Kosher Tips

Kosher cooking can get a bad rap when it comes to spice, but there’s no reason you can’t up the heat with the help of some kosher Mexican food.

The U.S. take on Mexican food is heavily influenced by the flavors of the border and the Mexican region of Puebla. Even Cinco de Mayo, which many think is Mexican Independence Day (it’s actually September 16th), celebrates a Mexican victory over French invaders in Puebla on May 5, 1862. Like American cooking, Mexican cuisine is a hybrid, combining indigenous traditions and ingredients like corn (maize), chocolate and chilies with Spanish, French and German cooking. In the U.S., Mexican cooking has been very influential, especially in border states like California and Texas.

For kosher Mexican, start off with delicious guacamole & chips and then choose from any of these exciting recipes from the Joy of Kosher.com recipe selector:

Kosher Mexican Recipes to Make at Home:

	Mexican Kosher Dairy Dishes Avocado White Bean Wrap Chilaquiles Casserole Huevos Rancheros Verdes Mexican Pizza Mexican Potato Omelet Quesadillas

	Mexican Kosher Meat Dishes Arroz con Pollo Apple Turkey Picadillo Picadillo Poblano & Skirt Steak Fajitas

Spicy enough for you? Let us know what you are making.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The start of tomato season is almost upon us. While we wait, another member of the tomato family, the tart green tomatillo, prized in Mexican cuisine, starts to appear in markets.

Tomatillos are a tart, green fruit that resemble tomatoes but are very lemony and brightly flavored. Often overlooked, this sprightly member of the nightshade family is too puckery to eat raw, but adds a piquant citrus flavor when toasted. I love this creamy sauce with its earthy, nutty flavor. I serve Pipian, or green mole, with roasted or BBQ chicken, roasted fish, grilled vegetables and my kids favorite, chicken schnitzel. The vibrant color and flavor wake up the plainest piece of chicken or fish. Tomatillos are in season during the summer months. The sauce can be made and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for three days or frozen for one month.

Recipe:

Pipian Sauce

On a hot June day, I open the freezer in my mother’s kitchen looking for a tray of ice. Instead of clear, slippery cubes, I find green, coarse ones. Although I am eight years old, I am puzzled how the cubes changed color and texture overnight.

At dinner that evening, my mother brings out a plate of steaming pasta the same verdant shade as the cubes. Like many cooks, she makes batches of pesto when basil is in abundance during the summer, storing and freezing them in ice trays and transferring them to Ziploc bags for use during the fall and winter. And so began my love affair with pesto.

Originally from Genoa, Italy, this sauce is traditionally made from fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves, and grated parmesan cheese, pounded together and diluted with fine olive oil that is not too strong in flavor.

The pesto I enjoy today is a different than my mother’s basil-centric versions. A quick internet search yields intriguing combinations: ginger and black sesame pesto, arugula and cashew pesto, and even chocolate mint pesto. (For the curious cooks out there, this dessert pesto, which is spread in between wafers, is made from chocolate mint, a type of mint leaf that smells like a York peppermint patty; stevia, an herb whose leaves have a granular crunch and taste like sugar in the raw; macadamia nuts; walnut and hazelnut oils, and splash of rose water).

Even more exciting than the new flavor profiles are the creative ways to utilize this sauce. Besides traditionally accompanying pasta, pesto can be found in salad dressings and soups, and as marinades or toppings for vegetables, fish, chicken, pizza, and fondues. Those who are lactose intolerant, or kosher cooks who prefer serving pesto with a meat meal, can easily leave out the cheese. Using more than one type of herb and a mixture of nuts produces a complex sauce whose absence of cheese will be hard to detect.

A debate ensues amongst cooks whether pesto is best made with a food processor or a mortar and pestle. Hand-grinding releases more of the essential oils without cutting through the cell walls of the ingredients, yielding a silky, shiny texture with a refined flavor. A food processor, while an obvious time-saver, creates a pesto where the oils are not as intensely released because the cell walls of the ingredients are cut through. While the texture is more uniform, the flavor may be too sharp and unbalanced.

Regardless of the equipment or the specific flavor profiles, the most important aspect of an excellent pesto is to use good quality ingredients. Make sure the herbs are fresh, the nuts toasty, and the oil clean. When combined, these ingredients will elevate any dish they accompany.

Here’s what you need to know when choosing ingredients for a fabulous pesto that will leave your taste buds wanting more.

Herbs—Always use freshly picked herbs to ensure the highest quality taste. To prepare the herbs, remove the stems and lightly pack the leaves in a measuring cup until the desired amount is reached. Immerse the leaves in cold water and use your fingers to wipe away residue. Shake off the water and roll the leaves in a paper towel or dry in a salad spinner.

Garlic—Never substitute garlic powder for fresh cloves or the taste and consistency will suffer.

Cheese—If you can, freshly grate cheese to ensure the pesto will have a full cheese flavor. Once the herbs, nuts, garlic and oil are combined, add the grated cheese by hand so the flavor will be balanced.

Oil—When using olive oil, choose an extra-virgin oil that tastes of olives and doesn’t have a strong aftertaste. If milder nuts and herbs are used, experiment with oils such as corn, canola, safflower or walnut which may provide a more neutral taste.

Nuts—While nuts can be added raw, toasting them releases essential oils and creates a more intense flavor. Walnuts are often used in stronger pestos and milder nuts such as pine nuts, unsalted pistachios, or almonds are used in delicate pestos. For those with nut allergies, or if you want to make your pesto a little different; olives, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes make good substitutes.

Storage—For long term storage, pack the pesto into small containers, cover with a thin layer of olive oil and cap tightly to seal in the flavor and to avoid oxidation. Exclude as much air as possible to prevent loss of color and moisture.

When preparing pesto that will be frozen, make sure the herbs are completely dry before adding the rest of the ingredients. If water is left on the leaves, ice crystals will form once the pesto is frozen, weakening the flavor and texture.

Pesto freezes best when there is slightly more oil in the mix because the fat protects the herbs from potential freezer burn. If you intend to freeze the pesto from the start, add a few tablespoons oil or softened butter or margarine.

Now try these kosher pesto recipes: Summer Herb Pesto, Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Whether you buy it in a jar or make it from scratch, gefilte fish is a Passover staple. West Coast cooks have found a new twist on this old stand-by—salmon!

Gefilte fish,  parve balls of ground up fish, which do not require deboning and thus can be eaten on the Sabbath, are traditionally made with a mixture of pike and whitefish. In many Jewish families, gefilte fish recipes date back to Europe and the shtetl.

“You have to remember where gefilte fish originated,” says Rena Isaacson, a foodie and blogger from Jerusalem. “It was in middle Europe and was made by poor Jews with fish they could afford and was easily available. Gefilte fish was ‘invented’, if you will, to stretch the amount of fish the family could afford to buy. By grinding it up and adding fillers such as onion, matzo meal and eggs the fish could be ‘stretched’ to feed more than just a few people.”

Cooks living on the West Coast have reinvented the traditional recipe with salmon, a West Coast staple. “My family lives all over the United States,” explains Jenn Felmley, a California-based chef-educator.  “The West Coast side of the family, me in particular, is in charge of the Passover dinners and I make salmon gefllte fish.”

Known affectionately by her students as Chef Jenn, Felmley spent years honing her craft in some of the finest kitchens in Europe and America including the Deepak Chopra Center at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

“I like to keep Passover meals traditional, but, after trying my first batch of gefilte fish, I couldn’t get over the muddy taste.”

That is when Jenn decided to add a little West Coast verve to her dish. Building on recipes for salmon mousse, she incorporated poached salmon into her gefilte fish recipe. “I went to this great seafood place in Santa Monica to buy the salmon,” laughs Jenn. “I thought my idea was so original. I thought I was a genius. But when I got there I wasn’t alone. There were others buying salmon for their gefilte fish!”

Chef Jenn, believing she was breaking new ground, had stumbled upon a West Coast cooking tradition all its own—adding salmon to a time-honored Passover classic. “Even the older, traditional members of my family like it. I haven’t really changed it too much; I have just added a new flavor.”

Recipe: Chef Jenn’s West Coast Salmon Gefilte Fish

One of the easiest ways to cut down on your grocery bill is to view leftovers as ingredients for completely different meals. With a good dose of creativity, you’ll be amazed at the minimal amount of food that will end up in the trash, and at the money you’ll save by utilizing what’s in your fridge.

Many leftovers like cold rice or congealed meat lack culinary appeal. Whether you transform pita with leftover vegetables, pasta sauce and cheese or blend overripe fruit with yogurt, here are 20 tips to make zero-waste meals a part of your life.

1. Oatmeal

Turn oatmeal the kids didn’t finish into the star ingredient of a hearty muffin. All you need is 1/2 a cup of cooked cereal to make Leftover Oatmeal-Raisin Muffins.

2. Wonton Wrappers

When you use wonton wrappers to make egg rolls or kreplach, transform extra wonton wrappers into crispy snacks the whole family will love. Cut each on a diagonal; place on a greased baking sheet, coat with cooking spray; and twist into a spiral. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt. Cook at 375 degrees F for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. Chopped Nuts

Chopped nuts make a great topping for yogurt or oatmeal. They can also be combined with dried fruit, mini pretzels and reinvented as trail mix.

4. Ground Meat

Turn hamburgers, taco salad or meatloaf into a streamlined version of shepherd’s pie. Coat a skillet with oil and heat the meat, breaking it into large crumbles. Mix with mashed potatoes, seasonings, and bake in a casserole dish for about 20 minutes.

To use as a topping for baked potatoes, mix the crumbled meat with pasta sauce.

5. Waffles

The lonely waffle left from the kids’ breakfast can be turned into a decadent dessert. Heat the waffle in the oven or toaster and top it with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

6. Rice

Make delicious rice snacks by mixing old, cooked rice with salt and rolling into small balls. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Convert leftover pilafs into cold salads by adding chopped, fresh vegetables, flavored oils and seasonings.

To make fried rice, heat cooked vegetables, leftover rice and soy sauce in a large skillet. If desired, add slices of thinly cooked egg.

7. Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted vegetables make a wonderful base for soup. Whether you have a casserole of mixed roots like parsnips, acorn squash and carrots, or just sweet potatoes, puree the vegetables in food processor with lots of stock. Return to a pot and simmer for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend.

8. Pot Roast and Stewed Meats

Pot roast or stewed meat can also be transformed into a hearty soup. Puree the meat and vegetables in a food processor with the broth (you may need to add additional stock). You can even add cooked vegetables left from a different meal to give the soup more body.

9. Cake

Store slices of leftover cake in the freezer. Once you’ve accumulated a lot, make a delicious trifle by layering the cake, whipped cream and berries or chocolate sauce.

10. Fish

Most poached, roasted or grilled fish can be tossed with freshly boiled pasta, a little bit of butter, cream and seasonings. Leftover salmon makes a great addition to angel hair pasta tossed with teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds and sliced scallions.

11. Yogurt

To make fruit cream pops, blend yogurt with overripe fruit, pour in ice pop molds and freeze. When there’s just a tablespoon or two of yogurt left, add to pancake, waffle or muffin batter for added protein and enhanced flavor.

12. Challah

Store extra slices in the freezer. Once you have a lot, make bread crumbs, croutons, overnight French toast, bread pudding or challah kugel.

For bread crumbs, use a food processor to make fine crumbs, transfer to a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees F until golden. For croutons, dice the bread into cubes, toss with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray and seasonings. Bake at 325 degrees F until golden.

13. Cooked Chicken or Turkey

Shred leftover chicken or turkey and combine with lettuce and tomatoes to make sandwiches or wraps.

To make an exotic cold salad, shred or dice the leftover poultry and mix with mayonnaise, mustard, curry powder, chopped onions, celery and diced apples.

To make a quick stir-fry, pan fry vegetables with soy sauce and add shredded cooked chicken.

Produce

14. Celery

Make a quick chopped salad by dicing celery into small pieces, tossing with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley.

Chopped celery is also great in egg, tuna or pasta salad.

