Category Archives: Recipes

Peach-Pecan Mini Pies

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amazingly, we were able to restrain ourselves from eating them all before Shabbos

I love recipes that are quick, easy and yet look fancy.  This one definitely qualifies.  It was simple to throw together, and the results were just beautiful (and yummy, too).

yield: 12 mini pies

  • muffin tin (mine is for a dozen muffins)
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • 10 sheets Fillo (Phyllo) Dough
  • 1 21-oz can Peach Pie Filling (I purchased one without High Fructose Corn Syrup)
  • 3 oz chopped Pecans (half a bag, approximately)
  • 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
  • Brown sugar, for sprinkling on top.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly coat muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

I use a piece of parchment paper on top of a baking tray as a working surface.  Carefully layer five sheets of Fillo dough on top of each other, spraying the top of each sheet after you lay it down (lay, spray, lay, spray, lay, spray, etc.).

Cut the dough into six squares, and then trim the edges so they are rounded.

Place one rounded square into the muffin tin and lightly press on the bottom and the sides.  Repeat with the other five.

Do this whole process again, until the whole tin is filled.

In a small bowl, mix together the peach pie filling, pecans and cinnamon.  Spoon about a tablespoon into each cup.  I just eyeballed it, really.  Sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on top.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the shells look nice and brown and crispy.

Enjoy!

yummy yum yum!

A few notes:

This recipe was heavy on the pecans, making for a very crunchy dessert.  If you like less crunch, use fewer pecans.  Also, they are probably best served fresh out of the oven.  I stored them in the fridge, in a plastic container, separated by a sheet of parchment paper, and by the next day the dough was already getting a little soggy.  They were still very, very yummy, but if you want crispy, eat ‘em right away.  Or, if you have suggestions about better storage techniques, please share!!

Cook Kosher Guest Post

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There are a number of yummy kosher recipe sites out there, and I’m happy to have written a guest post for Cook Kosher.  This site is really attractive, has a great interface, and, most importantly, has lots of delicious recipes.

Remember when my oven was out of commission?  My post is about what I learned during my month of stove-top cooking.  Go read and enjoy!

 

 

 

June Menu Plan

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Israeli Salad

Image by lynn.gardner via Flickr

Since we’re moving in less than a month (Aaaaahhhhhh!), my June menu plan’s focus is on using up everything that I have in my house.  In the fridge, the freezer, the cupboards (I found a ridiculous amount of corn meal.  Go figure).  I was not looking forward to this inventory of items.  At all.  I put it off for many hours today (thank you, Facebook, for the constant diversions), but in the end it wasn’t nearly as painful as I expected.  Yay!

I had to get a little creative at times with the hodgepodge of items (3 cans coconut milk, 2 jars of taco sauce, 1/2 pack of egg noodles, some wasabi powder, etc.), but the overall menu is actually fairly normal-seeming.  It was actually kind of fun to find new recipes to use some of the items that didn’t immediately bring to mind a favorite recipe.

Without further ado . . . the menu.

Dinners

“Week” One

  • Shabbos, the 3rd ~ Dinner:  Tuna croquettes (Kosher by Design, Short on Time), Israeli salad, Chicken Soup, Walnut Maple Chicken with Sweet Potato Aioli (KBD, SOT), Noodle Kugel, Zebra Cookies (KBD, SOT).  We’re going out for lunch.

Week Two

  • Sunday, the 5th ~ Leftovers from Shabbos, Toasted Barley and Mushrooms (Spice & Spirit).
  • Monday, the 6th ~ Lasagna & Coleslaw.
  • Shavuous!  the 7th through 9th ~  First Night: Savory Baked Chickpeas (S&S), Avocado Salad (S&S), Curried Pepper Steak (S&S), Cornbread, Berry Pie (recipe from a friend).  We’re going out for the rest of the meals.  Don’t hate.
  • Shabbos, the 10th & 11th ~ We’re going out both meals.  Hey, we’re moving and want to socialize while we still can.

Week Three

  • Sunday, the 12th ~ Tacos with Cornbread.
  • Monday, the 13th ~ Black Bean and Salsa Salmon (Quick & Kosher) with Pea Salad.
  • Tuesday, the 14th ~ Thai Chicken and Coconut Rice Salad (KBD, SOT).
  • Wednesday, the 15th ~ Kidney Bean Omelette with Spelt Rolls.
  • Thursday, the 16th ~ Noodles with Cheese, Salad.
  • Shabbos, the 17th & 18th ~ Dinner:  Sweet & Sour Salmon (S&S), Salad, Chicken Soup (from freezer), Honey Chicken (Q&K), Potato Kugel (S&S).  We’re out for lunch, B”H.

Week Four

  • Sunday, the 19th ~ Leftovers from Shabbos.
  • Monday, the 20th ~ Lasagne and Salad.
  • Tuesday, the 21st ~ Chicken Pot Pie (from freezer) with Cornbread.
  • Wednesday, the 22nd ~ Salmon (this was a big hit with my husband last month), Couscous.
  • Thursday, the 23rd ~ Noodles with Cheese, Salad.  Classic.
  • Shabbos, the 24th & 25th – We’ll be out for both meals.  Our last Shabbos in Cleveland.  :(

“Week” Five

  • Sunday, the 26th ~ Meatballs (from freezer) and Cornbread.
  • Monday, the 27th ~ Moving Day!!!!!!!
  • Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 30th ~ we’ll be in Baltimore, and at some point, in our new apartment.  I’m not sure what we’ll be eating, but it will either be extremely simple (think noodles and cheese) or take-out.  We’ll see.

Lunches and Snacks:

I have a lot of flour-type ingredient in my pantry (did you see all the cornbread in that menu plan?  It’s out of control!), so I’m hoping to make many batches of muffins, breads, etc.  These should be good for my toddler to snack on, and good traveling food as the time approaches.

As always, we snack on plenty of fruit and yogurt.  I will continue to try to feed my toddler more than just carbohydrates, so I’ll try some eggs, soups and fruits.  He ate a mango today AND some grapes, so that was pretty exciting for me (it doesn’t take much).  I usually eat whatever is left over, though I’ve been thinking about paying more attention to my diet.  Well, probably after the move (my new mantra).

And that’s it for June’s menu planning.  Have a great Shabbos!

Related articles

Summer Veggies

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Original caption from the USDA: "ARS rese...

Aren't they purdy?

Over at Kosher on a Budget (one of my favorite blogs), Mara shares an amazing recipe for Potato Kale Gratin.  It looks really, really good.  She mentioned that she’s using summer vegetables, since she belongs to a CSA  (lucky her!).

That got me thinking about seasonal foods.  I’m clueless as to what’s in season when.  Someday, when I’ll belong to a CSA, then I ‘spose I’ll know.  Until then, I have to do a Google search.  In doing so, I came up with this great resource.  Check it out!

With the following in-season foods, I could make a kickin’ salad.  While chopping the veggies and putting them into the salad raw probably offers more nutrients, I like to spice things up a bit and add sautéed and/or roasted foods to my salads.

Yummy Summer Veggie Salad:

  • Romaine Lettuce (quantity depending on how many you want to feed)
  • Spinach (ditto that)
  • 2 Carrots, sliced
  • 1 head Garlic
  • 2 Parsnips, sliced
  • bunch of Radishes, chopped
  • Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Sliced bottom off of garlic, wrap in foil and roast for about an hour (I learned this from my friend MB).  Put some olive oil in a skillet and sautée the carrots and parsnips.  I like to add some fun spices like cardamom, turmeric or cumin, depending on my mood.  Or, if you want to keep it simple, plain old salt and pepper are great.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and dress with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.  Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan, or something like it

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I’ve been married for nearly three years (our anniversary is next month!), and it’s only in recent months that I’ve mustered up the courage to, wait for it, make food without following a recipe.  My cookbooks were my lifeline to making edible food.  Without guidelines to follow, I felt all panicky and insecure.  How long should I sauté the zucchini?  What temperature should the chicken be cooked at?  How much salt am I supposed to add?  Cookbooks provided soothing answers:  15 minutes.  375 degrees.  One teaspoon.

Relief.  Success.  Full stomachs.

At some point in the last half-year, I realized that I had gained enough experience and confidence to tentatively strike out on my own.  No longer was I bound to an ingredient list.  The only limitations were the supplies in my kitchen and the food in my cabinets.  It’s been kinda fun.

Yesterday I remembered that there was an eggplant in the crisper which I had intended to use for Shabbos, and hadn’t.  There was also a half-full jar of marinara sauce waiting to be finished, and thus, tonight’s dinner was born.

Eggplant Parmesan à la Rivki

serves 3

Ingredients:

  • olive oil
  • one large Eggplant
  • 3/4 jar Kalamata olives
  • one pint cherry tomatoes
  • one onion
  • crushed garlic
  • 1/2 jar marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • basil, oregano, marjoram, kosher salt, pepper

I don’t know how Eggplant Parmesan is really made, but this is what I did:

First, I cut the eggplant into slices and then quarters, so it looked like this:

pretty little wedges

Then I seasoned them with s kosher salt and pepper and sautéed them in olive oil.  After they became nice and tender, I added the olives and cherry tomatoes (as a side-note, I have been looking ALL OVER for a kosher container of Kalamata olives for well over a year, and had finally given up.  Of course, that was when I actually found some.  I was ecstatic):

bright and colorful

Meanwhile, I sautéed the onions in a separate skillet before adding them to the other veggies.  Then I added the crushed garlic, marinara sauce, spices and cheese.  I simmered over a low flame for a few minutes, and voilà!  We added a loaf of garlic bread and some white zinfandel and it was a nice dinner.

dinner is served

 

 

Grilled Cheese and Jalapeno Sandwich

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This sandwich came about because I didn’t have any tomatoes in the house.  You see, normally I enjoy my grilled cheese sandwiches with some sliced tomatoes and mayo.  Mmmmmm.  So, not that day.  No tomatoes to be had.  I did have jalapenos, though, since I still haven’t given them to Nikki Flores.  I was a little nervous because the jar said that the peppers were HOT.  HOT!! Was I ruining my sandwich because of a desire for a little pizzaz?

Thankfully, no.  It was a delicious sandwich, with a nice kick.  A meal with a little attitude.  It seems like unassuming grub, but when you bite into a pepper – Whammo!  I was quite pleased.

open face

it may not look super appetizing, but do not be deceived!

meal, grilled cheese sandwich, sandwish

After the taste test...success!

multi-grain bread

cheddar cheese

mayonnaise

sliced jalapenos

taco seasoning

sweet paprika

pepper

garlic powder

A salad by any other name…

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It used to be that when I thought of salad, images of iceberg lettuce would dance through my head.  Or maybe Romaine, or mixed greens, or even spinach.  The point is, there had to be leafy greens in the bowl for it to be considered a salad in my book.

Then I married my husband, and a whole new world of salads was opened to me.  Partially because I invested in, or was given as gifts, some great cookbooks, and partially because my husband comes from a different cultural background (Ukrainian),  I found out that salad doesn’t require lettuce.  It doesn’t!  There are whole pages of salad recipes that don’t require a single leafy green!  They are composed of just plain vegetables!  My mother-in-law makes yummy salads that are completely leaf-free!

This was a revelation to me, plus great news, because sometimes I just don’t feel like checking lettuce for bugs, and have had my experiences with bagged lettuce.

Here is a recipe for a yummy, fresh, leaf-free, quick salad.  These are more or less my go-to ingredients for a salad.  If there had been a cucumber available, I would’ve thrown it in as well.

Salad, Recipe, Health, Food, Cooking

Look Ma, no leaves!

one pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 green pepper, diced

a dozen or so olives, halved

to taste:

soy sauce

garlic powder

onion powder

pepper

A Summer Smoothie

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After frolicking in the park, we stopped by Whole Foods to pick up a few key items.  While in the frozen aisle, I noticed that there were kosher frozen fruits!  Strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, mixed fruit, peaches!  I’ve been craving cold and sweet lately (and successfully resisting the urge to get that pint of Ben and Jerry’s), and a smoothie was just the ticket.  Hub approved wholeheartedly.

Here’s the result:

Strawberry-Peach-Banana Smoothie

Serves: 2

8 oz frozen strawberries (about half the package)

8 oz frozen peaches (ditto)

one banana

1/4 cup rice milk (or milk, if you want to go milchig)

a dash of vanilla

a little honey

water, as needed.

Throw it all in the food processor and pour in the water until the desired consistency is reached.  Enjoy!

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yummy lunchy

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As I was walking to the library this morning, I was contemplating what to make for lunch, specifically wondering what kind of protein I could mix into my salad. It occurred to me that I had a bunch of crab-flavored surimi left over from the sushi I made this Shabbos.  Score!  I also had a serving or so of leftover pasta from yesterday (with roasted eggplant and diced tomatoes, no less!).

For the salad:  I started with yummy Romaine lettuce.  Then I chopped a red pepper and peeled and sliced a carrot.  I cut up sixish of the surimi sticks.  The kick, though, was a zuchini which I sliced, quartered and seasoned with sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fennel seed, cardamom, cumin and celery seed and baked for 30 minutes on 350.  I threw all this together and dressed with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, wasabi sauce (with ginger), garlic powder and white pepper.  Yum yum yummmmm.

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