Some Soulful 'Surprises'

The dishes focus on healthy eating with a Jewish flair, and concentrate on fruits, vegetables and protein.

While this cookbook is picture-free, it does contain charts and tables with useful information on nutrition and serving sizes.

Rubin, a registered dietician, lives in Beersheva, Israel.

Grilled Eggplant Rolls
(Dairy)

2 large eggplants
3 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. low-fat feta or Bulgarian cheese
1/4 cup fresh minced herbs such as parsley, coriander, dill or mint
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Clean eggplants well. Cut off the stems and a small slice off of the bottoms. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into thin slices, about 1/2 -inch thick.

Preheat broiler or grill to high.

Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with oil, place on a baking sheet and cook until tender, about 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Crumble the feta or Bulgarian cheese in a bowl, and mix in the herbs, lemon juice and pepper.

Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture on the end of each eggplant slice and roll it up.

Arrange the rolls on a plate, seam-side down, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 15 to 20 rolls.

Sweet-Potato Soup
(Pareve)

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes (1 lb. total), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced thinly
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. soy sauce

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.

Add the onion and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and potatoes begin to caramelize. This will take about 10 minutes. (They should turn a deep golden-brown; be careful not to burn the vegetables.)

Add the ginger and cook, stirring, for another minute.

Add the water, salt and pepper and bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until sweet potatoes are completely soft.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor until totally smooth.

Add the soy sauce, stir and serve hot.

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Spicy Roasted Salmon
(Pareve)

1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsps. lemon juice
4 salmon fillets, 6 oz. each
2 Tbsps. brown sugar
4 tsps. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsps. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Place fish in a shallow glass container. Combine the orange and lemon juices, and pour it over the fish. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, lemon rind and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Drain excess marinade from the fish and rub the spice mixture into the fillets.

Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and arrange the fish fillets in a single layer.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.

Serves 4.

Surprise Cupcakes
(Pareve)

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened pareve chocolate, melted
2 Tbsps. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
11/2 cups raw grated carrots, zucchini or beets

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Beat the eggs and sugar in an electric mixer for 1 minute, until smooth.

Add the melted chocolate, oil and vanilla extract; mix well.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together, and add to the egg mixture.

Stir the grated vegetables into the batter.

Spoon into the muffin cups and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.

Makes 12 cupcakes.