Author: chanie

{BIB Fast Food} Pico de Gallo

In case you don’t follow my facebook page, you may have missed out on the exciting news that I started the Culinary Arts program at The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts. It was a great surprise from my husband, who signed me up for the program as a gift for our 10 year anniversary. Best. gift. of. all. time. Do I need to even tell you that?

Having to get three kids ready for school and be out the door by 8AM is not an easy feat. I come home exhausted beyond words, yet, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’ve never been happier to go to school in my entire life. Or to do homework (lots of reading!) I feel so blessed to be able to do what I’m so passionate about, each and every day.

Over the past week, we’ve been doing a lot of work on our knife skills, so our instructor, Chef Avram Wiseman, had us make some pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is a raw Mexican salsa that is a great condiment for dishes like tacos and fajitas. It’s also great on good old tortilla chips!

I can’t wait to share more of what I’m learning, in the meantime, enjoy this recipe!  You can also follow my kosher culinary school journey on Instagram, via BusyInBrooklyn :)

CKCA Pico de Gallo

4 plum tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
1 scallion, cut in half lengthwise, diced
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (use some of the seeds and membrane for more heat)
2 tsp minced cilantro (I have an aversion to cilantro so I use parsley)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. tomato juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine all other ingredients, mix well and season to taste. You can adjust the consistency by adding more or less tomato juice.

1 year ago: cornbread scones
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Easy Pineapple Fried Rice

Have you heard about the custom for Jewish people to eat Chinese food on Christmas? It all started back in the day when there weren’t so many kosher restaurants to eat at, and the only places open on Xmas were Chinese joints. And the only people frequenting their restaurants were the Jews, since they do not celebrate the gentile holiday. To clarify things: it is not, in fact, a Jewish custom to eat Chinese food on Christmas, but some people enjoy doing so just for kicks. This year, my family decided to follow suit, and we ordered takeout from our favorite Chinese spot, EstiHana.

Have you seen this picture that’s been circulating around the web?  Cute, isn’t it?

You know what the best part about ordering Chinese food? All that fresh hot rice they send you, which turns into day-old rice the next day. Leftover rice is the perfect starter for dishes like pineapple fried rice. And contrary to popular belief, most fried rice dishes are not fried at all (we are dispelling lots of myths here today!).  So the next time you have leftover rice, think twice before throwing it away.

Other ways to use up leftover rice:

Rice pudding or breakfast cereal (use in place of oatmeal)
Tomato rice soup like this one
Stuffed peppers
Rice stuffing for chicken
Cheesy Mexican rice
Arancini
Chicken and rice soup

Do you have any good ideas for using up leftover rice? Share them in the comments below!

Easy Pineapple Fried Rice

1 tsp sesame oil
1 cup pineapple, finely diced
12 oz cooked rice (or 1 Chinese takeout container)
2 tbsp eel sauce*
2 tsp soy sauce
3 scallions, chopped

Method:

Heat up a skillet and add sesame oil. Toss in pineapple and saute until it begins to caramelize and brown. Add cooked rice, breaking it up with a spatula. If the rice begins to stick, add a little bit of water. Add eel and soy sauce and stir to combine. When rice is heated through, add chopped scallions and serve.

VARIATION: You can add additional chopped vegetables like peppers (red peppers would be great in this), onions, or carrots. Saute them first and when beginning to soften, add the pineapple. Continue as above.

NOTE: Imitation kosher eel sauce is now widely available in supermarkets (I use the Sweet City brand). If you cannot find it, ask for some “sweet sauce” from your local sushi counter.


1 year ago: black grape and plum compote
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{BIB Fast Food} Spicy Garlic Chicken

Being as I just started a culinary arts program at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, I’m back to the BIB Fast Food concept. BIB Fast Food is essentially quick and easy recipes with one simple picture and no step by step photos. And you really don’t need ’em because the recipes are just. that. easy. So stay tuned for more of these fast food posts, about once a week.

This spicy garlic chicken is so moist and delicious. Here’s the thing though. It’s not really all that spicy (even though I use spicy garlic duck sauce). So when I say spicy here, I mean rubbed with spices! If you want a super spicy kick, just sprinkle on some red pepper flakes.

Don’t forget to show your love by voting for Busy In Brooklyn as the Best Kosher Food Blog in the Joy of Kosher Best of Kosher Awards! You can vote once per day, per username. Vote Here.

Spicy Garlic Chicken

1 pkg bone-in chicken, cut in quarters or eighths
4 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 cups spicy garlic or sweet and sour duck sauce

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add paprika and garlic powder to a bowl and add a drop of water to form a paste. Rub the chicken with the spice rub and place in a baking pan. Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and baste with spicy garlic duck sauce. Return to the oven and bake at 400 degrees, uncovered, for 30 more minutes.

1 year ago: baked chicken meatballs
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Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but when it comes to throwing a party, I’m usually a last minute kind of person. And you know why? Because when I first think about all the food I have to make, all the people I have to invite, and all the cleaning up I’ll have to do, I just figure it’s not worth all the work. But then I start to feel guilty. And slowly but surely that Jewish guilt just ebbs its way in and at the last minute I scramble for menu ideas, put together a guest list and a couple of hours later we’re all having a good time.

I can usually put together a party menu in a jiffy but when it comes to baked goods, I’m all too guilty of passing up Duncan Hines as my own. I’m never one for store-bought mixes, and all those other one-bowl cake concoctions are not up my alley. But Duncan Hines brownies are the exception. And we all know I’m not the only one! How many more of you out there have thrown in a batch of Duncan Hines brownies at the last second and then took the credit when your guests couldn’t get enough. They’re just THAT good.

Well let me tell you something, dear readers. They can be even better! Adding some cinnamon and nibby dark chocolate gives the brownies a serious Mexican hot chocolate taste that is so decadent and dreamy. Adding the extra ingredients won’t even make you feel guilty about passing them off as your own!

So, if you’re last minute with your New Year’s Eve party (as I am in posting this recipe!), then give these brownies a try. And if you don’t want to say you made them, just say they’re BIB’S recipe!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

1 package Duncan Hines chewy fudge brownies
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup canola oil
1 generous tsp cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 bar Scharffen Berger Nibby Dark Chocolate
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, mix brownie mix, eggs, water, oil, cinnamon and cayenne (optional, for a spicy kick). Break chocolate bar into chunks and stir into batter. Pour into pan and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake for approximately 22-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean (check in a few spots because you might be dipping the toothpick into a piece of melted chocolate).

NOTE: If you can’t find Scharffen Berger’s nibby bar, substitute with 2 tbsp cocoa nibs and 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

VARIATION: If you don’t wish to use packaged brownie mix, simply make your favorite brownie recipe and add cinnamon, chocolate and pecans.


1 year ago: fire roasted tomato rice stoup
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Roasted Eggplant Parmesan with Feta

I always wondered about the name for the dish eggplant parmesan. Parmesan isn’t exactly the prominent ingredient, it’s not even called for in some recipes. Most eggplant parmesan recipes consist of breaded slices of eggplant that have been fried, smothered in tomato sauce and covered in melted cheese. Parmesan or not, it’s definitely one of my favorite dairy dishes, but having just finished the Chanukah fry-fest, I decided to come up with a healthier version.

Last year, I posted this recipe for roasted eggplants stuffed with Israeli salad, roasted chickpeas and techina. It’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy eggplants! I eat it pretty often though, so I decided to invent a new roasted eggplant dish. That’s how this Middle Eastern twist on eggplant parmesan came about. I broil the eggplants for delicious smokey flavor and stuff them with marinara, tomatoes, a little breadcrumbs and finish it off with light feta cheese. Although it tastes nothing like the original, it’s a delicious light and healthy lunch that’s a perfect start for the New Year!

Looking for more healthy recipes? Check out the Shine Supper Club. They’re sharing healthy recipes to get your New Year off to a fresh start!

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan with Feta

1 eggplant, sliced in half vertically
olive oil
salt
1/3 cup marinara sauce
1 plum tomato, sliced
flavored bread crumbs
parmesan cheese, optional
feta cheese
parsley, for garnish

Method:

Sprinkle the eggplants with salt and place flesh side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and broil on high for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and spread some marinara sauce over eggplants. Place tomato slices over sauce and sprinkle on some bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, if desired. Drizzle with olive oil and top with feta cheese crumbles. Bake at 400 degrees until bread crumbs are toasted and feta cheese has melted (it will still hold it’s form and will only melt slightly). Garnish with chopped parsley.

VARIATION: For a more traditional roasted eggplant parmesan, top the eggplants with marinara and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and browned.

1 year ago: green guacamole
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