A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

A Few of Our Favorite Things

 

It’s been a tasty five years at The Jewish Echo! Here’s a tantalizing trip down memory lane, brought to you by our previous recipe columnists, that will surely enhance your Yom Tov tables. Chefs, get your aprons ready!

 

 October 2013-by Elky Friedman

Wholesome Apple Crisp

 

Most of us crave something sweet at the end our Yom Tov meal. Here’s a great choice that is lighter than most other desserts….and absolutely heaven! This is hands down a family favorite. By incorporating whole wheat flour and oil (margarine is never on my shopping list) this is a lower calorie version of the usual apple crisp. You can even serve this as a side dish….I do…almost every single Shabbos!

 

2 cups white whole wheat flour

½ cup sugar

⅓  cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. vanilla sugar

½ cup oil

4 yellow or fuji apples

2 tbsp. orange juice

2 tsp. cinnamon

 

1) In a bowl, combine white whole wheat flour, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla sugar and oil. This will create the crumb.

2) Peel and thinly slice the apples.

3) Place ⅓ of the crumb at the bottom of a 9” or 10” baking pan (or in individual ramekins as seen in photo) Then place the sliced apples over the crumb.

4) Drizzle the orange juice over the apples. Then sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the apples too.

5) Put the rest of the crumb on top.

6) Bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered. For individual minis, bake only 25-30 minutes.

Yields: 10 servings

 

November 2014 – by Elky Friedman

Chunky Creamed Cauliflower Soup

 

My sister is a popular nutritionist in Lakewood and she’s always on the lookout for healthy, light and nutritious recipes to share with her clients. She discovered this soup and told me about it. The first time I made it, it was a hit! Of course, as I usually do, I changed the recipe. For instance, it originally called for a few tablespoons of flour. I completely cut that out. Also, the original version called for blending the soup to a puree. I cut that out too. Instead I call for a longer cook time – which makes it have a creamy consistency, yet it still has some chunks of cauliflower. That’s where this soup got its name. This is also a low-cal soup and it’s a winner!

 

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

4 cubes of frozen parsley

2  24 oz bags of frozen cauliflower

1 quart of Imagine (name of company) “No Chicken” broth (pareve)

3 cups soy milk (original)

2 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. pepper

 

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes.
2. Add the celery. Continue to sauté. Add the carrots, parsley, cauliflower and “No Chicken” broth. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Then add the soy milk, salt, onion powder and pepper. Let is simmer on low to medium flame for about 1 ½ hours, stirring once or twice. It will thicken into a rich texture. Enjoy!

 

Sept 2015 – By Elky Friedman

Zesty Apple and Pomegranate Salad

 

This crisp refreshing salad will be a beautiful addition to your Yom Tov table! It is simple to prepare, yet very appealing in looks and taste. Plus, it incorporates several simanim….

 

1 bag of Romaine lettuce,

or 1 full head

½ cup pomegranate seeds

1 large red apple, thinly sliced*

1 small red onion, optional

3 tbsp Olive oil

1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 ½ tbsp. honey

½ tsp. salt

dash of pepper

 

1. Prepare salad in a large bowl: combine lettuce, apple slices, pomegranate seeds, and red onion.
2. In a small bowl or container whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
3. Pour over salad and serve.

 

Yield: 6 servings

 

November 2015: by Elky Friedman

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

 

These are full of flavor and easy to prepare!  Plus, they only have ½ cup of oil so they are not high in fat. I use whole wheat flour for an additional health boost, but you can totally use white flour if that’s what you prefer.

 

2 ½ cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

½ Cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups apple, finely chopped

 

Streusel topping:

½ cup flour

¼ cup sugar

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp cinnamon

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare muffin baking pans by spraying them with non-stick baking spray
2. Combine the white whole wheat flour, brown sugar, sugar, pumpkin puree, oil and eggs. Mix well.
3. Then add the baking soda, salt , baking powder and vanilla. Continue to mix.
4. Then add the chopped apple. Fold into the batter. Then pour the batter into each muffin holder about ¾ of the way full.
5. Prepare the streusel topping: combine the flour, sugar, oil, and cinnamon.
6. Sprinkle over the top of each muffin.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

Yields: 18 muffins

 

January 2016 – by Shushy Turin

Miso Horseradish Chicken

 

How many times have you put chicken on the table and heard a groan something to the tune of “chicken again?” Yes, it’s true, chicken is one of those familiar ones, that makes its debut a couple of times a week. But the truth is it can be so incredibly versatile that no one ever has to pout over chicken again. Here I went with some White miso and white horseradish along with some white wine vinegar to create a deliciously sticky, tangy and funky chicken that everyone will beg for.

 

• 6 chicken legs
• 1/4 cup white or Shiro miso
• 2 tbsp. white horseradish 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbs. honey
• 1/3 cup white wine or rice vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Thai chili thinly sliced 
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• juice of 1 lemon 
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped 
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced 

Mix all ingredients besides the cilantro and scallion in a large Ziploc bag.

Marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Lay the chicken skin side up on a baking sheet. 

Reserve the remaining marinade.

Roast the chicken uncovered for 30 minutes.

During that time, in a small sauce pan, reduce the remaining marinade over medium heat until it is reduced by half and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take 10-15 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the pan with chicken from the oven. Keep the oven on.

Brush the marinade over the chicken and then return the chicken to the oven.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and crispy.

Top with the cilantro and scallions. 

 

 October 2016 – by Shushy Turin

Autumn Brisket

My favorite Yom Tov meals are the ones where I am not starving. What I mean by that is that by the time the meal rolls around, I haven’t been holding off eating for hours just so I can indulge in that amazing piece of meat I know is coming or that dessert I glimpsed earlier. But then again, I like to have enough of an appetite to make it past the soup so I can enjoy the main. The struggle is real. Especially when it comes to a main like this one. My husband is the king when it comes to making meat, but every once in a while I actually make something that rivals his creations. This recipe, with the soft pumpkin and the sweet persimmon makes that perfect combination for an incredible meat dish. Serve it with challah or bread for dipping and you can even have a great one pot meal for a special dinner at home. 

 

Serves 6-8 as a main

 

1 5 lb. brisket first cut with some of the fat cap removed

1 cup flour

1 tbsp. salt

½ tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper

¼ cup olive oil, plus more if needed

2 onions, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 bottle white wine

½ c brandy

4 c chicken broth

2 tbsp. honey

1 tsp allspice

2 persimmons sliced or 1 c dried sliced persimmon (not dried in sugar)

1 large pumpkin or kabocha squash, halved and sliced

2-3 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

 

1. Liberally season both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper and allow it to sit at room temperature for about an hour.
2. Heat the oil in a large flameproof Dutch oven or roaster pan. Add the sliced onion to the pan with a med-low flame and allow them to caramelize, mixing every once in a while. At this point you can preheat the oven to 300 F. Once the onions begin to get deep brown add the minced garlic and allow to caramelize for another 5 minutes.
3. Coat the brisket in flour and shake off the excess. Coat the pan with more oil, if needed. Add the brisket into the hot pan, fat side down. Brown both sides of the brisket well over a medium- high flame until a crust forms, about 8-10 minutes per side. Remove the brisket from the pan and set aside.
4. Pour the wine and brandy into pan and use your spatula to scrape off all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, honey, and allspice and stir until integrated then bring to a simmer. Allow to reduce for 5-10 minutes. Then, add the brisket back, fat cap up. Nestle the pumpkin or kabocha slices and persimmon into the liquid, spread the onions over the top of the brisket and lay the thyme sprigs and bay leaf on top of that. Cover the pan with a cover or silver foil and place it into the oven for about 3-4 hours or until brisket is fork tender. Try and flip the brisket every 30 minutes if possible, if you can’t, just flip it at the halfway point.
5. When the brisket is finished, discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve together with the braising liquid and vegetables.

 

Braising can be done up to 3 days in advance just be sure to store in its braising liquid. The brisket can also be made and frozen in its braising liquid for up to 3 months in advance, if tightly sealed.