Easy and delicious. Make the dressing before Shabbos so you can measure out each ingredient and don't have to worry about getting the right measurements on Shabbos. The original recipe calls for pulverizing an onion with the dressing, but I'd rather not pull out my food processor just to make a salad dressing! So I just cut a chunk of onion and left it to marinate and flavor the salad dressing overnight. I also opened the can of mandarin oranges before Shabbos, drained it, and stored it with the salad dressing. Not only did this marinate the orange segments, enhancing the flavor, it staved off any problems that come with opening cans on Shabbos.
Here's the recipe:
Dressing
1 chunk or slice of onion
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground mustard
1/3 c. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. oil
dash pepper
dash garlic
Mix in air-tight container and shake until smooth and fully mixed. If making for Shabbos, open the can of mandarin oranges and store with the dressing.
Salad
1 head of Romaine lettuce or Iceberg lettuce (I prefer Iceberg) washed, dried and checked
1 can mandarin oranges
1 cup candied or toasted almonds (I used toasted - you can buy pre-toasted ones at Trader Joes, or you can candy your own using the recipe in this previous post. Making them was slightly disastrous, however, so I do not plan on attempting it again soon.)
To assemble salad, mix lettuce with almonds and oranges, and toss with dressing to taste. Try with half of the dressing, taste, and see if it needs more. Nothing is worse than a too-heavily dressed salad, but you want to make sure you have enough flavor.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Checking lettuce (doo dah, doo dah)
Checking lettuce has definitely become the curse (or blessing) of my life. I dread it, yet I enjoy it while I'm doing it, and I feel so rewarded and proud immediately after.
Pros: Big mitzvah, providing healthy, kosher food to my family
Cons: Drippy, watery and time-consuming
Why don't I buy pre-checked lettuce, you ask? Well, at $3-$5 a bag, I don't find it a good investment. Plus, the bags go bad quickly, appear to be lower in nutritional value because of all the processing, are not conveneniently accessible (I do NOT live in Brooklyn or KGH or similarly Jewish neighborhoods) and I really like the look and feel of big Iceberg and Romaine lettuce leaves.
In case you're wondering, here's how I do it, with guidance from the OU bug-checking book:
Method 1
Carefully tear the lettuce into individual leaves and place in a big bowl to soak for 10-15 minutes. Agitate the water so dirt (and hopefully bugs) will get off of the leaves.
After sufficiently soaked, hold each leaf individually up to the light, scanning both sides while looking out for dark spots (potential bugs) and obvious bugs. When you find one (and it's not as uncommon as you may think), either tear off the affected area OR wash off the bug OR wipe if off with finger, being careful not to splatter bug juices. If you're in doubt about whether it's a bug or not, just give a little scratch to the lettuce leaf and see if it comes off. If if does, whether a bug or dirt piece, you're well rid of it.
Place on towel and pat dry.
Method 2
This way is either, and many people check lettuce this way, but it is not the method endorsed by the OU book, so not sure yet how I feel about it. Basically, follow procedure above but CHECK the lettuce before you soak it. This is extremely advantageous because you don't have water dripping down your sleeves as you put the lettuce leaf up to the light. Then soak the lettuce afterward primarily to wash it.
You can also use a lightbox instead of holding each leaf up to the light, but that didn't work for me. We did get a lightbox, but checking wet leaves didn't work as dust particles would get mixed up with the water from the leaf and skew my vision, plus the switch broke off after a few months. See if it works for you.
Pros: Big mitzvah, providing healthy, kosher food to my family
Cons: Drippy, watery and time-consuming
Why don't I buy pre-checked lettuce, you ask? Well, at $3-$5 a bag, I don't find it a good investment. Plus, the bags go bad quickly, appear to be lower in nutritional value because of all the processing, are not conveneniently accessible (I do NOT live in Brooklyn or KGH or similarly Jewish neighborhoods) and I really like the look and feel of big Iceberg and Romaine lettuce leaves.
In case you're wondering, here's how I do it, with guidance from the OU bug-checking book:
Method 1
Carefully tear the lettuce into individual leaves and place in a big bowl to soak for 10-15 minutes. Agitate the water so dirt (and hopefully bugs) will get off of the leaves.
After sufficiently soaked, hold each leaf individually up to the light, scanning both sides while looking out for dark spots (potential bugs) and obvious bugs. When you find one (and it's not as uncommon as you may think), either tear off the affected area OR wash off the bug OR wipe if off with finger, being careful not to splatter bug juices. If you're in doubt about whether it's a bug or not, just give a little scratch to the lettuce leaf and see if it comes off. If if does, whether a bug or dirt piece, you're well rid of it.
Place on towel and pat dry.
Method 2
This way is either, and many people check lettuce this way, but it is not the method endorsed by the OU book, so not sure yet how I feel about it. Basically, follow procedure above but CHECK the lettuce before you soak it. This is extremely advantageous because you don't have water dripping down your sleeves as you put the lettuce leaf up to the light. Then soak the lettuce afterward primarily to wash it.
You can also use a lightbox instead of holding each leaf up to the light, but that didn't work for me. We did get a lightbox, but checking wet leaves didn't work as dust particles would get mixed up with the water from the leaf and skew my vision, plus the switch broke off after a few months. See if it works for you.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Creamy (and parve!) Scalloped Potatoes
Another great recipe from my sister-in-law!
Ingredients:
7 Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 tbsp margarine or oil
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 tsp. salt
28 oz. chicken stock (3 and a half cups water with about a tbsp of chicken consomme)
black pepper
paprika
Heat oil in a large pan and add onions - cook for three minutes until soft. Stirring constantly, add flour, mayo, salt and stock. Stir until smooth and cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
With a ladle or large spoon, place a layer of sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread a layer of overlapping potatoes, top with sauce, and repeat. You should have 3 sauce layers and 2 potato layers.
Sprinkle with pepper and paprika. Bake uncovered for 1 and 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.
Yum! Really hits the spot on a winter's day.
Ingredients:
7 Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 tbsp margarine or oil
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 tsp. salt
28 oz. chicken stock (3 and a half cups water with about a tbsp of chicken consomme)
black pepper
paprika
Heat oil in a large pan and add onions - cook for three minutes until soft. Stirring constantly, add flour, mayo, salt and stock. Stir until smooth and cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
With a ladle or large spoon, place a layer of sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread a layer of overlapping potatoes, top with sauce, and repeat. You should have 3 sauce layers and 2 potato layers.
Sprinkle with pepper and paprika. Bake uncovered for 1 and 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.
Yum! Really hits the spot on a winter's day.
Strawberry-Mango Salad
I know everyone has a recipe for this, but here is a simple and easy one from my sis-in-law:
Strawberry-Mango Salad
One head iceberg lettuce, washed and checked (or one bag pre-washed and checked lettuce)
One carton strawberries, washed and checked
One mango
Sugar-coated almonds (recipe below)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
Chop the strawberries and mango into small pieces, and tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Place together in a large bowl and sprinkle with the sugar-coated almonds to taste.
In a separate container, shake the dressing ingredients together until well-mixed. When ready to serve, pour over salad and toss to distribute dressing.
Sugar-coated Almonds
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. slivered or sliced almonds
Melt sugar on low heat until liquid. Add almonds and stir until coated. Pour on greased tin foil. Let cool and break into pieces.
Strawberry-Mango Salad
One head iceberg lettuce, washed and checked (or one bag pre-washed and checked lettuce)
One carton strawberries, washed and checked
One mango
Sugar-coated almonds (recipe below)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
Chop the strawberries and mango into small pieces, and tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Place together in a large bowl and sprinkle with the sugar-coated almonds to taste.
In a separate container, shake the dressing ingredients together until well-mixed. When ready to serve, pour over salad and toss to distribute dressing.
Sugar-coated Almonds
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. slivered or sliced almonds
Melt sugar on low heat until liquid. Add almonds and stir until coated. Pour on greased tin foil. Let cool and break into pieces.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Awesome easy yuntif
Well I lucked out this Simchas Torah, with three meals provided in the shul so I only had to make one, instead of four full-fledgers. It was a meat meal, since we were having some boys, but I did miss having dairy for the second night. Too heavy, you know? The meal was a winner, with great and easy meat, orzo, chicken, broccoli quiche (which was the only non-winner) and a good dessert. Recipes to follow!
Chicken and Yummy Orzo
Orzo (this dish is from a friend, who said it was inspired by Kosher by Design):
Craisins
Canned mushrooms
Chopped onion
Tri-colored orzo
Chicken consomme
Saute the mushrooms and onion until soft, then add the craisins and cook for another 10 minutes, till everything looks soft and juicy. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in water mixed with plenty of chicken soup mix or consomme, for great flavor. Experiment with ratios, but I like a lot of craisin/onion/mushroom to my orzo. Drain orzo when cooked, and mix with the veg. mixture. Freezes well.
Chicken:
4-6 chicken breasts
1/2 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
1/4 cup dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Marinate the chicken with remaining ingredients in a bag for as long as possible, but at least two hours. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.
To serve: place orzo on a pretty serving dish. Slice each chicken breast into 2-4 pieces and scatter across orzo. Pretty, nutritious, and yum. Enjoy!
Also try:
Teriyaki steak recipe from Quick and Kosher (recipes from the bride who knew nothing) which basically calls for sauteed onion and mushrooms (only cook til soft, not caramelized), place atop washed and patted dry minute steaks or shoulder steaks or whatever you got, and pour a cup of teriyaki sauce over. I think that's it, will need to look again for more details. Cook at 350 for about an hour.
And also try: chocolate chip cookie pie from my favorite baking blogger, bakerella! Here's the recipe, and enjoy the blog - she is awesome. http://www.bakerella.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-pie%E2%80%A6-oh-my/
Chicken and Yummy Orzo
Orzo (this dish is from a friend, who said it was inspired by Kosher by Design):
Craisins
Canned mushrooms
Chopped onion
Tri-colored orzo
Chicken consomme
Saute the mushrooms and onion until soft, then add the craisins and cook for another 10 minutes, till everything looks soft and juicy. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in water mixed with plenty of chicken soup mix or consomme, for great flavor. Experiment with ratios, but I like a lot of craisin/onion/mushroom to my orzo. Drain orzo when cooked, and mix with the veg. mixture. Freezes well.
Chicken:
4-6 chicken breasts
1/2 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
1/4 cup dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Marinate the chicken with remaining ingredients in a bag for as long as possible, but at least two hours. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.
To serve: place orzo on a pretty serving dish. Slice each chicken breast into 2-4 pieces and scatter across orzo. Pretty, nutritious, and yum. Enjoy!
Also try:
Teriyaki steak recipe from Quick and Kosher (recipes from the bride who knew nothing) which basically calls for sauteed onion and mushrooms (only cook til soft, not caramelized), place atop washed and patted dry minute steaks or shoulder steaks or whatever you got, and pour a cup of teriyaki sauce over. I think that's it, will need to look again for more details. Cook at 350 for about an hour.
And also try: chocolate chip cookie pie from my favorite baking blogger, bakerella! Here's the recipe, and enjoy the blog - she is awesome. http://www.bakerella.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-pie%E2%80%A6-oh-my/
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Light 'n Smushy Vanilla Custard
This is a fantastically easy and delicious parve dessert, perfect for late-summer (I haven't decided yet whether it's appropriate for wintertime.)
I made a huge batch and it was all finished at Shabbos lunch - comments ranged from "wow, this is good" to "I have no idea what I'm eating, but it's great." This concoction is similar to vanilla pudding, but more heavenly and is made from ingredients you most likely have in the house. Meaning...it's cheap!
Vanilla Custard
Crust: - bake a frozen pie shell in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned and crisp. Putting dried beans in the pie crust while baking will keep it from rising up.
OR
- if you don't have a pie crust, or you don't want to pay for one (they're expensive!) just mix graham cracker crumbs with oil or melted margarine and press into a 9'' round pan
Filling: - Warm 1/2 liter (1/2 carton) of parve milk - soy or almond with 1 tsp. vanilla over low heat.
In a separate bowl, beat with a fork 2 egg yolks, 1 whole egg and 1/2 cup sugar. Then add 1/2 cup flour and beat until smooth. Add a little warmed milk mixture into the bowl to thin the egg mixture, then pour the whole thing back into the pot on the stove. Stir CONSTANTLY over low heat until mixture becomes very thick.
Pour into pie crust or graham cracker crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Toppings: Feel free to experiment, but here are some goodies: fresh berries and sliced strawberries, canned sliced peaches or pears, fresh kiwi, sliced bananas and strawberries.
Enjoy!
I made a huge batch and it was all finished at Shabbos lunch - comments ranged from "wow, this is good" to "I have no idea what I'm eating, but it's great." This concoction is similar to vanilla pudding, but more heavenly and is made from ingredients you most likely have in the house. Meaning...it's cheap!
Vanilla Custard
Crust: - bake a frozen pie shell in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned and crisp. Putting dried beans in the pie crust while baking will keep it from rising up.
OR
- if you don't have a pie crust, or you don't want to pay for one (they're expensive!) just mix graham cracker crumbs with oil or melted margarine and press into a 9'' round pan
Filling: - Warm 1/2 liter (1/2 carton) of parve milk - soy or almond with 1 tsp. vanilla over low heat.
In a separate bowl, beat with a fork 2 egg yolks, 1 whole egg and 1/2 cup sugar. Then add 1/2 cup flour and beat until smooth. Add a little warmed milk mixture into the bowl to thin the egg mixture, then pour the whole thing back into the pot on the stove. Stir CONSTANTLY over low heat until mixture becomes very thick.
Pour into pie crust or graham cracker crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Toppings: Feel free to experiment, but here are some goodies: fresh berries and sliced strawberries, canned sliced peaches or pears, fresh kiwi, sliced bananas and strawberries.
Enjoy!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
This Week's Shabbos Line-Up
Read on for the best Matza ball recipe, awesome and gourmet lemon bars and intriguing cabbage salad. I also made a terrific chicken from the Kosher Palate - not posting the full recipe here but I do encourage everyone to check that book out - it really is great.
Amazing, Fluffy and Savory Matzah Balls
1/4 pkg red cabbage mix (you can use any combo of cabbage you want, just make sure it's a combo and you have some grated carrot in there)
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2-3 tsp. honey
Sesame seeds for garnish
Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds. If not serving immediately, mix dressing in bottom of container and layer cabbage on top. This will keep it from getting soggy or overly vinegary.
Amazing Lemon Bars - on second thought, I am not going to post the recipe as it is really secret (as they state in their cookbook), and subject to copyright laws, but you can buy it here. It's from The Dairy Gourmet and it is succulent and attractive, with a perfect measure of sweetness and tart lemon flavor. Serve with sliced strawberries for a pretty presentation.
I also experimented with this couscous recipe, but it was pretty terrible. Interesting, and was noticed and commented on by guests, but really did not taste good.
Amazing, Fluffy and Savory Matzah Balls
(from www.myjewishlearning.com) - I omitted the cayenne pepper, because who actually keeps that around? They were still terrific. I think the chicken soup mix is key for added flavor. These are light without including seltzer, which seems to be everyone's go-to for fluffy matza balls, but I don't like using it. First of all, we never have seltzer, and secondly, it's not so effective. I've used seltzer and my matza balls have still been stinkers.
Intriguing Cabbage Salad (adapted from this recipe at www.grouprecipes.com.)
1/2 pkg. coleslaw mix1/4 pkg red cabbage mix (you can use any combo of cabbage you want, just make sure it's a combo and you have some grated carrot in there)
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2-3 tsp. honey
Sesame seeds for garnish
Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds. If not serving immediately, mix dressing in bottom of container and layer cabbage on top. This will keep it from getting soggy or overly vinegary.
Amazing Lemon Bars - on second thought, I am not going to post the recipe as it is really secret (as they state in their cookbook), and subject to copyright laws, but you can buy it here. It's from The Dairy Gourmet and it is succulent and attractive, with a perfect measure of sweetness and tart lemon flavor. Serve with sliced strawberries for a pretty presentation.
I also experimented with this couscous recipe, but it was pretty terrible. Interesting, and was noticed and commented on by guests, but really did not taste good.
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