Eight Meatless Weeknight Suppers (Part 4)
(Here are parts 1, 2, and 3)
Meatless Supper #7: Pasta With Chunky Tomato Sauce
DH started making his own pasta sauce when he lived in downtown Montreal, where hekhshered sauce isn’t readily available (or wasn’t five years ago). You can use any kind of pasta, of course, but I think rotinni is best for catching all the chunks. We usually eat this with cheddar or jack cheese, since good kosher parmesean is difficult to come by. (It’s an unconventional combination, but a good one.)
Serves about 4 (8 according to the nutrition labels)
1 1-lb box pasta, plus water, oil, and salt, for cooking
1 28-0z can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree*
4-5 mushrooms, chopped
2-3 scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
italian seasoning (basil, oregano, thyme, etc.), to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons dry wine (preferably red), or 1 tablespoon vodka
1 teaspoon sugar
hot sauce, to taste
a few leaves of fresh basil, shredded (entirely optional)
shredded or grated cheese, to serve
Fill a large stock pot with water and set over a high flame.
Combine remaining ingredients (except cheese) in 1-quart saucepan and mix well. Bring to a light boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered.
When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. When the pasta is ready, the sauce is ready, too. Top each plate of pasta with cheese and then with sauce. (The hot sauce will melt the cheese nicely.)
*Different brands of crushed tomato have different consistencies, and this can have a major impact on the consistency of the sauce. We’ve found Contadina to be too liquidy and Shaw’s brand too chunky. Red Pack is our current favorite.
Meatless Supper #8: Mengedarrah With Brown Rice and Moroccan Seasoning
Mungedarrah (or mujadarrah) is a pan-Middle Eastern dish of lentils and rice. Two years ago, I wrote about its connection to the Nine Days and provided a recipe. This is a whole grain version with a more interesing seasoning combination. I like to serve it as a side dish when we have vegetarian guests for a meat meal, but it is also a satisfying meal in itself and a good choice for the se`udah mafseket before Tisha B’Av, which traditionally consists of no more than one cooked dish. (The simpler salt-and-pepper version may be more appropriate for that occasion, though.)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion (about 2 cups), chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 cup brown or green lentils
4 3/4 cups water
yogurt to serve (optional)
Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and seasoning and sautee until onions are fairly soft, 10-15 minutes. Add rice and cook about 1 minute, stirring.
Add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 40-45 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure that it isn’t sticking. (If it is, add a bit more water.) Serve with yogurt, if desired.
¶
Eight Meatless Weeknight Suppers (Part 3)
(Here are parts 1 and 2)
Meatless Supper #5: Hot and Sour Tofu Stir-Fry
This is another very flexible recipe. The vegetables listed below are only one option. In my opinion, stir-frys are only slightly better with oil, so feel free to omit the grease.
serves about 3
1 cup (dry) brown rice, plus water, oil, and salt for cooking
peanut or canola oil (optional)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and greens)
1 Italian eggplant,* diced (peeling is optional)
1 lb extra-firm tofu, cubed
1 small head broccoli in small florettes
1/2 lb snow peas
1 6-0z can water chestnuts
1 14-oz can baby corn
1-inch piece ginger, minced (optional)
1/2 cup lightly salted cashews (optional)
Hot and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1/2 cup dry white wine, parve broth, or a combination
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
hot sauce to taste
Cook the rice. (Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook, which is about 20 minutes longer than this stir-fry takes, including cutting the vegetables. Eat your salad in the meantime :))
Prepare the vegetables and set aside. Prepare the sauce: Combine a small amount of soy sauce with the corn starch (if using) and mix well to remove lumps. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Heat a few tablespoons of oil or 1/4 cup sauce in a 9-inch skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic, scallions, and eggplant and stir-fry until the garlic begins to brown (if using oil) and the scallions and eggplant soften. Add tofu, remaining vegetables, ginger, and nuts and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add remaining sauce, bring to a light boil, and simmer until the broccoli and snow peas are just tender. Serve over rice.
