Category: Recipes

{Guest Post} Apple Turnovers

Hey guys,

Since Chanie’s computer is out of commission, I’m filling in for a day with one of my favorite quick and easy recipes. I love to bake but I don’t always have the time. This recipe uses frozen puff pastry (I love Pepperidge Farm’s), which allows me to cut down on prep, but not taste! I really enjoy these, and I hope you do too!

PS Dont tell Chanie I told you, but she likes to use these ready-to-make frozen apple turnovers. If she ever serves them to you for dessert, just make believe it’s my recipe ;)

Apple Turnovers
from the Balabuste’s Choice

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk

Filling
4 cortland apples (grated)
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp boiling water
touch of vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat ovent to 350 degrees. Roll out dough and cut into 3×3 inch squares. Combine filling in a saucepan and stir over flame for 20-25 minutes. Cool filling. Place a tbsp of filling into each square. Fold the sides to make a triangle. Brush with egg. Poke edges closed with a fork to prevent sides from opening.  Place on lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 min or until golden brown.

Glaze when cooled.

Post a Comment

Salad Nicoise


I love the idea of layered salads. Anything goes and people can pick and choose what they want. It’s almost like a “create your own salad bar” on a platter. It makes for a great Shalosh Seudos dish because you can use up whatever you have left from your meal. If you only used half the container of cherry tomatoes, throw them in. Leftover egg salad? Put a nice scoop in place of the hard boiled eggs. Potato salad can take the place of potatoes. And just about any vegetable makes the cut. Grilled veggies work well too. Plating the salad this way gives it a fresh and clean appearance, even if you are using the leftovers from your meal.

One of my favorite veggies in a classic Nicoise salad is the baby red potatoes. But I can’t deny that those carb-filled delights pack on the pounds. Instead, I use sweet potatoes, their lower-GI cousin, for added color and sweetness.

In terms of tuna, a lot of people like to use oil-packed in this salad because it is less dry. I prefer packed in water because it is obviously much lower in fat. You can also grill up some tuna steaks before shabbos, bring them to room temperature, and serve a la’ classic.

In terms of veggies, I have seen so many variations used in this salad, just about anything goes. Here are some suggestions (I’m starring all the must-have ingredients, everything else is optional):

*greens (Bibb, Boston, Butter or Romaine lettuce, mesclun, spinach)
*green beans
*olives (black [nicoise preferred] or green)
*hard-boiled eggs
*tuna (canned or fresh, or for a twist, use salmon)
*potatoes (red skinned or sweet)
*onions (red onion, shallots, chives, or scallions)
*tomatoes (any type)
anchovies (classic to salad nicoise, although I leave them out)
capers
cucumbers
avocado
peppers
mushrooms
radishes
kohlrabi
hearts of palm
shredded carrots
beans (white beans, edamame)
pasta (shells, macaroni, rotini)
feta cheese
shredded cheese
parsley

If you leave the classic ingredients intact, you can still call it a salad nicoise, albeit nontraditional. You can also opt for a layered salad with no rules whatsoever. Just imagine your typical salad bar and layer it onto a big serving platter.

So instead of just serving up leftovers this week, try and re-purpose what you’ve got in a fresh way. It is guaranteed to appeal to everyone at the table! Serve with different types of crackers for a complete meal.

My Salad Nicoise

Romaine lettuce and spinach
french green beans (haricot vert), blanched {how to blanch green beans}
hard boiled eggs, cut into quarters {how to make perfect hard boiled eggs}
sweet potatoes, cubed and baked at 400 degrees until fork-tender (toss with a little olive oil and salt before baking)
grape tomatoes
black olives, sliced
avocado, cubed
red onion, thinly sliced into rings
canned tuna, drained and flaked

Dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 heaping tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 clove of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste

Set the lettuce around the base of the platter. Layer the vegetables in sections around the platter, placing the tuna at the center. Garnish with onion. Whisk dressing until emulsified. Pour over salad, or serve separately.

NOTE: If you plan on serving this for shalosh seudos, you’ll have to prepare some of the main ingredients before Shabbos. Cook up the potatoes, eggs and blanch the green beans. Place everything into small ziploc bags. You can also drain and flake the tuna ahead of time, as well as drain the olives. When it’s time to make the salad, you’ll have most of the ingredients ready, and you don’t have much left to prepare.


Another version of salad nicoise.

Post a Comment

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Having two daughters born in the spring and summer, this time of year just feels like birthday season to me. Well that, and the fact that my kids seem to be coming home with birthday bags every other day. I’ve mentioned before how I’m not the biggest baker, and most definitely not a cake decorator either. Birthday cakes, however, are the exception. I feel like it’s that one momentous day when I get to make something special for the ones that I love. So depending on the day, week, or how hectic life is at the time, I decide on how much of a patchke that cake will be :)

Recently, we celebrated my daughters third birthday. She absolutely adores strawberries, so the kind of cake was a no-brainer. I wasn’t even planning on blogging about it, until my sister-in-law called me for the recipe. I decided if it was good enough to want to make again, I might as well share it with you guys :)

This cake recipe has become a favorite of mine because it uses oil as opposed to margarine, and it is super quick and easy. It’s a one bowl recipe that does not require a mixer. The batter works well in cupcakes, a sheet cake, or a round birthday cake. The orange juice adds a nice, mellow citrus flavor as well.

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

3  cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1  16oz container whip topping
1 container strawberries

Method:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients besides for whip and strawberries. Pour into 2 greased 9″ round pans. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 50 minutes – 1 hour).

For whip topping, thaw the topping in the refrigerator overnight. It is best to whip topping when it is cold (some people actually put the bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes before whipping as well). Pour topping into a large mixing bowl. Beat on low until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase to medium and beat until beaters have a trail, about 30 seconds. Increase to high and move beaters around the sides of the bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides as you go. Stop beating when the whip has doubled in volume and forms stiff peaks.

For the strawberries, remove the leaves and slice lengthwise.

To prepare the cake, make sure it has cooled completely. Place one of the cakes on your cake stand, and check to make sure it is leveled. If needed, trim with a bread knife until you have a perfectly flat surface. Spread whip topping over cake. Top with strawberries (use the ends for this part and save the pretty pieces for the top of the cake). Add second cake, and check to make sure it is leveled. Trim if needed. With an icing spatula, spread whip around the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with strawberries.

Some of my more memorable birthday cakes!

Post a Comment

Tuna Salad with a Twist


I’m definitely a tuna person. Cream cheese? not so much. Lox, not a chance! So tuna is bound to show up on my lunch menu quite often. I like my tuna 2 ways: albacore, and in water. I like to mix up my recipes so it doesn’t get too boring.

To prepare tuna, I start with an empty sink and a pair of gloves! I drain the can of water and empty the tuna into a bowl. Then, using my hands (remember, I’m wearing gloves), I break the tuna apart, so that I end up with perfect flakes that are not too ground, nor too chunky.

Classic tuna with mayo always works, but adding additional ingredients turns it into a salad for a complete meal when served with crackers, rice cakes, or cucumber slices. Sometimes I add a bit of harrisa and lemon for a quick and easy spicy tuna. Other times I’ll mix it into some pasta for a heartier dish, or into salad nicoise – an all time favorite. In this recipe, I use a surprise ingredient which really ups the ante from traditional tuna salad, to something out of this world! What is it? Golden raisins! It may sound weird at first, but I urge you to give it a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!

To make these fun cucumber rolls, just slice english cucumbers or zucchini lengthwise, very thin (preferably using a mandoline, but it can be done by hand or with a peeler). Put a spoonful of tuna salad about an inch away from either end. Roll the end over the tuna, and continue to roll up. Fasten with a toothpick. NOTE: If you slice the cucumbers paper thin, you won’t need a toothpick, they will stay closed on their own.

Tuna Salad with a Twist

2 cans albacore tuna in water
1 handful shredded carrots
1 celery stick, diced small
1 handful golden raisins
1/3 cup mayo (more, if needed)
1 tbsp mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Method:

Drain tuna well and flake with a fork, or using your hands (I suggest gloves!). Add remaining ingredients and mix well. If it is too dry, you can add more mayo, one teaspoon at a time. Serve in cucumber rolls, or with bread, crackers, or rice cakes.

NOTE: The EPA and FDA cautions pregnant women, women of childbearing age, nursing mothers and young children against eating more than 6 ounces of albacore tuna per week due to high levels of mercury. If you wish to eat more tuna, go for the lower mercury light tuna (commonly skipjack or yellowfin).

Post a Comment

Asian {Bigger} Bowl Soup


When it comes to food, we’re texture-people in my house. I’ve got no use for a hand blender ‘cuz my husband and kids will not touch those creamy-as-baby-food soups. I’m good with any soup, but if it’s a family affair, I have to scoop out half of the vegetables before I puree, and add them back to the pot. There has got to be a “bite” in there, otherwise it just doesn’t fly. Asian big bowl soup has become a family favorite. I like to call it “Bigger” bowl because I load the soup up on tons of extras for some serious crunch and flavor. We especially love the addition of water chestnuts and bamboo shoots strips. They stay amazingly crunchy, even after sitting or rewarming!

I love making this soup for Shabbos on these late Friday nights. We don’t end up making kiddush until sometime after nine (more like closer to ten), and my husband and I are half-asleep at the table. The soup covers both the 2nd and 3rd course, being chock full of chicken, pasta and vegetables in a yummy broth. I have one big bowl of the stuff and I am ready for bed!

I found the original recipe in Susie Fishbeins’s Kosher by Design Short on Time cookbook (the only one I really use from her collection). I’ve adapted it to include lots of different veggies. Usually, I just go through my vegetable bin to check what’s on its way out. Since the veggies are going into a soup anyway, it doesn’t really matter if they aren’t fresh. Go ahead and use whatever suits your taste. You can also experiment with pasta in this dish. I’ve used linguini, udon noodles, even rice! It’s a “big bowl soup” after all, so go ahead and fill it up!

NOTE: Since we are lightening up this week, I have to mention that you can definitely leave out the ramen noodles. They are fun, and my kids love them, but for DH and I, we skip the extra calories.

Asian Bigger Bowl
adapted from Kosher by Design, Short on Time

10 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 tbsp mirin rice cooking wine
1 pkg chicken breast (about 4 pieces) cut into thin strips
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can sliced bamboo shoots
1 can bean sprouts
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced
1/2 bag shredded carrots
1 package mushrooms, cut into thick slices
1 handful snow peas, ends trimmed
3 scallions, cut into 3″ pieces
ramen noodles, or pasta/grain of choice

NOTE: alternatively, you may use one can of mixed chinese vegetables (usually includes chestnuts, bamboo shoots, sprouts and baby corn) if you find that 3 cans is too much.

Method:

Pour chicken stock into a pot. Add soy sauce and mirin and bring to a boil. Add chicken, chestnuts, shoots and sprouts. Simmer for 5 minutes, mixing the chicken so that the pieces don’t stick together. Add the cabbage and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, and scallions. Leave the pot uncovered for a few minutes while the vegetables become crisp-tender. Serve immediately, or leave pot uncovered until it cool so that the vegetables remain tender.

I like to cook up the ramen noodles separately, so that they are not left as mush inside the pot (if they sit too long, they get kind of gross). To do this, boil the water and add noodles, discarding the flavoring packet. As soon as the noodles begin to soften and break apart (about 1.5 minutes), remove them from the water and reserve in a plastic container. They will finish cooking when you add them to the hot bowl of soup.

Post a Comment