Here’s the matbucha recipe that I was asked about last week – our family thought it had the right balance of flavorfulness without being too spicy.

Matbucha – Moroccan Tomato Dip

• 7 tomatoes, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. sweet paprika
• 3 – 5 T. olive oil
• 1/2 t. tumeric
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients and put into a pot.  Cook on a high flame until the mixture comes to a boil, then turn flame down to low and cook uncovered for two hours (yes, that’s not a typo!) or until the mixture thickens.  (I made several times this recipe and was surprised by how much it cooked down.)  Serve warm or cold.

(This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays.)

Avivah

This is an easy and delicious salad that our family loves.  It’s perfect for this time of year when pomegranates are seasonal and the kids pick lots and bring them home.

Pomegranate Salad

• 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 c. pomegranate seeds (you can use more or less according to availability and preference
• 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. date syrup/honey (if you use sugar, use 1/2 c. sugar and 2 T. honey)
• 1/4 c. grape juice
• 1/4 c. vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 t. mustard
• 1/2 t. salt

Put the romaine, onion and pomegranate seeds in a large salad bowl.  In a glass jar, mix the remaining ingredients, shaking very well or blending with immersion blender (my preference).  Pour over the salad right before serving and enjoy!

Avivah

Kohlrabi is one of those vegetables that most people feel intimidated about using!   In the US I hardly ever saw it in stores, but in the Middle East it’s a staple vegetable. It has a mild turnip like flavor and can be used fresh in salads (it’s great as a substitute for cabbage) and cooked in a variety of dishes.  Since it’s often super cheap and at times even free (last week a friend gave me about ten pounds of it!), I’ve looked for different ways to use up the bounty without it becoming redundant and unappealing.

Tonight I made up something new that was a huge hit, so I thought I’d share it with you!  This technically isn’t a stew because you don’t add any liquids, but I couldn’t think of a better title.  🙂  If you don’t have kohlrabi, you can substitute cabbage.

Meat and Kohlrabi Stew with Rice

• 3 large onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 kg (2 lb) ground beef
• 5 large kohlrabis,  peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 T. cumin
• 1 t. tumeric
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• salt to taste

Saute the onions and garlic in oil until translucent.  Add in the ground beef, and saute until the beef is cooked through, breaking the meat into crumbles as you cook it.  Add in the kohlrabi and spices, and cover, cooking over a low flame until the kohlrabi cubes are tender.  Serve hot on top of rice for a savory and delicious meal!

(This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays.)

Avivah

A couple of weeks ago we had a guest who had many food allergies and sensitivities. She told me that usually she brings her own food when they are hosted, but that she heard about me and thought I could handle it so she shared the list with me; yes to chicken, beef, beans, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, nuts, canola or olive oil. No to sugar, gluten, mint, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, vinegar, wine, bottled lemon juice, peanuts, hazelnuts, soy, eggs, yeast, or dried herbs.

No problem. 🙂

I made a number of different dishes for that meal to accommodate our guest, and the following salad was a hit!

Sprouted Lentil Salad

• 2 cup sprouted lentils, steamed (you can also use cooked unsprouted lentils) – to sprout the lentils, soak them overnight, then rinse them twice a day until you see little white sprouts; it usually takes a day in hot weather and two days when it’s cold.  You can let them sprout longer if you prefer longer sprouts, but I just let them sprout until there’s a small tail. 
• 2 celery ribs, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 c. scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 T. minced fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 t. cumin
• 1 t. sea salt or to taste

Mix the steamed lentils with the diced vegetables.  Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt, and then pour over the lentil mixture.  Mix well, let sit at least an hour before serving.

My guests and children all commented on how good this is and I’ve since made it again, again with lots of compliments.  I hope you enjoy it, too!

(This is part of Real Food Wednesdays.)

Avivah

Hot cereal for breakfast gets a little boring sometimes, so this morning I tried something new – a breakfast fruit bowl.  Everyone really enjoyed it so I’ll share it here with you.

I saw the idea of a fruit bowl somewhere on a gluten free site, and since I had several kinds of fruit in the fridge, decided to try it out.  I added the avocado mousse since fruit on its own doesn’t have a high satiation factor.

Winter Breakfast Fruit Bowl with Avocado Mousse

• apples, diced
• pears, diced
• persimmons, diced
• oranges, sectioned and cut in smaller pieces
• avocados, peeled and seeded
• extra virgin olive oil
• water

Mix the cut apples, pears, persimmons and oranges in a large bowl, then fill individual bowls with the mixture.  Using an immersion blender, whip up the avocado with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a little bit of water, until you have a smooth but still thick consistency – this is the mousse.  Top each fruit bowl with a generous dollop of avocado mousse.

This is more of a concept than a recipe. You can use whatever assortment of fruits that you have on hand – berries, pomegranate arils, or whatever is in season.  You can add nuts or dried or fresh coconut.  You can dice up the avocado and add it to the fruit salad itself and then drizzle the olive oil on top, or leave it out if you prefer.  Any of these combinations would taste great.

When I handed ds10 his bowl, he asked me if I was going to take a picture for my blog.  That was a very unusual question, since I don’t take many pictures and very rarely have taken pictures for the recipes that I post.  I didn’t even think of posting about this until after everyone told me how much they liked it!  The fruit bowl does have a pretty and elegant presentation, which is why I think he asked about taking a picture.  The best part is that the look of it and the taste of it match!

(This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays.)

Avivah

I posted this recipe last year on the last day of Chanukah when there was very limited time for it to be used by readers.  We made a double batch last night and will probably be making them a few more times during the coming week.  We’ve had a few requests for our recipe already – in fact, as I was preparing this post I got a call about it! – so I thought that putting up last year’s post again at the beginning of Chanukah would be a good idea!

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As good as Dunkin Donuts?  These come mighty close!

I’ve been quite happy switching my cooking to local Israeli ingredients, and I can’t be accused of insisting on my American products.  But along came Chanukah and the local doughnuts, and they were a big disappointment to me and the kids.  They were big not so fluffy balls of dough, and you just about had to use a microscope to find the filling inside.

After a couple of these, I decided I had to find something that would come closer to Dunkin Donuts, my favorite splurge food.  And though I can’t say I managed to replicate the taste exactly – the chocolate chips here taste different – this comes pretty close.

We tried this new recipe at the beginning of Chanukah and sent a quadruple recipe with ds12 to share with his schoolmates the day he put on tefillin – they were a huge hit and no one had ever tasted donuts like these. The boys were used to the big balls of dough with a dab of industrial jelly inside.  Then we made another large batch on Saturday night for a Chanukah meal (which included vegetable soup, garlic knots, potato latkes, and these doughnuts), where we were again told how good they were.  When a friend who was there with her family said they were the best doughnuts she’s ever had and asked for the recipe, I told her I’d post it here.  And then last night, for the last night of Chanukah, we made another large batch to give out to all of our neighbors in our apartment building.

Fantastic Glazed Doughnuts

• 2 1/4 t. dry yeast
• 2 T. warm water
• 3/4 c. warm milk (you can use water, coconut milk or nut milk)
• 2 1/2 T. butter (or coconut oil or palm shortening)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 2 3/4 c. flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the small amount of warm water.  Add the milk (or substitute), butter, egg, sugar, and salt.  Blend this until it’s smooth.

Add the remaining flour and knead until the dough is smooth.  Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and leave it to rise until the dough has doubled, about 1/2 – 1 hour.  Punch the dough down, and roll out a half inch thick.

Use a cup or biscuit cutter (or even a clean empty can) to cut out the doughnuts.  If you want to make the doughnuts with the traditional hole in the middle, use a shot glass or similar sized object to cut out the holes.  (The holes will later become donut holes.)

Place these on cookie sheets and let them rise for about 30 – 60 minutes.  Fry in a pot of hot oil (I used 3 c. palm shortening for this), thirty seconds on each side.  (Edited to add: we add a chunk of carrot to the oil – it keeps it from getting dark.)  These will fluff up beautifully as they fry.  When the donuts cool, dip the top of the surface in glaze and let cool.

Glaze:

• 1/3 c. butter (or coconut oil or palm shortening)
•  2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/3 c. hot water

Mix all of these ingredients for a plain glaze.  If you’d like to make a chocolate glaze, melt one cup of semisweet chocolate chips and mix it in to the above glaze.  Make the glaze when the doughnuts are ready to be frosted, because as it cools off, it becomes harder to use and will lose the glossiness you can see above in the picture.

We chose to leave these as glazed doughnuts, but I really wanted to make Bavarian cream doughnuts, which are my favorites!  (Oops – ds just told me they’re called Boston cream – okay, whatever, chocolate glaze on top and vanilla pudding in the middle.)  I didn’t have a tool to insert the pudding into the center, though, and didn’t want to make a special trip out to buy one.  But next year, I’m planning to use this exact recipe and fill it with homemade vanilla pudding.

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Happy Chanukah!

Avivah

A couple of weeks ago, I was having guests for both Shabbos meals and realized that I hadn’t prepared enough chicken.  It was too late to run out and buy more, so I looked to see if there was anything in the freezer that I could use to enhance the menu.  I found a couple of pounds of chicken breasts, which were there because I never could decide what to do with them!  My kids don’t care for white meat since they think it’s dry, so I looked for a way to prepare this that everyone would enjoy.  I adapted a recipe from the Joy of Cooking, and this was a huge hit with my guests and family, so much so that my kids asked if from now on I can make this instead of our traditional roast chicken!

Coconut Chicken Curry

• 2 pounds of chicken breasts (you can also use thighs)
• 1 c. chopped onions
• 1 large carrot, sliced
•  2 scallions, chopped
• 1 T. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 can of coconut cream (you can use a whole can of coconut milk but I find it more economical to use cream and dilute it with water)
• 1 T. curry powder (I used a combination of tumeric and cumin)
• 1 t. salt

Saute the onions, carrots, scallions, ginger and garlic until soft.  Then add half of a can of coconut cream.  Fill the empty coconut cream can halfway with water, and pour that in the pan as well.  Add the spices, mix thoroughly, and bring the mixture to a boil.

Then add in the chicken, reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pan while it simmers for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.  White meat cooks fast, so don’t leave this in too long.  It should be tender and flavorful.

You can serve this with cooked rice, but what I served it with was bulgur pilaf:

Bulgur with Sauteed Onions and Raisins

•  1 c. chopped onion
• 1 c. raisins (I used golden raisins but you can use any dried fruit that appeals to you)
• 1 1/2 c. uncooked bulgur (cracked wheat)
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste

Firstly, prepare the bulgur.  Put 1.5 cups of bulgur in a pot or heat proof container, add in a bit of salt and pepper as well as the cinnamon. Then pour 1.5 cups of boiling water over it all, stir it, and let it sit until the water is fully absorbed and the bulgur is soft.

While you let the bulgur sit and steam, saute the onions in oil.  When they are soft and slightly browned, add in the dried fruit.   Stir this into the bulgur mixture.  Voila!  That’s all there is to it.

This is absolutely delicious served warm with the coconut chicken curry above.

Avivah

(This is part of Real Food Wednesdays.)

On Purim we send freshly baked homemade rolls along with a container of tomato onion salad.  The feedback I’ve gotten so far is that people really appreciated receiving real food and the things we sent got eaten early in the day.

I’ve received a couple of recipe requests for the salad I sent, so I’m sharing it here with you.  It’s quick and flexible, and stays nicely in the fridge for a few days since it’s marinated.  It can be made up in advance or just a few hours before serving.  (It’s also one of the salads we served for the bar mitzva.)

Tomato Onion Salad

• 3 – 4 large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced (if using large tomatoes, cut the slices in half so they aren’t too unwieldy to eat)
• 1 onion (about a 1/2 cup),  sliced thinly (I used purple onion but any onion works fine)
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. vinegar
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1 T. dried oregano or basil (if fresh herbs are in season, use 3 T. of chopped herbs instead)
• 1/2 c. sliced black olives

The key to this salad tasting good is to be sure the onions are well marinated, unless you like some sharpness (which I don’t).  Put the sliced onions in the food container, then mix the marinade and olives, pour over the onions, and mix it thoroughly.  I find it’s best to do this about twelve  hours before you want to serve it, but there’s really no hard and fast rule.

Then add the sliced tomatoes on top of the marinating onions.  Mix it all together before serving.  If it’s easier, you can mix everything when you make it and it will still turn out great.  Just don’t add the onions last on top of everything, because they won’t absorb the marinade!

Avivah

As good as Dunkin Donuts?  These come mighty close!

I’ve been quite happy switching my cooking to local Israeli ingredients, and I can’t be accused of insisting on my American products.  But along came Chanukah and the local doughnuts, and they were a big disappointment to me and the kids.  They were big not so fluffy balls of dough, and you just about had to use a microscope to find the filling inside.

After a couple of these, I decided I had to find something that would come closer to Dunkin Donuts, my favorite splurge food.  And though I can’t say I managed to replicate the taste exactly – the chocolate chips here taste different – this comes pretty close.

We tried this new recipe at the beginning of Chanukah and sent a quadruple recipe with ds12 to share with his schoolmates the day he put on tefillin – they were a huge hit and no one had ever tasted donuts like these. The boys were used to the big balls of dough with a dab of industrial jelly inside.  Then we made another large batch on Saturday night for a Chanukah meal (which included vegetable soup, garlic knots, potato latkes, and these doughnuts), where we were again told how good they were.  When a friend who was there with her family said they were the best doughnuts she’s ever had and asked for the recipe, I told her I’d post it here.  And then last night, for the last night of Chanukah, we made another large batch to give out to all of our neighbors in our apartment building.

Fantastic Glazed Doughnuts

• 2 1/4 t. dry yeast
• 2 T. warm water
• 3/4 c. warm milk (you can use water, coconut milk, or nut milk)
• 2 1/2 T. butter (or coconut oil or palm shortening)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 2 3/4 c. flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the small amount of warm water.  Add the milk (or substitute), butter, egg, sugar, and salt.  Blend this until it’s smooth.

Add the remaining flour and knead until the dough is smooth.  Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and leave it to rise until the dough has doubled, about 1/2 – 1 hour.  Punch the dough down, and roll out a half inch thick.

Use a cup or biscuit cutter (or even a clean empty can) to cut out the doughnuts.  If you want to make the doughnuts with the traditional hole in the middle, use a shot glass or similar sized object to cut out the holes.  (The holes will later become donut holes.)

Place these on cookie sheets and let them rise for about 30 – 60 minutes.  Fry in a pot of hot oil (I used 3 c. palm shortening for this), thirty seconds on each side.  These will fluff up beautifully as they fry.  When the donuts cool, dip the top of the surface in glaze and let cool.

Glaze:

• 1/3 c. butter (or coconut oil or palm shortening)
•  2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/3 c. hot water

Mix all of these ingredients for a plain glaze.  If you’d like to make a chocolate glaze, melt one cup of semisweet chocolate chips and mix it in to the above glaze.  Make the glaze when the doughnuts are ready to be frosted, because as it cools off, it becomes harder to use and will lose the shininess you can see above in the picture.

We chose to leave these as glazed doughnuts, but I really wanted to make Bavarian cream doughnuts, which are my favorites!  (Oops – ds just told me they’re called Bostom cream – okay, whatever, chocolate glaze on top and vanilla pudding in the middle.)  I didn’t have a tool to insert the pudding into the center, though, and didn’t want to make a special trip out to buy one.  But next year, I’m planning to use this exact recipe and fill it with homemade vanilla pudding.

Avivah