Dinner – Page 28 – Busy in Brooklyn

It’s a funny thing about brie. I’m really not a stinky cheese kind of person. I won’t go near bleu cheese with a ten food pole. Not even if you paid me. But brie, now that sort of moldy cheese, I like!

Brie is a soft cow’s milk cheese named after the French region from which it originated. It is pale in color with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of edible white mold. The thing about the mold is – it doesn’t taste moldy. And it definitely doesn’t stink.

Inside that rind, you’ll find the creamiest pale yellow cheese that is spectacular with jam, amazing in puff pastry, and unbelievable with wine.

Since wine pairs so wonderfully with the rich and fruity notes in brie, I decided to create a pizza with a classic Marsala sauce and Natural & Kosher Cheese’s wheel of soft ripened brie. It would work equally well with their camembert.

With sweet fruity marsala, fragrant rosemary and rich brie, this pizza is a mushroom lover’s dream! Thyme or wild mushrooms make another great option!

Brie Marsala Pizza

1 lb. store-bought pizza dough (I use Trader Joe’s)
1/2 wheel brie
1 8 oz pkg button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 lg shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 sprig rosemary plus more for garnish

Method:

Heat the butter and oil in a pan and saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add mushrooms and saute until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt & pepper. Deglaze the pan with Marsala wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the stock and rosemary and continue to simmer until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to a 12″ diameter circle and top with mushrooms, and brie. Garnish with rosemary. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the pizza dough is crisp and golden, about 15-20 minutes.

This post was sponsored by Natural & Kosher Cheese. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, or via their Blog
Related Recipes:
dried fruit brie bites

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Chicken Shawarma

On February 12, 2014July 8, 2014

by chanie

in Dinner, Lunch, Meat & Poultry, Paleo, Recipes, Whole30

23 Comments

I was never much of a shawarma person. In fact, in my entire year of living in Israel, I don’t think I even ordered it once. I’m more of a falafel girl. Fully loaded in a freshly baked laffa – pure heaven.

But something interesting happens when you have kids. Picky kids. Kids who don’t like the BBQ marks on their grilled chicken, or the crumbs on their shnitzel. Kids who won’t eat fish. Or most types of meat. When you have such kids, you start to make foods that you never imagined you’d be cooking – like shawarma.

When said kid tasted a bite of my husbands shawarma and liked it (how he got her to do that is beyond me), I knew I had to learn to make my own. And that’s exactly what I did. The first couple of times, said kid was licking her plate. Now she has decided she no longer likes it. And I have decided, I do. How’s that for irony?

Chicken Shawarma

1.5-2 lbs. dark meat chicken
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/4 c + 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp shawarma spice (use a spice blend or recipe below)
salt, to taste

Method:

Dice the chicken into small pieces and place in a bowl with 1/4 cup of olive oil and shawarma spice. Set aside to marinate while you cook the onions.

Saute the onions in 1 tbsp of olive oil until caramelized. Add marinated chicken and saute until the chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with hummus, techina, Israeli salad, red cabbage salad (recipe follows)

TIP: Dice the chicken when it’s partially frozen to make chopping easier.

Shawarma Spice

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt, to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine.

Israeli-Style Red Cabbage Salad

shredded cabbage
olive oil
fresh-squeezed lemon juice
garlic powder
kosher salt

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined. Marinate until cabbage is slightly wilted.

Other Israel-Inspired Recipes:

roasted eggplants with Israeli salad
malawach cheese pastries with zaatar
chestnut hummus with pita chips
sachlav rose water pudding
banana, date, milk & honey smoothie

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Smoky Split Pea Soup with Thyme Dumplings

On January 26, 2014November 23, 2015

by chanie

in Appetizer, Dinner, Meat & Poultry, Recipes, Soup, Stews

67 Comments

I’m the type of person that crushes on certain foods. Remember my speculoos addiction? Enough said.

My problem is that when I fall for a food, I fall so hard that I eat it the point of being sick.

I remember when I had a thing for those molten chocolate cakes (you know the ones that are on EVERY restaurant dessert menu). I ate my way through so many (I may or may not have been pregnant at the time) that one day, spoon-deep into my chocolate lava explosion, I got so overwhelmingly nauseous (I may or may not have been pregnant at the time) that I couldn’t take another bite. Ever. Seriously – If you so much as put that thing near me, you’ll need to bring an emesis basin with. Enough said.

I used to be gaga over split pea soup too. Every time I went out to eat, be it a restaurant or a pizza shop, I’d order one. I just loved how hearty and filling it was. But then one day, I was all split-pead-out. I literally couldn’t look at the stuff for years. Me and Mr. Split Pea were estranged, and I moved on to Mr. Lentil.

And then, many, many years later (we’re talking double digits here), I read about a popular preparation for split peas using ham hocks to impart a smoky flavor to the soup. Of course ham hocks are off the table in my kosher kitchen, but the idea got me thinking, and whetted my appetite for my long lost favorite soup.

I did some research and found that smoked turkey leg would make a good replacement for ham hocks, adding smokiness and flavor to the soup. The results were even better than I’d imagined – smoky and savory with a deep, rich flavor! Braising the turkey leg also made it buttery soft – it’s meat fell apart instantly and made a great addition to the soup.

To really up the ante, I added some fresh thyme dumpling that meld perfectly into the soup. The results are so hearty, it’s literally a meal in itself.

Thanks to this amazing recipe, I’m a born-again split pea fan and I hope you will be too. And don’t worry, this time, I’m treading carefully.

Smoky Split Pea soup

2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups split peas, picked over and rinsed
3 bay leaves
5 sprigs thyme
1 smoked turkey leg
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

Saute leeks and garlic until fragrant. Add carrots and celery. When they begin to soften, add split peas, bay leaves and thyme and saute for 2 minutes. Place turkey leg into the pot and add stock and water. Bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the turkey leg from the soup and shred it into small pieces. Return the shredded turkey to the soup and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Adjust the consistency by adding more water, if desired.

Thyme Dumplings

1 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

Method:

Whisk flour, salt and baking powder. Add remaining ingredients to form a dough. Drop spoon-sized pieces of dough into salted boiling water and simmer until they rise to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the soup.

NOTE: While I prefer to cook my dumplings separately (since not everyone in my house likes dumplings in their soup), you can definitely cook them directly in the soup.

VARIATION: Instead of dumplings, add diced potatoes along with the carrots and celery.

1 year ago: dried fruit brie bites
2 years ago: honey mustard salad dressing
3 years ago: homemade granola

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Roundup: The Seven Species

On January 13, 2014January 13, 2014

by chanie

in Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Cakes, Cookies, Dairy, Dessert, Dinner, Dips, Fish, Fruit, Lunch, Main Dish, Meat & Poultry, Muffins, Pasta, Pies, Recipes, Salad, Side Dish, Snacks

15 Comments

This Thursday, Jews around the world will celebrate Tu B’shvat, the New Year for the trees. Traditionally, we celebrate by eating The Sheva Minim, or, Seven Species. They include the following fruits and grains that are native to the land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.

In honor of Tu B’shvat, I’ve put together a roundup of recipes for each of the Seven Species from all around the web. Enjoy!

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Tuscan White Beans with Spinach

On January 8, 2014July 12, 2015

by chanie

in Appetizer, Diet, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Side Dish, Stews, The Nine Days

26 Comments

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I love to eat out. Which is why I’ll probably never leave Brooklyn. Aside from Israel, New York has got to be the mecca of the kosher culinary world. You’ll find all sorts of restaurants scattered throughout the five boroughs, including Indian, Italian, French and Chinese eateries. Being a foodie-turned-chef, I take inspiration for my recipes from everything around me – especially quality restaurant dishes. When I eat a good dish at a restaurant, I’m bound to whip up my own version in my kitchen (like I did here). This is one such recipe.

Tuscan White Beans with Spinach

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c dry white wine
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2-2 c vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 6oz. bag baby spinach

Method:

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook over high heat to reduce, 1-2 minutes. Add beans, thyme, bay leaf and 1 1/2 cups of broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mash half the beans and cook until creamy and thickened, adding additional broth if needed. Add baby spinach and cook until wilted. Serve immediately.

NOTE: I like to serve this as a side dish, but if you’d like to turn it into a soup, add some more vegetable broth until desired consistency is reached.

1 year ago: spicy garlic chicken
2 years ago: cornbread scones

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Category: Dinner

Brie Marsala Pizza

Chicken Shawarma

Smoky Split Pea Soup with Thyme Dumplings

Roundup: The Seven Species

Tuscan White Beans with Spinach