Shabbat Roasted Chicken

In these current times of anger and division, when the news always seems to be bad and the world seems ready to explode, how fortunate we are to have Shabbat, a day of rest, contemplation and togetherness with our loved ones. 

Put the world aside. 

The sorrow, the political madness will not go away, but we can enjoy our day of peace. We can enjoy a festive Shabbat dinner. 

What could be better for the feast than roasted chicken, the traditional Shabbat dinner? Our ancestors ate roasted chicken in the shtetls of Eastern Europe and in the luxurious dining rooms in Vienna and Bucharest.

Roasted chicken is beyond delicious. It’s iconic. It’s comforting. 

Shabbat shalom.

ROASTED CHICKEN

• 1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• garlic powder and paprika, optional

• ras el hanout, baharat, garam masala, harissa, chopped fresh herbs to taste, optional

• 1 to 1-1/2 cups fruit juice, chicken stock or white wine

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove any pinfeathers and extra flesh and fat from the chicken. Take out the package of giblets inside the cavity (you may save these pieces for stock, except for the liver, or roast them along with the chicken). Brush the olive oil all over the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and optional seasonings. Place the chicken breast side down on a rack placed inside a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast the chicken for 15 minutes. Pour the juice (stock or wine) over the chicken and roast for another 15 minutes. Turn the chicken breast side up. Roast the chicken, basting occasionally, for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, or until the chicken is cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees or 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh). Remove the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with pan juices (you may strain the pan fluids if desired, and/or reduce them to desired thickness by boiling the fluids in a small saucepan over high heat).

Makes 6 servings

Veal Short Rib Stew

I love breast of veal and I also love short ribs, so if I see breast-of-veal short ribs in a store or can get them from a butcher, it’s a big, delicious win! I braise them into a stew, which is perfect when it’s cold outside (14F where I live). The aroma in my kitchen is incredibly comforting.

If you can’t find veal breast short ribs, ask the butcher to cut up a veal breast for you. Or, make this dish using the whole breast of veal.

VEAL SHORT RIB STEW

• 3 pounds veal short ribs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 medium onions, cut into chunks

• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

• 2 large all-purpose or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2 large sprigs fresh thyme

• 1 cup white wine

• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

Wipe the surfaces of the meat and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the veal pieces and cook, turning them occasionally, until all sides are browned (about 10-12 minutes). Add the onions, carrots and potatoes to the pan. Sprinkle the ingredients with salt and pepper and place the thyme sprigs on top. Pour in the white wine. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low-medium and cook for one hour. Add the tomatoes, cover the pan and cook for another hour or until the meat is tender.

Makes 4 servings

#breastofveal #vealstew #shortribs #vealshortribs #vealshortribstew #stew

Dairy-free Mashed Potatoes

Dairy-free Mashed Potatoes

Some people say that on Thanksgiving, the mashed potatoes are more important than the turkey. Well, I don’t know about that but if mashed potatoes are a thing at your feast, check out this dairy-free version.

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DAIRY FREE MASHED POTATOES

• 5 medium all-purpose potatoes such as Yukon Gold

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock

• salt to taste

• pinch or two of cayenne pepper, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and cook them in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Set aside. Drain the potatoes and mash them with a ricer or potato masher until the lumps have disappeared. Add the vegetables and olive oil and continue mashing u til the mixture is fairly smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, stock, salt and the cayenne pepper. Place the mixture in a baking dish. Bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 servings

#vegetarian#thanksgiving#vegan#mashed potatoes#side dish#thanksgiving side dishes

Pot Roast is always a winner!

Pot Roast is always a welcome winner!

CHUCK POT ROAST

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3-4 pound chuck roast

• 4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

• 12-16 baby potatoes

• 2 medium onions, sliced

• 6-8 plum tomatoes, cut up

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 cup red wine

• 1 cup beef broth

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 250F. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof casserole on the cooktop on high heat. Sear the meat surface on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove the pan from the cooktop. Scatter the carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and garlic over and around the meat. Pour in the wine and broth. Sprinkle the ingredients with salt and pepper. Place the thyme sprigs on top. Cover the casserole. Place in the oven. Cook for about 4 hours or until the meat is tender.

Makes 4-6 servings

Grandma's Baked Blintzes

One of my grandma’s signature dishes was blintzes. But the cheese filling she made was different than the classic sweet version (with vanilla and/or cinnamon). Her blintz filling was lemony, and included cheese, egg and a small amount of sugar. Also, because there were so many of us, she had no time to fry them a couple at a time and still have everyone eat at the same time. So she placed the blintzes, seam-side down, on a baking sheet, topped each with a little dab of butter, and baked them until they were golden brown. I still love blintzes, lemony and baked. And so does my family. Grandma’s cheese filling recipe is below, but the instructions give you the option to make the more popular vanilla version (and also how to fry them). Don’t worry if the wrappers don’t fry into perfect circles — you’re going to roll them and if they’re a little off, no one will ever know.

GRANDMA’s CHEESE BLINTZ FILLING:
1 pound farmer’s cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest, optional (I always include)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Place the cheese, egg, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the lemon zest OR vanilla extract and mix in thoroughly. To fill each wrapper: use the first fried side as the inside of the blintz. Use about 2 tablespoons of filling for an 8-inch wrapper and place the filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom side up, over the filling. Fold the left side, then the right side over the filling, then roll up to enclose the filling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the blintzes in a single layer on a jelly roll pan, top each with a tiny piece of butter. Bake for about 10 minutes.

To fry: place the blintzes seam side down first over medium heat (using the same method as for frying the wrappers – let the butter melt and become foamy).

#blintzes #cheeseblintzes #shavuot #shavuot2024 #shavuos

Pierogies for a Delicious Dairy Dinner

After Father’s Day (heavy on the meat), I want a dairy dinner. These pierogies! One of my favorite meals. POTATO CHEESE PIEROGIS
FILLING:
3 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup farmer cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
Place the potatoes in a bowl. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden. Add to the potatoes. Add the farmer cheese, salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside to cool. Use about one tablespoon filling for each pierogi. DOUGH: 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup water, approximately
1 cup dairy sour cream Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dough until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup of water and the sour cream and mix the dough until it is soft and well blended. If it seems too dry, add more water. (Or use a food processor.) Let the dough rest at least 30 minutes. Roll portions of dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thick and cut out circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter. To fill the pierogis: place filling in the center of each circle. Fold the circle in half, pinching the edges to seal. Heat 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add some of the pierogis (do not crowd the pan) and cook 3-4 minutes on the flat side, or until golden brown on the bottom, then turn them over and cook another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Repeat. Serve with sour cream. Makes about 4 dozen #pierogies #cheesepierogi #potatopierogies
#dairydinner

Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits

Every once in a while I post a recipe that includes buttermilk and invariably someone tells me that they don’t want to buy it just for this one recipe. But really, I promise! — once you have buttermilk in the house, you’re going to use it again. Because it is SO SO wonderful for so many things like cold soups and cole slaw and most especially for baked goods.

Like these biscuits, baked especially because today is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day. In case you hadn’t heard.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cake flour (or 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon zest, optional

• 8 tablespoons cold butter

• 2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Sift the flour, cake flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a bowl. Stir in the lemon zest, if used. Cut the butter into chunks and add it to the bowl. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or use the pulse in a food processor). Pour in the buttermilk and mix until you can form a soft ball of dough. Try not to pound or overwork the dough (this makes the biscuits tough). Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times. Roll or press the dough gently to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter or the bottom of a drinking glass. Place the circles one inch apart (for darker biscuits) or close together (for fluffier biscuits) on the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they have risen and are lightly browned. Makes about 10 #biscuits #buttermilkbiscuits #buttermilkbiscuitsfromscratch #buttermilk #nationalbuttermilkbiscuitday

Pizza for Pi Day

Pizza with Spinach, Tomatoes and Cheese

It’s Pi Day so I could easily have posted a photo and recipe for apple streusel pie or lemon meringue. Both are delicious desserts.

Of course a savory pie would do too: Chicken Pot Pie maybe?

But I’m more in the mood for pizza pie, so here’s any easy one (using a store bought crust):

Pizza with Spinach tomatoes and cheese 

• 1 pizza crust (about 10-inches)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and dried (about 6 ounces)

• 2 medium plum tomatoes, sliced

• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or chopped

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the crust on a pizza stone or lightly oiled pizza pan or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the spinach and cook for 3–5 minutes or until wilted and all the liquid has evaporated from the pan. If necessary, press the spinach in a sieve to extract liquid. Spread the spinach evenly on top of the crust. Place the tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and oregano. Drizzle with remaining half tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust is beginning to brown.

 Makes 2 servings

Roasted Lemon-Rosemary Potatoes

Roasted Lemon-Rosemary Potatoes

So here it is, the last day of February 2024. The last day of National Potato Lovers Month.

Really folks, I don’t need anyone to declare a month for loving potatoes. Anyone who knows me knows that potato is my favorite, #1, “last thing I want to eat before I die” food.

However, in honor of National Potato Lovers Month, here’s one of the zillion potato recipes I love: crispy roasted potatoes with some citrusy lemon tang and a sprinkle of rosemary.

ROASTED Lemon-Rosemary POTATOES  

• 2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the potato cubes in a bowl. Add the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and rosemary and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the potato mixture on the parchment lined sheet, spreading the cubes into a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes. Toss the potatoes and continue to roast for about another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

Mom's Corn Fritters

Mom’s Corn Fritters

Today is Shrove Tuesday, a Christian holiday, the day before Lent, when it has been traditional to eat pancakes. So it’s also known as Pancake Tuesday. I like that! Anyone can relate to pancakes! And enjoy a day feasting on some! Especially if the pancakes are my Mom’s Corn Fritters. Crispy on the outside, soft and puffy within and loaded with corn. For breakfast, lunch or dinner. With a little (lot?) real maple syrup.

CORN FRITTERS

2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked corn kernels
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste
butter for frying
maple syrup, optional

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. In a bowl, beat the egg and milk together. Stir in the cooled melted butter and the corn kernels. In a second bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; add this to the corn mixture and stir ingredients gently to blend them together. Heat a small amount of butter in a saute pan over medium heat (about 2 teaspoons). When the butter has melted and looks foamy, spoon the corn batter by the 1/4-cupful into the pan, leaving some space between each one. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the bottom has browned. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the second side is brown. Use more butter in the pan as needed. Serve with maple syrup if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings