Braised Polish Red Cabbage

The health benefit of cabbage is not a new and trendy story.  A natural antioxidant and anti inflammatory, it's right up there on the "what to cook for baba" hit parade.  You can, if you're interest read more about the good stuff cabbage has to offer here.

East Europeans have always had cabbage, both green and red as a staple in their diet.  It's simple to prepare and with the right spices, the bitterness is gone and the flavour shines through.

1 medium head of red cabbage, shredded
1 onion, shredded
2-3 Tbls vegetable oil
1 cup water
3-4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
brown sugar to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Wash cabbage and remove outer leaves that are usually dirty
2.  Cut cabbage in half and remove the center core.  Shred as thinly as you can.  Shred onion.
3.  Warm oil in dutch oven or good solid large pot, add cabbage and onion, reduce heat to medium.
4.  As the cabbage releases its moisture, the volume minimizes.  Add water and keep the cooking process at a slow pace until cabbage is soft.
5.  Add red wine vinegar, brown sugar (I used about 1/4 cup) and salt and pepper, mix well and allow to cook a few more minutes.

My mom loved the cabbage!  A hit!!
The condo building I live in has alot of Russian families who live here.  I've spoken to several of them about how they make their cabbage and many have told me to use "sour salt".  If you can find it - it took me a while but it gives it an added kick.  

JC100 Roast Chicken

This week's recipe coming from Julia Child is for her very well known roast chicken.  This roast chicken is the epitome of simplicity and teaches us that something really doesn't have to be complicated to be wonderful.

The second thing I knew was that I waned to use my T-Fal Actifry to make sweet potato fries. I've already tried regular french fries  here  in my Acti-Fry and wanted to give the sweet potato its turn.  If you want your sweet potato fries crispier, add a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to the mix and then add your tablespoon of oil.  I don't mind a softer fry so I peeled and cut up 2 sweet potatoes making sure they were evenly cut so they would cook evenly.  Add your Tablespoon of oil (I used canola) and set time for 28 minutes.  The result was  soft fries (fine by me) and super delicious and entirely guilt free.  I added a smattering of kosher salt to the top.

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken
• 1 small yellow onion, quartered
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup celery leaves
• Salt and black pepper
• Butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash the chicken in hot water and dry thoroughly. Season the cavity with salt and black pepper and stuff with the onion, lemon, and celery leaves. Rub the chicken lightly with softened butter and season all over with salt and pepper. Tie the drumsticks ends together and set the chicken, breast side up, in an oiled v-shaped rack or on an oiled roasting pan in the oven.

Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, baste the chicken, and roast for 15 minutes. Add the chopped onion and carrot to the pan, basting them and the chicken. Continue roasting the chicken until the juices run clear, for a total of 45 minutes plus an additional 7 minutes for each pound. (In other words, a 3 1/2 pound chicken would take a basic 45 minutes plus an additional 25 minutes, for a total 70 minutes or 1 hour and 10 minutes of cooking time.)

Remove the chicken and spoon the fat out of the roasting pan. Into the pan, stir in the herbs and blend in the broth and, stirring constantly, boil for several minutes on the stovetop to concentrate the flavor. Correct the seasoning and strain the sauce into a warm sauceboat. Carve the chicken and serve with the warm sauce.  You're a rock star with minimal effort.

Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

Speaking to my friend, I was asking about recipes that could work for an every night or entertainment table.  I love foods with colour and texture and love love integrating something new.  My friend shared with me that she saw something really interesting and that she would send me the recipe.

I couldn't imagine pickling sugar snap peas but I did and I love them and as long as I can find sweet peas I'll be making sure I have these in the house.

Adapted from The Joy of Pickling via Epicurious

1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 tablespoon kosher or pickling salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed and strings removed
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 or 2 small dried chile peppers, slit lengthwise or a couple pinches dried red pepper flakes


In a nonreactive saucepan, heat the vinegar with the salt and sugar until they are dissolved. Remove from the heat, and add the cold water. (This gives you a leg up on getting the liquid to cooling the liquid.)
When the vinegar mixture is cool, pack the sugar snaps, garlic and chile peppers or flakes into a 1-quart jar or bowl, and pour the brine over it. Cover with a non-reactive cap, or plastic wrap.
The original recipe suggests you store the jar in the refrigerator for two weeks before eating the pickled peas.  They have a pickled taste after 24 hours and I'd be curious to know if they lasted the 2 weeks in the fridge at your place.  


This recipe took no time at all to prep and no processing. 

Healthy Eating with President's Choice

Vacation is over and I got back home just 2 days before Passover. Panic. Somehow we managed to pull it all together; it was a total group family effort and I must say I'm proud of how diligently everyone worked to make it all happen. While I was away I received the newest Insider's Edition from " President's Choice .


I'm happy that we're focusing on healthy and conscious eating. President's Choice is expanding their Blue Menu line of healthier choice foods that now has over 400 items in the line. PC's Insider's Report has included a wealth of healthy tips created by the Blue Menu panel comprised of a dietician, a doctor, a chef and two working moms. The benefit to having these tips is that you not only learn how to read the packaging more effectively by having visual markers that tells you what there is more or less of in the product (i.e. less sodium, higher fibre, less fat etc.) The tips also tell you why it's important to have more or less of things.

For example: "Why Reduce Sugar? Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that occurs naturally in fruits vegetables, milk and milk products. Products with naturally occuring sugar, such as fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals, while refined sugars found in processed foods like candy, soft drinks and syrups lack nutrients, have few nutritional benefits and are considered empty calories."

The tips in this edition of the Insider's Report have kept this edition around the house for a whole lot longer than other editions. I've had a chance to sample a couple of the products. Both Almond Milk and Quinoa are items that I normally have in the house so happy me. My morning generally starts off with a fruit smoothie and I love my smoothie with almond milk.

Take a banana, a few strawberries (fresh or frozen) pour in some almond milk; add 1 Tbsp of flax seed, a tsp of omega 3 oil and voila - refreshing and a healthy way to start your day.

I knew I wanted quinoa for dinner; great opportunity to try the black and white quinoa, something I hadn't tried before.

1 acorn squash, baked
1 pkg. PC quinoa
2 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion diced
1 cup dried cranberries (or craisins)
1 cup chopped mushrooms beet leaves chopped drizzle of blood orange balsamic vinegar

1. Turn oven on to 350 F 2. Cut acorn squash in half, take out seeds, sprinkle with a little olive oil and turn upside down on to foil lined cookie sheet. Bake until soft and carmelized (about 30-40 minutes)

3. In a medium saucepan cook 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of boiled water. When the quinoa comes to a boil, turn down to medium low and let simmer, covered for about 12 minutes. Take off the heat and fluff with a fork.
4. Add onion to warmed olive oil and cook until the onions soften. Add the remaining ingredients except for the blood orange balsamic vinegar.

Yummmmm. Go out and get some quinoa and experiment with it - you'll love it!!!

Happy Seolnal (Korean New Year) Eat Your Kimchi

I swim every morning with Kim Li who came from Korea only a couple of years ago. We have the best time, even more entertaining because she speaks no English and I don't speak Korean. Somehow, we manage to laugh and exchange ideas. We've taught her to say "see you tomorrow" and she's got it down pat. One day I asked her for her recipe for Kimchi (kim-chee). It took a couple of minutes but then she said, in her most outgoing voice "Ahhhh, Kimchi". I did the smile and nod thinking she didn't really understand but sure enough, the next morning she showed up with a recipe, hand printed, exactly as follows.

A Korean superfood eaten with every meal, it's said that Kimchi is part of a low fat, high fibre diet that keeps Koreans slim and trim. AND, since it's a fermented condiment, it has health benefits that both aid digestion and even helps to prevent yeast infections. There are many different recipes; this one is one of the simpler ones I've seen. Fellow blogger Kevin, from Closet Cooking has done alot of experimentation with many different recipes for Kimchi and I know he's hooked on it.

1 whole head Napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup*red pepper paste (ko-choo-kah-rhoo)(*quantity depends on your heat tolerance)
1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
1 tsp ginger, minced
3-4 sliced green onions
2 Tbsp fish sauce
A pair of kitchen gloves

1. Separate leaves of napa cabbage and chop into bite sized pieces (no need to clean them yet, we'll be giving them a good rinse in a bit)



2. Add sea salt to warm water, stir to dissolve
3. Add salt water to cabbage and give a light toss to distribute the salt water. Set aside at room temperature for 4-5 hours, stirring at the 2 hour mark.
4. Wash and strain the cabbage 2-3 times. After rinsing off all the salt water, return cabbage to a large bowl.


5. Add red pepper paste, garlic, ginger, green onions, fish sauce. Put on your gloves and give the kimchi a good mix massaging in the flavours.



6. Kimchi should sit at room temperature for 1-2 days and then transferred into capped jars. You can eat it with just about anything.

* The 1/3 cup of red pepper paste gave the kimchi a good amount of heat. If you're not a fan of spicy food, put in less.

Here's a great video that walks you through the steps.



Link:

History of Kimchi
Korean New Year 2012

Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake with Toasted Almonds

I have a great brother. How's that for an opening line? Seriously, my brother is one of those guys who always knows exactly how to chose the best gift for whoever he's buying for. The especially nice thing is that he can show up one day and say "I have something for you" and there isn't an occasion attached to the gift. How special is that? During a trip to Victoria, British Columbia he came back with a couple of exceptional cookbooks written by Canadian west coasters.

The book Quinoa The Everyday Superfood 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming will expand the way think about meals made with quinoa. This superfood can be breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert and is totally versatile with other flavours. You can include it in the kids' meals and they won't even know they're eating "good for you" eats.



Ingredients

3 cups cauliflower florets
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups milk
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch groung nutmeg
1 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced toasted almonds

Method:

Ensure you move the top oven rack to accommodate a 9x13 casserole dish, with a second rack underneath to toast the almonds.**
Preheat oven to 350 F and grease or spray a 9x13 casserole dish
Steam the cauliflower and broccoli together in a large saucepan until just barely tender. Place them in the bottom of the casserole dish.



Combine the milk, quinoa flour, mustard, garlic, salt, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer whisking the mixture until the flour is well blended. Add the cheese as the mixture begins to thicken. Continue cooking and whisking until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth and coats the back of the spoon. Pour the sauce over the vegetables.

Bake the casserole in the oven uncovered for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
After the casserole has baked for 13 minutes, toast the almonds on a small baking dish on the bottom rack of the oven. Toast the almonds for 7 minutes until fragrant and slightly toasted.


Remove both the casserole and the almonds and sprinkle the almonds generously on top of the casserole and serve immediately.





For me it was a whole meal but honestly a wonderful side.



** Note: Although the recipe suggested toasting the almonds in the oven, I did them in a dry frypan.

Links:

Facts about Cooked Quinoa
Nutritional Facts About Quinoa

Pumpkin Stuffed Vegetable Stew

I was so happy to have Psychgrad and "R" here for Canadian Thanksgiving. I was equally as happy to have the help in hosting dinner for the family. Psychgrad was the Chef de Cuisine, "R" moved tables and chairs and heavy things in and out of the oven and I was the Sous Chef.

This year we have an addition to the family. "A" is charming, gracious, kind and vegetarian. Is vegetarian really an adjective? We did want him to feel special and comfortable with the family and in our family food=love.

Psychgrad and I had to put our thinking caps on. The challenge was to create a main dish that was both impressive and vegetarian. I mean you can always fill up on sides and salads but to me it's just not special enough. We finally found what we believed was going to be a show stopper at the Gourmet site. Pumpkin Stuffed Vegetable Stew!!! Sounds good, no?

I drove up to the Southbrook Pumpkin Patch to pick out a perfect pumpkin. I was looking for a pumpkin that was a sweet, flavourful eating pumpkin.



We read the recipe over a couple of times to make sure we had the sequence right and all the ingredients we needed. The recipe has three parts to it; a sauce made of roasted vegetables and wine, a stew of roasted vegetables (not the same as the sauce) and a combination of all inside the pumpkin to bake to perfection.

ROASTED-VEGETABLE AND WINE SAUCE
MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS
ACTIVE TIME:30 MIN START TO FINISH:4 HR

This intense base is the secret to the full-bodied richness of the stew. Roasting emphasizes the vegetables' best qualities, and they're simmered with red wine and plenty of herbs and aromatics.

1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise
5 carrots, quartered
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
2 red bell peppers, quartered
1 lb plum tomatoes, halved
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded and bulb quartered
2 large onions, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup boiling water
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (1 cup)
1 (4-inch) piece celery
4 parsley stems
1 large thyme sprig
8 black peppercorns
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 cup dry red wine
4 qt water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil; 1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
EQUIPMENT: cheesecloth; kitchen string



ROAST VEGETABLES:

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
Wash leek halves (see Cooking Tips) and pat dry.



Toss leek, carrots, garlic, bell peppers, plum tomatoes, fennel, and onions with oil, then spread in a 17- by 14-inch roasting pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until well browned and tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
SOAK PORCINI AND MAKE BOUQUET GARNI WHILE VEGETABLES ROAST:

FINISHING THE STOCK:
Transfer roasted vegetables to a 6- to 8-quart pot and add wine to roasting pan, then deglaze pan by boiling, scraping up brown bits, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine to vegetables in pot along with water (4 quarts), porcini and soaking liquid, bouquet garni, sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 teaspoons salt.

Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, until stock is reduced to about 6 cups, about 2 hours. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing firmly on and then discarding solids.

MAKE SAUCE:
Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat and whisk in flour, then cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add stock in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

COOKS’ NOTES:

Stock can be made ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered, 1 week or frozen in an airtight container 1 month.
Sauce can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat before using.

Root vegetables, mushrooms, and seitan—a firm, meatlike wheat protein that soaks up all the flavors of the sauce—mingle with roasted vegetables inside the pumpkin, whose flesh you scoop out along with servings of the stew. (Don't be intimidated at the thought of assembling such a masterpiece—if you've ever made a jack-o'-lantern, you have the skills to prepare this dish.)

THE VEGETABLE STEW

1 fennel bulb with fronds
2 medium parsnips (1/2 pound total), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb celery root (sometimes called celeriac; 1/2 of 1 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
14 small shallots (about 1 pound), peeled and left whole, plus 1/2 cup chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 red bell pepepers
1 (8- to 9-lb) pumpkin (preferably cheese, pie, or Sweet Meat variety)
Roasted-vegetable and wine sauce, heated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 lb fresh cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1/4 lb fresh chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed
1 lb seitan (seasoned wheat gluten), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chopped thyme, divided
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

ROAST ROOT VEGETABLES:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 tablespoon and reserve, then discard stalks and remaining fronds. Halve bulb lengthwise, then core and cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.
Toss fennel wedges, parsnips, celery root, carrots, and whole shallots with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan until coated, then roast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and almost tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove vegetables from oven. Leave oven on.

PREPARE PEPPERS AND PUMPKIN WHILE VEGETABLES ROAST:
Roast peppers on racks of gas burners over high heat, turning with tongs, until skins are blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. (If you stove is not gas, see cooks' note, below.)
Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Peel peppers and discard stems and seeds. Cut peppers lengthwise into 1-inch strips.
Remove top of pumpkin by cutting a circle (6 inches in diameter) around stem with a small sharp knife. Scrape out and discard seeds and any loose fibers from inside pumpkin with a spoon (including top of pumpkin; do not discard top), then sprinkle flesh with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Put pumpkin in a large roasting pan.

STUFF AND ROAST PUMPKIN:
Pour 1 1/2 cups sauce into pumpkin and cover with top, then brush all over with remaining tablespoon oil. Roast 1 hour.
While pumpkin roasts, heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sauté chopped shallots until softened. Add mushrooms and sauté until they are browned and begin to give off liquid, about 8 minutes. Add wheat gluten and 1/2 teaspoon thyme, then stir in 1 1/2 cups more sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and fold in roasted root vegetables and peppers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

After pumpkin has roasted 1 hour, spoon vegetable filling into it, then cover with top. Roast until pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork, vegetables are tender, and filling is hot, about 30 minutes more. Transfer pumpkin to a platter using 2 sturdy metal spatulas.
Stir together fennel fronds, parsley, zest, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme and sprinkle half of it over filling. Stir remainder into remaining sauce and serve sauce on the side.

COOKS’ NOTES:
Bell peppers can be broiled on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
Peppers can be roasted and peeled up to 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
Root vegetables can be roasted 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before using.
Pumpkin can be cut, scraped, and seasoned 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Pour out any accumulated liquid and bring pumpkin to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.

We didn't use the entire 6 cups of sauce; the pumpkin creates juice also. I froze the leftover and can certainly use it for another recipe.

We couldn't find seitan at the health food store so used cubed and herbed firm tofu.

Verdict: Was it a fair amount of work? YES! Was it worth it? YES YES AND YES -- 'nuf said

Perogies - New and Improved

Three years ago I posted an old family recipe for perogies. If you missed it, you can see it HERE . The other day my mother informed me that my perogy dough was too tough. I've been making them the same way for years and this is the first time you've even mentioned that you thought the dough wasn't soft enough. Perogies are serious business; I mean you just don't make one or two. You haul out the flour, eggs, potatoes and block off the better part of a day and just get busy with it. It makes a mess but if you're already making a mess, make a whole lot of perogies so you only make the mess once in a while.

I needed to perfect the recipe so I started doing some research. What do other recipes have that mine doesn't and how does it actually impact the final product. Ukranian or Polish - is there really a difference in perogie making? I found out what makes the difference and tried a new dough recipe. The secret ingredients that make the dough softer are a combination of sour cream, melted butter and vegetable oil.

Dough

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups sour cream

I found this dough really easy to work with and indeed much softer than my previous recipe. I'll have to get the "mother seal of approval" on this one.

Filling

5-6 medium potatoes
1-2 cups shredded old cheddar

Mix dry ingredients together and make a well in the centre
In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients and add to the centre of the well. From the outer edge to the centre, bring in the flour to combine with the wet ingredients until all the flour is incorporated. Knead into a ball for a few minutes, cover with kitchen wrap and refrigerate at least 1/2 hour before using.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness in 3 equal portions on a well floured board or counter top. Flour your rolling pin well. Don't roll the dough too thin or your perogies will tear more easily. Using a glass or a round cookie cutter, cut out the dough in circles. Fill each circle with a teaspoon of filling and pinch together forming a half moon.

These are the ingredients as I used them for this batch. I rolled out 5 dozen perogies on this recipe so if you're wanting to make alot multiply accordingly. Many people like to add fried onion to their filling - I specifically don't for Psychgrad's sake. Did I forget to mention that Psychgrad loves perogies and since I haven't seen her in a while, having perogies in the freezer could be a pretty decent enticement for a visit :).

Verdict: This will now be my new go to recipe. If only I could remember where I found it.

Kasha Varnishkes

Another one of those old country recipes that really should not be forgotten is what my mother called Kasha Varnishkes or translated is Buckwheat Groats with Bowties. Generally served as a side dish, I have this no rules approach and eat it with just a salad or even on its own.

1 1/2 cups buckwheat groats (kasha)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
3 cups boiling water
1 onion, diced
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup uncooked bow-tie pasta

Combine groats, egg and salt in a large saucepan on medium low heat. Stir constantly to incorporate egg and buckwheat until all the grains are dry and separated. Add boiling water, cove and cook over low heat until all water is absorbed - about 20 minutes.

In a fry pan, brown onion in hot oil. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain. Add pasta and fried onion to buckwheat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Delicious served warm.

Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin

The planning before Christmas had me combing trusted blogs in persuit of a side that was not our family's regular fare but still would be tasty and well received. I found this delightful recipe on Smitten Kitchen's blog for Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin.

There's no doubt that prepping the chard is a bit of work but the end result was so worth the effort. I slimmed down the heavy cream to 2% milk and found that the recipe didn't lose in translation.

Apologies for the dark picture but it was taken in a low light room.





Serves 12
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 pounds Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and both cut into 1-inch pieces
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream or whole milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese

Prep greens: Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add chard stems, pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to moderately high and add chard leaves by large handfuls, stirring, until all greens are wilted. Season with salt and pepper then transfer greens to a colander to drain well and press out liquid with back of a large spoon.

Make sauce: Combine cream or milk and garlic in small saucepan; bring to simmer; keep warm. Melt two tablespoons butter in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, whisking, one minute, then slowly whisk in warm cream/milk and boil, whisking, one minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Assemble gratin: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter deep 9×13 baking dish. Spread half of sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Distribute half of the greens mixture over the cheese, then sprinkle salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and 1/4 cup of the cheese over it. Pour half of bechamel sauce over the first two layers then continue with the remaining sweet potatoes, more salt, pepper, herbs and cheese and then the remaining greens, salt, pepper and herbs. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the gratin, pressing the vegetables slightly to ensure that they are as submerged as possible. Sprinkle with the last 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake gratin for about 1 hour until golden and bubbly, and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I baked it the day before and warmed it the day of and it was great. I wouldn't hesitate to make this recipe again. It was a huge hit.

Passover Popovers and Potatoes - The 3 P's

I think I mentioned previously that I found some interesting recipes on the King Arthur Flour Blog . I mean who knew that a flour company would provide such incredible recipe for flourless baking. Pretty impressive, n'est ce pas? I decided to try their Passover Popovers that I have to tell you are both easy to make and really far lighter than I ever expected them to be. Passover is all about using eggs as a leavening agent so don't go into cardiac arrest at the number of eggs in this recipe.




2 cups water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 to 1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup cake meal
1 cup matzo meal
12 large eggs

1. Put the water, oil, salt and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in the cake meal, then the matzoh meal; the mixture will be very stiff. Set it aside to cool to lukewarm, about an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use shortening or non-stick vegetable oil spray to grease a standard muffin tin; a standard 6-cup popover plan; or a 12-cup mini-popover pan.
4. Crack the eggs into a large measuring cup. With your mixer running, gradually pour them into the bowl. Beat till smooth; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat till smooth again.
5. Scoop the stiff batter into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full. You'll need to bake in batches; this recipe will make 28 muffin-size popovers; 15 standard popovers; or 30 mini popovers.
6. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 325 F and bake for an additional 35 minutes (mine took 30 minutes) (for the muffin-pan popovers); 40 minutes (for the standard popovers); or 25 minutes (for the mini-popovers). Popovers should be a medium-golden brown. To check if they're done, pull one out of the pan (they come out really easily) and break it open; the interior should be mildly moist, but not soggy.
7. Remove the popovers from the oven, and tilt them in the pan to cool. (I didn't do this part and they were still great)

Passover isn't the same without a Norene Gilletz recipe. This year we chose her Duchesse Potato Mounds with Mushroom.



10-12 large potatoes, peeled & cut up (about 4lb./2kg)
2 eggs plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (approximately)
2 Tbsp tub margarine, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Mushroom Filling

3 cups mushrooms, coarsely chopped (I used baby bellas)
2 onions, coarsely chopped (I used one large and was happy I cut it back)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
paprika, to garnish

1. Cook potatoes in lightly salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well. Place pan with drained potatoes over high heat for a minute to evaporate excess moisture. Mash potatoes until smooth.** Add eggs, egg whites and just enough broth to moisten. Beat well. Add 1 Tbsp. margarine and season with salt and pepper. Mixture should be firm enough to pipe through a pastry bag. Amount of broth used will depend on the size of potatoes and how dry they are when you mash them.

2. In a non-stick skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in remaining margarine on medium-high heat until nicely browned. If necessary, add a little broth. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Place potato mixture in a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tube. Pipe potatoes into mounds onto prepared baking sheet, leaving a small opening in the centre of each mount. Spoon in some of the mushroom filling. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. (Can be prepared ahead of time) Bake uncovered at 400 F for 20 minutes, until golden

** - making sure the potatoes are mashed well is critical; if you have any lumps they'll get stuck in your tip when piping.
This will yield about 12 servings depending on how large you make them.
Reheats really well. Do not freeze

Verdict: I would make these over and over again. Everyone thinks it's magic when it's really so simple, pretty and delicious.

Easter and Passover usually fall around the same time. We'd like to wish all of our friends who celebrate Easter a soulfully enriching and joyous time with your families and friends.

Passover Cake and Kugel

Here it is, the evening before the first night of Passover which will begin at sundown March 29th and I couldn't have said it more aptly than Happily Losin It of Words & Weigh . I think it went something like "somehow Jewish housewives were left out of the freedom from slavery part when it came to Passover".

