Author: chanie

Corndog Hamantaschen

My friend recently commented to me that she is really enjoying all of the unique hamantaschen she sees popping up on her newsfeed. “Is it like a competition between you guys?,” she wanted to know. Well, no. OK, maybe a little.

It’s not a competition as much as it is a desire to come up with the most brilliant, out of the box, knock-your-socks-off kind of hamantasch that outshines all the rest. So it’s not really about the others. It’s just about yours being THAT GOOD. And it’s not just about hamantaschen either. It’s about always being at the top of your game because that’s what food bloggers do. We try to stay ahead of the trends, create cool hybrid dishes and wow our readers so they keep coming back for more.

So how did I do? Is this corndog hamantasch hybrid mindblowing enough to explode on your newsfeed?! Just wait until you taste them. They’re nice and crispy, with an amazing texture from the coarse cornmeal that’s unlike any hamantasch you’ve ever had.

People always ask me how I come up with this stuff and the answer is, I have no idea. Sometimes it hits me in the dead of night, when insomnia rears it’s ugly head. Sometimes, I’m lacking inspiration so I browse the web for ideas on popular food trends. And sometimes it’s because I’m a mom, and when I can get my kids to eat something, I go all out viral with the idea.

These particular hamantaschen did not take a lot of convincing. My kids are huge fans of Abeles & Heymann’s hot dogs and they are equally obsessed with my nondairy cornbread. I’ve only made homemade corndogs once, as a midnight snack when they were fast asleep (I may or may not have been pregnant at the time) but I often make mini corndog muffins filled with hot dog chunks. Corndog hamantaschen are definitely new in this house, but as I tested different batches of dough, they seemed to disappear as each tray came out of the oven.

What I love about this recipe is that you can easily use it for sweet applications as you can with savory hot dogs. I tested a batch with strawberry rhubarb jam and they were incredible. I’m definitely going to try it with blueberry jam too. and of course, after Purim, you can just make them into thin round cookies and forget the whole triangle thing.

But for now, the triangle thing is super fun and I already have a frozen batch to serve up for the Purim seudah! I might make a batch of baklava hamantaschen for dessert. Or, another special recipe that I’ll be sharing up on the blog soon!

What are some of your favorite creative hamantaschen to make on Purim? Or are you more of a traditionalist? I don’t think I have ever made traditional hamantaschen in my life, can you imagine? If I want apricot or raspberry hamantaschen, I just buy them at the bakery. That’s what they’re there for, right?!

In the meantime, I’ll be savoring the rest of this savory batch, if my kids don’t get to it first. Happy Purim Prep!

Corndog Hamantaschen

1 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
4 Abeles & Heymann beef hot dogs
mustard, for dipping, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and almond milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a fork until the dough is the texture of wet sand. Using your hands, knead the dough together until soft. Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough until about 1/4″ thick. Cut circles out of a dough using a round cookie cutter (see note). Cut the hot dogs into 1/4″ thick slices and put a slice in the center of each circle of dough. Fold corners in to create a triangle shape and pinch to close. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes, until crispy and just starting to lightly brown underneath.

NOTE: I used a 2.5″ cookie cutter, but this fits the hot dogs just/just and makes small hamantaschen. For more traditional size hamantaschen that have more room for folding, use a 3″ cutter.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: serve alongside sauerkraut, pickle relish and other hot dog toppings of your choice.

SERVING: these are best served fresh, however, they may be frozen after baking and rewarmed in a 350 degree oven until the hot dogs are warm and the cookie crisps up, about 5 minutes.

YIELD: 30-40 hamantaschen, depending on size.


This post was sponsored by Abeles & Heymann

Related Recipes:

savory hamantaschen trio
hot dog eggrolls
vegetarian chili and cornbread

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Kosher by Design Brings It Home Review & Giveaway

I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Kosher by Design Brings it Home VIRTUAL BOOK RELEASE PARTY! I’ve been a fan of Susie Fishbein since the early years, before there was a Busy In Brooklyn and the only things I knew how to cook came out of a cookbook. When I got married, her books were my go-to for Shabbos and Yom Tov meals and everything in between. In the early days of BIB, I posted some of her recipes like this, this and this and was honored to attend her book release party for KBD Cooking Coach where I met her in person for the first time.

I have a deep respect for Susie’s work because she was the go-to kosher recipe developer before there were hundreds of cookbooks to compete with, an endless supply of free recipes on the web to copycat and growing network of kosher foodies who share, connect and interact in the industry. Fishbein literally set the groundwork for all the kosher cookbooks to come with her solid cookbook collection filled with original and unique recipes as well as beautiful food photography. I’ve followed Susie’s journey through the years and I’m thrilled to see a culmination of her travels in her last of the KBD series, Bringing it Home.

As a foodie, I have learned that the only way to really expand your culinary horizons is to travel. Traveling opens your eyes to unique ingredients, food combinations and flavors that you never thought of or experienced. Not all of us have the luxury to host culinary tours throughout the world, so luckily Susie has done the work for us. In Kosher by Design Brings It Home, she fills us in on her travels throughout  Israel, France, Italy and Mexico, sharing food traditions and fiercely guarded recipes that are unique to those regions.  It’s an honor to have an inside look into restaurant and chef’s recipes throughout the kosher world and I can’t wait to start cooking more cultural cuisine!

Purchase Kosher by Design Brings it Home on Amazon. 

A book release party is nothing without a giveaway, and what a giveaway it is! Follow these instructions to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ranchero Soup
Reproduced from Kosher by Design Brings it Home, by Susie Fishbein, with permission from the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications.

When teaching a class on Passover cooking at the Ritz Carlton in Cancun one year, I wanted to create a Southwestern soup that did not contain beans. This keeper, with its egg-drop soup effect, is so simple and is brightened with a pop of chilies, lime juice, and silky avocado.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled, cut into ¼-inch dice
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, with their liquid
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 large eggs
½ jalapeño, minced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, cut into tiny cubes
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced on the diagonal ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
juice of ½ lime
additional limes, cut into wedges, for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion; cook until translucent, 5-6 minutes; do not allow it to brown. If it begins to brown, lower the heat. Add the garlic; cook for additional 3-4 minutes, until garlic is shiny.

Add the tomatoes with their liquid. If they are whole, use your hand to squeeze and burst them. Add the stock. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk the soup and while whisking, slowly drizzle in the eggs, whisking all the time. Simmer for 4 minutes. Ladle into bowls.

In a small bowl, stir together the jalapeño, avocado, scallions, cilantro, and lime juice. Top each bowl with a spoonful of this garnish. Serve a lime wedge with each bowl.

YIELDS 8 SERVINGS

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Spinach Pappardelle with Feta
& a Fried Poached Egg

I’m pretty proud of myself. You see, usually when I make lists, it’s just to get stuff off my head and onto a piece of paper. But every since I made my 2016 Foodie Resolution List, I’ve actually been making my through it!

Case in point: fried poached eggs. Well lookie here! Amazingly crisp and perfectly runny eggs dripping their way down some silky pappardelle pasta with bright green spinach. Perfection on a plate.

I’ve also mastered soft pretzels, fresh pita, caramel and I’ve got kataifi waiting in my freezer. That’s almost 5 out of a 9 and it’s only February! This is going to be one productive year in the BIB kitchen. Are you excited?

Now a foodie confession. It’s hard to admit but I was never one for feta cheese. Just something about the texture was off to me, so Greek salad was never on the menu.

But then Natural & Kosher cheese sent me their new brined feta and lo and behold, I loved the stuff! I also realized that if you grate it, the texture is so light and appealing, and when you add it to hot pasta, it’s salty goodness melts into the sauce. So there! I kinda like feta now!

It’s hard not like to cheese when it’s coated in egg yolk, crispy breadcrumbs and delicious sauteed spinach. This recipe really brings together all of my favorite things. Papardelle pasta being one of them.

I’m really not one for heavy pasta dishes like spaghetti bolognese or even baked ziti. Give me some linguini with olive oil and a poached egg and I’m set. With pasta being so heavy, it really keeps things light, instead of the thick tomato sauces that are commonly used. And can you imagine this with zoodles? OMG delish. I’m definitely going to give it a try.

Speaking of zoodles, my dieting hasn’t been going too well these days. I think it’s the winter blues. With all the freezing weather and snow, I’ve been craving comfort food. Like pasta. And carbs. Lots and lots of carbs.

The funny thing is I met someone in the store yesterday who looked at me with her mouth hanging open, saying I had lost so much weight. I wondered when was the last time she saw me because I’ve more or less been the same weight for a while now (which is very far from skinny). I guess it was the awesome coat I was wearing, that always seems to make me look skinnier than I am. Don’t you just love those wardrobe pieces? I took the compliment happily and then went on to the bakery aisle where I snatched up a crusty baguette. Oh carbs how I love thee.

But now, NOW that I sorta like feta, I’ve got to order me some Greek salad. Summer is just a couple of months away. And no matter how skinny said coat makes me look, it’s going to be making it’s way the back of my closet come June. I think it’s time to chuck the pappardelle and bring out my spiralizer.

But wait, first Purim. Some hamantaschen. And then. OK??

Spinach Pappardelle with Feta & Fried Poached Egg

8 oz. pappardelle pasta (or pasta of your choice)
5 oz. bag baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water
1 pkg Natural & Kosher feta cheese in brine, grated
4 poached eggs (how to poach eggs)
1/3 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
canola oil, for frying

Method:

Add pasta and a pinch of salt to boiling water and cook for 8 minutes, or until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, saute the garlic in oil until fragrant and add spinach. Saute until wilted and season with salt and pepper. Add the hot pasta to the pan and mix into the spinach, adding small amounts of pasta water until the pasta is loose and creamy (you won’t need all the water). Add grated feta and continue to cook until melted into the sauce (if desired) or serve as-is.

For the fried poached eggs, poach the eggs and immediately place in a bowl with ice water to stop cooking. Drain on paper towels. Arrange a breading station with bowls of flour, egg and breadcrumbs (you may season each with salt and pepper, if desired). Carefully dredge the poached egg in flour, then egg, and then panko, shaking off excess from each. Heat canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the egg until golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately, with freshly ground pepper over the top.

VARIATION: for a spicy kick, drizzle some sriracha over the top.

LIGHTED IT UP: Use zoodles instead of pappardelle for a low-carb alternative.

Serves 4.


This post was sponsored by Natural & Kosher Cheese. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, or via their Blog

Related Recipes:

spinach rotini pasta
pasta-free spinach manicotti
spaghetti squash with sauteed spinach and mushrooms
roasted eggplant parmesan with feta
summer tomato feta salad

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Soy & Ginger Glazed Sugar Snap Peas

Have you ever had a mind block that you just can’t explain? Sugar snap peas is it for me. I just never know the difference between them and their close cousins, snow peas. Which is which? Thank you Google!

It’s also hard for me to choose which ones I like better, because they’re both so good! But remember – flat = snow peas, full = snap peas. Wait, am I right? Google….

Now the only thing better than crisp-tender snap peas is GINGER GLAZED snap peas. The funny thing is, I was never a fan of ginger. Not until I went to culinary school and we added finely julienned ginger to a bunch of Asian dishes. That was just next level spicy goodness and I’ve never turned back!

So if you really want to up the ante on your next Asian dish, try julienning your ginger instead of grating (my 2nd favorite method using a microplane zester) or mincing it. Like I did here. You can thank me later.

Wait, remind me again, is it sugar snap peas, or snow peas. I give up!

Soy & Ginger Glazed Sugar Snap Peas

2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely julienned
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lb. sugar snap peas
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method:

Remove the strings from the each sugar snap pea by snapping the stem end and pulling the string down the side. (Optional, but makes them more pleasant to eat!).

Heat the sesame oil in a wok or heavy frying and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant.

Add the sugar snap peas and olive oil and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the peas turn bright green and are just starting to cook, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and add to the wok with the honey. Cook until the sauce thickens and coat the peas. Garnish with sesame seeds.

VARIATIONS: for added heat, add a squirt of sriracha, or for added brightness, try some orange zest and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Related Recipes:

sticky ginger chicken wings
spicy roasted edamame
cranberry sriracha green beans
snap pea, corn and red currant salad

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Pepper Crusted Tuna with Pineapple Guacamole & Herbed Crema

I used to hate raw fish. It make me all squeamish. Raw meat too. I mean why would you want to eat raw food, possibly swimming with parasites, if you could eat it cooked, am I right? I was fine with a runny egg or two. Or three. But not the real proteins. Put a fancy plate of beef tartare with a raw egg in the center in front of me and I was out the door.

But then sometime about a year or two ago, I decided I was done being afraid of food and I wanted to try everything. I’m still not a fan of beef tartare but I’ve come to love raw sushi. It’s so much fun to be able to order off the entire sushi menu now, and not just the cooked rolls! You’ll be surprised just how easy it is to prepare pepper-crusted tuna sashimi at home. Just make sure you get the freshest, best quality tuna out there for this dish.

Pepper Crusted Tuna 

2 sushi-grade fresh tuna steaks
coarsely ground black pepper
kosher salt
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Coat the tuna steaks evenly on all sides with a generous amount of freshly-ground black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. In a frying pan, heat the olive and sesame oil over high heat. Sear the tuna steak for a few seconds on each side, just enough to form a crust, but not to cook the fish through.

For a medium-rare steak, cook for 1 minute per side.

NOTE: to make even rectangular or square slices, first cut your tuna steak into strips and sear each one individually. Slice thinly against the grain.

Pineapple Guacamole

2 avocados
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small or ½ large jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, minced
½ small red onion, diced small
⅓ cup finely diced fresh pineapple
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
cilantro, optional

Peel and dice 1 avocado. Add to a bowl and mash. Peel and dice the second avocado and add it to the bowl without mashing. Add remaining ingredients and gently mix to combine. Adjust seasoning, as necessary.

Herbed Crema

1 cup sour cream
handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, or a mix
1 clove garlic
1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Related Recipes:

pan seared tuna steak
persimmon guacamole
jalapeno crema

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