say, these are a major health concern. These ultra-processed foods are loaded with empty calories, unlike the calories in their nutrient-dense whole-foods counterparts.

What Foods Should You Be Eating?

By switching to a diet rich in predominantly whole, unprocessed foods, you’ll consume much less simple starch and sugar, experience less inflammation and reduce toxins in your body. You will almost certainly feel better that you were before. It need not be a sudden shift. A gradual evolution is the best way to proceed.

Starting this Thanksgiving, why not use the holiday season to experiment with healthier new recipes? I’ll be posting simple and efficient meal ideas from my own experience. These include foods that have become staples in our household and that our kids have learned to enjoy as well.

Advice For The Holidays

Eat as many colorful plant foods as possible. Eat animal foods that have been sustainably farmed, properly fed and given a good quality of life. Using these raw materials, pick a handful of recipes that you can learn to make from scratch.

Don’t think in terms of what you might be missing out on. Consider what you are gaining.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jujubes: Gumballs For Your Health

What Is A Jujube?

You may have seen these cute little fruits at farmer’s markets, Asian shops and Indian stores during the early autumn months. They’re jujubes, also known as red dates or Chinese dates. Jujubes resemble miniature ornamental apples when fully ripe, with their dappled brownish-yellowish skin and firm texture. Bite into one and you will find slightly spongy flesh with a date-like pit at the center.

Unlike the popular candy of the same name, which has absolutely no nutritional value, the jujube fruit is a nutritional powerhouse. It contains lots of fiber and is high in vitamins A and C, the B vitamins, iron, phosphorus and calcium.

What Are Jujubes Used For?

Jujubes have been cultivated for over 4,000 years and are employed heavily in Chinese medicine. They are used for combatting insomnia and pain, as well as for their sedative effects. Of course, they can be taken in supplement form – but they’re certainly more delicious in their natural form!

I love sending jujubes to school with my kids, as they become little jujube addicts during snack time. The anti-anxiety and pro-digestive effects alone make it a worthwhile treat!

How Do You Use A Jujube?

Besides popping jujubes into your mouth like gum balls, what are its culinary possibilities? Here is a sampling of ideas:

1. Boil into a tea

2. Dehydrate into dried fruit

3. Dry and use in place of dates or raisins

4. Dry, chop up and mix with almonds, walnuts and other nuts as a trail mix

The Colorful Plumage of Pluots

What Is A Pluot?

Now that the stone fruit season is winding down, I want to pay homage to one of my favorites: pluots. Have you noticed these colorful-looking stone fruits at the farmer’s markets – and even at Trader Joe’s? Pluots are hybridized stone fruits that are roughly 75% plum and 25% apricot. They are a relative newcomer, having been developed in the late 1980s. What I love about their plum-like flavor is that they rarely exhibit the characteristic tartness of plums. Instead, they explode with sweetness. Nutritionally, they are very rich in vitamin C and potassium.

I grew up eating a handful of stone fruits: plums, apricots, peaches and nectarines. That was the extent of it, and in retrospect it seems so boring!

Dapple Dandy Pluot

Splash Pluot

Pluots Come In A Multitude Of Colors

By contrast, pluots come in dozens of varieties and a multitude of colors such as green, crimson, purple, orange and pink. My kids are most intrigued by their colorful names, which match their colorful skins: Dapple Dandy, Dinosaur Egg, Emerald Beauty, Flavor Grenade, Flavor Treat, Flavor Queen, Honey Punch, Crimson Beauty, Crimson Royale and Splash, among many others that we’ve tried. Each of my kids has a personal favorite.

For now, we must be content with finishing our last remaining pluots of the season, until the late-spring pluot harvest comes around again.

The Culinary Versatility of Raw Almonds

Are Almonds Nuts?

Almonds are all the rage these days in the food world. But did you know that they are not actually nuts? Botanically, almonds are stone fruits and are closely related to peaches and plums. We eat the kernel inside the hard shell.

When I was a kid, we would often remove the shell to get to the kernel inside. Nowadays our culture prizes convenience over authenticity. So it’s easy to forget that almonds do not actually grow in cellophane packaging! But what I find fascinating about almonds is that they are really just raw inputs into an entire world of culinary versatility.

What’s The Best Way To Eat Almonds?

There are many ways to consume almonds. Some of our favorites include:

• As a snack: Soak overnight and then dehydrate (or oven-dry) to eat as a part of a homemade trail mix

• As a beverage: Pulverize into almond milk

• As a garnish: Top off a salad with slices, flakes or slivers

• In schnitzel: Add (in the form of flour or meal) to make the coating for chicken schnitzel

• In matzo balls: Roll (in the form of flour or meal) into matzo balls

• As a dessert: Mix (in the form of flour) into a batter to make a honey cake

• As a gluten-free bread substitute: Mix (in the form of flour) into a dough to make a delicious bread loaf

• As a spread: Spread (in the form of nut butter) onto celery sticks or apples (Fuji or Gala taste the best!)

Early in the growing season, some cultures also have a custom of eating green almonds. These are really just the immature fruit (including the fuzzy outer hull), harvested before it has had a chance to harden.

How Do You Store Almonds?

Like nearly all nuts and nut-like foods, almonds are high in a variety of fats and oils. The high oil content creates two issues:

They are particularly efficient at absorbing pesticides. Therefore, they should be purchased organic whenever possible.

They are susceptible to going rancid fairly quickly due to heat and light. Therefore, they should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources. We prefer to store ours in the freezer but a fridge works just as well. Furthermore, once they've been soaked and dehydrated, they must be stored in the fridge or freezer.

What are some of the ways that you use almonds in your diet?