I found this great kosher recipe for kids on Gourmet Kosher Cooking. Can’t wait to feed the little ones and enjoy a romantic night out!

Ingredients for this Kosher Recipe

• 4 boneless, skinless,(organic) chicken cutlets cut into strips
• 1 ounce (about 15)  Flavored Onion Rings snacks from the package .(you can find healthier  kosher versions of the traditional “Wise”  brand bagged onion rings in your favorite Health Food store.
• ½ ounce (about 7 chips)  potato chips (pareve)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 dashes garlic powder, or to taste
• 2 dashes salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg or 1/8 cup egg substitute
• Chicken skewers (if wooden, soak for 30 minutes in water)

Directions for this Kosher Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Carefully slide each chicken strip lengthwise onto a skewer. Set aside.
3. In a large sealable plastic bag, combine the onion rings, potato chips, and all the seasonings. If you like, add extra seasonings to taste. Seal the bag and crush contents until reduced to a coarse breadcrumb-like consistency. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk egg into a small bowl. Take a chicken skewer and dunk it in the egg, evenly coating the chicken. Gently shake off the excess liquid and then lay chicken skewer in the seasoned crumbs. Rotate the skewer pressing it into the crumbs to evenly coat the entire piece. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the chicken skewers.
5. Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, carefully flipping skewers about halfway through cooking, until chicken is cooked through and coating is crispy. Cool for a few minutes. Eat plain or with duck sauce for dipping.

“Last week I started to take out my props to start setting my Shabbat table. For some reason I kept getting interrupted. First the phone kept ringing. Then the doorbell, then the plumber asking questions about everything except going to the moon! It was not meant for me to finish or let alone even start! At that point, a friend stopped by with her six year old daughter and she was the one who basically told me what she liked from my dishes and napkins,  and the rest of the things that you see on my table!

So there you go, its so easy to make a table work if you play with accessories in your home. Even a six year old can do it. Just don’t be intimidated . There are no rules to follow. We used a double place mat. One is brown beads and the other is sea foam green mother of pearl. I found the dishes in home goods. What a score! They had service for 24! The napkin rings are  coral beads by Kim Seybert, and my six year old friend insisted on the color napkin! It was fun to see that anything she wanted to use seemed to look fine!

I think next week I will call her again!” Shelly Antebi

Announcing a SUMMERY SHABBAT TABLE CONTEST!! CLICK HERE for more info!!

Check out Shelly n Renee’s NYC sample sale Facebook page!

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• Announcing a Summery Shabbat Table Contest! (thejewishhostess.com)

Photo permission of Bridget Ben Dayan

“Hi -I really enjoy your website and I have a delicious and easy recipe for a new twist on medias (stuffed artichoke). When I’m in a health conscience mood i bake, other times I sauté. They are really delicious and deceiving, they look like meat every time I make it, I’m asked for the recipe.” Bridget Ben-Dayan

Ingredients for this Kosher Recipe:

• 1 medium eggplant – peeled & chopped
• 1 box of baby bella mushrooms – chopped
• 1/3 c. flavored breadcrumbs
• olive oil to saute
• salt to taste
• 1 pkg frozen artichoke hearts (10-12 pcs)
• 3 cups of boiling water
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c. flavored breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place frozen artichoke bottoms in a bowl and cover with boiling water,
3. Add lemon juice to the water.  Leave the artichokes in water until tender.
4. Saute chopped eggplant in saucepan
5. When almost soft add in chopped mushrooms and continue to saute until soft.
6. Puree mixture with hand held mixer, add in breadcrumbs and salt to taste.
7. Spoon mixture into the artichoke bottoms. (If you find that your mixture is too loose, add more breadcrumbs.)
8. Fill a small bowl with approx 1/4 c of  breadcrumbs.  Dip filled artichoke, mixture side down into the bowl with breadcrumbs.  Then place artichoke, mixture side down onto greased tray, use oil not spray to insure the desired texture to the top of the artichoke.  Repeat for all of the artichokes, then bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Send in your  favorite easy, healthy recipes to marlene@thejewishhostess.com.

Every submission will be entered to win any Susie Fishbein cookbook!

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

This recipe was such a hit that I decided to re-post it. Zaatar is a tangy, addictive spice that is actually a mixture of dried herbs, sesame seeds,  sumac, and salt.  It is a centuries-old mixture dating back to at least the 13th century. Exactly what those herbs are, and how all those ingredients are proportioned vary from culture to culture and family to family. If you would like to create your own memorable zaatar recipe, you  can start  HERE, and  give or take a little until you create your own personal zaatar potpourri.

Great last minute yummy pizza!

Kids and adults love it- great for parties! Perfect for your Purim Seuda!!

• • Mazor’s Pizza Dough- these come ready made- I buy whole wheat mini pizza doughs at Kosher Corner.
  • Zaatar spice
  • olive oil
  • shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
  • delete the cheese, or use cheese substitute and it becomes dairy-free and vegan!

1. place pizza doughs on Pam sprayed parchment paper on a cookie sheet
2. mix zaatar with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, salt,  pepper and sesame seeds (to taste) in a small bowl
3. spoon mixture on top of each pizza dough
4. sprinkle cheese on top of each one
5. bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

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There is perhaps no more traditionally Jewish night than Seder night, and there is no reason that your Seder table has to be as stale as the Matzah you are serving!

These modern takes on the traditional Seder plate will add that Dash Of Panache to your traditional Seder.

Here are our picks for best  modern Seder plates of 2011:

1.Elegant Ceramic Seder plate engraved by hand, this Bernardaud “Louvre Judaica” Seder Plate is the perfect Passover gift for your favorite Jewish Hostess.  At Bloomingdales $220.

2. This contemporary  sterling silver seder plate is a stunning piece. Famed designer LellaVignelli brings her strong architectural vision to a limited collection of Judaica commissioned by The Jewish Museum. Of course its my favorite one and at $1875.00 its the most expensive!!!

3. This Spode designed seder plate is based on historic Judaic manuscripts from the 1880′s, influenced by early ceramic tile motifs,and features the traditional Judaic colors of blue and white. $103.00 available HERE.

4. A celebration of spring’s arrival, this handcrafted seder plate by American artist Melanie Dankowitz is lasercut from stainless steel. This is my second choice for prettiest seder plate, much more affordable at $254, HERE.

5. Laura Cowan makes a line of Judaica that is space-age minimalist.  We love it.  This seder plate design is inspired by the craters on the moon’s surface and is crafted out of polished aluminum. $199.00 available HERE.

6. Designer Ann Morhauser created this elegantseder plate featuring 24kt gold lettering and trim on a glass platter. $225 available HERE.

7. Designer Jonathan Adler brings us this modern seder plate for Passover.   The seder plate is crafted in glazed porcelain with real gold accents and is sure to be smashing on your holiday table. $150.00 available HERE.

8. Designer Michael Aram created this seder plate inspired by the form of pomegranates, a symbol of eternity, fertility, and plenty.  It is an age old image which crosses cultures and transcends time and one of the seven species of Israel.  Weaving modern thought with tradition, Aram included seven spaces rather than six, so the seder plate can hold both the six symbolic seder foods and an orange, which honors the contributions of women. $225.00 Available HERE.

9. The designers at Israel Giftware Designs is affordable and and chic. $29.99 available at Amazon.com

Chocolate Orange Peanut Bark

Its so easy to make your own gourmet chocolates and package them yourself as a gorgeous holiday hostess gift. Inspired by Martha Stewart, I decided to create something scrumtious from scratch. Chocolate-Orange Peanut Bark – Preparation  time- 25 minutes

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 bag of kosher chocolate chips
• 1 orange
• 1 1/3 cups of any kind of  lightly roasted nut.
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt

how to:

1-Chill an aluminum foil lined baking sheet . 2-Remove the zest from the orange with a vegetable peeler. Slice the zest into long pieces with a sharp knife. 3-Melt a bag of  chocolate chips in a double boiler. 4-mix in half of the zest and nuts, immediately pour onto the chilled sheet and spread into a rectangle with a rubber spatula. 5-Sprinkle with remaining zest, nuts, and salt. Chill until firm. Break into pieces. May be stored in airtight container in the freezer. For a chic homemade holiday gift- package these in a tin from Atlantic Sales. Cut Parchment Paper with pinking shears and line each layer.

Wrap with cellophane and a beautiful ribbon!

Happy Holiday! Join us HERE if you would like more kosher recipes sent to your inbox!!

By Lucy Cohen Blatter

I have a confession to make: I’m not crazy about chicken breasts. Okay, I realize this isn’t a major revelation, but for a cook/blogger who’s trying to stay healthy, it’s a bit of a challenge. Sure, I love breaded and fried chicken schnitzels — who doesn’t? But I much prefer dark meat, and often find skinless, boneless chicken breast recipes to be dry and boring.

That said, I have a lot of faith in Mark Bittman . The former author of the Minimalist column for The New York Times (and current op-ed writer) is all about simplicity. Like me, he often embraces substitutions, too.

And his recipe for Chicken with Coconut and Lime does not disappoint.

The recipe includes an optional addition of nam pla, or fish sauce. To keep this recipe strictly kosher, I omitted that. To up the healthiness of the dish I went with light coconut milk (canned, of course ).

As an added plus, if your are looking for some new kosher recipes for your Purim Seuda, then this one is a great choice as a main dish!

You’ll see in the recipe below how I changed things up a bit (I discovered I was out of cayenne pepper right before I started cooking). Next time I might sprinkle some peanuts on top to add a little bit of crunch.

All in all, it was a great dish. Served with coconut rice (made with leftover coconut milk and water), and steamed broccoli, I felt transported to Thailand. And that’s a good thing.

This recipe had seven ingredients including salt. That’s my kind of dish.

The coconut milk, lime zest and salt just kinda hang out on the stove for a while.

Bittman advises against flipping the chicken breasts over in the broiler. The tip must have worked because the chicken was moist, but brown and crispy on top.

Pouring the creamy sauce on the chicken. YUM!

The final product. Paired with coconut rice and broccoli, it was perfect.

Mark Bittman‘s Broiled or Grilled Chicken with Coconut and Lime* (with Lucy’s edits)

Time: 20 minutes (I’d say it’s more like 25-30 minutes when you take into account reading along with the recipe)

• 2 limes
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 4 pieces
• 1/2 cup canned or fresh coconut milk (I went with canned because on weeknights I’m looking for time savers)
• Salt and ground cayenne pepper (I didn’t have any ground cayenne, so I substituted red pepper flakes. Totally  fine.)
• 1 teaspoon nam pla, fish sauce (optional) (It’s difficult to find kosher fish sauce, and if you’re making chicken, forget about it. If you substitute fish for the chicken, though, and decide to use fish sauce, I’d hold off on adding salt. Nam pla is very salty)
• 4 minced scallions
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro.

1. Remove the zest from the limes, with either a zester or a vegetable peeler (if you use a peeler, scrape off the white inside of the zest with a paring knife). Mince the zest, and juice the limes. Marinate chicken in half the lime juice while heating broiler; adjust rack to about 4 inches from heat source. (Or grill the chicken if you prefer.)

2. Warm the coconut milk over low heat; season it with salt (hold off on this if you are using nam pla) and a pinch of cayenne. Add the lime zest.

3. Put chicken, smooth side up, on ungreased baking sheet lined with foil, and place the sheet in broiler. Add about half the remaining lime juice to coconut milk mixture.

4. When the chicken is nicely browned on top, in about 6 minutes more, it is done (if you want to be sure, make a small cut in the thickest part and peek inside). Transfer chicken to a warm platter. Add the nam pla, if you are using it, to the coconut milk; taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Spoon a little of the sauce over and around the breasts; then, garnish with the scallions and cilantro, and sprinkle with the remaining lime juice. Serve with white rice, passing the remaining sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

*Recipe from the New York Times

The following recipes are from The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook—

Micah Publications is the Source for Jewish Animal Rights and Vegetarian Books

~BROCCOLI  LOAF~

Broccoli is so healthy, that any way you eat it is good.   Prepare this loaf for a winter

Shabbat and bake potatoes and squash with it,  but make enough for the next day because

broccoli loaf at room temperature might be just the thing for a Shabbat afternoon lunch.

And serve it with the curried roasted potato salad, followed with spice cake.

Heat oven  375º

• 3 cups of broccoli florets, steamed and pureed in food processor
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup chopped onions or scallion
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tablespoon of seasoning
• sprinkle top with paprika
• Optional:  pinch of nutmeg on top.

Oil  small loaf pan.  Mix all ingredients together.  Bake 40 minutes or until top browns, and there you are.  Could anything be easier?

Serves 4-5

Note: Nutritional yeast is light and flaky, rich in Vitamin B12, and adds a cheese flavor—

can be used in place of Parmesan cheese.

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