Breadcrumb Eggs and Spinach

This is from MilkStreet - I haven't nailed this yet but want to try again, since it's such a quick and nutritious meal.

~1 c. bread crumbs - run stale challah through the food processor, works great
~ 1/4 c. grated parmesan
thyme, smoked paprika

sherry vinegar - 1/2 T or so
salt, pepper
olive oil
fresh spinach
3 eggs (best if they're from Arcadia Farm!), scrambled (unless you prefer sunny side up)

grated cheese if you want

In a large skillet, add the breadcrumbs. Add seasonings, parmesan, and olive oil and stir until lightly toasted, a few minutes at medium heat.

Make 3 holes, and put 1/3 of the beaten eggs in each. Cover with fresh spinach and optional grated cheese. Put the top on and steam at 2 or 3.

Comfort Food Cabbage & Noodles

 

This really isn't a recipe, it's a lovely, flexible combination. I am always looking for ways to eat more vegetables, and cabbage is great cooked. This was done in less than 10 minutes.

Butter and/or olive oil for sautéing
1 large sliced onion
8 oz or so of cooked flat noodles (egg are good)
1/2 head small cabbage sliced thin, or a bag of shredded

Nutmeg, salt, pepper

Shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta. Then slice the onions and melt butter in a big skillet. Start sautéing on medium in a big pan. Stir frequently, while chopping the cabbage into slivers, and add to the pan. Cook and stir, for about 7-8 minutes until the onions start to brown and the cabbage releases its liquid. 

Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Drain the noodles and add them, still a little wet is fine. 

Serve with parmesan cheese. A little chopped parsley would improve the looks! 

It's called halushki, and is a Central and Eastern European staple. Recipes call for a lot more butter than I used. You could add cottage cheese or other protein, too. 

Here's a video:

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I made these for a June shabbat when we were all together in Chestertown when Noa was a wee one. Big hit, and Zach asked for them a few weeks later. I happily obliged.

Once you assemble all the ingredients, which is a bit of a scavenger hunt, these are fun to roll. They make a delicious and beautiful presentation. This is based on https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-spring-rolls-recipe/ , this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUO2PuGu9DQ&ab_channel=AGlobalKitchen, and https://natashaskitchen.com/fresh-spring-rolls/ but watch a few videos to get different ideas of the basic techniques.

You'll need about a 12-16 rice paper wrappers, found in the Asian section of big supermarkets. The sauces keep, so you don't have to make the whole package. 

Cook the rice noodles -  just submerge them in boiling water for a few minutes, and drain. While they are cooling, prep your fillings. You can lay them in piles on a tray.

• Herb leaves: basil, mint, or other herbs of choice. Be generous.
• lettuce leaves. I found mini-romaine, which was perfect. Spinach would be good.
• grated carrot, either a bag, or use a cool tool. I actually have one, called a julienne peeler. You can also just slice thin.
• purple cabbage, sliced very thin
• English cucumber, seeded and sliced thin
• avocado, sliced thin, if you have a ripe one
• thin sliced daikon or red radish
• slivered jalapeno if you like more heat
• rice vermicelli or plain rice
• strips of spiced tofu are a good addition to amp up the protein.

We liked having two dipping sauces. Be sure to put dips out in a few smaller bowls.

Peanut Hoisin Sauce:

In a big jar, add

100g or 1/3c hoisin sauce (vegetarian)

30g -  2 T peanut butter

3-5g/1 small clove grated garlic 

3-5g about1/2 T grated ginger

30g or 2 T rice vinegar

5g or 1 t sesame oil

30g or 2 T water

Whisk to combine.

Traditional Fish Sauce from Natasha.

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp shredded carrot

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. For serving, pour into a few smaller bowls. This makes a lot.

Assembling:

Rice Paper needs just a quick dip in a curved plate of water. Then move it to a tray, and add the rice noodles and the other ingredients. Try to get some of the pretty herb leaves on what will be the bottom so when you roll each one, you can see them. Best to watch a video.

Do not stack them. They stick to each other! You can leave them at room temperature for an hour or two.

 Figure on folks eating 2 or 3, or even 4, depending on what else you are serving.

Oven-Baked Latkes

These were decent latkes, and had some unique features.

The first is they were made with potatoes that Micah dug up, literally, from his garden here.

Second, you don't need to peel the potatoes. That's a great hack.

These are oven baked, and tasty, but much lighter than pan-fried. A plus or a minus, depending on your tastes.

And, the parchment paper is brilliant. There is a similar version up at King Arthur. It preheats the oil on the baking sheet, with no parchment paper. Worth trying heating the oiled parchment paper, I think. I doubt it would burn.

Heat oven to 350.

3 large potatoes (you could make one a sweet potato)
1 onion
3 T. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 egg

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour some olive oil on it, and spread with a brush.

Wash but don't peel the potatoes. Grate with a box grater, into a strainer colander. Do the same with the onion. Squeeze as much liquid as possible, pushing it through the mesh. (You can do this in a regular bowl, but the mesh is much easier!)

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Drop the potato mixture in with an egg, and stir till well mixed.

Drop by flattened large spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. This made 12. Bake at 350 for fifteen minutes. Turn up to 425. Flip and bake another 15 minutes. They do brown and crisp.

They definitely smell like latkes!

Norwegian Crepe Pancakes

These were inspired by my going to NetCost, a super store in NE Philly specializing in Russian and Eastern European foods. They had a huge section of "preserves", many from Israel with Hebrew and Russian. They are a genre of fruit somewhere between what we call jam and pie filling. I brought some cherry preserves and then tried to figure out what to do with them. Rolling them up in a crepe is perfect. Three or four make a very nice meal.

These remind David of the thin pancakes his Aunt Ruth made in Salt Lake, rolled up with fruits. Happily so!

It's from How to Feed a Loon, two guys with a blog and lots of YouTubes. I have modified it, using more whole wheat, natch.

3 eggs
1½ c whole milk (up to 1/3 can be buttermilk)
1 c all-purpose flour (half white, half whole wheat)
¼ t salt
1 t sugar
¼ t cardamom ground, optional
1 t vanilla 
2 T butter melted, plus more for the pan
Preserves or jam, for spreading and rolling. Optional: ricotta cheese.
For a savory crepe: chop an onion, saute, and throw in a lot of fresh spinach. Add a little grated cheese. Yum!

Use a blender, mixing the eggs and milk til smooth. It’s easier to pour the batter from the blender.

[or, easier: use a pancake dispenser. It has measures on it, so put in the milks and add eggs, and use a whisk to beat. Add the dry ingredients. You can put the top on and shake it. Lumps will not be gone, but disappear when you cook them.] 

Add the flour, salt, sugar, cardamom, vanilla extract, and melted butter, and continue mixing until most of the lumps are gone.

Heat a large griddle/skillet , and a second smaller fry pan ( perfect for kid sized crepes) over medium heat and coat with a small amount of butter (about 1 tsp). Swirl the pan until the pan is fully coated. Let it heat - it takes longer than you expect, in my experience.

Scoop about ⅓ cup of the batter and then pour into the center of the skillet, immediately swirling the pan until most of the batter has been distributed along the bottom of the pan. You can do this with the bottom of a 1/3 c measure. [or pull the handle of the dispenser.]

Cook until the edges begin to curl up slightly and some bubbles begin to appear, usually about 2 minutes. Carefully slip a rubber (or silicone) spatula under the side of the pancake and flip.
Cook for another minute and then transfer the pancake to a serving plate. I put the tray in the Breville, without heat, closed - the steam keeps them warm.

This makes about 8-12, depending on size. Serve with fruit preserve, jam, or fresh fruits and yogurt.

 They go pretty fast!

If desired, roll the pancakes, or serve flat with toppings on the side.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sweet potatoes are more nutritious than white potatoes, and prettier, so I decided to give Sweet Potato Gnocchi a whirl. They are fun and delicious. Could be a side, or a main. The ingredients are pretty flexible.

2 medium/large sweet potatoes
3 T (or so) grated parmesan
3 T (or so) ricotta, or 1 egg
1.5 c white flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
salt to taste
dash of nutmeg

For frying:
10 leaves or so fresh sage
2 T. butter + olive oil

For topping: parmesan, + chopped walnut or hazelnuts

Optional: spinach, to fry along in the pan with the gnocchi

Microwave or boil the sweet potatoes til cooked. Let cool. Peel and if you have a ricer, process them with it, or scoop into a large bowl and use a potato masher. You want some texture, not a puree. Add the other ingredients. This is easiest to work by hand. 

On a large board, cut the dough in quarters. Roll each quarter into a log and cut pieces about the size of a small grape. Smaller is better. You can flatten the log and cut it laterally and then in 1/2" pieces.

Flour a gnocchi board, or just the back of a fork. Press your thumb to flatten the dough and roll it from the top. This creates a hollow, ridged gnocchi.

Repeat with each quarter. This makes a lot of gnocchi. I froze half for another meal. 

Boil a large pot of water and then drop the gnocchi in a few at a time. They pop up pretty quickly.

In a large skillet, add some olive oil and butter. Fry the sage leaves. When they're crisp, remove them, and add a few dozen gnocchi. Brown on both sides. Yum!

Serve with grated parmesan, chopped nuts, pesto, or whatever you like.

If you throw some spinach in the pan with the gnocchi, it will be even more nutricious and colorful.

 

Dosas: Laurie Hertz Style

Laurie lives near Devon Avenue, the epicenter of South Asian American immigrant groceries. The "diaspora" comes from all over the Midwest to shop in these stores for their families and also for restaurants. It's so fun to shop there.

You can buy dosa batter, traditionally fermented lentil/rice, either powdered or liquid. You can also use chickpea flower for a variation. I just ordered a tawa that can be used on the induction stovetop, so will be experimenting.

Laurie chops scallions, carrots, zucchini, and adds peas. You can use any combo, of course. You add a little oil to the tawa and spread the dosa batter. While it's setting, lay on the grated vegies and peas. Let them set in, and flip. This is hard to do - if it falls apart, no worries. They main thing is to have enough oil, hot enough, so the batter crisps. 

These are fast, nutritious, and delicious. Serve with condiments. It's really a full meal.

Blintzes for Shavuot, or Anytime! + Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

We had a pre-Erev Shavuot dinner together at 412, and Nomi even dropped a blintz by for Rilka who was just out of surgery. (During COVID.)

I hadn't made these since I made them with my mom when I was about 17 - so, fifty years ago. They aren't hard but a lot of it is defined by the size pan. Go with an 8" or 9" non-stick. The rim of the pan shapes them; if you use a griddle, they don't have anything shaping them.

Best is a lb of farmer cheese, if you can source it. It is much drier than ricotta.

If not, you can use ricotta. Measure out the ricotta the night before and put it in a coffee filter to strain out the liquid. This method worked perfectly - a good 2 T. of liquid was there in the AM. No need to use cheesecloth.

The technique is easy to follow on this video, but I modified his recipe. Mine is below.

Makes about a dozen+ blintzes. 

For the batter:
4 large eggs
1 ⅓ c milk (a portion can be buttermilk, like up to 25%)

⅓ c cold water (if you're short of milk, you can add more water to make up the difference)
1 ⅓ c all-purpose flour (up to 1/4 can be whole wheat)
4 t white sugar
½ tsp salt
2 T + 2 t vegetable oil
⅓ t vanilla

cinammon to taste
I made the batter in this pancake dispense gizmo. To blend well, I used the immersion blender. Worked great. 

Mix all the  ingredients in a blender until flour is well-integrated. Scrape sides as needed. Let batter sit at room temperature about a half hour. Meanwhile, make the filling. (The advantage of a blender is you can pour batter into the skillet.)

For the filling:

1 lb. farmer cheese (they have many different brands at NetCost)
zest from one lemon
pinch salt
2 T  sugar, or more to taste
1 large egg

Heat an 8" frying pan to medium, melting some butter in it. Pour a scant 1/2 c batter, just enough to cover the bottom. Swirl as needed. When the top dries, flip onto a clean dish towel and repeat, adding butter as needed. The blintz should not brown. That comes from frying them when it's rolled up. 

Check the first one or two to make sure they're pliable for folding. If they're not very flexible. Nomi had a job making crepes when she was a teen, so channel her. 

This makes about 12-14. 

Our Zwilling ceramic pan, purchased in Chestertown, is perfect and really doesn't need added butter.

You can start on the filling while you're frying the blintz discs. 

If your blintzes are browning on the bottom (which is the case with the induction at 3 or 4), fold the blintz with the browned side up.

Eventually you can choreograph it so you can fill and roll a blintz while cooking one.

Put one generous T of filling toward the bottom of the disc and flatten a little. Fold the sides in and roll up. (If they come out as trapezoids, the batter is too thick.) Depending on the diameter, they may come out more square shaped. It doesn't matter, really.

Repeat.

Fry in butter until beautifully browned. 

Shavuot is rhubarb season - I made a rhubarb/strawberry compote, Yum!!

Water - not too much, as the fruits shed water when cooked. But put the water in first or the pan burns.

Equal amounts hulled strawberries and chopped rhubarb (they are local at the same time.)

Sugar to taste

A squeeze of lemon, a little vanilla

Mint - for garnish

Bring to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

If you want it thicker, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to enough water to dissolve. Add it to the boiling mixture and cook for a minute, until is thickens. Same technique as Blueberry/Peach soup.

Sweet Potato Spinach Feta Latkes

These combine two superfoods, spinach and sweet potatoes. And if you're making them for Hanukkah, the Greek cheese celebrates that long after the fact, we are eating their food and they are gone!

No exact measures.

2 peeled, grated sweet potatoes
1/2 small onion, minced
8 oz of chopped spinach, microwaved with the moisture squeezed out
2 eggs
a few oz. grated Feta
1-2 T flour
salt, pepper

oil, butter for frying

Mix the ingredients well. Heat the oil and butter to medium high. When the butter is browning, add the batter by spoonfuls.  Fry until browned, and flip. Be patient - these need to brown. The cheese will melt and emit some liquid.

Makes about a dozen.

Spanish Potato Omelette - Tortilla Espanola

I read about this dish, a classic tapas in Spain, and gave it a try. There are many versions with various add-ins, but this is the basic. You can increase the quantity. This made 4 portions. The tricky part is flipping the pancake so the eggs set and it's browned on both sides.

2 large russet/baking potatoes
1 large onion
generous amount of olive oil
4 eggs

Peel the potatoes and slice in fine chunks.
Heat olive oil at medium heat in a large fry pan, and add the sliced potatoes.
Chop the onion and add to the frying pan. 

Stir occasionally until the potatoes start to brown and the onions become transparent and start to brown. The potato slices stick together so break them up when you stir.  This takes about 10-12 minutes.

Crack 4 eggs into a large bowl and beat.
Mix in the cooked potatoes and onion.

Heat more olive oil in the frying pan, or in a smaller frying pan that will hold the mixture. Pour in the egg/potato/onion mixture at medium heat until the bottom browns and the eggs start to set. Don't leave it for too long (like, for example, to go light Hanukkah candles 

😊) cuz it can burn.

Now for the trick.  Flip it onto a flat surface with the cooked part face up, keeping it intact.
Then slip it back into the frying pan to brown the bottom. There are other methods of doing this, but this one worked well. Invert to serve. It's very filling, and attractive. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.  This is a very solid, hearty, tasty dish.

And very aesthetically appealing. And kosher for passover!

Sweet Potato Cornbread

I just tried a NYTimes recipe for sweet potato cornbread, which we liked a lot and is more nutritious than typical cornbread. Here is my adaptation.

Eventually it occured to me to add cranberries. It's delicious and actually quite nutritious.

When Eyal and Nadav come on Wednesdays, if I have some healthy baked goods I put them on a glass pedestal cakeplate with a clear dome on top. They head right to it for inspection. I do the same in Chestertown.
Presentation!

1 small sweet potato, boiled
2 T vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¼ c milk (use yogurt, low fat sourcream, or buttermilk for some or all of the milk, for denser texture)
¾ c flour (mix whole wheat and regular)
1 ¼ c finely ground yellow cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
¼ cup sugar
½ t ground cinnamon
½ t ground nutmeg

optional: 1/2 c. halved cranberries

Bakes at 425 in the Breville, but no need to preheat. The 1/4 sheet pan for the Breville works perfectly!

1. Peel the boiled sweet potato and put it in a smallish bowl and mash.  Add eggs, oil and milk to bowl and stir to combine.

2. In separate larger bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add potato mixture and mix until just combined. Add cranberries gently. (Do not overmix.) Pour batter--which will quickly get spongy--into the 1/4 sheet pan (or another shape pan) until the cornbread is puffed and golden, about 12-14 minutes. Watch carefully - it browns surprisingly quickly.

This is very pretty - doesn't really look like cornbread at this point!

Daniel Rosen's Green Shakshouka Via Jo

We have an abundant kale crop over at the Sterns - I planted a row of kale for George when he was post-knee surgery, and now - 4 months later - these monster kale plants are super prolific.  Really, I can go pick a whole basket full and you can hardly tell any is missing.
Jo made this with me when she visited for my birthday and I made it again a few days later - very easy.  You could make it more complicated with hot pepper, tomato sauces, et al, but this worked really well.

onion, sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
lots of  fresh kale
2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped
4 to 6 eggs
pepper, salt
optional: feta cheese to sprinkle on top when you add the eggs

Chop an onion and saute it, with minced garlic, in olive oil in a large deep fry pan over medium heat.  Make sure it has a cover, which you will need.

While the onion and garlic and cooking, chop up a lot of kale.  (Spinach would work, too.)  Add it to the pan, and let it cook down.  If you have fresh tomatoes, chop and add them, as well.  Season with salt and pepper.  After about 5 to 10 minutes, they will have cooked down to a dense consistency. Crack 4 to 6 eggs, one at a time , and drop each on top of the mixture.  Cover and poach the eggs. [a sprinkle of feta cheese would be good at this point.]  This takes just a few minutes, and you can turn the heat off for most of it.

It is a great brunch dish, and or lovely for a light dinner.  We used eggs from the Rosens' coop, quite a treat.

Pesto & Friends

gvelling celebrants: Emily, Sam, Tricia, Anna, Nomi, Charlotte at 6622

I can share the recipe for pesto.  You do not need the recipe for friends!

Fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden

Pesto is more of a technique than a recipe.  "Pesto" is related to pestle, to grind or crush.

Fresh basil
garlic, minced
grated Parmesan cheese
nuts: pine nuts or walnuts
olive oil
water, if needed

Rinse the basil, and tear of the leaves.  Put it in a food processor with chopped garlic and add a little oil and water.  Process until  puréed .  Gradually add the nuts and grated cheese until it creates a dense paste.  Add more oil, or water, or a combination if it is too solid.

This is great over pasta, of course, but also a nice spread with crackers, or with a wonderful vegetable like red pepper slices.

 

Buttermilk Kugel

This is an easy, dense, nutritious relatively low-fat/nutritious kugel.  Most kugels call for sour cream and/or cream cheese.
The recipe comes from both Beryl Levine, Susan's mom, and Bev Osnowitz, Debi's mom. Beryl didn't cook much, what with five kids and commuting 90 miles to law school.  She was the talk of the town. My mom's generation, about 10-20 years older, just couldn't understand why a well-to-do doctor's wife with 5 children could have high-powered career ambitions.  Once she was a practicing lawyer and appointed to the North Dakota state supreme court, they warmed up to the idea, though.

12 oz egg noodles
3 eggs
½ c. sugar - less if you don't want it as sweet
3 c. buttermilk (lowfat by nature, but I think you can also opt for a lower fat variety)
butter - generous pat
optional: small can crushed pineapple. (Don't need to drain.)

Streusel topping:

¼ c. brown sugar mixed with ¼ c. cornflake crumbs and about a teaspoon of melted butter

1. Boil noodles, following package directions.


2. Preheat oven to 350°.  Put the pat of butter in the pan, cut it into small pieces, into a large oven-proof pan (lasagna size).  Place in the oven to melt the butter.


3. In a large bowl, mix all the non-streusel ingredients.  With a HOT PAD, take out the pan, swirl the melted butter to coat the whole pan bottom.  Pour in the noodle mixture, which will be very loose.


4. Bake for 35 minutes.  Take out the kugel and spread the streusel on top, pushing any baked/hardened noodles down underneath the surface.
    
5. Bake another 25 minutes.

I like this with cut fresh fruit.  If it's for shavuot, you might hit local strawberries!

Greek Salad with Grilled Pita

Greek salads are often too drenched in oil for my taste, but this version is lighter, with the ingredients more finely chopped.  The grilled pita idea came from a Greek coffee shop in Ocean City.  It is just the right addition to make the meal more solidified.

Salad greens, your choice (classic is iceberg, not very nutritious)
1 tomato, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
about a dozen olives, pitted if possible, and halved
a few oz. crumbled feta cheese
your choice: chunked cucumbers, anchovies, artichoke hearts
any Italian salad dressing

This serves 2 as a main dish.  It is really attractive served in a low flat bowl.

For the grilled pita: take 2 whole wheat pitas or naans, cut into halves or quarters, and fry in a little olive oil till browned.  So simple, really good.

This is a nice summer dinner.  Also nice for shalosh seudah guests.

Cold Sesame Noodles

If you measure the oil first,
the other ingredients can float above it -
a little time saver.

Sauce ingredients:

8 T Chunky Peanut Butter

4 T Veggie broth (follow instructions for your veggie broth powder)

9 T Soy Sauce

6 T Sesame Oil

2 T Cider Vinegar

3 T Honey (maybe substitute agave nectar for vegans)

3 cloves minced garlic

4 T vegetable oil

Other Ingredients:

1 lb cooked cold spaghetti
3 Tbsp sesame seeds.
4-5 Scallions
1 cucumber (in strips)

Process:

1. Put the Peanut Butter, Veggie Broth, and Soy Sauce in covered bowl (leave some space for air to escape. Microwave for 30 second. Stir until the PB is no longer stuck together and the texture is consistent. You may need to put it in the microwave for another 20 seconds to get the texture consistent. this step take some elbow grease.
2. add all the sauce ingredients. stir well.
3. add the cold pasta. mix thoroughly. (I like to do it by hand. Make sure the bowl is large enough.)
4. dice the scallions and cut the cucumbers into strips.
5. add the scallions, cucumbers, and sesame seeds.
6. serve chilled if convenient.

Stir-Fried Cabbage with Cumin Seeds

This Madhur Jaffrey recipe was modified by the NYTimes and modified again by me.  I am all for using shortcuts that don't affect the quality of food.  I really hate grating or slicing cabbage, but do like preparing it, since it's such a healthy food.  Hence I love the bags of crated cabbage at the supermarket.  I like to make this as an interesting side dish.
A really big, deep non-stick frying pan is perfect for this.  I just bought one and I love it.

Recipe: Stir-Fried Cabbage With Cumin Seeds

Adapted from “Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick and Easy Indian Cooking” (Chronicle Books, 1996)
November 15, 2006)

1 bag grated cabbage or coleslaw mix (cabbage + carrots)
oil
1 tablespoon cumin or caraway seeds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced crosswise
2 teaspoons salt
2 pinches cayenne
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garam masala (optional).

• Heat about 2 T oil in a wide skillet over high heat. When hot, add  the cumin and  sesame seeds. 
• When the sesame seeds begin to pop add the onions, and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cabbage, and cook, stirring often, until wilted and lightly browned but not cooked through, about 5 minutes more. 
• Add salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until cabbage is soft and sweet, about 7 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice and garam masala, and serve.

Yield: 10 servings.

Fritzie's Matzah Kugel

Being a Jewish homemaker in the 50's & 60's in Fargo meant buying from a small selection of Passover food when it came in special order at the Red Owl, 

the neighborhood supermarket.  (Supermarkets were an innovation in my childhood - before then, we shopped at the neighborhood store, The Economy Grocery, which was a half block from our house.  I was permitted to walk there myself and buy a Popsicle for 5¢, very exciting back in the day.)

Passover food was limited to five-pound packages of matzah (5 individual pounds packed together), bottled gefilte fish, matzah and cake meal, potato starch, Barton's almond kisses and canned macaroons. Maybe we had egg matzah.  Such staples as whole wheat matzah, quinoa, and pasta sauce had not yet made it forth, at least not to Fargo.  Of course we weren't all that strict about Passover, but we did substitute matzah for any bread products and had two seders, with lots of traditional Ashkenazic foods.  Bringing matzah to school was always embarrassing.  Mom baked a lot during Passover.  Passover Brownies were one of her specialties.  I just realized she didn't bake brownies during the rest of the year, so that made them special. And airy sponge cakes, with attendant drama. "Don't slam the door or the cake will fall!" We didn't routinely slam doors, but this really got our attention.
I've had this recipe of my mother's for 37 years, but this is the first year I made it - wow, it's wonderful! If dairy, really good with butter. She made it during the rest of the year, too, for Friday night dinner.  We didn't call it shabbat dinner, but we lit the candles and made kiddush, so that's what it was, of course.  (No challah that I recall).  This kugel is good enough to make when it's not Passover, a high compliment indeed!  The timing is tricky, since it's puffiest right when you take it out of the oven. However, it's still good when it's settled and flattened a bit. Really doesn't taste like matzah...

oil for spray
3 whole wheat matzot (or regular)
6 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
Grated rind of one orange or clementine (Easy: instead of grating it, chop the peels through a food processor)
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. cinnamon

1 t salt
1/2 c. raisins 
1 large apple, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or try a small can of crushed pineapple, or apple sauce)
1/4 c. butter (or parve margarine or vegetable oil)
cinnamon & sugar for top

Heat oven to 350°.
Spray a large (2 quart) casserole which has a lid (or devise one from your Passover collection of pots et al)
Crumple matzot and soak in water to cover.
In large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with a hand mixer until THICK, about 3-4 minutes on high.

[I skipped this step the last time I made it, and just beat the eggs by hand - seemed like it came out fine, just not as light.]
Drain the matzot and add them along with raisins, cinnamon, chopped apple, lemon juice & grated orange peel.  Pour into greased casserole.
Dot with the butter, cutting it into smaller pieces. Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon and sugar.
Bake for 1- 1½ hours. It will puff up, with a delicious crunchy topping.

Serves 6-8, depending on how much else is served.

Note from 2023: it's good cold.

From Nadav Lev Teutsch: "Gwandma, what do you call that apple and waisin thingy?"

Gwandma: "You mean matzah kugel?"

Nadav: "Ya! I want you make it every night during Passover, Gwandma!"

Weeknight Gnocchi w Brown Butter Sage

Gnocchi Waiting for Tomato Sauce and Grated Cheese!

This gnocchi (pronounced "no-kee") recipe's shortcut, using dehydrated potato flakes, is not for a purist.  But they are fun to make,  less work - and quite delicious.
Any kind of good tomato sauce would work. Or how about pesto. You need good parmesan cheese to grate over it, and parsley offsets the bland color of the gnocchi. Capers are an extra add-on, very tasty. The ridges in the gnocchi hold the sauce.

We conclude that smaller gnocchi are better!

Fill a 3 quart pot with water, cover, and if you have an induction cooktop, put it on a minute or two before you're ready to drop the gnocchi in. If it's a conventional stove, start the boiling before the dough. 

1 c. very hot water
1 c. potato flakes
1 c. flour

1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 egg
1 T oil
1/2 t salt 

fresh pepper

15 or so leaves sage

Butter
Red Sauce or Pesto
Grated Parmesan
Minced parsely if you have it
Capers (optional)

Lemon zest and juice (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl combine the very hot water (hottest tap water, or instant hot, or microwaved to near boil) with the potato flakes.  Dump in the flours and mix. Add the egg, oil, and salt  and mix until it's a smooth dough. This is easiest to do by hand. The dough doesn't need much attention, just squeeze/knead until the flour is all incorporated.

Divide into four.  On a large board, roll into four long coil about 1" wide and flatten.  Use a sharp knife and slice the coil into 1/2" pieces, wetting the knife if necessary. If you want to be more efficient, you can line them up and slice across all four coils at once. Keep these small. (The gnocchi expand when cooking.) You could also cut them, and then pinch off half, making two. That nice small size is more effort but they're good.

You can roll them against the tines of the fork, horizontally. The flick of a finger is enough, the ridges don't need to be deep. Or use a ridged gnocchi board.  I just bought one, and it's really fun  Will show you next time you're around.  Take a pinch of dough, press it into the grooved board, and coil it so it has a hollow center.

By now the water is likely boiling.

Dump the first gnoccho [I looked up the singular of gnocchi] into the boiling water.  They quickly float to the top, like matzah balls - fun to watch.  While they're cooking, repeat the process.  When the next 1/4 are ready, use a slotted spoon remove the floating gnocchi from the boiling water and set them in a bowl or plate which you can cover to keep them warm.  This makes enough for 2-3-4 people, depending on how much else you serve.

To make the sage brown butter gnocchi, use a cooling rack over a tray to let the gnocchi dry after removing.

In  a large frying pan, toss in torn sage and about 2 T butter. Fry the gnocchi and sage until browned, turning the gnocchi as needed.

Salt and fresh pepper it. 

Serve with some red sauce on the side. With a little parmesan, I don't think it needs sauce, but DAT always likes some.

The sage came from Zach and Becca's. Yum! Sender and Shula are here at Allens Lane and Circus Camp, along with Zach. Summer 2023.

French Toast a la Nomi

How could we not have a Challah French Toast recipe? If you can call it a recipe.
The pictured version is two eggs.

~ four slices of challah
2 eggs
~ 2 T milk
a few shakes of cinnamon/sugar or add them separately
a little vanilla
butter for the pan

The trick of French Toast is finding a bowl that is shallow with a flatter bottom for soaking the slices.

Beat the eggs.  Add a little milk + the seasonings.  Put your first slice flat, and when it's soaks up the liquid, turn it over.  Then slide it up the side of the bowl and repeat.

In the meantime, melt the butter over a large non-stick skillet, on medium flame.  Butter burns if it's too high, so keep an eye.

Soak your additional slices. Slide them into the hot pan.  First side will take 3-4 minutes, second side just 1 or 2.  Serve with
cottage cheese
yogurt
jam
syrup

Yummmmmm!