1,000 Jewish Recipes (243 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
3 pounds green bell peppers or Hungarian peppers
5 or 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large onions, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1
1
â
2
tablespoons sweet paprika
2
1
â
2
pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped, or two 28-ounce can tomatoes, drained and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Hot paprika or cayenne pepper, to taste
1.
Cut peppers into strips about
1
â
2
-inch wide and 3 inches long.
2.
Heat oil in a stew pan. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat 12 minutes or until beginning to turn golden. Add peppers and sauté, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Add garlic, if using, and sweet paprika and sauté 1 minute, stirring.
3.
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and hot paprika. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 to 35 minutes or until peppers are tender and mixture is thick. If there is too much liquid in the pan, uncover and boil mixture 1 or 2 minutes, stirring often. Adjust seasoning, adding more hot paprika if desired. Serve hot or cold.
A tangy yogurt topping with a touch of spice is a favorite among Sephardic Jews, especially those from eastern Mediterranean countries like Lebanon and Turkey. It's great with lentils and with fried eggplant. It also livens up any simply-cooked vegetable dish, such as this quick and easy vegetable medley, which is perfect for a light Saturday night supper on a hot day.
2 medium yellow crookneck squash
2 large carrots, sliced (
1
â
4
-inch thick)
1
1
â
2
cups frozen corn kernels
2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
1
â
2
-inch thick
1 cup nonfat yogurt
1
â
2
teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1.
Slice neck part of yellow squash into
1
â
2
-inch diagonal slices. Halve thicker part of squash lengthwise and slice about
1
â
2
-inch thick.
2.
Put carrots in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Add corn, zucchini, and squash and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain well; you can save their cooking liquid as vegetable stock.
3.
Mix yogurt with cumin, salt, white pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve vegetables warm or at room temperature, topped with spiced yogurt and sprinkled with remaining parsley.
Serve this Ashkenazic-style dish in meatless meals, as it has a creamy sauce. The sauce has plenty of flavor from sautéed onions, grated lemon zest, and a generous amount of fresh parsley. If you prefer to serve the colorful vegetable medley with roast turkey or chicken, substitute
Velouté Sauce
for the cream sauce.
1
1
â
2
cups
Cream Sauce
1 pound small Brussels sprouts
1 pound carrots, diagonally sliced about
1
â
2
-inch thick
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
1 large onion, minced
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1.
Prepare sauce. Meanwhile, rinse Brussels sprouts well. Trim brown bases of sprouts; do not remove so much of base that leaves come off.
2.
Put carrots in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes or until carrots are just tender. Remove carrots with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid. Pour
1
â
4
cup carrot cooking liquid into a bowl and set aside.
3.
Add more water to carrot cooking liquid in saucepan so there is enough to cover Brussels sprouts. Bring to a boil and add a pinch of salt and the sprouts. Cook uncovered over high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until they are just tender; check by removing one with slotted spoon and piercing its base with a small sharp knife. Drain gently in a colander or large strainer, rinse with cold running water until cool and drain well.
4.
Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring often, 7 minutes or until tender but not brown. Add cream sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring.
5.
Add cooked vegetables to sauce. Heat uncovered 2 to 3 minutes, gently stirring them occasionally; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of carrot cooking liquid if sauce becomes too thick. Remove from heat. Stir in grated lemon rind and parsley. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
We tend to overlook turnips, perhaps thinking they are too strong. They become mild and delicately sweet when cooked, however. This Egyptian dish is a tasty accompaniment for baked or roasted chicken, for
Barbecue-Sauced Brisket with Onions
or a
Bulgur Wheat Pilaf
. It's easy to prepare and reheats beautifully.
2 pounds turnips, peeled
3
1
â
2
tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup finely chopped spinach leaves
1 large onion, chopped
3
â
4
cup chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Cut turnips into
3
â
4
-inch dice. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a stew pan. Add turnips and sauté over medium heat 3 minutes. Remove them with slotted spoon. Add
1
â
2
tablespoon oil to pan and heat it briefly. Add garlic and sauté 15 seconds. Add spinach and sauté about 30 seconds or until dry. Remove from skillet.
2.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan. Add onion and sauté over medium heat about 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add broth and bring to boil. Add turnips, cover, and simmer over low heat 15 minutes. Add spinach mixture and cook 5 minutes or until turnips are tender, adding a few tablespoons stock or water if pan becomes dry. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
SAUCES
Grilling bell peppers was a traditional technique in the Sephardic kitchen long before it became trendy on restaurant menus. When they are in season, it's a good idea to grill plenty of peppers. You can freeze them and use them to make this easy sauce. If you don't have home-grilled peppers, you can use roasted sweet red peppers from a jar. This sauce has almost as many uses as tomato sauce. Use it to top broiled, baked, or fried eggplant to accompany vegetable kugels, or to liven up plain steamed vegetables.
3 large grilled red
bell peppers
, peeled
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
About 1 cup vegetable stock
1
1
â
2
teaspoons fresh thyme or
1
â
2
teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons strained fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1.
Prepare peppers. Then, cut peeled peppers in half and discard seeds and ribs. Cut peppers in pieces. Puree in a food processor with oil, if using, until smooth, or leave it a little chunky if you prefer.
2.
Combine garlic and
1
â
2
cup stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Add thyme. Stir in pepper puree. Add enough of remaining stock to thin sauce to the consistency you like. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice. Serve hot or cold.
Sephardic Jews in Italy and southern France serve this pareve cousin of pesto with cooked meats and chicken. It's also good with hard boiled eggs. But my favorite way to serve it is with cooked vegetables of all types, from cauliflower and broccoli to carrots, winter squash, and potatoes. It also does wonders for dried beans and instantly perks up canned ones.
1 medium clove garlic, peeled
1
â
2
cup sprigs fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
1
â
4
cup diced mild onion, such as white or red onion
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Chop garlic in a food processor, add parsley, and chop together finely. Add capers and onion and chop together with brief pulses. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in oil, basil, lemon juice, salt, and plenty of pepper. Taste, and add more lemon juice if needed.