PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality

Garlic Latkes with Roasted Pepper Apple Chutney

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05f8BMjM-HM&list=UUfbQnMMvRssrokknT-gHEXA&feature=plcp

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!

Rena’s Sufganiot (aka Jelly Doughnuts)

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Chanukah time is a special time of year. To celebrate the miracle of the lights, cooking food in oil has always been a tradition. In the US, it is customary to have latkes (potato pancakes) while in Israel the fried jelly doughnuts are the rage.

This recipe is for mini doughnuts. I find them much easier to make because you don’t need any special equipment. Just use a cup to cut them out. Like all fried food, they are best served fresh, so make sure that you have a crowd coming because this recipe makes about 25 of these little bad boys.

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.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

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Cabbage Roll Casserole is a convenient, easy meat recipe for any occasion. This is one of those dishes that tastes better after it stays in the fridge for a day or two.

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

Pumpkin Pie: A Kosher Thanksgiving (Part II)

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We asked everyone on our Facebook and Twitter to submit recipes for our Thanksgiving Dessert Showdown. Without “outing” anyone, this was the standard answer:

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.

The Best Veggie Gravy Ever

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This gravy is more of an art than a science. The base of the gravy is mushrooms, onions, worcesterchire, butter and MSG. From there, the other liquids, how much, and when, are really up to you, as well as the spices.

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

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PUNKTORAH
PO Box 7414
Richmond, VA 23221-0414

Phone: +1 (323) 539-4411

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