*Some cooks salt and drain eggplant before cooking in order to remove any bitter juices and prevent it from getting soggy. We do not salt our eggplant and have not encountered a bitter one since we began using the small Italian variety and choosing eggplant with smooth, glossy skin. However, the eggplant in this recipe does become quite soft.
Note: I’ve found that it takes a generous quantity of hot sauce to season this much stir-fry. It is a good idea to taste the sauce to make sure that it is as hot as you’d like it.
Meatless Supper #6: Tempeh and Vegetables in Peanut-Yogurt Sauce Continue reading Eight Meatless Weeknight Suppers (Part 3) »
¶
Eight Meatless Weeknight Suppers (Part 2)
(Part 1 is here.)
Here are a couple of very flexible, quick and easy fish recipes. The timing is for thin fish, such as sole or trout, served fairly rare. Add a few minutes for thicker fish, such as salmon or cod, or if you prefer it well done.
Meatless Supper #3: Broiled Fish Fillets in Lemon-Butter Sauce
This is a very simple but tasty recipe that works with almost any kind of fish. Serve with rice pilaf, couscous, or steamed vegetables.
serves 2-4
butter or cooking spray (for the pan)
1 lb fish fillets
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
dried tarragon (or other herb or spice of your choice)
juice of 1 lemon
a little bit of water
Preheat broiler. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan or coat with nonstick spray.
Wash fish and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in pan. (Very delicate fish, such as trout, is generally cooked with the skin attached. Lay the fillets in the pan skin side down.)
Cut butter into thin slices and distribute over fish. Spoon lemon juice onto fish and sprinkle with tarragon. Add water, so that the combination of water and juice rises about 1/4 inch up the side of the pan.
Broil 8-10 minutes or until fish is cooked through, turning thicker fillets once. (To test for doneness, slice through the thickest part of the thickest fillet and make sure that it is the same color all the way through.) Serve immediately, with sauce from the pan spooned over each serving.
Meatless Supper #4: Fish Fillets in Spicy Tomato Sauce
This recipe works best with thin, mild-flavored fish, such as sole, tilapia, or bass. It has no added oil, so it’s great for people who are watching their weight. Serve with rice or couscous.
serves 2-4
1 24-oz can diced tomatoes in tomato puree
1/4 cup dry red or white wine (preferable, but not strictly necessary)
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
hot sauce to taste
dried parsley, tarragon, and/or other spices, to taste
1 lb fish fillets
salt and pepper to taste
Combine the tomatoes, wine, garlic, hot sauce, and spices in a 9-inch skillet and mix well. Cook over medium-low heat until the sauce begins to bubble.
Meanwhile, wash the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add to the sauce and simmer 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through (see above). Serve immediately.
¶
Eight Meatless Weeknight Suppers (Part 1)
DH and I rarely eat meat on weeknights, so the nine days are pretty effortless for us. I thought that I’d share some of my favorite dinners for the benefit of carnivores looking for new ideas. Each of these recipes takes under an hour to prepare, with less than 30 minutes of hands-on time.
But first things first: We usually begin dinner with a tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette. This dressing is made in a blender or food processor, so it remains homogenized for about a week. It is very thick and flavorful, so you don’t have to use much.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup good balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper to taste
italian seasoning (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, etc.) to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. If dressing separates, seal and shake the container. If oil congeals, whisk briskly or microwave for 10 seconds.
For Passover: Omit mustard. (This version will not homogenize well, so there is little advantage to preparing it in a blender or food processor. Simply combine the ingredients in an airtight container and shake well before each use.)
Continue reading Eight Meatless Weeknight Suppers (Part 1) »
¶
The Ultimate Brownies (Really!)
If Chanit can blog about food under these circumstances, I guess I can, too. And there’s good news from Elfland: I think I finally found my brownie recipe.
