ask the teenagers to help

This recipe is a version of the Sephardic Spanech (spinach) ou b’ Jiben(cheese) in which the spinach mixture is poured into a big pie shell or pyrex and baked.

Bake a dozen or two for a family dinner as an instant appetizer.

You will always want to have  a batch of these spinach tarts bagged in the freezer.

The dough is easy to whip up in the Cuisinart- just leave the butter in the fridge overnight to soften.

Adapted from the “White Deal Delights Cookbook.”

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 13 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup semolina (smead) flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 cup warm water

Spinach Cheese Topping:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. safflower oil
• 3 1/2  boxes frozen chopped spinach or 1 1/2 bags frozen chopped spinach
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups low fat mozzarella cheese
• dash of white pepper
• sesame seeds, chopped pimiento (optional topping)

Directions:

1. Combine flour, smead(semolina flour), and salt in Cuisinart
2. Using Cuisinart, gradually add butter, then warm water slowly
3. Squeeze excess water from spinach.
4. Saute onion tilll soft, add  spinach and salt
5. Add eggs,  cheese and pepper
6. Mix well, adjust seasonings to taste
7. Line baking sheets with wax paper if you are preparing to freeze.
8. Line with parchment paper if you are ready to bake
9. Roll dough into evenly shaped balls
10. dip in sesame seeds (optional)
11. flatten balls, and flute edges
12. Place a tsp. of spinach mixture inside each flattened circle
13. Flute edges.
14. (you can flute edges and then add mixture- whatever works for you!)
15. Freeze and then bag or bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

ready for the freezer

This is a great  gluten–free recipe to serve on Mother’s Day. I made it this week for Shabbat lunch. Thanks to Paula Shoyer for sending it in to The Jewish Hostess. Check out her new book “The Kosher Baker.”
I added fresh corn to this salad.
The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Dairy-free Recipes from Traditional to Trendy

By Paula Shoyer

serves 8

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh corn
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted, optional
• 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 3 scallions, sliced thin

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place the quinoa into a small saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, covered, or until the water is evaporated. Turn off the heat and let quinoa sit covered for at least one hour, up to 8 hours.  While the quinoa is sitting, place the sweet potato cubes into a roasting pan and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until you can just pierce the cubes with a fork. Set aside.

Place the pine nuts into a small pan over medium heat and cook until lightly toasted, stirring often. Watch carefully so they do not burn. Set aside.  In a small bowl, place the remaining two tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Whisk well.

When the quinoa is dry, use a whisk to break apart the grains. Add the vinaigrette and mix with the whisk. Add the sweet potatoes, pine nuts, cranberries and scallions and mix gently. Serve at room temperature.

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ENDIVE and ARUGULA SALAD  WITH SPICED MATZO CRISPS by Lisa Ades

This is a delicious Passover fatoush salad adapted from a recipe by Susie Fishbein. You can replace the endive and arugula with chopped romaine hearts. The Spiced Matzo crisps are also good as a snack or to serve with twisted cheese:

Spiced Matzah Crisps:

• 3 Matzos
• olive oil
• ground cumin
• garlic powder
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper (or Aleppo Pepper)

Fatoush Salad:

• 4 heads Belgium endive
• 1 cup arugula
• 1/8 cup fresh mint leaves, stems discarded
• 1 8-10 inch English cucumber, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces, or salad cukes
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• juice from ½- 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• kosher salt
• sumac (optional)

Directions for this Kosher Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay 3 Matzos on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper or Aleppo pepper. Place, uncovered, into the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and break into large shards of irregular size.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Thinly slice the endive and place in a large bowl. Lay the mint leaves in a pile and tear them (they will bruise of you cut them with a knife). Add to the bowl. Toss the cucumber, parsley, tomatoes, and arugula. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and optional sumac. Add to the salad, tossing to combine.

Arrange the salad in a mound on 6 plates. Stand 2-3 Matzo crisps in each salad. Serve.

Ever since I bought Susie  Fishbein‘s Passover by Design cookbook, I’ve been using her chicken recipes all year round . Her Greek Garlic Chicken is so quick and easy, and really looks gourmet. Use this recipe for your Passover Seder and your guest will think that you took a gourmet cooking class.

The fresh oregano and some fresh sliced lemons should be sprinkled on top as a garnish!

Kosher Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 chickens, cut into eighths, skinned
• 2 onions, cut into chunks
• 2-3 lemons
• 12-16 sprigs of oregano
• 8 cloves of fresh garlic, halved
• sea salt, black pepper
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1 cup of Passover white cooking wine
• 1 and 1/2 cup of pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup  whole kalamata olives for garnish

Directions for this Kosher Recipe:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Place chicken pieces in a roaster. (I buy my chicken pieces without the skin.)
• Add the onion chunks. Slice the lemons legnthwise and squeeze the lemons over the chicken.
• Throw the lemon slices over the chicken. Scatter some whole and  some stripped oregano leaves over the chicken.
• Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle with oil and wine.
• Toss the mixture together.
• Sprinkle chopped olives over chicken.
• Baked covered, if using chicken without the skin, bake until chicken is fully cooked  and uncover for 15 minutes till brown in color.
• Garnish with fresh oregano and sliced lemons.

• Easy Shabbat Whole Chicken with Mushroom and Tam Tam Stuffing (thejewishhostess.com)
• Warm Chickpea Salad with Arugula for Passover (thejewishhostess.com)
• Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts (thejewishhostess.com)
• The Jewish Hostess Post Purim 2011 Party ReCap (thejewishhostess.com)
• Passover Pizza Dough (thejewishhostess.com)
• How to Fry Chicken Without the Fat (thejewishhostess.com)
• How to Fry Chicken Without the Fat (thejewishhostess.com)
• 13 UNIQUE and GORGEOUS TABLESCAPES FROM PASSOVER 2012 (thejewishhostess.com)
• 40 Cloves of Garlic ‘n Chicken-Passover Recipe for 40 Years in the Desert! (thejewishhostess.com)

Many Sepahrdic Jews eat chick peas on Passover, and I am lucky to be one of them. If you do buy chick peas in a can for Passover, make sure it is Kosher certified for Passover.

If you are of  Ashkenaz descent, then start using up your chametz chickpeas by trying this savory recipe ASAP!

To read more about  kitniyot on Passover, click HERE.

This recipe is too good to pass up.  It took 10 minutes to prepare, and took another 10 minutes for the family to devour it. Use more olive oil, salt, pepper,vinegar  and honey if you have  a lot of arugula. Serve as a weeknight tasty side dish, or as a midday main course with friends.

Check out this REVIEW of this great Mark Bittman cook book.

From : How to Cook Everything, Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food

Makes: 4 side- or 2 main-dish servings

Time: 20 minutes with precooked beans

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups cooked or drained canned chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 4 cups arugula leaves
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered (optional)

Kosher Sephardic Passover Recipe Directions

1. Put the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the ginger, garlic, and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the ginger and garlic are soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir in the chickpeas until hot and coated in the oil and seasonings, about 3 minutes more.

2. Remove from heat and with a fork, stir in the vinegar, honey, and 1 tablespoon water. Mash a few of the chickpeas as you stir to add texture to the dressing. Put the arugula and red onion in a large bowl and toss with the warm chickpea dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with hard-cooked eggs if you like.
Recipe from Mark Bittman‘s BLOG.

More books from Mark Bittman

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The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Dairy-free Recipes from Traditional to Trendy:

If you are lucky enough to get a hold of  this brand new gourmet kosher  cookbook, then dont just buy one, buy at least 4!!! One for your mother, sister, best friend, daughters…. Here’s why:

1. Its a beautifully designed  spiral bound 2 1/2 inch thick cookbook.
2. Its compact and kitchen friendly.
3. The profits go to a great cause- the Sephardic Bikur Holim Food Pantry.
4. You will get a head start on your Rosh Hashanah gifts.
5.  Its truly a labor of love by the Syrian Jewish community’s TOP CHEFS!! All of the secret recipes that you’ve been dying to get your hand on, are all HERE!!!!
6. Cost: $36. – call 732-531-1117 for purchase information or email Renna at rcalvo2292@aol.com

Recipe for Chicken Lettuce Wraps  from “Cooking for a Cause” Gourmet Kosher Cookbook

•  2 large chicken breasts (boned, skinned & diced)
• 1 red pepper (chopped)
• 1 green pepper (chopped)
• 3 stalks celery (chopped)
• 3 carrots (chopped)
• parsley (for garnish)
• ½ can bean sprouts (drained)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 tbs. hoisun sauce
• 1 tbs. apricot preserves
• 3 tbs. soy sauce
• 3 tbs. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• lettuce leaves for cups (either Boston, butter or romaine)

1. In sauté pan over high heat, add oil, sauté garlic for a minute.

2. Add chicken, celery, peppers, carrots and bean sprouts.  Sauté until chicken is cooked.

3. When chicken is cooked, add the remaining ingredients for the sauce.

4. Cook over medium heat for 2 more minutes.

5. Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce cups and serve.

Mozelle Tobias

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“Hi Marlene,

Thanks for visiting my blog. I am really enjoying the recipes posted on The Jewish Hostess. I just made the healthy chocolate chip cookies submitted by Margo Shalom.

I just posted a recipe for Hanuka–Whipped Feta Dip.

It is based on a classic Greek recipe called Kopanisti (I originally got the recipe from a book by Diane Kochilas called The Greek Vegetarian). There are just a few ingredients, so it is important to use the best quality of each: freshly ground black pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and a really good feta.

So, wait, why feta dip on Hanukah? Well, it is a custom to serve cheese on the holiday to commemorate Yehudit, who vanquished the Greek general Holofernes by plying him with salty cheese and wine (also here). (and here is another explanation based on the letters of  chalav). “

Whipped Greek Yogurt Dip

• 1/2 lb. feta, crumbled
• juice 1/2 lemon
• 4-5 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbl. labne or Greek yogurt (optional, will make mixture looser and a bit milder tasting)

Put all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until smooth. Adjust seasonings, adding more lemon juice as needed, before serving.

This can be served in a bowl, drizzled with more olive oil, with za’atar pita triangles on the side. It can also be served in mini filo shells or maybe stuffed into cherry tomatoes. Or serve it with crudités.

Laura

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Marinated Olives

The world was not created in one day. So too your Jewish holiday and Shabbat meals. Prepping and cooking in advance is a must when it comes to entertaining for a large bunch. These marinated olives are the perfect appetizer for a scrumptious Shabbat lunch, especially accompanied with Syrian mazza such as lahamagine and kibbe . They are also perfect in the fridge for that unexpected guest.

SERVINGS: Makes 2 pounds

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds *
• 2 pounds of green and black olives, assorted (2 1/2 cups)
• 5 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• Zest strips from 1 orange, cut into fine julienne
• About 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

• In a small skillet, toast the fennel seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Rinse the olives in a large strainer; drain well. Transfer the olives to a medium bowl. Stir in the toasted fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper and orange zest and add enough olive oil to cover. Let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours before serving.

Make Ahead

The olives can be refrigerated for up to 10 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes:

Fennel Seed has a delicate flavor; light and sweet, similar to anise.

Courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine