1,000 Jewish Recipes (213 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
A good partner for
Spiced Roasted Turkey
, this stuffing echoes the turkey's seasoning trio of cumin, turmeric, and black pepper and has plenty of spice but is not hot. It's also good with plain roast chicken, lamb, and beef. Usually I bake the stuffing in a separate dishâinstead of inside a roast birdâbecause I like the matzo's texture. You can use plain or flavored matzos.
8 matzos, plain or flavored, crumbled
1
1
â
2
cups hot turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1
â
2
teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3 large eggs or 1 large egg and 3 large egg whites, beaten
1
â
4
cup chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)
1.
Put matzos in a large bowl and pour hot stock over them. Let stand to soften.
2.
Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until beginning to turn golden. Add cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in garlic. Add onion mixture to matzo mixture and let cool. Adjust seasoning. Stir in eggs and cilantro, if using.
3.
If stuffing turkey, cool completely before spooning into bird.
To bake stuffing separately, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 2-quart casserole dish. Spoon stuffing mixture into casserole. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon oil, then with chopped pecans, if using. Bake uncovered 45 minutes or until firm.
3
â
4
cup, about 4 servings
A jar of horseradish is a staple in the Ashkenazic Jewish pantry. Mostly it's served with gefilte fish but it is also used to flavor other dishes. It lends plenty of zip to this easy barbecue sauce, which is great with chicken or turkey. Be sure to add the horseradish gradually, to taste. Also keep in mind: As horseradish stands, it loses its potency.
Brush the sauce on the meat when it is nearly done, or serve it separately as an accompanying sauce. If you add it too soon, it is likely to burn on the grill.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1
â
2
small onion, finely chopped
1
â
2
cup ketchup
1
â
4
cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
2 to 3 teaspoons horseradish, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a small saucepan. Add onion and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in ketchup, chicken stock, brown sugar, vinegar, and paprika. Bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes or until thickened to your taste. Remove from heat and gradually stir in horseradish. Season with salt and pepper.
Use this aromatic sauce for simmering
Sephardic Turkey Balls in Tomato Sauce
or other meatballs. Many cooks add cumin, as it complements meat well. Add the sugar and lemon juice after cooking the meatballs, if you'd like a touch of sweetness or acidity.
If you would like to make it with fresh ripe tomatoes, use 2 pounds. Peel, seed, and chop them before adding to the sauce.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, drained well and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1
â
2
teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
2
teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1
â
2
teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice (optional)
Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion, and sauté 5 minutes over medium heat until softened. Add garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Add oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin, if using. Cook uncovered over low heat 15 minutes or until thickened. A short time before serving, add sugar and/or lemon juice if using. Season with salt and pepper.
Meats
Slowly cooked meats are the hallmark of Jewish cooking. Whether it is braised brisket or short ribs in the pot, these succulent meats with their flavorful juices are time-honored staples on the menus of Jews from all over the world.
Long, gentle simmering is perfect for the kosher cuts of meat, which come from the fore quarter of the animal. As the meats cook with vegetables, they create a delicious broth or sauce and flavor each other. The meat remains moist and becomes very tender.
These types of dishes are not only delicious, but also easy to serve and convenient. Since they can be cooked ahead and reheated, and often benefit from this, they are in keeping with the rule of avoiding cooking during Shabbat and certain holidays. This also makes them very convenient for family meals and for entertaining. When vegetables are added, many of these dishes become a whole meal in a single dish.
The most famous of these one-pot dinners is the hearty Shabbat stew of meat with potatoes, beans, or both, called
cholent
in Yiddish and
hamin
in Hebrew. By using different beans, grains, and flavorings, numerous versions of this overnight casserole have been developed over the centuries. You can find these recipes in the
Shabbat chapter
.
A great variety of flavorings is added to the meats as they are braised or stewed. Garlic and chiles are favorites in North African cooking, although some Moroccan cooks also like to prepare sweet and savory stews with dried fruit and cinnamon. Oregano is favored by some Sephardic cooks, and cilantro by Jewish cooks from southern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries as well as India. Other Middle Eastern flavors popular in Israel are cumin and turmeric. Ashkenazic Jews like meats that keep their natural flavor and season them simply with onions, carrots, bay leaves, and sometimes garlic. They also make sweet and sour braised dishes with tomato, fruit, and vinegar or lemon juice.
Potatoes, dried beans, and tomatoes are frequently added to simmer alongside the meat but almost any seasonal vegetable can be added, from squashes and leeks to green beans and okra.
Poaching meat with vegetables in liquid produces not only a savory entree, but also a rich tasting soup. Braised meats create a wonderful sauce, which many cooks serve separately for spooning over potatoes, rice, noodles, or couscous. When a thick sauce is desired, it is thickened with a roux of oil and flour, or with a slurry of flour or cornstarch mixed with water. For Passover, the slurry is made with potato starch.
Other meat cooking techniques used in the Jewish kitchen are roasting or baking, primarily for rack and shoulder of lamb and sometimes beef ribs or brisket. Tender lamb chops and sometimes veal chops are grilled or pan-fried.
Ground beef, veal, and lamb all are much loved in Jewish cuisine, especially for stuffing vegetables. Using them this way turns a relatively inexpensive type of meat into a wonderful holiday dish.
= Pareve  
= Dairy  = MeatBEEF STEWS
Cooking brisket in cubes rather than in one piece makes serving easier. Here, brisket adds rich flavor to the tomato-mushroom sauce as it simmers gently. The aromatic stew is good with potatoes, noodles, or rice.
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1
1
â
4
- to 1
1
â
2
-inch pieces and patted dry
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig fresh thyme or
1
â
2
teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled