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.

Portobello Cranberry and Wine Brick Roast for Shabbat:

This recipe was inspired by The Kosher Palette Cookbook. The recipe is so easy to put together on a Friday morning for Shabbat.  When the sauce ingredients are simmered together, you would never know that there is a can of cranberry sauce in there- but that coupled with the cooking wine gives it unbelievable flavor! I love when an unexpected guest rings the bell on a Friday afternoon and they say how good the house smells!!! When you make this roast- it will be one of those days!!! If you are more of a brisket  roast hostess, please comment below with brisket roast tips for this recipe.

Please let me know how you like it! Marlene

p.s.- I didnt have time to snap a pic of the finished roast before Shabbat started, but I managed to snap a pic as it was sliding into the oven.

Kosher Brick Roast Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 cup Marsala cooking wine (my sister in law used half Kesser wine and it came out great)
• 1 cup of Imagine chicken broth
• 1 can of whole or jellied cranberry sauce
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (my sister in law didn’t have rosemary and it turned out great)
• One 4 0r 5  lb brick roast
• 4 portobello mushrooms sliced

Directions for this Shabbat recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk wine, chicken broth, flour, onion, cranberry sauce, in a saucepan and heat on a low flame  until melted and boiling for about 10 minutes.
3. Rub roast all over with salt, pepper, garlic, and place sliced onion and rosemary on top.
4. Pour cranberry sauce mixture on top and cover.
5. Roast for about 1 and one half hours and then add half of sliced portobello mushrooms for another half hour.
6. Cool, slice, and re-heat for 45 minutes to an hour before serving.
7. Saute the rest of the portobello mushrooms in garlic and top as a garnish before serving.

Related articles

• Quinoa with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Dried Cranberries (thejewishhostess.com)
• Simple Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Chicken (thejewishhostess.com)
• Greek Chicken for Shabbat (thejewishhostess.com)

These scrumptious chicken burger sliders are an easy, kid friendly meal. They are also low fat and easy to dress up for your adult guests. Just serve fancier slider rolls from kosher bakeries such as in Pomegranate in Brooklyn, NY. Toppings such as avocado, roasted red peppers and  caramelized onions, (and all of the toppings that Florence mentioned below!) also add to the adult appeal of these fail proof  flavor filled sliders. Don’t forget to make them a main attraction to your Super Bowl menu this Sunday night, February 5, 2012. 

Thanks to Florence Doueck for this perfected juicy slider recipe! Please check out Florence’s brand new easy and kosher gourmet recipe site, Beyond My Recipes. Florence uses the old fashioned “use your judgement” pinches and handful ingredient measurements.  Let’s all welcome and follow Florence’s  blog!

Comment below if you are thinking of trying this great new chicken slider recipe! Marlene M.

Chicken Slider Burgers by Florence Doueck:

What you will need:
-ground white meat chicken (can be made with ground turkey as well)
-fresh parsley
-fresh ginger
-honey
-garlic powder
-carrot
-onion
-ginger powder
-lemon zest
-egg
-water
-panko breadcrumbs ( or matzo meal for Passover)
-salt
-pepper
-slider buns

Preparation- To clean: Soak a handful of parsley in water, and then rinse each branch. Finely chop the parsley. Peel and grate some ginger (about the size of your thumb) on a microplane. Grate a carrot, half a lemon (by grate I mean zest), and half of a white onion on the mircoplane as well.

Step 1-Add the ground chicken to a bowl- I used about 2 pounds, which came out to about 9 patties. Add the grated ginger, lemon zest, carrot, andonion. Then add an egg (one egg for every pound or pound and a half). Add a splash of water, and a handful of panko breadcrumbs. Next add a dash ofgarlic powder and ginger powder. Add a squeeze of honey (or more if you like it sweeter). Sprinkle with salt and some pepper. Combine all ingredients.

Step 2- Line a tray with wax paper (to freeze). Form the chicken mixture into the size of a meatball, then place on the tray and flatten with the palm of your hand. The patties should be mini, so they fit on the slider buns. If you want to make regular sized chicken burgers that works too, just make them bigger (double the size). Freeze the chicken burgers. I like to freeze them first and then cook them, because these patties are delicate and fall apart easily when you cook them.

Broil, Pan fry, or Grill!
You can cook these burgers any way you like. The easiest way is to broil them. Put the oven on broil and place patties on a slotted tray (so the grease drips down). Since broiling only cooks the top of your food on a very high heat, be sure to flip the burger after about 7 minutes in the oven. If you want to pan sear the burgers, sear on both sides in a pan with a little oil then finish them off in the oven.

The toppings are endless!
I love multiple toppings on my burgers. On this burger put lettuce, I sliced some pickles, shallot (milder version of an onion), and tomato. As for a sauce I mixed a little sriracha mayonnaise, and ketchup and spread it on a toasted bun.

Toppings I would try (on any type of burger- beef, chicken, or turkey!):
-shredded carrot
-marinated peppers
-arugula
-frisee
-radicchio
-red onion
-white onion
-eggplant
-sliced radish
-jalapeño peppers
-grilled sliced peach (yes! Fruit on a burger.)
-fried egg!
-caramelized onions
-grilled pineapple
-avocado
-garlic mayo
-roasted red pepper
-herb spread (in a food processer add fresh basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, lemon, oil, salt, and pepper. Process until you form a paste)
-corn relish (corn, diced pepper, sliced scallions, white vinegar, salt, pepper)
-grilled mushroom
-ginger carrot dressing (in a blender add carrot, fresh ginger lemon, vinegar, honey, oil, and sesame oil)
-teriyaki sauce
-BBQ sauce
-scallions

If you really want to whip up juicy sliders, try this chef approved Flame Top Braiser for Sliders and Juicy Ribs, which has been said to be “A gentle Jacuzzi for food.”

I recently tried a new salad dressing from the new SBH Cooking for a Cause cookbook and it was too good not to share with all of my Jewish Hostesses. Its light and sophisticated, yet very kid friendly.  It’s much easier for me to whip up large quantities of salad dressings in a Cuisinart than mixing in a bowl. I doubled the amount of ingredients called for in the original recipe, and stored it in a jar in the fridge. Perfect on top of any type of salad! Use it all week- this past Shabbat I drizzled it on top of sliced grilled chicken salad with olives and radichio. Yum! Enjoy! Marlene

Monday Night Light ‘n Lemony Dijon Mustard Salad Dressing:

• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots
• salt and freshly ground pepper

1. While Cuisinart blade is running, drop the 2 shallots in to be minced.
2. Pour in all other ingredients except for olive oil.
3. While blade is spinning slowly add olive oil to make sure the dressing is emulsified.
4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Store in a jar and use throughout the week!

Related articles

• Salmon with Crushed Pistachios and Grated Lemon Peel (thejewishhostess.com)
• Lisa’s Endive, Green Apple, and Pistachio Salad (thejewishhostess.com)

Thank you Leah from Cook Kosher for sending in this fabulous warming meat Chulent recipe! Its a perfect dish to make our families glad that they are joining with us enjoying a cozy meal inside with the family on a wintery Friday night!

Easy and Delicious Shabbat Chulent for a Cozy Winter’s Night

• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 cup oil (Leah’s sister in law insists that you need the whole cup of oil for this recipe but I would reduce the amount to the most 1/4 cup of oil)
• 1 package flanken meat, cut into cubes
• 4 tbsp garlic powder
• ½ tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1½ Tbsp paprika
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp onion soup mix
• 1½ cup barley
• 1 cup mixed beans
• 9 potatoes, cubed

1. Sautee 2 onions on low heat in the oil until softened (about 8 min)
2. Add cubes of flanken on a very high flame and sear the meat until it is browned on all sides. (This locks in the moisture and keeps the meat soft).
3. Drain beans and barley and combine with onions and meat.
4. Add paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, soup mix and soy sauce and mix well.
5. Cover with water and let it cook for at least 2 hours on medium flame.
6. Add diced potatoes and ensure that the entire chulent is still covered in water. Let it keep cooking on med flame. It should be bubbling all the time.
7. Right before shabbos, transfer everything to a crock pot and ensure that there is enough water covering chulent at all times. Keep it on low till shabbos day.
8. NOTE: Be sure to soak the beans and barley overnight before making the chulent. This softens the beans and removes the gas.

Don’t forget to checkout Cook Kosher for some great kosher recipes!

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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

This is another healthy and easy kosher recipe from the Magen David Yeshivah Chef at Home gourmet kosher cookbook(page 206).  I made it for a Sukkot meal, but of course its great for any Jewish holiday menu, or Shabbat meal. Since I was voted to cook the meal for the second night of Sukkot (always so HARD because everything has to be done from the day before!) I cooked the rice and the mushrooms in advance, and last minute re-sauteed the mushrooms and adding in the fresh baby spinach till it wilted.

I multiplied this recipe by 4 because I was having a lot of company and I also added in a cup of cooked wild rice which was not in the original recipe.

Kosher Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup COOKED wild rice according to the instructions on the bag
• 2 cups Imagine No- Chicken Broth 
• 1 medium onion
• 1 pound (total) portobella and button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bag fresh cleaned baby spinach leaves

Directions:

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• Grilled Watermelon and Arugula Salad for Sukkot Lunch (thejewishhostess.com)
• Sarah’s Table-A Gorgeous Feast (thejewishhostess.com)
• Whole Wheat Honey Challah- Plus a 6 Braid Challah How-to Video (thejewishhostess.com)
• Wild Salmon Chunks Served on a Bed of Baby Spinach (thejewishhostess.com)