Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (235 page)
1
â
2
cup tahini (sesame paste), stirred before measuring
About
1
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2
cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1
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4
teaspoon salt, or to taste
About 2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1
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4
cup small sprigs fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
1.
Combine tahini and
1
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2
cup water in blender. Add salt, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Blend until smooth and herbs are finely chopped.
2.
Transfer to a bowl. If sauce is too thick, gradually stir in more water. Season with cayenne, and add more salt or lemon juice, if desired.
In this sauce the pungency of the olives balances the rich, buttery character of the avocado, an Israeli favorite. The Yemenite hot pepper chutney called
zehug
gives it plenty of heat.
For meatless meals, I find this sprightly sauce adds great color and flavor to bulgur wheat, brown rice, kasha, and lentils. It's also delicious with grilled fish or chicken or, for an appetizer, atop slices of broiled eggplant. Or you can just scoop it into fresh pita bread or warm tortillas for a tasty sandwich.
2 teaspoons
Zehug
or minced jalapeño peppers, or to taste
3
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4
pound ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1
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2
cup Kalamata or other good-quality black olives, pitted and diced
1
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4
cup minced white onion
1
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4
cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 ripe avocado, preferably Haas
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed
1.
Prepare zehug, if using homemade. Then, combine tomatoes, olives, onion, zehug, cilantro, and oregano in a bowl. Refrigerate salsa in a covered container until ready to serve.
2.
A short time before serving, halve avocado. Remove pit by hitting it with the heel of a heavy knife so knife sticks in pit; twist to remove pit. Scoop out avocado meat with a spoon and dice it. Add to bowl of sauce. Add lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add water if sauce is too thick. Serve cold.
Vegetable Side Dishes
One important theme of the three main biblical festivals on the Jewish calendarâPassover, Shavuot, and Sukkotâis the harvest. We express our appreciation for the produce of the past season and pray for success in the upcoming one. Thus vegetables and fruit are highlighted in celebrating these holidays. Serving an array of cooked and raw vegetable appetizers and salads to begin meals is one festive manner of presenting them. Jewish cooks often turn vegetables into special occasion dishes by filling them with a savory stuffing.
Vegetables are also important in everyday Jewish cooking, not only for reasons of health, economy, and variety in menus, but also because all vegetables are kosher and can be served with any other food, whether it is meat or dairy.
In addition to the usual cooking techniques for vegetables, Jewish cooks make them into kugels and latkes. We are most familiar with noodle kugels but in fact kugels are often made from vegetables. Israeli cooks are especially fond of vegetable kugels and casseroles called
pashtidot
. (See box on
Pashtidot
.)
A vegetable kugel can be made of one vegetable or from a combination of several. Most kugels are baked in casserole dishes, then cut into portions, but small ones can be baked in muffin pans or ramekins and make attractive individual servings. The texture varies enormously too. The vegetables can be mixed with eggs and a cream sauce or other sauce, then baked in a hot oven so the kugel resembles an airy soufflé, or pureed and baked gently in ramekins in a water bath like moist French timbales.
Latkes are cherished for their central role in Hanukkah parties, when potato latkes are most prominent. But latkes are made year-round out of all sorts of vegetables and served as accompaniments. I learned from my mother that latkes and kugels are related, because the same mixture can be either fried as latkes or baked as a kugel.
= Pareve  
= Dairy  
= MeatPOTATOES AND SWEET POTATOES
Mashed potato kugel has always been a favorite in our family, especially when it's flavored with plenty of sautéed onions and mushrooms, like this one. If you like, use a mixture of peas and carrots instead of peas alone. I love this kugel with baked fish, especially
Red Trout and Asparagus with Lemon-Parsley Sauce
. It's also good with roast chicken or beef.
1 cup frozen or shelled fresh peas
2
1
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2
pounds boiling potatoes, unpeeled
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
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2
pound small mushrooms, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large eggs, or 1 large egg and
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4
cup egg substitute, beaten
1.
Remove frozen peas from freezer to thaw. If using fresh peas, cook them in boiling water 2 minutes and drain. Put potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat about 35 minutes or until very tender. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.
2.
Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions, and sauté over medium heat about 15 minutes or until light golden. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté over medium-high heat about 7 minutes or until brown.
3.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel potatoes while still fairly hot and cut each into a few pieces. Put in large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper (mixture should be seasoned generously). Stir in beaten eggs. Lightly stir in mushroom mixture and peas.
4.
Generously oil a 2-quart casserole dish and add potato mixture. Smooth top. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon oil. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until top is firm and light golden at edges.
Even the humble cabbage becomes festive when turned into a kugel. This one is inspired by the tasty British cabbage and potato sauté known as bubble and squeak. The kugel doesn't bubble or squeak, but it makes a tasty side dish with roast chicken for a winter Friday night dinner. Or bake it for Hanukkah, after you've had your fill of latkes.
2
1
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4
pounds boiling potatoes (about 6 large), unpeeled
2 pounds cabbage
5 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon paprika, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
1 large egg, beaten
1.
Put potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat about 35 minutes or until very tender. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.
2.
Core cabbage and shred or chop it. Boil cabbage in a saucepan of boiling salted water to cover 2 minutes or until barely tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well again.
3.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, add onions, and sauté over medium heat about 15 minutes or until light golden. Remove
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2
cup sautéed onions for mixing with potatoes. To onions in skillet add cabbage, salt, and pepper. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in paprika and caraway seeds, if using, mix well, and sauté another minute.
4.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel potatoes while still fairly hot. Mash them with a potato masher or in a food mill, not in a food processor. Add remaining oil and stir until blended. Add reserved
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2
cup of sautéed onion. Add salt and pepper to taste; mixture should be seasoned generously. Add beaten egg and mix well.