15. Carrots

Turn leftover carrots into an elegant side dish by sautéing sliced carrots in olive oil and tossing with chopped parsley or chives.

Grated carrots enhance green salads and hearty muffin batters

16. Mushrooms

Make quick mushroom-cheese melts by tossing mushrooms with olive oil, salt and dried herbs. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or cook on a grill pan. Drizzle thick slices of bread with olive oil, place the mushrooms on the bread and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese melts.

To make a mushroom grilled cheese, place sliced mushrooms on top of the cheese and grill or pan-fry (the cheese and mushrooms will cook at the same time).

17. Tomatoes

Hollowed tomatoes are wonderful filled with tuna, egg or chopped vegetable salad. Serve cold or at room temperature, or top with cheese and broil.

Tomatoes can also be filled with rice to make Cheesey Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice.

18. Apples

Apples are one of the most versatile fruits. Add chopped apples to oatmeal or hot cereal; incorporate grated apples in muffin, pancake and waffle batters; or top with cinnamon sugar to make old-fashioned baked apples.

19. Broccoli

For a simple, family-friendly side dish, place broccoli in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, add a few drops of water and generously sprinkle with cheese. Microwave or bake until cheese is melted and broccoli is tender.

20. Bananas

By freezing leftover bananas, you can always make smoothies or banana bread in a pinch. Frozen bananas, whether plain or dipped in chocolate, are also delicious on their own as icy low-fat treats.

Try these fab “leftover” recipes!

Cheesey Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice	Leftover Oatmeal-Raisin Muffins

Whether you reuse leftovers, efficiently cook with what’s in your pantry or prefer seasonal produce, to really save money, budgeting begins when you grocery shop. Here are ten cardinal rules to help you cut costs before you check-out.

1. Shop Online or Leave the Kids at Home

This may sound basic, but preventing in-store meltdowns and the impulse purchases that follow will save you cash in the long run. Shopping online is the easiest solution because you won’t need a babysitter and you get the flexibility of purchasing your groceries from the comfort of your home after hours, while the kids are sleeping.

Example: By shopping solo, you forego purchasing snacks and juice drinks for the kids in your shopping cart, in addition to the box of single-serving yogurt squeezes that they really, really want.

Savings: $8.68

If you must … bring kids:

Make the experience fun! Online, have the kids participate by helping them “load” the shopping cart. Just make sure to check it over before you pay. At the store, give toddlers jobs like finding all the green items in an aisle or have older kids match brands to coupons or send them on a hunt to gather items from other aisles. If you need to buy treats in the store, pick something you’re planning to purchase anyway.

2. Never Shop Hungry

Since everything looks good on an empty stomach, eat before you shop so you won’t buy something expensive (and unhealthy) to munch on.

Example: Shop on a full stomach so you don’t have to buy an energy bar to tide you over.

Savings: $1.99

If you must … eat something:

Snack on something that’s a shopping list purhcase.

3. Look for Store Brand Savings

Don’t be name-brand loyal; instead, compare prices with generic or store brands. These items are usually positioned on the top and bottom shelves while the bigger ticket items take up most space on the middle shelves. When shopping online, use broad search categories like “cereal” or “pasta” instead of name brands.

While you’re scrutinizing labels, take packaging into consideration. According to Phil Lempert of supermarketguru.com, generic cereals packed in plastic bags typically cost around a dollar less than the boxed variety.

Example: Buy store brand pasta at .59 a box instead of name-brand pasta for $1.79 a box.

Savings: $1.20

If you must … buy a certain brand for a particular item:

Watch for sales and stock up when it hits the lowest price.

4. Compare Unit Price Labels

Looks can be deceiving. Manufacturers are constantly downsizing products (from shorter and fewer sheets in a role of toilet paper to adding a dome to the bottom of a peanut butter jar). Don’t let redesigned packaging confuse you.

Always check the unit price per label to compare products. The item’s cost per unit (CPU) is usually listed on the shelf sticker next to the price. By focusing on what an item’s cost per pound or ounce is, you won’t get distracted by fancy packaging.

Example: Different size cans of tomato sauce will cost varying amounts per ounce. Some times it costs less to buy four 8-ounce cans or two 15-ounce cans than one 29-ounce can. On the other hand, sometimes the 29-ounce can is the real bargain.

5. Check Yourself Out

While it may be tedious to use the self-check lane, by scanning the items yourself, you’ll be more conscious of how much things cost than when you aren’t the one doing the scanning. Use the opportunity to decide what you really need and leave unnecessary items. Online, you always have the built-in benefit of reviewing your cart before checking out, so take a few minutes to delete items you don’t really need.

Example: When you personally scan or review your cart and notice the hefty price of the maple syrup, consider making that purchase another time. Or maybe you don’t need two of a certain item.

Savings: $18.99

If you must … head to a cashier:

Don’t be intimidated by the cashier’s presence. Scrutinize what you’ve placed in the cart and determine if you really need the expensive items. Make sure the price that comes up on the screen is the same one posted next to the item.

6. Bulk Up When the Price is Right

This rule of thumb applies to produce like oranges, onions, and potatoes and, particularly, to canned items. When you buy produce in bags instead of individually, you’ll roughly pay half the price; a smart move for staples which will get eaten before going bad. Always check out larger quantities and if you can use all the food while the flavor is still tasty, go for it!

Example: If you often make cholent and potato kugel buy a 10lb bag of russet potatoes for $4.50 instead of the 5 lbs at $2.50 or loose russet potatoes marked at .99 a pound.

Savings: Between $2.50 and $5.50

If you must…buy smaller quantities at more expensive prices:

Purchase exactly what you need and don’t make it a habit!

7. Don’t Buy Non-Grocery Items at the Supermarket

When you need cleaning supplies, cosmetics or diapers; head to mass-market retailers like Target or Walmart. You’ll find the best deals on paper goods and cleaning products at warehouse clubs.

Example: Instead of paying premium prices for glass cleaner and stain stick at the grocery store, purchase them for less elsewhere.

Savings: $4.88

If you must … purchase non-grocery items:

Use a coupon or purchase if it’s part of a sale, such as “buy one, get one free.”

8. Take Advantage of Reduced-Priced Perishables

You can save quite a bit by purchasing perishables that need to be eaten or used immediately. Conventional supermarkets often mark down things like bananas, mushrooms and apples, all which will still be tasty if used or cooked that day.

My local supermarket reduces the price of organic dairy items when the expiration date is five days away. Since my kids can easily go through 32 ounces of yogurt in half that time, I take advantage of buying good-quality dairy items at half price.

Examples: Opt for quick-sell bananas at .19 a pound (eat immediately, freeze for smoothies or banana bread) instead of green ones at .79 a pound. Use reduced price assorted apples to make homemade applesauce.

Savings: Between $1.83 to $4.00

9. Be Coupon-Wise

Use coupons only for foods you normally would eat rather than for “extras” you probably wouldn’t buy.
Don’t miss out on potential sources of valuable coupons. Check your grocery receipt, sometimes there are great coupons on the back. Before you shop, check the store’s website for printable coupons, in addition to the website of name-brand items you want to purchase. And sign up for money-saving e-mail’s. Kosher.com circulars and e-blasts go out weekly (sometimes even bi-weekly) with lists of sales that can be 20% to 50% off regular market prices.

Example: Forego the $1.00 off for a product you don’t use and use two .50 cent coupons on items you do use.

Savings: $2

10. Have a Plan

Shoppers who stick to their list spend less money than those who shop with only a vague idea of what they need to buy. By planning your meals around sale items and making thorough lists, you prevent spending money on gas coming back to the store for the dreaded forgotten items. And, of course, by using coupons, the shopper with the plan has the potential to spend 50% less than the shopper without the plan, says Stephanie Nelson of couponmom.com. Shopping online bargains and coupons can save even more, when you factor in gas and parking.

Example: Plan dinner around sale items and use online circulars and coupons from the Sunday paper to reduce the already low price.

Savings: Priceless.

If you must … arrive at the grocery store without a plan:

Jot down a shopping list in your car. Grab the store’s circular as you walk in to make sure you shop the sales. Stick to your list and shop quickly to avoid spending more time and money than necessary.