1,000 Jewish Recipes (209 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
2
teaspoon ground turmeric
1
1
â
2
teaspoons ground cumin
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 red or green bell peppers or 1 of each, cut into thin strips
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
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â
4
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 cups hot turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock or water
3 canned tomatoes, chopped
1.
Sprinkle turkey pieces on both sides with pepper, turmeric, and a total of 1 teaspoon cumin. Rub seasonings into turkey.
2.
Heat oil in a large, deep, heavy skillet or sauté pan. Add turkey pieces in 2 batches and brown them lightly over medium-low heat, removing each batch as it changes color.
3.
Add onion to skillet and sauté over low heat 3 minutes. Add peppers and garlic and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add rice, a pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and remaining cumin and sauté over low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add turkey pieces. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and cook over low heat, without stirring, 25 to 30 minutes or until turkey and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed. If liquid is absorbed but rice is not yet tender, add a few tablespoons water and simmer a few more minutes. Serve hot.
Cooked gently in the Italian style, these turkey legs in their richly flavored, vegetable-thickened sauce are terrific for Purim or for Shabbat. Serve them with pasta. Plain egg noodles or fettuccine are fine accompaniments, or you might like to serve a savory noodle kugel or an
Orzo, Lemon, and Walnut Stuffing
. Rice or
Mamaliga
are also good with this turkey.
4 large sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 fresh sprigs marjoram or
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2
teaspoon dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
1
1
â
2
cups dry red wine
3
1
â
2
pounds turkey drumsticks or thighs
1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced, or one 28-ounce can tomatoes, drained and diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups turkey or chicken stock or water, or mixed stock and water
2 ounces dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch (optional)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
Wrap thyme, marjoram, bay leaf, and cloves in cheesecloth and tie ends together to form a seasoning bag. Heat oil in a large stew pan or Dutch oven. Add onion, celery, and carrot and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until onion softens and begins to turn golden. Stir in garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add wine, seasoning bag, and turkey. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered over medium heat, turning turkey from time to time, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, turning turkey pieces over from time to time, 2 hours or until turkey is very tender when pierced in thickest part with a knife.
2.
Meanwhile, soak dried mushrooms in a bowl of enough hot water to cover them for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms and rinse. If using shiitake mushrooms, discard stems. Cut mushrooms into bite-size pieces.
3.
Remove turkey from liquid. Remove skin with a paring knife. Discard turkey bones, cartilage, and visible fat Pull or cut meat into wide strips. Discard seasoning bag. Skim fat from cooking liquid.
4.
Puree vegetables with about 1 cup cooking liquid in a food processor or blender, or work vegetables through a food mill. Return to pan.
5.
Add mushrooms to stew pan. Add dried oregano if using (but not fresh). Cook about 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
6.
If you would like a thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with
1
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4
cup water in small bowl until blended. Bring sauce to a simmer. Gradually whisk in about half of cornstarch solution and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Adjust seasoning. Return turkey to sauce and heat gently. Stir in 3 tablespoons parsley. Serve sprinkled with remaining parsley.
Both Ashkenazic and Sephardic cooks have long known that economical sausages do wonders to help perk up the bland taste of beans, even if the meat is used in small amounts. This combination, usually moistened with tomato sauce, is a standard weekday dish in many homes. My mother used mild beef frankfurters when I was growing up. Spicy sausages are favored in many Sephardic families. Today there is much greater choice. Alongside the old-fashioned beef franks you can buy reduced-fat versions as well as chicken and turkey wieners. There are even vegetarian hot dogs in case you want to prepare this as a pareve dish.
1 pound dried white beans (about 2
1
â
3
cups)
1 bay leaf
2 onions, one whole and one chopped
2
1
â
2
quarts water
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon paprika
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4
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper to taste
5 large cloves garlic, minced
Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes with their juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3
â
4
to 1 pound turkey frankfurters
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1.
Sort beans, discarding any broken ones and any stones. Rinse beans and drain. Put them in a large saucepan and add bay leaf, 1 whole onion, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, adding hot water if necessary so that beans remain covered, about 1
1
â
2
hours or until beans are tender. Discard onion and bay leaf.
2.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and green pepper and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add paprika, pepper flakes, and garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, about 20 minutes or until sauce is thick.
3.
Cover frankfurters with water in a medium saucepan and bring just to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain well.
4.
Reheat beans and drain well. Gently mix tomatoes with beans. Add sausages, cover, and cook over low heat 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add cilantro. Adjust seasoning.
GROUND CHICKEN AND TURKEY
A friend of mine born in Tunisia taught me how to make this tasty stuffed vegetable. She serves it for her Friday night dinner as part of her "grand couscous" along with other poached vegetables and braised meats. She uses ground beef for the stuffing. My chicken version is leaner.
6 large ribs celery plus 1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves
1 small onion, minced
2 slices white bread
1
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2
pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley or cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1
â
2
teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1
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4
teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1
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4
teaspoon salt (optional)
1 large egg
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
Quick Tomato Sauce for Vegetables
1.
Peel celery to remove strings. Cut celery into 3-inch lengths. Pat dry.
2.
Put onion in a strainer and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand about 5 minutes. Dip each bread slice in a bowl of water to moisten. Rinse onions in strainer. Add soaked bread to onions in strainer and squeeze both dry.
3.
Mix chicken with onions, bread, celery leaves, parsley, oregano, paprika, pepper, cayenne, garlic, and
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4
teaspoon salt, if using, in a medium bowl. Add egg and mix well. Knead mixture briefly to be sure ingredients are evenly combined. Put chicken mixture inside celery pieces and press so it adheres well.
4.
Heat oil in a large deep skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add stuffed celery, filling side down, and fry 3 minutes. Carefully remove with slotted spatula.
5.
Prepare sauce in same skillet. Bring sauce to a simmer. Carefully add celery, stuffing side up. Cover and cook over low heat 30 to 40 minutes or until celery is very tender, adding a little hot water occasionally if sauce becomes too thick. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Beef and lamb are the traditional meats used for meatballs but with ground turkey readily available, many people are opting for this lighter version.
To make these turkey balls leaner still, omit the step of browning them in oil. Instead double the tomato sauce and cook the turkey balls in it about 30 minutes.
1
1
â
4
pounds ground turkey
3 tablespoons matzo meal
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley