Penne With Creamy Mushroom

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter (or margarine if you prefer to keep it pareve or will use use during a meat meal)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 shallots, sliced
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup Velouté sauce (or MimiCreme if you prefer to keep it pareve)
• 2 tablespoons Port wine
• 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 ounces dried penne
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnishing

Directions

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, heavy bottom skillet. Add the shallots  and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally , for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat for an additional 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle in the flour, and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
2. Remove skillet from heat and gradually stir in the Velouté sauce (or MimiCreme) and Port wine. Return to the heat, add the sun-dried tomatoes and grated nutmeg, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large bottom pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, return to a boil, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta well and add the mushroom sauce, cook for 3 minutes, then transfer to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy; I did!

CS

Egg Salad

Enough for 2 or 3 sandwiches

My uncle once told me a funny story: about forty years ago, he once set out to make a recipe that called for capers and he thought that he would use fresh, rather than something from a jar. He looked and looked and looked and couldn’t find fresh. He could only find the pickled ones, which he later realized were how capers were prepared and sold. And now, every time I open a jar I think of his story. I like a little bit of chopped capers in my egg salad, or something a bit vinegary. You could also use some chopped cornichons or pickles – and their juice – in place of the capers.

You can use any kind of pepper powder that you want. Note that if you use a red one, it will turn the color of the egg salad a somewhat fiery shade of red.

6 hard-boiled eggs
1/3 (70g) cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (drained) capers, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons caper juice
3/4 teaspoon pepper, such as Isot (Urfa), black pepper or red pepper powder
sea salt
optional: 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1. Peel the eggs and chop them into pieces.
2. Mix the eggs in a bowl with the mayonnaise, mustard, capers, caper juice, pepper, and a good sprinkle salt. If desired, add the sunflower seeds.

To serve, spread on toasted grainy bread, then garnish with additional salt, pepper, and some chopped chives.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 lb 9 oz ripe tomatoes, skinned, cored and halved
• 3 large yellow bell peppers. seeded and halved
• 3 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 4 garlic cloves, halved
• 2 onion cloves, cut into eights
• pinch of thyme
• 4 cups chicken vegetable, or beef stock
• 1/2 cup MimicCreme
• salt and pepper
• shredded basil leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Brush a large shallow baking dish with olive oil. Laying them cut-sized down, arrange the tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant in one layer (use two dishes if necessary). Tuck the garlic cloves and onion pieces into the gaps and drizzle the vegetables with the remaining olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme.
3. Place in preheated oven and bake uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until soft and browned around the edges. Let cool, then scrape out the eggplant flesh and remove the skin from the bell peppers.
4. Working in batches, put the eggplant and bell pepper flesh, together with the tomatoes, zucchini, garlic and onion place into a bowl and chop together using a knife.
5. Combine the stock and chopped vegetable mixture in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and the flavors have completely blended.
6. Stir in the MimicCreme and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until hot. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, garnish with basil and serve.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Viennese Chocolate Fingers

Makes about 18

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sweet margarine
• 6 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
• 1 1/2 cups self – rising flour, sifted
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 7 ounces dark chocolate

Directions

1. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Beat the sweet margarine and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat the flour and cornstarch into the mixture.
2. Melt 2 1/4 oz of the dark chocolate and beat into the cookie dough.
3. Place in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe fingers bout 2 inches long on the prepared cookie sheets, slightly spaced apart to allow for spreading during cooking.
4. Bake in a prepared oven at 375 F for 12-15 minutes. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets, then carefully transfer with a spatula to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5. Melt the remaining, dark chocolate and dip one end of each cookie in the chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl.
6. Place the cookies on a sheet of baking parchment and allow to completely set before serving.

Not only do these cookies practically “melt in your mouth,” but the taste is almost unequaled by anything else I can remember. They went so fast, I never got a chance to shoot my own picture and had to use the photo above, a detail from the one appearing  in the book!

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Recipe and photo from: superspark.wordpress.com

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

(makes 1 quart; 4 small servings)

Food Network.com’s website has the following recipe, among others:

Red Lentil Soup

Recipe and photo from: http://www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils, washed and soaked for 1 hour, drained
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 green serrano chile, split and seeded
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Kosher salt
• Honey, to taste
• Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Photo by: Alison Nathan

Jeff Nathan’s
Tarragon Salmon Fillets with Vegetable Ragout

Dairy — Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (2 tablespoons chilled)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground fennel seed, optional
• 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced
• 4 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 cup Vegetable Broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 7 to 8-ounce salmon fillets, skinned
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Position a broiler rack about 6 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler.
2. To make the ragout, melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and fennel and cook, stirring often, until garlic gives off its aroma, about 1 minute. Add the shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give off their juices, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, broth, lemon juice, and tarragon. Bring the broth to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes are heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, partially cover with a lid, and keep warm
3. Meanwhile, brush the salmon on both sides with the oil, sprinkle with the tarragon, and season with salt and pepper. Oil the broiler rack. Broil the fish, skin sides up, for 3 minutes. Turn and continue broiling until the fish is opaque in the center with a tinge of rose color when prodded with the tip of a sharp knife, about 5 minutes more for medium-rare salmon. Place each salmon fillet on a dinner plate.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into bits, to the vegetables. Stir with a wooden spoon, being careful not to break up the vegetables, to melt the butter. Season the ragout with salt and pepper. Spoon the ragout over the salmon and serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader enjoy!

CS

Lemon Tarts are and have long been personal favorites, here is a a parve (and a dairy) version of the recipe:

Photo from: http://ourfamilyfoodadventures.com/2011/08/29/a-little-plate-of-sunshine/

Lemon Tarts

(adapted from Eat, Play, Love)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Tart Crust

• 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 6 tablespoons margarine (butter, for a dairy version)
• 6 tablespoons parve cream cheese (regular cream cheese,  for a dairy version)
• 2 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tart Filling

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon lemon peel, minced
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter

Since, I’ve made this recipe a few times because it tastes great and it’s easy:

Photo from: http://moderndayozzieandharriet.blogspot.com

Salmon in Lemon Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. margarine
• 1 lb. salmon filets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 pinch oregano
• 3 oz. dry white wine
• 2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. capers
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet. Lightly salt and pepper the fish. Cook the fish over medium-high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
2. Add the tarragon, garlic, parsley, oregano. When garlic browns add capers, white wine and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove fish from fire to a plate keeping it warm as you make the sauce. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet. Whisk in the cornstarch; when smooth, add the cream and milk, whisking until smooth, cook until it thickens.
4. Simmer for one minute, return the fish to the pan, and reheat for another minute. Top fish with sauce and serve with rice.

Spaghetti with Oil and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped, parsley
• Salt and pepper
• chilli pepper flakes (optional)

Delicious, refreshing, good for you

Pomegranate juice has a great concentration of antioxidants, various studies say it is similar to red wine, purple grape juice and black tea. Preliminary research has shown that it may reduce the danger of various types of cancer, it may reduce serum cholesterol and protect arteries from clogging. In the summer I like it as an ice cold drink, but it is a very popular ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It is also used as a marinade for grilled meats.

Since we are in the Nine Days and meat may not be eaten, I thought it appropriate to bring you a delicious fish recipe, which I adapted from Perfect Jewish, by Elizabeth Wolfe-Cohen, published by Parragon Books.

Photo from: Perfect Jewish, page 106. - Copyright by: Parragon Books, Ltd.

Stuffed Oven-Baked Trout with Pomegranates

Yields: 4 servings

• 4 Whole trout, about 10 to 12 oz each, cleaned, scaled, rinsed and dried
• vegetable oil for oiling
• 2 tablespoons margarine

Stevie Doueck, the Festival’s Founding Director, graciously hosted us for part of the day; it was Wellness Wednesday featuring fitness classes, nutrition advice, the inspirational film Forks over Knives with a health discussion led by Sari Dan and a keynote address by
Dr. Frank Sabatino, a nutrition and wellness lifestyle counselor who incorporates chiropractic alignment, auriculotherapy and nutritional supplements in his private practice (whose work will be featured on the Kosher Scene’s Radio Show, time to be announced).

Jonny Zemmol, led a Laughter Therapy group, judging by the participants reactions during and after it was obviously fun, educational and a true release

We got to sample Fortune Debbah’s healthy salad dressings, which were simple to prepare and simply delicious. I’ve included one of her salad dressing recipes and a variation. The day’s festivities also included a healthy vegan lunch and dinner.

Fortune Debbah shared a recipe and a variation with the audience:

Garlic Basil Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup basil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Equal amount of water as juice yield
• 2 teaspoons flax seed
• 1 small piece of onion (optional)
• 5 nuts (walnuts)
• Sea salt or braggs to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients in blender and use immediately

Variation

1 cup mint instead of basil, skip the cumin

And that’s precisely what you can expect from Lévana Kirschenbaum’s new cookbook The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen - Glorious Meals Pure and Simple.

Though aesthetically the book’s layout is rather ordinary looking, the content is superb. It’s jam-packed with healthy mains, soups, salads, pastas, beads and desserts; aside from the general index, the cookbook includes a Passover index and a gluten-free index, with recipe notations indicating gluten free or gluten free adaptable. The recipes and text reflect a seasoned master chef who poured her culinary heart and soul into this cookbook. All content is meticulously organized and the format though visually lackluster nonetheless delivers the author’s usual witty humor and éclat in a most lively entertaining way.

Truly a hitchhiker’s guide to all things good-for-you and delicious, you’ll get never-ending use out of this comprehensive culinary work. The variations that accompany the recipes are awesome as are the tips and running commentary that weave through the pages. It’s like having a master chef or super balabusta mom right there with you preparing your best. Meir Pliskin’s photographs are tastefully done though the publisher’s cropping and cheap printing is somewhat disappointing. Lisa Young’s nutritional info though not revolutionary in content, serves as a useful reminder of healthy choices.

From the book, on page 171:

Roasted Vegetables GF P

Everyone likes a plate of grilled veggies, to eat as is or to use as a filling for sandwiches. I have chosen to share the most ridiculously simple way. First of all, my “grilled” vegies are roasted, requiring no turning over and no maintenance. Second, the trick is endives, radishes, brussel sprouts and fennel; but you will roast carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, potatoes separately because they have a longer cooking time. Roast beets all by themselves so they don’t bleed into your other veggies, or use the wonderful golden beets now available at all good produce stores. For all roasting, remember, one layer, no piling! Lining the baking sheet with foil reduces, or sometimes eliminates, cleaning.

When the vegetables are roasted, go ahead and get a little fancier, if you wish, toss in a little olive oil, chopped fresh basil, a few drops of balsamic vinegar and a little ground pepper. Most often I add nothing at all!

2 large zucchini, cut in sticks
2 large red onions, sliced thick
3 large red peppers, cut in large sections
1 large eggplant, cut in sticks
2 large portobello mushrooms, cups and stems separated, stems cut in half
Sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a large cookie sheet (you might need 2) with foil. Spray heavily with vegetable spray. Place the vegetables snuggly and in one layer on the cookie sheet.

Spray heavily again with vegetable spray. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables look slightly charred. The mushrooms (or string beans or asparagus) might be ready first. Slice the mushrooms on a bias when they are cool enough to handle.

The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen cookbook is all about eating right without missing out on taste or style. The key is using healthy, wholesome, fresh ingredients combining flavors with such mastery your palate will think there is magic at play. It’s really the years of trial and error honing skills that have truly reached their apex of expertise. Lévana epitomizes her own quoting of Antoine de Saint Exupery’s words (at the bottom of page 17): “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Don’t miss this essential kitchen tool!

SYR

I still remember how barbaric her scraping walls of the intestines looked, as she prepped them to be stuffed with gelinglach (lung, rice and lots of pepper), and those sweet breads looking like splattered brain matter, before she sautéed them with mushroom and onions, smelling heavenly- later to become one of my personal favorite delicacies. She made Jewish classics like p’tchah and roasts that melted in your mouth, brust-deckle, tzimmes, Hungarian goulash, and chicken paprikash, and homemade pickles, beets and ugorkashalata (cucumber salad). You name it  she could make it.

I don’t think she ever looked in a recipe book, she measured by eye and taste and what made innate sense to her. She had an uncanny sense for putting together ingredients be it for cooking or baking. Without knowing the chemistry of why she knew how and her tables were overflowing with amazing dishes. And I honestly can’t remember a time when something didn’t come out right, her consistency was truly remarkable. She used to raise thousands for Hadassah and UJA with her luncheons. I remember being floored when all these fancy clad high falutin American women came pouring into our house for her sit down dinner fund raisers. All cultural barriers disappeared as they sat and enjoyed the never ending multi course meals served on Herendi dishes and those blue or forest floral china with the gold accents that are so popular among the Hungarians. The lively chatter and coming together around delicious food in a homey environment was a fabulous success, each and every time. Her Shabbos and Yom Tov meals were no different. Relatives could call up a few hours before Shabbos to say they were coming, and two hours later between the freezer and adding to fresh dishes already on the stove a feastele was ready.

Mom lost cerebellar function close to twenty five years ago, and though it slowed her down, she found a way to continue cooking. It kept her sane, and proved each day that she was still the balebusta of the house. Nowadays, mom’s still at it. She makes the most delicious aromatic chicken soup; you would smell the parsley and dill welcoming the Shabbos malachim into our home every week. The freezer is till filled with plastic containers filled of her golden elixir, in case anybody gets hungry or needs a refuah.

This year she announced that she’s giving up baking. So this past Purim, I baked mom’s markosh and diosh and brought the loaves down and she prepared plates for her few surviving Hungarian friends and close neighbors. One of the delicacies mom served on Pessachwere her drum cookies. I’ve made a batch in her honor and lovingly share them with you now. I warn you, they are decadent and outrageous.

Drum cookies, addictive, delicious...

Drum Cookies

Yields 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar (à la Levana) Or use Kosher for Passover baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. potato starch
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely ground nuts- preferably filberts or pecans, for rolling the cookie sandwich

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Whip eggs with the cream of tartar and the salt until fluffy and shiny.
3. Gradually add the sugar, starch and vanilla, and continue whipping until very stiff peaks form.
4. Fold in the nuts gently, until thoroughly incorporated
5. Spoon half dollar dollops onto a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. you will get approximately 20 -24 drops.
6. Bake 30 minutes, or a little longer, until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown and the tops feel firm.
7. Set aside to cool

Cream Filling

Ingredients

• 1 stick margarine
• 1 cup real chocolate melted
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp. water

Directions

1. Whip the margarine in mixer, slowly add the chocolate and the rest of the ingredients.
2. Chill for an hour before filling.
3. Spoon about a tbsp. of filling onto cookie ( flat sides of cookie on outside), place another cookie on top and then roll in ground nuts.
4. Chill before serving.

Enjoy!

SYR

We chose all these recipes both because of their taste and the ease of preparation.

Last evening, at a cooking demo by Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum, I tasted her incredibly flavorful and very simple to prepare…

Aduki Bean Burdock Soup

Ingredients

• 12 cups water
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 6 bay leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
• 2 cups aduki beans
• Salt to taste
• 4 large cloves garlic
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 1 celery root, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut in large chunks
• 1 large zucchini, cut in large chunks
• 1 large red onion, quartered
• 1 large piece burdock, peeled and cut in large chunks

Directions

1. Bring all ingredients to boil in a wide heavy pot.
2. Reduce to medium and cook covered for 1 hour.
3. Cream the soup with an immersion blender.
4. Adjust texture and seasonings.

If you do not have, if you cannot find burdock, you can substitute almost anything else. In spite of her recipe calling for burdock, Lévana – just to demonstrate the versatility of her recipe – used kale stalk instead

If you are like me you probably never heard of burdock before…What is burdock? For its culinary and medicinal properties look it up in the Wikipedia. Meanwhile, as the article says:

the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy wrote in his journal, in 1896, about a tiny shoot of burdock he saw in a ploughed field, “black from dust but still alive and red in the center … It makes me want to write. It asserts life to the end, and alone in the midst of the whole field, somehow or other had asserted it.”

For another of Chef Lévana’s superb soup recipes check out Quick Black Bean Chocolate Soup

To end this series I chose to adapt an Emeril Lagasse variation of the classic French Onion Soup on the Food Network :

Gratinee Lyonnaise (Lyon-style Onion Soup)

[adapted to conform with kashrus]

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup cognac
• 8 cupspareve soup stock
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen string
• 1/2 loaf French bread, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 pound Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 egg yolks (optional)
• 1/2 cup Port wine (optional)
• Finely chopped parsley, garnish

Directions

In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the cognac. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Be careful as the cognac may ignite.

Add the soup stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the soup for 45 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, toast the bread slices until light golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Preheat the broiler.

When the soup is ready, divide 1/2 of the toasted bread slices between 6 individual ovenproof serving bowls or crocks and top with 1/2 of the grated cheese. Ladle some of the soup among the bowls and top with the remaining toasts. Ladle the remaining soup among the bowls and top with the remaining cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted, golden brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Optional topping:

In a small bowl combine the egg yolks and Port and whisk to thoroughly combine. Pour some of the mixture evenly among the soup bowls, stirring in around the edges so that it is incorporated into the soup. (The heat of the soup will cook the egg yolk and this will thicken and enrich the soup.)

Photo by: http://www.theglobaljewishkitchen.com/2010/07/21/sephardic-turkish-salad/

Cooked tomato salad: Matbukha

Gluten Free, Pareve

This is one of our Moroccan favorite dishes, a sort of comfort food for ex-pats and honorary Sephardis alike: See how they mop that sauce with their bread! Shakshuka is nothing more than Matbukha with eggs scrambled into it and served as a main course, and gets its funny name from the Arabic word for “scramble.” Sometimes tomatoes get too expensive; in this case, it would be OK to use canned diced tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 whole head garlic
• 2 red bell peppers, washed, cored, and seeded
• 2–3 jalapeño peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, or 8 plum tomatoes, diced small (settle for 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, liquid and all)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Slice about ¼ inch off the pointed end of the head of garlic, leaving the cloves exposed.
3. Drizzle the olive oil onto the garlic and the peppers, place them on a cookie sheet, and roast for 30 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and the peppers are charred (the peppers might be ready a few minutes before the garlic).
4. Press the cloves out of their skins while still warm and mash with a fork.
5. Peel the peppers and cut them into thin strips.
6. In a heavy wide-bottom pot, bring the tomatoes, oil, and paprika to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to medium, add the roasted garlic and peppers, and cook covered for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. All of the water should evaporate, and the oil will resurface (if you neglect this step, you will not get the desired look and texture but a glorified tomato sauce).
8. Add the freshly minced garlic and the salt and pepper to taste.
9. Let cool and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use a slotted spoon to serve so the oil stays behind. This will keep for up to two weeks.

Variation: Shakshuka

Gluten Free, Pareve

Stir 8 eggs into the Matbukha, mixing thoroughly with a wooden spoon, and cook just a few more minutes until the eggs are barely set. If you would rather end up with a more pristine look, leave the eggs whole, break them one by one, and set them over the mixture, close but not touching, and cook covered on a low flame until they look barely set.

Serve hot, alone, or with a good whole-grain bread, or on a bed of cooked (canned OK) white beans (except on Passover!).

Makes 8 servings.

CS

What is Shakshouka, you ask? Wikipedia describes it as:

Photo from: Wikipedia

Shakshouka (Arabic: شكشوكة‎; Hebrew: שקשוקה‎) (also shakshuka, shaqshuqa) is a dish from Maghreb consisting of eggs cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices (often including cumin, turmeric, and chillies), and usually served with white bread.

[..] Shakshouka is now a staple of Tunisian, Algerian, Egyptian, Moroccan, Somali, and Yemeni cuisines, and is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Tunisian Jews.

And here is the Wikibooks recipe for Shakshouka:

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons of frying olive oil
• One tablespoon of sweet paprika
• 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• One large sweet red pepper diced
• One Chili pepper (red or green) diced
• 6 ripe tomatoes diced
• Ground fresh black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 6 eggs

Procedure

1. On a high flame, heat the oil for about half a minute.
2. Add the paprika and blend well.
3. Add the garlic and peppers, and turn to low flame. Cook for about ten minutes – until the peppers have slightly softened.
4. Add the tomatoes and spice it with salt and pepper and then blend it.
5. Bring it to a boil, taste it and if necessary – add spices to get the taste refined.
6. Makes six dents in the mixture. Into each dent put an egg yolk, and spread the egg whites around.
7. Continue to cook on low until the egg whites have coagulated.
8. Serve the Shakshouka with black bread and fresh parsley.

From the Spanish language blog: Absolut Marruecos, we bring you this authentic Morrocan recipe:

Photo by: Absolut Marruecos

shakshuka con huevos

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 grated onion
  
• 7 ounces water
• 36 ounces tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon green pepper, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 eggs

Directions

1. Sauté onion in very hot oil until just golden.
2. In a pot add the water, tomatoes, let it boil for 5 minutes.
3. In a separate pot cook the rice.
4. Add the parsley, salt, pepper and green pepper.
5. Carefully break the eggs one at a time and drop on the tomato pot.
6. Cook for about 40 minutes on medium flame.

When Mia Cooks, adds an interesting variation:

Photo by: http://when-mia-cooks.blogspot.com/

Shakshuka

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped bell pepper
• 4 to 5 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup veg broth
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1/4 cup corn
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• salt to taste
• coriander/cilantro leaves
• Vegetable oil

Actually, it’d be better if you boil the tomatoes and then peel and chop them. But I forgot….heck, ok, I was too lazy.

1. In a pan, heat a tbsp of vegetable oil.
2. Add the chopped onions and bell pepper and saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and veg broth.
4. Add the peas and corn as well. Season with salt and chilli powder.
5. Simmer and allow to cook till the corn and peas are cooked and there’s some liquid left.
6. Break the eggs into the base.
7. Break the yolks with a spoon, cover and simmer. If you like your eggs runny, remove it well under a minute. I don’t, so i let it cook for 2 minutes till it firmed up. Add chopped cilantro and serve with bread.

Enjoy gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

On 101 Cookbooks I found this great recipe adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook:

I had it last night... Mmmmmmmnnn! Photo from: 101 Cookbooks

Carrot and Fennel Soup

…it’s easy to make a meal of this by serving it topped with a poached egg. Alternately, you can make this soup vegan by omitting the Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed fronds reserved, thinly sliced
• 2 1/4 pounds / 36 ounces farmer market carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 10 cups good-tasting vegetable broth or water
• salt to taste
• 3 cups / 12 oz cooked wild rice
• 2 tablespoonsblood orange olive oil or 5 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (OPTIONAL)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in your largest soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the fennel and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened a bit.
3. Stir in the carrots and cook another 10 minutes, just long enough for them to soften a touch and start taking on a bit of color.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
5. Stir in the broth. Bring to a simmer and simmer, covered, until the carrots are very tender, another 15-20 minutes or so.
6. Stir in the wild rice, bring back to a simmer, taste and add more salt if needed
7. Remove from heat and stir in the blood orange olive oil or orange juice. Taste and add more if needed.
8. (OPTIONAL) Serve dusted, generously, with freshly grated Parmesan, and a sprinkling of the reserved fennel fronds.

Serves about 6.

Inspired by the Carrot & Fennel Soup in The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser.

Just remember, if you do use Parmesan Cheese YOU MUST wait 6 hours before you can eat any meat!

I like cream soups, especially if they include mushrooms, I found this delectable soup on the Better Recipes site and changed the butter to margarine and took out the whipping cream.

Photo from: Better Recipes

Creamy Leek Mushroom and Risotto Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 2 cups sliced leeks
• 16 oz whole mushrooms, washed and cut into quarters, but not sliced
• 1 package shiitake mushroom risotto mix
• 30 oz chicken broth
• 1 cup finely chopped tender roasted chicken
• 1 sprig sage
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 cups whipped cream (Rich’s is what I use, but it needs to be whipped)
• 3 tablespoon flour
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flake
• Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pan or Dutch oven, saute leeks for 4 minutes over medium high heat.
2. Add mushrooms and risotto rice, without the flavoring packet, then saute until leeks are almost tender, about 6 minutes.
3. Pour in broth and add chicken and seasoning flavor packet.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Tie together herbs and add to broth. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Check occasionally and stir to make sure rice does not stick. Test the rice for tenderness. If not tender, cook another 3-4 minutes.
6. Add the whipped cream and red pepper flakes, then heat through.
7. Ladle 1 cup of broth into a medium bowl and whisk in flour until well blended.
8. Gradually add mixture back to soup. Heat through, stirring frequently, until broth is creamy and thickened.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

RELATED POSTS

Soups as Comfort Food

After graduating from the New York Restaurant School, in 1982, Chef Mark spent the next 7 years as sous-chef at Club Med in Aruba. He did stints as Main Chef for the Divi Divi Beach Hotels in the Netherlands and the Antilles but came back to the US, eventually opening Glatt A La Carte, as Executive Chef, over 10 years ago.

He has graciously given us his recipe for a delicious, easy to make cake:

Portuguese Olive Oil Orange Pound Cake

Delicious... is an understatement!

Yields: 10 to 12 servings

Wet Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
• 5 eggs

Dry Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• zest of 3 oranges

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioner sugar
• 2 teaspoons of orange juice

Directions

1. Beat eggs lightly in large mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add sugar to the eggs until light colored and thicken into a ribbon consistency.
3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add orange juice to egg mixture.
5. Mix until fully incorporated.
6. Add olive oil and flower alternating little by little into egg mixture until fully incorporated.
7. Mix until it becomes a nice batter with ribbon consistency.
8. Mix zest into batter.
9. Take a Bund pan and spray it with cooking spray.
10. Pour batter into Bund pan.
11. Bake at 350 F for 1:15 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.
12. Cool for 30-60 minutes.
13. Combine glaze thoroughly and drop on cake.

I’ve tried Chef Mark’s recipe, both at the restaurant and at home, it’s very good. Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Portuguese Olive Oil Orange Cake

Maple Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes

DAIRY OR PARVE – YIELDS 6 SERVINGS

I adore these soft sweet pears and the way the sweet potatoes become sticky and sweet. You can try this with cubed butternut squash in addition to or in place of the sweet potatoes. While you have the maple syrup on hand, put the Pineapple Maple Glazed Salmon (page 134) on your menu for another night.

Ingredients

• 8 mini pears, such as Seckel, or 4 ripe Anjou pears, peeled, halved, cored, quartered
• 3 large sweet potatoes, (about 2 pounds) peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into
  chunks the same size as the pears
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup pure maple syrup, NOT pancake syrup
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F.
2. For easy cleanup, completely cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
3. As you cut up the pears and sweet potato, place them into a large bowl. Set
   aside.
4. In a medium pot, melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in maple
   syrup and salt. Cook until it starts to bubble.
5. Remove from heat. Pour over the pears and sweet potatoes. Toss to coat.
   Transfer to prepared pan
6. Bake, uncovered, for 11⁄2 hours.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter.

…and one more, can’t wait to try it!

Pineapple Maple Glazed Salmon

PARVE – YIELDS 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients

• 6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, without skin, pin bones removed
• 1⁄4 cup maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup)
• 1⁄4 cup crushed pineapple, from a small can, squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Rinse the salmon and place it on a parchment-lined jelly roll pan. Pat dry with
   paper towels.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup, pineapple, soy sauce, mustard, olive
   oil, and garlic.
4. Pour over the salmon and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5. Transfer to serving platter. Drizzle with pan juices. Serve hot or at room
   temperature.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!!

CS

Maple Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes

Orange Honey Cake

I actually succeed in turning quite a few people on to my honey cake. Mine is moist and spicy and easy to love; I trust it will make you forget all the indignities of past dried-out and brittle honey cakes. I make it several ways, all scrumptious, but this is one of my favorite. The secret ingredient, orange marmalade, was shared by my dear friend Leah.

Ingredients:

1 cup oil
2/3 cup brown sugar or sucanat
1 cup honey
1 cup orange marmalade, try your best for all-fruit
4 eggs
3/4 cup strong coffee at room temperature
3 tablespoons rum or brandy

3 cups flour: all purpose, whole wheat pastry or spelt (spelt my favorite)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon each cinnamon, allspice and ginger
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Whisk the first set of ingredients in a bowl.
Mix the second set of ingredients in a second bowl.
Combine both mixtures thoroughly, mixing only until just combined. Pour the batter into a greased tube pan, and bake 1 hour, or a little longer, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Orange Honey Cake Il

From Kaylin’s Kitchen:

Roasted Mushrooms with Garlic, Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar

1 lb. mushrooms (I used brown Crimini mushrooms)
2 T + 1 tsp. olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 T finely minced garlic
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 T finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 T chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400F/200C or heat gas or charcoal grill to medium high. Wash mushrooms, pull out stems, and cut into halves (or quarters if the mushrooms are large.) Put mushrooms into bowl and toss with 2 T olive oil, salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Cover a roasting pan with foil, then arrange mushrooms on the pan in a single layer. (Spread them out as much as you can. For cooking on a grill, I’d probably use heavy foil to make a “pan” so the flame doesn’t turn the bottom of the roasting pan black.)

Roast mushrooms 15 minutes. While mushrooms cook, finely chop fresh thyme, then mix with minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, and the tsp. of olive oil. (You could mix this right in the bowl you originally tossed the mushrooms with.)

After 15 minutes, drain off any liquid that has accumulated. (If you spread the mushrooms out well, the liquid will evaporate, but if yours are too crowded like mine, you’ll have a little liquid to pour off.) Then toss the hot mushrooms with they garlic-thyme mixture. Arrange back on roasting pan and cook about 10 minutes more. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Delicious!!!!

Portobello mushrooms are inexpensive, full of flavor and meat like in taste. Here is a quick and easy recipe from allrecipes.com:

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 3 portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Clean mushrooms and remove stems, reserve for other use. Place caps on a plate with the gills up.
2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, onion, garlic and vinegar. Pour mixture evenly over the mushroom caps and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Grill over hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe Yield: 3 servings

As a child, as a teenager, mushrooms were not exactly my idea of good food… As I grew older, my taste buds got more educated and started appreciating many ingredients I would never have touched in my early years. Mushroom based dishes not only are healthy, but mushrooms add a lot of flavor to almost anything they are cooked with. Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy

CS

* 8 oz. (SERVES 2) Pad Thai rice noodles (thin, flat linguini-like noodles)
* 2 eggs (vegans can substitute 1/2 cup soft tofu – see instructions below*)
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 shallot (OR 1/4 cup purple onion), finely chopped
* 3-4 “heads” of baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage, roughly chopped
* 2 cups bean sprouts
* 2 green onions, sliced
* 1/3 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
* 1/4 cup ground (or well-chopped) peanuts (substitute: cashews or slivered almonds)

* PAD THAI SAUCE:
* 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste (available at Asian/East Indian food stores)
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 3+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce)
* 1/2 to 2 tsp. chili sauce (to taste), OR 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
* 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
* OTHER:
* 3-4 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
* 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable or faux chicken stock
* lime wedges for serving

Preparation:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove from heat. Soak noodles in the hot water for 6-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Noodles are ready to drain when they are soft enough to eat, but still firm and a little bit “crunchy”. The noodles will finish cooking when they are fried.
2. Dissolve the tamarind paste in the hot water. Add the other pad thai sauce ingredients and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add as much or as little chili sauce as you prefer, but don’t skimp on the sugar (you need it to balance the sourness of the tarmaind). Reserve.
3. Place your wok (or large frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus the garlic and shallot. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.
4. Add the bok choy plus the stock. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
5. Push ingredients aside and add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the eggs (if using) and stir-fry briefly to scramble them.
6. Push eggs aside and add a little more oil to the middle of the wok/pan. Now add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute using 2 utensils and a tossing motion (like tossing a salad).
7. Add a little more sauce and continue stir-frying in the same way for 1-2 more minutes, or until the noodles begin to soften and become sticky. Reduce heat to medium if noodles begin to stick and burn.
8. Add the bean sprouts plus the remaining sauce. Stir-fry to incorporate everything together for 1-3 more minutes, or until noodles are done. Noodles are cooked to perfection when they are soft but still deliciously chewy and a little bit sticky.
9. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce if desired for more salt/flavor.
10. To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the green onion, coriander/cilantro, and ground nuts. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side. Serve immediately and ENJOY!. (Thai chili sauce can also be served on the side for those who likes their noodles extra spicy).

If using soft tofu: add it when you add the noodles. It will break up into small bits and be distributed throughout the dish, just as the egg would.

Original Recipe Here

I can’t believe I only tried this for the first time today. It’s delicious!

Ingredients:

1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
6 Tbsp sake
6 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 med cloves garlic, crushed
2 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp veg oil
1 tsp cornstarch

Directions:
Cut tofu into 6 equal 1/2 inch strips. Marinate 20 min. in sake, soy, sesame oil, garlic, scallions, honey. Heat oil in med skillet. Grill until brown on both sides. Remove to platter. Bring leftover marinage sauce to boil, simmer 2 min. Thicken with cornstarch. Pour over tofu. Serve.

A shortcut version of this recipe is to use pre-made Teriyaki sauce instead of making your own. To make this vegan, use a honey substitute.

Filling:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 small onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup corn
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Dough:
1 cup warm water
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons melted butter

Cook and mash potatoes. Saute onions and peppers in oil. Add seasonings. When vegetables begin to soften, add the corn. Saute until all vegetables are tender. While still hot, mix vegetables, cream and Cheddar cheeses into mashed potatoes. To make dough, mix water, vinegar and salt in large bowl. Add flour and butter. Mix well and work dough with hands until well combined. Form into long roll and cut in 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 6″ diameter circle. Place 1/2 cup filling on each piece of dough, leaving 1/2″ border. Fold dough over, seal edges with water, and crimp with fork. Traditionally, these are then fried until golden brown, but I prefer to bake them at 350 degrees until lightly golden.

(from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant cookbook)

Taken from The Millennium Cookbook – Extraordinary Vegetarian Cuisine

Makes 6 servings

Herb Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/3 cup polenta
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup soy milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 servings (1 1/2 pounds) marinated seitan, cut into medallions
1/4 cup canola oil

Piccata Sauce:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 paper-thin lemon slices
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups dry white wine (you can use non-alcoholic wine)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
Thin lemon slices and minced fresh parsley or chives for garnish

In a shallow bowl, combine all the ingredients for the herb crust. In another shallow bowl, combine the soy milk and mustard. Dredge the seitan with the crust mixture, dip in the soy milk mixture, then dredge again in the crust mixture. Cook the seitan in a dry nonstick pan over medium-high heat until lightly brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Keep warm in low oven.

To make the sauce: Wipe out the pan and place it over medium heat. Add the garlic and toast until lightly browned. Add the lemon slices, the remaining sauce ingredients. Boil until the volume is reduced by almost half. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened. Serve the hot sauce over seitan. Garnish with more lemon slices and parsley.