Starchless Cauliflower, Goat Cheese and Almonds Bake

With a request to develop a “vegetarian, starchless bake”, the decision to use cauliflower as the main ingredient was quite obvious, as this vegetable’s texture when cooked is as close to that of potatoes.

Leeks and Cheeses Filo Bake

Leeks are at their best in the winter, and when I saw some fresh and plump ones, I immediately grabbed a few. I used a couple of them to make leeks and potatoes patties (recipe can be found HERE), and with the rest I’ve decided to prepare a filo bake.

Zucchini, Cheese and Herbs Mini-Bakes

These tasty mini bakes are perfect for a weekend brunch, as a side dish or a light snack any time of the day.

Turkey, Leeks and Potatoes Meatloaf

With Thanksgiving around the corner, turkey dishes are obviously all over the net.

Sephardic Swiss Chard, Potatoes and Cheese Bake

This tasty bake is well loved in the Sephardic cuisine (check HERE for information about it), and is traditionally served for Saturday brunch. The bake is usually served with Tzatziki (recipe can be found HERE), hard boiled eggs and fresh vegetables or vegetable salad. Another tasty option is to serve it with a bit of date or maple syrup. The combination of sweet and salty is addictive.

Mushrooms Tart with Potato Crust

While we can get mushrooms year round, for some reason, winter always seems like a more appropriate season for mushroom dishes.
This easy and tasty tart is a good example for such dishes. It is hearty yet not too heavy – just perfect for a cold days lunch or dinner.

Mushrooms and Sweet Potato Mini-Bakes

Baked mushrooms casserole is a favorite of mine, and as Thanksgiving dinner is approaching rapidly, I’ve decided to experiment with my original recipe, to make it more suitable for the holiday.

Zucchini Cheese Bake with Hazelnuts Topping

This light, fresh and tasty bake is quick and easy to assemble. It can be served warm or cold, as an appetizer or a vegetarian entrée, or cut into small cubes and served as finger food.

Asparagus, King Oyster Mushrooms and Goat cheese Tart

The combination of asparagus and mushrooms is one of my favorites. Their flavors and textures seem to work so well together. I like to sauté them together and mix with cooked pasta, grated Parmesan cheese and good olive oil, or serve with polenta.
But when I saw these wonderful King Oyster mushrooms at the store, I thought it would be a shame to just chop them, so I’ve decided to use their unique shape with whole asparagus in this tart, which is very quick and easy to assemble and is just perfect for brunch.

Swiss Chard: Cheesy Bake and Spicy Salad

I’ve often wondered why the term “Swiss Chard” was used for a plant that originated in the Mediterranean basin and not in Switzerland.
Wikipedia gives this explanation “The word “Swiss” was used to distinguish chard from French spinach varieties by 19th century seed catalog publishers” – yet this still doesn’t explain why “Swiss” was chosen and not, say “Greek”… Who knows, maybe the catalog publishers were Swiss…

However, be it Swiss or not, Swiss chard is worth getting familiar with, and not only because of its’ highly nutritional values. Though similar in its’ uses to spinach, the chard leaves are firmer and have a more pronounced flavor, which make them much more suitable for bakes than spinach.