Written by chanie on May 20th, 2013
When the Kosher Connection team decided on “croutons” as the link-up theme for May, I was so excited to finally try out a recipe that I’ve been dreaming of developing for months now. Truth be told, I am not the biggest nori fan. I mean, I wouldn’t eat the stuff if it didn’t hold my sushi together. It’s got that fishy quality about it that’s just kind of, well, stinky. But you know what? when you use it to top off a kani caesar salad, it just sorta, goes.
Talking about dislikes, I used to have a serious aversion to surimi, those orange-colored mock crab sticks. But after I tasted this salad at my cousin’s house a few months back, I was hooked. You see, it’s all a matter of how you serve it. Pulling the kani apart into shreds and coating it in a spicy sriracha dressing takes it from what-is-this-spongy-orange-stuff-in-my-california-roll to what’s-in-this-amazing-salad?! Seriously people, kani salad has changed my outlook on surimi forever.
So that’s sorta how this happened. At first, I came up with the brilliant concept of a nori-flavored crouton. But who would want to eat a nori crouton on a standard lettuce salad? I knew I had to incorporate some kind of seafood to bring the whole sushi concept together, but it also had to have greens to hold up the whole croutons thing. Alas, I figured I would do a take on a salmon-caesar salad with a Japanese-inspired recipe. This Kani Caesar Salad combines the classic Caesar concept with the awesomeness of kani salad, with nori croutons and a sriracha caesar dressing to round it out. If you think this salad looks good, just wait until you taste the dressing. It’s got an amazing depth of flavor from the anchovies that is only made better by the Asian hot sauce, it’s heat balanced by the addition of sweet rice vinegar.
So, if you’re looking to wow your guests with a nontraditional twist on a classic Caesar salad, give this Kani Caesar Salad with nori croutons a try. And don’t forget to check out the Kosher Connection Link-Up below for more fun & creative twists on croutons!
Kani Caeser Salad with Nori Croutons
2 heads romaine lettuce
1/2 package surimi (8 mock crab sticks)
6 oz. leftover bread, cut into cubes
2 sheets nori seaweed
1/4 c. neutral-flavored oil, such as canola
sriracha caesar dressing (recipe follows)
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place nori sheets in the food processor and process until a dust forms. Place bread and nori into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss the croutons to coat with the nori dust. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until croutons are golden and toasted.
To prepare the salad, wash and dry romaine lettuce. Chop or tear the lettuce to desired size and place in a salad bowl. Pull the surimi sticks apart into shreds and spread over lettuce. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with nori croutons.
Sriracha Caesar Dressing:
2 cloves garlic
6 anchovie fillets
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sriracha
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup canola oil
Method:
Add everything except for oil to the food processor. Turn the food processor on and slowly pour in the oil until a creamy dressing forms.
1 year ago: cream of leek soup
2 years ago: home-made fish sticks
Post a Comment
Posted in Appetizer, Brunch, Cooking, Fish, Lunch, Recipes, Salad, Shabbos | 8 Responses »
Tags: asian caesar salad, caesar salad, caeser salad, crab sticks, croutons, kani, kani salad, lunch, mock crab, nori, nori croutons, nori seaweed, salad, salad ideas, salad recipe, seafood caesar salad, seaweed, seaweed croutons, spicy caesar dressing, sriracha dressing, surimi, sushi croutons
Written by chanie on May 12th, 2013
Sachlav (also pronounced sahlab, salep, or saloop) is a popular warm winter drink in the Middle East. Even though I spent an entire year living in Israel, this light rose water pudding made it past me somehow and my first taste of it was actually in a restaurant in Brooklyn, named Bissale. I was reminiscing about my Bissale experiences in this recent post, and the fragrant rose water drink just came back to me.
I thought a rose water scented pudding would be the perfect way to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, when Jews commemorate the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. It is told that Mount Sinai was covered in roses at the time the Torah was received, so many communities have a custom to decorate their homes and synagogues (as well as Torah scrolls) with roses. Persian Jews even refer to this holiday as the Feast of the Roses and in some Sephardic synagogues, it is customary to sprinkle rose water on the congregants.
Rose water, which is made by steeping and distilling fresh rose petals in water, is featured in many Sephardic desserts and pastries. It can be purchased at most Middle Eastern and specialty food stores.
Sachlav was traditionally made with ground orchid tubers called sahlab. The tubers of the orchid were dried and ground up to create a fragrant powder that thickens the milk into a pudding. Nowadays, cornstarch, which is cheaper and easier to find, is used to thicken the drink. Sachlav is usually finished with a touch of orange blossom or rose water, but some prefer to forgo the fragrant waters and garnish it with coconut, cinnamon and/or nuts and raisins.
Sachlav is usually served in the winter, like a Middle Eastern hot chocolate. Personally, I have a weakness for hot pudding (I always eat chocolate pudding boiling hot, right out of the pot) so I’m good eating it all year long. If you prefer a cold pudding, you can set the sachlav in the fridge, and serve it up like traditional malabi.
So what’s malabi? It’s a cold rose-water-scented milk pudding, that is pretty similar to sachlav, except it’s usually garnished with raspberry syrup and pistachios. If you’d like to turn this recipe into malabi, simply pour into serving glasses, let cool and then refrigerate until set. You might want to garnish it with my strawberry rhubarb compote for a seasonal garnish that would compliment the rose water really well.
Sachlav (or Malabi) Rose Water Pudding
3 cups milk
4 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp rosewater
shredded coconut, chopped nuts and cinnamon, for garnish
Method:
Mix the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the milk and set aside. Bring the remaining milk and sugar to a slow boil, watching that the milk doesn’t scald or boil over. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture, whisking to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming. When pudding starts to bubble, and it coats the back of a spoon, add the rose water. Stir again to incorporate and pour into individual serving glasses.
Garnish with coconut, nuts and cinnamon and serve hot.
VARIATION: To make malabi, pour the pudding into serving bowls and set aside to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. Garnish with silan (date honey) and pistachios, raspberry syrup, or my strawberry rhubarb compote.
YIELD: 3 servings.
1 year ago: pesto & goat cheese crostini
2 years ago: sundried tomato olive tapenade
Post a Comment
Posted in Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Dairy, Dessert, Drinks, Shavuous, Snacks | 11 Responses »
Tags: dessert, feast of the roses, holiday, Israel culture, israeli food, Israeli hot chocolate, israeli pudding, Israeli recipe, jewish, malabi, middle eastern, middle eastern pudding, milk pudding, orange blossom water, rose water, rose water drink, rose water pudding, roses, sachlav, sahlab, salep, saloop, sephardic, shavuot
Written by chanie on May 9th, 2013
Every since Trader Joe’s introduced their cookie butter, speculoos has been flying off the shelves faster than their pareve chocolate chips disappeared. If you live under a rock, and you still haven’t heard about speculoos, let me fill you in. Speculoos is a spiced shortcrust biscuit, or what Lotus (a popular manufacturer of speculoos cookies) calls, “The Original Caramelized Biscuit.”
Speculoos cookies have been a popular treat in Belgium for years, and are sometimes referred to as Lotus or Biscoff cookies. Their popularity reached new heights, when a few years ago, a woman won a television contest for inventing a sweet spread made from the cookies. Speculoos spread went viral, with many companies, like Trader Joes, selling their own versions.
With TJ’s nonkosher cookie butter’s popularity rising, kosher foodies everywhere were left out in the dark. My fellow kosher food bloggers TheKosherFoodies and KitchenTested wanted a taste so badly, they made their own cookies just so they could crush them up into spread afterward.
But if you know me, the nonbaker, I was not about to follow suit. Slave over homemade biscuits and crush em up into crumbs? What am I, crazy? So I went the easy route…I bought them. And how, might you ask, did I find kosher Lotus cookies? Well it just so happens that I live in Brooklyn, where Pomegranate, the most awesome kosher supermarket in the world, is located. Pomegranate pretty much carries every kosher item available under the sun, from mundane to gourmet. If they don’t have it, it’s probably not kosher. And since Lotus Cookies are manufactured in Israel with a kosher symbol, Pomegranate imports them, so all their kosher consumers can enjoy “The Original Caramelized Biscuit.”
We spoke a lot about Speculoos’ origin, but what about the taste? Well when I first bit into these cookies, I immediately thought of ginger snaps, but without the ginger. They have more of a faint cinnamon & brown sugar taste, and they practically melt on your tongue when you eat them. Basically, they’re insanely delicious.
After picking up a package (ok, maybe 2), I thought about how I could turn these caramelized biscuits into something truly extraordinary. Since they’re reminiscent of cinnamon and brown sugar, I figured I would pulverize them into cookie crumbs, and use them inside, and outside, of cinnamon buns. Instead of a traditional speculoos spread, I did a play on cream cheese frosting, just like you’d spread over traditional cinnamon buns. The results were out-of-this-world amazing. If the picture doesn’t speak louder than words here, I don’t know what will.
Do me a favor. If you live in New York (or Israel for that matter) and you can get your hands on a package of these melt-in-your-mouth cookies, MAKE THIS. Better yet, if you’re up for the challenge, and you can’t get a hold of these cookies. Make your own. And then make this. You can thank me later.
Lotus Cookie Cinnamon Buns with Speculoos Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package Lotus biscuits (250 grams)
3 c. flour, divided
1/4 c. sugar
1 packet quick rise yeast
1 tsp salt
1 c. warm water
6 tbsp butter, softened, divided
1 egg at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
Method:
Grease a 9×13 pan and set aside. Add Lotus cookies (about 30) to a food processor or blender and process into crumbs. Divide into 2 cups.
Add 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in water, 2 tbsp butter and egg. Mix (by hand or with a mixer) until smooth. Gradually add in remaining flour until soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12×15 inch rectangle. Spread with remaining butter. Mix brown sugar with 1 cup of Lotus cookie crumbs. Sprinkle over surface. Starting with 12″ side, roll the dough up tightly.
Cut roll into 12 slices and place in the pan. Cover and put in a warm place (I like to turn my oven on and place it on top) until buns double in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the buns and bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Frosting:
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup lotus cookie crumbs
3-4 tbsp milk
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy.
Spread frosting on buns and serve.
1 year ago: pesto pinwheels
2 years ago: 6-spice Morrocan stew
Post a Comment
Posted in Breakfast, Cakes, Cookies, Cooking, Dairy, Dessert, Recipes, Shavuous | 15 Responses »
Tags: biscoff, biscoff cookies, caramelized biscuits, cinnamon buns, cinnamon buns recipe, cinnamon buns with cream cheese frosting, cookie butter, cream cheese frosting, dairy cinnamon buns, kosher speculoos, lotus, lotus cookies, pomegranate, shavuot, speculoos, speculoos cookie butter, speculoos cookies, speculoos frosting, speculoos spread, tj speculoos, trader joes cookie butter, trader joes speculoos
Written by chanie on May 8th, 2013
I’ve had a lot of foodie firsts in the past couple of months. Trying new foods like Pad Thai and Dhal, and cooking things I’ve always dreamed of making from scratch like duck confit and handmade pasta. Having the opportunity to explore and expand my culinary horizons has made me throw all my inhibitions out the kitchen window. Now, instead of walking away from ingredients I’m not familiar with, I embrace them. Which is exactly how THIS amazing recipe happened.
Believe it or not, I’d never even heard of an artichoke before I married my husband. My mother in law is sephardic, so she prepares lots of stuffed vegetable dishes like mehshie, and stuffed artichokes. I decided I didn’t like them before I even tried, and that was it. Me and Mr. Artichoke were estranged. Until now.
It was a Wednesday. April 10th to be exact, and I picked up the New York Times so I could read the Dining section over coffee. And right there in front of me was an article about “Making Big Plans for Small Artichokes”. I’d never even known there was such as a thing as baby artichokes. So I figured, If the big ones scare me away, why not tackle the little guys. Turns out, the little ones are not that little after all, but I was warming up. The recipes looked deliciously inviting, and so, I couldn’t help but pick up a package of baby artichokes when I saw them in the produce aisle. I also love cooking seasonally, so I was up for the challenge.
Anything breaded and crispy with a dipping sauce is right up my alley, so I decided to go that route. It was also my daughters birthday, and I figured these little guys would make for a perfect appetizer at our small little family party. It was great to serve them up to some criticism (“They’re a little tender, cook them longer next time” or “The bread crumbs are a little too dark, toast ‘em less next time” and “What’s in this dipping sauce, it’s amazing!”) so I could learn to perfect them for you guys.
I hope my step by step tutorial helps you all embrace this humble vegetable, as I have. There’s a little prep work involved, but trust me, it’s worth the effort!
Breaded Artichokes
1 package baby artichokes
bowl of acidulated water
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 eggs, whisked and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
Balsamic Aioli
1 cup mayo
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried tarragon, crushed between your fingers
salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Prepare a bowl of acidulated water by squeezing 2 lemons into a bowl of water and adding the lemons to it. Set aside.
To prepare artichokes, trim the stems & tips and remove all dark, touch exterior leaves until you reach the tender, paler ones. Trim the base of the leaves close to the artichoke, using a paring knife. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise. Baby artichokes usually do not have a center hairy choke, but if you notice one, scoop with out with a spoon. Add artichokes to acidulated water as they brown very quickly.
Combine the panko crumbs, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper and lightly toast in a pan with olive oil (make sure they don’t get too dark, like mine did, because they will brown more in the oven). Set up a dredging station with seasoned flour, seasoned egg, and bread crumb mixture. Working one at a time, remove artichokes from water and pat dry. Dredge in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Place breaded artichokes on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until artichokes are tender.
To prepare dipping sauce, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to incorporate. Serve with breaded artichokes.
1 year ago: spinach, walnut & cheddar pesto
2 years ago: banana, dates, milk & honey smoothie
Post a Comment
Posted in Appetizer, Cooking, Dairy, Dips, Shavuous, Side Dish, Snacks | 13 Responses »
Tags: acidulated water, aioli dipping sauce, artichoke recipes, artichokes, baby artichokes, baked artichokes, balsamic aioli, breaded artichokes, breaded baby artichokes, crispy artichokes, crispy baby artichokes, crispy baked artichokes, dipping sauce, how to prepare artichokes, tarragon
Written by chanie on May 5th, 2013
This one is for all the low-carbers out there. The people with diabetes and those on restricted diets who drool over the cheese-filled pasta delicacies plastered all over their newsfeeds. You don’t have to feel deprived anymore. I’ve taken the cheesy manicotti experience and revamped it into a lighter, healthier version that is so good, you won’t even realize there’s no pasta in it!
To tell you the honest truth, I’m not the biggest pasta person. I mean, I enjoy a good plate of pasta, I do. But I’m just not one of those people who dreams about a giant bowl of penne ala vodka (duck confit ravioli, maybe). So when I’m watching my carbs, I care more about my bread-less sandwiches than my pasta-free baked ziti. And you know why? Because I always find a way around it. I’ll make spaghetti squash baked ziti, cauliflower mac ‘n cheese, cheesy stuffed mini peppers, or roasted eggplant parmesan with feta. And now, this. Oh. Em. Gee. Best reinvention to date. Seriously.
With Shavuot just a week away, think about reinventing your standard indulgent menu of french onion soup, lasagna and cheese blintzes for lighter, healthier versions of your favorite dairy dishes. You won’t be left feeling bloated and heavy, but you’ll still enjoy all the delicacies that the holiday of Shavuot offers. Lighten things up with my refreshing, palate-cleansing strawberry rhubarb soup and save your calories for a decadent dessert, coming up later this week!
No-Pasta Spinach Manicotti
large spinach leaves
manicotti filling (recipe below)
marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella
For the filling:
1 15oz. container ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 tsp lemon zest
salt, to taste
Method:
Mix the filling ingredients and add to a ziploc bag. Snip off the tip so that you can use as a piping bag. Set aside.
Quickly blanch the spinach leaves by dipping them in boiling hot salted water, just enough for them to wilt and then shocking them in an ice bath. Layer 3 spinach leaves on a cutting board, overlapping them slightly (you may need more or less, depending on the size of your leaves). Pipe some of the cheese filling near the ends of the spinach bed, leaving room at the sides. Fold the sides over the filling, and roll it closed, starting from the stems, to create a cigar.
Spoon some marinara sauce on the bottom of square ramekin dishes and place stuffed spinach rolls over it (however many will fit). Spoon some additional sauce over the spinach manicotti and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining spinach, until you have used up all your filling.
Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly and it begins to brown and crisp up around the edges.
1 year ago: carrot muffins
2 years ago: meat lasagna
Post a Comment
Posted in Appetizer, Brunch, Cooking, Dairy, Diet, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Shavuous | 12 Responses »
Tags: atkins, cheese stuffed spinach, cheesy spinach, dairy, diet, holiday, low carb, manicotti, manicotti recipe, no carb, no pasta manicotti, pasta free manicotti, shavuot, south beach, spinach cigars, spinach manicotti, spinach recipe, spinach rolls, stuffed spinach
Written by chanie on May 1st, 2013
It was Rachel Ray who first coined the phrase stoup, and this is a perfect example of what it is: thicker than a soup but thinner than a stew. It’s surprising that I’m posting a hearty dish like this when the weather is finally starting to warm up, but when I made this on a cold and chilly day earlier in the week, my Facepage page went gaga over it. I don’t know if it’s the whole slow cooker thing, but I definitely wasn’t expecting this soup to go viral. Not that it’s not delicious. Because, my, is it ever. With fall-off-the-bone flanken, two types of mushrooms and hearty root vegetables simmered in a thyme-scented chicken broth, this is good enough to make purely for the smell that will waft through your house for hours.
Serve with crusty bread for a whole meal in one bowl!
Crockpot Mushroom Barley Stoup
2 pieces flanken
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 parsnips, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 container button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 container baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
5 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp soy sauce
10 cups beef or chicken broth
3/4 cup barley
salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
In a hot pan, sear the flanken, browning it on all sides. Add it to the crockpot. To the same pan, add oil and saute the onion, garlic, celery, parsnip and carrots, scraping up the bits of the flanken as you go. Add to the crock pot. Saute the mushrooms (add more oil, if needed) and add to the crockpot. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Related Recipes:
fire roasted tomato rice stoup
wild mushroom barley soup
Post a Comment
Posted in Cooking, Dinner, Recipes, Soup, Stews | 15 Responses »
Tags: beef mushroom barley soup, crock pot recipe, crock pot stew, crock pot stoup, crockpot recipe, hearty soup, meat mushroom barley soup, mushroom barley soup, mushroom barley stew, mushroom barley stoup, one dish meal, slow cooker recipe, slow cooker soup, slow cooker stew, slow cooker stoup, soup, soup in crock pot, stew, stoup
Written by chanie on April 29th, 2013
With Cinco de Mayo coming up, I thought it would be fun to celebrate with 5 different quesadilla recipes. I started making quesadilla’s for dinner whenever my kids are being fussy about the food I’ve made. I always keep a package of mini wraps or tortillas in the freezer, so I have a quick and easy dinner to fall back on, just in case. Once in a while, I’ll make myself one for lunch or a light dinner, adding things like pineapple & jalepeno or broccoli and cheddar. Adding fun and flavorful ingredients to a wrap can help turn a plain tortilla into a quick and easy meal that’s not just for kids!
There are 2 basic ways to prepare a quesadilla. You can either fill half the quesadilla and fold the tortilla over, or place the fillings over the whole tortilla and top it with a second one. I prefer to go the half-way route, and make a few flavors instead of one.
What are some of your favorite quesadilla flavors? Share them in the comments below!
