Lovely Meal at Jerusalem's גן סיפור Gan Sipur

Last week I found myself invited with a small group to  גן סיפור Gan Sipur, a dairy restaurant in Jerusalem. Although I must have passed nearby many times, I hadn't the vaguest idea it existed. But after having a meal there, I won't forget it.

As you can see in the photo above, the food was amazing. The prices weren't bad considering the quantity and quality of the food. I ordered the "Sport Salad," which is in the foreground. It was really tasty. All of the salads chosen by my companions were excellent. 

My only complaint was the noise, though the staff did move us to a slightly quieter table. Acoustics aren't great, but I'm hypersensitive to noise and wear hearing aids, also. Yes, rather complicated.

Gan Sipur is in Gan Sacher near the junction of Betzalel Street, the High Court and Cinema City. It's in the park. 

Kosher Dairy

Open: Sunday – Thursday – 08:00-24:00, Friday – 08:00-14:30, Saturday Evening – An hour after Sabbath ends until midnight.

Contact: Seating can only be booked by telephone 072-3360999 Extension 5   

Endives, Recipes Raw and Cooked

I recently blogged that I had volunteered packing mushrooms and cauliflower for sale at Chavat Tekoa, the Tekoa Farm. As a thank you gift, we had been given a bag of endives. Now, to be completely honest, I hadn't a clue as to what endives are or how to serve/prepare them.

From the photo you can't see the size, so I must tell you they're relatively small, about the size of a skinny hand. While working with them, it occurred to me that they're similar to Chinese cabbage, which I haven't seen for decades. There's even a similar texture and taste.

Back to business...

I googled endives and found a variety of recipes, cooked and raw, plus some warnings. I even asked friends, who also warned... that they're bitter. Honestly, I didn't find them bitter at all. 

I used the recipes I saw as "inspiration." I almost never follow recipes exactly. 

Ingredients:

sliced onion

cut the endives lengthwise

apple sliced

olive oil and dehydrated dill

Bake 150c until it "looks cooked."

Our guests all enjoyed eating the endives, so I consider it a success. The reason for the apple was that I thought it would be nice contrast to the sharp/bitter endives.

You can use the same ingredients raw with less onion, or just add it to a salad. Actually, that's what I did. It was delicious.

Kiko, New Meat Restaurant in Armon Hanatziv near Arnona

Kiko Meat Restaurant, 

15 Daniel Yanovsky St, Armon Hanatziv, Jerusalem, 

Tel: 0778836883 Kashrut: Rabbanut Yerushalayim Mehadrin

Last week my friend and I decided to eat out, and she had recently read Eluna email and noticed a write-up about a new meat restaurant not far from where where we were. Yes, Kiko is the restaurant. It's right next to the Armon Hanatziv Promenade (the Tayelet), a major tourist destination in Jerusalem.

As we walked over, we decided that if it didn't look acceptable, then we'd go someplace else.

Lucky for all, Kiko seemed clean and comfortable, plus the prices were reasonable.

We went over the menu, Hebrew only, though the guy working here insisted that he could explain it in English if needed. 

 

There's a nice variety and choice of foods and presentations, sandwiches in different breads, platters and salads. 

We both ordered salads with meat. Mine was the kabob salad. After ordering, our meat portions were put up to cook. 

We were very pleasantly surprised to discover that we could have our bowl filled with whichever salad ingredients and dressings we wanted, like at a salad bar. All we had to do was to indicate to the young man working there what we wanted.

Once the salad bowls were full, we waited for our meat to finish cooking, and then we were called to get our dinners. We brought them to the table and ate. Both meals were perfect. We weren't offered any pittot or bread, which was fine with us.  Yes, we look forward to returning.

One Bowl Meal Salad, Easy to Prepare

 

You can see almost all the ingredients here:

onion, tomatoes, cucumbers and canned peas

What you don't see is the olive oil, pepper and a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

You can substitute cooked or canned lentils or beans for the peas and even add canned tuna, or whatever.  You can also add other vegetables to the salad, like leeks or red pepper, fennel or whatever suits your fancy or you have waiting impatiently in the fridge. 

I'd love to know what version you make. Let me know in the comments, thanks.

Easy to Make, Healthy Salad, Mostly From Cans

Yes, I call this salad "Easy to Make, Healthy Salad, Mostly From Cans." And it's not an oxymoron.

It can also be titled Corn, Bean and Tomato Salad, Corona Lock-down Recipe #4, because the canned food was delivered to us as part of the senior citizen care package at the height of the corona lock-down. Following are the first three recipes I developed with canned food from the carton:

• Cooking With Canned Beans, Corona Lock-down Recipe #1
• Cooking With Canned Pineapple, "Apple-Pineapple Compote," Corona Lock-down Recipe #2
• "Sauerkraut Salad," Corona Lock-down Recipe #3

If you had inspected my pantry before getting these COVID-19 "care packages," you'd have found almost no cans, not even tomato paste. The few cans would have been "food gifts" from the Purim mishloach manot. But suddenly I found myself with all sorts of canned food and decided to make up recipes.

This salad is also a great vegetarian-vegan "one pot meal." It contains protein plus raw and cooked vegetables. Of course you can substitute different types of beans and vegetables and add more fresh salad. Just looking at it you can probably guess almost all of the ingredients:

canned corn
canned white beans
diced tomato
diced onion
coarsely ground pepper
dehydrated dill
dressed with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice

Yes, that's it. Think of the recipe more as inspiration than an exact recipe. Try it, and tell me how yours turned out and how you varied it. Enjoy in good health.

Simply Delicious Power Salad

Here are the Ingredients*: beet, celeriac, carrots, apple and raisins
For the dressing, just some olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice

Equipment:
Either a hand shredder/grater or a food processor. Use the shredder attachment. This is one of the most important attachments to my food processor. It's the only one I've ever had to replace. The last time it broke I ended up buying a new food processor in an outlet store for less money than the attachment would have cost me, if I had even found one. My food processor is very old.

Preparation:
1- Rinse all the vegetables.
2- I only peel the celeriac and beet.
3- Cut to the size that can easily be shredded.
4- Put all the shredded vegetables in a bowl.
5- Add raisins.
6- Pour olive oil over the ingredients.
7- Squeeze sliced lemons.
8- Let it sit for at least half and hour, on counter or table if you're serving it immediately, and in the refrigerator if the salad is for another time.
9- Stir before serving.

ENJOY!

Perfect healthy, colorful salad.
Easy to make

*Quantities are flexible, and you can add different dried fruit, canned pineapple, cabbage either red and/or green.

Variations are certainly permitted and encouraged. How did yours come out?

"Sauerkraut Salad," Corona Lock-down Recipe #3

This is the third in the series of recipes I've been making with the goodies we've received in "care cartons" for senior citizens here in Shiloh during the Corona Lock-down. See, sample and share:

Cooking With Canned Beans, Corona Lock-down Recipe #1
Cooking With Canned Pineapple, "Apple-Pineapple Compote," Corona Lock-down Recipe #2

When I was putting away the cans, my head/mind kept trying to figure out what to do with them. Waste was not an option. Normally there's almost no canned food in my pantry, other than cans we received on Purim from others. But I believe that I must use these gifts, so I've been trying to figure out recipes.

Sauerkraut? Gevalt! That was never on our menu. Apparently sauerkraut is very healthy. Since simplicity is one of the hallmarks of my cooking or food preparation, I decided to add some to a salad. After half a century here in Israel, salad means minimally cucumbers and tomatoes. So I added  a few spoonfuls of sauerkraut. Yes, it's that simple.

Sauerkraut Salad

Yes, easy to prepare, healthy and surprisingly tasty, too.

Fantastic Salad Deal in Ariel

Last week I had a brunch date in Ariel. We had planned on eating in BIGA, in the new "mall" or better called "shopping center" across from the Ariel University. But since my "date" had come by car, we needed a parking space, and every one was full. I really didn't want to drive around and around, up and down hoping to find a car pulling out, so we went to the other mall, which has lots of parking.

The only problem was that besides the Greg dairy restaurant, in which we had an awful meal a few months ago, I didn't know of a place where we could have a nice simple meal. Considering that a lot of stores have recently opened, I suggested we case the joint. We parked the car at the end closest to the university and furthest from Rami Levi Supermarket, and then we walked. For some strange reason, there aren't many restaurants in that mall. We walked from one end to the other, and besides the Greg, nothing.

So, I suggested that we go to the second floor, over the Rami Levi. And we took the escalator up. We saw a bakery and decided to peek in and discovered that they serve sandwiches and salads made to order.  At only NS35, we decided to give their salad it a try.

The worker filled our plastic bowls with everything we asked for, tuna, fresh vegetables, a hard boiled egg, mushrooms, cheese, roasted vegetables and the salad dressing of our choice.

I think the name is "Lachmitzia," if I'm reading it correctly. It's a bakery cafe` and its sign also says "kosher mehadrin," meaning kosher to the highest standards. This is the phone number from their Facebook page 050-846-1484.

Many of the food businesses in Ariel cater to the residents of Shomron and Northern Binyamin, who are mostly religious Jews. The two new malls have all kosher stores, if I'm not mistaken. Although you can still find non-kosher restaurants and food stores in the older shopping areas. Many of the veteran residents of Ariel are Russian, not religious and even not halachikly Jewish. In recent years the population has changed. More religious and traditional Jews are moving to Ariel, besides all the university staff and students.

