A Rosh Hashanah Middle Eastern Feast!

L'shanah tovah! There are many ways of celebrating, but all of them definitely involve food. In this case, I decided to embrace my Sephardic roots and cook a Middle Eastern feast with a special focus on Moroccan food. (My Mom is Moroccan and my grandmother cooked Moroccan food at many family meals growing up.) You'll find a veggie-heavy meal full of Middle eastern flavors, but served alongside some challah, Jewish apple apple cake, and chocolate honey cake to connect to a few Ashkenazi and traditional Rosh Hashanah dishes.

I served the meal across three courses - and the recipes included below are in italics. A few aren't listed since they are elsewhere on the site or were my husband's creations instead of mine.

We started with appetizers:

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Confit (pictured above)

Matbucha

Hummus

Pita

(paired with some manchego, brie, and crackers)

We moved on to the main course:

Yemenite-Spiced Cauliflower with Schug Labneh

Roasted Citrus-Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

Egyptian Moussaka

Moroccan Lamb Shoulder

Couscous with Dates and Pistachios

Round Challah (challah is elsewhere on blog... just make it round instead of braided)

And we finally ended with dessert:

Tut (marzipan)

Chocolate Honey Cake

Jewish Apple Cake (elsewhere on blog)

We started prep the night before and I'll note below where I did that and then started cooking about five hours before dinner time. I'll note the time for each recipe below, but you won't find a total time for this meal since each piece may add up differently and not all recipes are in full detail below. Most importantly, though, it was absolutely delicious and everyone had a great time. Here is a to a good next year!

Russia: Lox and Creme Fraiche Blini with Cabbage Pirog

COVID has brought many changes... but a not-so-terrible one has been a new project with my young daughter - studying a "country/state of the week." Each week, she spins her globe (or US map) and randomly selects a country she wants to learn about throughout the next seven days. This includes things like geography, animals, culture, dancing, music... and food. Each week, we plan and cook a meal from that country together. This one? Russia! While I wasn't immediately excited by a Russian meal, it turns out that Pirog is absolutely delicious. This more or less giant pot pie filled with cabbage, is surprisingly flavorful, deep, warm, hearty, and satisfying. While "cabbage pie" wasn't an immediate best-seller with my family from the name, after digging in we all agreed that this is a keeper.

Since no Russian meal would be complete without some blini, we made some of those, too. These mini pancakes were a fast hit with not only my daughter but my increasingly picky son! We made them with creme fraiche and lox for a delightful appetizer.. or main course in my two year old's mind!

Time: 2 hrs

Eggplant-Yogurt Dip

This babaghanouj-ish dip is delicious and healthy. It includes the delicious, fresh flavor of grilled eggplant but instead of combining that with calorie and fat dense tahini, it uses fat free Greek yogurt. The thick yogurt gives a robust, creamy texture to the dip but cuts down considerably on the fat and calories while still providing a boost of calcium. Black pepper, lemon juice, and garlic provide a nice flavor blend to augment the mild vegetable and just a pinch of sea salt goes a long way without packing in the sodium.

I made this for lunch for the week and just put together sandwiches with the dip, onion, and tomato. However, it's quite versatile. Make your favorite sandwich with this as a base or serve it with pita chips as a dip for guests. Either way, it's absolutely delicious and sure to hit the spot. You could even make it into a dinner with fresh bread, cheese, and veggies piled on top and perhaps even broiled to perfection.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 minutes
Cost: $7.11

Shrimp and Cajun Stuffed Potatoes

I cannot say enough about these. Perhaps, though, that's not much of a surprise. When you use a potato as a base and add in shrimp, onion, zucchini, and cheese, all cooked in savory cajun spices, there isn't much to criticize. There were three of us eating and the potatoes disappeared off the plate in near-record speed. (Though, even with our best efforts, there were still some leftovers for lunch the next day. Potatoes certainly are filling!) Then, to add in some more veggies, I also whipped up the always popular spaghetti squash with cherry tomatoes and pesto. It's a side that can pair with nearly any meal.

Make sure to plan in advance when making this recipe. It's delicious, but it does take a long time from start to finish. Luckily, the majority of that time is for roasting (in my case roasting potatoes AND spaghetti squash) so you can at least be productive while keeping an eye on the kitchen.

Difficulty: medium-easy
Time: 1.5 hrs
Cost: $23.27

Beet-Goat Cheese Crostini

Surprised at all the beet recipes? I must admit, my local CSA-like box came filled with them, so I've been searching for new and interesting ways to use them. However, this exercise in beet-recipe searching has turned out to be a wonderful surprise. They're delicious! Sure, they stain your hands (for a while!) but they are well worth it. They're tender and delicious served in nearly any manner. And, did I mention that they are full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, dietary fiber, and anti-oxidants?

I made these along with one of my favorite recipes - tilapia en papillote, made with roasted banana and a yogurt-peanut butter sauce. However, these could easily hold their own with nearly any entree. Or, forget the dinner, and serve these delights at your next cocktail or wine party. They make great hors d'oeuvres.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 1 hr 20 min
Cost: $16.37

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Thanksgiving! Rosemary-Garlic Turkey, Pumpkin Ravioli, Creamy Mashed Potato Casserole, Cajun Crab Dip, and More!

This post is going to show just how far behind schedule I really am with this blog.. this is my Thanksgiving post. That's right - it's nearly two months late, but I hope it's worth it. It's a long one, full of delicious, healthy recipes that can easily be enjoyed at any time of the year. Or, keep this bookmarked for the fall when next Thanksgiving rolls around.

I did make every single dish below, plus a few others, completely from scratch. The full menu included: pumpkin ravioli in a hazelnut brown butter sauce, butternut squash and cheese gratin, creamy mashed potato casserole, cajun crab dip, sauteed garlic broccoli rabe, rosemary-garlic turkey with pan gravy, green bean and mushroom casserole, apple-cranberry sauce, chestnut stuffing, pear stuffing, apple and cranberry pie, and pumpkin cheesecake on almond cake. I cooked for nearly two days straight, but it was absolutely worth it in the end. If you do go for the full menu, I cannot advise strongly enough that you make up a detailed cooking plan in advance. Without it, nothing would have finished on time or in the right order. So enjoy and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Difficulty: easy to hard based upon individual recipes
Time: 19 hours (for all of it!)
Cost: $134.57 (for all of it! I fed 6 people with leftovers for the next 2 weeks)

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Triple Mushroom-Tofu Stir Fry with Fresh Cambodian Summer Rolls

Mushrooms are delicious. This is what I have to say about this meal. I happen to love some well-cooked tofu, adore vegetable stir-fry, and get very excited by fresh summer rolls, but it's really the mushrooms that always bring meals into my heart. Ever since I was a kid, I've loved these fungi, and this recipe show cases the delight of a variety of fresh mushrooms perfectly. And, as an extra bonus, it was so flavorful that it won over a non-tofu eater to admit that eating tofu as the protein of a meal just isn't so bad. Now if I could just convince him that vegetables are enough, too....

The recipe is presented below as I made it, but keep in mind that with meals such as these, creativity is welcome and encouraged. You can use vegetables you have on hand and add or take away or substitute at well. Just keep the mushrooms! The same holds true of the fresh summer rolls. I included shrimp, some fresh herbs, and some veggies but you can mix it up here as well. As always, if you come up with something good please share it in the comment so we can all try it next time!

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr
Cost: $27.34

Shrimp and Vegetable Korma with Papri Chaat

What could possibly be better than homemade Indian food? It keeps the same delicious spices and flavors that we all love, but lightens up the cream and salt that is often used in restaurants. You won't find ghee or deep frying in the recipes below, but hopefully my variations on Korma and Papri Chaat still stay relatively true to the authentic versions. Best of all - you can eat these, guilt free.

I've made some more authentic Korma in the past, so this one takes a bit of a fusion twist on it. Instead of yogurt and cream, I use a light coconut milk to try to capture the rich feel without the calories. Then, for the papri chaat, I use the traditional ingredients of potatoes, chick peas, tamarind, yogurt, and cilantro but skip the puffed rice since there is no Indian grocery in D.C. (Yes, that's actually true.) Let me know what you think and if you make additional changes in the comments below!

Difficulty: easy
Time:40 min
Cost: $30.24

Blackened Tilapia Tacos with Smoked Potatoes and a Smoked Tomato Salsa

Stovetop smokers are seriously a lot of fun. Thanks to a kind parting gift from my last job, I was able to go on a bit of a spree to Sur la Table where I picked up a pasta maker, a ravioli board, and a stovetop smoker. Know what this means? It's time to go grab your own because there will be a number of recipes utilizing my new toys coming your way!

For this post, I made use of my stovetop smoker for the first time, whipping up some smoked tomato salsa and smoked potatoes. I'd never used the smoker before and wasn't sure what to expect, but remarkably my kitchen remained smoke-free AND the food came out positively deliciously, reminiscent of beach or pool-side BBQs all summer long. While I won't use this method all of the time, I was delighted to find that the smoker gave a truly unique flavor to everything it was used for - and sometimes even a unique texture as well. I'd recommend one to anyone who enjoys cooking but doesn't have an outdoor grill!

Difficulty: medium
Time: 2 hr 30 min (if you only have one smoker)
Cost: $18.03

Double Sesame Tuna with Homemade Samosas

I have to put in the plug… make sure that with this recipe, as with all recipes, that you are purchasing sustainable fish. Many varieties of tuna are vastly overfished and near extinction if we do not act extremely quickly. Because, however, many of those varieties are considered delicacies, there is almost no protection offered. Countries continue to overfish to keep us happy and many species are about to die because of it. The good news? They’re not quite gone yet, and we can help. Keep your sustainable fish guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium handy and make sure that when you head out to purchase a nice piece of tuna for this meal, that it’s sustainable. Ask the server questions to make sure it’s one of the green options on your guide. It takes so little of your time, and it saves a beautiful species of fish from dying out forever.

The heaviness aside, let’s delve into this recipe itself. I made a double sesame tuna. The double comes from using both sesame oil and sesame seeds, providing more of this delicious (yet fatty) seed. Don’t worry though, I keep the sesame count in check, and while these seeds might be quite fatty, it’s natural fat and they come with a lot of other benefits as well. Sesame seeds are chock full of manganese and copper, and also are excellent sources of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin B1, zinc, and dietary fiber. Pretty good, huh?

To go with the tuna, I also whipped up some samosas. You’ll see below that these actually were made from some filling I had made a while back and written up then, but the dough was made fresh in a new fashion. Read below for details.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Cost: $9.99 (note: this does not include the samosa filling since it was made previously)

Shrimp Korma with Fresh Spring Rolls

Have I mentioned how much I love Indian food? Yet so often, it's full of cream, fat, and calories. So I decided to take one of my personal favorites, Korma, and try my own hand at making it at home in a healthier fashion. It turned out flavorful and delicious - and very similar tasting to the Korma you'll find in restaurants! Keep in mind that, as always, I prefer my food mild so the dish below will be full of flavor but mild in its spice level. You can add some cayenne or chili for added heat.

As a side, however, we had a bit of mixing of Asian cultures. I prepared fresh Thai spring rolls. These are a cousin of the more famous spring rolls, but since they are served cold (no frying) they are quite healthy. Instead, they come full of freshly cut vegetables and are wrapped in a rice skin. Look for the skins in a specialty aisle at your local supermarket. I easily found them at my Whole Foods. Also feel free to play with the ingredients. While I detail what I put into them in the recipe below, you can add other veggies or meats to suit your individual tastes.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr
Cost: $35.56

Mango Curry Shrimp with Samosas and Tamarind Sauce

Woohoo! I have forayed deeper into Indian food! Today's menu is full-throttle Indian, featuring a Mango Curry with Shrimp over Basmati, samosas, and tamarind sauce. That's right, I was lucky enough to receive a gift of Tamarind seeds just so I could make some fresh Tamarind sauce for use with my samosas.

I must admit that the samosas themselves are not truly authentic. While the filling should taste quite familiar to Indian-food lovers, I used phyllo dough on the outside instead of making my own dough. This allowed me to bake the delicious appetizer and achieve a crispy effect without having to deep-fry fresh dough that is great at absorbing oil.

And a quick note on spice levels... For those of you who have read my posts before, I'm not a big fan of spicy foods. At all. So while my dishes will be very flavorful, they are not going to have a hot kick to them. If mild yet delicious works for you read ahead, but if you like spicy you might want to sneak in some chili powder when no one is looking...

Difficulty: medium (simply due to it being new to me)
Time: 1 hr 30 min
Cost: $33.64

A Full Passover Seder Meal

Continuing in the tradition of posting full holiday meals in the below post I will walk you step by step through a full Passover meal. Keep in mind that while this is the menu I chose to serve, you can customize your own menu. Pick out your favorite pieces below and mix and match with other great Passover-kosher recipes for a delicious seder.

For my meal, I included: matzoh ball soup, gefilte fish (store-bought), matzah (store-bought), date charoset, potato kugel, spinach kugel, a salad with blueberry vinaigrette, brisket, tilapia en papillote (see previous post), pavlovas, and macaroons (store-bought.) So click on in and read through to find out how to make each one! I'll also tell you when to start and how to prep in advance so that your seder dinner is served warm and on time.

Note: I cooked food for 10 people so many of the portions below are very large. You will want to adjust accordingly if you are cooking for fewer/more people.

Difficulty: Medium-Hard (to coordinate and get all done! easier for individual pieces)
Time: allow at least 12 hrs of cooking time...you'll see below I prepped some the night before and then cooked for about 8 hours on the day of the seder

Salad with Homemade Blueberry Vinaigrette
Time: 5 hrs
The main time sink in this recipe is the blueberry vinegar. Make that the night before because it needs to steep for several hours. I made the vinegar and let it sit in my fridge overnight. Then, a few hours before the seder I mixed together the full vinaigrette dressing. I also tossed the greens with the onions, fresh blueberries, and other salad ingredients. Finally, just before guests arrived I tossed the dressing with the salad so it was ready to serve immediately following the seder service.

Note: This picture was taken before the dressing was added. The dressing is a deep purple in color and makes the salad look very dramatic - and beautiful - when all mixed together.

Ingredients:
3 & 2/3 cup blueberries
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
4 tsp sugar
1 small bay leaf
1 tbsp honey
1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4.5 tbsp olive oil
3 packages mixed greens
1.5 cups sliced red onion

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

First, you need to create the blueberry vinegar. Wash 2/3 cup of your fresh blueberries, remove any lingering stems, and place them in a small pot. Smash with a potato masher or a fork if you do not have one. Add the white wine vinegar, sugar, and bay leaf. Turn the heat on and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for 10 minutes. Then, remove from the heat and keep the pot covered. Let it sit for 4 hours. After that, you can transfer it to a bowl, cover that, and refrigerate overnight to make the rest of the salad the following day.

To prepare the vinaigrette combine your blueberry vinegar (now chilled) with the honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, adding just a little at a time to make sure the mixture is well combined. You can let this sit for a bit in the fridge as needed but make sure you re-whisk before putting it on the salad.

Put 3 packages of mixed greens in a large bowl. I used arugula, frisee, and mesclun. Add the red onion and 3 cups of fresh blueberries and toss well. Just before serving add the dressing and toss well to achieve a beautiful, purple color.

Spinach Kugel
Time: 1 hr 15 min
For this recipe I prepared the kugel the night before and cooked it 2/3 of the way. Then, just before eating the next night I popped it into the oven for 30 minutes to finish cooking and thoroughly heat the kugel. Just make sure that if you store it overnight it is wrapped well with saran wrap or another airtight cover.

Ingredients:
6 tbsp margarine
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cup shredded carrots
1.5 cups matzo meal
2 lbs frozen chopped spinach - thawed and drained
3 beaten eggs
3/4 cup egg beaters
salt
pepper

Preheat your oven to 350.

Melt the margarine in a large pan over medium high heat. I know it's a ton of margarine - and so much of me wants to cut some of it out - but it is needed to hold the kugel together so do not skimp on it. (I have experimented and this is the least you can get away with!) Add the onion, celery, and mushroom and saute for 10 minutes or until soft.

Pour the sauteed vegetables into a large bowl and add the carrots, matzo meal, spinach, eggs, and egg beaters. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined. (I find it often easiest to use your hands after washing them well since this is a weird texture to mix.)

Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and then pour the mixture in, patting it as needed to get it flat and well stuffed into the dish. If you are serving immediately bake for 40-45 minutes but if you will be serving the next day just bake for 30. Then cool, wrap securely to keep it air-tight, and refrigerate overnight. Then bake 30 minutes before serving.

Potato Kugel
Time:
I prepared the potato kugel in the same style that I prepared the spinach kugel. I made the kugel and baked it for about 2/3 of the total time. I stored it overnight and finished baking it the next day. Once again, you can do it all in a row but when preparing for a big dinner party I have learned it is generally easier to do as much ahead of time as possible.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
12 large Yukon or Idaho potatoes
2 large onions
4 eggs
1 cup egg beaters
1 tbsp no-sodium salt substitute
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup matzoh meal

Preheat the oven to 375.

Grease two 9x13 glass baking dishes with cooking spray. Pour half of the vegetable oil in each one. Set those aside for now.

Wash and shred your potatoes and onions. This is best done with a shredder blade in a food processor. You'll probably have to work in several rounds to get everything shredded. If so, take a large bowl and place a large piece of cheese cloth in it with the edges draping over the edge of the bowl. As each batch is shredded dump it into the cheesecloth bowl. When everything is shredded place the bowl in the sink. Carefully pick up each corner and hold all the edges of the cheesecloth together so that no potato can spill out. Strain out all of the moisture.

Placed the drained potato onion mixture into a large bowl. Add the eggs, egg beaters, salt, pepper, parsley, and matzo meal. Mix well. (Again, I find it easiest to use this with nicely washed hands.) Split the potato mixture evenly into two bowls.

Place the two baking dishes in the oven and let them heat for 5 minutes. The oil should be very hot at this point. Carefully remove the dishes from the oven. Working with one at a time, pour about 2/3 of the oil into one of the bowls of potato mixture. Stir well but do NOT use your hands this time as the oil will make everything very hot. Put the oiled potato mixture back into the pan from which you poured the oil and even the top/pack as needed. Repeat with the other baking dish/oil/bowl of potato mixture.

Put both glass dishes with the potato mixture back into the oven. If you are serving immediately bake for 55 minutes. The top should be golden-brown and crispy. If you are serving the next day bake for 40 minutes. Then remove, cool, and cover so it is air-tight. Then keep refrigerated overnight and bake for 30-35 minutes the following day.

Date Charoset
Oh date charoset - how great you are. If you are American (or Western European) chances are that you've only experienced apple charoset. Ashkenazi Jews (think Western Europe, Russia, and most American Jews) make apple charoset on Passover. However, I'm Sephardic (think Spanish and Middle Eastern Jews) and we traditionally eat date charoset. Personally, I'm a huge fan of this dish and it's incredibly simple to make. Some whip it up and spread it on some matzah for a delicious meal.

Ingredients:
Pitted dates (3 packages)
Ground almonds (3 packages)
Manischewitz

Place your pitted dates into a small pot. Pour in Manischewitz until it is about 3 inches deep (from the bottom.) Place the pan over medium to medium high heat.

Bring the mixture to a light, slow simmer and stir with a wooden spoon or something else fairly stiff every few minutes. If the wine begins to evaporate or if the dates look like they are about to burn add more wine. You'll need to simmer and stir for a while - probably about 45 minutes. You'll be done when the dates have melted down. There will still be some chunks but the mixture should be thick and sticky yet somewhat smooth and uniform.

When it gets to that point, remove from the heat and stir in the ground almonds. Then let the charoset cool and serve.

Passover Pavlovas
Time: 4 hrs
I'm very proud of this picture. I just had to add that.

For this recipe you need to make the pavlovas and then the custard separately. You can even make the pavlovas themselves the night before. Make the custard the morning of and then put everything together after dinner just before serving. I doubled this recipe to make 16 pavlovas.

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (make sure it's Passover kosher)
4 large egg whites + 1 large egg white
3/4 cup sugar + 1/2 cup
2 large eggs
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp corn starch (if you are Sephardic, otherwise use potato starch)
2 packages fresh raspberries
1 tbsp powdered sugar

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

Preheat your oven to 250.

Measure out two pieces of parchment paper to match cookie sheets. Draw eight 4" diameter circles on the sheets, then flip them over and tape them to the cookie sheets so the drawn-on side is facing down. Use a tape that won't melt, such as masking tape.

Put the cream of tartar and 4 egg whites in a large bowl and whip with a mixer at high speed until the mixture is foamy. Continue beating and slowly add 3/4 cup sugar, but just 1 tbsp at a time. Keep mixing until there are stiff peaks. This will take a while but there MUST be stiff peaks so don't try to skimp here and stop early.

When it's done divide the meringue among the 8 circles you drew on the cookie sheets. Dollop it down and then use the back of a large spoon to make each circle into a nest shape.

Bake for 1 hr, but rotate the cookie sheets top/lower shelf halfway through to cook evenly. After 1 hr turn the oven off but keep the door shut - let the meringues cool in the cooling oven for 2 hrs. Remove from the oven and very carefully remove the meringues from the parchment paper. They will be very fragile and practically weight-less so take care not to crumble them.

Now, it's time to make the custard. Combine the 2 eggs and remaining 1 egg white in a medium bowl and whisk well. Put 1/2 cup sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice, and corn starch in a small or medium bowl over medium high heat. Mix and heat until it is 180 degrees or small bubbles form at the edge. Slowly add this hot mixture to the eggs you have in the bowl, stirring with a whisk as you add it.

Pour the juice-egg mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. It should get thick. Remove from heat, spoon into a bowl, and chill.

Finally, when you want to eat your pavlovas divide your raspberries among the nests. Top with the lemon curd, dividing evenly as well. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Brisket
Time: 4.5 hrs
That's right - we're at the main feature. Brisket. There are next to no meat recipes on this blog but I pulled out all of the stops for my passover seder and there just had to be brisket. Luckily, while this was my first brisket experience I learned from the best and this turned out well.

Ingredients:
brisket (mine was about 6 lbs)
olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
salt
cinnamon
ground nutmeg
1 large onion
2/3 cup honey
lemon juice

Note: Many of these do not have amounts. I'll do my best to compensate for that in my description but much of this is by feel.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cut the brisket in half if you need to in order to fit it in the pan and sear well on both sides until brown. This will take about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and take the meat out and set on a cutting board. Throw out any extraneous fat. Then, put the pan back on the heat. Put a little bit of water in the pan and scrape with a spatula to get up the little brown bits. Then, put the brisket back in the pan and add enough water just to cover it. Bring to a boil. If you let it boil for about 15 minutes the scum will rise to the top (white foam like at a dirty lake.) Skim it off and throw it away.

Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and let the brisket cook for 30 minutes. Add the prunes, salt, a lot of cinnamon, a lot of nutmeg, onion (cut up), honey, and lemon juice. Keep in mind there is a lot of meat so you need a lot of spice/sauce to affect the flavoring. Mix well, cover again, and let it simmer gently on low for an hour.

Remove the brisket after that from the pan (leaving the sauce in the pan) and let it cool on a cutting board.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Once the brisket is cool slice it in very thin slices against the grain. Put the slices in a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Pour the gray over top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. (Note: You can let it sit for a bit when cooling/in pan with gravy before baking if you want to time things correctly.)

Matzoh Ball Soup
Time: 1.5 hrs
Sadly I forgot to take a picture of this before it was devoured but Matzoh Ball Soup is about the most amazing thing ever. If you haven't tried it, do so immediately. And if you but it wasn't homemade- well, it just wasn't the real thing.

Note: I did 2.5 times the recipe below for 10 people but since I am guessing you do not want to make it in such large portions I have made it normal-sized below.

Ingredients:
6 cups vegetable broth + 2 tbsp
2 eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
1/2 cup unsalted matzo meal
1 tbsp parsley, minced
1/2 tsp dried dill
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3/4 cup carrots
1 bay leaf
2 bunches of green onion, chopped
salt
pepper

First, we'll start with the matzo balls. In my case I made the matzo ball dough first and left it in the refrigerator for several hours as I prepared other parts of the meal. Then, shortly before guests arrived, I prepared the broth and simmered the matzo balls. I covered them with foil to keep the heat in and let the broth stay on the burner but turned the heat down to low. That way it stayed hot through the seder service and we assembled the soup right afterwards.

To prepare the matzo balls, lightly beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the butter, 2 tbsp vegetable broth, matzo meal, parsley, dill, and about 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until well combined and refrigerate. You want to keep it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes but can leave it for up to 8 hrs.

To prepare the soup, combine the vegetable broth, bell pepper, celery, carrots, and by leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for another 20 minutes. Add the green onions, salt, and pepper. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Then, remove the bay leaf and add more seasoning if needed. (I only recommend adding pepper since salt is bad for you!)

Finally, you need to cook the matzo balls. (This can be done after or while you are preparing the soup.) Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Wet your hands so the dough won't stick and form the dough into 1" balls. Drop them gently into the boiling water, one by one. Then immediately reduce the heat and let the balls simmer for 30 minutes. When they are done remove them with a slotted spoon.

To serve, place two matzo balls in a bowl and add the soup.

Deviled Eggs with Lox

Is it just me or are deviled eggs absolutely delicious? I can't help it - I love them. I know they're not very good for you with their mayo and yolk and somewhat old fashioned, but I truly love them. So when I came across ideas to jazz them up (think lox, crab, etc) it sounded like a dream come true!

I just made 4 eggs worth for two people as appetizers - so 4 halves each. But these are quick and easy to make so serve them when you're having a crowd over and want some beautiful (and healthiER) appetizers to start.

Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Deviled Eggs with Lox
Remember, this is for 4 eggs so multiply the ingredients as needed depending on how many eggs you want. Just remember - these are so tasty that everyone will be coming back for more.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/8 cup fat free sour cream
2 tsp fresh chives, diced
1 tbsp fat free mayonnaise
1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh tarragon, diced
1 tsp fresh dill, diced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 oz Nova Lox, cut into small pieces

(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)

First, we need to get the eggs ready. Place them in a pot and cover with water so the water is 1-2 inches above the eggs. Bring to a slow boil but just as they are boiling remove the pan from the heat (cover or keep covered if it was already) and let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Remove and run under cold water until you can touch them. Peel the shells off the eggs.

Cut your eggs in half and place the yolks in a bowl. Mash them. Add everything else: sour cream, chives, mayo, mustard, tarragon, dill, black pepper, and nova lox. Mix well.

Place your egg halves on a plate and fill them with your yolk mixture, overstuffing them until you have used all of it. And that's it - you are ready to serve!

Asiago Rolls with Caramelized Onion Dip and Fresh Apple Butter

If you do not enjoy fresh, hot rolls with delicious toppings just turn away now because that is what this post is all about. Still there? I thought so. Who can resist the smells, tastes, and textures of freshly baked bread? If you have the time for some kneading and rising there is really nothing that can beat it. So find some hours and make this on a weekend when you have some extra time to wait for that yeast to take effect.

This post focuses on not only fresh Asiago rolls, which can certainly be enjoyed plain with their cheese flavor, but also on two different toppings that work very well with them. The first is apple butter - the ill-named topping that actually has no butter in it whatsoever and is actually very healthy. The second is a warm caramelized onion cheese dip. The warm and cold of the two, cheesy and fruity, provide some excellent choices for everyone.

Time: 3.5 hrs
Difficulty: Medium

Asiago Rolls
Time: 3.5 hrs
We'll get started with the rolls since, as you can see, they will take the longest. Luckily much of the preparation time is really rising time so you will be able to accomplish other things around your house as the dough rises.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp honey
1 package yeast
1 egg
3 cups flour
3/4 cup shredded Asiago
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
(this recipe is based upon one from Cooking Light)

Dissolve half of the honey and the yeast in 3/4 cup of warm water in a large bowl. You do not want hot/boiling water but it should be very warm water from your tap. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then add the other half of the honey and the egg (beaten previously). Stir gently.

Once those are mixed add 2.5 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of shredded Asiago cheese, and the 5 spices listed above. Mix to form a soft dough. If it is too liquid-y add a tiny bit more flour. Add slowly to avoid adding too much flour.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface (I have granite counters and like to put flour directly upon them for this.) Cover your hands with flour as well and knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until it is elastic-y. You should be using the extra flour to flour your hands/counter and to add as needed, but only if needed.

Once the dough is kneaded, elastic, and not sticky place it in a large bowl (it will rise) coated with cooking spray. Flip the dough over once or twice to make sure the entire ball of dough is lightly coated in the spray. Cover with a towel and put in a place that is relatively warm and free of drafts. I usually just go with my microwave (not on) and that works out well. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. At that point it should be doubled in size and if you press 2 fingers into it the indentation should remain. If that is the case, punch the dough down, re-cover, put back in its warm place, and let rise another hour. It should be doubled in size.

When the dough is ready, punch it down again. Preheat your oven to 425. Separate the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. (Or roughly equal anyway!) Roll each into a ball. Place them on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let them rise for 30 minutes. Uncover and top with the remaining Asiago cheese. Bake for 18 minutes.

Fresh Apple Butter

Time: 2 hrs
The apple butter will be the second most timely piece of this preparation. Once again, however, a lot of the time will not involve constant watching or work. I'm also not entirely sure why apple butter even earned its name. While it is indeed a spread for bread it actually does not contain any butter at all. Instead it is made of slowly sauteed apples that are delicious and soft and mashed down to form a sauce. While it works very well with bread you can also easily enjoy it with crackers or other favorites.

Ingredients:
5 apples
3/4 - 1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
(this recipe is based upon one from Cooking Light)

Cut your apples and core them. If you choose to do so, you can peel them, but I enjoy the skins and left them on when I made this recipe. Cut your apples into wedges. Place them in a large boiling pot and pour in the cider. You'll want to use 3/4 - 1 cup depending how large your apples are so play it by ear based upon how they look in the pan. Bring them to a boil and then turn the heat down a bit to a simmer and let the apples simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes the apples should be soft. Pour the entire mixture into a food processor and pulse a few times. Let the mixture stay chunky but allow the apples to be a bit smaller in size.

Put the apple mixture back in the pan and add the sugar, lemon juice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Keep your pan over low heat and stir every 10-15 minutes but allow it to cook slowly and thicken. After an hour it is done. You can serve it warm or place it in an airtight container and chill it first. It will keep in that container in your fridge for several weeks.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Time: 40 minutes
Last but not least, we have the warm caramelized onion dip. The cheesy warmth provides an excellent contrast to the cool crispness of the apple butter. If you enjoy spinach and artichoke dips and other such concoctions this will be a sure favorite for you.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/3 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fat free cream cheese
1/8 cup fat free mayo
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
(this recipe is based upon one from Cooking Light)

Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and Thyme. Stir frequently to avoid burning and cook for 10-12 minutes or until onion is browned. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, still stirring fairly frequently. This long heating process will allow the onions to become caramelized.

After the twenty minutes stir in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, mayo, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir constantly until it is well-blended and the cheese is smooth. Remove immediately from heat upon it reaching that point and eat immediately.

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos and Chile Con Queso

Another taco night! These are just too good to pass up when it comes to having groups over. Everyone gets to customize, no one dislikes tacos, and I get to make hoards of guacamole and eat all of the leftovers. What's not to love? This time, I chose to focus my efforts on shrimp tacos, but I also included the buffalo tacos blogged about previously and the standard sauteed onions and peppers and fresh guacamole.

Make this when you're having a group and prepare anywhere from 1 to 4 fillings to satisfy everyone. Set the tacos up as a buffet and let guests build their own. This way everyone is happy! You can serve chips with salsa and guacamole to start, and also my newly presented Chile Con Queso below. This was my first time trying to make the popular cheese dip but it turned out to be the hit of the night so dig in and enjoy.

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos
None of these items take long to prepare so your best bet is to get all of the prep work of dicing, etc, out of the way for everything and then try to cook it all at once.

Ingredients:
Shrimp
Lime Juice
Chipotle Powder
Salt
Cumin
Sugar
Olive Oil

I started with raw peeled and deveined shrimp with their tail still on. Pull the tails off all of your shrimp and toss them in a bowl with about a tablespoon of lime juice for a pound of shrimp until they are well coated. Mix up sugar (about 3/4 of a teaspoon for a pound of shrimp) with half as much cumin, a sprinkle of salt, and 1/2 a teaspoon of chipotle power. Toss the shrimp in and shake well to get your shrimp coated with the spices.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium to medium high heat. Toss the shrimp in and stir regularly to keep from over-cooking. Flip shrimp and move them around the pan as they cook. They should only take about 4-5 minutes total to be done. Make sure that as soon as they are pink and lose the translucent color you remove them from the heat to avoid cooking them for too long or else they will get rubbery.

Chile Con Queso
And now for the dip! Since this was a new one for me I went straight to my good ol' Cooking Light to ensure that I found a good recipe. And it worked out well on many levels. Not only did my guests absolutely adore the dip, they ate it so eagerly they filled up on Queso and were not able to ever turn their full attention to the fresh guacamole... leaving more leftovers than I probably should have enjoyed!

You can mostly follow along with this recipe. The spice comes from two places - the chili powder and the chiles in one of the cans of tomatoes. I skipped out on the chili powder but still used the tomatoes with chiles. This gave it a mild spice; some bites had a kick if you ate a chile but overall it was not a particularly spicy meal. You could substitute a can of diced tomatoes without chiles instead (so use two total cans of diced tomatoes) for a very mild version of the dip.

I also found it somewhat useless to drain the tomatoes if you were going to simply add the liquid back in at the same time. I skipped that step and simply dumped the can in all at once.

If you have leftovers keep them refrigerated and when heating them scoop out what you want and put it in a bowl before microwaving. This way you avoid continually reheating and cooling the original cheese mixture several times.

Lunch this Week: Eggplant-Fig Caponata

That's right - it's time to plan another lunch. This time it will be sandwiches of Eggplant and Fig Caponata. What's not to love? Eggplant - good. Figs - good. Lunch - good. (Does that remind anyone else of when Joey is eating a meat trifle that Rachel accidentally made on Friends?) But seriously, this one hits the spot.

This caponata is also great as an appetizer. Make it when you are having friends over for dinner and serve it with crackers or pita. That way your guests can happily much along, enjoying it with a glass of wine, until your luscious dinner is ready. The sweetness of the figs leaves a light taste lingering in your mouth long after you have finished eating.

Eggplant-Fig Caponata
Cooking Light has once again come through. I basically followed the recipe, omitting the parsley more because I didn't want to run out and buy it than for any real taste reason. You should find the recipe easy to follow and well worth the little bit of time it takes.

Double the recipe for extra sandwiches. While delicious, these aren't super filling since there is no protein. I found I wanted two light sandwiches or one larger wrap to satisfy my hunger at lunch. The extra should easily keep for a week in the fridge - just stick some saran wrap securely on a bowl.

Enjoy!

Moo Shu Shrimp with Vegetable Gyoza

This meal was full-throttle Asian, although mixing a few cultures. Moo Shu, one of my favorites, is a popular Chinese dish. It can be made with chicken, beef, shrimp, or just vegetables. I'm a fan of both the shrimp and vegetable varieties, and they can be made in exactly the same fashion... if you want vegetable moo shu simply skip the shrimp in the recipe below! Not familiar with moo shu? It's the one that gets wrapped up in a pancake with some hoisin sauce and eaten a bit like a burrito. And yes - I made the pancakes from scratch as well. Read in to find out how!

To supplement the moo shu I also prepared some vegetable gyoza, a Japanese appetizer. These are more or less dumplings. Once again, gyoza can be filled with a variety of meats but I went for the vegetarian version here. Making the gyoza wrappers from scratch is very time intensive so make sure you start these well before dinner time. These take longer to prepare and then the moo shu comes together very quickly - especially if you can con a friend or spouse into being your sous chef!

Vegetable Gyoza
We'll start with this one since it took a long time to prepare. I nearly entirely used this recipe from Cooking Light, but I do have some tips and changes to go over, of course.

As you'll see in the recipe and as mentioned above, I followed instructions and made the gyoza wrappings from scratch. To me, everything made from scratch is more fun and better tasting - and usually far healthier. However, if you are in a hurry, you can always buy frozen wonton wrappers instead. While I recommend the "from scratch" option if you have time, the wrappers are a good substitute when in a hurry.

You'll also find that this recipe calls for using a steamer for your dumplings. While steaming is an excellent cooking method and one I have used many times before, I am now a city dweller in an apartment without a lot of extra space. I don't have a steamer in my kitchen these days. If you do have one, go ahead with steaming and pan frying as directed. I, however, have a good work around if you do not.

Heat some peanut oil in a pan as directed for the pan-frying part of the cooking process. Place 6 or so dumplings, however many fit, in the pan. Saute for about 5 minutes or until they begin to sizzle and start to burn. Pour about 1 teaspoon of water per dumpling into the pan. For instance, for 6 gyoza you will want to add roughly 3 tablespoons of water. Err on slightly more - as in maybe 4 tablespoons for 6 gyoza. The water will sizzle as soon as you put it in. Let it cook away, which should take just about 2 minutes. Flip your gyoza if needed, stir fry for another 2-3 minutes or until browned, and they are ready to go.

Using water in the fry pan as part of the cooking process helps to replace the steaming action. While still a different cooking method, it comes close and is a great substitute when needed.

Shrimp Moo Shu
Now ready for the main course? I did consult a number of recipes online in order to decide how to best approach this one. I diverged enough from each that I will write out my own recipe below, but you will find the recipe for moo shu pancakes here and can link from that to my biggest inspiration for the recipe below.

Ingredients:
dark sesame oil
vegetable oil
eggs
garlic
green cabbage
green onions
wood ear mushrooms
baby corn (optional)
rice vinegar
sherry
soy sauce
shrimp

Using a wok or a large pan, heat a small amount of both dark sesame oil and vegetable oil - probably about a teaspoon each- over medium high heat. When the oil is getting hot (heat for 3-4 minutes) add 3 beaten eggs and stir fry them. They should look well scrambled by the time you are done. Put them on a plate to the side.

Add another drop of sesame oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add 2-3 minced garlic cloves and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Add 1 can of straw mushrooms. Add 1 can of baby corn if you are choosing to use the baby corn in this recipe. Add several cups of thinly sliced cabbage. I purchased two heads but ended up using about 1.5 of the heads. Feel free to downgrade or upgrade the amount as appropriate to how much you are making. Finally, add about 1 cup diced green onions.

Stir fry your vegetable mixture, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. The cabbage will shrink a lot in size. I found that as it wilted I was able to add more to the pan, getting closer to using the full 2 heads.

As your vegetables are sauteing, heat a small amount of sesame oil in a separate fry pan over medium heat. Add your shrimp, tail removed, to the pan. I used 1 lb of shrimp for 2 heads of cabbage and that fed 4 hungry people with a lot of leftovers. Stir-fry your shrimp for about 5-7 minutes or until they are fully pink. You'll want to make sure you are flipping them over about midway through as you stir to ensure that they cook equally on both sides. The shrimp should curl a little tighter and be pink when done.

Add 5 tablespoons rice vinegar, 4 tablespoons sherry, and 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce to your vegetables. Stir to mix well. Add your fully cooked shrimp. Add the eggs. Make sure everything is mixed well and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm - your pancake filling is ready to go!

...Which brings us to the pancakes themselves. My favorite part of homemade moo shu (or freshly made moo shu in restaurants) is when the pancakes are fresh. Most restaurants use the same thin, papery pancakes that are clearly purchased en masse. Some, however, give the personal touch and it makes all of the difference. After making these pancakes myself, thicker and warmer and tastier than the paper variety, I think I'll have to whip them up every time I get take-out Chinese!

The pancake recipe comes straight from Cooking Light with no real changes here. I just used a small fry pan to make the pancakes, but I did follow their 1/4 cup strictly and it worked out well. I also just plopped my pancakes on top of each other on a plate (as you'll see in the picture) and had no problems with this.

Serve the meal with your gyoza, pancakes, and moo shu warm. To make your pancakes lay one out on your plate, put about a teaspoon of hoisin sauce on top and smear it around, and then place your moo shu inside. Roll it up, fold up an end, and enjoy. Make sure not to overstuff your pancake to avoid bursting moo shu. Delicious!

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Pineapple Salsa with Vegetable Pakoras and Strawberry-Mint-Goat Cheese Salad

Tonight was a bit of a smorgasbord. The entree is a tuna with pineapple salsa - utilizing my ever-exciting Foreman grill and whipping up a last taste of some tropical vegetables in the salsa. One side was vegetable pakoras - or at least a fusion/modern version - taken from the fried vegetable fritters that are so tasty when eating Indian. The final piece was a strawberry salad complete with mint and goat cheese which could almost serve as a dessert. All in all, an unusual meal that fit together well in the end.

Each of these pieces has a few steps involved, so while none of them takes a particularly long time make sure you plan in advance and leave enough time for cooking. If you're like me it always runs over - read the recipes, guesstimate, and then make sure those numbers are well-padded before diving in.

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Pineapple Salsa
Once again, this was a night full of Cooking Light goodness. If you, like me, are not a fan of spicy make sure to leave out the serrano pepper. I also skipped the salt on the Tuna.

I used my Foreman grill for the pineapple, onions, and fish and it worked out very well. Just make sure that you are keeping an eye on your fish as you are cooking it. The grill cooks quickly and many people are very picky about the level of "done-ness" of Tuna. I prefer mine cooked through but if you like it pink make sure not to wander off or leave it for too long.

Finally, I found that although the salsa was delicious I ended up with far more than I could possibly use on my lb of Tuna. Use the leftovers in wraps with chicken or fish the next day for lunch or even use them atop a sandwich or burger. The grilled texture of the pineapple and onion is tantalizingly juicy and sweeter than normal with a slight caramelizing finish. You won't be able to resist using the salsa elsewhere!

Vegetable Pakoras
Have you ever had vegetable pakoras at an Indian restaurant? They're delicious, but deep fried. This version is not, and so therefore while delicious, is a variation from the norm. Enjoy these healthier pakoras but know in advance not to expect the fried kind!

Cooking Light brings us a more fusion type version that doesn't utterly deplete the calorie bank. I found I went a little overboard with the sweet potato and cauliflower and ended up having to make more of the flour mixture to compensate...but still not in quite direct proportion. I barely had enough mixture to even lightly coat the veggies, nevermind keeping them together as patties. Make 1.5 times the patty mixture for 1 times the amount of sweet potatoes and cauliflower for best results.

I also chose to purchase Tamarind sauce rather than Mango chutney. This is probably mostly a taste preference, but whenever I've gone for Indian I've always eaten it with the sweet taste of the dark Tamarind sauce and greatly enjoyed it. I found a jar at Whole Foods in this case.

Eat this while they're hot, then pack any leftovers in plastic bags and refrigerate. They make great snacks at work the next day after popping them in the microwave.

Strawberry-Mint-Goat Cheese Salad
Finally, we turn to the salad which is barely a salad at all! Simply mix the 5 ingredients together and serve.

Although you can always serve this over spinach or lettuce, I actually enjoy it very much as it is. But keep in mind this is far from a traditional salad. Serve it with the meal or after as a fruity dessert.

The strawberries get a little soggy if you store this dish and the goat cheese blends in a little too much to look appetizing. Keep it for sure, since it'll still hit the spot, but it's best if you make what you'll eat that night!

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

In the honor of the start of football season I figured it was time to learn how to make some healthy "comfort food" snacks. This is a fantastic recipe. It preserves all the rich taste and creamy goodness of the original, is simple to prepare, keeps as leftovers, and is nearly fat-free. That's right - I said it is nearly fat-free despite typically being one of the no-nos of snacking at bars.

Keep in mind, however, that even if we cut out the fat there are always hidden dangers. For instance, no matter how healthy you make the dip if you then dig in with full-fat, caloric, and salty chips you're piling on the damage still. Look for low-salt chips that reduce their calorie dent. Baked chips are the best but if you're not a big fan I have found that the white corn circular chips by Tostitos are far lower than the rest of their brand. Check them out! In the end, however, it's about moderation. So make this dish when you're watching football but make sure not to down it all yourself... at least, hold off until it's really needed such as your team losing by a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
There are many ways to vary this classic, but I went for a straightforward version this time around. You'll see that I do not have a lot to add here since the entire recipe is about 2 seconds long. But it's good.

I substituted all fat free cream cheese instead of using any 1/3 fat and still had excellent results. I also went for the softer cream cheese sold in tubs rather than the blocks. This was simply a personal preference to aid with mixing but it worked out much better than when I used the harder stuff in the past. I also chose to use more spinach than the recipe calls for. Since this is one of the redeeming qualities of the dip, and a delicious one at that, why not emphasize it? I used the entire 10 oz package and my dip was certainly not overly spinach-y at the end.

Feel free to experiment with this a bit! Add more black pepper for a stronger oomph to the recipe or leave it alone if that's not your thing. This is a recipe where experimentation is easy and rarely wrong - have fun with it and then root for the Eagles. (Or, you know, your team of choice of course.... but spinach IS green, I'm just saying.)

Servings: 16
Serving size: about 1/2 to 3/4 a cup
Nutrition: calories 90; fat 1.7g; carbs 8g; cholesterol 12.6mg; sodium 424mg; iron 4.2mg