All quesadillas are traditionally served with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
Broccoli-Cheddar Quesadillas
tortillas or wraps
1 package frozen brocolli stalks, blanched and drained well
1 package shredded cheddar cheese
Method:
Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with cheese. Top half of the tortilla with broccoli stalks. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.
Pineapple-Jalapeno Quesadillas
tortillas or wraps
1/4 fresh pineapple, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, thinly sliced (seeds removed, if desired)
shredded muenster cheese
Method:
Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with cheese. Top half of the tortilla with pineapple and jalapeno slices. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.
Taco Quesadillas
tortillas or wraps
1 avocado, mashed and seasoned with lemon juice and salt
oven smoked mozzarella cheese
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 tomato, diced
1 small red onion, diced
Method:
Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and spread a layer of avocado on it. Top with smoked mozzarella cheese. Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and red onion to half of the tortilla. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.
Mediterranean Quesadillas
tortillas or wraps
prepared pesto
black olives
roasted red peppers
feta cheese crumbles
Method:
Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and spread a layer of pesto on it. Top with feta cheese. Fill half of the tortilla with olives and roasted peppers. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has started melting, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.
Eggplant Parmesan Quesadillas
tortillas or wraps
marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh basil leaves
breaded fried eggplant slices
grated parmesan
Method:
Heat up a skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the pan and spread a thin layer of marinara sauce over it. Top with shredded mozzarella. Spread fresh basil leaves, eggplant slices and grated parmesan over half of the tortilla. Once the bottom of the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over and press down with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve.
1 year ago: pineapple chicken & BBQ jalapeno pizza
2 years ago: BBQ pulled chicken sammies
Post a Comment
Posted in Appetizer, Brunch, Cooking, Dairy, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes | 12 Responses »
Tags: broccoli cheddar quesadilla, brunch, cinco de mayo, dinner, eggplant parmesan quesadilla, kid friendly, lunch, quesadilla, quesadilla fillings, quesadilla flavors, quesadilla ideas, quesadilla recipe, quesadilla recipes, quesadilla toppings, quesadillas, quick & easy, taco quesadilla, tortilla, wraps
Written by chanie on April 25th, 2013
When I used to think of greens, I would imagine spinach, kale, and maybe some swiss chard, but collard greens were never really on my radar. I had never cooked with them, and all I knew about the large leafy vegetable was that Southern cooks like Paula Deen and The Neely’s like to eat them.
After recently graduating from the professional culinary training program at the CKCA, I made a promise to myself to be more open and willing to try new things and cook with ingredients I’ve never used before. So when I saw some bright green bunches of fresh collard greens at ShopRite the other week, I couldn’t help but take up the challenge.
I had absolutely nothing in mind – all I knew was this: Southern cooks like to stew the greens with smoky ham hocks or bacon. I wanted to keep the dish light, healthy and vegan, so I decided to do a play on the smoky factor and add some cumin and smoked paprika. Chickpeas and diced tomatoes help round out the dish, and stuffing it into roasted sweet potatoes just takes it over the top!
Since collard greens are a sturdy, tougher leaf, they benefit from cooking for long periods of time. You can prepare this dish in your crockpot for a set-it-and-forget-it weeknight meal, or serve it up as hamin, instead of a heavy cholent, on Shabbat.
I’m really proud of my first attempt at cooking with collard greens. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.
Side note: I apologize for the lack of step-by-step photos. This recipe just sort of happened as I went along and I wasn’t planning on blogging about it. It was just so good that I knew I had to share!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Braised Collard Greens
1 bunch collard greens, washed well to remove dirt
1 onion, thinly sliced in half rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 28 0z. can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-2 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
8 organic sweet potatoes
Method:
Remove the stems from the collard greens and roughly chop. Set aside. Heat oil in a skillet and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Add cumin and paprika and saute until onions are well-coated and fragrant. Add collard greens and stir to incorporate with the onions. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and 1 cup vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, adding additional stock, if needed.
For the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes and pat dry. Place on a baking sheet and roast until soft and syrupy, about 1 hour.
Cut a slit through the center of the sweet potatoes and stuff with braised collard greens. Serve hot.
Post a Comment
Posted in Appetizer, Brunch, Cooking, Diet, Dinner, Side Dish | 13 Responses »
Tags: braised collard greens, collard green recipes, greens, roasted sweet potatoes, side dish, smoky collard greens, southern food, stewed collard greens, stuffed sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegan, vegan collard greens, vegan dishes, vegan recipe, vegetables, vegetarian, vegetarian recipe
Written by chanie on April 22nd, 2013
Unlike other fruits and veggies, figs have a relatively short season. They are usually available in late summer and early fall, but can also occasionally be found in short supply in early summer. They also have a short shelf life, which is probably why you won’t find them imported throughout the year. Since fresh figs are so hard to come by, I am sure to pick up a carton whenever I see them.
Figs and honey are a natural pairing, but figs and silan are like a match made in heaven. Silan is a thick syrup made from dates that’s like a cross between honey and molasses, with a taste similar to roasted sweet potato syrup (the sticky stuff that oozes out of the sweet potatoes when you roast them for a long time). Roasting the figs with silan just takes the whole fig experience to new heights, you’ll never want to eat them any other way!
What’s even better than silan roasted figs? Silan roasted figs over milky quinoa porridge! If you’ve never prepared quinoa as a breakfast cereal, you must give it a try. It’s just like oatmeal or porridge, except it’s got a bite to it. If you’re a fan of quinoa, try preparing it with milk instead of water, and adding sweet additions like apple-cinnamon, maple-brown-sugar, or this fabulous topping of fresh figs & silan. You’ll be making quinoa for breakfast a lot more often!
Breakfast Quinoa
2 cups milk
1 cup quinoa
pinch of salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
silan roasted figs (recipe follows)
warm milk, for serving
Method:
Thoroughly rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and drain well. Bring milk to a slow boil, stirring occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Add quinoa and salt. Cover the pot and simmer for 12 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon and continue to cook for another 6-8 minutes until milk is mostly absorbed and quinoa is the consistency of creamy porridge.
Spoon quinoa into serving bowls and pour over some warm milk. Top with silan roasted figs and drizzle with additional silan.
Silan Roasted Figs
1 container figs, trimmed and halved or quartered
silan
sea salt
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle figs with silan and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until caramelized and browned around the edges.
1 year ago: carrot muffins
2 years ago: berry sorbet with fresh pomegranates and blueberries
Post a Comment
Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Dairy, Dessert, Fruit, Recipes | 11 Responses »
Tags: breakfast cereal, breakfast quinoa, creamy quinoa, date syrup, fig season, figs, fresh figs, honey roasted figs, hot breakfast cereal, porridge, quinoa, quinoa dessert, quinoa for breakfast, quinoa porridge, quinoa recipe, roasted figs, silan, sweet quinoa
Written by chanie on April 18th, 2013
Sometimes I’m so busy dreaming up new dishes to wow you all, that I forget about the oldie but goody recipes like this one. This sweet and delicious chicken is a recipe I grew up eating. My mother has been making it for years, and it’s just one of those dishes that’s a keeper. The pineapple and maraschino topping provide a lovely garnish, making this the perfect chicken dish to serve over the holidays or at your next party.
If you’ve got leftover pineapple, try this delicious tropical smoothie for dessert!
Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
8 chicken quarters, skin on
1 can pineapple rings
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
Maraschino cherries
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain the juice from the can of pineapple rings into a bowl. Whisk in the ketchup and brown sugar. Place the chicken skin-side up in a baking dish and top with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover, baste with the sauce, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.
1 year ago: rice pilaf
2 years ago: pretty perfection, headbands in a pinch!
Post a Comment
Posted in Cooking, Dinner, Meat & Poultry, Recipes, Shabbos | 8 Responses »
Tags: baked chicken, chagim, chicken, chicken recipes, glazed chicken, hawaiian chicken, holidays, maraschino cherries, pineapple, pineapple chicken, roasted chicken, shabbat, shabbos, sheva brochos, sweet chicken, yom tov
