Quick & Kosher Cooking

I’ve been kvetching a lot about Hubby’s turkey day favorites. And yes, I dutifully plan to recreate all of his childhood memories, even serving up his beloved jellied cranberry sauce from a can. But at my house, the feast was quite different. I’m not saying superior. I’m just saying different.

Back home, my gourmet chef grandparents made the most exquisite Thanksgiving meal – with a strong focus on turkey stuffing and gravy. Everything in the stuffing was finely minced by hand and it was loaded with onions and mushrooms. Absolutely superb! (Um, guess who doesn’t like mushrooms.) Though we were gathered for a real American feast, there was no cornbread, and no sweet potato or green bean casseroles. They were dedicated citizens, but those were lines these immigrant cooks wouldn’t cross. And it would never occur to them to bake with marshmallows. It took my very American aunt –who had married into the family – to bring the pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Without her, we would have missed out on that quintessentially American dessert in favor of a Hungarian cake with an unpronounceable name.

I loved their Thanksgiving menu, and wish they were around to show me how to recreate that magic (I wish they were around for so many other more important reasons too). I’ve had to figure a lot of this out on my own and with a little help (ok a lot of help) from my friends and new family. So after picking up a few tips from my mom-in-law’s Thanksgiving table I can now present you with this Americana side (just like hubby had growing up) a super-sweetsie sweet potato casserole topped with hot, golden marshmallows. If you like your sweet potatoes as sweet as I do, add a 1/3 cup of brown sugar to the mashed sweet potatoes and you’re good to go.

WIN A TURKEY!!  If you want to be in with a chance to win an Empire turkey for your Thanksgiving Feast, answer this question in the comments: What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side? Or your favorite Thanksgiving memory?  Contest closes 9 am Thursday Nov 17 2011. But you can win a turkey every day this week – just check out the contest info post for more details. For full contest rules and information click here.

THIS TURKEY HAS BEEN GIVEN AWAY – ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN HERE!

Entrants must be aged 18 and over, and US Residents. By entering the contest you give JoyofKosher permission to share your email address with Empire Kosher.

Not sure if this happens only in my house, but Hubby really wants certain things exactly the way he grew up with them. His mother always served dinner rolls with Thanksgiving dinner. I want biscuits.

In marriage, compromise is everything. I will buy him his dinner rolls, since that’s what his mom did anyway, and I’ll bake my biscuits. This year, I’ll add chives to the biscuits. Hubby hates chives. But I can go wild: he’s not eating them anyway. Biscuits with chives for me, dinner rolls for Hubby and the kids. (Ever notice that baked goods with green things are more suited to the adult palate?) I know my mom-in-law will try them and she will love them because that’s how good a mom-in-law she is. As far as she’s concerned, everything I make is delicious, and it doesn’t matter that I’ve deviated from her tradition. Now if I could only get Hubby on board…

WIN A TURKEY!!  If you want to be in with a chance to win an Empire turkey for your Thanksgiving Feast, tell me in the comments whether you bake up your own biscuits or if you serve store bought dinner rolls! Contest closes 9 am Wednesday Nov 16 2011. But you can win a turkey every day this week – just check out the contest info post for more details. For full contest rules and information click here.

THIS TURKEY HAS BEEN GIVEN AWAY. DIDN’T WIN? ANOTHER CHANCE TO ENTER HERE! 

Entrants must be aged 18 and over, and US Residents. By entering the contest you give JoyofKosher permission to share your email address with Empire Kosher.

OK – so I said I was going traditional this Thanksgiving. Here’s tradition with a hint of mustard. Cranberry Mustard Sauce is often served with the other white meat, a four-letter word that starts with P that shall not be referenced on a kosher site. But it’s also great with chicken and salmon, so I figured hey, how about with turkey?

I did a mix of cranberries and blueberries, and a mix of grainy and Dijon mustards, then added a nice helping of sugar to help the medicine go down. The sweetness of the blueberries, boosted by the sugar, cut the tartness in the cranberries. Voila – a full-flavored sauce with just a slight mustardy tang.

Of course, I will have to serve Hubby the jellied cranberry sauce out of the can – just like his mommy did. (Is it “sauce,” if you clearly see the can lines embedded in it?) But all you foodies out there will appreciate this recipe. I know some people may find it easy when their significant other wants store-bought dinner rolls and jarred cranberry sauce. Me, I find it stifling. My kitchen creativity can’t take such an onslaught. I say, can’t we both just enjoy a little Cranberry Mustard Sauce one day a year? Is it asking too much?

Hopefully, you will try this outrage on your traditionalist.

WIN A TURKEY!!  If you want to be in with a chance to win an Empire turkey for your Thanksgiving Feast, tell me in the comments whether you serve the canned cranberry sauce or if you make it fresh!! Contest closes 9 am Tuesday Nov 15 2011. But you can win a turkey every day this week – just check out the contest info post for more details. For full contest rules and information click here.

CONTEST IS CLOSED – Another chance to win a turkey here: CHIVE BISCUITS.

Entrants must be aged 18 and over, and US Residents. By entering the contest you give JoyofKosher permission to share your email address with Empire Kosher.

Question: How can you make delicious gravy without pan drippings? Answer: Black Pepper Gravy.

In place of pan drippings, use margarine, chicken stock and white wine for flavor, and add flour to thicken. It’s as simple as that. Oh yeah, of course, add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. What’s important here is the technique: you are whisking the entire time. That constant motion incorporates each ingredient and layer of flavor and helps prevent lumps, giving your gravy a nice, smooth consistency. As far as thickness goes, the longer you simmer it, the thicker it will get. You can also always add a little broth to thin it out, if you went a little overboard with your simmering.

To make this recipe vegetarian, just use vegetable broth: then you have gravy for when you make stuffing that hasn’t been stuffed in a bird. I love to do that. Then I can eat all I want, and I’m not fleishig! (Renowned speaker, Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller once quipped that “the Number 1 Fear of American Jews is being fleishig.” Well, I’m no exception. I confess that fleish-a-phobia is a force in my life. And now that I’ve discovered these fab little milchig weight watchers snacks, my fleish-fear has reached new heights.)

Anyway, I know you’re going to love this smooth, creamy gravy with just a hint of white wine. Do you have any gravy secrets to share?

I went super traditional with my Thanksgiving menu this year. Yeah, I took some twists and turns with the Southwestern Turkey and Green Chile Stuffing, but the rest of the menu is classic. Really. And it’s quick too, because you’ve got enough to juggle that day.

A slice of warm cornbread, dripping with butter (or margarine), is one of life’s indescribable pleasures. Corn muffins, corn bread, cornmeal cakes — I adore them all! In this Skillet Cornbread, the dried cranberries and sage complement each other like Fred & Ginger; Shrek & Fiona; Fred & Wilma, you get it I’m sure. Leave ‘em in if this sounds good to you (and, believe me, it’s not just good – it’s great!) Leave ‘em out if you want a more traditional, no frills, classic cornbread.

Just because I would give my Bubbie’s secret brisket recipe for a slice of warm cornbread doesn’t mean you have to. Plenty of people enjoy it at room temp, which makes this a nice make-ahead recipe. But if you want to experience Jamie Geller Heaven, wrap it in foil and place it in a warm oven to heat through right before serving.

And don’t worry! The recipe calls for a cast iron skillet, but you can make it in any pan you have. Just don’t forget the margarine before serving – now that would be like spending five hours at the mall and coming home empty-handed.

I’m starting our grand Thanksgiving feast recipes with its star… the bird. Everyone and their Grandma will be doing a BIG bird and we have tons of recipes for BIG birdies here on our site. But I figured that since we all fight over the white meat (at least in my family), I devised a quick-prep, quick-cook, easy boneless, skinless, turkey breast recipe: Southwestern Turkey Breast with Green Chile Stuffing. Southwestern cuisine is a fusion of Spanish colonial, cowboy, Native American and Mexican style food – a “melting pot” concoction that is true Americana. It’s a cool flavor profile to introduce to your friends, family and T-day table.

Of course, if you want to make the biggest bird on the block, you can still use this southwestern spice rub; you just need to convert the measurements. For a 10-pound whole turkey, use 2 teaspoons each of chili powder, mustard powder, kosher salt, dried oregano, and ground coriander; and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste). The cayenne is optional, depending on how much heat you can handle. For every additional 2 pounds of turkey, increase the spices by a ½ teaspoon and the cayenne by a ¼ teaspoon (or to taste). Bake whole turkeys according to this how to roast a perfect kosher turkey chart.

For the savory Green Chile Stuffing: you’ll find green chiles from Ortega with an OU kosher certification in the canned goods aisle of your supermarket. Don’t drain them before using. There’s not much liquid in them and the chunky mixture adds nice moisture to the stuffing.

So let’s enjoy a little south-of-the-border taste on turkey day. Your guests will just gobble it up! (Doesn’t get old, does it?)

The Big Q – What is Quinoa?

Everyone wants to know: Is it a grain? How do you use it? How do you pronounce it? Is it good for you? Is it kosher for Passover?

So I looked it up. Turns out, this trendy food is from South America and it’s a species of goosefoot, a “grain-like” crop. That clears everything up, doesn’t it?

But there’s more. The fact is that quinoa (pronounced keen-wah or kee-no-uh, your choice) is packed with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron, and has a high protein content to boot. Unlike wheat and rice (but similar to oats) it contains a balanced set of amino acids, making it a complete protein source. It’s high in fiber, gluten-free and easy to digest. It’s so nutritious that NASA is considering it as a crop for their Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned space flights. (So if your kids turn up their noses, tell them it’s astronaut food!)

It’s kinda like rice or couscous. Has a nice, nutty flavor too.

It seems that the ancient Incas were onto this little wonder food as far back as 3,000 years ago and it played a major role in sustaining their teeming civilization. It’s been a staple in that part of the world all this time, and we only just discovered it on our grocer’s shelves a few years ago. Go figure. But it’s time we got in on it. Any food that’s equally at home in a primitive mountain village or in outer space has my respect.

There. I think I answered all your questions. Oh, the Pesach thing. Ask your rabbi.

Listen, I can’t help with everything. Quick & Kosher doesn’t include clean up, doesn’t do your dishes and doesn’t answer tricky halachic questions. But I do have a year-round recipe for you: Asian Vegetables with Quinoa. Light and totally vegetarian, you will feel good about yourself after eating this for dinner. Do I get points for that?

And if you are looking for one skillet meat dishes don’t miss my my Chicken with Roasted Winter Fruit and Steak with Red Wine Glazed Vegetables.

I once thought skirt steak got its name because it was favored by chicks, like mushy movies. Ladies will love it, guys will fall asleep. Apparently, I wasn’t far off. Turns out, skirt steak comes from around the cow’s belly, the place where a skirt would be worn (if cows wore skirts, that is). A boneless, relatively inexpensive cut, it’s prized more for its flavor than tenderness. To minimize toughness, it can be marinated and/or grilled, or pan seared very quickly (think stir-fry) or braised very slowly. Slice thinly against the grain to maximize tenderness.

“Slice against the grain.” You see that instruction all the time and nobody bothers to explain it. I hear you. So let me translate this bit of chef lingo. Skirt steak (much like brisket and London broil) has long fibers running through it. You will see these distinct lines in the meat: these babies are tough. When you use your knife, instead of your teeth, to cut through those fibers, eating goes from “oy” to “ah.” So we cut “against” or “across” the grain: that means don’t slice parallel to those lines, but rather across those lines, ideally at a 45 degree angle. You’re cutting those long fibers into short ones to make it easier to chew. You don’t have to be a super chef to notice that cutting against the grain or cutting along the fibers spells the difference between meat that melts in your mouth and meat that’s tougher than your high school physics teacher. By the way, you can slice these meats before or after cooking, but if you cut after cooking, let the meat rest a bit. Everything behaves better when it’s rested.

Now let’s shoot for those speed flags. Our Steak with Red Wine Glazed Carrots, Parsnips and Mushrooms is seared only 4 to 5 minutes on each side and then removed from the pan to rest while we cook our veggies. Once they’re ready, slice the meat against the grain (you know how!) and return it to the pan for just 2 minutes to heat through and coat with sauce.

A warm, 1-skillet steak supper, perfect for a cold wintery night! Super yum!

If you missed yesterday’s one skillet supper check out my Chicken with Roasted Winter Fruit.

The all-purpose (extra-large if you need it) stovetop to oven skillet is a kitchen essential. Mine works overtime and never lets me down. My skillet and a pair of tongs (which I would take with me if I was stranded on a dessert island – assuming that dessert island had a cooktop) turn out delicious dinners for my family. In the upcoming Chanukah issue of Joy of Kosher Magazine I have a week’s worth of 1-Skillet Meals in Minutes and this week at JoK.com I am sharing 3 special skillet suppers with you all.

