Shavuot Confession

Of the three major festivals, Shavuot is the least complicated to celebrate. No manic cleaning, no shlepping boxes, no building a hut and eating (or living) in the cold, and it only lasts two days. But from a cooking standpoint, Shavuot has never found it's way into my heart - I just don't do dairy!

An internet search for "passover recipes", will result in a trillion hits, but google Shavuot - and you'll get a trillion cheesecakes (and to tell the truth, cheesecake is cheesecake - it's all about the mix-ins)

But notwithstanding all my whining - I make terrific homemade blintzes, a killer oreo cheesecake and learned from a friend to make a phenomenal greek salad dressing.

This year, I'm hosting dinner the second night of shavuot and for once, rather than try to figure out a menu that's balanced, nutritious and delicious, I've decided to just have fun and make everyone's dairy favorites - and worry about calories and nutrition another time. So, my shavuot guests will be treated to the following:

Homemade Warm Cinnamon Challah - served with homemade strawberry whipped butter

Greek Salad

Spinach Lasagna

Cheese Blintzes

Macaroni & Cheese

Individual Mini Pizzas (with a topping bar - so I can make them for each person)

Oreo Cheesecake

Heath Bar Cookies

If they're not exhausted from all night learning the night before, they will be when they're done with this food!

Shabbat Menus

Meals to make the the birthday celebration delicious! The lemon filled cake looks like it's going to be a real winner! Three layer lemon sponge filled with lemon curd and frosted with seven minute frosting - can't wait!!!!

Friday Night Dinner

Homemade Challah

Crispy Baked Wonton
Chicken Soup with Noodles

Roast Chicken
Teriyaki London Broil
Bok Choy Salad - Soy Sauce Green Beans
Roasted Potato Wedges - Corn Kugel


Lemon Filled Cake with Seafoam Frosting
Peanut Butter Brownies




Shabbat Lunch

Homemade Challah

Strawberry Spinach Salad
or Fruit Cup

Shnitzel - Adin Shnitzel Nuggets
Silver Tip Roast Beef
Oven Browned Potatoes
Israeli Salad - Bok Choy Salad
Peanut Butter Noodles
Carrot Kugel
GF Pasta - GF Corn Muffins


Frozen Chocolate Mousse Cake with GF "Oreo" Crust
GF Muddy Buddies - Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies - Peanut Butter Brownies

Trying Something New

Sometimes, life gets in the way of living and obligations take precedence over desires. That's what's been going on with me lately. I've been embroiled in day to day life, keeping the balls juggling in the air, trying very hard not to let too many drop. The only way I could manage all the extra balls that have been thrown my way lately is find one or two to drop- and one big one that I had to drop was entertaining. The past few Shabbatot have been quiet and guest free, which keeps me from my favorite pastime of hostessing, but is good in that affords me extra time to get everything else done. It also allows me to play with new recipes.

Last night I look in the freezer for a little inspiration, and found a package of flanken short ribs I picked up last month at Costco (by the way, kudos to them for the extensive, reasonably priced kosher meats!). In an attempt to satisfy the tastebuds of all who will be eating Friday night, I searched for a recipe with an asian flair - tonight I will make this recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/asian-style-braised-short-ribs-recipe/index.html

and this week's menu will be:

Friday Night Dinner

Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup

Asian Style Braised Short Ribs

Rotisserie Chicken - (my new mini oven has a rotisserie - I've been meaning to test it)

Rice Pilaf

Corn Kugel

Stir Fried Vegetables

Hamentashen (it's close enough!)

Chocolate Puff Pastry Rugelach

Shabbat Lunch

Leftovers from Friday night

Chulent

Cold Cut Sandwiches

Asian Cole Slaw

Shabbat shalom to all -

Menu for a crowd

Usually when I invite people for Shabbat dinner, some say yes and some say no. Sometimes I invite people for Shabbat dinner, and no one accepts. Then there are the weeks that everyone says yes, and my son decides to invite his friends to stay for Shabbat too! Those weeks require a little extra effort, a lot of organization, and end up both challenging and terrific fun! This is such a week, and I'm expecting somewhere between 14 and 18 people for Friday night dinner (we'll ignore the fact that my table only seats 16 - the teenagers will be more than happy to be relegated to the kitchen).

That large a crowd inspires me to make a few extra dishes, but I choose the dishes based not only on making delicious food that works well together and will look nice on the table, but specifically look for the ones that are easier and less time consuming recipes. (It also helped that I had cooked a brisket last week "for the freezer")

So this shabbat, we will be having:

Friday Night Menu

Homemade Challah

Chicken Soup with Noodles

Brisket

Honey Glazed Lemon Roast Chicken

Mesclun Salad with Honeyed Pecans and Balsamic Dressing

Hot and Spicy Cabbage

Spinach Patties Maple Syrup

Glazed Winter Squash and Parsnips

Roasted Red Potatoes

Basmati Rice

Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts

Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Truffles (tried to make them pareve - they're ok, but dairy is better!)

Chocolate Layer Cake with Seafoam Frosting

Shabbat Lunch

Challah

Chulent

Cold Cuts

Israeli Salad

Leftovers!

By doing a bit each night, it all gets done -

If you are curious to see my "to do" lists, send me an email...

Deb

Friday Night Menu - Fill in the blank

I've received many requests to post menus - but in following the adage "if you give a man a fish, he has one meal, but if you teach him to fish.....", instead, this menu is my structure for a Friday night meal when I have a lot of company. When it's just family for shabbat, or one invited family, my menus can be more creative, but when the table is set for sixteen, it's best to stick with the basic structure, so that quantities and varieties are not an issue.

First Course:

Either: Salad with an added "fancy" or soup

Main Course:

Beef main dish

Chicken main dish

Sides:

Potato

Rice or Noodle

Hot Vegetable

Cold Vegetable or Salad

Dessert:

One "fancy" dessert

one cookie or smaller dessert

(one should be chocolate, one non-chocolate)

I follow this structure and there's always enough for each individual, no matter their eating idiosyncrasies.

When you're filling in the blanks, consider the colors of the foods, and the "strengths" of the flavors. Make sure to find something green or bright - not all beige foods (roast chicken, roast potatoes and eggplant salad will not really look great....) and making everything either super spicy or bland will also be boring for your guests!

As always, feel free to email with any questions!

Shabbat Lunch - Aiming to please everyone

There's an email joke that pops up in my inbox few months..

If, according to the Jewish calendar, the year is 5764, and, according to the Chinese calendar, the year is 5724, what did the Jews eat for forty years?

I'm not sure why, but Jews stereotypically love Chinese food. And stereotypes notwithstanding, the Jews I feed on a regular basis really love Chinese food, whether authentic from a restaurant or my homemade vaguely Asian inspired recipes.

This week I only need to prepare Shabbat lunch at home, though from an earlier post youknow I'm preparing Shabbat dinner for 100 at the shul. Because I will be in the shul kitchen most of the day Friday, and Shabbat is so early, I need to prep all the food for Shabbat tonight - and I'm not in a fancy mood. As I was considering a menu this morning, the wind was howling, the sky was grey and I only wanted to think of foods that we would find comforting. Then I thought of a recipe I saw earlier this week on kosher.com - Teriyaki Meatballs - and from that start, a menu came to life.

By the way, unless I have a lot of company for lunch, I've found it's much more enjoyable to do without a first course. By putting a wide variety of foods on the table, people can help themselves, there's no bouncing up and down after kiddush and motzi, and there's also less to clean up!

Shabbat Lunch

Teriyaki Meatballs

Soy Sauce Chicken

Jasmine Rice

Sauteed Mixed Vegetables

Sesame Eggplant Salad

Edamame with Dipping Sauce

Dessert will NOT be Asian inspired, but simply what the season is screaming "Apple Pie" and, as always, some kind of chocolate cookies.

Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbat Dinner for 100

There's an old saying "If you want something done, ask a busy person" - which seems to be a saying about me. From my standpoint though, it's great that I can keep up with everything, that people know they can rely on me, and that my schedule stays busy. Relaxing is NOT my favorite activity (though with recent help, I'm learning).

To that end, in addition to chairing the high school dinner in January, co-chairing the shul dinner in March, hosting Thanksgiving (as a group effort), and taking one small trip in December and one long trip in January, I agreed to run a Friday night dinner at the shul. And being just a bit compulsive, I decided to help the shul out by preparing the appetizer, dessert and kid's meals to save money. The main course and side dishes are being delivered by Main Event (Thanks HannahLee!). So this is the menu for this Friday Night:

Appetizer:

Family Style on each table: Hummos, Pita, Pickles and Olives

Plated at each seat:

Mesclun Salad with Cranberries and Glazed Nuts with Vidalia Dressing

Served with one toast with Smoked Salmon and one toast with Bruschetta

Main Course:

Served Buffet Style

Fried chicken

Honey Orange Roasted Chicken

Yellow Rice Pilaf

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Melange of Steamed Vegetables

Dessert:

Brownies, Chocolate Chip Bars, Meringues

Kids:

Pasta with Sauce

Chicken Nuggets

French Fries

Steamed Broccoli

I hope all will enjoy - I baked the brownies and chocolate chip bars last night - great for building arm strength - I stirred and octet batch (that's 8!) of brownies, then a quadruple batch of chocolate chips. The meringues I'll bake fresh on Friday morning.

Shabbat Shalom!

New Recipes - Beating Boredom

There are some weeks that I crave new recipes; the old beloved standbys get tossed aside and I scour through cookbooks, epicurious, and the pages and pages of printed out recipes for 'someday'. Well, this week is someday. Don't get me wrong - my family and guests will not have to suffer through a meal of all new recipes, but I found a few that seemed good (which are bolded below). It may seem like too much food, but when I get into that "something new" mood, I fill in with simple easy things that I know will be eaten even if the experiments are not!

This shabbat's dinner will be:

Chicken soup with noodles and potato kneidlach

Teriyaki Silver Tip Roast

Apricot Roast Chicken

Jerusalem Kugel (I know, it's traditional for lunch, but....)

Corn Squash Muffins (trying them out for Thanksgiving potential)

Soy Sauce Green Beans

Tossed Salad

Basmati Rice

Hasselback Potatoes

Cocoa Chiffon Cake

Coconut Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Rocky Road Bars

Shabbat lunch will be leftovers..... yummy roast beef sandwiches, etc etc etc

Successful new recipes will be posted next week!

Seder Menu

As promised, following is my menu for the first seder. This menu is basically what I make for the first seder every year, with a few extra side dishes because of a brilliant idea from YS. This year, we are up to 18 people, and even with an extra table, the dining room maxes out at around 17 (and is pretty uncomfortable!). So we've decided to rent tables and use the living room as the dining room and leave the dining room table in the dining room, so YS suggested that the main course be served as a buffet. Brilliant! I hate when people are helping clear the table after the meal and say things like "ohhh, you made those good potatoes, they never got passed to me". At a certain point the table and the platters are too large, and a buffet works better. But I thought I should add a few side dishes to make a more interesting and fill the table out.

So here goes......

Hard Boiled Eggs

Chicken Soup with Matzah Balls and Soup Nuts (I make my own soup nuts, and gebrokt away, even on the first night!)

Brisket (my mother's recipe, improved a bit)
Israeli Orange Chicken
Mini Sweet Vegetable Kugels
Steamed Asparagus with Toasted Almonds and Garlic
Twice Baked Potatoes
Spinach Pie -Extra #1
Tossed Salad - Extra #2

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate Cake
Sponge Cake
Macaroons
Mandelbrodt
Almond Candy

All of the desserts are homemade, including the almond candy. If you're interested in any of the recipes, let me know. I share happily.

Parshat Mishpatim - Shabbat Shekalim - February 24-25

Hmmm.. Shabbat Shekalim. Counting the Jews with the half shekel. The only food thoughts that come to mind would be semi-circular food. Bourekas maybe? Not this week, I'm not up to it. Got it, meatloaf. Each slice looks (kind of) like a semi-circle. That will be for shabbat lunch. I make a spicy cajun meatloaf that goes into the oven to warm, and stays moist and yummy even if we eat lunch at 2:00. If anyone has any other suggestions for semi-circular food - please comment!

Friday night we have lots of company, should be at least 12 people, and happily (for us anyway), older son is staying home this shabbat (of course he is, I told him he had to. He's been away two shabbatot in a row for shabbbatons).

Friday Night:

Chicken Soup with Noodles (kreplach could be semi-circular, but I don't have time!)

Roast chicken with shallots
Spinach Loaf
Saffron Rice Pilaf
Ratatouille
Cauliflower Popcorn (the best recipe from KBD2)
Corn Kugel (maybe - It's so easy and good)

Meringues
Devil Dogs

I found the recipe online for devil dogs about six years ago. These are the best things. http://www.koshercooking.com/recipes/everyday/devildogs.html The only change I make is that I find they don't need to bake 10 minutes, maybe about 7. And don't use margarine for the filling - crisco is the way to go. To make the shells, put the batter in a ziploc bag, cut a corner, and squeeze out "fingers". You can make them small, medium or large that way. Just try to be consistent. Don't worry if the fingers don't look perfect. When they're done baking, they'll look just right. And the easiest way to fill the shells is to put the filling in a ziploc bag, close it up, cut a corner, and squeeze a line (generously) onto the flat side of one, then squeeze the other shell on. Goes 1-2-3.

As you might notice, I love ziploc bags. For baking shortcuts like this, using them instead of pastry bags, I buy the target brand ones. Very inexpensive, and you don't need such good quality for one shot use.

Parshat Bo - 6 Shevat - February 3 & 4

As much as last shabbat was quiet, intimate and meaningful - this shabbat is going to be loud fun and busy. My niece is coming for shabbat, and our best friends, still in the throws of home remodeling will be with us for dinner and lunch. We also invited a new friend and her son.

Added to to the cooking agenda is two extra desserts, to bring over to a shiva house. I hope I don't sound egotistical, but it's very satisfying that whenever such an occassion arises, the neighborhood calls on me for desserts -

So here's what I'll do.

Friday Night

Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls - (never made them last week - used kreplach)

Spinach Salad with Hearts of Palm and mustard dressing

Pomegranate Chicken (KBD)
Roast Beef
Jasmine Rice Pilaf
Garlic Potato Galette (KBD again - I give credit where it's due)
Green Beans Almondine

Cherry Crumb Cake
Cookies (I haven't decided what kind yet)

Shabbat Lunch

Chulent
Cajun Meatloaf
Carrot Raisin Salad
Israeli Salad

By the way, as far as I'm concerned, the real problem with OPC (other people's chulent) is too little seasoning. My chulent is pretty basic, cut lots of onions at the bottom of the crock pot, add beans, barley, potatoes, meat bones and meat. Now - the important part. Mix 1/2 cup flour with 4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1 tablespoon HOT paprika (not the regular stuff). Sprinkle the whole flour mixture over the meat, pour lots of boiling water over - and put it on low. 5 minutes and you're set.

Sunday night is my father's yahrtzeit - I suppose I should make foods he liked in his memory, unfortunately I really don't remember what he particularly liked, only that he didn't like sponge cake - but that's another story

Shabbat Shalom (and go Steelers! - for Dan)

Parshat Vaera - 28 Tevet - January 27-28

This parsha has a very "pesach" feel about it, so it's back to matzoh balls in the chicken soup this week.

Luckily, I have 3 quarts of soup in the freezer left from two weeks ago. The rest of my menu for this week is absolutly NOT Pesach.

Friday Night Dinner
Chicken Soup with Matzah Balls

Honey Mustard Chicken
Basmati Rice Pilaf
Garlic Broccoli
Baked Sweet Potatoes

If we end up with company, I'll add Roast Beef and Twice Baked Potatoes

Chocolate Cake with Seafoam Frosting
Cookies (depends on my mood when I get into the kitchen to bake)


Shabbat Lunch

Definitely Chulent, beyond that, it will depend on how many kids are around, so I'll have to figure that out later in the week.

Any suggestions - post a comment.

Enjoy the week - and remember, only 4 and 1/2 days until shabbat!

Two Hour Prep Shabbat

OK, this week, even though our friends are coming for shabbat dinner, since we've been invited out for lunch, I'm going to make an easy Friday Afternoon Only prepped shabbat dinner.

Here's the Menu:

Onion Potato Soup (an article in the newspaper intrigued me)

Nancy's Salad (an online friend/backgammon buddy emailed me a terrific looking recipe)

Roast Chicken (what could be easier!)
Tapas Potatoes (quick, and hold well on the hotplate)
Israeli Couscous with Mushrooms (ditto)
Steamed Veggies

and for once, I'm letting my friend bring dessert

This won't stop me from baking cookies on Thursday night (PBJ's I think)

Want any of these recipes? Leave me a comment.

Shabbat Shalom OoMevorach!

D

Parshat Vayechi - 14 Tevet - January 14 & 15

We seem to be in a January thaw, so no chulent this week, but the warm weather won't stop me from making chicken soup. I'm "known" for a great chicken soup, but until this past November, when I bought a great pot at Ikea (11 quarts, giant strainer inside) - I'd never been very specific about my recipe, but now.....

I set up my soup on Thursday night, and leave the pot in the refridgerator overnight, adding the water Friday morning. The added advante to setting up the soup Thursday night is that it ensures that I have to clear all the leftovers and wipe up the refridgerator a little on Thursday night, heading me into shabbat knowing what's around. Other than forcing me to straighten up, and saving me from having to mess with chicken and onions early in the morning, there's no benefit to prepping the soup in advance.

This time of year, the soup goes up at about 6:40 on Friday morning (right after my older son gets on the bus to school) and cooks the whole day. Yes, I leave the stove on all day.

Into the pot (in this order)

3 to 4 pounds chicken (could be a whole chicken, or cut up, or just leg quarters)
1/2 pound pupiks or necks (not just more chicken, they really add flavor)
1 pound carrots, peeled and chunked
3 parsnips, peeled and chunked
2 stalks celery, in 2" pieces
2 leeks, dark green cut away, sliced down the center almost to the base and well washed
2 onions, peeled, left whole
1/2 bunch dill
1/2 bunch parsley
1 tablespoon salt

Add water to the top (if you're using a strainer pot, pay attention to where the top of the pot is). Bring to boil over high heat and immediately lower to slow simmer. For a few minutes, skim off the foam that rises to the top. Do not cover.

Right before shabbat, lift strainer out (or carefully strain soup), leave soup on blech. Add back whatever veggies or pieces of chicken you like.

Please note: no place in this recipe does it say stir, so don't. If you follow these instructions and DO NOT STIR, you will get clear, beautiful golden soup.

Right before serving, pour a cup of hot water from your hot pot over the noodles. And if your soup bowls are not too fragile, put them on top of some warm surface (oven top, blech) to warm them.

After shabbat, any leftover soup goes in quart containers into the freezer. When we have no extra people for Friday night dinner, I can pop a quart right out of the freezer on Friday afternoon, and melt/heat it before shabbat in less than 1/2 an hour. And if anyone is sick, there's always soup..... Personally, I love the boiled chicken, but that's me.

Betayavon - Shabbat Shalom