Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (189 page)
This topping is delicious on blintzes filled with cabbage or mushrooms. You could also serve it on potato latkes for Hanukkah.
3
â
4
cup sour cream
3
â
4
cup yogurt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Hot paprika or cayenne pepper, to taste
Mix sour cream, yogurt, sweet paprika, chives, dill, and parsley in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and hot paprika. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
If you keep dried mushrooms in your pantry, you can make this creamy sauce on short notice. It's delicious spooned over any blintzes with a vegetable or mushroom filling, whether homemade or purchased. You can also serve it to accompany spinach or cheese
bourekas
or savory noodle kugels.
1
1
â
2
ounces dried morels, shiitake mushrooms, porcini or Polish mushrooms
1
â
4
cup (
1
â
2
stick) butter
1
â
4
cup all-purpose flour
1
â
2
cup vegetable stock
1
1
â
2
cups milk, or 1 cup milk and
1
â
2
cup whipping cream or half and half, plus 2 tablespoons more milk if needed
Salt and white pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley (optional)
1.
Soak mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms from water. Rinse mushrooms and cut into small pieces; if using shiitake mushrooms, discard stems.
2.
Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour, and cook over low heat, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually pour in stock, then milk, whisking and making sure to whisk in any flour adhering to sides of pan. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking. Cook over low heat, whisking often, for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt, and white pepper. Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and sauce is well flavored.
3.
Just before serving reheat sauce, stirring. If sauce is too thick, gradually whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk and return to simmer. Stir in chives, if using. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
Scrambled Eggs and Omelets
Shakshuka
is a dish of eggs and vegetables that is made in many different waysâscrambled, poached, baked, or as a flat omelet. In Israel it is a popular dish among Jews of North African and Middle Eastern origin and can be found on the menus of casual restaurants. Cooks make it at home for a quick supper and serve it with fresh pita.
My mother-in-law makes her
shakshuka
scrambled and adds plenty of fresh tomatoes, sautéed onions, and her favorite Yemenite spice mixture. You can either cook the tomatoes until they become a thick sauce, or simply heat them briefly so they keep their fresh texture.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced small (about 4 medium)
Salt to taste
1
â
4
teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1
â
4
teaspoon ground turmeric
6 large eggs, beaten
1.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until golden brown. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, and turmeric and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
2.
Add beaten eggs and scramble over low heat until set. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.
Leeks are a popular vegetable to include in the Middle Eastern Jewish egg dish called
shakshuka.
For this light version, I use egg whites or egg substitute for half of the eggs and keep the oil to a minimum. The dish is easy to make for a quick supper, as the leeks need only a few minutes to cook. Serve leek
shakshuka
with a tomato-cucumber salad and pita or crusty French bread.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups chopped split and rinsed leeks
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites or egg substitute to equal 3 eggs
1
â
2
teaspoon ground cumin
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
1.
Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet. Add leeks and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat 2 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Adjust seasoning.
2.
Beat eggs with egg whites, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Add egg mixture, parsley, and tomatoes to skillet and scramble over low heat until set. Serve immediately.
 or
Â
A popular brunch choice at delis is lox and eggs. Asparagus makes it even more festive. When it's not in season, I add small, lightly steamed broccoli florets.
12 to 16 medium asparagus spears
3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
3
â
4
cup chopped onion
1
â
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
â
2
teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
8 to 10 large eggs
3
â
4
cup diced or thin strips of lox or smoked salmon
1.
Lightly peel asparagus and discard tough ends (about 1 inch from base). Cut each asparagus spear into 3 or 4 pieces. Cook asparagus uncovered in a saucepan boiling salted water about 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain well.
2.
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until tender and light golden. Add asparagus, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté 2 minutes. If you like, remove 8 asparagus tips and reserve for garnish.
3.
Whisk eggs with
1
â
2
teaspoon salt and
1
â
2
teaspoon pepper in large bowl until well blended. Add to skillet and scramble over low heat, stirring often, until eggs are set to your taste. Remove from heat and gently stir in lox. Serve immediately, garnished with asparagus, if reserved.
Pastrami and eggs is a perennial deli favorite that's easy to make at home. You can use turkey pastrami to cut the fat and still have plenty of flavor. Like many cured meats, pastrami should not be heated for too long, as prolonged heating makes it seem more salty. I find that fresh mushrooms are a terrific complement for the spicy flavor of the pastrami and the mild taste of the eggs.
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 to 8 ounces small mushrooms, quartered
1
â
4
teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
8 to 10 large eggs
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2 ounces thinly sliced beef pastrami or turkey pastrami, cut into thin strips
1.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and season with pepper. Sauté, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
2.
Beat eggs with parsley, if using, and
1
â
4
teaspoon pepper in a bowl until blended. Reduce heat under skillet to low. Add eggs and scramble them, stirring often, until they are nearly set to your taste. Gently stir in pastrami and heat a few seconds. Serve hot.