Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (260 page)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 red, green, or yellow bell peppers, or mixed colors, diced
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
One 14
1
â
2
-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
3 cups boiled rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 large egg
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large, heavy skillet. Add onion and peppers and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes. Add garlic and
1
â
2
teaspoon paprika and sauté a few seconds. Add tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until vegetable mixture thick. Remove from heat. Add rice and mix well. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
2.
Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish. Add rice mixture. Beat egg with remaining
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â
2
teaspoon paprika. Add enough water to reserved tomato juice to make
1
â
4
cup. Add to egg mixture and beat until blended. Pour egg mixture over top of rice mixture. Pour
1
â
2
cup water around the edges of the casserole. Bake 30 minutes or until top browns lightly. Serve hot.
Is it a Kugel or a Pashtidah?
While American cooks are familiar with the Ashkenazic casserole specialty called kugel in Yiddish, in Israel, kugel is only part of a larger family of satisfying cooked dishes called pashtidah in Hebrew. Kugels are the type of pashtidot that are baked in a large baking dish and then cut into portions. They're not usually soft like soufflés. The names are sometimes used interchangeably, because a pashtidah may describe any sweet or savory casserole that is made of vegetables, meat, fish, grains, noodles, or fruit; a kugel, however, is most widely associated with noodles, potatoes, rice, or vegetables. The dominating flavor, as well as the cook's ethnic origin, is what usually determines whether a casserole is called a pashtidah or a kugel. In addition to baked casseroles, pashtidot also encompass dishes with sweet or savory ingredients that are cooked by other meansâas tarts, pies, or even stovetop cakesâthere are lots of delicious possibilities!
Flavored in the southern French style with sautéed onions and garlic, this kugel is a festive accompaniment for baked salmon or other fish or roast chicken.
1
â
3
cup long-grain white rice
1 pound asparagus, peeled if thick
2 cups frozen peas
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large onions, halved and sliced thin
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 large eggs, beaten
1.
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and rice and boil uncovered for about 12 minutes or until just tender. Drain, rinse with lukewarm water, and drain well.
2.
Cut asparagus tips from stems. Cut stems into 3 or 4 pieces, discarding tough ends (about
1
â
2
-inch from end).
3.
In a large saucepan, boil enough water to cover vegetables. Add asparagus and peas and return to a boil. Boil 2 or 3 minutes or until asparagus is barely tender when pierced with a small sharp knife. Drain, rinse with cold running water until cool, and drain well.
4.
In a bowl lightly mix vegetables with cooked rice.
5.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add onion mixture to rice and vegetable mixture and mix lightly.
6.
Oil a 6-cup baking dish. Season rice mixture with salt and pepper. Add parsley and eggs. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until kugel sets and top browns lightly.
If you have chicken and either white or brown rice left from the Shabbat meal, this
pashtidah
("casserole" in Hebrew), is a good way to make use of them. To prepare it, you simply mix the chicken and rice with sautéed onions and any cooked or frozen vegetables you have on hand. Green beans, carrots, peas, spinach, cabbage, and broccoli are all good. If you like, serve the casserole with tomato sauce.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1
â
2
teaspoon ground turmeric
1
â
2
teaspoon paprika
1 large carrot, halved and sliced (optional)
1 cup frozen peas, lima beans, green beans, or mixed frozen vegetables
1
â
2
pound broccoli, divided into small florets
4 cups cooked white or brown rice
1
1
â
2
to 2 cups strips of cooked chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
2
cup hot chicken or vegetable stock or water
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan, add onion, and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add cumin, turmeric, and paprika and sauté 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.
2.
In same pan bring 6 cups water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add carrot, cover, and cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and broccoli and return to a boil. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well.
3.
Add rice to bowl of onions and mix well. Add chicken and vegetables and mix again. Season with salt and pepper. Oil a 2-quart baking dish and spoon rice mixture into it. Spoon remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons oil over top. Pour
1
â
2
cup hot stock around edge of mixture. Cover and bake 45 minutes or until mixture is hot and water is absorbed.
This autumn casserole is actually a rice kugel baked on a bed of roasted peppers, which give the rice a wonderful flavor. The kugel makes a good vegetarian entree, accompanied by feta or cottage cheese and a green salad, or is a good accompaniment for lamb chops or grilled chicken.
If you have roasted or grilled peppers on hand, this is a quick dish to make. Whenever I use the grill, I like to put some peppers on to grill also, so I have plenty ready to use in salads and casseroles.
8
bell peppers
, red or green, or 4 of each, roasted or grilled
3
â
4
cup long-grain white rice
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
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â
4
pound mushrooms, halved and sliced thin
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or a 28-ounce can tomatoes, drained well and chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or
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â
4
teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
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â
2
cup pitted black olives, diced
1.
Grill and peel peppers. Then, in a large saucepan, bring about 6 cups water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Add rice, stir once, and boil, uncovered, 12 to 14 minutes, or until just tender; check by tasting. Rinse with cold water and drain in a strainer for 5 minutes.
2.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over high heat, add mushrooms, and salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring, about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
3.
Add another tablespoon oil to skillet and lower heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes, or until soft but not brown. Add tomatoes and thyme and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, about 12 minutes, or until dry.
4.
Gently mix tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, and diced olives with rice. Adjust seasoning.
5.
Oil two 8- or 9-inch shallow baking dishes or a large gratin dish. Put a layer of peppers in prepared dishes. Spoon half of rice mixture lightly over peppers. Top with remaining peppers, then remaining rice. Sprinkle with remaining oil. Bake about 15 minutes, or until very tender. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
BROWN RICE
For a dairy meal with a Bulgarian accent, I like to add feta cheese to rice, and to serve it with
Grilled Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad
, a favorite among Jews from that area. The cheese is particularly good with the nutty taste of brown rice, and not much is needed; feta is so flavorful that a little goes a long way.
3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 medium onion, minced
1
1
â
4
cups long-grain brown rice
2
1
â
2
cups hot vegetable stock or water
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â
4
teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1
â
3
cup crumbled feta cheese
1
â
2
cup thinly sliced green onions (green and white parts)
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare bouquet garni. Then, heat oil in a medium ovenproof sauté pan or deep skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring, about 5 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add rice and sauté, stirring, about 4 minutes or until grains are well coated with onion mixture and change color slightly.
2.
Bring stock to a boil over high heat. Pour over rice and stir once. Add bouquet garni and submerge it in liquid. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover tightly. Place in oven and bake for 35 minutes. Taste rice; if it is too chewy or if liquid is not absorbed, bake 5 more minutes. Discard bouquet garni.