Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (227 page)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 large cloves garlic, minced
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2
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy skillet, add onions and peppers, and sauté over medium heat about 7 minutes or until onions brown. Remove onions and peppers. Add remaining oil to skillet and heat. Add eggplant, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring, 3 minutes. Remove eggplant. Add tomatoes and paprika to pan and cook about 10 minutes or until thick.
2.
Oil two baking dishes and layer vegetables in dishes, sprinkling each layer lightly with salt and pepper: Use half of onion-pepper mixture on bottom of dishes, top with potatoes, then beans, peas, and mushrooms, then tomatoes, then eggplant, and finally add remaining onion mixture.
3.
Mix tomato paste, stock, salt, pepper, sugar, dill, thyme, garlic, and pepper flakes, if using, in a small bowl. Pour sauce over vegetables. Cover and bake 30 minutes; check and add a little water to bottom of pan if it's becoming dry. Cover and bake 30 more minutes or until all vegetables are tender. (Casserole can be kept, covered, 2 days in refrigerator.) Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with parsley.
CHOLENT AND OTHER BEAN DISHES
For those cold winter days when you wish for something warming like
cholent
âthe famous all-night Shabbat casseroleâbut don't have time for the long simmering, here is a quick-to-assemble version made of red and black beans. The wine and sautéed vegetables give the stew a deeper color, somewhat like that of "real"
cholent.
If you're in a rush, you can buy the mushrooms already sliced, the carrots shredded, and the onions diced. Because the beans are already cooked, you would not heat this overnight because they would fall apart.
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
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2
cups diced or shredded carrots
2 ribs celery, sliced
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3
cup dry red wine
6 to 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
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2
cup vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
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2
teaspoon dried thyme
One 10-ounce package frozen pearl onions (optional)
One 15-ounce can red beans, drained
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1.
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until onions begin to brown; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the wine if necessary to prevent burning. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté over medium-high heat 2 minutes.
2.
Add remaining wine, stock, bay leaf, and thyme and bring to a boil. Add pearl onions, if using; cover and return to a boil. Simmer over low heat about 10 minutes or until onions are tender. Add red and black beans and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer uncovered 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Adjust seasoning. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
To flavor and deepen the color of this meatless version of the American classic, I add plenty of sautéed onions and sliced mushrooms as well as a touch of soy sauce. Because it's made with tofu and vegetables, it cooks faster than meat-based chili. I serve it with pita bread or hot tortillas, or over rice or spaghetti. It makes a hearty, low-fat vegetarian main course, perfect for winter. In our house we especially like it during the week of Hanukkah, and we find it's also delicious with latkes.
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
8 to 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
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2
teaspoons dried oregano
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2
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with their juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Two 15- or 16-ounce cans red beans or pinto beans, drained
2 tablespoons soy sauce
One 12- to 16-ounce package tofu, drained and cut into cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1.
Heat oil in a wide stew pan or Dutch oven. Add onions and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes; add 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water from time to time if pan becomes dry. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and pepper flakes and stir over low heat 30 seconds.
2.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir and bring to a boil. Add beans and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered over medium heat 10 minutes. Add tofu and stir gently. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes or until chili is thick. Add cilantro, if using. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
Za'atar is a dried herb and sesame seed mix found in the spice section of Israeli and Middle Eastern markets. In Israel it's popular for sprinkling over pita (See
Za'atar-Topped Pita Bread
), or other fresh bread after the bread is lightly dipped in olive oil. I find za'atar also makes a delicious seasoning for cooked vegetables and salads, especially the basic Israeli chopped salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions.
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pound green beans, ends removed, cut in half
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pound zucchini, quartered and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
One 14
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2
-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
Two 15-ounce cans white beans, drained
1 to 2 tablespoons za'atar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Cook green beans in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water uncovered over high heat 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 3 minutes or until vegetables are barely tender. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables; you can save broth for adding to soups.
2.
Combine oil and tomatoes in a medium saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered over medium heat 3 minutes. Add white beans, cover, and heat through. Add green beans and zucchini and heat uncovered. Add za'atar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold.
Of course, we don't have the exact recipe for the famous lentil soup in the story of Jacob and Esau, but it may have been seasoned with coriander and cumin, as these spices were used in biblical times. So were onions, garlic, and olive oil. Use Egyptian, also called orange, lentils if you would like them to have a puree-like consistency, or use green lentils if you prefer that they stay separate. Serve with pita bread or with hot, cooked rice.
1 pound lentils (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 cups vegetable stock
5 or 6 cups water
1 dried hot pepper, such as chile japone (optional)
2 bay leaves
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
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3
cup chopped fresh cilantro
1.
Spread lentils on a plate, pick through them carefully, rinse, and drain.
2.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat 7 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, and cumin and sauté 1 minute. Add lentils, stock, 3 cups water, hot pepper if using, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat 30 minutes.
3.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and 2 cups water to lentils and return to a boil. Simmer 15 more minutes or until lentils are tender. If soup is too thick, add remaining cup water and bring to a boil. Discard hot pepper and bay leaves. Add cilantro and salt, and season generously with pepper. Serve hot.
Lentils have been a staple in the land of Israel since the biblical time of Esau, and have long been a favorite among Jews of all origins. In modern days, too, lentils have much to recommend them. They are a most healthful food and are the fastest cooking of all the legumes.
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4
cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
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3
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4
cups vegetable stock or a 14
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2
-ounce can broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped