Citrus-Ginger Beet Salad

This year, Sukkot fell closely after Shabbat. 

So, I wanted to serve festive and extra special food while still using up my leftovers from Shabbat. 

My mother gave me this recipe years ago.  With so many leftover beets, I felt inspired to try and make it for the first time.

I am happy to say that it was a hit!

Ingredients

Cooked beets

1 orange, zested and juiced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

Zest or peel orange and lemon and squeeze the juice of both. Grate or mince fresh ginger root. Add honey, oil, salt and pepper. Blend together and pour over beets. 

  

Easy and elegant! Enjoy!

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Time Of Our Joy — Balancing The Spirit And The Body

The holiday of Sukkot begins tonight. 

Rather than trying to get through Yom Tov (the holiday), I try to focus on having Yom Tov go through me. 

This too is an opportunity to savor the moment, in the moment.

After all, we can never have too much simcha (happiness).

I have lots of cooking to do!

  

Happy Sukkot!

With blessings,

Carol and family 

Potato Barley Soup

  

This soup is what we traditionally broke the fast with in my family growing up. Unfortunately, I am unable to continue the tradition with my family. Soup for Yaffa is more difficult to eat,  and  my husband doesn’t enjoy it either. So that leaves only Raizel and me. Soup for 2 is not as much fun.  Sigh……. 

I am posting the recipe anyway, since it is tasty and part of my culinary legacy. When my mother made it, it was a labor of love and a work of art. My sisters make it every year.

Ingredients 

2 onions chopped 

6 potatoes pealed and cubed

1 cup barley 

Water to cover

Salt, pepper and fresh garlic, crushed 

Fresh dill at the end, if desired 

Instructions 

Sauté onions until translucent. Add the other ingredients and simmer until done.

This can also be made in a crockpot or  a pressure cooker. For the pressure cooker I recommend 10 minutes to pressure without the potatoes, release the pressure and then add the potatoes. Bring to pressure again for 7 minutes. Adjust the seasoning et voila, potato barley soup!

This soup is meant to be white. White is the color associated with Yom Kippur and purity. On this day we are asking to have our sins forgiven and to be returned to a higher level of spiritual purity.

  

Yom Kippur Wishes

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement begins tonight.

On this day we fast to nourish our spiritual essence that is always connected to God regardless of our behavior.

May this Yom Kippur bring us forgiveness.

May we all be granted a year of goodness, life, health and happiness.

Yom Kippur Wishes

With blessings,

Carol

Black-Eyed Peas

Tonight starts the holiday of Yom Kippur. So, I wanted to finish posting my special Rosh Hashana recipes.

This year I was inspired to make a recipe with Black-eyed peas which are another one of the symbolic foods that we eat on Rosh Hashana. 

My mother told me that black-eyed peas go well with thyme. So, this was something that I came up with.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked black-eyed peas. (I cooked 1 lbs. dried black eyed beans in advance in the pressure cooker with 1 tablespoon of salt)

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 celery chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1-2 bay leafs

1 teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon salt

Water: the amount will depend of the method used to cook. I added approximately 6 cups.

Instructions:

This can be made on top of the stove, in a crockpot or the pressure cooker, 10 minutes to pressure. I think however, it would be better to cook the beans first and then add the other ingredients and simmer until done.

Sauté onions until translucent, add carrots, celery, beans, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, garlic and water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until done. Do not add too much water. I happened to have my oven set on low (which is similar to having it in a crock pot) and cooked it until done and then adjusted the seasoning.
 

Enjoy!

Mélange Aux Simanim aka Sephardic Chickpea Carrots Leeks and Squash Stew

It is traditional to eat certain symbolic foods on Rosh Hashanah. Among some of the symbolic foods are leeks, carrots, and gourds. So, rather than make each item separately, I made a few dishes to combine some of the symbolic foods and make them part of the meal.

Our guest, Manny, coined the name of the dish, which I thought was very funny. He and his wife Judy are among our favorite guests.

Ingredients:

2 cups chickpeas, cooked (or 1 can rinsed and drained)

4 leeks, sliced

4 carrots, sliced diagonally 

½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed 

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric, paprika, cumin,

Salt and pepper to taste

Water to cover

Instructions:

Sauté leeks, and add rest of ingredients. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until done. This can also be made in a crockpot.

I ran out of canned chickpeas, so I cooked the chickpeas first in the pressure cooker for 40 minutes.

Adjust seasoning as preferred.

Here is a picture:

  

May we be sealed in the book of life and blessed with a sweet, healthy and good new year!

Unstuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls are a very traditional and favorite dish.

During this time of year, it is customary to eat foods that are wrapped as our fate is concealed. We pray that God will overlook our errors and grant us forgiveness.

On Rosh Hashanah, it is also traditional to eat sweet foods, for a sweet new year.

For a time challenged person, this recipe has the same flavor and is much faster than the more traditional cabbage rolls.

Raizel, however, says that “the meat tastes better when wrapped in the cabbage rather than cooked with the cabbage.” But, since everyone in my family always picks out the meat, and leaves the cabbage behind, unstuffed cabbage meatballs are on the menu for now.

Instructions on the bottom are to make this as sweet and sour cabbage rolls or sweet and sour cabbage borscht.

Ingredients

Cabbage Base:

1 head of cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup sugar, or to taste

½ cup lemon juice

Sour salt (citric acid) to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

12 oz. tomato paste

Water to cover

Meatballs

2 lbs. ground meat

1 egg

1/3 cup oatmeal

1 clove garlic, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder, pepper, salt

Instructions:

Place ingredients for cabbage base in bottom of pot.

Blend together the ingredients for the meatballs.

Shape meatballs and place in pot.

Add water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until done. Adjust seasoning.

This can easily be made in a crock pot.

Alternative options:

To make cabbage rolls: Freeze whole head of cabbage and then thaw so that cabbage leaves are soft and easy to work with. Or, steam or parboil cabbage leaves until slightly wilted.

Place a few cabbage leaves on the bottom of the pot. Take a small amount of meat and place on cabbage leaf. Wrap to enclose the meat. Place in pot . Mix tomato paste, sugar, lemon juice and water and pour over cabbage rolls.

Bring to a boil and simmer until done. Adjust seasoning.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Borscht

Rather than making meatballs, boil 2 lbs. of flanken with 2 bay leaves and then add cabbage, onions, tomato paste, sugar, lemon juice and sour salt (citric acid), salt, pepper, garlic.

All can be made easily in the crockpot, pressure cooker or conventionally on top of the stove.

I have also made cabbage rolls in the oven in a covered roasting pan at 350* F or 375* F oven for 1 hour, or until done.

Here is a picture:

  

Enjoy!

Vegan Moussaka

This was the first time that I made this recipe. According to Raizel, “this recipe is kaddosh (holy)” A ringing endorsement!

This dish is a 3 step process, so it is slightly more time consuming than I would like. I think it is possible to simplify it, but I haven’t figured that out yet. Overall, this recipe was a hit!

Vegan Lentil Moussaka 

Ingredients for Lentil Filling:

3 cups lentils, or 2 cans rinsed and drained.

1 (14 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with juice

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 celery chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1-2 bay leafs

1 teaspoon oregano, thyme

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon salt

Water: the amount will depend of the method used to cook. I added approximately 6 cups.

Instructions:

This can be made on top of the stove, in a crockpot or the pressure cooker, 7 minutes to pressure.

Sauté onions until translucent, add carrots, celery, tomatoes, lentils, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, garlic and water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until done. Do not add too much water. The mixture should be thick. I happened to have my oven set on low (which is similar to having it in a crock pot) and cooked it until done and then adjusted the seasoning.

Ingredients for Potato Filling:

6 or more if desired potatoes, thinly sliced.

2 tablespoons olive oil, (more if needed)

2 onions, chopped

Crushed fresh garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh parsley, if desired.

Instructions:

Sauté onions until translucent. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, garlic and cook until potatoes start to look translucent. Be careful not to burn the potatoes and if necessary, add water to prevent burning.

In large pan, layer the ingredients as follows: one-third of the potato mixture, half of the lentil filling, one-third of the potatoes, remaining lentil filling, and top with potatoes. Baked, covered, for 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked in 350* F or 375 *F oven.

I didn’t try it, but, it also might be possible to make this in a crockpot. That would be a definite time saver!

Passover Adjustment: I think that the lentil filling could be replaced with sautéed onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms blended with nuts.

Here are the pictures:

Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

I hesitate to post a recipe for chicken soup, as it seems so axiomatic. Who ever heard of a traditional Jewish cook who doesn’t make chicken soup?  

Throughout Jewish literature, chicken soup is extolled for its medicinal effects and often referred to as “Jewish penicillin.” However, I consider chicken soup to be a work of art. All cooks have their own particular techniques. I have made it various ways, but, this is my current method.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, skinned

1 onion

1 potato

1 sweet potato

2 stalks of celery

4 carrots

2 parsnips or parsley roots

1 bay leaf

Salt, pepper, fresh garlic, and paprika if desired to taste

Water to cover

Optional: celery root, zucchini, fresh parsley, dill

Instructions:

Place the chicken, with hopefully the skin off in a food sock or if unavailable, a cheese cloth. Place the vegetables in another food sock and the potatoes in a third food sock.

Add water and then bring to a boil and simmer until done.  

This can be made in a regular soup pot, a crock pot or a pressure cooker.

In a crockpot, cook on high or low until done. This is not my preferred method, as it makes the soup too dark.

Recently, I have begun making it in the pressure cooker at 7 minutes to pressure.

When done, I adjust the seasoning, and pull out the various food socks. This way, does not require straining and is clear.

I arrange all the cooked vegetables, potatoes and chicken in separate bowls, and serve according to everyone’s individual preferences.

In the past, I used to also cut up new vegetables and then add them to the broth and serve.

In general, there is very little flavor left from the first round of soup vegetables, so not everyone likes to eat them.

I make chicken salad with the leftover chicken, assuming the chicken is also not too overcooked.

I also serve it with rice, thin noodles or of course matzah balls.

Adding fresh herbs like parsley or dill give it a beautiful fresh flavor.

I made it for the holiday, so there are less pictures than usual. But, done is better than undone!

  

Matzah Balls For A Crowd

When Yaffa was younger, she was on a feeding tube. My husband and I worked very hard to wean her off of it.

Matzah balls are one of her favorites. They are easy to chew and delicious. I make them in large quantities and then freeze them for later.

I will sometimes make the batter the night before and cook them the next day.

This year, I made them for Rosh Hashana with chicken soup. 

Yaffa was very happy!

Ingredients 

12 eggs

3 cups matzah meal — I have used spelt matzah meal too

1 tablespoon salt

3/4 cup oil 

3/4 cup water — seltzer is best

Instructions 

If possible, mix eggs for 5 minutes with a mixer. This helps give the matzah balls a lighter texture. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Chill the batter for at least 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Working quickly with slightly wet hands make matzah balls and drop in water. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Remove with slotted spoon.

Matzah balls are very versatile and can be adapted in many ways.

Here are the pictures: