Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (153 page)
3.
Combine poached salmon and lox in a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add butter and process until blended. Add cream cheese and process to blend. Add a pinch of pepper and nutmeg. Spoon into small serving dishes or ramekins and chill thoroughly.
4.
Just before serving, top pâté with salmon caviar or chives. Serve cold, with bread.
You can buy this ready-made but it's better, fresher, and more economical if you make it yourself. And it's one of the easiest recipes around. At some fish markets you can buy inexpensive lox trimmings and they're perfect for this spread. Whether the smoked fish is labeled "lox" or "smoked salmon," it will be delicious.
Use any kind of soft cream cheese you likeâregular, low-fat, or nonfat. If you're using a firm block of cream cheese, soften it at room temperature and stir in a few tablespoons sour cream to give it a spreadable consistency. Of course, it's perfect on bagels but there's no need to stop there. I also love it on rye bread, pumpernickel, water crackers, and matzo.
For a pretty and easy hors d'oeuvre, you can spread it on crackers or cocktail bread and top each one with a blanched asparagus tip.
1 pound whipped cream cheese
2 to 4 ounces lox or smoked salmon, finely chopped
5 teaspoons chopped fresh chives or green onion
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste (optional)
Mix cheese with lox and chives in a small bowl. Season with pepper. Taste for seasoning (you will probably not need salt).
Herring has long been an Ashkenazic Jewish favorite for buffets, Shabbat kiddush, (snacks after synagogue service) and for Yom Kippur after the fast. It is served pickled or as a salad or spread.
Some recipes begin with salted herrings that need to be soaked or pickled. Today many cooks instead use pickled herrings from a jar, which is readily available at the supermarket. When prepared this way, the spread or salad is ready in no time.
Many herring salads and spreads include apples and onions to balance the sweet and sour taste of the pickled herring. This version from the Alsatian Jewish kitchen makes use of pickled cucumbers and crème fraîche to balance the sweetness of the pickled herring. You can either dice the ingredients fine and serve the herring salad with boiled potatoes or you can blend them to a spread and serve it with bread.
One 16-ounce jar marinated herring or herring in wine sauce
1 apple, peeled and finely diced
1
â
4
cup finely diced pickles
2 shallots, minced, or
1
â
3
cup chopped red or white onion
1
â
4
cup chopped walnuts
1
â
4
to
1
â
2
cup crème fraîche or sour cream, or to taste
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Remove herring pieces from jar; reserve liquid. Cut herring into small dice. Combine herring, apple, pickles, shallots, and walnuts in a bowl. In a small bowl, mix crème fraîche with lemon juice and mustard. Add to salad and mix well. If necessary, add liquid from the herring to moisten the salad; or add more crème fraîche. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
HUMMUS AND OTHER VEGETABLE DIPS AND SPREADS
Hummus is a golden chickpea puree flavored with lemon juice and tahini. It's a specialty of Middle Eastern Jews but has become a favorite among Israelis everywhere and is a must for parties. In Jerusalem delis and homes, several versions of hummus are made. I am especially enticed by this recipe, which is garnished with an appetizing topping of pine nuts, olive oil, and cayenne pepper.
Hummus is such a popular treat it is now also widely available prepackagedâin Israel and even in the United States. Here hummus has quickly gone from a specialty item relegated to Israeli and Middle Eastern grocery stores to being available at the supermarket. Still, there's no comparing store-bought to homemade.
Serve this festive dip with fresh pita bread, or keep it on hand for sandwiches. You can store it for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
1 pound dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), about 2
1
â
2
cups
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1
â
2
cup tahini (sesame paste), stirred before measuring
1
â
2
cup strained fresh lemon juice
About 1
1
â
4
cups water
Salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
1.
Pick over chickpeas, discarding any pebbles and broken or discolored peas. In a large bowl, generously cover chickpeas with water and soak 8 hours or overnight.
2.
Drain chickpeas and rinse. Put them in a large saucepan and generously cover with water. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat about 2 hours or until very tender. Drain well. Cool slightly.
3.
Mince garlic in food processor. Add chickpeas and process to chop. Add tahini, lemon juice, and
1
â
2
cup water and puree until finely blended. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in enough water so that mixture has consistency of a smooth spread. Season with salt and cayenne. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.
4.
To serve, spread hummus on a serving plate. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle hummus very lightly with cayenne, then with pine nuts.
Hummus is actually a healthy spread. You can spread it on bread instead of butter or cream cheese. My mother often uses it in sandwiches instead of mayonnaise.
This version is incredibly quick and easy to prepare, as it's made from canned chickpeas. You can buy low-salt chickpeas if you prefer. It keeps about 4 days in the refrigerator in a covered container.
If serving the hummus as an appetizer, spread it on plates and sprinkle it with chopped parsley and with paprika or cayenne pepper.
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste), stirred before measuring
1
â
4
cup strained fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
About
1
â
2
cup water
Salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1.
Mince garlic in food processor. Add chickpeas and process to chop.
2.
Add tahini to food processor. Add
1
â
4
cup lemon juice and
1
â
4
cup water and puree until finely blended. Add more lemon juice if you like. Add more water if necessary so that mixture has consistency of a smooth spread. Season with salt and cayenne.
This rich type of hummus is chunky rather than smooth. You can either cook your own chickpeas and make your own sauce, or, for a quick version, buy prepared, ready-to-eat tahini sauce (not the paste, which is designed for making your own tahini) and canned chickpeas.
Serve this hummus in bowls for dipping, or for spooning over pita bread. It's saucy and is not a thick spread. It's also good served as a salad on a bed of lettuce.
1
â
2
to
3
â
4
cup
Tahini Dip
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1
â
2
teaspoon ground cumin
1
â
4
to
1
â
2
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley or cilantro
1.
Prepare Tahini Dip. Then, combine
1
â
2
cup tahini sauce, garlic, cumin, and pepper flakes in blender or food processor. Processor until garlic is finely minced and sauce is well blended.
2.
Transfer sauce to a bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
3.
Coarsely chop half the chickpeas in food processor. Add chopped and whole chickpeas to sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. If you would like it more saucy, stir in remaining tahini sauce. Add more lemon juice, salt, pepper, or cayenne if needed. Just before serving, stir in 3 tablespoons parsley or cilantro. Serve sprinkled with remaining parsley or cilantro.