"Live" Tahini with Preserved Lemon and Garlic

Healthy tehina/tahina/tachina/tahini dressing or dip or sauce

I make this dip most weeks. We dip bread in it on Sabbath and I use it as salad dressing during the week. It would also be excellent drizzled over eggplant.

I do all this with my stick blender, so you will want a tall cup that fits a stick blender.

You CAN do this by hand, but you will need to finely chop all the solids.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup tahini paste (I use Ethiopian or sprouted Tahini)
• 3/4 cup water (less for thicker dip)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1, 2, or 3 cloves of garlic - preferably fermented (I use the cloves that are left after we eat all the pickles. Fresh or frozen are fine, but adjust for the potency.)
• 1/8 of a preserved lemon, seeds removed
• juice from 1/4 lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt

* If you don't have preserved lemon, use the juice from half a lemon or more to taste and 1/2 tsp salt in place of 3 ingredients above.

Add all ingredients to cup. Blend or mix until tahini turns white and smooth.
Add

• 1 small bunch of parsley leaves, optional

If using a blender, pulse to chop parsley. You may want to keep a couple leaves for garnish.

Now here's the tough part: Transfer to a closed container without eating it all.

Pi Day 3.14.15: Classic American Apple Pie

In honor of the most pi pie day for the next hundred years, I'm making pie! I don't cook many things that require measuring. But Saturday is a special day... at least by the American calendar and any other math geeks using the MM-DD-YY format!

For more options on some simpler crumbles, see the original post Thansgiving: Crust and Crumbles.

And, I had my daughter take a video of me creating the lattice work.

Food Processor Crust RECIPE:
Makes 5 single crusts (enough for two double crusts plus 'security'.)

1. Chop together in a food processor:
- 4.5 cups pastry flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1.5 sticks of butter-flavored margarine

Add more flour if necessary to form a slightly crumbly mixture.

2. Mix with fork in a separate bowl or cup:
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 vodka (Inspired by America's test kitchen, made the dough so easy to work with!)

3. Slowly add liquid mixture to food processor,

4. Wrap dough in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for at least half an hour (up to two days, or freeze for longer.)


Here is your NONrecipe filling:

1. Peel, core, and thinly slice 8-15 apples. Enough to fill your pie(s) in a heaping mound. I use a variety of apples - mostly green Granny Smiths, come pink crisps, all crunchy. Start with the green ones. Toss the red ones with a drop of lemon juice.

2. Season to taste: Mix all the sliced apples in a big zip-top bag or bowl with
 - brown sugar
 - cinnamon
 - nutmeg, prefferably fresh ground
 - butter or margarine
 - salt, ginger, allspice, and whatever else you want...
 - a little corn starch or flour depending on the amount of juice generated by the apples

Put it together:

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

1. Oil and flour your pie pan(s).

2. Roll out 1/4 of the dough, I use a Silpat mat or canvas pastry cloth.

3. Gently transfer to the pan. Cut off excess, but leave about half an inch all the way around.

4. Fill with apple mixture in a big hill.

5. Cover with second crust. If your design does not have holes (like my lattice work demo), make slits for the steam to escape.

6. Bake 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender (stab them with a toothpick.)

Chewy Chocolate Almond Hazelnut Cookies - Gluten Free

These are the easiest no-fail special Passover dessert and snack. I just can't get enough!

Based on Faye Levy's Almond Macaroons, posted by Miriyummy.

For one batch, I would recommend a minimum food processor capacity of 1 liter or 1 quart.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup raw hazelnuts
• 1 1/4 cups sugar (preferably substitute some regular sugar with vanilla sugar)
• 1/4-1/2 cocoa powder (depending on your taste)
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (depending on your taste)

1. Grind nuts and half the sugar in a food processor until medium-fine.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend to a fine paste.
3. Preheat oven to 170 C/350 F.
4. Line 1-2 pans with parchment paper.
5. Dampen hands, then form small balls of "dough" and flatten slightly. (I had my kids do this. They were slow, but it kept them busy.)
6. Bake 18-20 minutes. The cookies should darken, but stay chewy on the inside.
7. Keep in an air tight container for at least a week.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

In the time I saved making this sauce (compared to traditional recipes), I was able to tell you about it! Traditional recipes involve chopping the ingredients, adding them to a pan at specific intervals, and lots of standing over the pan/pot and stirring. Sauce can also be made in a pressure cooker much faster, but you always run the risk of burning it or under cooking it, since you can't peak.

The dry heat of the oven gives the ingredients a deep flavor without the need to stand over a frying pan.

Ingredients:

Basic:

• tomatoes, preferably ripe
• onions (I used sweet and purple onions)
• olive oil

Optional:

• bell peppers (I used red and green)
• garlic (whole cloves)
• mushrooms
• chili peppers
• fresh or dried herbs
• salt and pepper
• vinegar or dry white wine
• sugar or honey

1. Cut up all the vegetables into relatively similar sized chunks - about quarters for the tomatoes.
2. Remove any tomato seeds which come out easily and quickly, but without wasting a lot of time.
3. Toss with olive oil in a large pan, or pans.
4. Roast on high or broil until the edges are browning, probably at least half an hour. Stir/toss/flip or rotate at least once.
5. Add spices to taste and let cool.
6. Use a hand blender or pulse in a food processor to desired consistency.

This batch is mostly for shakshuka which I plan to serve for supper on Wednesday this week during Passover. I will serve it with homemade fermented chili sauce on the side. And maybe some fresh lemonade.

You might also enjoy: Creamy Roasted Tomato and Corn Soup with Cauliflower

Raw Fermented Sriracha - Thai Chili Sauce

Did you know that eating capsaicin-containing foods like chili sauce releases endorphins? That means it makes you happy! More specifically, chilli peppers have been implicated as possibly relieving pain, suppressing appetite (thus aiding weight loss), and aiding the prevention of prostate cancer.

I wrote before about making a quick cooked Sriracha-style sauce. It is tasty, but lacks the probiotic benefits and complex flavor of a naturally fermented chili sauce. Though this fermented condiment can ripen for over two weeks, the actual man-hours is less than or equal to that of the "quick" cooked sauce that can be prepared in a day or two.

Bottled sriracha (pickles in background)

I'm a little obsessed with this sauce. I open it up just to smell it and bask in it's beauty. My sriracha is intensely red. It has a deep warm flavor without the eye-watering sharpness of its raw ingredients. The taste is complex, arriving in waves of fruity heat with a sense of savory indulgence.

First I'll tell you how I make it, then I'll tell you how I use it.

Intro to Fermenting Vegetables

I have been absolutely obsessed with fermenting foods the last few weeks. My interest began as I read and heard reports on the multiple benefits of probiotics and the importance of a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. It went beyond good digestion and better absorption of nutrients. Studies show better mood and brain function associated with healthy gut flora. Research suggests that 80% of the immune system may be in the gut, with probiotic-rich foods, like kimchi, offering serious illness preventing effects.

A study published in Nature found that, "Mice fed a strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus were less anxious and produced fewer stress hormones than control animals."

I'm sold! But consuming effective amounts of probiotic tablets and yogurt can get very expensive. Multiply that times the six anxious, antibiotic ravaged guts in our household, and it is completely cost prohibitive. Then I remembered, I could culture my own probiotics! I've posted before about kombucha and kefir, but I was having trouble getting my hands on kosher kefir grains or a kombucha SCOBY. I discussed my interest with a friend, who told me she makes her own sauerkraut - and it's easy!

Potato Kugel

I just got this email from my mom: "The friends who are hosting the Passover seder we are going to attend requested that I make a potato kugal. I really loved the kugal that I've eaten at your house (made by Aaron last Passover). Could I please get the recipe from you?"


Pesach is one time of year where I use recipes, at least as a starting point. I highly recommend The Spice and Spirit Kosher Passover Cookbook. It goes beyond recipes and tackles every practical aspect of Passover. It's also great for gluten-free cooking, because most of the recipes don't use matzah meal or any manufactured products.

My Spice and Spirit Passover Cookbook is my Passover hub. Every year as I put away my passover things, I make lists: "What I have," "Buy next year," and tips like what not to make, and what to buy more or less of... more eggs and bananas, no more than 2 kg of matzoh. I stick my lists in my cookbook so they're all ready when I'm ready to shop and plan the next year.

Roasted Pepper and Olive Dip PLUS Purim Baskets

One of the mitzvot (commandments) of the Jewish Holiday of Purim is to give gifts of food (at least two types of food) called "mishloach manot" or "Shalach Manos."  There is an idea that it should be ready to eat food that can be enjoyed for the festive Purim meal. However, the most popular gifts are candy and cookies. I just moved my oven and fridge into my new kitchen yesterday (I'll post details of my kitchen renovation on Sunday.) so I had a last minute idea to make dips and give them with a pack of crackers. I also made a few packages of nonperishable packages for unexpected visitors, because the dips didn't stretch as far as I expected.

Each package had three of the following:
- Roasted chickpeas (recipe to come)
- Eggplant & Tehina/tehini
- Avocado salad with tomatoes and garlic
- Roasted bell pepper dip with olives and roasted garlic (instructions below)


1.Wash bell peppers and take excess paper off garlic.  Cut and seed peppers if desired. Alternatively, you can roast them whole, flip them half way through and seed them when you peel them.

2. Roast until the peppers are very soft and the tops are black.

3. Remove skin when they are cool enough to handle and squeeze a few cloves of garlic out of the skin.


4. Hand chop a little bit of the peppers and a few olives to top the dip.

Cauliflower Tabouleh

In honor of my Father-in-Law's arrival this evening I want to share a raw food salad made with his favorite food - cauliflower. I got the idea from the Good Eats episode "The Caul of the Flower." I combined it with my recipe for quinoa tabouleh, and got a delicious and very healthy salad, which only gets better after a day or two in the fringe.

Start with the dressing:
Using the chopping blade in the bowl of your DRY food processor, put salt and other seasonings of your choice like red pepper flakes and cumin. (I didn't use cumin this time because I was making it for someone with celiac disease and I wanted to be extra careful that none of my ingredients were contaminated with traces of gluten.)  Turn on the food processor and drop two cloves of garlic through the chute. Add the juice of two lemons (close to half a cup) and almost 1/2 cup olive oil.  Set aside in a large bowl for mixing. You do not need to wash out the food processor or the blade, but set aside this blade.

Gluten free "bulgur":
Using the shredding blade on your food processor, feed in only the florets (the outermost inch) of one head of cauliflower. Dump it into the mixing bowl with the dressing.

Non-dairy Gourmet "Tuna" Noodle Casserole (with vegan option)

My favorite compliment from my husband, "Can you make this again?" began with my son running in from the park asking, "Can we have pasta and tuna and frozen corn?"

Yes, my children would have been satisfied with pasta covered in ketchup, tuna salad, and frozen, literally still frozen, corn.  But, ew, really?

Though sardines are usually more expensive than canned tuna, I've been trying to steer my family toward these healthier and more ecological little fishies.  I even found a brand I love.  I call them "sardines for beginners."  No heads, tails, spines or scales, and no fish breath.  My husband was the last hold out, preferring the the dry mercury laden giants often called "the hot dog of fish" (canned tuna).  But even he couldn't resist sardines smothered in this flavorful creamy sauce in a familiar, noodle casserole format. 

For school lunch, try it cold, for a one-dish, energy packed, lunch to-go!

The sauce is so fast and easy to make, you can begin the prep at the same time you start the pasta water.  And like all my "non-recipes" the ingredients are flexible.

Rigatoni a la Vodka - Non-dairy

This was so delicious, I have to share!  Very non-restaurant ingredients with restaurant-worthy flavor.  I used leftover rigatoni and rewarmed it in my semi-homemade thick, creamy sauce.

What I did this time:

1. Pulse in a food processor: 1 medium red onion, 2-3 cloves garlic.  While blade is spinning, quickly drop in about 10 fresh cherry tomatoes and then stop food processor.  (You can add bell pepper or mushrooms if you like...whatever you want to use up.)
2. Add to pan/pot with hot olive oil and sauté briefly.
3. Add a jar/box/can of crushed tomatoes.  I used a small carton of very smooth "strained crushed tomatoes."  But you can use whatever you have in the house, be it tomato juice, tomato paste, or stewed tomatoes.  Just play with the consistency by blending or adding additional liquid.
4. Simmer sauce and season to taste.  My fresh herbs couldn't take this heat, so I used ground coriander seeds, dry basil, ground red pepper flakes, and salt. 
5. Add Vodka.  Yes, real vodka.  However much you can afford... maybe 1/4 cup.  Tomatoes contain alcohol soluble flavors that can only be thoroughly enjoyed when cooked with alcohol.  There is no way to scientifically determine how much alcohol has "cooked off," so consider your audience and pour responsibly.*
6. Continue to simmer.  Then stir in the secret ingredient... 

Upside-Down Stuffed Peppers with Vegetarian Stuffing

Is it so wrong that I fancy myself a genius for cooking the peppers on top of the stuffing?  The peppers get more roasted, the rice stays moister, they are easier to stuff, and the half-pepper is a better portion for a side dish.

This is really two recipes in one.  First I'll tell you about the stuffing, a pilaf which is an excellent balanced food for vegetarians.  Then I'll tell you about the stuffed peppers.  You can serve the pilaf by itself, or stuff the peppers with waterever mostly-cooked grains you have.

Gazpacho - Two Recipes for Summer

Gazpacho is great for the summer and requires no cooking.  Below are two different recipes. The first is a recipe my parents have been raving about, originally from SimplyRecipes.com.  The second is for an authentic Spanish Gazpacho from The Splendid Table guest David Rosengarten.  It makes a creamy, silky soup with just a few more steps, but less ingredients, than the first recipe.

Asado / Mangal: Argentine-Israeli Fusion

In honor of the Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer, I took out our tiny charcoal grill and played with matches until I had something I thought might cook some bits of meat and veggies.  Israelis take their barbecue, called "Mangal," very seriously.  On Independence Day, "Yom Ha'atzmaut," the parks are so full of smoke from everyone's little grills you can hardly see a couple meters ahead.  On Lag B'Omer the predominant tradition is building bonfires.  

Growing up in Florida, we often went to my grandparents' house for "asado," Argentine barbecue involving a variety of meats.  I remember a lot of eating as things cooked on the grill, and then more eating when we all sat down to eat.  At the table a jar of chimichurri was always passed around to put on the bread and top the meats.  As I write this, my Aunt is preparing to have my grandparents over for asado this evening.  

Matzoh Ball Soup

Kneidalach or matzah balls are a traditional soup accompaniment year round, but for many, Pesach, or Passover, is when they expect this treat. 

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1.5 Tbsps cold water, seltzer/soda water, or cold broth
• 2 Tbsps oil or chicken fat (you could scrape it off the top of cold soup if you make it a day ahead)
• 1/2 cup matzoh meal
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper
• wide pot with top and minimum 5 inches of broth

Directions:

1. Beat together with a fork eggs, oil, liquid.
2. Mix in matzoh meal, salt, and pepper.
3. Refrigerate for about an hour. The matzoh meal needs time to absorb the liquid and chill well.
4. Bring broth the a boil.
5. Wet hands with cold water and form small balls.
6. Simmer covered 20-35 minutes.

For matzoh ball tips and soup recipe see How to make great Chicken Soup.



You can make matzoh meal in your food processor from machine or hand-made shmura matzoh, or you can buy it plain or seasoned in little packets made by Manishevitz, Osem, etc.  How do you like your matzoh balls? Firm or fluffy? Small or soft-ball sized?

Please comment with your maztoh ball memories!

For more on making broth, see
How to make great Chicken Soup
Stock Pile - or - What I Learned from My Snails.

Pizza Night: Guest Post from my Mom & Dad

My mom, "Bubbe", is an artist and graphic designer; and she has a very special way of staying connected to my kids.  Several times a week she uses her computer to sketch something interesting going on in her life.  On the "Drawing of the Day" there is a note about the drawing, and often a question that causes the kids to write back or answer on the phone.  Below are yesterday's drawings.  At the bottom you will find my dad's recipe for the pizza dough, followed by my own toppings suggestions.  Happy Anniversary Lala & Zeide!

Dear Adele, Mordechai, and Talia,

Tonight we celebrated Lala and Zeide's wedding anniversary.  Grandpa and I invited them over for dinner.  Grandpa made pizza; four pizza pies to be exact.  This is the story about how grandpa made the pizzas.

First Grandpa got out the electric mixer.  He put flour, water, oil, sugar, yeast, and an egg into the mixer the blend them all together to make the dough.

 Then Grandpa decided that both he and the dough needed a rest.  Grandpa divided the dough into four pieces.  He rolled them into balls, placed them on a pan and let them rest in the refrigerator for several hours.  Grandpa rested in a chair in the living room.

Fish Video: Dress, Bake, Eat

Amnon from the local outdoor market - shuk

soup nuts - shkedei marak

Last week I cooked some repeats (including Onion Challah, this time rolls with poppy seeds), and focused on some necessary family paper work while I let my husband handle the "cooking".  Besides baking frozen shnitzel (breaded chicken paddies) and serving pasta with ketchup, he managed to whip up a tasty simple vegetable soup. He simmered carrot, onion and celery with garlic powder and salt in plain water.  A good start and very welcome on a cold day.  Especially with the Israeli staple, "soup nuts".

I've also been playing with Windows Live Movie Maker, which I downloaded on my gorgeous new hand-me-down laptop.  Thanks dad!!  Below is a remix of my fish videos beginning with how to make a homemade mayonnaise-type sauce for fish. 






Below is the video of the lemon cutting method I mention in the video, followed by a pictures of the shuk at night, as promised.

Let me know what you think of my editing skills (or lack there of)!  I hope to have some new dishes and ideas up before you can say "Polly Locket picked a box of pickled olives."

Avocado

Israeli avocados have very thin skins and large pits.  They are delicious, but if you try to use the usual methods of spooning out the meat or peeling them, the skin breaks apart and makes more work.  Hannah K. of CookingManager.com sent me this avacado video from Risa from Isramom.blogspot.com.  I was very exited to try it!



You can make a quick and delicious avocado salad with 1 to 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice, one small clove of garlic, and one tomato per avocado.  Below is a video of Hannah making avocado salad in my food processor.  Lesson learned: know your equipment.  I cut out the part where she had to fish out the chunks of tomatoes and cut them by hand before putting them back in the food processor.  Hannah has a Magimix, which I remember hearing excellent things about on the Splendid Table.  If I want to make a non-mushy avocado salad in my low-end processor, I need to start with smaller pieces of tomato.

Hearty Lentil Soup

Today I am making soup for a family in our community who is sitting shiva.  Our condolences to the family and friends of Nechama Gittel Chaya (Norma) Kuras.  I've always thought my lentil soup is very comforting, but this is the first time it will really be put to the test. 

In addition, this is the first time I am making it with dry lentils (not canned) and without store-bought broth.  If you want to use those time-savers. see Easy Lentil Soup.

Some other things I'm doing differentley include using my food processor to thinly slice the veggies, and cooking two kind of lentils separately.  Lets get started!

1. Chop 2 onions, 3-4 carrots, and 1 celery root/celeriac or parsnip (both optional), and 1 sweet potato/yam (also optional, but tasty) and start them cooking with oil in a pot.

2. Add a sprinkling of flour, celery, mushrooms, and tomatoes. to the pan.

Homemade "Mayonnaise" with Dill and Onion on Whole Fish

I've mentioned my technique for making a sauce for fish from mayonnaise.  I thought it was time to demonstrate. 



Traditional mayonnaise would include whipping a pasteurized egg yolk into an emulsion, adding a couple drops of vinegar (or acid of your choice), then VERY slowly at first adding an entire cup of oil.  You can do this with a whip attachment on a hand blander or food processor.