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Caramelized Onion Jam

Caramelized Onion Jam

kosher

I can't stand raw onions,I find them way to aggressive.  That being said, something magical happens when you cook onions.  As the moister cooks out, the natural sugars concentrate, and the sharpness totally disappears. The more you cook the onions the sweeter they get.  The trick is to cook the onions slowly to caramelize all the sugars without burning them.

4 Large Sweet Onions

3 Tablespoons of Butter or Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

1/4 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup of Honey

In a large heavy pot add the onions and the butter or oil and a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the the onions are reduced down to 25% of their original volume.  Turn up the heat and stir constantly until the the onions are a dark brown. Do not walk away and do not stop stirring or the onions will burn. Add the honey and the cider vinegar and and cook until it comes together. The jam goes great on biscuits or on toast with goat cheese.

Leftover Skirt Steak Sandwich With Sauteed Peppers and Onions Topped With That Pickle Guy's Giardiniera

Leftover Skirt Steak Sandwich 

With Sauteed Peppers and Onions 

Topped With That Pickle Guy's Giardiniera

kosher

This what happens when I have leftover steak from my Mexican menu , and some great giardiniera from That Pickle Guy's that I picked up at a local farmer's market. I added some sauteed red onions and bell peppers to add a little sweetness and put it on nice chewy sub roll.

Shabbos Menu: July 5th-6th - Mexican

Shabbos Menu: July 5th-6th - Mexican

kosher

Friday Night

Appetizer:

Veggie Tamales

Beef Tamales

Main Course:

Veggie Empanadas

Beef Empanadas

Corn on the Cob

Skirt Steak and Chicken Breast Fajitas

With Green and Red Peppers and Red Onions

-Salsa

-Guacamole

Black Beans (Brought by a Guest)

Hot Vegetable (Brought by a Guest)

3-Bean Salad

Dessert:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Empanadas

Mixed Berry Empanadas

Shabbos Lunch

Appetizer:

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Guacamole

Main Course:

Taco Bar

-Lettuce

-Onion

-Tomatoes

-White Rice

-Re-fried Bean

-Corn

-Olives

-(Parev) Sour Cream

Dessert:

Mixed Berry Pie

Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto

Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto

kosher

Garlic scapes are the curly tops of garlic plants, often found at local farmers markets.  They can be sauteed, but I find them a bit to fibrous and the garlic flavor a bit aggressive for that preparation.  Where I think they really shine is in pesto.  By blending the scapes into a sauce, it breaks down the fibers, and by adding olive oil and Parmesan cheese, their richness along with some acid from lemon juice can tame the strong garlic flavor.

Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto

1 Cup Chopped Garlic Scapes

1 Cup Fresh Chopped Basil

1 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts

1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup Olive Oil

Juice Of 1 Lemon

Salt and Pepper

Put the garlic scapes, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and lemon juice to your food processor and process until smooth.  While the food processor is running drizzle the olive oil in until the the sauce comes together.  Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over your favorite pasta.

Grown Up Mac N' Cheese

Grown Up Mac N' Cheese
kosher

Everyone loves mac n' cheese.  It is a comfort food that instantly transports people back to their childhood.  This version takes that classic dish and gives it an adult twist with the addition of Parmesan and goat cheese.

1 lb Cooked Pasta (I used bow ties)

4 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 Stick Butter

2 Cups 2% Milk

8 1/4" Rounds of Goat Cheese

3 Cups Shredded Mozzarella

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan

1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a saucepan on a low heat melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux.  Add the milk, 2 cups of the mozzarella, and 2 rounds of the goat cheese to the saucepan.  Stir until the sauce comes together and cook until no longer runny.  Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until the pasta is coated.  Pour the pasta and sauce into a greased baking pan.  Top with the other 6 goat cheese rounds, the last cup of mozzarella, the Parmesan, and the bread crumbs.  Bake until golden on top.

Watermelon Strawberry Soup With Fresh Mint And Feta Cheese

Watermelon Strawberry Soup With Fresh Mint And Feta

kosher

With summer here I know I am often looking for a cool refreshing alternative to hot soups and heavy stews.  This fruit soup will quench your thirst on the warmest of days and plays equally well as an appetizer or a dessert. 

I am taking part in a link up for the Kosher Connection.  The Kosher Connection is an informal group of creative kosher food bloggers from all around the world, who proudly present a monthly kosher recipe challenge.  This month's theme is croutons.  Check out the links at the bottom of my post to see some of the other awesome blogs that are participating.

Watermelon Strawberry Soup 

With Fresh Mint And Feta Cheese

1/4 of a large seedless watermelon cup into chunks

12 large strawberries, with tops cut off and quartered

a handful of fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish

Crumbled feta for garnish (optional)

Combine the watermelon, strawberries, and mint in a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer if a smoother consistency is desired.  Chill and serve garnished with more mint and crumbled feta cheese.  

An InLinkz Link-up

Baking Bread Ruhlman Style

Baking Bread Ruhlman Style

I made some great bread on Sunday.  It is a recipe from Micheal Ruhlman's cookbook  Twenty.  I highly recommend anything by Mr. Ruhlman.  He breaks things down into their essential parts and is able to communicate not just a recipe, but craft, art and science in his books.

This recipe uses an awesome technique of baking the bread in a dutch oven to create steam, which is essential for good crust formation.  The crust was excellent and the crumb had a great texture, not dense at all, and just the right amount of airiness.  The bottom was a little darker then I would like, so I think I'll put a sheet pan on the lower rack next time I make this to see if it helps.

As for the exact recipe, for that you will have to buy the book.

Burger of the Week

Burger of the Week

kosher

Top of a Toasted Sesame Bun

Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce

Crispy Shallots

Home-made Garlic Pickles

1/2 lb. Beef Patty Seasoned with Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Smoked Spanish Paprika

Sautéed Portobello Mushrooms

Avocado

Romaine Lettuce

Bottom of a Toasted Sesame Bun

Served with a side roasted eggplant

Stuffed Poblano Peppers With Fresh Pineapple, Cactus Paddle, and Habanero Salsa

Stuffed Poblano Peppers 

With Fresh Pineapple, Cactus Paddle, and Habenero Salsa

kosher

Poblanos are fruity pepper with a touch of heat.  They are like a cross between a bell pepper and a jalapeno. Cactus paddle, also known as nopales, can be found in many Mexican groceries and green grocers.  Nopales often come with the cactus needles still attached, and they need to be scraped off.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers 

With Fresh Pineapple, Cactus Paddle, and Habanero Salsa

Serves 4

Fresh Salsa

1 Cup Fresh Pineapple Diced

1/2 Cup Red Onion Diced

1 Large Cactus Paddle Needles Removed and Diced

1 Habanero Pepper Diced (optional)

Juice Of 1 Lime

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors come together.

Stuffed Peppers

2 Poblano Peppers, Cut in Half From Stem To Point, with ribs and seeds removed

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Large Red Spanish Onion, Diced
1/2 Cup of Corn Kernels

4 Cloves Garlic, Smashed and Chopped

1 Cup Jarred Salsa

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 350F.  In a skillet (cast iron if you have it) over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the corn, onions, and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Once the onions are translucent, crumble the meat into the pan, and cook until browned, then add the salsa and cook until everything comes together.  Fill the pepper halves with the meat mixture, and bake on an oiled cookie sheet until until the peppers are soft.  Top with homemade salsa and enjoy!

Ramp And Ricotta Ravioli

Ramp And Ricotta Ravioli

kosher

I love this time of year.  So many great vegetables are coming into season, and that means it is time for ramps. Ramps are a wild spring onion similar to scallions that usually only available in the spring.  The are coveted by chefs and are snapped up quickly.  Usually you can only find them at a farmer's markets or at Whole Foods Market.   Before today I was never able to get my hands on them, so when I saw them at my local fruit store I jumped at the chance to buy some.  If you cannot find ramps you can use scallions for the ramp bottoms and spinach for the ramp tops.
I do have to admit making pasta from scratch without a pasta roller is time consuming and a literal pain in the neck.  I did use a rolling pin, but every time I do, I think to myself, "I really should get the pasta rolling attachment for my (wife's) KitchenAid stand mixer.  I also kneaded the dough by hand, but I recommend using the stand mixer.  I based my recipe on Alton Brown's which can be found here: Alton Brown's Ravioli. 

Ramp And Ricotta Ravioli

Makes about 24 pieces

Pasta

10 oz All Purpose Flour

2 Large Eggs

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Water

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Combine all ingredients in your stand mixer.  Using the dough hook kneading on low for five minutes or until the dough comes together into a tight ball.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Using a pasta roller or a rolling pin, roll out to a very thin sheet and cut rounds using a cookie cutter.

Filling

1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese

1/4 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Ramp Tops of 6 Ramps, chopped (or a handful of chopped spinach)

Ramp Bottoms of 6 Ramps, slilced thinly (or the white part of 6 scallions, sliced thinly)

2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Nutmeg

In a hot pan, saute the ramps and garlic in the olive oil until the ramps are translucent.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Let the ramps cool and mix with the ricotta and Parmesan. Grate in nutmeg to taste.

Filling and Cooking Instructions:

You will need:

Egg Wash  (1 egg beaten with with 2 tablespoons of water)

2 Tablespoons of Butter

4 Fresh Chopped Sage Leaves

Salt

Put a large pot of salted water (at least a 1/2 gallon of water with a few heavy pinches of salt) over high heat to bring to a boil.

Put about a 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the middle of each pasta round, depending on how large your rounds are.  Be careful not to overfill you ravioli, or you risk them bursting when you cook them.  Paint half of the pasta round with egg wash and fold in half.  Try to squeeze out as much air as possible and press down on the edges all the way around to seal.

Boil the raviolis in batches of six, until they float to the surface.  Once they come out of the water they can be frozen for later use, or browned in the butter and sage and eaten immediately.  Garnish with some fresh chopped ramp leaves and grated Parmesan.

Burger of The Week X2

Burger of The Week X2

kosher

Burger of the Week #1: Sweet and Sour With a Kick
Top of a Toasted Sesame Bun
Sweet an Sour Ketchup (Ketchup with Duck Sauce)
Quick Pickled Yellow Squash and Zucchini
1/2 lb Beef Patty Seasoned With Garlic Powder and Black Pepper
Sauteed Onions
Jalapeno Mayo
Red Leaf Lettuce
Bottom of a Toasted Sesame Bun

Burger of the Week #2: The "Bacon" Portobello
Top of a Toasted Sesame Bun
BBQ Sauce
Jack's Facon
Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms
1/2 lb Beef Patty 
Garlic Pickles
Romain Lettuce
Bottom of a Toasted Sesame Bun

Never Buy Croutons

Never Buy Croutons

I am taking part in a link up for the Kosher Connection.  The Kosher Connection is an informal group of creative kosher food bloggers from all around the world, who proudly present a monthly kosher recipe challenge.  This month's theme is croutons.  Check out the links at the bottom of my post to see some of the other awesome blogs that are participating.

Never buy croutons!  There is almost always leftover Challah in my house, and that is great for making homemade croutons.  Croutons are a great way to introduce new flavors to your friends and family.  You can season them with different herbs and spices.  The trio you see here consist of a fairly standard Italian crouton with garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian herb seasoning, a hot smoked Spanish paprika, and hot yellow curry crouton.  Also, croutons are not just for salads.  I love to grind up croutons and use them schnitzel breading, they are great in soups, and they can be great to just snack on.  Check out the basic procedure for making croutons below:

Leftover Challah Cut into 1 Inch Cubes
Olive Oil
Your Favorite Herbs and Spices
Salt

Preheat the oven to 425F.  In a large mixing bowl, toss the challah in olive oil until well coated, but not soggy.  Spread the challah cubes in an even layer on a sheet pan and bake until browned on one side, then flip and bake on the other side until that side is also browned.  At no point should you ever walk away from the croutons.  Case in point, when making these I went to switch the laundry and burnt the first batch.  Once the croutons are ready to come out, toss them in a large mixing bowl with your favorite herbs or spices and the salt.  DO NOT season the croutons before they go in the oven, they are much more likely to burn if you do that.

Alton Brown's Gumbo Made Kosher And Slow Cooker Friendly

Alton Brown's Gumbo Made Kosher 

And Slow Cooker Friendly

This weekend I made a Louisiana style menu.  One challenge I took on was Alton Brown's gumbo modified to be kosher and Shabbos crock-pot friendly.  You can find the original recipe here:Alton Brown's Shrimp Gumbo

Here is my version:

Ingredients

4 ounces vegetable oil

4 ounces all-purpose flour

2 pounds cooked dark meat chicken, skin and bones removed

3 quarts chicken stock

2 cups diced onion

2 cups diced celery

2 cups diced green peppers

2 cups sliced okra

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

1 pound kosher sausage (if you can find andouille style that would be best), cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned, reserving the rendered fat.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the vegetable oil, fat from the sausage, and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven or a heavy pot and whisk together to combine to create a roux. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.

Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers, okra, and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. 

Turn off the heat, add the chicken and sausage and stir to combine. 

Add the ingredients to your slow cooker (crock-pot) and cover with the chicken stock.

Cook on low until you are ready to serve. Serve over rice or with corn bread.

Burger of the Week: Mexican Burger

Burger of the Week: Mexican Burger

kosher

So I had a ton of ingredients left over from my Tres Tacos, I decided to make a Mexican burger.

Top of the Bun
Heinz Ketchup
Mango, Red Onion, and Jalapeno Relish
Deli Pickles
1/2 lb Beef Patty With Schug Mixed In
Fresh Spinach
Guacamole 
Bottom of the Bun

Tres Tacos

Tres Tacos

kosher

In honor of Cinco De Mayo I wanted to make a Mexican dinner tonight.  I went a bit ambitious with three different tacos.

From left to right:

1. A grilled chicken breast taco on a double corn tortilla. The chicken is seasoned with chili powder and oregano. It is garnished with a roasted salsa Verde made of tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, and red onion and a slaw of carrot and red cabbage dressed with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper.

2. This is what I call a Tuesday night taco.  This is what you make when you have to have dinner on the table in a half hour on a week night.  Take a pound of ground beef add it ripping hot skillet (cast iron if you it).  Break up the beef and keep it moving in the pan it all browns evenly.  Once the meat has browned add most of a small jar of salsa and cook until the meat and salsa come together.  Serve it in a crispy yellow corn taco shell with shredded lettuce and some more salsa.

3. The carne asada taco, is a seared skirt steak marinated in orange juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic, and cilantro.  The skirt steak is sliced thinly on the bias and is served on a flour tortilla with a home-made guacamole of avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, red onion and cilantro.  It is topped with a sauteed red onion, sweet corn, and jalapeno relish.

Guest Post: Vegan (Parev) Chocolate Pie

A guest post by Daniel Stuhlman, who is a real academic, and a much better writter then I am.  While he is not a vegetarian, he does like to do vegetarian (parev) dishes.

Chocolate Pie

By Daniel Stuhlman

Kosher

Chocolate, why do we eat so much chocolate?  The short answer it is, It makes us feel good.  Chocolate has more than 300 chemicals that cause a wide variety of good feelings.  It has been credited with helping to prevent disease. [1] The interaction of these chemical components causes a weak stimulation and the rich flavor and creamy texture makes the mouth feel good.

I want to thank Daniel Peikes for allowing me to write about chocolate pie in his blog.  My blog, Kol Safran, deals with library and educational topics and these comments would not fit.

I love chocolate.  Last Friday I wanted to make a special dessert that was different from anything that you could buy in a store that was chocolate, contained no dairy products, no eggs, and had less sugar per ounce than candy.  I wanted something smooth, not chewy or hard that would imitate the feeling of ice cream in the mouth.  I choose to make a chocolate pie using a tofu base.  Of course I searched the Internet for recipes from others bakers and cooks.  I found ideas that become the basis for the following recipe. 

(This is not a final version.  I ask you to try it and make comments to adjust the amounts. You could vary the cocoa, sugar and parve milk.)

1 16 oz package silken tofu, drained

½  cup sugar

2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 tablespoon corn starch

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate bar

¼ cup vanilla parve milk (I used almond milk; also try rice milk or soy milk.)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a glass pie pan.  Crust is optional. Bake at 350° F for 45-60 minutes until it looks firm and has some cracks.

Serve cold.

The picture above is what was left after serving it to my guests.

We had a discussion as to what to call this dish.  The description depends on whether you are selling it, serving it or eating it.  If you are selling then it is a high protein, low sugar dessert.  If you are eating, it is a sweet chocolate creamy cold dessert.  If you are serving, it is a chocolate pie.

---

[1] Here are just a couple of sample articles:  The following is a review article with abstracts and citations for 140 article on the benefits of chocolate in helping with heart disease. Galleano, Monica. Oteiza, Patricia I. Fraga, Cesar G. « Cocoa, chocolate, and cardiovascular disease.”  In:Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology. 54(6):483-90, 2009 Dec.    

Zomer, Ella. Owen, Alice. Magliano, Dianna J. Liew, Danny. Reid, Christopher M.             “The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of dark chocolate consumption as prevention therapy in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease: best case scenario analysis using a Markov model.” In: BMJ. 344:e3657, 2012.

Also see: Kuwana, Ellen. “Discovering the Sweet Mysteries of Chocolate” (last revised Oct. 10, 2012)  http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/choco.html  for a quick overview of the effects of chocolate.

Shabbos Menu 4/13-4/14

Shabbos Menu 4/13-4/14

KOSHER kosher Kosher

Friday Night:
Chicken Soup
Couscous
Salad
Honey Roast Chicken Over Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pecans

Shabbos Lunch:
Mini Lamb Meatball Fauxlafel
Cholent With Eggs and Chickpeas
Chicken Shwarma
Chicken Shnitzel
Israeli Salad
Couscous
Yerushalmi Kugel
Israeli Pickles
Humus
Eggplant Dip
Homemade Chocolate Rugelach

I Finally Made it to Milt's

I finally made it to Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.  There has been a lot of hype around this place, and it lived up to all of it.  The decor was amazing.  Almost every detail was considered.  The walls are covered in distressed wood paneling and green subway tiles, giving it a warm feeling.  The water pitchers are large swing top bottles, the fries come in the cutest little mini fryer baskets.  The portions were good sized, although the plates were a little small.  They served house made pickles as a starter.  They tasted like a sweet vinegar pickle, which weren't bad, though I prefer a naturally fermented one.  They served 3 different types of sauce: a spicy Memphis tomato and vinegar based sauce, a sweet Kansas City molasses and tomato based sauce, and a Carolina mustard based sauce.

I had the smoked ribs, which were excellent.  They had a tasty rub, a good bark, and pretty looking smoke ring.  My wife and brother-in-law had the Milt's burger which they thoroughly enjoyed, although wife found it a bit over complicated.  My mother and grandmother had the smoked chicken and found it very flavorful.  I had a side of beef bacon, which was tasty, although it could have been a bit crispier.   My wife had sweet potato fries and my brother-in-law had a regular fries and I tasted them both.  They were delicious.  They seemed fresh, well-seasoned, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  My mother had roasted green beans and my grandmother had grilled white asparagus, which seemed well thought out and well prepared.

The staff was cheerful and attentive, sometimes a bit too attentive.  My guess this was because they were so busy, and the waitresses were probably trying to turn tables as fast as they could.  There was classic rock playing at a low volume, which I love.  There were several TVs on the walls which I dislike in  a restaurant.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I give the ambiance a solid 8, the food was a 9, and the service was a 7.  Overall I would give it an 8.  I am planning my next trip to Milt’s.  Do you think they are already taking reservations for Father’s Day?

Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries With Tarragon Aioli

Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries 

With Tarragon Aioli 

kosher

As hard as I tried I could not get the crunchiness I was looking for without breading the eggplant.  The crunchiness of the panko along with the creaminess of the eggplant makes for great contrast.

Egg Plant Fries

1 Medium Eggplant Cut into 1/2"X1/2"X4" Fries

3 Large Eggs Beaten

8oz (1 box) Panko Bread Crumbs (I use Kikkoman)

1 Cup of All Purpose Flour

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Season the fries with salt and pepper to taste, and let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out some or the moister and bitterness.  Coat the fries in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.  Coat the bottom of a sheet pan with olive oil and spread the fries out on the pan evenly, so they are not touching each other.  Then drizzle more olive oil on top of the fries.  Bake at 425F for 15 minute, then turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes, or until browned.

For the aioli I got lazy and just took some store bought mayo and added garlic powder, black pepper, and tarragon to taste.

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

kosher

This is a quick little dessert that I thought of a while ago, but I needed to wait for girl scout cookie season.  Just take a scoop of you favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream and sandwich it between two thin mint girl scout cookies.  The chocolate syrup drizzle is optional. Super easy and delicious.