Simple~ Scrumptious~ Salmon

Salmon is my favorite fish! I love the fact that there are so many different ways to cook it and eat it. I was recently told by a friend of mine about the simplest way to cook salmon, and trust me; you won’t find a simpler method. Naturally I had to test her method, preparation was a non-factor and cooking time was relatively short, it was delicious. I later served it to friends, and received rave reviews. It would be a ‘shanda’ to hide this recipe, as it is a must taste. It’s perfect as a starter or a main, either way you eat it this ones a keeper. B’teavon!


Simple Salmon

Kosher Salt                  

1 lb Salmon

Garlic Powder

Salt

Pepper

Lemon Wedges

Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with a ¼ inch of kosher salt. Place salmon skin side down on the bed of salt. Season the top of the salmon to your taste with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover the frying pan and place it on the stove top on high heat for 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon you may need two or three more minutes). Do not uncover the frying pan until the salmon is completely cooked. Use a spatula to slide the salmon out of the skin (the fish will slip right off the skin). Serve with a lemon wedge!

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You say Pesach- I say Potatoes

When I think of Pesach I think of potatoes. It’s like a knee jerk reaction. You say Pesach- I say potatoes. But the truth is there are so many fabulous recipes to keep you well fed through the entire holiday. From now until Pesach I will be featuring all kosher for Pesach recipes that are sure to keep your taste buds on their toes with some new and creative ideas to wow your family and friends. But since potatoes are a Pesach staple, I thought I would give you a recipe that I have really enjoyed making and eating. This is a recipe I found on chowhound and I bring it to you!!! B’teavon!

Lemon-Oregano Roasted Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes cut lengthwise into sixths (you could do sweet potatoes)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup water

4 teaspoons dried oregano

4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons lightly packed lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Add all remaining ingredients and toss to coat potatoes. Bake until potatoes are well browned and crispy on all sides, turning halfway through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes (keep in mind every oven varies). Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Adding liquid to the beginning of the roasting process results in the best of all potato possibilities: As the potato wedges cook, they soak up the lemon juice, olive oil, and water, making them soft and fluffy on the inside. And once the liquid has evaporated, they start to roast, giving them a brown, crispy crust on the outside.

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Soul Warming Stew

Chulent is a dish for which people have taken poetic license. Each family has their own version of how the dish is constructed. For example, growing up in my house (my mother felt that red meat was bad for our health) my mother would fill a crock-pot with zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, and chicken, which was not Chulent, it was chicken squash stew! My Mother said she was just watching out for our health and wellbeing and that one day we would thank her… stay tuned for stories of our Sunday family trips to the egg white factory!

Alas I got married and was privy to the seemingly authentic and wholly scrumptious Chulent that abounds my in-laws house every Saturday morning. I cannot help but share this recipe with you, I cannot think of a more warming meal on a cold Wintry Shabbat morning. B’Teavon!

My Mother in Laws Chulent

1 small rack of ribs (2-3 bones)

4 small potatoes  

1 cup barley                                                    

1\2 cup wheat berries

2 Tbsp ketchup

1Tbsp salt

1 Tsp pepper

3 Tbsp onion soup mix or 1 package soup mix

Mix everything together in a crock-pot and cover with water. My Mother in law says that she puts it up on Thursday night before going to bed on low, which is the low and slow way of creating a delectable dish that she presents at lunch Saturday. If you prefer to put it up Friday afternoon that will be delicious as well. B’Teavon!

A Few Helpful Tips on Making Chulent
1. Uncle Yitzy says - “if you don't want to use a cooking bag when cooking the Chulent, spray the crock pot very well with Pam, in this way the Chulent will not stick to the crock-pot” making cleanup a cinch!

2. Use a hearty cut of meat that won’t dry out as this dish cooks (lean meats don’t hold up as well in a dish that cooks for 24-36 hours). I have tried many Chulent’s over the years, the best are the ones made with a hearty piece of meat on a bone (preferably ribs).

3. If you want to infuse a bit more flavor into the Chulent add a bay leaf and a large sweet potato.

4. If your going really Chulent wild you could add a can of beer to your Chulent. Note use a light golden beer for best results.

5. Our friend Jeff recommends adding cocktail wieners and some bbq sauce for maxx flavor.

Did you know?

