In this article, Sarah Bas Avraham talks bbq and the perils of keeping kosher in rural Virginia. Interested in kashrut and kosher recipes? Make sure to also check out our kosher recipe blog!

Bad Jew!

I’ve been moving into a new dwelling. This is hard work in all respects, physically, mentally, emotionally. I was lucky enough to have a good friend who recruited some of her friends who helped with the physical moving part-all for the price of a case of beer and some gas for their truck. Much more fun and much less expensive than hiring professional movers. We moved the morning after Yom Kippur. I hadn’t expected to move that day, but my friend called and said she had the truck and friends, so we did. I was still in shock after they left, as I looked around the boxes that filled the small space of my new apt and realized I was very hungry. I had NO food in the house. I knew there were several restaurants in the area, including one that had been tantalizing me all morning: The Bonefire. This is Abingdon’s newest and only barbecue restaurant. I found myself drawn to the doors. I had heard friends rave about their cornmeal fritters so told myself that I was only going for them. Right. I got in there and was utterly completely lost to the lure of barbecue. I did not totally succumb-no rack of ribs. Instead I found myself devouring a very good barbecue chicken sandwich (with the hot-q sauce) and a side of the famed cornmeal fritters. I went home in a ‘que high.

I thought about this the next day. I thought about my friend from Israel who swore chicken was really pareve. (Was that in my subconscious when I got chicken?) I thought about not having the break-th-fast I had planned for Yom Kippur. (I had only a cheese sandwich.) I though about not having a community around me (physically, anyway) to affirm my decision to keep kosher and encourage me. I thought about my physician telling me to eat more protein. (The only kosher meat available here is Hebrew National hot dogs. Fish and tofu and occasionally tempeh are available, though.) I thought about putting up mezuzot and what that meant. How, even though I slipped up, it meant, “a Jew lives here.”

It’s Sukkot, which means building the ancient Hebrew version of the double wide trailer, probably going to the emergency room when you whack your hand with a hammer, and of course, eating!

Here at PunkTorah, we have all your Sukkot needs taken care of with our Succos Showdown!

Here’s a retro-video of me and Michael building a wood sukkah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVoAC1asxk4

Of course, you are going to need food. Sukkot recipes abound in our food blog, NewKosher. Try the Pumpkin Au Gratin Soup…it’s delicious.

Of course, we’d love to see YOUR sukkah and Sukkot recipes, so email us your stuff and we’ll post it!

Besides worshipping G_D and laying guilt trips on each other, the most joyous thing in our Jewish heritage is food. Nothing is better than a group of hard to please Jews sitting around a table all loving the same dish. How is this accomplished you ask? Simple. By applying thousands of years of tradition and a little technique you can create kosher and tasty recipes that will have everyone kvelling. For the purposes of this article, let us start with a simplified version of a classic that will knock your proverbial socks off.

Brisket:

3-4 lbs Beef Brisket (Flat Cut)

2 packets Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix (prepare with water as directed on the box)

2 Dried Bay Leaves

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Oven Bag

Like I said folks, this one is simple. All this is assembled into the oven bag, closed and then laid in a 9”x14” Pyrex Cooking vessel. This should rest in the refrigerator for 24 – 48 hours. That will help in soaking the flavors into the meat and fat as well as the vinegar breaking down connective tissue that will help get a more tender consistency.

Kasha Varnishkas:

2 cups Chicken Broth or Stock

2 Tbsp Margarine

1 cup Kasha

While it is presented here as a dip, the almost beefy taste of the roasted eggplant, ground with garlic and tomato, could make an amazing parve marinara sauce for pizza or pasta. Just omit the ras al hanout.

Mirza Ghassemi
(serves 4 to 8 people)

1 large eggplant
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

If your dinner is vegetarian, though, this recipe will be your life saver. It takes ten minutes and you will look like a culinary genius.

1 bag of frozen cubed potatoes (sometimes called Potatoes O’Brien or Southern Style hash browns) thawed in the refrigerator
2 cups of grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp mixed Italian seasoning
salt/pepper to taste

Thaw potatoes in the fridge. They only need a few hours, but you can do this a day in advance. If you forget, it’s fine. They will just take longer to cook. Or you can microwave them to room temperature. See how easy this is, already?

Slit open the top corner of the frozen potato bag and squeeze out the water from the potatoes, draining into the sink from the hole you made.

In a skillet, heat olive oil to medium heat. Throw in potatoes and cook, folding until the potatoes brown. Add more oil if needed. Once the potatoes reach almost golden, add seasonings and stir a bit more, making sure the spices evenly coat the potatoes.

At the last minute, fold in half of the parmesan cheese. Once it melts, top with the remaining cheese and quickly throw on a lid or foil wrap. This will steam the cheese on top and keep the dish warm for Shabbat!

Lag B’Omer is a great holiday, because you get to build campfires! When I think campfire, I think s’mores. And thanks to Eatocracy, we have a new way of remixing s’mores with, of all things, Oreos.

The recipe is simple: twist and pull apart an Oreo. Roast a kosher marshmallow (not all marshmallows are kosher, so make sure to check for a label). Smash the two together, and bon apetit!

Chag Sameach!

I am a gourmet coffee NUT! Espresso, mocha latte, iced coffee, cappuccino…if it has the noble bean, water and some form of cream, I’m on it.

This is a very simple, very decadent coffee drink featured in the NewKosher vegan cookbook. I have made a small change by making it an espresso drink instead of traditional coffee, because I found that the crema (the oily brown foam that rests on top of a well made espresso drink) is enough cream that one does not need to adulterate the drink with cream, milk or soy.

In fact, most coffee drinking outside of the United States is not coffee as we know it. While traditional coffee that Americans drink is a rough ground coffee bean and slow filtered water, the Americano is more or less a watered down espresso: about double the water of an espresso “shot”. This makes a small, powerful cup of coffee with enough caffeine to bring you to life, without having to make an entire pot.

The flavor in this drink comes from cardamom pods and sugar. In theory, you could make a cardamom simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water, simmering the green pods until they impart their Indian citrusy flavor, but I feel that my method saves time and actually uses less sugar.

Cardamom Americano

One shot of strong, high quality espresso (don’t skimp on this — buy something that is not instant, and ideally not from the United States. The Swiss and Italians know what they are doing)

One shot glass full of hot water

Three green cardamom pods

One teaspoon sugar

Place three cardamom pods in a small espresso cup. Pour in hot water and sugar, stirring well. It helps to lightly mash the cardamom pods when they are fully soaked, but do not crush the pods as swallowing or biting into whole cardamom is really unpleasant.

Add the coffee and stir. Serve with biscotti, a hookah, or whatever your pleasure is.

1½ cups of milk
1 oz (30 g) of butter
4 tbsp of sugar
4 tbsp of cocoa powder (any kind will do)
½ tsp of vanilla essence
1 “shot” of espresso (higher quality is better, but a twice brewed coffee will work in a pinch)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, sugar, vanilla and stir constantly until well combined. Take off the heat and add milk and espresso, continuing until sauce gets syrupy, but still a little thin.

This is the secret. Take off the heat and place chocolate sauce in a chilled bowl or place the entire pan in an ice bucket, stirring constantly. The sauce will become very thick, very quickly, and will have a beautiful glossy shine. If it’s still too thin, put the sauce back on the heat and repeat.

To make an amazing mocha, just add two or three heaping tablespoons of the sauce to a shot of expresso and cold milk.

Either way, we love her recipes and even though this recipe was listed as a great Christmas or Thanksgiving dish, we think it makes an even better Passover dish. Chametz free and totally easy, Nigella’s Butternut Squash with Pecans and Blue Cheese will put you into a food coma that will make you recline even more at the seder table than you are supposed to! Thank you, Food Network.

4-pounds 8-ounces butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 stalks fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Halve the squash, leaving the skin on, and scoop out the seeds, then cut into 1-inch cubes; you don’t need to be precise just keep the pieces uniformly small. Having trouble with this part? Just click here for a video how-to.

Put into a roasting pan with the oil and strip about 4 stalks thyme of their leaves, sprinkling over the butternut squash. If you can’t get any fresh thyme, sprinkle over dried (but honestly, fresh is best).

Roast in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes or until tender.

Once out of the oven, remove the squash to a bowl and scatter over the pecans and crumble over the cheese tossing everything together gently with salt and pepper to taste.

Exodus Pomegranate Lemonade

“And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about” (Exodus 28:33-4)

1 1/12 ounces lemon/citron potato vodka

lemonade

pomegranate juice

lemon slice (for garnish)

Pour lemon/citron vodka over highball glass with ice. Fill with lemonade and a splash of pomegranate juice on top. Serve with a lemon slice. Make sure the juices do not have high fructose corn syrup and that your potato vodka is kosher for Passover!

My first experience with b’stella (often spelled bastilla or called pastilla) was a Moroccan restaurant in Atlanta called Casbah. I loved the mix of cornish hen, egg, almonds, and the sweet/savory spices that Northern Africa is so known for.

The problem came with kashrut: how was I going to eat this dish that mixes chicken and dairy? As someone who doesn’t eat margarine, and frankly doesn’t eat a ton of meat, I knew I needed a vegetarian option.

The answer came with the Feed Your Vegetarian blog, which offers a great solution: replace chicken with mushrooms! I felt, however, that portobello mushrooms and the overall cooking technique just didn’t quite match the true flavor I remembered at Casbah. So I experimented, watched a few YouTube videos and found a few tricks to make the bastella taste even better!

Vegetarian B’Stella

3 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced (I used 3.2 ounces of dried mushrooms, rehydrated turns to 12 ounces)
1 large onion, diced
1 teaspoons Dr. Oz triple threat spice mix
pinch of saffron
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
small handfull chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cups almond meal (or ground almonds)
1/4 cup melted butter (for brushing)
1 8-ounce pack of phyllo dough (defrosted in the microwave for twenty to thirty seconds)
confectioner’s sugar (for garnish)
ground cinnamon (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a pan over medium flame, rehydrate mushrooms in vegetable stock (you will have delicious stock left over). After mushrooms rehydrate, allow to cool. Squeeze liquid from about half of the mushrooms and retain the liquid in the other half. Place these mushrooms in a food processor.

Fry onions in olive oil with spiced. Cook until onions are just softened. Add lemon juice, orange blossom water, 1/2 cup of reserved stock and chopped parsley.

Allow this to simmer for a few minutes. Then add eggs and scramble in the liquid, stirring constantly. Continue to cook until most (but not all!) the liquid is cooked off.  Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Toast the almond meal in a frying pan, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Let cool. Pulse eggs, toasted meal and mushroom in food processor until combined but still rough. You don’t want it to be paste!

Brush melted butter in the bottom of a deep, round baking dish. Working very carefully, line folded phyllo in the dish and brush with butter.

Place about half of mushroom/egg mixture in the center of the phyllo. Add another layer of dough over the filling and brush with butter. Add another layer of dough, butter, and seal the sides to complete enclose. Brush the seams with more butter. You should now have a nice, round “package”.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.

Wait until the pastry has cooled down (about five minutes). Dust with a good amount of confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon.

If you have trouble with folding the phyllo, use this technique in the video below…

8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 medium red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch chard, chopped

8 eggs

4 c milk

1 loaf day-old challah, roughly torn (approx 8 cups)

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Butter as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the mushrooms and onion until the mushrooms are browned and the onions are transparent. Add garlic and cook a minute or two longer. Steam the chopped chard, then squeeze out all the liquid and add to the mushroom mixture. Toss with the challah, then turn into a buttered 9×13 baking dish.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together until foamy, then pour into the baking dish. Top with cheese, then bake, covered with foil, at 375 for 60 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer. When a toothpick comes out clean, the kugel is done. Enjoy with a big salad and a bowl of tomato soup on a chilly day.

