Author: chanie

Wild Mushroom Barley Soup

I remember the first time I made mushroom barley soup. I was having a large group of people over for a simcha and I decided to whip up a batch of the hearty soup. Having never made it before, I underestimated how much the barley would expand. Lets just say it was more of a cream of barley soup than a mushroom anything. I have since learned my lesson and to be sure of myself, I cook the barley separately and add it the soup once it’s already tender.

But that’s not the only thing that makes this soup anything but average. Instead of serving up a bowl of soup with a puddle of grease floating on top (you all know what I’m talking about), I blend the soup using only half of the barley. Since my kids wouldn’t normally eat mushrooms, blending it makes for a perfect disguise and they don’t have to miss out on this delicious recipe. After blending, I add in the remaining barley for added texture in every bite.

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Black Grape & Plum Compote

My husband and I can’t seem to figure out if we actually save money at Costco. We usually end up buying things we don’t need (or have space for) with money we don’t have. The truth is, I figure it’s worth buying paper towels (my guilty pleasure), tissues, napkins and such in bulk. But when I start to venture down the forbidden aisles – like the produce, I’m in trouble. Don’t get me wrong, the stuff looks delicious. But I don’t have a family of 10, it’s not Pesach, and I don’t need an entire carton of apples!

Alas, here are my top three things to avoid when heading to Costco:

#1 Don’t go to Costco hungry
#2 Dont go to Costco with your kids (or else you’ll end up buying them toys and books that they don’t need just to calm them down).
#3 Don’t go to Costco without a shopping list. Prepare a list in advance and buy ONLY what is on that list.

Why am I going on and on about Costco? Well, for starters, I did not follow cardinal rule #1 and I went to Costco hungry. Thankfully, I did not buy that humungous bag of chips to snack on, but rather, I loaded my cart up with cartons of California prunes (fancy plums) and black grapes. Then I got home. And I looked in the fridge. And I realized. I. Have. No. Room. For. Cartons. Of. Costco. Fruit. Enter this trusty compote recipe and problem averted :)

This crimson compote is intoxicatingly delicious, not to mention beautiful to look at. Because the grapes are so sweet, I avoided adding any more sugar. Instead, I used some Moscato wine which added a delicious fruity flavor. You can serve this up by the cup, ladle over pound cake, or spoon over ice cream.

 

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Baked Chicken Meatballs

Because I have little kids, I find myself making meatballs quite often. These chicken meatballs are a refreshing change from the typical meatball and spaghetti dinner. You can make them small and serve as an appetizer or mix into marinara sauce and serve a’ la classique.

PS I ran out of cocktail picks so that’s why I used matchsticks, just in case you were wondering!

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Fire Roasted Tomato Rice Stoup

There is nothing more comforting on a cold winter day than a hot bowl of stoup. A stoup is a cross between a soup and a stew – it’s not quite as thin as a soup, but not quite as thick as a stew either. I don’t know about you but after 8 days of cooking and entertaining, I just don’t feel like sitting in the kitchen, even if it’s just to prepare dinner. That’s why I love this recipe. It’s an easy one-dish meal that is great for kids and extremely budget friendly. With fire-roasted tomatoes and franks, this hearty dish is reminiscint of summer bbq’s.

This recipe is currently featured in Bitayavon Magazine.

 

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Chanukah Cookies


It has a become a tradition in my home to bake Chanukah cookies during the month of Kislev. My kids love to take turns adding the ingredients to the bowl, mixing it up, rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, and most of all – decorating the cookies! I have to be careful though, if I turn my head, they’re bound to stuff a handful of sprinkles down their throat! We had a blast making these, and even more fun eating them. They are delightfully crisp, sweet and altogether perfect! Put some in a pretty box, tie with bakery twine and decorate with a draidel – it makes the perfect hostess gift for your next Chanukah party!

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