Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (240 page)
1
â
3
cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1
1
â
2
pounds broccoli
1.
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes, or until foaming but not browned. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking. Add a small pinch of salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking often, 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and bring to boil. Cook over low heat, whisking often, about 5 more minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add cayenne. Adjust seasoning.
2.
Before using, bring sauce to boil, whisking. Remove from heat. Whisk in half the cheese.
3.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Divide broccoli into medium florets. Peel and slice stalk. Put broccoli in a saucepan with boiling salted water to cover. Return to boil. Cook uncovered about 4 minutes or until florets are just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well.
4.
Butter a heavy 5-cup gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Arrange florets in one layer in prepared dish. Spoon sauce carefully over to coat completely. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Refrigerate if necessary.
5.
If gratin was cold, bring it to room temperature. Bake until sauce begins to bubble, about 7 minutes if sauce was hot, or about 10 minutes if gratin was at room temperature. If you like, brown the gratin lightly in broiler about 1 minute, checking often and turning dish so top browns evenly. Serve hot, from the gratin dish.
Among Jews from Poland, raisins are a favorite partner for cabbage, whether it is braised for this simple dish, made into a soup, or stuffed with meat. Some prepare a stuffed cabbage variation of this dish by filling blanched cabbage leaves with a simple mixture of cooked rice, raisins, and cinnamon and placing a lump of sugar in each leaf before rolling it up.
Including raisins doesn't mean the dish has to be very sweet. Cooks balance the sugar by adding lemon juice or vinegar to taste. Serve this cabbage with
Old-Fashioned Brisket Pot Roast
or
Old-Fashioned Roasted Chicken
.
1 small head green cabbage (1
1
â
2
to 2 pounds)
1 or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1
â
2
cup water
1
â
3
cup raisins
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
1.
Coarsely shred or chop cabbage, discarding the core. Boil enough water to cover cabbage in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot. Add a pinch of salt and the cabbage and boil about 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain in a colander, rinse under running cold water, and drain thoroughly. Gently squeeze cabbage by handfuls to remove excess water.
2.
Heat oil in the same pan, add onion, and sauté about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add cabbage and sauté lightly 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix tomato paste with
1
â
4
cup water and add to the pan. Add remaining water and raisins. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
3.
Add sugar and simmer uncovered, stirring, 2 minutes. If cabbage is too soupy, simmer uncovered another 3 to 5 minutes or until excess liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and add lemon juice to taste. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
Ashkenazic cooks developed a wealth of recipes using sauerkraut for times when not many fresh vegetables were available. It can be cooked with meat as a main course or without meat as an accompaniment. For hearty side dishes, it is simmered with potatoes, or mixed with white bean or green pea puree. Sauerkraut is also used to make soups and salads.
This quick, easy dish can be served with meats, poultry, or meatless meals. For meat or poultry dinners, you can substitute beef or chicken stock for the vegetable stock, and chicken fat for the oil.
4 cups sauerkraut, preferably from a jar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, halved and sliced
1 cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Put sauerkraut in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
2.
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add onions and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until golden brown. Add sauerkraut and stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat about 20 minutes or until sauerkraut and onions are tender; check from time to time and add a little hot water if pan becomes dry.
3.
A short time before serving, stir in caraway seeds. Season with pepper; salt may not be needed.
ROOT VEGETABLES
 or
Â
This Eastern European style dish is popular among Jews from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary, where kohlrabi, a green or purplish root vegetable, and dried mushrooms are plentiful. I first became familiar with kohlrabi in Israel, where it is easy to find and is used both cooked and raw. I love it in soups and stews like this colorful one, in which the kohlrabi cooks with carrots and potatoes. A light sauce forms as the vegetables cook.
This recipe includes the kohlrabi greens as an option; if you would rather use them for another dish, reduce the oil amount to 3 tablespoons and skip the steps that refer to the greens.
Serve this stew for Shabbat or Hanukkah.
1
1
â
2
to 2 ounces dried mushrooms, such as porcini or cèpes
1 pound kohlrabi (2 medium), including greens (optional)
1 pound carrots
1 pound boiling potatoes
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2
1
â
2
tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1
â
4
cup chopped fresh parsley
1.
Soak mushrooms in hot water to cover 30 minutes. Drain well. If using shiitake mushrooms, discard tough stems. Slice mushrooms.
2.
Rinse kohlrabi greens, if using, and discard stalks. Peel kohlrabi bulbs and cut meat into
3
â
4
-inch cubes. Halve carrots lengthwise if they are large. Cut into
1
â
3
-inch slices. Peel potatoes and cut in small dice.
3.
If using, add kohlrabi leaves to a saucepan of boiling salted water and boil uncovered over high heat about 15 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain well. Chop fine.
4.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy stew pan. Add onion and sauté over medium heat 5 minutes. Add kohlrabi cubes, salt, and pepper. Sauté, stirring often, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and stir it in. Sprinkle with flour and sauté 30 seconds. Off heat, slowly stir in stock. Add carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, stirring. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5.
In a small skillet heat kohlrabi leaves in 2 teaspoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir into stew.
6.
If you would like a thicker sauce, simmer stew uncovered 2 or 3 minutes so the excess liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Add chopped parsley; season with salt and plenty of pepper.
Beets seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, and cumin are popular in many Israeli homes, whether or not the person doing the cooking is of Moroccan origin. Serve this flavorful vegetable as part of an array of appetizers or as a side dish with chicken, beef, or lamb.
8 to 10 beets of 1
1
â
2
-inch diameter (about 1 pound, without greens)
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
5 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1.
Rinse beets, taking care not to pierce their skins. Put in a pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat 35 to 40 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Run beets under cold water and slip off the skins. Slice beets.
2.
Whisk lemon juice with salt, pepper, and cumin in a small bowl. Stir in garlic. Whisk in 5 tablespoons oil.
3.
Put beets in a bowl and add enough dressing to moisten. Toss gently. Adjust seasoning. Serve cold or at room temperature.