I’ve tried quite a few recipes for brownies, and, with one notable exception, none of them were bad. Still, they didn’t live up to my idea of what great brownies should taste like. The closest were “Fudge Brownies Supreme,” from Nancy Baggett’s All-American Cookie Book, but they were too sweet for my taste. This modified version of Baggett’s recipe yields rich, lucious, intensely chocolately brownies that satisfy like nothing else.
Enjoy:
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine or 1/2 cup canola oil
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan or coat with nonstick spray.
In a large, microwave safe bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate until the butter is completely melted (about 2 minutes). Remove from microwave and stir to finish melting the chocolate and blend the two ingredients. (Alternatively, melt in a saucepan over low heat). Let cool to warm.
In a small bowl, thoroughly stir toegether the flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. Stir the sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate-butter mixture until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add vanilla and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended and smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Turn out the batter into the baking pan, spreading to the edges.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out moist but clean. (It’s okay if the bottom 1/4 inch is still a bit fudgy.) Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Cross-posted to Apikorsus.
¶
Tuna Tostados
A confluence of factors led me to prepare these tuna tostados. First, Efraim (of muffin delivery fame) has begun delivering fresh fish every week to patrons within the Boston Eruv, including delicious tuna. Second, I had my first semi-professional cooking gig tonight. As anyone familiar with the Hub of the Solar System knows, Boston lacks classy restaurants — not even Taam China II (”the Deuce”) can provide a romantic or business atmosphere. So, when friends of ours had a special birthday to celebrate, I gladly offered my kitchen skills (and tastefully made-over dining room) for the occasion. Hey, I’m a Cook’s Illustrated subscriber, what more do I need?
To start off their meal, I thought these tostados would be perfect. Not only would they let me showcase Efraim’s ocean delicacies, but all the components could be prepared in advanced and assembled in flash at the last moment. The recipe required little modification — I replaced the cilantro with parsley (to suit my own taste), used Tofutti’s pareve sour cream substitute as garnish (it’s actually not that bad), and sprinkled a little sea salt on top for taste and texture. I also made larger wonton crisps than the recipe’s photo suggested — a little easier to hold, but perhaps a bit harder to eat since it’s not bite-sized. A rectangular platter, holding four tostados, was ideal for a dramatic presentation.
¶
Strawberries & Rhubarb
Rhubarb has a fairly short growing season in New England, and it happens to be now. This is also a great time to get fresh strawberries, which may be one reason why the strawberry-rhubarb combination is such a classic. It’s also quite delicious.
My parents like to end meals with a chilled strawberry-rhubarb compote, which is very refreshing. Their formula: Combine strawberries, rhubarb, water, and sugar in a saucepan, simmer, and continue adjusting ingredients until it tastes good. (If you prefer a bit more precision, start with this recipe and adjust to taste.) Rhubarb is quite tart, so you will need a fairly high proportion of sugar, but bear in mind that cooked berries become significantly sweeter as they cool.
When I have guests, I like to show off a bit with a strawberry rhubarb crisp, served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream or a parve substitute. I use a modified version of a recipe in the New Moosewood Cookbook:
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into bite-size pieces
2 pints strawberries, sliced
1/3-1/2 cup granulated sugar*
1 1/2 cups (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
a dash each allspice and nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole wheat flour mixed with 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (or 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
2 cups rolled oats
real or parve vanilla ice cream (not optional!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
Combine rhubarb, strawberries, and sugar in an 11 x 13 inch baking pan.
Place the butter or margarine in a large, microwave safe bowl and microwave 1 minute or until melted. (Alternatively, melt in a saucepan over low heat, then transfer to a large bowl.)
Add brown sugar and spices to the warm butter and mix until well blended. Gradually mix in flour, then oats. (Toward the end, it will be easiest to use your hands.)
Distribute oat mixture evenly over fruit. Bits of fruit will peek out from under the topping.
Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until fruit has begun to bubble. Allow to cool slightly. Serve in bowls, topped with ice cream.
*Made with 1/3 cup sugar, the crisp is quite tart.
(Cross-posted to Apikorsus)
Note: The crisp will not suffer from a few hours in a warm oven, so it can be served on Friday night.
¶
Passover Kugels
Perhaps they were influenced by the Rosh Hashanah edition of the New York Times. At any rate, this year’s Passover edition of the Boston Globe Food section has an emphasis on kugel. There is an uniformative but innocuous article on Passover kugels, along with recipes for potato kugel, mushroom, onion, and farfel kugel, and festive fruit kugel. (The paper also includes some Passover desserts: coconut and almond macaroons with chocolate coating and flourless mocha cake.)
Inspired, I’ve decided to share my own favorite Passover kugel recipes. The first is a savory farfel kugel that’s so simple and easy to make, you’d think it couldn’t possibly be good, but it really is delicious. The second is a vegetable kugel that’s as beautiful as it is tasty. The farfel kugel recipe is from my mother. I found the vegetable kugel recipe on the internet and have subsequently seen it in a number of kosher recipe archives. DH and I make it all year, but it is appreciated most on Passover.
Continue reading Passover Kugels »
¶
As if There Weren’t Enough Confusion This Time of Year
Today’s New York Times Dining & Wine Section has an article by Joan Nathan on new leniencies introduced by rabbis who are trying to “simplify” Passover observance for their constituents.
At least, that’s the way it’s presented.
In reality, none of these so-called leniencies are actually new. Jews who think that baking soda isn’t kosher for Passover because it is “leavening” are simply mistaken. Only the “five grains” — oats, wheat, barley, rye, and spelt — can meet the halakhic definition of “leaven,” or chametz. Baking powder typically contains corn starch, which is problematic for those who adhere to Ashkenazi custom, but the corn starch can be replaced with potato starch to make kosher for Passover baking powder. There is nothing wrong with the leavening per se.
Continue reading As if There Weren’t Enough Confusion This Time of Year »
¶
Caesar Dressing
I like to say that I’m a Caesar salad purist, and by that I mean that I subscribe to Julia Child’s account of Caesar Cardini’s famous 1924 innovation of tossing romaine lettuce leaves with little more than olive oil, coddled eggs, garlicky croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese. I strongly encourage all Caesar fans to read From Julia Child’s Kitchen (pages 431-434) to get the true story of the salad’s origins and the authentic recipe.
So, I like to say that I’m a purist. In practice, I hold true to the salad’s ingredients — olive oil, lemon, eggs, imported Parmesan, freshly cracked pepper, and worcestershire sauce — but prepare the dressing separately.
What is unfortunately beyond the pale for even a reformer like me is the Three Cheese Caesar Dressing from Beyond Classics (OK-Dairy certification).
The three cheeses are encouraging — Parmesan, Romano, and Caciotta — but ultimately the dressing is a flop. For a whopping $4.79, you get what amounts to 12-ounces of grainy lemon sauce. The original’s dash of worcestershire is misinterpreted in this dressing as — gasp! — “anchovies” and instead of eggs and olive oil they use sour cream and canola oil.
Thankfully, making the dressing from scratch is a cinch.
MILD CAESAR DRESSING
Pareve
• 1 egg, coddled*
• 1/2 cup pure olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 5 grinds black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Crack coddled egg into a large bowl, and beat briefly with a whisk. Combine the olive oils. Then, while whisking expeditiously, slowly drizzle the oil into the egg. The mixture will get creamy and thick. (If you like washing small appliances, feel free to drizzle in your oil while the eggs are whizzing away in a food processor.)
Whisk in lemon juice, worcestershire, pepper, and salt. Makes approximately 1 cup dressing.
If serving in a dairy setting, toss torn romaine lettuce leaves with enough dressing to coat, then toss with garlic croutons and ample freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Alternatively, combine lettuce, croutons, dressing, and slices of grilled chicken breast for a great fleishig salad.
*To coddle an egg, bring a pan of water to a gentle boil and simmer your egg (in-shell) for exactly one minute. This brings up the temperature of the egg enough to theoretically kill harmful pathogens.
¶
