1,000 Jewish Recipes (93 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
Like most classic soufflés, these must be baked just before they are served, but you can prepare the base a day ahead, refrigerate it, and reheat it. The slowly stewed onions become sweet as they cook and impart a lovely flavor to the creamy soufflés.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter
1
1
â
4
pounds white-, yellow-, or brown-skinned onions, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2
â
3
cup milk
3 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites
1
â
4
teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
1.
Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium sauté pan. Add onions, salt, and pepper. Cover tightly and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until onions are very soft. If liquid remains in pan, uncover and cook over medium heat, stirring, until onions are dry.
2.
Butter four 1 to 1
1
â
4
cup soufflé dishes; butter rims well. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F.
3.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small, heavy saucepan. Add flour and cook over low heat, whisking, 2 minutes or until foaming but not brown. Remove from heat. Pour in milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, continuing to whisk. Add a small pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, whisking often, for 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in onions. Bring to a boil, stirring.
4.
Remove from heat and vigorously whisk in egg yolks, one by one. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes or just until thickened. Do not overcook or boil, or yolks may curdle. Adjust seasoning. (If not baking soufflé, refrigerate mixture in a covered container.)
5.
Have four heatproof plates ready near oven. Put soufflé dishes on a baking sheet. If soufflé base is cold, heat it in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking, until just warm. Remove from heat.
6.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, if using, in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Then beat briefly at high speed until whites are stiff but not dry. Quickly fold about
1
â
4
of whites into onion mixture. Spoon this over remaining whites and fold in lightly but quickly, until just blended.
7.
Transfer to prepared soufflé dishes and smooth tops. Bake about 12 minutes or until puffed and browned; when you gently move oven rack, soufflés should shake very slightly in center. Do not overbake or soufflés may burn on top and may shrink. Set soufflé dishes on heatproof plates and serve immediately.
VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES
This savory dish is inspired by an elaborate creationâa charlotteâI learned to prepare at La Varenne Cooking School in Paris. Fried eggplant slices lined a mold that was filled with layers of eggplant, tomato sauce, and yogurt, baked, and then unmolded. I always loved the combination of flavors. They are delicious in this dish, which is low in fat, easy to make, and perfect for Shavuot.
1
1
â
2
tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1
3
â
4
pound Japanese or small Italian eggplants, unpeeled and cut crosswise into
3
â
8
-inch slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
One 14
1
â
2
-ounce can stewed tomatoes, preferably Italian style (with basil, garlic, oregano), with their juice
1 to 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
About 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1.
Heat oil in a large, heavy sauté pan or wide casserole, add onion, and sauté over medium heat 2 minutes. Add eggplant, sprinkle with salt, and stir over heat until eggplant is coated with onion mixture. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2.
Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Stir in basil and pepper. Serve hot or cold, topped with yogurt.
Old-fashioned vegetable gratins are not for every day but these creamy dishes make delectable offerings for Shavuot. Serve these zucchini to accompany a baked or grilled fish or with some light, simple vegetable dishes. Classically, the sauce contains 2 egg yolks to help give the gratin a deeper golden color but I usually omit them. Do try to use freshly grated nutmeg, however; it gives the sauce an essential flavor.
12 to 14 ounces small zucchini, halved crosswise and cut into 2-inch pieces
1
1
â
2
tablespoons butter
1
1
â
2
tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1
â
4
cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Put zucchini pieces in a saucepan of boiling salted water and boil uncovered about 4 minutes or until barely tender. Drain, rinse with cold running water until cool and drain thoroughly.
2.
Melt butter in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes or until foaming but not browned. Remove from heat. Whisk in milk. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking often. Add a small pinch of salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking often, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in
1
â
4
cup cheese. Adjust amounts of salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3.
Butter a heavy 5-cup gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. In prepared dish, arrange zucchini in one layer. Spoon sauce carefully over them to coat completely. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.
4.
Bake until sauce begins to bubble, 7 to 10 minutes. If top is not brown, transfer dish to broiler and broil about 1 minute or just until cheese is lightly browned. Serve hot, from baking dish.
Corn was not one of the crops of ancient Israel; it comes from the New World. However, since part of the message of Shavuot is to be thankful for the year's first grains, for modern celebrations, because fresh corn is also becoming plentiful at this time of year, it's a terrific food to include on holiday menus.
Instead of serving the corn with plain butter, I like to prepare a seasoned butter that includes the beloved Israeli spice, cumin, along with fresh parsley and a hint of lemon juice and cayenne pepper. If you prefer, substitute olive oil for the butter.
6 tablespoons (
3
â
4
stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1
â
2
teaspoon strained fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 fresh ears of corn, shucked
1.
In a small bowl, beat butter until smooth. Stir in cumin, parsley, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Let stand 1 hour or refrigerate in a covered container up to 1 day to blend flavors.
2.
Just before serving, bring the seasoned butter to room temperature. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the corn, and cook it 5 to 10 minutes or until it's done to your taste. With tongs remove the corn, drain, and transfer to a platter or to plates.
3.
Serve the corn hot with the seasoned butter.
 or
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This colorful, lively combination is a new take on the old-fashioned pair, peas and carrots. Sugar snap peas, a cross of snow peas with green peas, are a wonderful vegetable treat. They are fast-cooking and there's no need to shell them, as you eat the whole pods. The bright green pea pods with the vivid orange carrot sticks make a beautiful side dish. It is a terrific light partner for all those creamy, cheesy Shavuot specialties. To best appreciate the vegetables' freshness, be careful to cook them only until they are crisp-tender.
2 or 3 large carrots (8 to 12 ounces), cut into 2-inch matchsticks
8 to 12 ounces sugar snap peas, rinsed, ends removed
2 to 3 teaspoons butter or vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Put carrots in a medium saucepan with a pinch of salt and water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 3 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and boil uncovered over high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Drain in a colander.
2.
Heat butter or oil in the saucepan, add vegetables, and toss until combined. Add salt and pepper and toss until vegetables are coated. Serve hot.