We've blogged about Passover in previous years here and here and both of these previous posts have been extremely popular consistently.

Today I'm preparing for tomorrow night's dinner and finished a couple of recipes that I think will be equally as popular. I happened to find a recipe on the King Arthur Flour site that looked pretty interesting. The important thing to note with this recipe is that if you use the glaze there is cream in it and wouldn't be appropriate with a meat meal.

Flourless Chocolate Nut Cake

10 large eggs, room temperature, separated
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup chocolate chips
heaping 1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar, to mix with the egg yolks
2 cups diced pecans, finely ground; OR 2 cups pecan meal
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar, to mix with the egg whites

Glaze
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp espresso powder
3 Tbsp heavy cream

1. Lightly grease a 10" tube pan or angel food pan. For best results, cut a piece of parchment or wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan and grease the paper. (I did this and it worked like a charm) Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Separate the room-temperature eggs, putting the whites and yolks in separate large bowls.
3. Melt the two chocolates together, stirring till smooth and set aside. (note: best to do this over simmering water in a bowl to avoid burning the chocolate)
4. Beat the egg yolks till smooth and lemon-yellow. Add the salt and 2/3 cup sugar and beat again till thickened and lightened in colour.
5. Stir in the melted chocolate.
6. Stir in the nuts. They should be processed as fine as possible; they'll probably be a bit pasty.
7. Beat the egg whites and vanilla till foamy.
8. With the beater going, sprinkle in the 1/4 cup sugar, beating till soft peaks form.
9. With the mixer at low speed, gradually fold the whites into the yolk mixture, mixing gently till no streaks show.
10. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.
11. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes (mine took 45 minutes) till a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and set it on a rack. Loosen the edges and let it cool in the pan for 1 hour. Loosen the edges again.
12. Invert the cake onto the rack and prepare the glaze
13. To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan and heat till the chips are very soft. Stir till smooth.
14. If the glaze isn't pourable, add more cream to thin it out. (I probably could have added more cream but as it's cooling and setting I can see it's smoothing out). Pour over the cake. It's OK if the cake is still warm when you glaze it.

Yield: 10" cake, about 16 servings.

My second find came from All Recipes . It's very quick and based on the reviews it should be a hit.

Matzo Apple Kugel

This dish can be served with either meat or dairy dinners. Can also be made ahead and cooked later.

4 matzo crackers, crushed
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup applesauce (preferably unsweetened)
3 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

For the topping:
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
(I used half of this amount)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Place the crumbled matzos in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover. Let stand for 2 minutes, then drain off excess water. Do not squeeze.
2. To the bowl of matzo, add eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, lemon juice and applesauce. Stir to combine. Mix in the apples and dried cranberries. Spread the mixture evenly into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and the apples are soft.

Enjoy!
To all our friends who celebrate this holiday - Chag Sameach!!! Next year in Jerusalem!

A Big Meal on December 25th

For some Jewish people, celebrating aspects of Christmas is a common occurance. Do a Google search on "Jews celebrating Christmas" and you'll find several debates on whether having a Christmas tree (or Hanukkah Bush) is acceptable. It's hard not to feel like you're missing out on something when everyone around you is preparing for Christmas.



Growing up, we celebrated Christmas because there have always been non-Jewish family members. Actually, we probably celebrated it more than a lot of Catholic families (we had all nine reindeer in our basement next to a manger scene, with so many presents that you couldn't even touch the tree) -- a slight glimpse into the insanity that is my family.

Nowadays, I go on a "we're Jewish and don't celebrate Christmas" soapbox starting about 1 month before Christmas. Inevitably, I still get "Hanukkah presents" on Christmas. It's a losing battle.

Never ones to miss out an opportunity to cook way too much food, here's the feast we had at Giz's place.

Spinach Dip

(the recipe toward the bottom of the post)

Yorkshire Pudding

Turkey


Stuffing


Salad


Potatoes

Challah

Cabbage Rolls

Brussel Sprouts

Giz will tell you about the desserts -- there were just as many selections of desserts as mains and sides combined. It's a good thing there were 7 of us The seven of us combined hardly made a dent in the food.