Recipes

Mrs. G. Wieder

Coloring Books and Cookbooks

Healthy Cookbook Discovered in Your Own Kitchen

I get this request in person, in writing, by phone, email and through the grapevine: ‘’Publish a healthy cookbook!’’

I always answer that healthy cookbooks are available all over. Open your cabinet, take out any cookbook and start with your favorite recipe…. I’m waiting.

Where did you get stuck? You probably turned the page when you hit the culprit, that third ingredient on the list, the one which should never make its way into the mouths of your loved ones: flour.

Where has your creativity gone?

One major cause of your stifled creativity is the coloring books in preschool. Yep, you heard that right. As a preschool principal for over a decade, I was against the use of coloring books, no ifs ands or buts about it (and the staff might laugh remembering the war over coloring books). I am not crazy; there is logic behind the principles of the principal. When you give a child an empty sheet of paper, his imagination goes wild. He has endless ways to express his creativity. If you hand him a coloring book, the options narrow down to one: choosing his preferred color of crayon. Today, color. Just pick a color. Tomorrow, color again. And so they ride nonstop on this pick-a-color merry-go-round for days and weeks on end. What a waste of time and talent! Therefore, when I headed preschool, I banned coloring books. And not surprisingly, the preschoolers generally excelled in drawing and coloring, far above the skill of your average kindergartener.

It is my belief that clinging to our own coloring books, or cookbooks as the case may be, restrains us from opening our wings and soaring. All too often when you spot that forbidden ingredient in the best of recipes, instead of exploring your creativity, you simply become paralyzed.

Flour? I don’t cook with flour.

Turn the page.

Flip.

Come on, don’t hesitate. Just substitute something else instead.

We can now enjoy healthy food according to your tastes and standards. Worried that the flavor and presentation won’t be good enough? Tell the jitters to come back after you finish. The dish will certainly come out delicious in taste and appearance since you are amazing, and if you want to learn the ropes of healthy food preparation, you can.

What we need is not a book of recipes but an “unrecipe” book that will teach you what you need to know to allow you to cook with confidence. Cooking preparation starts by preparing the chef first.

And this was your first lesson.

From the moment my kids are old enough to follow a recipe, I teach them how to cook and bake naturally. I teach them how to substitute. One cup flour means a cup of Kamut flour, and a cup of sugar is simply organic sugar, or alternatively a half-cup of agave/maple syrup. Vanilla sugar can be replaced with vanilla extract (which is used by professional chefs because it has the real flavor), salt is exchanged with sea salt, apple cider vinegar replaces plain vinegar, and so on. And guess what? My dishes taste better because the imitation is never as good as original. This is the best-kept secret of the culinary industry.

Stay tuned for more cooking lessons!

You dream it- you can do it!

Unrecipes

Recipes are “a set of exact instructions for making or preparing something.” In this column, you will not find any recipes. Rather, we will discuss healthy food choices.

For easy flaky dough, see Colored Pages.

Fillings

Jam-pack your flaky dough with natural fillings.

Choose any of the below.

For Your Sweet Tooth

CHERRY PIE

In the past, I used to get cold feet whenever I had to make cherry pie, until I dared to take my dream a step further and figured out the easiest way to imitate one. Just goes to show you the kitchen is yours. Enjoy yourself!

Use 2 lbs. dark red plums (soft and sweet are the best). Remove pits. Cut into small pieces.

Add sweetener of your choice (amount will depend on the sourness of the plum). Cook on a very low flame for a few hours until it is very soft and resembles jam.

Mash or blend with hand blender. Add two tablespoons corn or tapioca starch.

If you have leftover filling, place into cup cake holders and bake. Serve as side dish and expect requests for seconds!

A classic and elegant side dish or dessert, this will definitely enhance your Yom Tov and Simcha meal.

APPLE TURNOVER

2 apples

½ cup organic sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch dissolved in a drop of water

Drop of cinnamon

Combine and cook over medium heat until condensed.

Variation: Combine cherry pie filling and apple turnover filling in your pie, turnover, or any other pastry of your choice.

KINDEL

1 lb. walnuts, ½ ground, ½ chopped

½ lb. filberts, ground

1 lemon peel & juice

1 orange peel & juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 ½ cups (or less) organic sugar

Mix filling ingredients. Roll out.

The above recipes go well with this glaze.

WHITE DRIZZLE GLAZE

1 tablespoon boiling water

1 tablespoon oil

½ cup organic confectionery sugar

*Although it is not a healthy practice to use flour and fruit together on a regular basis, once in a while is okay.

Fillings

Jam-pack your flaky dough with natural fillings.

Choose any of the below.

For Your Sweet Tooth

CHERRY PIE

Use 2 lbs. dark red plums (soft and sweet are the best). Remove pits. Cut into small pieces.

Add sweetener of your choice (amount will depend on the sourness of the plum). Cook on a very low flame for a few hours until it is very soft and resembles jam.

Mash or blend with hand blender. Add two tablespoons corn or tapioca starch.

If you have leftover filling, place into cup cake holders and bake. Serve as side dish and expect requests for seconds!

A classic and elegant side dish or dessert, this will definitely enhance your Yom Tov and Simcha meal.

APPLE TURNOVER

2 apples

½ cup organic sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch dissolved in a drop of water

Drop of cinnamon

Combine and cook over medium heat until condensed.

Variation: Combine cherry pie filling and apple turnover filling in your pie, turnover, or any other pastry of your choice.

KINDEL

1 lb. walnuts, ½ ground, ½ chopped

½ lb. filberts, ground

1 lemon peel & juice

1 orange peel & juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 ½ cups (or less) organic sugar

Mix filling ingredients. Roll out.

The above recipes go well with this glaze.

WHITE DRIZZLE GLAZE

1 tablespoon boiling water

1 tablespoon oil

½ cup organic confectionery sugar

*Although it is not a healthy practice to use flour and fruit together on a regular basis, once in a while is okay.

Fillings

Jam-pack your flaky dough with natural fillings.

Choose any of the below.

For Your Sweet Tooth

CHERRY PIE

Use 2 lbs. dark red plums (soft and sweet are the best). Remove pits. Cut into small pieces.

Add sweetener of your choice (amount will depend on the sourness of the plum). Cook on a very low flame for a few hours until it is very soft and resembles jam.

Mash or blend with hand blender. Add two tablespoons corn or tapioca starch.

If you have leftover filling, place into cup cake holders and bake. Serve as side dish and expect requests for seconds!

A classic and elegant side dish or dessert, this will definitely enhance your Yom Tov and Simcha meal.

APPLE TURNOVER

2 apples

½ cup organic sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch dissolved in a drop of water

Drop of cinnamon

Combine and cook over medium heat until condensed.

Variation: Combine cherry pie filling and apple turnover filling in your pie, turnover, or any other pastry of your choice.

KINDEL

1 lb. walnuts, ½ ground, ½ chopped

½ lb. filberts, ground

1 lemon peel & juice

1 orange peel & juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 ½ cups (or less) organic sugar

Mix filling ingredients. Roll out.

The above recipes go well with this glaze.

WHITE DRIZZLE GLAZE

1 tablespoon boiling water

1 tablespoon oil

½ cup organic confectionery sugar

*Although it is not a healthy practice to use flour and fruit together on a regular basis, once in a while is okay.

WHY KAMUT?

Kamut (pronounced ka-moot) is an ancient whole grain that was first cultivated by the Egyptians thousands of years ago. Known for its superior nutritive value, this whole grain contains more protein, fat and selenium, an antioxidant mineral, than common durum wheat.

Kamut is quick and easy to prepare and has a sweet, slightly nutty taste. It's a healthy alternative to wheat for people who are sensitive to products made with modern, refined wheat. However, people with intolerance to gluten - a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley - can't consume kamut as it also contains gluten.

Fillings

Jam-pack your flaky dough with natural fillings.

Choose any of the below.

For Your Sweet Tooth

CHERRY PIE

Use 2 lbs. dark red plums (soft and sweet are the best). Remove pits. Cut into small pieces.

Add sweetener of your choice (amount will depend on the sourness of the plum). Cook on a very low flame for a few hours until it is very soft and resembles jam.

Mash or blend with hand blender. Add two tablespoons corn or tapioca starch.

If you have leftover filling, place into cup cake holders and bake. Serve as side dish and expect requests for seconds!

A classic and elegant side dish or dessert, this will definitely enhance your Yom Tov and Simcha meal.

APPLE TURNOVER

2 apples

½ cup organic sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch dissolved in a drop of water

Drop of cinnamon

Combine and cook over medium heat until condensed.

Variation: Combine cherry pie filling and apple turnover filling in your pie, turnover, or any other pastry of your choice.

KINDEL

1 lb. walnuts, ½ ground, ½ chopped

½ lb. filberts, ground

1 lemon peel & juice

1 orange peel & juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 ½ cups (or less) organic sugar

Mix filling ingredients. Roll out.

The above recipes go well with this glaze.

WHITE DRIZZLE GLAZE

1 tablespoon boiling water

1 tablespoon oil

½ cup organic confectionery sugar

*Although it is not a healthy practice to use flour and fruit together on a regular basis, once in a while is okay.