• Preheat the oven to 375F.
• Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and almond meal)
• In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and almond extract
• Thoroughly combine the two mixes, until you have a soft dough formed
• Break the dough into several managable size balls. (Tip: If the dough is too soft to work with, wrap the dough balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 mins.)
• On a well-floured board, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1⁄8-inch thickness. Have your filling, cookie cutter, and greased cookie sheet nearby
• Use a cookie cutter (or small glass) to create circles about 4 inches in diameter
• Place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the circle (make sure not to use too much, or your hamantaschen will explode)
• Fold in sides, and press dough to seal, creating two sides of a triangle. Then fold the bottom of the circle up to form the third side, leaving a little of the filling visible in the center
• Place on the greased cookie sheet
• Cutting circles leaves a lot of marginal dough, you’ll have to gather scraps in a ball and roll them out again
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden brown
• Let hamantaschen cool before you remove them from the baking pan with a spatula

An important Purim tradition is to give mishloach manot, Purim gift baskets of food, to friends and family. Make sure to add these great treats to your holiday gifts! Happy Purim!

There are boneless “chicken” wings out there as well as kosher fried chicken in frozen bags. But to their credit, this recipe from PETA actually is the best I have personally experienced.

I did make a few changes. First, I took out the nutritional yeast. While some say that it imparts a ton of flavor, frankly, my taste buds are really sensitive to it and it just overwhelms everything for me. Additionally, I added baking powder, which I think gives the batter a little more puff, which I like.

The best way to enjoy these is with BBQ sauce, hands down.

Kickoff ‘Chick’n’
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. mustard (yellow, Dijon, spicy brown, or your favorite)
1/2 cup water
2 pkgs. vegan Chick’n Strips
3 1/2 cups canola oil for frying

• Mix together the salt, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder, flour, and nutritional yeast in a deep bowl. In a separate bowl, dilute the mustard with 1/2 cup water and stir until soupy. Add 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to the mustard mixture and stir until the batter thickens—it’s OK if the batter is lumpy.
• Dip large chunks of the Chick’n Strips into the mustard batter. Drop each chunk into the flour mixture and coat with the desired amount of “crust.” Fry the chunks, turning as needed, in hot canola oil on medium to high heat in a large skillet until crispy and golden brown. Serve immediately. (Leftovers are great. Try them straight from the fridge!)

Makes 4 servings

With brisket, it’s more about technique than ingredients. A well seasoned piece of meat, vegetables and sauce. Simple as that. The sauce can be a culinary alchemy of tomato juice, various wines and other half-empty bottles from the fridge. Or just a jar of chili sauce in a hurry. At any rate, this video will show you exactly what to do.

One caveat: this recipe is in metric measurements. But now that the internet is no longer on Blackout, one can easily use Google to translate grams into pounds, etc. Or perhaps we’ll end up getting more views outside the USA (which is a great thing!)

This recipe comes from the Sydney Morning Herald, which I did not know was a great resource for North African and Spanish cuisine. Makes me think a trip down under would be a great idea.

Gluten Free Orange and Almond Cake

• 3 medium oranges
• 6 eggs, separated (we have not tried this with egg replacer, but would love it if someone would and email us the results!)
• 225g caster sugar
• 200g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Icing sugar to serve

Based on the now famous, never-bettered, flour-less Sephardic cake documented by Claudia Roden. Serve with blueberry compote and thick yoghurt.

Method

Place the clean, whole and unpeeled oranges in water to cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until soft, adding more water when necessary.

Drain the oranges, cut into quarters, discard any major pips, and whiz the rest, including peel, in the food processor, then cool.

Heat oven to 180C. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until pale. Beat in the oranges, almonds and baking powder.

Beat the egg whites until softly peaky and fold gently into the mixture.

Pour into a high-sided 23cm springform cake tin and bake for 1 hour, until firm to the touch (cover with a loose sheet of foil if over-browning). Cool in the tin. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Blueberry Compote

Place 300g blueberries, 50g caster sugar and 50mL Cointreau or similar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the fruits drop their juices. Serve with orange and almond cake, panna cotta or ice-cream for a fast but stylish dessert.

This recipe is fantastic because many Ashkenazi chicken dishes use sweet orange and lemon sauces. This one, with pomegranate, is an amazing cross cultural variation.

It’s very important that the chicken and sauce stew together for a long time, because it really imparts the chicken flavor into the sweetness of the pomegranate and onion. The kosher chicken thighs also adds sweetness, which is why we don’t suggest adding more sugar, as some recipes do.

1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2-3 lbs boneless chicken thighs cut into large chunks
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cups walnuts, finely ground in a food processor (also known as nut meat)
1 1/2-2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup pomegranate syrup (found in Middle Eastern stores)
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Marinate chicken in citrus juice for two hours.

Brown the chicken and onions in a pan until chicken is brown and onions are beginning to caramelize. Stir in walnut “meat”. Add stock and bring to a boil, lowering heat, covering and simmering for about thirty minutes.

Stir in the pomegranate juice, salt and pepper.

Uncovered, cook “down” the sauce until thickened. Add more salt, pepper or juice to taste.

Serve with parve rice pilaf or white rice (basmati is best).

4 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
hot vegetable broth (to thin the sauce as desired)
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, half of liquid drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can white or pinto beans, half of liquid drained
3/4 cup pasta (elbow macaroni or any other dense pasta)
Freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes and salt to taste
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Boil water for pasta and prepare according to directions.

Meantime, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter (this keeps the butter from burning) in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, and herbs. Cover and heat until all ingredients are warmed through. Add the al dente cooked pasta to the sauce and combine well.

This is where you get creative. If you want more of a soup taste, add hot vegetable stock. If you want more of a pasta sauce style, omit the vegetable stock. Season with ground black pepper, salt and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05f8BMjM-HM

I have very few traditions. But my new favorite tradition is winning the latke cooking contest at Atlanta Chevre Minyan‘s Hanukkah contest. Last year, I scored big with my garlic salted latkes with cardamon fig apple sauce, winning best overall and best condiment. Just goes to show that preserving your own Moroccan lemons does pay off in the end!

This year, I plan on kicking some major you-kn0w-what with a new variation on garlic latkes, this time with a cumin salt blend. The side item? A fire roasted pepper and apple chutney, with nods to both apple sauce and Tex Mex salsa.

Latkes

1 bag shredded potatoes (with water squeezed out)
1 yellow onion chopped fine
around 3 tbsp chopped garlic (or more, to taste)
1/2 cp flour
1 egg
kosher salt
cumin
more oil than you can imagine

Combine egg, flour, potatoes, garlic and onion. Mix well.
Fry in small batches in hot oil. Use a non-stick pan and slotted spatula!
Place on paper towel and lovingly sprinkle with cumin and salt.

Apple Sauce

2 jalapenos
1 small red pepper
1/4 cp lemon juice
1/4 cp brown sugar
3 apples, mixed, and partially peeled
small bunch chopped cilantro
chopped ginger (to taste)

Roast peppers, then place in a paper bag. This will sweat off the skin. After ten minutes, remove from the paper bag and wash.
Chop peppers and onions. Saute in a little bit of oil until onions are soft. Add chopped apple and ginger. Cook until soft. At the last minute, add ginger, brown sugar and lemon juice. Combine until brown sugar is melted.
Place in a covered dish in the fridge. Allow this to sit for at least an hour (ideally, overnight). The longer it sits, the better, as the juices marinade together.
Happy Chanukah!

1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbls. margarine, melted
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar for frosting
Jam for filling

Activate yeast with warm water and sugar.

Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and margarine.

Knead dough on floured surface for 5 minutes.

Let rise 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out dough and cut into circles.

Let dough rise 15 minutes and heat oil.

Deep fry, turning a couple of times, until golden brown (about a minute on each side).

Remove with slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.

While warm, sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Coat both sides.

Inject each doughnut with jelly.

Eat.

To inject the doughnuts with the Jelly, I used a syringe that I keep in my messy, everything else, kitchen drawer. It was much easier to use than poking each doughnut with the nozzle of a pastry bag, and a lot less messy.

This recipe makes about 20 sufganiot, depending on the size cup you use. Mine was about 2 inches in diameter.

I know that I said that each doughnut has few calories than their bigger brothers, but be careful. Make sure to have other people around to eat them with you because they can be addictive.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 lbs. ground lean beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid for later basting, if necessary
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Dried basil, oregano and/or thyme, to taste (about 1/2 tsp. of each)
• Optional: 1/8 tsp. hot paprika
• 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or honey
• 1/2 cup raisins, golden

Note: If the casserole requires extra liquid while it is baking, use the reserved liquid as suggested above or a cup of chicken or beef stock.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. You will need a 9 x 13″ baking dish with a cover, or tin foil.

In a skillet, brown beef and onions in oil over medium high heat until meat is no longer red. Drain off the fat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cabbage, diced tomatoes, rice, salt, pepper, garlic powder and if desired, hot paprika. Add the meat and onion mixture to the bowl and blend all ingredients. Add the tomato sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and raisins. Once all ingredients are blended, transfer them into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncover and mix casserole around gently. Baste with reserved liquid from canned tomatoes if moisture is needed. Replace cover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Cabbage Roll Casserole serves 6-8

I’m a terrible cook and I don’t have a recipe, but post a recipe for pumpkin pie!

Seriously, NewKosher fans love pumpkin pie!

We could post recipes for homemade pumpkin pie. But in reality, a kosher frozen pumpkin pie is going to taste exactly the same and be the same price to make, if not cheaper. What people usually fail on in the pumpkin pie department is the accessories! So here’s your guide for jazzing up a Thanksgiving Kosher Pumpkin Pie.

Creme Brulee Style

Based on Alton Brown’s creme brulee recipe, adjusted for our recipe

1/2 quart heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 cup vanilla sugar, divided
3 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 3 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Take custard and spread on the top of the cooled pumpkin pie. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup vanilla sugar evenly on top of the pie. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the pie to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Bunny Sara’s Pecan Caramel Topped Pumpkin Pie

Dad likes pumpkin pie. Patrick wants pecan pie. Here’s the balance.

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, or whatever)
3 tablespoons butter

While baking your pie, prepare the pecan caramel topping by mixing brown sugar, pecans, and butter together in a bowl until evenly blended. Once your pie is almost done, remove from the oven and spoon over the top of the pie. Continue baking the pie until the topping is golden and bubbly, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. You just have to keep pulling it out and testing it: there’s no science behind it.

Pumpkin Pie with Chai Cream

This recipe can be vegan/parve if using parve whipped topping. Either way, it’s simple:

1 tub of whipped cream or topping

equal parts ground cinnamon, powdered sugar, powdered ginger and a pinch of powdered clove and nutmeg

So simple a chimp could do it: mix it all together. Add more spice if you like spicy. Lovingly lather the top of your pie of serve as a dollop on the side for the condiment weary.

Care to cheat a little? Just use pumpkin spice mix with a touch more ginger powder.

Are you hosting a kosher Thanksgiving? Send us a picture (and your recipes) to patrick@punktorah.org and we will post them online!

Meat Menu

Turkey With Challah Stuffing from About.com. The trick to an amazing turkey is to make sure that it goes into the oven nice and dry. I’ve seen many a poultry ruined because someone washed it, then threw it in the oven. That’s like boiling it! Also, let the turkey sit on the counter for a while to “take the chill off”. Do not brine a kosher turkey. They are salted before you get them.

Parve Garlic Mashed Potatoes in this awesomely cute video made by JDub Records (Z”L). Roasted garlic makes anything taste good. I highly recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes as they already have a buttery taste to them.

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Balsamic is a simple side that can be done last minute. But unless you are serving little kids, please, for the love of G-d, use fresh ingredients!

Dairy Menu

Tofurkey is the greatest thing since sliced…well…soy! I suggest; however, making your own stuffing and gravy. While the stuff they give you is great, I find it’s not enough to feed a big family. Then again, if it’s just you and someone special, it’s perfect.

Paula Deen’s Creamy Mac and Cheese takes three hours to cook. And frankly, I wouldn’t care if it took three years. It’s that good!

Kale Salad with Apples and Hazelnuts makes a wonderful, green dish. This is a cold, raw salad. However, you could lightly fry the kale and serve it wilted at room temperature, which I prefer. Just wilt the leaves a little in a pan on medium heat, and follow the rest of the directions accordingly.

Vegan/Parve Menu

Seitan Loaf courtesy of Vegetarian Times, who frankly, make the best veggie/vegan holiday meals ever. The best part of making your own seitan (wheat meat, as some call it) is that you can use it in anything. I love making fake meatloaf out of it, and using it in sandwiches like gyro. Great leftovers!

Martha Stewarts Mixed Roasted Vegetables are an amazing parve side that you can use anywhere, but it really complements the seitan loaf well.

Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Pomegranate Vinaigrette from the Food Network rounds out this perfect animal product free menu.

Wait, where are the desserts? Coming Soon: Kosher Thanksgiving Part II – The Dessert Edition. Submit your dessert ideas to patrick@punktorah.org and we will add them to our collection.

This recipe also calls for thickn’n, a southern term for starch and water mixed together. You’ll use this at the last minute to thicken your gravy.

1 pound button mushrooms (no need to get fancy)
1 pinch MSG
3 tbsp vegetarian worcesterchire sauce (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup white wine (whatever you like to drink)
1/4 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup water
thickin’n (equal parts corn starch/flour and water)
dash of pepper, paprika, italian seasoning mix

Finely shop onions and mushrooms. Fry on medium high in butter until the onions are caramelized. Add MSG. The MSG mimics the flavor of meat.

Add your liquids and spices (except your thickin’n). Reduce until you reach the flavor you desire. Add a little bit of thickin’n at a time until you reach a good, creamy base.

If you want a creamier gravy, add milk or heavy cream. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or frankly, anything!

Variations:

Add sage and garlic for a wonderful Thanksgiving style veggie gravy

Use this gravy as a base for cream chipped seitan over toast

Add parmesan cheese and bump up the wine and Italian spices for a simple pasta sauce over angel hair

Add sour cream and lots of pepper. Toss over egg noodles for Mushroom Stroganoff

The prospect of making fresh fruit and vegetable juice at home can seem scary and expensive, but here are a few easy tips to make like a lot easier, more economical, and downright tasty!

The best juicer to buy is a used one.

Assuming you already buy fresh juice every week, juicing at home will save you money in the long term. For people who aren’t into fresh juice and are only doing this on a whim, you WILL…I repeat….you WILL lose money.

Juicing involves labor: buying the fruit, washing and chopping, juicing and then clean up. It’s a labor of love, like knitting or painting. You have to WANT to juice. You have to get satisfaction out of the process.

The best juicer to buy, therefore, is a used one. People get rid of juicers at yard sales and Craigslist all the time. I got mine from my mother, who regifted it to me from my sister.

There is no “best brand” or “best model juicer”. Buy a really nice one used, and you will pay the same price as a cheap new one. Seriously: used juicers have been used three or four times, then stuffed in a closet.

Buy fruit in season and based on price per pound.

The magic number is $1.00 (USD) per pound or less. When fruit is in season, it should be around this price at any larger grocery store. Here’s a cheat sheet from About.com:

January
oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, lemons, papayas

February
oranges, tangelos, grapefruit, lemons, papayas

March
pineapples, mangoes

April
pineapples, mangoes

May
cherries, pineapples

June
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries, blueberries, peaches, apricots

July
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, tomatoes

August
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, tomatoes,

September
grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, tomatoes

October
cranberries, apples, pomegranates, grapes

November
cranberries, oranges, tangerines, pears, pomegranates, persimmons

Don’t Be Afraid of Vegetables In Fruit Juice

Despite loving juice, I’m not a vegetable juice fan. In fact, V8 frightens me. But adding carrots or celery to apple juice is a great way to add vitamins without having to drink the thick tomato stuff!

Also, herbs and roots are nice in juice as well. Try adding a little ginger to orange juice or parsley to carrot juice.

Have Fun

Juicing is a passion, so have fun with it! To make it more fun, make sure to clean up after yourself before having the juice. Why? Because the reason people quit juicing is because of the clean up of the machine. Do that first, before enjoying your drink, and you will never be left with that, “oh, no!” feeling.

NewKosher Podcast: Bunny Sara + Catering (Oct 26th, 2011)

This weeks trivia question is: what is the difference between Cholov Yisroel and Cholov Stam? Think you know the answer? Email patrick@punktorah.org. You will win a free .pdf version of the NewKosher Vegan Cookbook. You’ll also be put on the PunkTorah email list.

Pumpkin is a squash originating from America. Squash was unknown in Europe until 1492 when Columbus returned. The word squash is of Algonquin origin, a Native American language. Hard shell, mature, yellow-fleshed varieties like turban, acorn and pumpkin often referred to as winter squash. Pumpkins are rich in vitamin A, potassium, calcium and phosphorous.

Here’s three great pumpkin treats (two dairy, one parve) that everyone will love. All recipes serve four, so edit accordingly.

CREAM OF PUMPKIN SOUP AU GRATIN

4 cups milk
3 potatoes cut in wedges
4 cups chopped pumpkin
1 tsp sage
½ cup cream
2 tbs parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Bring milk and 1 ½ cups water to a boil. Add potatoes, pumpkin and sage, season with salt and pepper, cook for 40 minutes on medium heat. Puree. Stir in cream and reheat. Sprinkle with cheese (optional) nutmeg could be used instead. Serve hot.

PUMPKIN WITH ROSEMARY

2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves
11/2 pounds thinly sliced pumpkin
¾ cups white wine
11/2 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
salt and pepper

Heat oil, add garlic and pumpkin, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic cloves. Pour in wine, lower heat and simmer until tender. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with rosemary. Continue to cook a few minutes more and serve.

MUSHROOMS WITH PUMPKIN

2 tbs each margarine and olive oil
1 onion thinly sliced
21/2 cups pumpkin diced
11/2 pounds mixed mushrooms cut in thick slices
2/3 cup vegetable stock
3 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp oregano

Heat margarine and oil, add onion, Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin and mushrooms, increase heat and cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat, pour in heated stock and cook until tender. Stir in parsley and oregano and serve.

Drink A Lot of Water

A few days before Yom Kippur, try to eliminate caffeine, alcohol, sugary drinks and other non-water beverages from your diet. All those chemicals that keep you going induce cravings, something you definitely don’t need to be dealing with on the holiday.

Don’t Stuff Yourself

People stuff themselves before the Yom then fast the next day. Not good! That’s like binge eating. Eat a normal meal like you would any other night. Some websites say to eat carbs like pasta and rice. I’m not sure if it matters so much, one way or the other. Just remember that it’s one day without food, not a decade.

Prepare Break Fast Food In Advance

There’s nothing worse than feeling starved and cooking! Make deli and casserole style food in advance so that when the fast is over, you can curl up on the couch and nom nom nom like a normal person.

Hope you have a meaningful fast!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVpVoCbbNBY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMLu4KT0ObI

Challah For Hunger is a group which bakes and sells challah on college campuses to raise money for hunger and social justice programs. According to their website:

For all the volunteers and many of the customers, Challah for Hunger provides opportunities to be involved in a fun and dedicated community, to address humanitarian problems, to develop and practice new skills–like baking and marketing, to become involved in advocacy and other forms of activism, and more.

Adventures In Challah is a blog by Ben Vorspan, an LA web designer who took up challah baking as a Friday-morning hobby. Craving a little diversity in his egg bread, Ben began creating his own recipes as far reaching as cheesecake, garlic-rosemary, peanut butter and even latke! Ben also makes his challah available for sale…just drop by his house.

A Taste of Challah uses bread as a vehicle for traditional Jewish ideas around the home, motherhood and family spirituality. Author Tamar Ansh is connecting women to the sacred feminine through her site, which includes not only recipes but a weekly reading of the Torah portion, homemaking guides and more.

The next question is: how are you going to take challah to the next level?

• French Lentil and Foie Gras–Stuffed Won Ton Ravioli With Tomato and Truffle Oil: As I’ve noted countless times before, foie gras is gourmet cruelty!
• Roasted Pigeons With Fresh Fava Beans: Considering all the talk about pigeon peas earlier in the book, I was not expecting a recipe calling for “whole young pigeons” (i.e., birds).
• French Green Lentil Salad With Bacon and Tomato: Even though this recipe appeared opposite a page with a “VEGETARIAN” header, I was wrong to assume that the whole chapter was vegetarian.

I do not particularly recommend The Bean Biblefor the kosher or vegetarian kitchen. That being said, I do look forward to veganizing the Bean and Hazelnut Cake (sans clams).

– Michael Croland

1 pound/s Okra Fresh Or Frozen

14 1/2 ounce/s Can Crushed Tomatoes

3 tablespoon/s Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic Chopped Finely

1 tablespoon/s Sugar

1 Lemon Juiced

1/4 cup/s Water Plus More

1. In a large heavy skillet with a tight fitting lid, combine all ingredients.

2.Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Uncover, add more water, ¼ cup at a time, as needed to prevent sticking and maintain a stew-like consistency.

4. Do not stir. Continue to cook, uncovered, adding water as needed, 30-40 minutes until okra starts to fall apart and the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Recipe and photo originally from culinarykosher.com

1. Select a meat course that you know everyone will enjoy. When in doubt, chicken roasted with vegetables is a one pan menu and a “sure thing”. Who doesn’t like chicken?

2. When entertaining, only have one bread choice. Sliced baguette or warm soft rolls are best, but it depends on the guests. If you need something fancy, make an herb flavored olive oil by mixing store bought olive oil with spices and a little garlic salt.

3. When selecting vegetables, think one starch, one green. Example: Roasted sweet potatoes and sauteed garlic green beans. Herb rice and spinach with garlic.

4. Salad should compliment the meal and not over power it. Example: with meat and vegetables, a nice roasted pear with light dressing. If more vegetables are needed, select 3 vegetables, such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and top with french fried onions. Use your favorite dressing with this, as just about any will do.

5. Dessert should be simple and delicious. One of my favorites is frozen fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries on a pretty plate. Just before serving, pour on hot white chocolate. A sprig of mint or a butter cookie is nice as well.

6. Beverage. If wine can be served, select one nice wine, don’t worry about what goes with what. Just serve what you like.

The most important thing is to enjoy yourself!

Sara Beaulier is a former restaurant and hotel owner with over fifty years of experience creating culinary memories. She has worked for Playboy International, Westin Hotels as well as a variety of small, independent restaurant and catering operations. She can be reached at sarabeaulier@yahoo.com

1 (2 to 3 pound) eye of round roast

juice of one lemon

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients, except the roast itself, in a bowl to make the rub.

2. Unwrap beef making note of its weight. Rinse and place in a large plastic bag. Using your hands, spread the rub over the entire surface of the meat. Seal bag and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove meat from bag and place in a baking pan. Cook 15 minutes per pound for rare, 20 minutes per pound for medium.

4. Cool before slicing. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

Recipe and photo originally from thekosherchannel.com.

Fishkoff travels from kosher wineries in California to the shmaltz-laden delis of New York City and even the food processing plants of China to understand the kosher food industry and the people who make it happen. Along the way, Fishkoff makes several amazing discoveries.

First, the kosher food industry is not just a Jewish thing. Seventh Day Adventists, vegetarians, Muslims and people with food allergies all benefit from the ancient food practices of the Jewish people, re-imagined in a canned, frozen and packaged food society.

The nature of kosher eateries is also changing. What was once dominated by eastern European fare is now heavily Japanese and fine dining, as kosher customers search out the foods that non-kosher consumers are used to having. This has a lot to do with the number of secular Jews who are becoming Orthodox (a spin-off book on baal teshuva would be very appreciated, Ms. Fishkoff!) Grocery stores as well have shown the power of the market force to shape the kosher landscape: gone are the old days of Morty and Sons kosher butchers, as large chain stores use massive capital and improved supply chains to meet the needs of kosher customers who don’t want to go to three shops to buy food for one meal.

Finally, the rules of kashrut and how they are practiced, are really more diverse than anyone can imagine. Fishkoff is brave in teaching readers about how lenient kosher eating was in early history (mixing meat and milk, using the same pots and pans, kashering meat at home, etc). According to Fishkoff, the kosher food industry is moving heavily toward the right, as formerly kosher meat is now declared unfit as it does not have the glatt stamp, traditional milk is now becoming cholov yisroel and kosher supervising companies consolidate into massive trusts.

If it’s not already on your summer reading list, I highly recommend Kosher Nation. You’ll never look at pastrami on rye the same.

For the Salsa:

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced

8 ounces raspberries

1 pound strawberries

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

For the Cinnamon Chips:

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

butter flavored cooking spray

2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.

4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Recipe and photo originally from allrecipes.com.

1 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight (see        note*)  or 4 (15 ounce) cans

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

5 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 cup barley

1/2 cup dry red wine for optional finish, see note below**

3/4 cup (pareve) sour cream for optional finish, see note below**

1. Heat oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are wilted and tender. Lower heat to medium low and add garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Do not allow garlic to brown.

2. Rinse and drain beans. Add beans, water and bay leaf to vegetables in soup pot. Bring to a boil, stir and lower heat. Simmer soup, uncovered, for one hour. If using canned beans, simmer 20 minutes.

3. Remove bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Alternatively, puree soup in batches in the work bowl of a food processor. (Use caution when processing hot liquids, it is best to wait until the soup cools for this variation of step 3.)

4. Add barley and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

*To soak beans, rinse well, then place in a bowl with water to cover by about 2”. Cover and let stand at room temperature at least four hours, preferably overnight. (you may need to add water before serving, as the barley will continue to absorb and thicken soup)

**Wine adds depth and character to plain fare and elevates these humble bean and barley soup ingredients to a refined place on the Shabbos Table. To serve, ladle Red Bean and Barley into soup bowls. Top with a dollop of (pareve) sour cream and/or dtizzle with 1-2 teaspoons dry red wine.

Recipe and photo originally from thekosherchannel.com

1 pound (500 grams) frozen puff pastry dough (*parve), defrosted

250 grams corn beef, sliced

1 cup sauerkraut

mustard

1 egg

poppy seeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.

2. Defrost pastry dough according to package directions. Lay out pastry dough flat, and spread mustard on the dough.

3. Slice the corn beef into small cubes. In a skillet, saute the corn beef until heated through. Add the sauerkraut, stirring together until the mixture is well combined and the flavors have mingled. Lay the corn beef and saurkraut mixture on top of the mustard.

4. Roll the dough up. Brush the roll with egg. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired.

5. Bake at 350 °F (180°C) for 35-40 minutes, or until browned.

Note: Make sure the puff pastry dough you buy is parve.

Recipe and photo originally found here.

2 pounds Chicken Thighs
2 Bay Leaves
1 Large Onion Quartered
1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
1/2 cups Flour
1 Large Onion Diced
1/2 cups Fresh Parsley Chopped Or
3 tablespoons Dried Parsley
3 Celery Stalks Chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
1/2 cups Green Onion Thinly Sliced
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
4 cups Steamed Rice

1. Place chicken a large stockpot and cover with 6 cups cold water. Add 2 bay leaves, and the quartered onion. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for one hour until chicken almost falls off the bone. Remove from heat and discard onion and bay leaves. Remove chicken and set aside.*

2. In large heavy pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add flour and make a roux. (to make a roux: cook oil and flour together about 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly and slowly with a whisk until it turns very dark brown, almost between brown and black.)

3. Add diced onions, parsley, celery, bell peppers, green onions and garlic to the roux. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring often with a large spoon until vegetables are tender.

4. Add reserved broth, salt, and Creole seasoning to the vegetables, stir well to blend and add okra. Simmer uncovered while you remove the chicken from the bone. Discard bones and skin. Add chicken to the gumbo. Lower heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Taste, add more salt and seasoning if desired. 5. To serve you may ladle gumbo over rice or serve as pictured with the rice in the gumbo. Serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Photo from EdibleExistence.

The Pretty-Darn-Close Cheesecake Factory Banana Cream Cheesecake

20 vanilla sandwich cookies
¼ cup margarine, melted
24 oz cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 eggs (check for blood spots in the eggs – very important in kosher cooking!)
¾ cup very ripe, mashed bananas (about 2)
½ cup whipping cream
2 tspn vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place cookies in a blender; process with on/off pulse until finely crushed.

Add margarine; process with pulses until blended. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of 10″ springform pan; refrigerate.

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and cornstarch; beat until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas, whipping cream, and vanilla. Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared crust. Place pan on cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 200°F (DO NOT forget to reduce temperature – very important) and continue baking 75 minutes or until center is almost setbsp Loosen edge of cheesecake; cool completely on wire rack before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight.

You can make a whipped cream topping by whipping cream, powdered sugar and a touch of vanilla together and piping over the top. Yum!

Recipe adapted from RecipeSecrets.net.

We heard this really interesting story on NPR about the genetic engineering of meat in labs.

It made us wonder: would lab grown meat be kosher?

Tell us what you think: can shechita be done in a petri dish?

Ingredients for Noodle Kugel

2-12 oz. packages of egg noodles, medium width
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
Optional: sometimes I add a few sprinkles of onion powder to this mixture – for some reason, it seems to work
Fruit: (the amounts listed are approximate – you can use a bit more or less)

1/2 cup jumbo raisins
1 dozen dried apricots, coarsely chopped
8-10 pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
1 small can of mango slices, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 – 3/4 cup) retain about 1/4 cup of the juice
Optional: if you don’t like mangoes, replace them with bite-sized pieces of canned pineapple together with 1/4 cup of the juice from the can. You can also use canned peaches, pears, fruit cocktail or a handful of your favorite berries!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour half of the oil into a deep 9 x 13″ baking dish. You may need a second small baking dish to accomodate any surplus.

Prepare the fruit as indicated above.

Cook the noodles per package directions. Drain, cool down (pour cold water over cooked noodles and drain) and transfer to a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.

Once the noodles are cooled down, add the eggs and toss until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the remaining oil plus the juice from the canned fruit. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and sugar, (and onion powder, if desired) to taste. Try a noodle and see if it is adequately seasoned.

Once all ingredients are blended and ready, transfer to prepared baking dish.

Take a look – the noodle kugel should be moist and somewhat liquidy when you press down, not dry. The kugel should be deep and dense, coming up quite high against the sides of the pan. If desired, brush a bit of oil over the surface of the noodles to enhance browning. Do not overstuff your baking dish – add any excess to a second small baking dish.

Comment: I find it useful to place the filled baking dish on top of a large flat baking sheet as it cooks – to avoid overcooking on the bottom.

Bake for 40-45 minutes using middle oven rack and check for doneness: golden brown surface and a somewhat firm centre. If it is not ready, bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Noodle Kugel can be refrigerated and served days later – in fact, it tastes better a day or two after baking.

• Let us know what recipes you used! We’ll create a special menu of your recipes with recipe cards for NewKosher members to use
• Send us some photos of the cooking process, food, party and guests
• A brief description of all the fun you’ve had!

If you let us know in advance of a party you’re having, we’ll create some custom invitations for you and send you the PDF for easy printing or for e-mailing. If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area, we would be more than happy to assist you with your party or event and take high-quality photos of your guests and food!

I have lived on my own since I was 18, so naturally I can cook, sort of. My girlfriend of the summer before last introduced me to wonderful world of eggs, until then I thought I didn’t like eggs. My roommate throughout my college years taught me how to whip together great tasting meals in under 10 minutes, mostly consisting of a pasta, rice or quinoa base with tofu, chicken, steak or some other protein – tossed with some mighty fine sauce, like the San-J Peanut sauce.

Then one year I decided to self inherit my fathers cast iron wok and I was able to whip together some great looking and tasting stir fry’s. After that I figured out the art of overnight marinades, but until recently I never really appreciated the amazing art of cooking and the joy of cooking for others.

The girl (who I am sure is reading this) who was my most recent girlfriend, who is still one of BFF’s was an amazing chef who taught me some pretty cool stuff. First of all, she loved to cook for me and others, she also loved simplicity, some greens cooked with lemon and salt – who woulda thunk it? Only recently have I learned some more advanced knife skills (you would be shocked at the knife skills that could be learned) and have begun to get into real food. Local food, great produce and the awesomeness of experimentation.

But don’t let my fascination with the art and joy of cooking fool you, I am nothing special, my food is simple and until this past Friday night, I had never cooked a shabbos meal for anyone. My friend’s asked me to feed them and my mind went into the “oh shit, my friends are kind of foodies, what the hell am I supposed to do?” Good thing they keep a vegetarian home, because I find cooking meat to be much less exciting the vveggie centric meals, call me a hippie, but I love the colors that produce gives off.

I hopped over to Whole Foods in San Mateo on the way up to my friends in San Francisco, with some ideas in mind and spent about 20 minutes debating if I wanted to make some kale and collards or some sort of bok choy – as my veg dish. Then I spent another bunch of time debating what type of rice I wanted, jasmine, basmati or long grain brown rice. It was all a glorious debate, whole foods is a glorious place filled with amazing stuff – of course – I then went to Trader Joes and although the quality is much lower, realized I should have held out on basic items like garlic and lemons.

So, nu what did you make?

I seasoned some salmon with shallots, lemon zest, whole lemon slices, sprigs of fresh thyme, kosher salt and ground pepper – I threw in some thinly sliced yellow pepper as well. Then I sauteed some garlic and ginger in toasted sesame oil and then tossed in some snap peas, red and yellow peppers and musrooms. Then I threw in some sliced bok choy at the end because it cooks down quicker. I had decided on Jasmine rice and had really wanted to blanch some ginger and shred it in there with some chunks of mango, but my friend ended up with the idea of lime zest (I am addicted to citrus zest in you can’t tell) and mango slices.For the salad course, I went a little out of whack with the general Cal-Asian Fusion of the meal and fried up some small diced musrooms, yellow onions, garlic, fresh basil and sundried tomato tofurkey – which we then ate with fresh homemade pita garlic oil, fresh basil and fresh red vine tomatoes.

It felt really good to make something for someone else, especially because they have fed me numerous times and I come to stay by their house quite often. It felt good to make food that looked especially pleasing and actually tasted good. They told me I should have invited some people over, so next time I do this, I am wondering if any of my random SF friends would want to hop on over to The Sunset for a shabbos meal.

Next time I am going to do Italian…

This is our NewKosher blog where you’ll find out about all the new things that are going on with NewKosher.

Excuse our dust as we update the website! Everything should be working fine and more recipes and menus will go up every day. Keep coming back to see more!

Today’s hot find is a Chocolate Truffle Pie with Orange Champagne Sabayon and Strawberries from Epicurious.com.

Truffle pie:

• 1/4 cup almond meal or very finely ground almonds
• 1/4 cup matzo cake meal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound plus 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted pareve margarine
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
• Sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Strawberries:

• 1 1/4 pounds strawberries, hulled, sliced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

Sabayon:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
• 3/4 cup champagne or other sparkling wine

For Sabayon:

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, orange peel, and pinch of salt in medium metal bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in champagne. Place bowl over saucepan of gently boiling water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water); whisk constantly until custard is thick and instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 4 minutes.

Place bowl in larger bowl of ice and water. Whisk until sabayon is cool, 4 to 5 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

For truffle pie:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch glass pie dish with margarine. Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Combine 1 pound chocolate and 6 tablespoons margarine in large microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave in 20-to 30-second intervals until smooth, stirring often. Set aside to cool.

Beat eggs in large bowl 1 minute. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until thick and pale yellow, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in orange peel, then chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low; beat in dry ingredients. Transfer batter to pie dish; place on rimmed baking sheet.

Place baking sheet with pie in oven. Bake pie until cracked on top and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to room temperature (center will fall).

Combine 1 ounce chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoon margarine in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals until glaze is smooth, stirring often.

Drizzle glaze over pie. Sprinkle with almonds. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold. Tent with foil; chill.

For strawberries:
Toss berries, sugar, and orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Chill until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

Cut pie into wedges; place on plates. Serve with strawberries and sabayon.

Ingredients:

2 4oz Tilapia fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup black beans, cooked and seasoned
1/2 yellow onion, sliced into strips
1/2 red pepper, sliced into strips
4 tablespoons light sour cream
1 small, ripe tomato, seeded and diced.
1 avocado
1 lime
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
Salt, pepper and chili powder

For the fish:

Salt and pepper both sides of the tilapia and give it a generous squeeze of lime juice. In a non-stick pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Grill tilapia on both sides until thoroughly cooked and slightly crispy.

Grilled pepper and onions:

Over medium heat, saute the onion and red peppers in a half tablespoon of olive oil until peppers are tender and onions are transluscent. Set aside to cool.

Guacamole:

Slice avocado in half, remove pit, scoop out, and crush with a fork. Salt, add a squeeze of lime juice and a few spoonfuls of diced tomatoes and onions.

Lastly, heat the black beans.

On a platter, layer the shredded lettuce, onions and peppers, black beans and fish. Serve guacamole and tomatoes on the side. Top with a dollop of light sour cream.

Serves: 2
Calories per serving: 519
Protein: 39g
Fiber: 13.5g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fat: 25g

4 Slices Tempeh

2 Slices Vegan Swiss/White Cheese (Or Daiya Cheese Shreds)

3 Slices Rye Bread

4 TBSP. Sauerkraut

Spray Oil

2 Large Sandwich Toothpicks

For Russian Dressing

1 TBSP Vegan Mayo

1 TBSP Ketchup

1/2 TBSP Minced Bread and Butter Pickles (Or Relish)

1 Pinch Paprika, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper

Mix together in a small bowl.

Fry tempeh according to directions. While tempeh is still hot, assemble one piece of bread with a slice of cheese, two pieces of fried tempeh and two TBSP sauerkraut. Add the middle piece of bread. Layer with remaining cheese, tempeh, sauerkraut and top with last piece of bread. Hold together with toothpicks.

Spray pan with a light amount of oil. Grill for a minute and a half, then carefully turn over and grill the other side. Serve with a side of Russian dressing. You can also layer the sandwich with dressing before grilling.

Patrick Aleph

This recipe uses agave nectar, a great honey substitute that isn’t that much more expensive and can be found in any decent grocery store in the honey section.

Rolled Oats

Nuts and Seeds (Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, etc.)

Olive or Coconut Oil

Cinnamon

Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Flax Seed Meal (1/4 Cup or To Taste)

Druid Fruit (Apples, Craisins, Raisins, etc.)

Brown a layer of oats on cookie sheet for about ten minutes (until it smells like oatmeal). Toss nuts, seeds, vanilla and cinnamon to cookie sheet of oats. Bake another ten minutes. Check the granola often to prevent from burning. Finish by tossing into a bowl with dried fruit, flax seed meal, and agave nectar/maple syrup.

• Cookie-Like Hamantashen
• Oil-Based Hamantashen
• Honey Hamantashen Dough
• Cream Cheese Hamantashen

These four dough recipes are followed by simple recipes for prune and poppy seed fillings.

If you need to make a big batch for school, family or friends, the following recipe may come in handy. It comes from the website of Temple Beth Am of Rochester/Henrietta, New York.

Ingredients for Cookie-Like Hamantashen dough:

• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 cup margarine
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour/baking powder combination to sugar/margarine/eggs/OJ mixture and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight or 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.

Generously flour working surface and roll out dough. Cut into 2½ inch circles using a glass dipped in flour. Place a dollop of filling in middle of each circle. Shape into Hamentashen (3 points) by pinching edges together. Place on large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper leaving some space between cookies as they expand when baked. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Yield: Approximately 4-5 dozen

My preference for Hamamantashen comes from ‘A Treasure For My Daughter’, a wonderful Jewish cookbook originally published by Montreal Hadassah Wizo almost 60 years ago. This dough is made with oil and has a light orange taste.

Ingredients for Oil-Based Hamantashen Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs, beaten, reserve one egg for wash
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• Juice and grated rind of 1/2 orange
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine two of the eggs with the sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour mixture and knead until smooth. Roll out on floured board to 1/4″ thickness. Cut into circles with round cookie cutter or glass tumbler. Place a spoonful of filling in center of each. Draw up 3 sides to form a triangle, pinching edges together. Brush the third egg, well beaten, over the top of the pastries. Place cookies on baking sheets, no need to grease them. Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: Approximately 2 dozen

Hamentashen Honey Dough is another dough variation that is sweet and a slightly stiffer than the previous recipe. It comes from ‘The 2nd Kids’ Kosher Cookbook’ compiled by the parents of Associated Hebrews Schools in Toronto in 1992.

Ingredients for Honey-Based Hamantashen Dough:

• 4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup shortening, softened (you may also use soft margarine)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add shortening, eggs and honey. Mix together and knead to form dough. Divide into 4 equal parts and roll out one portion of dough at a time on a floured surface. Use the rim of a glass dipped in flour to cut out circles. Place filling in centre of each circle. Pinch 3 sides together to make a triangle. Place on cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes.

Yield: 30 hamentashen

A rich-tasting and delicious choice for this Purim treat is Hamentashen Cream Cheese Dough from ‘Second Helpings Please!’ published by Jewish Women International of Canada. This cookbook is a most reliable and trusted resource for the Jewish cook.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Hamantashen Dough:

• 1/2 lb. butter
• 1/2 lb. cream cheese
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup icing sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet.

Cream the butter and cheese until smooth. Add flour and sugar, and mix well. Wrap in wax paper and place in the refrigerator overnight. Roll dough to 1/4″ thickness. Cut into rounds. Fill and shape by bringing sides together to form a triangle. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until delicately browned.

Yield: approximately 2 dozen

You can fill hamantashen with your favorite jams and preserves, pie filling or the traditional prune and poppyseed filling recipes below.

Prune Filling:

• 1 lb. prunes, stewed, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup raisins, chopped
• 1/4 up chopped nuts
• 1/2 lemon, juice and rind
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. honey

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Note: When you prepare the prunes, you can combine or replace them with dried apricots, pears or dates.

Poppyseed Filling:

• 1/2 lb. poppy seed
• 4 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Soak poppy seed in boiling water and let it soak overnight. Drain and grind through a food chopped, using finest blade. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8TXNZrFs6E

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken, cut-up, skin removed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium leek, cleaned and diced
• 3 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 ½ cups white wine (you can substitute chicken stock, water or your favorite juice: ex: pomegranate juice or syrup)
• ¼ cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
• 2 tsp. paprika

Pour half of the oil into a large skillet and leave it nearby. Place flour in a plastic bag together with pepper and mix it up. Place each piece of chicken in bag and shake to coat. Heat oil over medium high and brown each piece of chicken on both sides. Set aside.

With brown bits left in skillet, add a bit more oil, then the onions, garlic, leek and carrots. Lower heat to medium and saute vegetables until they are soft. Add the wine, lemon juice and paprika, scraping up any brown bits left on skillet. Stir the sauce and let it cook for 10 minutes – it will reduce and thicken.

Add browned pieces of chicken back into sauce and cover. Simmer on low heat until chicken is fork-tender – about 75 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, separated
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 80 grams (about 3 oz.) instant chocolate pudding
• 80 grams (about 3 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
• 250 ml. Nutri Whip (One-8 oz. container)
• 100 grams pareve dark chocolate, cut into pieces (just under 4 oz. or ½ cup) (use chocolate chips, if desired)

Layer one:

Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks are formed. Add the instant chocolate pudding and the 6 yolks and continue to beat maintaining a stiff whip.

Transfer to a lightly greased spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool.

Layer two:

Beat the Nutriwhip until it has the consistency of whipped cream. Beat the vanilla instant pudding with ¾ cup water and 1 ½ cups Nutri Whip. Beat well until stiff. Spoon this over the cooled first layer. Cover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the third layer.

Layer three:

In a saucepan, melt the dark chocolate over low heat and stir in the rest of the whipped topping until blended. Remove from heat. Refrigerate this mixture until cooled off. Once cooled, spoon mixture over layer number two.

If desired, garnish cake with chocolate shavings or fresh berries.

Refrigerate cake and serve cold.

* 6 eggs – 5 of them hardboiled
* 1 large onion chopped fine
* tablespoon oil
* 1 carrot
* 1 medium potato
* 2 teaspoons matzoh meal
* salt & pepper

1 – Saute the onion in oil until golden brown
2 – Puree the 5 hard boiled eggs with 2/3 of the cook onion
3 – Put the rest of the onion in a pot with 1 cup of water & bring to a boil
4 – Peel the carrot, cut into round slices, add to the onion water & cook for 1/2 hour
5 – Peel potato and finely grate it
6 – add the grated potato, matzoh meal, & uncooked egg, salt & pepper to the pureed egg-onion mix and stir well.
7 – with moist hands form 6-8 oval shaped balls from the mixture (should be gefilte fish shaped)
8 – Add the balls to the pot with the onion & carrot in it and cook for 20 minutes over low heat
9 – serve cold

Vegan Pumpkin Challah

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup warm water (not too hot to to
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (can be canned but not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup silken or soft tofu
soymilk for wash

- Mix the yeast, sugar and and warm water. Let the mixture stand for 10-20 minutes.
- Whisk the salt, oil, tofu, and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl or in a blender. Add the yeast mixture.
- Slowly stir in 2 cups of the flour then add the rest with your hands as you knead the dough. You might need slightly more less flour than is called for. The dough should come out smooth and stretchy without being too sticky to touch.
- Place the dough in a clean, oiled or floured bowl. Let it risk for 2-3 hours covered. I was told that the secret to good challah is letting it rise three times. Since I usually start my challah on Thursdays, I let let the dough rise overnight and during the day Friday in the fridge. Let it rise somewhere warmer if doing it over a shorter period of time.
- Punch the dough down on it has risen. Roll the challah into 6 or 3 equal sized ropes and braid.

There are a lot of resources online for 6 and 3 strand challah braiding. I am still working on the 6 strand and suggest starting with 3 strand for first-timers or for the less-coordinated (me).

- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush the loaves with soymilk and bake for 40-45 minutes. You can brush with soymilk again halfway through baking if desired.  The challah should be golden brown when done.

Two medium sized butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
Four carrots (peeled and chopped)
Three Thai chili peppers (i love spicy food but it wasn’t really spicy!)
Two leeks

Chop vegetables and mix with sauce made of:

Balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Spices (to taste): salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregeno
Honey (also to taste)

Using two pans, roast the carrots, peppers and leeks at 375 degrees for about 35 mins and let the squash go another 5 – 10 mins.

Puree the veggies with chicken or vegetable broth. Put the puree in a pot and heat it up.

If you are serving this dairy, add some milk to get the consistency u want. You can also serve it with vanilla greek yogurt and some rosemary and thyme on top!

Homemade Pizza 101

Basic pizza dough (flour, water, yeast). Roll it out and put on a baking sheet.

Sauce is just some spaghetti sauce from a jar that I used.

Decorate with cheeses (I had some mozzarella in fridge but any will do).

Now the Toppings

I sprinkled olives, capers and fresh tomatoes over the top. Some chopped basil just in the last minute of baking is good too.

Now, I know this sounds crazy but we love some avocado on our pizza after it is done baking we take it out of our salad and mash it in each bite (trust me) I guess what I wish to say is that anything you put on it is great!

We love sweet potatoes and tomatoes with some tahini mixed in the sauce, or some grilled onions and walnuts with goat cheese and pears… anything you have in the fridge is great to put on it–there are no mistakes!!

And Finally…

Bake on hot oven (425-500) for 10-15 mins. Just be intuitive & experimental.

1 Veggie Patty (I prefer Boca Burgers)

BBQ Sauce

Small Handful of Coleslaw

Hamburger Bun

Spray Cooking Oil

Thaw a veggie burger patty in the microwave. Set aside.

Heat up a a cast iron skillet. Spray cooking oil on a hamburger bun and quickly grill the bun.

After the bun is grilled, quickly pan fry a burger patty with bbq sauce, chopping the burger into chunks.

Toss in the bun with a handful of coleslaw on top and extra sauce if you like. It’s also fun to put two dill pickles on the coleslaw-topped sandwich for a nice sweet/sour taste.

Mega Salmon Roll Filling

Nori Rolls – the seaweed stuff. Make sure you get the kind that is dark. The cheapest come in packages with no English on them
Kosher Fish – the easiest for beginners is salmon
Cooking Oil – any kind will do
Avocado
Cucumber
Mayo
Sesame Marinade – whatever you like, pre-bottled…or you can get fancy with sesame-chardonnay-soy-whatever…
Sesame Seeds – for color

Sushi Rice
Sushi Rice – don’t substitute for anything!!!
Rice Vinegar
Salt
Sugar

Condiments – Picked Ginger, Wasabi, Spicy Mayo…whatever you like

Tools
Bamboo Sushi Roller
Sharp Kitchen Knife
Plastic Wrap or Large “Freezer Bag”
Wet Paper Towel
Small Bowl of Cold Water

Before doing anything, freeze your fish for several hours then thaw. This will start killing any bacteria you might have gotten in the fish.

Start by cooking your sushi rice. Just follow the instructions on the bag. It’s usually 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water with vinegar, salt and sugar. Chill rice after cooking. I stick it in the freezer if I’m in a hurry.

Next comes the fish. Fry the fish lightly in oil until medium rare, then pour in just enough of your favorite marinade to douse the fish and “release” it from sticking to the pan. Break up the fish into smaller pieces and pour into a bowl or plastic container. Put in the refrigerator to cool down. After it has cooled, add enough mayo to make a salmon “salad” with a texture like chicken salad, tuna salad, etc.

Slice the cucumber and avocado into strips. If your cream cheese is in a block, cut it into strips as well. If it comes in a tub, then just scoop into teaspoon size portions. Set aside.

Now, you make the rolls…

Wrap your bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap to keep it clean, or stick it in a plastic bag. Place the nori shiny-side-down on top of the rolled-out mat. Scoop enough cold rice onto the nori sheet to lightly cover it (1/4 inch tall) but leave one inch of rice-free room at the top of the roll.

In the center of the roll, spread the salmon salad. Add sliced vegetables and cream cheese.

Begin rolling the roll from the bottom to the top (where the non-rice end is). Go slowly, making sure to roll tightly and evenly. Roll until you get to the edge of the empty end. With the wet paper towel, wet the end of the nori like a mailing envelope. Continue to roll until it sticks to the finished roll.

Run your wet paper towel over the knife to get it wet. Cut the roll into as many pieces as you want. Serve with garnish!

Heat oil in pan, add onion, cook until lightly browned. Turn down the heat some and add garlic, tomato paste, and curry powder. Cook for about 2 minutes or so. Add chick peas, reserved liquid, lemon, salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste. Simmer until heated through. Enjoy!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 sticks salted butter, melted and cooled*
1 cup sugar
3 large apples, peeled and sliced**
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well incorporated. Stir in apple slices. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix until JUST COMBINED. The biggest mistake people make with muffins and loaf cake are overmixing. If you need the science behind this, I suggest watching Alton Brown’s episode on blueberry muffins. There is no need to remove lumps or even use an electric mixer. Fold in walnuts. Pour batter into a well-greased non-stick 5×9 loaf pan. Bake for 1hr 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*If you would like this parve, you can substitute with vegetable oil.
**Any apples are fine – I usually pick Fuji or Gala. I have a special technique for cutting my apples for this bread. After peeling the apples, I use the vegetable peeler to cut thin slices of apple. I find that this lets the apples naturally dissolve into the batter and saves you the potential nicking of a finger.

Says Lacy, “If eating in company politer than a five year old, use a fork & knife.”

White Bean Hummus
2 cans great northern or other white beans, undrained
1 T oregano, chopped
garlic, peeled & chopped to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1 T olive oil
lemon juice to taste

Saute oregano and garlic in olive oil until fragrant over medium heat, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add white beans & liquid from cans, salt, & pepper, cook until liquid has almost completely evaporated. Allow mixture to cool slightly, then pour into food processor. Add lemon juice (more juice yields runnier, but still tasty, hummus) & puree.  Store in fridge.

Bruschetta
tomatoes, cored & chopped
basil, roughly chiffonade’d
balsamic vinegar

Mix all ingredients & store in fridge until ready to use.

Ok, this is so delicious and nutritious. I was obsessed with this all winter. The awesome thing about this recipe is that you can just eyeball all the ingredients. Of course, when working with dried grains, the ratio is 1:2 in terms of water. This makes a large amount, which is great for serving a crowd. Best served hot.

butter
onion
turmeric (creates a beautiful golden color)
sea salt
veg or chicken stock
tomato paste
bulgur wheat
canned beans (I like garbanzo, red kidney, and large butter beans)
dried lentils (picked over for stones)
dill (fresh or dried)
parsley (fresh or dried)
Greek yogurt (I prefer 2% milk fat)

Melt butter in pan. Saute onion until soft. Add tumeric and sea salt. Cook spices briefly to coax out flavor.

Add stock, tomato paste, lentils, and bulgur wheat. Bring mixture to boil. Turn down to a simmer, add beans, dill, and parsley.

Cook until liquid is absorbed and the grains are soft.

If vegetarian, top with Greek yogurt and enjoy!

Equipment:
2 large skillets, preferably one being cast iron, fine grater or zester.

Ingredients
1/2 pound wide noodles (I use this Eden Farms brand parsley lemon strips or fettucini broken in half), prepared according to package directions

3 1/2 cups seitan, sliced in thin wide strips (note: try making your own seitan with PPK’s recipe here)

2 tablespoons +1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, quartered and sliced in half moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 portobella caps, thinly sliced
1 cup burgundy cooking wine
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (corn or potato starch will work, too)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped up
1 tablespoon hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/2 cup original flavored soy milk (I use Vitasoy)
1 cup peas

Directions
Dissolve the arrow root in the 2 cups of water, set aside.

Heat olive oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add the shallots and onions, saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms and thyme. Saute for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil, just to coat it. Add the seitan and saute over medium heat about 25 minutes, until it is dark brown and crispy on the outside. If you are using store-bought seitan you need only cook it for 10 minutes.

Back to the sauce: add salt, wine and paprika. Turn heat up high to reduce the liquid, about 10 minutes.

Lower heat to med-high, add water and arrowroot, stir well and let sauce thicken, about 5 minutes. Add nutritional yeast and mix well until it is dissolved. Add soymilk and mustard and bring heat down to low, be very careful not to let it boil now because it can make the soymilk and mustard bitter. Add seitan and peas, cook for 10 more minutes.

Divide noodles into bowls and mix with the stroganoff. It is best to mix immediately so that the pasta doesn’t stick. You can top it off with tofu sour cream, but I like it just the way it is.

2 pounds Baby Carrots

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cp Red-Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 TBSP Sugar

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Toss carrots with oil, salt and pepper in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep). Roast in middle of oven, stirring once, until barely tender, about 20 minutes. Leave oven on. Stir together vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Drizzle over carrots, shaking pan to coat, then roast until carrots are tender and vinegar is evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes more.

Pick Your Style and Settle On It

For a kosher party, you have a few options:

-Meat (no dairy)

-Pescaterian (Vegetarian with dairy and kosher fish)

-Vegetarian (dairy only)

-Parve (Pescatarian, without the dairy)

-Vegan (no animal products at all)

Once you pick the “format” of your party, it’ll be easy to search for recipes and go grocery shopping.

Get Small

People love being able to snack at a party. Having lots of food prepared in small bites (call it tapas, hors d’ oeuvres, appetizers, whatever) is really a smart, easy way to go. People will have more options and will fill up faster because they are eating a little bit at a time.

Variety Is the Spice of Life

Unless your food has a theme (Mexican, Chinese, Italian, etc.) it’s really great to have a variety of different foods spanning different palates will give each guest a chance to try new things, or fall back on what their comfortable with. Check out our wide selection of recipes here.

Don’t Get Too Complicated

Planning food for a party can be stressful because the recipes are too complicated. Consider buying some pre-made snacks that are easy and quick to assemble (also know as the Semi Homemade technique). That way you’ll have more time to focus on your masterpieces that require more attention.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

It’s tempting to go shopping the day of the party. We suggest a day or more before. You never know what you’ll forget, or last minute changes you’ll want to make. Having ample time just makes it easier!

Incorporate Some New Rituals

Kashrut (kosher) is part of the collective wisdom of the Jewish people. Rituals such as blessing food and ritual hand washing can add a great spark to the party. Alternatively, you can make up your own party rituals!

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1½ cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated raw carrots (1 pound)
4 eggs
½ cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan.
2. Sift the flour together with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
3. In another bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil and mix thoroughly. Add the carrots and blend well.
4. Add the eggs, one a time, to the carrot mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the nuts. Then gradually add the flour mixture, blending well.
5. Pour batter into the bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour, cool before frosting.

FROSTING:

3 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup butter or margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

When cake is cool, blend together the above ingredients and frost.

Serves 8-10 (Dairy)

Source: Jewish Holiday Kitchen – Joan Nathan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTiPmKdIOGU

Vanilla Milk and Honey

1 cp. Milk (I suggest 1% cow milk, but any milk will do)

1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract (the real kind, not artificial)

2 TBSP Tupelo Honey

Sprinkle of Cinnamon, Nutmeg to taste

Warm milk and vanilla on the stove. Add honey to warm milk and stir until well mixed. Pour into a cup and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

4 large carrots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro and red onion
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons yogurt
pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons orange blossom water
1 tablespoon sugar or honey

Peel and chop carrots. Mix in spices and wet ingredients. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Stir again before serving. You can also add raisins, dried currants, or dried apricots for additional flavor and texture.

This recipe is a Middle Eastern/North African influenced version that we think is even better. And while we don’t promise it will lead you to “I do”, we do think it tastes great and is perfect for a party where meat is being served.

1 Whole Chicken (approx. 3 lb.)
2 Whole Lemons
1 tsp each Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Cumin, Chili Powder, Ginger Powder
3 TBSP Orange Blossom Water
1/4 Clove Garlic (peeled)
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1/4 cup Honey
1 cup each Dried Prunes and Turkish Apricots
1 cup Hot Mint Tea

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash chicken inside and out with cold water, remove the giblets, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander until it reaches room temp (about 15 minutes). Pat dry with paper towels.

While waiting for the chicken to dry, rehydrate the prunes and apricots in the hot tea. Set aside.

Season the outside of the chicken with the spices, mixed with olive oil. Make sure to rub under the skin and inside the cavity. Quarter the lemons and stuff inside the cavity along with peeled garlic. Leave at one piece of garlic and a few pieces of lemon to sit underneath the bird in the roasting pan (gives the juices more flavor).