My salad

We were both happy with our salads. They didn't come with rolls, which didn't bother us. Since Lachmitzia is a bakery, we could have asked, but we really didn't want the temptation. Customers were coming in to buy rolls, rugelach, challah and cake. Some just sat eating cake and coffee. Ever since we ate there, I've been recommending it.

Afterwards, we looked at the shops nearby, and I bought some of the Chanukah presents for my family. Then we went down the elevator. I did more Chanukah shopping as we walked to the car.

I plan on reviewing the public toilets later on. The mall is officially called the Ariel Mall, but most people refer to it as the Rami Levi Mall, since the large discount supermarket is the draw for most visitors/customers.

Enjoy

BIGA, Ariel, Great Food and Service

Last week I blogged about my trip to check out the new mall across from the Ariel University.   It's only a few minutes from Shiloh and right near the bus stop/trampiada to a from Shiloh. I was with a couple of friends, and we had lunch out together in BIGA, a kosher dairy restaurant/bakery chain.

The mall has a couple of levels, and there are stairs and an elevator to get from one to another. BIGA is on top with a nice terrace, though my friends and I ate inside.

The menu was interesting, even though it's a chain. I had a delicious lentil salad and tried the bread, so I could review it...

My friends tried other dishes, and we were all very happy with our selections. Another good thing was that the staff was very accommodating when we requested that they lower the volume of the music.
I was the youngest in the group, and most of us are at the stage where hearing conversation can be difficult when there's too much background noise. We made a point to sit in a quiet corner.

The BIGA Bakery is very popular. My friends also stocked up on their bread. I saw that they also have a selection of gluten free breads.  I couldn't find the opening hours, but the telephone number is 03-7721779‬, and it's on 2 Moriah Street, Ariel, across from the Ariel University.

We all agreed that BIGA is the best restaurant in Ariel. I just hope it keeps up its standards.

Simple Chickpea Salad

Since we were hosting a vegetarian for a meat meal, I needed to serve a suitable protein for the guest. Summer weather made a salad seem like a good fit.

You need chickpeas, either from a can or cooked. I cooked these. It does take a few hours plus. First you soak them in boiling water in a covered pot for a few hours until they begin to swell, and then you pour out the water and rinse. Add lots more water and boil them for another couple of hours until they are nice and soft. Let them cool.

Once the chickpeas are cool, pour out the water, and in a nice bowl add:
chopped garlic
onion cut in small pieces, red onion is great if you have one
diced tomato

Mix them with the chickpeas, then add some olive oil and then coarse pepper and a bit of coarse salt to taste.  If you wish you can also add leaves or/or additional fresh vegetables. My guests loved it, even those who eat meat.

Salad Could be a Meal

This salad could be a complete meal, if you're trying to cut down on carbohydrates. The seeds have protein. It can also be a side dish, served with any sort of meal.

The ingredients:
shredded raw beet
pumpkin seeds
fresh parsley
mushrooms
cucumber
tomato

The dressing:
olive oil
freshly squeezed lemon juice

This colorful and tasty salad was my contribution to our book club's pot luck dinner meeting. This month we read Rebecca. I find that the best way to make sure that there's something low carb at the meal is to bring it myself.

Best Salad Deal in Jerusalem

The other day my friend and I needed a quick lunch before going to our "next stop/event." All I wanted to eat was a salad, and she was more flexible. We found ourselves in the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and checked out all the the options in the food court there. Even though there are about ten Israeli-style "fast food" places, nothing appealed to us, or at least to me.

Suddenly I remembered that there's a branch from the Neeman Bakery chain on the other side of the escalators. We went to check it out. They had a small custom-made salad for NS17, and it cost less than a shekel more to be able to eat at the table and be served in a regular bowl instead of the plastic container. My friend ordered soup. They both came with a nice-looking wholewheat roll, which she took home, since we didn't need to eat them. I was asked what dressing I wanted, and they were very generous with the olive oil.

My salad was fantastic. I had a choice of tuna and took the one that was plain. In addition, as you can see in the photo, I was able to get all sorts of cut salad until the bowl was overflowing.

This was a very pleasant surprise, and I plan on eating there in the future. I found the salad filling and the service excellent. You order at the counter, and they bring you to food to your table.

Perfect "Root Salad"

My husband makes the Chicken Soup, and one of his favorite ingredients is celeriac, but just the leaves.

That leaves us with the roots, which end up waiting in the bottom of the fridge for me to inspired and motivated. To be honest, those roots aren't very attractive, and you need a steady hand and sharp knife to get them in condition to be used as a food ingredient.

There are three basic things I do with them:

• cook them with other vegetables in the oven, not very popular
• grate/shred them for kugels, especially as a lower carb potato kugel
• shred to be used in a salad

This week I made a salad with them. I also shredded carrots and an apple in the food processor. For extra sweetness, I also threw in some dark raisins.  I used my usual salad dressing, olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It was a great success and very popular with our guests.

