1,000 Jewish Recipes (169 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
This salad is made without vinegar or lemon juice and is good for Rosh Hashanah if your family avoids these acidic ingredients for the holiday, or anytimeâbecause the lively flavor from the wine, thyme, chives, and parsley is always satisfying.
1
â
4
cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds boiling potatoes of uniform size, scrubbed but not peeled
1 medium carrot, diced
1
â
4
cup minced sweet or white onion
5 or 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or
3
â
4
teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
Combine 2 tablespoons wine, salt, and pepper in small bowl and stir to blend.
2.
Put potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water by about
1
â
2
-inch and add a pinch of salt. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add carrot and cook about 10 minutes or until potatoes and carrot are tender enough that knife pierces center of largest potato and carrot easily; do not overcook, or potatoes will fall apart when cut.
3.
Drain potatoes and carrot in colander. Peel potatoes while warm and cut into medium dice. Put potatoes and diced carrot in a large bowl. Add wine mixture and fold gently to mix. Fold in onion. Cool to room temperature.
4.
To make dressing, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons wine with salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in 5 tablespoons oil and add thyme. Adjust seasoning. Add dressing to potato mixture and fold it in gently with rubber spatula. Add remaining oil if needed. Adjust seasoning. A short time before serving, fold in 1 tablespoon chives and 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve salad at room temperature, sprinkled with remaining chives and parsley.
The colorful salad features the popular Eastern Mediterranean flavor combination of toasted pine nuts, fresh mint, green onions, and lemon juice loved in Israel and Lebanon. The salad needs no cooking at all; you simply pour boiling water over the couscous and wait a few minutes until it softens. Serve the salad as an appetizer or accompaniment for cold chicken for a summertime Shabbat lunch.
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup plain or whole-wheat couscous
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons pine nuts
6 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
1 green onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Green or red leaf lettuce leaves
Red, yellow, or orange cherry tomatoes
1.
Whisk lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in 3 tablespoons oil.
2.
Combine couscous with a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Shake saucepan to spread couscous in an even layer. Pour boiling water evenly over couscous, immediately cover saucepan tightly, shake it to distribute water evenly, and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk dressing again and drizzle 2 tablespoons of dressing over couscous. Cover and let stand 2 minutes. Transfer couscous to a bowl and break up any lumps with a fork. Let cool completely.
3.
Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet often, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
4.
Whisk remaining dressing, drizzle it over couscous, and toss gently with a fork. Add diced tomatoes, green onion, and mint and toss salad gently. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
5.
Add pine nuts and toss salad. Adjust seasoning. Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons oil if needed. To serve, make a bed of lettuce on a platter. Spoon couscous mixture in a mound in center. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.
Long before they were trendy, pasta salads played a role on the Shabbat menus of Jews from Italy because in observant homes everything for Shabbat is cooked ahead. Cold dishes are often served for the midday meal on Saturday.
I love the taste of fresh oregano in this simple salad but you can use basil or Italian parsley instead.
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, cut into small dice
6 to 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound medium or large pasta shells (about 6 cups)
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1
â
4
cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano, basil, or Italian parsley
1.
Combine tomatoes, 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
2.
Cook pasta uncovered in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes or until tender but firm to bite. Drain well and add to tomato mixture. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil and mix well. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cover and refrigerate. About 30 minutes before serving remove from refrigerator. Add fresh herbs a short time before serving.
FISH SALADS
I learned to appreciate sardines when I lived in Israel. My neighbors often created a quick, easy lunch of canned sardines in a spicy tomato sauce, accompanied by a salad of cucumbers, onions, and diced tomatoes, some dark bread, and a little yogurt. At the time I didn't know how healthful this light meal was. In recent years I've learned that sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important to a heart-healthy diet. Canned sardines are also a very convenient product for busy cooks. I like to use very small Brislings from Norway, esteemed as the finest sardines.
This pareve salad is satisfying enough to be served as a main course or can be a first course in either a meat or dairy meal. If you like, you can garnish the salad with a couple tablespoons of toasted pine nuts.
1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1
â
2
teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces spaghetti, spaghettini, or vermicelli
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Two 3- or 4-ounce cans sardines, preferably Brislings, drained
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice (optional)
1.
Put tomatoes in a large bowl. Add, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons oil. Let stand at room temperature while pasta cooks.
2.
Cook pasta uncovered in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat, separating strands occasionally with fork, 6 to 8 minutes or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well, rinse briefly with cold water, and drain again. Add to tomato mixture. Toss well using tongs. Add spinach and parsley.
3.
If using Brisling sardines, leave them whole; cut other sardines into bite-size pieces. Leave a few sardines or sardine pieces for garnish. Add remaining sardines to salad and toss. Just before serving, add lemon juice, if using. Taste salad and adjust seasoning; add 1 to 2 more tablespoons olive oil if desired. Serve salad with reserved sardines.
Orange-colored lox on bright green spinach makes for a pretty salad. Walnuts add a festive note, as does the walnut oil dressing. This salad makes a light and colorful beginning for a Hanukkah latke party or for a Sunday brunch that features a noodle kugel as an entree.
3 cups rinsed dried spinach leaves, preferably baby spinach
2 cups iceberg lettuce mix
1 long (hothouse) cucumber, halved and sliced
1 or 2 tablespoons walnut or hazelnut oil
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
4
cup toasted walnut pieces
1 or 2 ounces lox, cut into thin strips
Toss spinach with lettuce, cucumber, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a salad bowl. Adjust seasoning. Serve sprinkled with walnuts and topped with lox strips.
Jews from Tunisia cook many delicious fish specialties. Here is a simple dish from the Tunisian kitchen that turns everyday tuna into a tasty appetizer. You can also serve it as a main course or use it as a delicious filling for a sandwich. If you use roasted peppers from a jar, it can be made very quickly.
4 red or green
bell peppers
, or 2 of each, roasted and peeled, or 8 roasted red pepper halves from a jar
One 6-ounce can tuna, preferably in olive oil
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice