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Favorite Recipes

Stuffed Cabbage

It is customary among Eastern European Jews to eat stuffed cabbage on Simchat Torah. I’m adapting this recipe from the Spice and Spirit cookbook. It comes closest to my own, for which I did not have any measurements.

1 large cabbage

2 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. uncooked rice

1 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped very fine

3 large cloves garlic, chopped very fine

1 T. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Soften cabbage either by freezing or boiling. Separate the leaves and check for bugs. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Take a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture and place it in the middle of the leaf and fold the leaf, envelope fashion, around the meat. For those who have the Spice and Spirit cookbook, there is an illustration on page 217 showing exactly how to do it. Shred any cabbage left over after you’ve made the cabbage rolls.

Sauce

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 bag shredded cabbage

2 T. tomato paste

1 46-oz can tomato juice

1/4 c. honey

1 lemon juiced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in an 8- to10-quart pot, stir in the onions and garlic, and sauté until onions are golden brown. Add all the shredded cabbage and stir for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage/meat rolls, placing them in the sauce one by one and layering them as you fill the pot. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 2 hours, adding water if necessary. The sauce should just cover the rolls.

Green Beans with Crunchy Almond Coating

3/4 c. unsalted almonds (or your favorite nut), coarsely crushed

2 T. olive oil

2 T. minced ginger

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

1/2 tsp. salt

1 T. crushed garlic

1 T. low sodium tamari or lite soy sauce

1 T. fresh lemon juice

Red pepper flakes, to taste

In a large skillet, toast the nuts, being careful not to burn them. Transfer nuts to small dish and set aside. In the same skillet, add 1 T. olive oil and over medium heat add the ginger and lemon zest and sauté for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. (Garlic will taste bitter if it burns.) Set aside with the nuts. Using the same skillet, add 1 T. olive oil and over medium heat add the green beans and salt. (The pan should sizzle when the green beans hit.) Stir-fry over high heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tamari and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Shake the pan or use tongs to keep the green beans moving as they cook. Add the nut mixture and lemon juice and stir until combined. Sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes, and serve right away.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

1 large zucchini

1 large yellow squash

1 red pepper, cut in eighths

1 yellow pepper, cut in eighths

1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 T. brown rice vinegar

1 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed by hand

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450°. Cut zucchini and yellow squash on the bias into 1/2-inch slices In a large glass bowl, toss all the vegetables with the remaining ingredients. Place on a large roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

Glazed Beef Brisket

6 lb. beef brisket

3 large onions, sliced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

6 whole cloves

3 medium bay leaves

1 to 2 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 c. light brown sugar

Place beef in a Dutch oven. Barely cover beef with boiling water. Add the next 4 ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot tightly with foil and also put lid on. Reduce heat, simmering gently. Cook 50 minutes per pound or until the meat is fork tender. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove meat from pot and drain. Trim excess fat. Spread the mustard, then the sugar on top of the meat. Bake until well glazed for about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Rosemary Dijon Chicken

4 T. Dijon mustard

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. fresh rosemary, chopped, or 2 tsp. dried

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper, preferably freshly ground

Zest of 1 lemon plus juice of one lemon

1 large chicken (4-5 lb.) or 2 small ones

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl large enough to fit the chicken. Rub the mixture all over the chicken, inside and out and allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or even overnight. Bake in a preheated 350° oven until an instant-read thermometer reads 175° in the thigh area or 165° in the thickest part of the breast area, making sure the thermometer is not touching the bone. Remove chicken from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Baked Fish and Chips

A light version of an all time favorite!

8 baking potatoes, washed and cut in wedges

2 T. olive oil

1 T. paprika

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

Seasoned bread crumbs, store-bought or homemade (If carb watching, substitute seasoned crushed almonds)

2 eggs

2 T. water

8 halibut, cod, or flounder fillets

Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl add the first 5 ingredients, and toss very well. (I like to wear gloves when I’m tossing my vegetables.) Place seasoned potatoes in a large pan and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Potatoes are done when a knife slides in easily. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and water together in a bowl. For coating, place bread crumbs or almonds on a paper plate. Dip each fillet into egg mixture and then into coating, pressing lightly into the fish to make sure it’s coated. Place the fish fillets into a second foil pan and put in oven along with the potatoes. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork and is crispy on the outside. If you have small wicker baskets, line with pretty napkins and serve individually. A perfect meal for the Sukka during Chol Hamoed. All you need to add is a side of cole slaw and some sorbet for dessert, and you have a meal fit for an “Ushpizin.” (The biblical “guests” we invite into the Sukka each night.)

Overnight Coffee Cake (Dairy) adapted from “Recipe Finder” in the Baltimore Sun.

2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. buttermilk

2/3 c. butter or margarine, melted

2 large eggs

Topping

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients. Add the buttermilk, butter, and eggs. With an electric mixer, beat at low speed until moistened. Then beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes more. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch pan. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over batter.

Cover and refrigerate batter for 8 to 12 hours. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°. Remove cake from fridge, uncover, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Best served warm.

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Article List - October 2006