Today we have Chicken Thighs with Roasted Winter Fruit. The wonderful thing about skillet chicken is the crisp golden brown skin you get when searing for about 8-10 minutes on each side and then finishing off in the oven. Searing also lock in those juices so you have nice, moist, flavorful, did I say moist! chicken.

Your best friend and must-have-on-hand ingredient for skillet chicken is broth. I use boxed broth and always have extra in my pantry. This recipe comes alive with sweetness from apples, pears and grapes. A combo of mustard powder, cinnamon, garlic and thyme round out the flavors of this dish. Finish off with a drizzle of balsamic for a little tang to balance the fruit.

Anybody out there who doesn’t love cake?

I don’t believe you. Well, if it’s true, I guess you’re lucky ‘cuz you’ll never hear a cake calling you into the kitchen in the middle of the night. I think I can speak for the other 99% of humanity when I say that if there’s a really good cake, I can eat the whole thing myself. Even a not so good cake. I don’t need anyone else at my one-woman party – I actually prefer it that way. I can cut a slice, and another and one more sliver, without eyebrows going up all around me.

So just 2 weeks after giving birth to my new baby, I figured it’s the perfect time to celebrate her entry into this world by testing some of our “Take the Cake” recipe contest entries. A girl can’t start too young when it comes to important things like this.

Honorable mention MUST go to Melinda Strauss (check out her blog at Kitchen Tested). She sent us so many deviously sweet entries. My kids loved decorating the top of her German Plum Cake. My oldest daughter made a peace sign out of the plum wedges and then I filled in the empty spaces with more plum wedges (and ate a few plums) and filled in and ate, until there was no cake in sight. Our plums actually weren’t too sweet (didn’t keep us from eating ‘em though), but once we sprinkled them with sugar and a touch of cinnamon, as Melinda calls for, and baked them up – hot, juicy heaven! I can’t wait to make Melinda’s Rainbow Layer Cake for my Hubby’s B-day this week.

Cinnamon Bun Cake by Nechama

As for our finalists: Let’s just say I never met a cinnamon bun I didn’t love – so the Cinnamon Bun Cake from Nechama Tawil was an instant hands-down finalist. This way you don’t have to commit yourself to just one bun – not to mention that it looks fabulous, a total show stopper.

Red Grape Cake with Olive Oil by imarealtor33162

I tested the Red Grape Cake with Olive Oil from imarealtor33162 for a Chol Hamoed Sukkah party. Now I love olive oil so much I could bathe in it, so I was not just intrigued by this cake, I KNEW I would love it. The test would come when I serve it. Will others feel the same way? I slid it into the oven just as my guests were arriving, and of course everyone wanted to know: “Nu nu… so what are you baking?” When I said Red Grape Cake with Olive Oil, you can’t imagine the nasty faces. Some people didn’t believe me. But when I served it, the response was incredible. It was so light, so exquisite, so perfectly sweetened, so moist and yet still slightly nutty from the cornmeal and ground almonds – in a word (or two), absolute perfection. Imarealtor33162’s recipe header note says “Tastes like a Hungarian cake as per my Hungarian niece! (Hungarian baking-the ultimate compliment.)” That was quickly confirmed when I served it to my Hungarian (Transylvanian/Romanian) mother, who could not stop repeating “This is something your grandmothers would have made!” Maybe it’s the cornmeal, maybe the the light hand with the sugar so it’s just sweet enough to be considered dessert, without being overly sugary. Dunno. But it sure is good and it tastes authentic.

One Bowl Amazing Chocolate Cake

I don’t profess to be a seasoned baker or even to love baking all that much. Eating cake, yes; baking it, eh, not so much. But I do have one fab cake that includes mayo to make it extra moist – I guess that’s the savory cook in me, yearning to break out: it’s My One Bowl Amazing Chocolate Cake. The trend these days among my sister, friends and I is to make this as cupcakes. Give it a try – but when doing cupcakes start, testing for doneness after just 20 minutes – you don’t want to over-bake those little darlin’s.  For a twist on tradition try my Molasses Spice Bundt Cake with Bourbon Pecan Glaze.

And now to announce the winner of our Best Cake Recipe/Take the Cake Recipe Contest, chosen by you, our dear (and discerning) readers…

imarealtor33162′s Red Grape Cake with Olive Oil

Confession time.  The Geller family is not big into lamb. But I know there are people out there who are,   so I developed this recipe for Seasoned Lamb Skewers with Couscous especially for you lamb lovers! It’s fun, fantastically seasoned, and it’s ready in under an hour. (Just between us, you can substitute beef for the lamb, which is what I do.)

If you plan to use wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using.

The lamb (or beef) is combined with soaked whole wheat bread, red onion, parsley, red wine vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and lemon zest. The couscous is tossed with pine nuts, raisins and chopped chives.  Instead of the chives, you could sauté some chopped red onions or shallots for a soft, sweet caramelized addition.  This quick dinner is nice enough to serve your guests on Yuntif.  Or CholHamoed.Orany weeknight.So what I’m saying is – enjoy it anytime!

Quick dinners, quick dinners, we desperately need quick dinners.  The best way for me to develop something for you is to think of what I need. We’re all in the same boat.

So I can’t get enough recipes for quick weeknight dinners. Of course, I could just make the same four or five dishes, rotating them on a weekly basis – but that’s so boring!  I love serving something new; an easy meal I can fix with my kids’ help, or just let them mill around me as they settle in from school. One minute we’re just chatting and throwing a few things together and then – abracadabra – something hot and fresh hits the table and we all dig in!  It’s not really magic, just a good, quick and easy recipe.

So over the next few days I’ll share 5 simple dinners with you, a week’s worth of new stuff.  We’ll start off light. It’s still kinda warm outside, so I’m not in the mood for a heavy din din. We’ll save those for when there’s snow building up on the windowpanes.

Seems to me, Mandarin Spinach and Chicken Salad is just right for this time of the year.  You’ll need about 1 to 1 ½ pounds of chicken cutlets for this recipe (As a starter, it serves 8; but since we’re using it for dinner, this recipe really gives you about 4 nice dinner portions.)  Bake, grill, sauté or prep your chicken however you enjoy it best.  You can also use leftover chicken for this slightly sweet citrusy salad.  Oh, and you’ll love the dressing – a flavorful combo f honey, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar and olive oil. Double it and keep it in the fridge for a rainy day.

Never enough creative chicken dinners in this world to satisfy my family.  I have to constantly reinvent my presentation of this bird because there are always leftovers or cutlets in the fridge. I seem to have an abundance of cutlets most of the time. Like there are always more than I bought last time. Does anybody know of scientific evidence that cutlets can reproduce right in your Frigidaire?

Anyway, if your people are anything like mine, try this quick dinner recipe for Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches.  If you don’t have leftover chicken, you can bake, grill, sauté or cook your cutlets however you like best. Grab some fresh crusty bread or sandwich rolls, slather on some mayo and buffalo sauce, then top with butter lettuce (or whatever lettuce you fancy), sliced red onions, and tomatoes. Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches are now being served in the Main Dining Room.

So what’s your favorite chicken sandwich?

To me, eating loaded baked potatoes for dinner are like a comforting hug from my mom.  Now you all know that she didn’t – doesn’t – and probably never will cook, but I have fond childhood memories of her taking us to the local diner for dinner and ordering up those yummy loaded potato skins.  I really miss ’em. So I created my own recipe, which, incidentally, has gotta be light years healthier than the stuff I ate as a kid. I call it Mexican Baked Potatoes.  You just load on sour cream (or lite sour cream), chunky salsa, some fresh cilantro, chopped (or mix a cube of the frozen cilantro into your sour cream) and top it off with a great Mexican blend of shredded cheddar (or other cheese).  If you want nice melty cheese, throw it in a broiler for a minute or two until it oozes.  If you want more of a potato skin style recipe (that’s not fried)  try this one, Zippy Potato Skins.

Divine.

Who doesn’t love tater tots?  If you have a few borderline fish-eaters in the house, the tater tots are the perfect bribe to get them to eat their fish.

The seasoning on the taters – celery salt, dry mustard, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, & ground ginger – is a homemade version of “Old Bay” Seasoning. It’s delish with the fish.  I find that the cornmeal and flour crusted tilapia really goes over well and down easy, even for the non-fish lovers in our brood.  I think of battered and fried fish as a delicacy – even with tater tots, out of the bag, as a side.  Enjoy this recipe and if you are daring enough you can even try making your own tater tots.

What’s your favorite frozenfood?