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.