Chulent is a traditional [Jewish] stew simmered overnight and eaten for lunch on the Sabbath. Chulent was developed over the centuries to conform with Jewish religious laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath. Ashkenazi-style Chulent was first mentioned ca.1180 in the writings of Rabbi Yitzhak of Vienna. In the shtetls of Eastern Europe and other areas where Jews lived, before the advent of electricity and cooking gas, a pot with the assembled but uncooked ingredients was brought to the local baker before sunset on Fridays. The baker would put the pot with the Chulent in his oven, which was always kept fired, and families would come by to pick up their cooked Chulent on Saturday mornings on their way home from Synagogue enabling the family a hot hale and hearty cooked meal every Shabbat. Nowadays we no longer lug our pots to the local baker before sundown on Fridays,rather we combine all of the ingredients before Shabbat in a slow cooker (crock-pot) and let it simmer on low until the following day. It is the quinticential ‘set it and forget it’ type meal, though this meal is truly unforgetable!

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Cookies, Chocolate, Nuts...What Could Be bad?!

When I was a young girl every time my Bubby came to visit she would bring a tremendous amount of Mandelbrodt for my mother to put in our extra freezer and defrost anytime she needed a dessert. Our extra freezer was located in the laundry room in the basement so snitching one of Bubby’s special treats took a bit more effort, but I was always up for the challenge. Let’s just say I was always the first one to volunteer to switch a load of laundry in the basement, and can safely attribute those frozen little cookie sticks to an extra five pounds I still carry with me today.
I believe that if you are going to eat cookies they are best digested with a nice glass of tea, and why bother drinking tea without a good cookie? Mandelbrodt is a wonderful accompaniment to tea as it is not too sweet and the perfect consistency that can withstand a dunk or two into your hot drink. B’teavon

Pistachio Sticks...My Version of Mandelbrodt

1 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup chopped pistachios
Ground cinnamon
½ cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with pam. Combine oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of chopped pistachios. Mix the wet and dry mixtures together in one large mixing bowl and mix well. Divide dough into two pieces and form into two loaves. Place loaves on separate baking sheets. Sprinkle loaves with cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown (depends on your oven). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes and then slice(about half inch thick) .


Chocolate Pistachio Topping

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup chopped pistachios

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix powdered sugar and cocoa together. Add drops of water to mixture until the consistency is a thick frosting. Frost each piece of Mandelbrodt individually and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top of frosted Mandelbrodt pieces while the frosting is still wet. Let harden and serve!
Yields about 30-35 pieces.

Balthazar Bakery’s Ginger Citrus Tea-
A Great Accompaniment To Pistachio Sticks

4 cups water

1/8 cinnamon stick
5 oz. fresh ginger
1/4 lemon, peel only, zested in strips
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 bunch fresh mint, washed
Bring water to a boil with cinnamon. Peel ginger with a vegetable peeler. Roughly chop the ginger and add to the pot along with lemon zest and juice. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add honey, stir well, and simmer (covered) for another 20 minutes. Pour over fresh mint, then strain and serve.
 Makes about 1 quart.

  Mandelbrodt Tips

• When adding chocolate or nuts to the Mandelbrodt batter, be sure to dust the nuts and/or chocolate with flour; it will help to disperse them more evenly throughout the batter and keep them from all sinking to the bottom of the cookie.
• Every time you open the oven door the temperature is lowered and the baking process is disturbed, so minimize checking on your Mandelbrot by opening and closing the oven, rather turn the light on in your oven and look through the window.
• For best storage and preservation of the Mandelbrodt, store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. If you are planning on freezing your Mandelbrodt, do so soon after they have cooled to retain optimal freshness.
• If you are going to freeze your Mandelbrodt don’t apply the chocolate and nut topping until you are ready to serve. This means apply the toppings with enough time to harden before you serve them, but not before you put them in the freezer. 

Did You Know?

Some History About Mandel (ALMOND) Brodt (BREAD):
The answer to questions regarding the origin of this recipe depends upon whether you are seeking a culinary history or linguistic study of Mandelbrodt. Historians confirm that almonds were known to ancient Middle Eastern cooks, and were incorporated into many recipes. Biscuits/biscotti, twice-baked hard breads, were popular in Ancient Rome and generally spread with the Romans to other parts of the continent. Back in the day when modern packaging/preservation options didn't exist, this dried bread was a sensible option. The term Mandelbrot is of Germanic heritage and this particular food is traditionally associated with Eastern European Jews. In Eastern Europe Jews dipped them into a glass of tea, and because they include no butter (the Shabbat meals are usually meat and therefore no dairy or dairy ingredients are eaten at the same meal) and are easily stored they have become a good Shabbat dessert."
-Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan

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Not Your Bubby's Gefilte Fish!

I often wonder why Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jewish) culinary classics are so monochromatic. Think about it, gefilte fish, chopped liver, herring, chulent; not exactly bursts of color. My husband (the historian) told me that spices were very expensive and hard to obtain in many European countries. The spice route ran through India and the Middle East, hence their foods took on a more flavorful and vibrant taste and look than those from Eastern Europe. In the upscale foodie world of the 21st century these old world classics may not be visually gorgeous, but their taste, texture, and flavor are satisfyingly delicious and carry with them a history as rich as these dishes.
The truth is my Bubby’s idea of gefilte fish was opening a jar of Manischewitz (always in the liquid broth never in the jelly). Growing up we did eat gefilte fish, but it was not just any gefilte fish, it was my Mother's southern (she’s from the Virginia) take on what she felt gefilte fish should be. I have taken my Mom’s gefilte fish brainchild, made some changes, and I present you with a fresh face and a delicious crunch on an old world “southern“ classic. B’teavon!

Crunchy Gefilte Fish Fritters

1 medium onion
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp sugar (or 3 packets splenda)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
1 frozen loaf gefilte fish uncooked
2 eggs beaten
¾ cup cornmeal
¾ cup cornflake crumbs
Slice the onion into ¼ inch thick semicircles. Coat the bottom of a soup pot with 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and sauté for 3-5 minutes on a medium flame until the onions become translucent. Add 5 inches of water to the pot and bring to a boil (in my soup pot that is 12- 8 oz cups of water. The water should mostly cover the gefilte fish.) Once the water is boiling add the rosemary and sugar. Remove outer wrapper and tray, place frozen fish with inner wrapper (the wax paper it is wrapped in) into boiling water, bring back to boil (when you add the frozen gefilte fish it will cool down the water so let it return to a boil. Once the water has boiled reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove fish carefully from water, discard paper wrapper and drain. Let cool. Slice cooled gefilte fish into 1/3 inch thick slices. Mix cornflake crumbs and cornmeal together in a shallow container. Dredge gefilte fish slices in egg mixture, then coat completely with cornmeal/cornflake crumb mixture. In a large frying pan containing hot oil which should be ¼ inch deep, for two minutes on each side lightly fry each piece of breaded gefilte fish. Remove from pan and put on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. For best flavor serve warm with a dollop of my special tartar sauce.
My Special Tartar Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise (I use low fat)

½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (you can substitute with dill or coriander)
1 kosher dill pickle finely chopped.
1 tbsp lemon juice
Mix all ingredients together. Serve with Crunchy Gefilte Fritters.

Did You Know?

• The word Gefilte comes from German (angefüllt) and it means “stuffed” or “filled.”
• Traditionally, Gefilte fish was boiled and removed from the bone and mixed with eggs, onions, bread crumbs and spices as a way of preserving it
• Because Gefilte fish is deboned, it also satisfies the Jewish law that prohibits the removing of bones from fish on Shabbos
• Gefilte fish’s origin was in poor villages in Eastern Europe and was a way to feed a lot of people by stretching out a little bit of fish.
• This is a Pesach friendly recipe- use matzo meal instead of the cornmeal and cornflake crumbs.
• Once you finish boiling the gefilte fish you will have a fabulous fish stock. If you freeze the stock in ice cube trays, you can pop them into plastic bags and use as much or as little as you want at any time.


General Fish Preparation & Storage Safety
• If fish will be used within two days after purchase, store it in the refrigerator. If fish won't be used within two days after purchase, wrap it and store it in the freezer.

• If you have cooked fish that are not going to be eaten within 2 or 3 days, you can freeze them for extended storage. Place the cooked fish in a shallow covered container or Ziploc to allow the fish to freeze quickly. Cooked fish can be stored in the freezer for up to one month.

• Freezing fresh (raw) fish in a block of ice such as fish steaks and fillets protects the fish from being exposed to any air because the air cannot penetrate through the ice. This guards the fish against freezer burn. Place fish in a Ziploc bag and cover with water, close and freeze. This method requires more room in the freezer for storage and is a little more work when it comes to thawing the fish. I do this and my fish tastes as fresh out of the freezer as the day I bought it.

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T’is the Season to think about Purim

That’s right you heard me… I know that Purim is almost two months away and may not be on your radar just yet, but T’is the Season to think about Purim! Considering my middle name is sale (along with clearance and many other names), I can’t help but think about Purim. After the holidays, every seasonal item is discounted by 50-75% off, making this the ideal time to buy gift boxes, bags, different wrapping paper and chatchkes for Shalach Manot and the table decor.

I came home this week with enough items to sink a small ship, to which my very practical husband told me that we had no place to store all my new treasures. As if I didn’t know he would say something like that- I was a step ahead and had visited a few choice stores purchasing a stack of jumbo plastic containers (with lids). So even if the next Armageddon is on the way, my chatchkes and table décor are safe in those super sturdy moisture resistant containers.

 Ahhh… you must be thinking “now that Purim is upon us, what should I serve at my Purim feast?” Considering the Purim story took place in Persia, I would suggest my kufteh. Kufteh have been around for many centuries, and in Farsi (the language spoken in Persia/modern day Iran) refers to any type of ground meat that has been spiced and shaped. I created my own Kufteh recipe that I think are the best out there and my husband totally agrees, then again, he knows better than to say otherwise.:-) B'Teavon!

My Kufteh

2 lbs. chop meat
2 cups diced onions
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp black pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup onion soup mix
1/3 cup & 2 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs



 (prepared Kufteh photo courtesy of foodmakesmehappy.blogspot.com)                                   
~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees
~ Sautee the onions & garlic in (2 tbsp) olive oil until lightly browned
~ Add the cumin, paprika, black pepper, onion soup mix, parsley, (1/3 cup) olive oil, and eggs to the chop meat, mix well
~ Combine the sautéed onions and garlic to the spiced chop meat (mix well)
~ Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and spray with Pam
~ Using a tablespoon scoop the chop meat into golf-ball sized kufteh
~ Arrange the kufteh in rows on the baking sheet leaving 1 inch between each kufteh
~ Bake at 350 degrees for ½ hr until sizzling and deep brown
~ Split open a kufteh to make sure that it is fully cooked (if fully cooked proceed with eating the test case, if not, put them back in the oven until done – use judgment based on your oven).
~ Stay tuned for more ideas of what to serve at your Purim Feast. B’Teavon!


Did You Know?
• The word kufteh, which literally means pounded in Farsi, refers to any type of ground meat that has been shaped
• In the simplest form, kufteh consist of balls of minced or ground meat usually beef or lamb mixed with spices and/or onions
• In many Middle Eastern countries, kufteh is formed into cigar-shaped cylinders
• The official name of Iran from the 6th century BC until 1935 was Persia
• Rice, nuts, and dried fruits are prominent ingredients in Persian cooking.
• An Iranian dinning custom is when invited to share a meal and upon entering an Iranian home one is supposed to remove their shoes at the door, and a gift or reciprocated dinner invitation should be offered to the host.

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Old World Chicken Soup With New Age Flair.

As the fall drew near and winter was upon us the biggest topic of discussion was “the Flu shot.” I never paid much attention, as I am very scared of shots, so the idea of voluntarily getting one did not appeal to me. Instead, I make it my business to take extra vitamin C, buy Purell like I am preparing for the next great plague, and eat a tremendous amount of chicken soup.
My Mother is of the opinion that Chicken soup can cure everything from the common cold to very rare diseases. Don’t argue with her on that last point because while she is not a certified doctor- she just knows! Lately, everywhere I turn somebody is coughing, sneezing, sniffling, blowing their nose….and then they want to shake my hand. All of these germs had me reconsidering the flu shot, but I’m not taking any chances, so it’s chicken soup everyday until June! B’Teavon!

Yona’s Chicken Soup

4 Skinless Chicken Thighs

5 Carrots

6 Celery ribs

2 Onions

4 Leeks

2 Bunches of Chives

1 Bunch of Dill

1 Bunch of Parsley

1/4Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Chicken Consommé Powder

1 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Onion Powder

1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

16 Cups Water

Olive Oil

You will need a big pot! I use a lobster pot which may seem odd for a kosher chicken soup, but believe me it’s worth the investment and you could feed a small army with this pot of soup. Prep all the vegetables. Cut the onion into large chunks, cut the leek into thick circles, and chop the chives into one inch long pieces. I like to cut the carrots and celery into big chunks. I think it makes the soup hearty and the vegetables do not break down and get mushy- but you decide how you like it. Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil. Heat the olive oil and add the minced garlic. Sautee the garlic- do not brown it, just begin to extract the natural juices within the garlic. Add the onions, leeks, chives, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chicken soup consommé powder and brown sugar, 1 cup of water and sauté for five minutes. Once you begin to see a thick sauce on the bottom of the pan add the chunks of carrot, celery the chicken and remaining 15 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil and then add the bunch of dill and parsley.  Lower the heat and simmer. I have been known to let this soup simmer for four hours on low. If you don’t have that type of time you can boil the soup for an hour. I find that the longer you let the soup simmer the more intense the flavor of the soup becomes.

A Few Helpful Tips On Making Chicken Soup

1. Add Matzo balls to your chicken soup! They are delicious and really enhance the soup. If you are going to make matzo balls-it's not worth the Patchke (Yiddish for "fuss") making them from scratch. Buy the mix from the store and just follow the directions on the package. DO boil the Matzo balls in the chicken soup and NOT in a separate pot of water. Cooking the matzo balls in the soup enhances the flavor of the matzo balls-trust me- just do it! Note- the soup will become a bit cloudy due to the starchiness of the matzo balls, but it will only add to the flavor of the soup!

2. Once the chicken soup is fully cooked, take the chicken thighs out of the pot; allow the chicken to cool off and remove the meat from the bone. Put the chunks of chicken back into the soup and discard the bones. The longer the chicken soup boils, the more the bones begin to break a part, next thing you know you have a soup full of small bones, especially if you will be reheating the soup.

3. Before you put chicken soup or any soup that contains meat away; the chicken/meat in the soup must be completely cooled or you need to remove the chicken/meat from the soup. The meat retains the heat longer than the liquid and vegetables which causes bacteria to form and the soup to spoil. Tip if you are going to put the warm liquid in the refrigerator make sure that the pot is uncovered until the soup is cold. You can either separate the soup into smaller shallower containers or submerge the pot in ice for faster cooling before you put it in the fridge.

4. Chicken soup freezes very well. During the cold winter months I always like to have soup on hand but don’t always want to make one from scratch. My suggestion- make a big pot and divide it into Heavy Duty Freezer Ziploc bags and freeze after it cools. Place the bags of soup on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, you can remove the bags of soup.

5. I love chicken salad! If you really want to enhance the flavor of a chicken salad use chicken that has been cooked in a chicken soup. If you know there is a chicken salad on your culinary horizon, add extra chicken to the chicken soup. Remove it from the soup once it is cooked, let it cool down, take it off the bone, put it in a Ziploc bag and freeze it. Hint Hint, you may want to do this because I have a dynamite chicken salad recipe coming your way!


Did you know?

Chicken soup has a long history in Jewish culture. Ashkenazi Jews living in shtetls were often very poor and their menus were very simple. However, Jewish families would try to acquire at least one chicken for Shabbat and try to make the most of it. The chicken was roasted, the livers were made into chopped liver, gribenes was crackling made from fat and skin, pupik which was roasted gizzards, chicken fat was rendered into schmaltz and used for cooking, p'tcha (chicken feet- enough said), and the remaining carcass was used to prepare the soup.

The 12th-century rabbi and physician Maimonides touted the benefits of chicken soup to one's health. Recently scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha have studied the medicinal activity in chicken soup in vitro. They found that some components of the chicken soup inhibit neutrophil migration, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect that could hypothetically lead to temporary ease from symptoms of illness. Eat up!

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