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On the lighter side…

June 1st, 2010

I walked out this morning to the sun shining, the birds chirping, flowers blooming.  Ah…to behold the beautiful weather of summer!  The Creator of the world set into motion the seasons of the year, each one acting in a different way to affect our emotions and senses, and of course, our palates.  When the weather is cold and dreary, we retreat to the shelter of our homes, longing for the comforting foods that will warm our souls and get us through the winter.  But when the heat of summer arrives, what we naturally crave is something light and juicy that will satisfy our need to be refreshed.  It’s easy to cook by rote, making the same heavy food year round –  but often we fail to adapt to the changing seasons because we are afraid to be creative in the kitchen.

When it’s 90 degrees outside, our appetites are often sapped, leaving our bodies in an unnecessary state of lethargy after a heavy meal.  Oneg Shabbos (the enjoyment of Shabbos) as well as the enjoyment of any weekday meal can be found in lighter and more refreshing foods if we dare to be creative and explore new choices.  Let’s go for a walk on the cooler and lighter side…

  •     Salad it up!  In the warmer weather, replace those heavy kugels and side dishes with more salads: green leafy salads, grain salads, marinated salads and pasta salads. 
  •     Cold Soups.  There is nothing like coming home on a hot summer day, all red and flushed, to a beautiful bowl of cold fruit soup.  Guests always appreciate being cooled off, too!
  •     Reconfigure your serving style.   Instead of serving a single appetizer and then a much larger main course, expand your appetizer to a larger first course with dips, spreads and crudités.  Then serve a more moderate main course to allow for more balanced eating. 

In my family, we love serving grilled meat or chicken salads as a main dish for a light summer dinner or as an entrée on Shabbos afternoon.  It is not nearly as heavy, and everyone enjoys the different combinations we try.  Mix it up with different types of greens and dressings, raw or pre-roasted/grilled vegetables.  Have fun!  Be improvisational and creative with your cooking!   Here is a delicious family favorite – when basil is abundant, a little pesto makes all the difference. 

Grilled Steak and Portobello Salad with Honeyed Pesto 

Serves 4-6.

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

½ tsp. dried or 1½ tsp. fresh chopped thyme

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup olive oil

1 lb. filet split steak (or shell steak)

2-3 large Portobello mushrooms (caps only)

1 pkg. baby arugula

1 pint grape tomatoes

Whisk balsamic vinegar and spices together in a large mixing bowl until blended.  Drizzle olive oil into mixture while continuously whisking until all of the olive oil is incorporated.   Add steak and mushrooms to the mixture and turn to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to high.  Carefully oil grates to prevent sticking (I use an oil-soaked paper towel with tongs for this job).  Remove steak and mushrooms from the marinade (discarding marinade), and place on the grill directly over the heat. Grill steak on each side for about 5 minutes, mushrooms on each side for about 3-4 minutes, turning once during grilling.  Transfer to a plate or cutting board.

Place arugula on a large serving platter, spreading to create an even layer of greens.  Thinly slice steak across the grain and transfer to the center of the greens.  Repeat with mushrooms, and place on either sides of the steak.  Garnish with grape tomatoes and dress with spoonfuls of Honeyed-Pesto dressing.

Serve immediately.

Honeyed-Pesto Dressing

Pesto can be made in advance and stays for weeks in the refrigerator, perfect for dressing up salads or sandwiches anytime.

 

1 bunch fresh basil (2 cups packed leaves)

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup honey (scant)

Juice of half a lemon

2 garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Place basil leaves, pine nuts, honey, lemon juice and garlic in food processor bowl.  Pulse in food processor until ingredients are pulverized.  Then with the motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil in a continuous stream until emulsified.   Season to taste with salt and pepper.

By Naomi Ross


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The Ultimate ‘Cue

May 25th, 2010

Walking outside on a Sunday evening, you can’t help but pick up the subtle yet unmistakable scent of BBQ in the air.  The aroma draws us in, gets our mouths watering, and at the same time throws us back to a million memories of summers past enjoying the company of family and friends over the delicacies of the grill. 

There is something extraordinary about the results we produce from cooking over an open fire, and there is very little as satisfying as a good barbeque.  With the grilling season upon us, here’s a helpful primer in time for Memorial Day.

That said, let’s focus on the quintessential barbecue obsession–the mother of all BBQ, the reason men happily spend hours working a hot grill, the piece d’resistance of carnivores everywhere.  That’s right.  Ribs.  I’m not talking about flanken or braised short ribs.  I’m talking about gooey, sticky, eat-it-with-your-hands and sink-your-teeth-into-it ribs.  I’m talking about the kind you need a stack of napkins for on the side.  Ribs fall into the category of a “patchke” (a project, so to speak); however, there are some “patchkes” that are worth preparing for special occasions, if only once or twice a year.  And these should be on that list!

Preparing good ribs are not difficult, but they are time consuming, so plan ahead.   Allow plenty of time to marinate your ribs.  “Marinades are the lifeblood of barbecue,” writes Steven Raichlen, today’s foremost BBQ guru.  The flavors need the proper time to sit and absorb.  I created this recipe after dreaming about the finger-licking ribs I had as a child, and they are delicious.  Your guests will tell you so, too!  

Brown Sugar & Bourbon Ribs

 

Serves 4.

Getting Started:

  • Before you begin, don’t forget to check your fuel supply.  It would be a shame to prepare such wonderful ribs and then realize that you have no more propane or charcoal to cook them!   
  • Preheat your grill for indirect grilling – this means that the food will not be cooked directly on the heat.  If your grill has 3 zones of heat, set the back and front burners to medium heat and keep the center burner off.  If your grill has 2 zones of heat, set one side of the grill for medium heat and leave the other side off.  Keep the lid closed until the heat registers at around 350 degrees (as opposed to direct grilling in which you would preheat it to at least 500 degrees). 
  • Oil your grill grate just before placing the food on top.  You can use a wad of oil- soaked paper toweling and rub it on the grates with tongs.  Oiling the grates will prevent your food from sticking.
  • Be organized! Have everything you need for grilling ready and on hand at grill- side before you start. (That means your meat, tongs, basting sauce, serving plate, etc.)

 

Ay, there’s the rub!

American-style ribs are marinated by way of a rub, a spice mixture applied to the meat in order to flavor and cure it before grilling.

Ribs

1½ tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1½ tsp. black pepper

¾ tsp. cayenne pepper

1½ tsp. thyme

1½ tsp. garlic powder

¾ tsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. paprika

1½ tsp. dry mustard powder

8-10 beef spare ribs

1 ½ cups (12 oz.) pineapple juice

 

Mix all the spices together in a small bowl.  Rub the spice mixture into the ribs on all sides (I didn’t say “sprinkle”, I said “rub”…with your fingers).  Place ribs into a large baking dish or foil pan, cover, and refrigerate for 4-8 hours, or even overnight (and no, a half-hour is not enough!).  

Getting Tender

These ribs are pre-cooked in order to make them more tender before being finished on the grill.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Pour pineapple juice into the pan.  Cover with foil and bake until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes-1 hour. 

All in Good Baste

There are many different kinds of BBQ sauces in the world and several different styles even just within the United States.  The classic sweet, tomato-based sauce that has come to define “BBQ sauce” is just one type.  Bold flavor contrasts are the benchmark of a great sauce (e.g. sweet vs. sour, smoky vs. fruity), one which will hopefully enhance and finish the dish when brushed on during grilling.   

BBQ sauces with high sugar content, as with the following recipe, should be applied in the last few minutes of grilling because the sugar burns easily.  While your grill preheats, prepare the basting sauce to have at the ready.

Basting Sauce

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup bourbon whiskey

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. soy sauce

¼ cup apricot butter or apricot jam

Whisk all ingredients in medium-sized bowl to blend.

Grill Time

Grill ribs in the center of your grill (or where there is no heat), with the cover closed, until heated through and slightly charred, about 6-8 minutes per side. Brush generously on all sides with basting sauce.  Grill until sauce becomes a sticky glaze, about 3 minutes longer per side. 

The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and has shrunk back from the ends of the bone.  Transfer to a platter and serve.  

Long summer days are upon us.  Heed the call of your barbeque favorites, and make some delicious new memories on your grill this summer.  With your tongs in hand and napkins at the ready, let the grilling begin!
By Naomi Ross

 

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Dairy Delights

May 11th, 2010

We have been counting for many weeks now, and the anticipation of Shavous — the Jewish holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah — is mounting day by day.   In about one week, we will experience the awe and magnitude of receiving our Holy Cheesecake.  Torah, what I really meant to say was Torah.   Sadly, we often (myself included) forget what the essence of Shavous is all about.   There are many customs which have shaped our enjoyment and celebration of this holiday, one of which is the tradition to eat dairy dishes.  There are many reasons for this custom, the most practical one being the immediate necessity to cook kosher food in the desert after having just received the new laws of kashrut at Mount Sinai.  The Jewish People needed time to prepare meat according to the new laws and to cleanse their pots, pans and plates.  Certainly, there are deeper explanations for the custom as well, all of which are more fully appreciated after a few bites of cheesecake!

After spending almost every festive meal of the year eating either no dairy products or poor imitations, it is easy to get carried away.  You nearly forget just how good the real stuff tastes. The same cookies you make year round with margarine are a different animal when made with real butter.  When planning Shavous meals, I try to choose recipes that will showcase the flavors of pure ingredients while at the same time striving to maintain balance in what could become an overly heavy meal.  Pesto with grated Parmesan, sour cream coffee cake, and cream of broccoli soup are all wonderful choices.  The following recipe for Broiled Halibut with Gingered Grapefruit Bruleé is not difficult to prepare; as always, if you use fresh, pure and good quality ingredients, you don’t need to do much to them in order to yield great results.  PEK’s wild caught Halibut is fresh and firm with a mild taste.  May the pure creaminess and sweetness of this year’s dairy delights remind us of the purity and sweetness of Torah and remain a sustaining taste in our mouths throughout the year.

Broiled Halibut with Gingered Grapefruit Bruleé

This elegant entrée becomes a “winner” with the accompanying Grapefruit beurre blanc, a rich, hot butter sauce made with a reduction of white wine and shallots into which cold, whole butter is blended off the heat to prevent separation. 

 

Serves 4.

For grapefruit beurre blanc:

 

1 pink or red grapefruit

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp. grated gingerroot

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

 

For fish:

2 pink or red grapefruits

4 6oz. halibut steaks with skin (1 1/2 lbs.) or other firm, white-fleshed fish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tbsp. minced crystallized ginger

3 tbsp. sugar

To make grapefruit beurre blanc:
Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from one of the grapefruits.  Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from the grapefruit.   Place zest and juice into a small heavy saucepan.  Add wine, shallot, and grated gingerroot to the saucepan and stir to blend.  Place pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Boil until mixture is reduced by half.  Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool sauce and adding each new piece of butter before the previous one has melted completely (sauce must not get hot enough to separate).   Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep beurre blanc warm in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of hot water.

To make fish:

Cut off the polar ends of the grapefruits with a sharp serrated knife.  Then slice the peel from the sides.  Trim away the white pith.  Working over a bowl, use a gentle sawing motion to cut along each membrane and release the grapefruit sections into the bowl.  (You will be left with an empty mass of membranes – discard!).   Set aside.

Preheat oven to broil.  Prepare a baking sheet, lined with foil.  Pat halibut dry and place fillets on the prepared baking sheet.  Season fish generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Place a single layer of grapefruit segments on the top of each piece of fish, covering the top of the fillet like a blanket.  Mix the crystallized ginger and sugar together in a small bowl (or give a whiz together in the food processor for a few seconds).  Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the ginger-sugar over each grapefruit/fillet.  Place baking sheet in the top third of the oven, and broil for about 8-9 minutes, or until fish is done (flakes easily and is opaque in the middle) and the grapefruit is caramelized.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate.  Spoon warm beurre blanc over the fish.  Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

*Cook’s note:  Fish can stay warm in a 225° oven.  Beurre blanc can stay warm in a double-boiler or even a thermos.

Bonus Recipe!!

To end the perfect Shavuos meal, you need a smash-hit cheesecake, and the following one sure fits the bill.  I’ve converted even the most reluctant guests into cheesecake lovers…and you will too!

Spiked Chocolate Cheesecake

 

Spiked with coffee liquor, this is not a cheesecake for the faint-hearted!

Yields: 12-16 servings

Crust:

1 pkg. Chocolate wafers/sandwich cookies (8 ½ oz. bag of oreos)

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Crush cookies in a food processor to make crumbs.  Combine cookie crumbs & melted butter in a medium bowl until well mixed.  Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides (two inches) of an ungreased 9” spring form pan.  Refrigerate.

Filling:

2 8-oz. pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

1 cup whipping cream

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup coffee-flavored liquor

Preheat oven to 325°.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add whipping cream, butter, vanilla and liquor.  Beat until smooth.  Add melted chocolate and gently fold into mixture until completely combined. 

Wrap the bottom of the crust-lined spring form pan with 3 layers of aluminum foil.  Pour batter into pan.  Place pan into a larger pan/dish and fill with enough water to come up the sides of the spring form pan ¾”.  Place the pan holding the spring form into the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes or until edges are set.  The center of the cheesecake will be soft.  Allow cheesecake to cool, then refrigerate 2-3 hours minimum, preferably overnight.  Garnish with reserved cookie crumbs, chocolate curls or sliced strawberries.  Carefully remove the outer rim of the spring form pan before serving. Serve and enjoy!

By Naomi Ross

 

 

 

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The Conscientious Carnivore

May 6th, 2010

Ask your average Joe where his chicken came from, and odds are he’ll tell you the name of the supermarket from which he bought it.   Like the “cup-o-soup” or can of tomato sauce, poultry and meats have become yet another product under cellophane and Styrofoam that gets thrown into the shopping cart without much thought, without much consideration.  Though more awareness and thoughtfulness are beginning to affect today’s consumer, the reality of being far removed from our food, of knowing little of the life and death of what nourishes us, can erode our understanding of just what exactly makes for a choice piece of chicken: what makes it particularly flavorful or healthful and the obvious ethical choices implicit in such questions.  My grandmother remembers going on Friday mornings to select the live chicken that would shortly become their Shabbat dinner…my, how much more complicated eating has become. 

For Shlomo Fink, owner of David Elliot Poultry Farm in Scranton, PA., producing good poultry is no mystery.  His family has been doing it since 1941.   David Elliot produces about 10,000 birds per day, a small number in comparison to some of the larger mass-produced poultry factories.  Broilers (really tasty – see my recipe below!), 10 lb. capons, and turkeys abound, but their signature bird is a true kosher Rock Cornish Hen (1 lb. single serving size), sweet and succulent to the last bite.   According to Fink, operating on a small scale is what distinguishes David Elliot Poultry from other products, allowing more dedication and attention to quality and the highest standards of kosher slaughter.  

David Elliot offers an array of “natural” poultry – free of growth hormones and antibiotics.   You might be wondering if this matters and why it is significant.  When birds are kept in cramped, dirty conditions, disease can spread.  To counteract this, the large-scale poultry processing companies administer antibiotics.  Additionally, the high volumes of poultry these companies produce do not leave time for a chicken to grow at a natural pace; instead, they inject it with hormones to make it grow faster.  On a smaller scale, with less crowding and better conditions, all this should not be necessary.  Not surprisingly, healthier chicks taste better; and they just might be better for your health as well. 

You don’t have to be a vegetarian to think about from whence your meat came. With a little thought and by supporting the farms who want to do it right, you are paying homage to the animal that was your dinner and to the Creator Who put it on your plate.      

Park East Kosher is a proud seller of David Elliot Poultry – be sure to inquire when placing an order.

Apricot Glazed Euro-Breast with Savory Stuffing

A Euro-breast (also called “French breast”), a breast quarter deboned with the wing attached, is becoming a popular cut.  Your Park East Butcher is happy to prepare it for you upon request.

Serves 4.

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup diced carrots (from 1-2 large carrots)

1 cup diced celery (from about 2 stalks)

1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp. dried thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (or coarse fresh bread crumbs)

4 broiler Euro-breasts (David Elliot’s)*

3 tbsp. apricot preserves

1 tbsp. white wine

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add carrots, celery and onion, and sauté for about 7-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.    Add garlic, thyme, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.  Stir to blend and continue to sauté another 2 minutes.   Remove from heat.  Add the bread crumbs and mix until combined.  Set aside.

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Stuff approximately 3-4 tablespoons of stuffing underneath the skin towards the bone, making sure the skin contains the stuffing  (don’t overstuff).  Place each stuffed breast in a baking pan.

Mix apricot preserves and wine together in a small bowl.  Brush mixture generously over the skin of each breast.  Place pan in oven uncovered for about 50-60 minutes, until the skin is golden brown, basting with pan juices about halfway through the cooking time.  Serve hot and enjoy!

By Naomi Ross

 

 

 

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A Wok on the Wild Side

April 27th, 2010

If you are feeling guilty over last week’s frying escapades (hopefully not; Murgi Chicken is so worth it!), then let’s move on to lighter ground and explore the healthier side of frying.  Stir-frying, that is.   Chock full of vegetables and using way less fat, stir-frying is not only one of the most healthful cooking methods, but an incredibly flavorful one as well.  If done right, vegetables remain crisp yet tender, meats are left succulent and aromatic and you’ve got yourself a meal-in-one — and in a very short amount of time.  The synthesis of intense heat and constant motion, circulating the hot air in the wok, brings out an intense quality in the food.  This experience is known in Cantonese cooking as wok hay.  Grace Young, a foremost expert on Chinese cooking and author of “The Breath of the Wok” explains “I think of wok hay as the breath of a wok — when a wok breathes energy into a stir-fry, giving foods a unique concentrated flavor and aroma.”

Though restricted from the classic Chinese repertoire of ingredients, the kosher home-cook can still benefit from a good stir-fry using the freshest produce and kosher meats and poultry available.  A good wok and the right technique will enliven your palate and kitchen with endless dinner options to come.  But before you get started, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Stir-frying moves quickly, so have all ingredients prepped ahead of time and at the ready (you can even do the chopping a day ahead to save time).
  • Chop ingredients in a uniform size to ensure even cooking.
  • Heat the wok first before adding the cold oil.  This will help prevent sticking.
  • Maintaining a high temperature is important – when a bead of water evaporates after one or two seconds of contact, then the wok is hot enough.
  • Do not overcrowd the pan with ingredients – too much in the wok will cause the temperature to drop and the food to cook unevenly or to lose its crisp texture.
  • To best enjoy your stir-fry, serve hot and fresh from the pan immediately following cooking.  Leftovers are always nice, but never the same as when they are first made.

Sounds simple, right?  It is.  Simple, fast, healthy and delicious.  Go out and get yourself a wok and get stir-crazy!

Asian Steak Stir-Fry with Mixed PeppersPepper Steak

Pepper steak comes beautifully sliced into thin pieces and is wonderfully tender when stir-fried.  You may want cut width-wise to match the size of the peppers.  

 

Serves 4.

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. orange juice
  • 1½ tsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1½  tsp. cornstarch
  • ¼ cup beef stock (or water if you are stock-less)
  • 1 ½ lbs. pepper steak
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
  • 4 bell peppers in assorted colors, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
  • 1 large onion, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tbsp.)
  • 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • 2 tbsp. water

Accompaniment: cooked white rice

Stir together soy sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and beef stock in a large cup.

Pat steak dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.   Place wok over moderately high heat until very hot.  Add 1 tbsp. of oil and continue to preheat, swirling oil around the pan until the oil is wavy (but not smoking).  Add half of the steak, laying each piece out on the surface of the wok until browned, turning frequently, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Add 1 tbsp. of oil to skillet, and repeat with remaining steak.

Add remaining tbsp. of oil to the wok and stir-fry bell peppers, onion, garlic, and ginger until onion is golden, about 6 to 7 minutes, stirring very often.  Stir in 2 tbsp. water and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Return steak to skillet, and stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the steak and vegetables are coated with the thickened sauce.

Serve immediately over hot rice and enjoy!

By Naomi Ross

 

 

 

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‘Grease Lightning!’

April 20th, 2010

I try to be honest, so I’m not going to try to convince you that frying is actually good for you.  It’s not. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I can continue in defense of the crispy, succulent goodness that good frying is all about (we’ll talk about healthy eating next week, ok?).

We have all been traumatized by badly fried food: the oil is oozing, the crust is soggy.  It’s an unappetizing mess and downright bad for you.  If done correctly, however, frying is not as unhealthy as one might think.   In fact, a good fry does not actually cause the food to absorb that much oil at all.  Because I hear you squirming in your seat, let’s start off slow and talk about pan-frying (I’ll leave deep-frying for another time!). 

When pan-frying, the food is semi-submerged in hot oil in a pan on the stove top and flipped halfway through cooking. Foods that benefit from this method would include naturally tender cuts of poultry or veal, delicate fish fillets, and vegetables. 

Free yourself of your frying fears!  Follow these tips for perfectly crisp-on-the-outside, moist and tender on-the-inside results that cook lightning fast!  

  • Choose your cooking oil carefully. You want one with a high ‘smoke point’: in other words, one which won’t break down at high frying temperatures. Peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and canola oil are some good choices (olive oil is not because it has a low burning point).
  • Choose a deep, heavy pan for frying.  Leaving a headspace (space at the top of the pan) of at least one to two inches allows for a safety margin when the oil bubbles up as the food is added.  A good heavy pan with a thick bottom will also conduct heat better, saving you from unevenly cooked, burnt food.
  • Make sure that the food you are going to fry is dry.  Oil and water do not mix, especially at such high temperatures and burns from splattering oil are not fun.
  • The best temperature for frying is 350-375 degrees F.  When deep-frying, the best way to make sure you’ve got it right is with a fry thermometer; but with pan-frying, the shallow depth of oil in the pan may preclude this.  You can tell that oil is ready when a 1″ cube of white bread dropped into the oil sizzles upon contact and browns in 60 seconds. 
  • The food should be less than an inch thick (thin cutlets work best).  If too thick, the surface of the food will burn before the center is cooked.  The oil should be no more than half as high as the food so that the same area is not fried twice when you flip it.
  • Don’t overcrowd the pan! Carefully add the food, leaving lots of space around each piece so the food will cook evenly. If you add too much food at once, the oil temperature will drop and the food will absorb fat.
  • Watch the food carefully as it cooks, regulating the heat if necessary to keep the oil temperature steady. When the food is evenly golden-browned on both sides, it’s done. Remove it with a slotted spoon with a long handle. Drop it onto paper towels in a single layer to drain.
  • Don’t reuse the cooking oil after it cools. Some sources say you can strain it and reuse it, but the oil has already begun to break down from the heat, and undesirable compounds have formed. Let the oil cool completely, and then discard safely.  I pour it in a jar and throw it in the garbage.  Don’t pour it down the drain!

 The following recipe is a very flavorful, Indian twist on classic fried chicken cutlets.   Eaten hot and right out of the pan, there is nothing like it…and your kids will ask for more!

MURGI CHICKEN

This recipe can easily be doubled.  Cut chicken into smaller strips and make the best chicken fingers ever!

 

1 medium onion, quartered

2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves

½ tsp. ground turmeric

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cutlets)

¼ cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup cornflake crumbs

peanut or corn oil

1)  Process the onion, ginger, garlic, and spices in a food processor until pureed.

2)  Tenderize chicken breasts until they have an even thin thickness.

3)  Marinate chicken breasts in the onion mixture for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.

4)  Prepare 3 bowls – one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with cornflake crumbs. 

5) Dip the chicken in flour, then egg and then Cornflake crumbs. Place on a plate until frying time.

6)  Heat oil in a large skillet until very hot (drop of water sizzles upon contact).

7)  Fry cutlets on both sides, about 5 minutes per side or until breading is golden brown.

8)  Transfer to paper towels or brown paper to drain.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Serves 4.
By Naomi Ross

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Speed Cooking

April 12th, 2010

The Food Network is soaring with popularity these days.  Celebrity chefs are putting out cookbooks faster than you can say “Rachel Ray,” and to their credit, have transformed cooking into a glamorous activity.  And although cooking may be “in,” women — who are still primarily the ones responsible for meal preparation in the home– are spending less time in the kitchen than ever before.   Consider this:  According to a study done in the year 1900, a typical woman spent 44 hours per week preparing meals and cleaning up after them.  That is an astounding figure.  Everything made was fresh and from scratch; cooking for the family was a full-time job.  By 1950, with the advent of the modern electrical kitchen and many packaged convenience products, that number had dropped by more than fifty percent.   Dare we ask how many hours the average woman spends in her kitchen nowadays?

While it is true that technology has freed up so many hours previously spent cooking, this has been more than offset by the time women now spend at work.  As a result, women today have far less time to cook.  We own rice cookers, bread makers, waffle makers, and every other gadget to “simplify” and quicken our cooking, and yet despite our desire to provide nourishing homemade meals for our families, the main frustration amongst women today is that we have no time!  As a result, “30-minute meals”, OAMC (Once A Month Cooking), and prepared frozen foods are more the norm than the exception.

In most families, weeknight “dinnertime” is not what it used to be. With longer school days and more extracurricular activities for kids combined with a longer workday for parents, the family bonding that has long been synonymous with supper is becoming more and more challenging to sustain.   But try we must!  The Project EAT team (Eating Among Teens) at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health has been investigating the many health benefits for teens eating family meals. Their research has found that teens who reported eating more family meals per week reported significantly less substance abuse, fewer eating disorders, and significantly better academic and mental health than those eating fewer meals with family.  Getting a healthy dinner on the table is a challenge and can often seem like a chore.  But if you consider the importance of what you’re really doing – establishing family cohesiveness and connectedness while nourishing your family — it’s one of the best investments you can make.

Here is a game plan for a simple “30-minute meal” that is healthy and flavorful to boot.  Kosher shoulder lamb chops are a treat for anyone at the end of a long day and take no time to prepare.  Spend 5 minutes in the morning to marinate the chops, and they’ll be ready to throw into the pan when you get home!  While the chops cook, prepare rice and steamed broccoli as an accompaniment; the whole meal should only take 20-25 minutes to prepare and is a tasty well-balanced supper.  Enjoy!

Savory Minted Lamb Chops

These lamb chops marinate for a few hours, but the actual cook time is very short – only 10 minutes!

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. fresh mint leaves, minced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. ground coriander
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (how hot do you like it?)
  • ¼ tsp. curry powder
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
  • 4 ½-3/4 -inch-thick shoulder lamb chops

Place all ingredients (except for veg. oil and lamb chops) in a small mixing bowl and mix well.  Spread a little bit of herb mixture (about 1 tbsp.) over both sides of lamb chops.  Transfer lamb chops to a large plate, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. 

Place oil in a large skillet over high heat until pan is very hot.  Transfer lamb chops to skillet and sear on each side for 4-5 minutes, until brown and slightly crusty. (This may produce smoke, so use your exhaust fan!).  Transfer chops to platter and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Serves 2-3.

By Naomi Ross
 

 

 

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PASSOVER 2010

March 17th, 2010

On the 15th day of Nisan, which this year falls at sunset March 29th, Jews throughout the world will celebrate the Holy Festival of Passover.  This holiday commemorates the Hebrew’s escape from enslavement in Egypt.

In 1441 BCE, the Pharaoh became worried that the children of Israel would multiply and grow strong to wage war against Egypt.  He therefore decreed that all Jews be placed into slavery and all male Hebrew babies be killed. A couple named Amron and Yochevet tried to save their son from death by placing him in a basket and floated him down the Nile River.  The Pharaoh’s daughter, who happened to be bathing in the river, found the baby.  She took him as her son and named him Moses, which means “taken from the water”.

Moses was raised by the Royal Family, but somehow showed empathy for the Jewish slaves.  One day he saw an Egyptian Taskmaster beating a slave, and slew him.  He soon found out he was Jewish himself and fled to the desert for forty years to escape the Pharaoh’s punishment.

One day, while working as a Shepherd, the Lord appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush. G-d commanded Moses to return to Egypt to free the slaves and lead them to the land of Israel.  Moses pleaded with the King to free the Jews, but to no avail.  The Lord sent down ten plagues against the people of Egypt.  The ten plagues are:  Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness and the Slaying of the First Born.  During the tenth plague, the Hebrew’s marked their doors with Lamb’s blood.  The Angel of Death “passed over” those homes marked with the blood and only killed the Egyptian first born of whom the Pharaoh’s son was included.  This is where the name Passover comes from.

Pharaoh finally granted the Jews permission to leave Egypt.  They gathered all their belongings and in their haste to flee, didn’t have time for their bread to rise.  They took the bread the way it was.  This is why Jewish people eat Matzah during Passover.  As the Jews were fleeing, Pharoah changed his mind and sent his army to bring them back. G-d parted the Red Sea for the Jews to cross.  As soon as the Jews were on the other side, the waters were closed and all the soldiers drowned.  The Jewish people were saved.

We celebrate Passover with a traditional meal called a Seder, where we read the story of how our ancestors were slaves and remind ourselves that we live as free people.  During the Seder we eat traditional foods that remind us of our affliction at the hands of the Egyptians.  We eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of slavery.  We eat Charoset, which is a sweet mixture of apples, nuts and wine which represents the mortar from which the slaves made bricks.  Another food we eat is a vegetable dipped in salt water.  The vegetable is a sign of rebirth, and the salt water represents the tears of the Hebrew slaves.  The book we read from is called the Haggadah which means “to tell”.  Jewish people look forward to being present each year at the Seder. It is a time for families to get together, tell the story of freedom, and rejoice with good food and wine.

Wishing everyone a Joyous and Kosher Passover from Michael, Murray and the entire staff at Park East Kosher.

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Pesach Memories

March 15th, 2010

Close your eyes.  Think far back, as far as you can, to your first seder experiences.  Your nose crinkles at the smell of maror (horseradish); the sweetness of the charoset tickles your tongue.  The hustle and bustle reverberates through the house as everyone rushes to take care of all those last minute items. The frenetic energy that comes with knowing that you are planning for something special is contagious.  And though you may not be a kid anymore, that same feeling is revisited each year in the weeks leading up to Passover. 

People are always a bit conflicted at this time with regard to menu planning for the Seder.  On one hand, Passover is all about family traditions and continuity, so how could you not make Aunt Sadie’s famous matzo farfel?  Of course, Passover is also about finding newness and freedom in the mitzvoth (commandments) of the holiday…so perhaps a new take on some of the traditional foods might be in order.

Brisket is a very popular choice for the Seder night, much because it is traditionally prepared by braising it in liquid – a method that is in line with the custom to not eat roasted meats at the seder.  Since we no longer have the Temple in Jerusalem where we would roast and eat the korban Pesach (Paschal sacrifice), we no longer eat roasted meats at the Seder.  Consequently, boiling (like with corned beef), braising, and baking (covered) are the cooking methods du jour.   This year, in the spirit of spicing up old traditions, I’ve decided to go with a French Roast (although I’m not actually “roasting” it).  French Roast, Square Roast, Brick Roast…they’re all the same cut with different names, coming from the “chuck” part of the cow (the top part, between the shoulder and the ribs).   French Roast has slightly less connective tissue than brisket, so it’s lean and tender and slices beautifully after a long braise. 

In creating this recipe, I couldn’t seem to deviate too much from the brisket style of my youth, but an aromatic spice rub seemed to do the trick nicely to reinvent our Seder entrée.  What’s more, you can also use a brisket interchangeably with the French Roast in this recipe.  I hope it enhances your Seder and the memories you’ll share and commemorate each year. 

Chag Kasher v’Sameach – a Happy and Kosher Passover!

Spiced French Roast with Dried Fruits

          This braised meat is perfect for Seder night, and is packed with flavor after marinating in an aromatic spice rub prior to cooking.  This recipe can be used interchangeably with Brisket.  Amounts double easily for a larger cut of meat.

Serves 6-8.

  • 2 tsp coarse (kosher) salt
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 3 lb. French roast
  • 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions, sliced (about 3 cups)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 small or 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  • 2 small or 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  • ½ cup whole pitted prunes
  • ½ cup dried apricots
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1½ Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste

Mix first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.  Place roast in large roasting pan and rub spice mixture evenly over both sides. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven temperature to 325°F.  Heat oil in a very large skillet over high heat. Carefully place roast in the skillet and sear for 1-2 minutes, until browned.  Using tongs, turn roast over and repeat on the other side.  Remove roast from pan and set aside.  Lower heat to medium and add an extra Tbsp of oil to the pan if it looks dry.  Add onions and garlic to the pan and sauté, stirring often, for about 5-6 minutes or until just translucent.   Pour wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes.  Place mixture in the bottom of the roasting pan, then place roast on top.  Surround roast with parsnips, carrots, prunes and apricots. 

In a separate small bowl, mix together water, honey and tomato paste.  Stir to blend and then pour over the top of the roast, spreading to cover.  Cover pan with heavy-duty foil and bake until tender, about 2 1/2 hours.  Allow meat to rest and cool, about 1 hour.

Transfer roast to work surface. Thinly slice meat across the grain on slight diagonal and  transfer slices to a serving platter.  Place vegetables around meat and cover with pan juices.  Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.

 Note: this dish can be made 2 days ahead.  Cover roast and store in refrigerator.  Reheat covered roast in 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or longer if chilled.

By Naomi Ross

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Making the Most of a Minute

March 8th, 2010

I’ve been in a bit of a brawl with my minute roast lately.   Perhaps it’s the name.   It’s a misnomer really, grossly playing on every home cook’s dream of turning out a luscious roast in nearly a minute…the name just plays with our expectations, don’t you think?   The minute roast, a common cut in kosher meat cookery, both because of its great flavor as well as its modest price, is quite versatile.   When split, the minute roast is the source of the much loved London Broil or can be sliced for minute steaks.   Making the most of your minute roast requires a bit of consideration, though.  Coming from the shoulder joint area of the animal, which gets a fair bit of exercise, there is a lot of muscular tissue and sinews, which make for a tougher piece of meat.   A grilled or broiled London Broil is excellent right off the grill or out of the broiler, but wait two hours to eat it and you might as well chew on a riding saddle.  So the choice of how to prepare this cut greatly depends on the needs of the cook: does it need to be prepared right before serving time or can it be done in advance…and will that taste good?  A tough cut such as this can become fall-apart tender when slow-roasted a brilliant solution that can be done in advance.   It may not have the same delectable crusty exterior of a flame-charred roast, but the warming mellow flavors resulting from a long slow cook have a special quality all their own.  In addition, slow roasting has the added benefit of more even cooking and less shrinkage, so your meat will stretch further.

Slow-roasting is best done between the temperatures of 200-250°F.  When roasting conventionally, I usually give my roasts a preliminary sear on a high temperature (like 450°F) for about 20-30 minutes.  In the case of slow roasting though, browning the roast for a minute or two on each side is sufficient to caramelize the exterior of the meat and enhance the flavor, preventing the outer layers of meat from being overcooked. 

When slow-roasting, you can expect very tender results, whether you like it rare, medium or well done.  I’ve even slow cooked a minute roast overnight until all the connective tissue melted away – granted, it was no longer a sliceable roast, but it sure made great sandwich fixings!  

The following recipe for Slow-Roasted BBQ Minute Roast is a great weeknight choice, as it can be started earlier in the day and cook until dinner time…it may take more than a minute, but it’s worth it!

Slow-Roasted BBQ Minute Roast

A flavorful homemade BBQ sauce glazes this tender roast, adding a boost of flavor.  Baste every hour or so.  As it reduces during the long cooking time, it will become deliciously concentrated.

  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
  • ¾ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1½ cups ketchup
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/3 cup water
  • ½ cup bourbon
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper (scant)
  • ¾ tsp. dried thyme
  • 3-4 lb. minute roast
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place 1 Tbsp. oil in a large, heavy saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.   Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes.  Add vinegar, ketchup, molasses, water, bourbon, salt, pepper and thyme.  Stir to blend and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes to blend flavors.  (Sauce can be prepared one day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place 1-2 tsp. oil in a large skillet on high heat.   Place minute roast in skillet and brown each side for about 1 minute per side.  Transfer roast to a rack and place in a roasting pan.  Rub remaining oil all over the roast and season with freshly ground black pepper.  Pour sauce over roast and cook uncovered for 4-5 hours (or longer if you like it well-done), basting about once per hour.  For best results, test for doneness with a meat thermometer: 145°F= rare, 160°F =medium, 170°F =well.

Remove from oven and tent foil over roast, allowing roast to rest for 15-20 minutes.  Slice roast and serve with remaining sauce from the roasting pan.

Serves 6-8.

By Naomi Ross
 

 

 

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