Lentil Soup

June 11, 2013

Author: Gefiltefest

This gorgeous soup can be traced all the way back to the Old Testament. In Genesis 25:29-34 you can read how Jacob’s brother, Esau, sold his birthright as oldest son to his younger brother, merely for a bowl of Lentil Soup! So yes, this soup is truly delicious and comforting. Whether you should sell your birthright for it? Well, I will let you decide on that.

My mom and I love to make this soup with brown lentils, as they are stronger flavored and hold their shape after being cooked. You can blend the soup after it’s done, but for us it’s all about the texture. We use beef stock but feel free to use vegetarian or chicken stock instead. Extra yummy, if you serve the soup with homemade croutons and some fried curry onion rings as garnish.

Ingredients:

For the soup:

2 tbsp. of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 leek, white part only, cleaned and finely chopped

350g (1½ cup) brown lentils, washed and drained

2L Beef/Chicken/Vegetable stock

1 lime

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

For garnish:

1 tbsp. of olive oil

2 onions, sliced in rings

½ tsp. mild curry powder

6 slices of old bread

olive oil to drizzle over the croutons

garlic/garlic salt

Preparation:
For the soup heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and gently fry without coloring for 10 minutes or until softened.

Then add the carrot, celery and leek, again gently fry without coloring. Add the lentils, mix all ingredients gently and pour in your stock. Bring to boil and once boiling reduce the heat, simmer covered for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

When lentils are soft, stir in the cumin, lime, salt and pepper.

While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. or 350 degrees F. Slice each bread slice into cubes and sprinkle with olive oil and if you like, garlic or garlic salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until cubes are dried. Keep an eye on them while bake to make sure they don’t burn.

When you are about to serve the soup, fry the onions in olive oil and season with curry powder. Pour the ready soup into the serving dish, add the fried onions, croutons and enjoy!

21st Century Cholent

March 6, 2014

Author: Fran Kolin

This is the original “stick to your ribs” meal, a traditional shabbos lunch that cooks before sundown on Friday until lunchtime on Saturday. Real old-world goodness!

Ingredients:

1 bag of baby potatoes

1lb flank steak or brisket, cubed

Fried onions

1 bag of baby carrots

Kishke

1tbsp chopped garlic

Red kidney beans

Black beans

Small white beans

Preparation:

Use the largest pan or pot that can go in your oven, Layer the ingredients in the order written. Add water to the top. Put uncovered into 350 degree oven. Cover after 2-3 hours. Lower oven to 250 degrees for another 8 hours. Add water as necessary to “mush up” texture. (Or put in the oven in the morning – for that night- at 325 degrees all day.)

Posted in Soups and Stews  

Tags: black beans, carrots, garlic, kidney beans, kishke, onions, potatoes, shabbos, steak,white beans

Veggie Cholent

March 6, 2014

Author: Batsheva Frankel

I developed this recipe as an alternative to meat cholent- because I stopped eating meat when I started keeping shabbat. It’s yummy and fast!

Ingredients:

Barley

1 can whole potatoes

1 can cut sweet potatoes

1 brown onion – sliced

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can veggie baked beans

4-6 whole cloves of garlic

1 cup of ketchup

1 cup of BBQ sauce

1 parve kishke (sliced)

Preparation:

Grease sides and bottom of crock pot with olive oil. Cover bottom of crock pot with thin layer of barley. Put all ingredients in crock pot in order listed on Friday before shabbat- it will be ready for shabbat lunch!

Moroccan Fish from Israel

March 12, 2013

Author: JDCEntwine

Recipe courtesy of Rachel Tachvilian from Beit Shemesh, Israel. Read more about the JDC and Israel.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices tuna or Nile perch (if available)

• 2-3 ripe tomatoes

• Salt (for marinating fish and for sauce)

• Lemon juice

• 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric

• 1⁄2 teaspoon chicken-flavored

(meatless/”pareve”) soup mix

• 2-3 cups boiling water, plus more

boiling water if using tuna

• Handful of fresh chopped cilantro

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 1 long chili pepper, preferably dry, cut

into wide strips

• 1 clove fresh garlic, peeled and

chopped

• About 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon sweet red paprika

Preparation:

Sprinkle salt and lemon juice over fish and let marinate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare sauce by peeling the tomatoes and placing them into a wide pot. Add salt, turmeric, and soup mix and bring to a boil. Mash cooked tomato mixture (can use a potato masher), then add 2-3 cups boiling water to the pot. Bring sauce to a simmer.

Rinse fish: if using tuna, rinse it first with boiling water and then with tap water; if using Nile perch, rinse it

with tap water. Place slices of fish on top of sauce in the wide pot. Lay chopped cilantro, pepper strips, and chopped garlic on top of fish. Bring mixture to a boil. In the meantime, thoroughly combine the oil and sweet paprika in a separate dish and add to the fish mixture. After the fish has boiled for 10 minutes, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer fish for about 30 minutes more. Serve fish with sauce, hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4 people

Sauteed Chicken Livers

April 19, 2014

Author: A Klonsky

Ingredients:

Chicken Livers

Onion

Garlic

Shallots

Red Sweet Peppers

Mushrooms

Fresh Ginger

Soy Sauce

Dry Mustard

Pinch of Oregano or Thyme

Preparation:

Saute onion, garlic & shallots until golden

Add peppers & mushrooms

Add chicken livers that have been cut in half

Add fresh ginger, dry herbs & dry herbs

Season to taste

Simmer until ready

Serve over rice or noodles

Baked Clams

May 2, 2014

Author: Marla Marquit Steuer

My paternal grandma, Surie, an artist and chef extraordinaire had a presence that took over any room. She thrived on hosting and cooking up a storm for friends and family,

Baked clams were one of her specialties. My siblings and I fought over them, crispy with their perfect texture, every bite was delectable.

Ingredients:

1 can chopped clams

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 large tbsp chopped onion

1 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp oregano

3-4 cloves peeled pressed garlic

Salt & pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Grated Parmesan

Empty clam shells for filling

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put olive oil in pan and drop in onions. Saute onions until translucent. Add other ingredients (except clams, breadcrumbs & herbs). Stir on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, and add can of chopped clams (juice and all) until it thickens. Add breadcrumbs and herbs. Spoon mixture into shells and add grated Parmesan on top. Bake for 20 minutes.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

June 16, 2014

Author: Sandy Speier

This is a recipe from Susan Zemelman and Steve Zemelman. They got the recipe from a Lebanese student at Brandeis.

Ingredients:

Jar of grape leaves in brine

1 cup of cooked rice

½ cup of ground beef

Salt and Pepper

2 lemons

4 garlic cloves

½ cup of brown cloves

Preparation:

Spread out grape leaves

Mix cooked rice and raw ground beef, and salt + pepper. Form into balls.

Wrap meat balls in grape leaves. Use a casserole, pyrex or microwave dishes with cover.

Bake grape leaves in 350 degree oven with juice

Brush of lemons, crushed garlic and sugar

Halloumi Peach Salad: A Summer Favorite of Ema’s

July 28, 2014

Author: Sasha Gayle-Schneider

Summer nights on the grill never tasted so good! Starting Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, my Ema has fired up the grill and put me to work as her sous-chef. Using the holy land’s favorites: halloumi cheese and Israeli salad, and brought it to our humble table in New York City and added a sweet surprise.

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 packages of Halloumi cheese

4 peaches

Fresh arugula (you can substitute in your favorite green: kale, spinach, etc.)

Dressing:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

1 clove of crushed garlic

A sprinkling of mustard seed

(sunflower seeds optional)

Preparation:

Grill Halloumi cheese in small slices

Cut peaches in quarters and grill

Wait until grilled ingredients cool and toss in the salad

Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage

July 29, 2014

Author: Michael Keats

Stuffed cabbage was a Schoen family favorite for many years. This Polish-Jewish heirloom recipe was a specialty of Dr. Keats’ “Nana Ruthy” and her two sisters. For special occasions, Shabbos and Yom Tov, they would prepare the dish by rolling each cabbage lovingly by hand and securing each roll with a toothpick. Ruthy’s grandson simply “deconstructed” the original recipe, making it more time efficient and easier to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small cabbage, chopped

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the onions until tender, then add ground beef (or turkey) until the meat is browned.

Add the garlic and cook an additional minute before adding the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer about 25 minutes (or until the cabbage is quite fork tender). 6 to 8 servings.

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