Homemade Soup at Coney Island, Jerusalem

Yes, again I revisited Coney Island, the "fast food" real food place at the lightrail stop on Rechov Yaffo, Jerusalem.

After much nudging from the friendly woman behind the counter, I agreed to try their "Orange Soup."  Now, for those who don't know what Orange Soup is, it's as vegetable soup made mostly of orange vegetables, carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin. And then it's blended by using one of those "stick blenders" into a creamy soup, yes, just what you'd feed an infant or young toddler. And at NS5 for a cup, it's a bargain and also pure enough to feed to a baby. I'm highly sensitive to the smell of "soup powder" and didn't feel that there was any here.

Most of the drinks, coffee etc are NS5. Nice sized sandwiches are NS12 for the ready-made and NS16 if you choose your filling.  That is a better price than I've seen elsewhere. Believe me that you get lots more sandwich, especially the filling, in the Coney Island sandwich than you'll get in three NS5- ones.

I've already blogged about what a great deal their salads are. The soup and salad were my dinner one night last week. Even though their setup is small, there are a few tables, and I was able to have a relaxing meal right in the Center of Jerusalem on Jaffa Street.

Coney Island is strictly kosher and does catering in dairy, meat and parve. They also have a large selection of gluten free bakery products. For more information, Avi 054-569-6135, Yael 052-668-4005, [email protected].

Simple Avocado Salad

The other day, I grabbed an avocado to take with me for lunch. OK, that is a pretty dumb thing to do, since avocados are awfully messy. That's not a problem when you're home, since avocados make great face (and no doubt neck) cream. So, it's no surprise that I didn't have lunch when I was out. But the minute I got in I quickly assembled a nice colorful salad with the avocado, a tomato and a mushroom.

I love the colors. And I also like how it looks on the newspaper. I was getting tired of photographing food on the same tablecloths all the time. On black and white the colors of the tomato and avocado really stand out. Yes, that's how red and yummy the tomato was, and you can see that the avocado was also perfectly ripe and ready to be eaten.

This salad took me just a couple of minutes to prepare and not much more to eat it.

Salad Meal on a Budget in The Center of Jerusalem

Yesterday, my friend and I decided that we wanted a simple, low calorie meal. We had just found her the perfect tzni'usdik, modest bathing suit, ok a bit more expensive than the same one would have been in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin, but close enough to the price, so it wasn't worth traveling there. Yes, the store where I work does have great prices, not only the best over-age saleswoman!!! 

As only good friends could do, we both pointed to the nearby Cafe Ne'eman, on the iconic corner building on Jaffa and King Gorge, where you can get your choice of ready-made salads plus a fresh roll for all of NS24.90. I chose the Tuna and she took one of the White Cheese ones. And we both took the rolls home to freeze for some other occasion, or our husbands...

Even though Downtown Jerusalem was loaded with people, tourists, locals, families etc, the lovely tables for budget diners were empty, and we had our choice as to where to sit.  We could watch all the action on Jaffa Street, while we had a nice, leisurely lunch and chat.

They also have a nice selection of sandwiches, pastries and great coffee. "Fast food" does not always mean greasy and fattening.

Another Creative Easy-to-Make Salad

The only equipment you need for this salad is a food processor/grater/shredder.

Yes, those are the ingredient:
carrots, apples, raisins and celery root (celeriac)

• Shred everything but the raisins. 
• Add the raisins and shredded vegetables and fruit to a bowl.
• Pour some olive oil 
• mix and then add freshly squeezed lemon juice.

That's it! You can add seeds and/or nuts, too. Tell me how it comes out, OK! 

Perfect, Healthy and Easy Salad Mix

Israeli salads have become rather amazing, certainly not the old standard diced tomatoes and cucumbers with a bit of onion, which was once the summer standard. Today, pretty much any fruit, vegetable and nut can be added. So for our annual Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day barbecue and feast at my cousin's I brought a "Modern Israeli Salad" that had almost everything but tomatoes, cucumbers and onion.

Here are the main ingredients:

red cabbage
carrot
apple
celeriac
sunflower seeds
raisins

Please remember that you don't have to use the same exact ingredients. Be creative!!! And please let me know in the comments how you made it, thanks.

I used the food processor to shred the carrots, apple, celeriac and cabbage. 

dressed with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice

I put all of the ingredients into a very large bowl/pot to mix and toss with the dressing.

Then I packed it tightly into a nice plastic serving/storage container to bring to the party.

This was the perfect addition to the meal, and the bowl/container was part of the gift. There were many other salads, each very different, which made it easy to fill up on healthy dietetic food. Considering that most or at least many of us are at that stage in life where weight piles on much too easily, it was especially nice that almost all of the side dishes were low carb.