1,000 Jewish Recipes (80 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
These delicately spicy baked soup nut-like croutons are sometimes called mandeln, the Yiddish word for almonds, because they are somewhat crunchy. They are good in chicken or vegetable soup.
1
â
3
cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1
â
2
teaspoon salt
2
â
3
cup matzo meal
1
â
4
teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
1.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil a baking sheet. Combine water, oil, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add matzo meal all at once. Mix well. Add cumin and cayenne pepper. Return pan to low heat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool about 5 minutes.
2.
Beat in 1 egg. When mixture is completely smooth, beat in second egg.
3.
With a pastry bag or a teaspoon, drop batter by quarter teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, allowing about
1
â
2
-inch between them. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and firm.
MAIN COURSES
My favorite way to welcome spring is to serve a salmon and asparagus dinner. In this season when gardens are blooming in a burst of fresh colors and fragrances, I crave a colorful, fresh, light entree. Since Passover is the festival of spring, I love to serve this roasted salmon with asparagus, either for the Seder or for another festive dinner during the holiday.
1
1
â
4
pounds salmon fillet, preferably tail section, about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon plus
1
â
2
teaspoon strained fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1
â
2
teaspoon paprika
1
â
2
teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pound medium-width asparagus, spears peeled, trimmed, and cut into 3 pieces
1.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
2.
Set salmon in a heavy roasting pan. Sprinkle fish with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon oil and rub over fish. Sprinkle fish with cumin, coriander, paprika, and thyme and lightly rub in spices. Last, sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Roast salmon uncovered about 12 minutes or until the flesh just flakes and has changed color in its thickest part.
3.
Meanwhile, cook asparagus in a saucepan of boiling salted water about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and toss with remaining
1
â
2
teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4.
Arrange salmon on a platter and spoon asparagus around it. Serve hot.
For Passover you can sauté fish with a coating of matzo meal instead of flour, or for a lighter alternative, you can omit the coating completely as in this quick dish. It makes a light and tasty entree during Passover or for any festive spring menu. Serve steamed new potatoes as an accompaniment and for dessert, ripe strawberries. The sea bass is also great served cold or room temperature as a first course for Shabbat.
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1
â
3
cup firmly packed sprigs fresh parsley
1
1
â
4
to 1
1
â
2
pounds sea bass fillets,
3
â
4
- to 1 inch thick, cut into 4 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
One 6-ounce package sliced mushrooms (3 cups)
1 quart butter lettuce or mixed baby lettuces
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1.
Mince garlic in a small food processor or with a large knife. Add parsley and mince together.
2.
Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets. Sauté about 4 minutes on each side or until the flesh flakes and the color has changed in the thickest part of the fish; if oil begins to brown, reduce heat to medium. Transfer fish to a platter, arrange pieces side by side, and keep warm.
3.
If pan is dry, add 2 or 3 teaspoons oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and garlic-parsley mixture and sauté, tossing often, until mushrooms are just tender, about 2 minutes. Spoon mushroom mixture over fish. Add lettuce to platter.
4.
Remove pan from heat and pour vinegar mixture into hot pan. Swirl it around pan, and pour it evenly over fish and lettuce.
I love this colorful Passover entree of braised chicken with carrots and asparagus. The herb-accented sauce is flavorful and light. It is thickened with a little potato starch, as flour-thickened sauces cannot be made during the holiday.
2
1
â
2
pounds chicken pieces, patted dry
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1
â
2
cup dry white wine
1
â
2
cup chicken stock
3 medium carrots, quartered and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 teaspoon potato starch
1 tablespoon water
1
1
â
4
pounds medium-width asparagus, spears peeled, trimmed, and cut into 3 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
1.
Sprinkle chicken lightly with pepper. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. In batches, lightly brown chicken pieces in oil. Transfer each batch to a plate, using tongs.
2.
Return all chicken pieces to skillet. If they don't fit in one layer, arrange leg and thigh pieces on bottom of pan and place breasts on top. Add wine, stock, and chicken juices from plate. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes or until breast pieces are tender. Transfer breast pieces to a platter, cover and keep them warm. Continue cooking remaining pieces 10 minutes more or until tender. Add them to platter; cover.
3.
Meanwhile, put carrots in a medium saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
4.
Skim excess fat from chicken cooking liquid. Bring liquid to a simmer. Mix potato starch with 1 tablespoon water in a small cup. Whisk this mixture into the simmering liquid over medium heat. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened.
5.
Add asparagus pieces to carrots and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes or until asparagus is just tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to sauce; reserve their cooking liquid for other uses. Heat vegetables in sauce for 1 or to 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and chives. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6.
Drain any fat from platter of chicken. Spoon vegetables and sauce over chicken and serve.
This simple, Italian style roast chicken is great for Passover or for Shabbat. The rosemary gives the chicken and its juices a wonderful aroma. Serve the chicken with a separately baked stuffing, such as
Farfel Stuffing with Leeks and Carrots
or with
Passover Spinach Stuffing
. If you like, arrange some halved new potatoes around the chicken in the pan so they absorb flavor from the roasting juices.
One 3- to 3
1
â
2
-pound chicken, rinsed, giblets removed
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus a few more for garnish
1 or 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Pull out fat from inside chicken. Set chicken in a small roasting pan. Stuff chicken with 3 rosemary sprigs. Pour oil over chicken and sprinkle it with salt, if using, and with a little pepper. Rub oil and seasonings into chicken. Add 3 more rosemary sprigs to pan, tucking them under chicken.
2.
Roast chicken uncovered, basting once or twice, about 1 hour or until chicken juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with a thin knife or skewer.
3.
Remove cooked rosemary from chicken and from pan. Carve chicken and put pieces on a platter. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs. Skim excess fat from roasting juices. Taste juices and adjust seasoning. When serving, spoon a little of pan juices over chicken.
Turkey schnitzel, an Israeli favorite, is usually prepared by dipping thin slices of turkey breast in flour, egg, and bread crumbs, then frying them.