Place the bird breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn it breast-side up. Return it to oven for 35 minutes more. Test for doneness—a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180 degrees, or juices should run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork. Continue baking if necessary. Let chicken cool for a few minutes after fully cooked.

Take the chicken out of the juices and place on a serving platter. Add fruit, honey and orange blossom water. After mixing together well, pour on top of the bird.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Brown Butter (Dairy)

• Stem fresh green beans (not canned!!!!!) Microwave in a wet paper towel until soft (steaming them)
• In a pan, add finely sliced vidalia or other sweet onions to 1/2 cup of butter. Cook until golden brown, then add a pinch of salt and a dash of sugar. Stir until sugar is melted. Add green beans and toss until well coated/mixed.
• Total Cost: Green Beans ($1.50), Onion ($0.50), Butter-Sugar-Salt ($0.50) = $2.50

American Red Potato Salad (Pareve)

• Quarter 2.5 pounds of red/new potatoes (leave skin on). Boil in salty water until soft. Drain and place in refrigerator for later.
• While potatoes cool, mix 1/2 cup of mayo, salt, pepper and juice from 1/2 lemon. Mix together and toss in cold potatoes.
• Total Cost: Potatoes ($2.50), Mayo and Spices ($0.50) = $3.00

Tunisian Potato Salad with Cumin Hot Sauce

• Quarter 2.5 pounds of red/new potatoes (leave skin on). Boil in salty water until soft. Drain and place in refrigerator for later.
• While potatoes cool, mix 1 TBSP hot sauce (any kind is fine), 3 TBSP of olive oil, 1 TBSP vinegar (white or rice wine), 1 TBSP cumin, salt, pepper. Pour over cold potatoes and toss.
• Total Cost: Potatoes ($2.50), Oil, Hot Sauce and Spices ($0.50) = $3.00

Mozzarella, Tomatoes with Basil Balsamic Dressing (Dairy)

• Cut a block of mozzarella cheese into small cubes and thin slice two Roma tomatoes.
• To make dressing, mix 2 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle in jar Italian seasoning and salt/pepper to taste.
• Total Cost: Mozzarella ($2.50), Tomatoes ($0.50), Oil, Vinegar, Spices ($0.50) = $3.50

Hummus (Pareve/Vegan)

• Drain and mash two cans of chic peas. Pour in tahini until mixture is a thin paste. Add juice from 1/2 lemon. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle paprika for color on top. Serve with pita cut in half, then thirds (six pieces per loaf).
• Total Cost: Chick Peas ($2.00), Tahini ($1.00), Spiced ($0.25), Pita ($1.25) = $4.50

Curried Lentils (Pareve/Vegan)

• Bring 1 can of vegetable stock and 1 can of water to a boil. Add 1 pound of dry lentils and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes.
• Uncover and add one can of tomato sauce and 4 TBSP yellow curry powder. Cook together for another 5 minutes or until the liquid starts to disappear from the lentils
• Total Cost: Lentils ($1.00), Tomato Sauce ($1.00), Spices ($0.50) = $2.50

Sesame-Soy Rice Noodles (Pareve/Vegan)

• Cook one box of rice noodles according to directions (usually boil for four minutes then drain)
• Pour into serving dish and liberally douse with soy sauce and sesame oil. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Note: you can also add scallions for color, but people generally don’t eat them, so it’s a waste.
• Total Cost: Noodles ($3.00), Soy Sauce (free packets from Chinese restaurant), Sesame Oil and Seeds ($0.50) = $3.50

Challah

• We like Bubbe Sarah‘s recipe (costs less than a dollar to make), but you can also buy Challah for around $3.00-5.00 each

Purchase Pre-Made From Grocery

• Boxed Mac and Cheese (Dairy)…perfect for picky eaters or kids at a party $1.50

• Cream Cheese Brownies (Dairy) and Fruit Pie (Apple, Blueberry, etc) (Dairy) $2.75 each

• Spinach Dip and Chips (Dairy) $5.00

Wine and Drinks

• Ask people to bring wine, but have one large bottle ready just in case ($8.00)

• 2 Liter Sodas, 1 Gallon Sweet Tea, Water, Powder-mix Drinks, etc ($1.25 each)

Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs
Serves 6 to 8
Time: 50 Minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sized onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried tarragon
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups vegetable stock, or 4 cups veggie stock plus 2 cups water, whatever
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
4 cups chopped broccoli (including the stalks: chop them into thin slices, and the tops into small florets)
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh mint

HEAT A soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, tarragon, black pepper, and salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 15 more minutes.

Use an immersion blender to blend about one-third of the soup; we like to keep it chunky with lots of whole potato chunks. If you don’t have an immersion blender (get one!), transfer about one-third of the soup to a blender or food processor and puree, then add it back to the rest of the soup.

Add the fresh dill and mint, then let the soup sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve!

This is the vegetarian version of the exotically fragrant Moroccan soup that is served with couscous. Use the same procedure to prepare couscous soup with chicken (see below). Brought to you by Janna Gur’s “The Book of New Israeli Foods”.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

1 cup chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight, rinsed and drained
4 carrots, cut into 2-3 large chunks
4 medium potatoes, quartered
1 large onion, quartered
Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper to taste
Small pinch of saffron or 11/2 teaspoons turmeric
200 g (7 oz) pumpkin , cut into 4-5 large  chunks
4 courgettes (zucchini), cut into 3-4 large chunks
Half a green cabbage, quartered
4-5 stalks celery stalks, peeled and cut coarsely (save the leaves)
1/2 kg (1 lb 2 oz) instant couscous

Traditional Couscous Soup

1. Put the chickpeas in a large saucepan, cover with water and cook for about 30 minutes. Drain, pour in 2 liters (2 quarts) of water (to prevent the soup from becoming cloudy later on), and cook for another 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are tender.

2. Add the carrots, potatoes and onion, season with salt, pepper, saffron or turmeric and cook for 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

3. Add the remaining vegetables (except the celery leaves) and cook for 15 minutes, until tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the celery leaves and cook for another 15 minutes.

4. Prepare the couscous according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Place a heap of couscous in a deep dish. Arrange the vegetables on top  and ladle the soup around and over the couscous.

Red Couscous Soup

When adding the pumpkin, cabbage and courgettes (zucchini), add one small can (300 g, 1012 oz) of tomatoes in tomato  paste and continue according to the recipe.

Spicy Couscous Soup

Add 1-2 tablespoons of filfel chuma (p. 296) or harissa (p. 298) towards the end of the cooking cycle.

Couscous Soup With Chicken

Add 6-8 chicken drumsticks for the last 30 minutes of the cooking cycle.

3 pkg Chopped Spinach – defrosted and drained

2 Eggs Beaten

2 cps Cottage Cheese

1/2 cp Matzo Meal

1 cp Parmesan Cheese

1 Onion, Finely Chopped

1/2 cp Sour Cream

Mix all together and pour into casserole dish. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

3 pkg Chopped Spinach – defrosted and drained

2 Eggs Beaten

2 cps Cottage Cheese

1/2 cp Matzo Meal

1 cp Parmesan Cheese

1 Onion, Finely Chopped

1/2 cp Sour Cream

Mix all together and pour into casserole dish. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

3 pkg Chopped Spinach – defrosted and drained

2 Eggs Beaten

2 cps Cottage Cheese

1/2 cp Matzo Meal

1 cp Parmesan Cheese

1 Onion, Finely Chopped

1/2 cp Sour Cream

Mix all together and pour into casserole dish. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Talia’s Steakhouse Cheeseburger

OK, it doesn’t have bacon (of any kind) on it, but Talia’s is the first restaurant in NYC to serve a kosher cheeseburger, so you have to give them credit for that.

The Jewlicious Burger

The kids at Jewlicious are the real winners in the kosher bacon cheeseburger experiment. Vegetarian and chocolate filled, this burger sounds absolutely disgusting…but really, really funny.

There’s several other combos that work, all equally delicious…

• The South African Burger: ground beef, vegan cheese, and Macon Bacon (made from beef in South Africa)
• Mary Had A Little…Burger: ground lamb, vegan cheese and lamb bacon
• The Veggie: Morningstar Farms vegan burger, veggie bacon (contains egg) and tofu cheese

Now that he’s not mixing meat and milk, Patrick had to come up with a new way to feed his burger bar cravings. Here’s what he came up with…

Gather a group of friends around the grill for a killer Kosher Burger Buffet. All you need are lots of large bowls to hold your ingredients!

The Meat: Ground Buffalo, Beef, Turkey and Chicken and your voice of vegan alternative

Mix-ins: Minced Red Onion, Jalepeno, Garlic, Chilis

Spices: Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Italian Seasoning, Curry Powder, Taco Seasoning

Have each person form their own patty, using their favorite combo of Meat, Mix-ins and Spices that get rubbed on the burger before throwing on the grill. Serve with a buffet of…

“Cheese”: Daiya Cheddar Cheese, Daiya Mozarella, Follow Your Heart Nacho and Monterrey Jack Cheese

Veggies: Shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, coleslaw, grilled vegetables…you get the drift

Sauce: Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, Chutney, Salsa, Guacamole, Pizza Sauce, Horseradish, BBQ Sauce, Motor Oil…whatever you’re into

3 Matzos

3 Large Apples, Pared and Diced

3/4 cp Raisins

2 tsp Cinnamon

Dash of Nutmeg

3/4 cp Packed Brown Sugar

4 TBSP melted butter or non-dairy margarine

6 Eggs, Beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak the matzos in water until soft. Press out as much water as possible. Add apples, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and butter/margarine. Mix well. Add eggs. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into greased casserole. Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are tender.

1 Brisket

1 cp Brown Sugar

1 cp Horseradish

1 cp Dijon Mustard

Take the brisket and salt well. Smoke for one hour or cook slowly on a charcoal/wood grill. Combine the other ingredients and rub all over the brisket evenly. Wrap in foil and cook fat side up at 200 degrees for eleven hours.

3 Bags Hibiscus Tea
3 TBSP Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearl Green Tea (from Teavana)
6 TBSP Raw Sugar
6 TBSP Rose Water
Pinch Fresh Grated Ginger

Mix together and steep in a french press for two minutes. Press and pour in a pitcher of ice. Garnish with fresh mint and a twist of lemon.

Combine in a french press. pour hot water and steep 5 minutes (minimum). Press and pour over pitcher of ice. Serve with pine nuts on top for that extra

Google “animal sandwich” and the craziest things come up, including this picture of poor Timothy The Cat* between two pieces of white bread.

It should go without say, but please, don’t eat a kitten! They aren’t kosher, and besides, people who hurt cats always turn out to be psychos anyway.

*I don’t know this cat’s name, but he looks like a Timothy to me! This photo courtesy of The L Magazine.

2 cups warm water
½ cup sugar
1 packet yeast
½ cup oil
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
Approx. 6 cups of flour

Mix wet ingredients together. Add about 6 cups of flour slowly. You might not need all of it. Knead and set aside to rise, about 2 or 3 hours.

Get any brownie bites or leftover chocolate cake (take off frosting). Entenmann’s chocolate Danish works great. Chop cake until small/fine. Add chopped chocolate chips.
After bread dough has risen, knead/roll until flat and in a pizza shape. Spread butter generously over bread and then cover with chopped toppings. Start at one end and roll up. Then cut into 3 pieces. Roll these into strips and braid. Bake at 350/until golden. Takes about 45 minutes…

This recipe is great for holiday Shabbats…

variations:

*dark chocolate chips and cinnamon
*dried fruit and milk chocolate chips

Curry Couscous Salad (Parve)

2 Boxes Instant/5-Minute Couscous (make sure it’s parve)

3 Heaping TBSP Yellow Curry Powder

1/4 Cp. Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cp. Olive Oil

1/2 Cp. Chopped Green Onion

1/4 Cp. Chopped Walnuts (not Black Walnuts)*

1/4 Cp. Dried Cranberries*

1/4 Cp. Dried Currants*

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Make 1 box of couscous according to directions, but add in the curry power while cooking. After couscous is done, place in your serving dish. Cook another box of couscous, this time plain (without curry powder). Add this to the serving dish. Mix the two (lightly) together. This will give you dark yellow and pale couscous, for great color contrast.

Mix in the green onion, walnuts and dried fruit. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar on top to serve.

*You can substitute any kind of nuts and dried fruit that you like.

Serves 10 People

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNuSmdC_ZuA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd-7a_wdVZk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq7W93H47qA

4 Tablespoons chimichurri sauce
4 rib eye steaks with plenty of fat left on the cut
4 slices turkey bacon
1 Tablespoon cracked pepper

Chimichurri is a Dominican green sauce made of herbs and oil, and used for marinating. Its woody taste mimics the applewood bacon. Not only does this sauce have a luscious herbal flavor (a better substitute for the boring parsley/onion combination), it also contains vegetable or olive oil, which replaces the glossiness of butter.

Rib eye is, for the money, the best gourmet kosher beef cut. It has excellent marbling (fat to lean ratio, where there is just enough fat to create juiciness), and this means that the butter and the pig fat from the bacon will not be missed.

Finally, turkey bacon has the same crunchy texture and visual appeal of applewood bacon. In general, turkey, especially smoked, is an amazing pork substitute. It can also be honey baked to have the same taste and texture as ham.

Just like with the treif recipe, rub the steak in the marinade, wrap in the “bacon,” insert toothpick, and grill. No one will be the wiser.

For many people, cooking kosher means dusting off their grandmother’s cookbook, scouring through family recipe cards from the 1960s, and stealing ideas from the Temple Sisterhood. This may feel “retro-cool” for a minute, but when the Food Network, Anthony Bourdain, and Martha Stewart are pushing ham-and-milk-sauce to go with your shrimp-and-a-side-of-bacon, it can be enough to drive a foodie to the dark side of treif, or toward settling for a life of mediocre falafel.

However, enterprising amateur (and professional) kosher chefs need not despair. Here are some tricks for how to deconstruct treif recipes, and turn forbidden meals into something deliciously Jewish.
The Art of Substitution

In the event that a recipe calls for a non-kosher ingredient, the easiest thing to do is to look up its chemical substitution online. The best example is gelatin, which generally comes from the connective tissues of non-kosher animals. It is a key thickening agent in sauces and baking, as well as a glaze for traditional French desserts like fruit tarts.
There are certain kinds of vegetable gums used in commercial food manufacturing and processing–guar gum, agar, and gum acacia–that can be used instead of gelatin. All of these are kosher and can be purchased online or at larger health food and Asian grocery stores. Agar, in particular, is a great substitute because one teaspoon of agar can replace one teaspoon of gelatin.
Flavor Profiling

When chefs create new recipes, they consider the flavor profile that they wish to achieve. The idea of a flavor profile is that what makes a dish taste good is more than just the sum of its ingredients–it is a delicate balance of separate tastes, odors, and other impressions, such as silkiness in the mouth, aftertaste, heat, and spiciness.

When you come across a non-kosher recipe that intrigues you, consider how you can modify it with fresh herbs, spices, and non-traditional ingredients–and still stay true to its flavor profile. Expand your repertoire by visiting international grocery stores, spice markets, and farmers’ markets, where you can find a wide variety of culinary tools not readily available at the local supermarket.

For example, look out for high quality risotto, which is dairy-free but has a milky, cheesy quality. Another great piece of food magic is the variety of non-dairy “milks” available. You’ve probably heard of soy milk, but what about almond milk? This tastier version of non-dairy creamer is perfect for gravy or mashed potatoes.
The Treif Challenge

It might seem impossible to modify this recipe for Filet Mignon Wrapped in Applewood Smoked Bacon. Here is the recipe, first in non-kosher form, then deconstructed and re-imagined by flavor profiling, and thinking outside the treif box.

Filet Mignon Wrapped in Applewood Smoked Bacon
Serves 4.

2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon minced onion
4 filet mignon steaks
4 slices applewood smoked bacon

Coat the steak with butter, parsley, and minced onion. Wrap steak with bacon, using a tooth pick as a skewer. Grill until rare or medium rare.
The Kosher Solution

This recipe is obviously treif; it contains bacon as well as meat mixed with dairy. Filet mignon is also a suspect cut. Since it is dangerously close to the sciatic nerve, it is nearly impossible to butcher according to Jewish law, and therefore extremely expensive and hard to find when it is kosher.

The flavor profile of this dish is mouth-watering: firmness of beef, juiciness of blood, glossiness of butter and pig fat, woodiness and crunch of bacon, sweet and peppery flavor, slightly tart herb taste of onion and parsley.

With that flavor profile in mind, the kosher chef creates the following:
Rib Eye with Chimichurri Sauce Wrapped in Turkey Bacon

Serves 4.

4 Tablespoons chimichurri sauce
4 rib eye steaks with plenty of fat left on the cut
4 slices turkey bacon
1 Tablespoon cracked pepper

Chimichurri is a Dominican green sauce made of herbs and oil, and used for marinating. Its woody taste mimics the applewood bacon. Not only does this sauce have a luscious herbal flavor (a better substitute for the boring parsley/onion combination), it also contains vegetable or olive oil, which replaces the glossiness of butter.

Rib eye is, for the money, the best gourmet kosher beef cut. It has excellent marbling (fat to lean ratio, where there is just enough fat to create juiciness), and this means that the butter and the pig fat from the bacon will not be missed.

Finally, turkey bacon has the same crunchy texture and visual appeal of applewood bacon. In general, turkey, especially smoked, is an amazing pork substitute. It can also be honey baked to have the same taste and texture as ham.

Just like with the treif recipe, rub the steak in the marinade, wrap in the “bacon,” insert toothpick, and grill. No one will be the wiser.

Having Fun With Limitation

What drives many people away from kosher cuisine is the idea of “giving up” the foods they want. No more cheese on the cheeseburger. No more baked potatoes loaded with bacon.

But in the past, Jews in every country in the Diaspora found ways to create kosher versions of their neighbors’ food. Italian Jews took duck and smoked it to create duck prosciutto, the kosher cousin to the famous Italian salted ham. Jews in India replaced butter and yogurt with coconut milk and oil to make kosher meat curries.

Today, the secret is to have fun and think about how your creative substitutions make you part of a rich Jewish culinary history.

By Heather Lauer

In the same way that some vegetarians find bacon to be the hardest meat to resist, I also have a few Jewish friends who are easily tempted by bacon, despite it not being kosher. But for those vegetarians and Jewish individuals who can resist temptation, there are quite a few alternatives to pork bacon these days.

One alternative to pork bacon is turkey bacon. Those of us who are bacon-obsessed and not restricted by our religion or diet may not fully appreciate what turkey bacon has to offer. But if you can’t have the real thing, at least you can play along in the spirit of bacon. And turkey bacon is actually pretty widely available – Jennie-O makes a version that can be found in most major grocery stores.

Another kosher bacon I recently encountered is duck bacon. Yes, you heard me right, duck bacon. I was surprised myself. I found it at Dean and Deluca – I imagine you won’t find this one in most neighborhood grocery stores. Naturally I had to buy some and try it out.

And the result…it tastes nothing like bacon. It’s kind of cut to look like bacon, although it just looks like dark duck meat cut in strips, not marbled bacon. But there is absolutely nothing about the taste that resembles bacon. However, for duck it was actually pretty good – it tasted like a thin piece of fried duck meat. It is also very different to cook – because the duck meat is more delicate and contains less fat than pork, you literally cook it for 15-20 seconds on each side over low to medium heat and that’s it. More than that and you’ll burn it.

If duck isn’t your thing or – if like the majority of the country – you don’t live near a Dean and Deluca, some other kosher bacon options include beef bacon, lamb bacon and tofu bacon.

For those of us who aren’t prevented from eating bacon for dietary or religious reasons, we know there truly is no substitute for bacon from a pig. But all the non-pork bacon options that are available these days just go to show that everyone truly does love bacon, kosher or not.

When considering a vegetarian diet, some Jews wonder if they’ll have to miss out on cherished Jewish culinary staples. Keep an eye out for recipes, and you’ll see that there are lots of vegetarian recipes for just about everything you can think of.

JewishVeg.com/Recipes is a wonderful resource. It features links to vegetarian recipes for traditional Jewish foods (vegetarian kishke or gefilte fish, anyone?). It is organized by section, so that when Purim is approaching, for example, you can find a recipe for vegan hamentaschen faster than you can boo Haman.

If you cook a lot for Shabbat and other Jewish holidays, I recommend Roberta Kalechofsky’s The Jewish Vegetarian Year Cookbook. It has great vegetarian recipes for every Jewish occasion.

A lot of us grew up with certain Jewish foods that we know and love. Going vegetarian is a time to reconsider what dishes are in your regular repertoire, and I think it’s a good opportunity to embrace Jewish comfort foods that you might not eat too often.

For example, who doesn’t love charoset on Passover? I’ve come to enjoy this sweet fruit-and-nut mixture as my default breakfast centerpiece. The nuts offer protein, the chunks of fruit are healthier than a glass of fruit juice on the side is, and cinnamon is a nutritional powerhouse in its own right. There are more exciting variations out there, but my version is very easy to make: Just chop up some apples, throw in some walnut halves or pieces, add your desired amount of cinnamon, and pour in some grape juice!

In secular circles, the top reasons cited for embracing a vegetarian diet are avoiding cruelty to animals, improving your health, and helping the environment. All three of these correspond to important Jewish values.
Jews should not inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on animals (tsa’ar ba’alei chayim). According to the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), “It is forbidden, according to the law of the Torah, to inflict pain upon any living creature. On the contrary, it is our duty to relieve the pain of any creature ….”
According to the principle of pikuach nefesh, it’s important to stay healthy. Says Maimonides, “Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of G-d—for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator if he is ill—therefore one must avoid that which harms the body and accustom oneself to that which is helpful and helps the body become stronger.”
According to the principle of bal tashchit, we should be good stewards of the environment and not waste resources.

Being vegetarian makes it easier to keep kosher. You don’t have to worry about whether you’re eating meat that’s certified kosher (and whether that certification meets Jewish ideals) if you’re not eating meat. You don’t have to worry about mixing meat and dairy products if you’re avoiding one or both of those categories altogether.

As one vegetarian rabbi explained in a 2005 Jewish Ledger article, “We have one set of dishes (plus Passover dishes) and never have to worry about the status of leftovers in the fridge or whether a guest will mix the utensils or food items. … By not eating meat, I am much more certain to never violate, even accidentally, the Biblical and rabbinic prohibitions concerning non-kosher meat.”

I’ve heard some people say that being vegetarian or vegan automatically means you keep kosher, but it’s not quite that simple. This is the case for some people, in accordance with their level of observance. For more information about potential complicating factors, read my blog post “A Vegan’s Response to ‘Do You Keep Kosher?’”

Simplicity regarding adherence to the letter of kosher law isn’t the only reason why kosher-keeping Jews should go vegetarian. Avoiding meat and other animal products in your diet is also the best way to follow the spirit of the law and avoid causing animals unnecessary suffering (tsa’ar ba’alei chayim). For more information about the shortcomings of the kosher meat industry and how kashrut-observant Jews can avoid causing tsa’ar ba’alei chayim by going vegetarian, click here.

The guinea pig (also called cui or cuy) is a triple threat when it comes to kosher because:

-It’s a rodent
-It doesn’t chew its cud
-It doesn’t have split hooves

Also, look at this thing. It’s cute! So sorry Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Columbia, looks like if you keep kosher, you can’t eat our little friend.

But that doesn’t stop Anna from trying (j/k…she’s a vegetarian).