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Cholent with Beans, Potatoes and Beef

(Originally posted by Lita Lotzkar at RCJF Archives.)

In this cholent recipe, you use 2 Tablespoons of honey in with your beans - this would give it a sweeter taste -you can either add more garlic and pepper or decrease the amount of honey if that is the way your family likes their cholent.. All recipes are “to your taste”

1 T. oil
1 large onion, cut into 1″ cubes
1 lb. beef (I’ve used brisket and London broil), cut into 1″ cubes
6 medium potatoes, pared and halved
1/2 c. pink beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1/2 c. barley
1 (16 oz.) can vegetarian beans
1/2 c. ketchup
1 t. seasoned salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 T. honey
2 t. onion soup mix (I use Osem)
Hot water
pepper to taste

This recipe should be made in a 4-quart crockpot. Scale down the quantity if yours is smaller or don’t add so much water if yours is bigger. You should start cooking 3 hours before Shabbos begins. Put the oil in the bottom of your crockpot and coat the bottom and a bit of the side (about 2″). This will help keep stuff from sticking on the bottom too badly. Heat some more oil in a large pan and saute the onion over medium heat until just starting to turn translucent. Add the beef and cook just until browned on the outside. (Your kitchen should smell terrific at this point).

Put the onion and beef into the crockpot and level it out somewhat. Add the potatoes, pink beans, and barley. Pour the can of vegetarian beans over the contents of the crockpot, moving things around a little to get the sauce to reach the lower layers. In the now empty can, mix the ketchup, salt garlic powder, honey, and soup mix. Fill up the remainder of the can with hot water and stir until the consistency is even. Pour into the crockpot, again moving things around. Add hot water to the crockpot to 1/2″ from the rim.

Cook at HIGH until just before candle-lighting. Check to see that the cholent has not gotten too dry. (This part is a little tricky. Too much water means you’ll get cholent soup. Too little water gets you a very sparse Shabbos lunch. Just enough water means you’ll have a great Shabbos nap.) I usually end up adding about 1/4 cup of water or enough to bring it back up to 1/2″ from the rim. Lower the setting to LOW. (Very important — Otherwise, the cholent will probably burn.)

You can check the cholent again in the morning before you leave for shul. More hot water can be added, but you should not stir it (constitutes work). It should be ready for consumption when you get back. If, on the other hand, it looks a little thin, allow the cholent to sit a little before serving. It will thicken as it cools.

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Broccoli Orecchiette with Tomatoes & Olives

Serves 4

This recipe was inspired by one my mother gave me that uses sun-dried tomatoes, which are great, too, though they need to be soaked and cut into thin strips. It helps to have a spider, a large mesh scoop, to scoop the broccoli out of the water. Save time by buying pitted olives, available in many olive bars or in jars.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 onion, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + more to drizzle
3 garlic cloves, minced
14ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 bunch broccoli (about 10-12 ounces with stem on)
12 ounces orecchiette pasta (see Note)
1/3 to 1/2 cup pitted kalamata or other black olives, each cut into 3-4 rounds
Salt and hot red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese (see Note)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Instructions: Place a large pot of well-salted water over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.
Place the onion and olive oil in a saute pan and saute over medium-low until tender, 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the broccoli.

Remove the stems from the broccoli. Peel well or trim the fibrous skin off with a large knife, then chop the stems and florets into 1/2-inch pieces. Blanch in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, then remove with a spider. Remove and set aside 1/2 cup of the broccoli-cooking water. Return the water in the pot to a boil and immediately add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions.

Stir the broccoli into the pasta sauce along with the reserved 1/2 cup water. Continue to simmer the sauce over low heat. To maintain its color, stir the broccoli often and don’t cover.

When the pasta is done, drain, reserving another 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Stir the pasta into the sauce with the olives. If it needs more moisture, add the water and stir over low heat. Season to taste with salt and hot red pepper flakes, and drizzle with olive oil.

Serve immediately in shallow bowls. Top with the Parmesan.

Note: Orecchiette is a round, cup-shaped pasta. Fusilli or penne rigate pasta work well, too. Use a vegetable peeler to shave a chunk of Parmesan cheese into long, thin strips or shards.

Per serving: 530 calories, 18 g protein, 83 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (3 g saturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 7 g fiber.

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Creamy Mushroom Soup with Walnut Bread Croutons

Serves 4

This soup isn’t overly rich and is hearty enough for a main course, with a salad or a green vegetable. To cut the time, use a food processor to slice the mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms
1/2 of a 1-pound loaf of walnut bread, such as from Acme Bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil + more for croutons
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, or a mix of cremini and wild mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium beef, chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
2 cups milk
Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the top and allow to soak.

Place the walnut bread in a medium bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt, then spread out on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and toasty, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and saute on medium heat until wilted. Add the fresh mushrooms and some salt to taste and saute until the liquid is released, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and stir until well distributed and slightly cooked, 1-2 minutes.

Squeeze the dried mushrooms to release all of their liquid, then pour the liquid into the soup with the broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, then simmer for 10 minutes, whisking often. Meanwhile, roughly chop the dried mushrooms and add to the soup. If the soup gets too thick, add more broth.

Process with a handheld blender or food processor until pureed but still a little chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately with croutons.

Per serving: 410 calories, 20 g protein, 50 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (6 g saturated), 25 mg cholesterol, 478 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.

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Cranberry Crisp

1 cup rolling oats
1 cup flour – I started replacing ½ cup of regular flour with whole wheat flour or substituting the whole cup with whole wheat flour
¾ brown sugar – you can also use white sugar if you don’t have brown
½ cup margarine or oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
3-4 apples peeled and diced or a pan of apple pie filling
I can cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray either 8” square or round dish with baking spray (this recipe can easily be doubled to fit a larger pan). Mix the first five ingredients together. The mixture should be crumby; if it is too moist then add more oats. Place half of this mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. Lay the diced apples on top of that, then followed by the cranberry sauce. Top the dish with the second half of the dry mixture.

Bake the dish for around 45 minutes. I always know it’s ready when I see the cranberry sauce start to bubble through the top oats layer. Enjoy!

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The Ultimate Chocolate Cake from The Kosher Palette

2 cups sugar
1 and ¾ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 and ½ tsp. baking soda
1 and ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup non-dairy creamer – I now use soy milk instead because it’s healthier
½ cup vegetable oil (I’ve started using olive oil)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add all of the ingredients together. The batter will be very loose. You can bake the cake in either a bundt pan or a 9”x13” pan. Make sure the coat the pan in baking spray, and add a lot of spray if using a bundt pan (a personal favorite!).

Bake the cake for around 45 minutes. If you baked it in a bundt pan, make sure to let it cool completely before removing it.

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Sauerkraut with Smoked Whitefish or Fried Tempeh, Green Apples, and Onions

I owe the inspiration for this dish to my dear friend Paul Vandewoude , a marvelous chef from Belgium and proprietor of New York’s charming Miette Culinary studio. I always look forward to working with Paul and sharing an impromptu lunch of smoked fish on buttered rye bread with thinly sliced onions, sauerkraut, and glasses of yeasty Belgium Abbey Beer.
A jar of sauerkraut from a natural food store will be tastier and have better texture than the pouches of cabbage sold as sauerkraut in most supermarkets. This recipe calls for 2 pans, for the two proteins—if you double the fish or tempeh and exclude the other, just use one large pan.
Smoked paprika and salt give the tempeh a great smokiness, but even one of these ingredients will do the trick—look for them in gourmet food stores
Serves 4

Tempeh:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces tempeh, sliced crosswise into 8 pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon smoked sea salt or sea salt

Sauerkraut:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

1 whole smoked white fish or 1 pound kippers, sliced crosswise into 3-inch chunks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill

Tempeh:
1. Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Add the white wine, paprika, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until all the wine has been absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. In each of 2 medium saucepans over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add half of the onions, carrot, celery, apple, and caraway seeds to each pan and cook and stir until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Divide the wine between the pans, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir 1 cup sauerkraut and 1/4 cup water into each pan and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Lay the fish over the vegetables in one pan and the tempeh over the vegetables in the other. Cover the pans and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Add half of the dill to each pan and simmer 1 more minute before serving.

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Creamy Root Vegetable Soup with Honey-Crisped Walnuts
Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound onions, roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
4 to 6 peeled garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
Sea salt or kosher salt
2 pounds assorted winter root vegetables, such as rutabaga, carrot, parsnip, turnip, celery root, and sunchokes, peeled and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly toasted and finely ground
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream or half and half ( from a grass fed cow please)
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Honey-Crisped Walnuts, for serving

1. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy, 4 to 5 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir well. Cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat until the garlic and onions are soft and juicy, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Add the root vegetables, ground fennel, and turmeric. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the stock or water and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender and crush easily against the side of the pan, 30 to 40 minutes. Add the cream and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or working carefully in batches in a food processor or stand blender), purée the soup until smooth, then season with black pepper and additional salt, as desired.

4. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley, and honey-crisped walnuts.

Honey-Crisped Walnuts
Sweet, crunchy roasted walnuts are the perfect accompaniment to everything from breakfast yogurt to salads, cheese platters, and creamy root vegetable soups.

Makes about 1 cup

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 cup walnut halves and pieces
3 tablespoons honey
Fine sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rub a small baking dish or pie plate with the butter. Add the walnuts and drizzle evenly with the honey. Roast, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, 13 to 14 minutes.
3. Scrape the walnuts onto a plate, season lightly with salt, and let cool. The walnuts will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

See Original Recipe

Bitter Green Salad with Roasted Pears

For the salad:

8 firm Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges

11/2 Tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 sm. head chicory

1 sm. head escarole

1 sm. head radicchio

1 bunch watercress, coarse stems discarded

1 bunch mizuna, coarse stems discarded

1 sm. head romaine

For the dressing:

1 Tblsp. finely chopped shallot

21/2 Tblsp. cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. honey

¼ tsp. salt

¡ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ c. plus 1 Tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Set the oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425? F.

Place the pears in a zip-close plastic bag and add the oil. Toss to coat, then arrange the pears in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast pears, flipping twice, until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool about 15 minutes.

While the pears roast, tear enough tender chicory and escarole leaves (discard tough ribs) into bite-size pieces to measure 6 cups. Tear enough radicchio, watercress, mizuna and romaine into bite-size pieces to measure 10 cups.

In a large bowl, toss the greens. Set aside.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the shallot, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. In a slow stream, while whisking, add oil. Continue whisking until emulsified.

Just before serving, add the roasted pears to the greens, then drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Much of this salad can be prepared in advance. The greens can be washed and dried a day ahead, then chilled, wrapped in paper towels in a sealed plastic bag. The pears can be roasted four hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

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Homemade Challah

1-1/4 c. warm water (a little warmer than lukewarm)
3 T. yeast (or 3 packets)mix together until foamy - about 10 min.

1 capful of cinnamon (for whole wheat only)
2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. oil
2/3 c. sugar
5 large eggs 3 cups of whole wheat flour and then add white until doughy (probably 5-6 cups total, but check the consistancy as you go).

Knead for couple minutes. Oil the bowl that you’re letting it rise in, so the dough won’t stick to the sides. Let it rise until it’s double the size. (Tip for rising: if it’s not rising fast enough, turn on the oven to 200 degrees. Once it’s hot enough, turn off the oven and put the dough in. This will make it rise faster, but make sure it’s not hot enough to bake it!) Punch it down and take challah. Make into loaves and let them rise until they are double the size. Bake on 350 for about 25 mintues.

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Kezach Bread of Wonder (not to be mistaken with Wonder Bread)

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 package of dry yeast

1 (heaping) tbs. brown sugar

1.5 cups wheat semolina

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbs. olive oil

3 tbs. black cumin

1 tbs. kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Combine water (warm it up first), brown sugar, and yeast in mixing bowl. Let sit for five minutes or until all yeast is dissolved and there is a foamy coating on the surface.
2. Add wheat semolina, whole wheat flour, and cumin seeds. Mix well.
3. Cover with damp dishtowel and let rise for one hour.
4. Uncover after an hour and knead dough (if it is too gooey, add some extra whole wheat flour). Return it to bowl, cover, and let rise for 30 more minutes.
5. Uncover and knead again, this time shaping it into a log-like form that fits your bread pan.
6. Top with a sprinkling of kosher salt and cumin seeds, let rise for 30 more minutes while your oven heats up.
7. Bake in oven at about 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped.

Serve warm or cold, tastes great with butter, cottage, cream cheese, and more. Also great toasted.

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Bittersweet Chocolate Espresso Cake
Serves 10-12

vegetable oil and matzo meal, finely ground for the cake pan
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons espresso powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch spring-form cake pan and dust with matzo meal.

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a microwave on low stirring every 20 seconds until melted and just smooth.

3. Beat the egg yolks with sugar and salt until pale yellow. Stir in the ground almonds, melted chocolate, vanilla, and espresso powder.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Stir ¼ of the whites into the chocolate and egg mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

5. Transfer the batter to the cake pan and bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Cool on a rack. Run a knife around sides to loosen sides of cake, remove pan sides and serve cake at room temperature on a platter. Can be made a day in advance, covered tightly in foil.

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Braised Carrots with Olives and Mint
Serves 6

3 pounds carrots peeled
3/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large sprig of mint plus mint leaves for garnish
11/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1, 2 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup oil cured black olives, pitted

1. Quarter the carrots lengthwise and cut into 1 inch lengths

2. Combine the carrots in a sauce pan with coriander, cayenne, mint sprig, lemon juice, honey and water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the carrots are tender. Discard the mint sprig and cinnamon stick.

4. Transfer the carrots with a slotted spoon to a serving dish. Pour back any juices into the pan. Set the pan over high heat and boil until reduced to 3 tablespoons.

5. Stir vinegar and olive oil into the reduced pan juices.

6. Toss the carrots with the pan juices. Stir in the olives and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with chopped mint.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic
Serves 6

2 bunches thick asparagus
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 lemon, squeezed

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Trim away the bottom 1/2-inch or so of the asparagus stalks.

3. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with the oil, garlic, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

4. Roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until crisp tender.

5. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature. Can be prepared up to a day in advance.

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Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Orange and Figs

Serves 6

6 small lamb shanks, 10-12 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (organic and kosher for Passover)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
12 large shallots, peeled and left whole, roots trimmed
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of 1 orange
1 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
3 tablespoons honey
14-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
12 dried figs
2, 4 inch branches fresh rosemary
3, 2-inch strips of orange peel

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Chopped parsley or scallion for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

2. Season the shanks all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan. Add as many shanks as will fit comfortably and brown over medium heat. This will take 15-20 minutes. Reduce the heat if the shanks are browning too quickly. Repeat with the remaining shanks. Transfer the shanks to a roasting pan large enough to accommodate them comfortably in a single layer. Deglaze the pan with half of the wine, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and pouring the juices over the lamb.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the sauté pan. Add the garlic, shallots, carrots and ginger and sauté 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the remaining wine. Scrape the vegetables and their juices into the roasting pan with the lamb shanks.

4. Add the orange juice, water or stock, honey, tomatoes with their juice and peppercorns to the roasting pan. The shanks should be almost covered with liquid, if not add a little water.

5. Tuck the figs, rosemary sprigs and orange strips between the shanks.

6. Place the roasting pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Cover the roasting pan and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is very tender.

7. Remove the shanks, shallots and figs from the liquid to a warm platter, cover with foil to keep warm.

8. Place a sieve over a clean saucepan. Strain the braising liquid into the saucepan pressing down on the vegetables and herbs to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the vegetables and herbs.

9. Place the saucepan over high heat and reduce the sauce until thickened so that it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Spoon some of the sauce over the lamb and serve the remaining on the side. Sprinkle the lamb with chopped parsley and serve.