Category: Meat & Poultry

Bubby’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken


Succos is one of my most favorite times of year. I love the smell in the air, the breeze in my hair, the fall harvest and the brilliant autumn leaves. The crisp air is the perfect backdrop for this warm, hearty soup. With cabbage, apples, tomatoes, onions and flanken in a sweet tomato broth, this bowl of goodness is sure to be a star at your Yom Tov table. The more you cook this soup, the better and thicker it becomes, so don’t mind rewarming it for several meals!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Bubby’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken

1 medium head of cabbage, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 green apples, peeled and diced or grated
2 soft tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 pieces flanken
2 marrow bones
3 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
7 canfuls of water
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Add all ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for a few hours, until the broth has thickened and the meat has softened.

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Rosh Hashana Roast

A Yom Tov meal, especially a regal one like Rosh Hashanah, deserves a dish fit for a king. In this recipe, a French roast is braised in red-wine with jewels of dried fruit reduced in it’s sauce. I can’t think of anything more festive or delicious for a chag in which we coronate Hashem as our king!

Rosh Hashana Roast

1 large onion
olive oil, for sauteeing
2 lb. French, Chuck, or Minute steak roast
1 1/2 cups port (or any sweet red) wine
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 cups assorted dried fruit (apricots, dates, figs, prunes)
1/4 c honey
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup water

Method: Saute onions in olive oil until golden, set aside. Season the roast with salt and pepper and sear on all sides (see tip). Pour wine into pot and scrape up any bits and pieces from the seared meat. Return onions to the pot and spread around the meat. Bring wine to a boil over high heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Cover the pot and cook for 1 1/2 hours over low heat. Turn over meat, add dried fruit and season with honey, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 30 more minutes. Remove meat from the pot, and cover with foil to keep warm. If needed, continue to simmer the dried fruit until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 30 minutes. Slice roast against the grain and spoon sauce over meat before serving.

TIP: Searing the roast seals in the juices resulting in meat with a nice brown color and moist flavor. For a good sear, make sure the pan is nice and hot. Once the meat is browned, turn over and repeat. Hold the meat on it’s sides using tongs, so that every edge is covered.

NOTE: For a larger roast, increase cooking time (in the beginning, before you add the dried fruits) approximatley 30 minutes-1 hour per lb.

FREEZING: This roast freezes beautifully. Slice it first so that it’s easier to thaw and freeze it separately from the dried fruit.

UPDATE: 9/1/2014: While I used to simmer my roasts over a low flame, I have learned over time that gentle cooking in the oven is best. You may use an oven-safe pot and place in the oven at 350 degrees for the 1 1/2 hour cooking time. Turn over the meat, add the dried fruit and seasoning and return to the oven for 30 minutes (or more, if roast is larger than 2 lbs.). Remove the roast from the pan and simmer the sauce until thickened.

 

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Chicken Pastrami Roulade

Today marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Ten years ago today, I was working for an antique silver company in New York City that was located on 45th street between 5th & 6th Avenues. I was never late for work, but as luck would have it, I just couldn’t seem to get myself out of bed that morning. I turned on the TV and watched in horror as people jumped to their deaths from the soaring towers, seeing them crumble before my eyes. I vividly remember Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerland, in complete and total shock, crying and broken over the incalculable loss of his entire company, including his brother, who had gone “missing.” I was at a complete loss as I sat transfixed to the screen, watching as the news anchors struggled to gain their composure enough to get through a sentence. I thanked Hashem over and over that I did not go to work on that day. The next morning, and many after that, New York City was a somber place. There were notes plastered in the windows of store after store – MISSING posters of those lost on 9-11, never to be found, but never to be forgotten. As a born and bred New Yorker, and a victim of terror, 9-11 holds a special place in my heart. It is truly an emotional day, one of both reflection and hope. America has changed as a country, and we too, as a people. We have survived, and we will continue to persevere in the face of evil. Today, I am proud to be a {Jewish} American.

And now, back to our reguar programming…food :) Deli roll is a Shabbos staple in many jewish homes, including mine. I like to make it with turkey, pastrami, brown sugar and spicy mustard. While delicious, you have to admit, it’s not exactly figure-friendly. This easy alternative is rich in protein and big on taste. You can also add roasted asparagus, peppers, spinach, sundried tomatoes or other veggies for more color and texture.

Chicken Pastrami Roulade

Chicken breasts, trimmed thin
Sliced pastrami
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup mustard
corn flake crumbs
paprika
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Method:

Clean chicken breasts and trim off fat. If needed, pound with a mallet to flatten until thin. Mix honey and mustard and brush over cutlets. Top with a slice of pastrami and roll tightly. Secure with a toothpick, if needed. Place the chicken into a greased baking dish seam side down and brush with more honey-mustard. Sprinkle with corn flake crumbs, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spray with cooking spray and bake, uncovered, at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

VARIATION: Spread defrosted kishke on top of the pastrami and continue as above. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

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Baked Wonton Beef Empanadas


I had never really heard of empanadas until I married my husband. My Argentinian mother-in-law loves to cook up a storm whenever we come to visit and these meat-filled pockets are often on the menu. She whips up a batch in no time and makes it look so easy! For my husbands birthday this year, I cooked him a surprise dinner that included all of his favorite family recipes including empanadas, milanesas and mechshie. It was my first try at them, but with my mother-in-laws help, everything turned out super delicious.

I made empanadas again last week on the spare of the moment, having some defrosted ground beef sitting in the fridge. Whereas my mother-in-law throws together a batch of dough in no time, I am one to avoid any recipe that calls for home-made dough. Instead, I decided to make use of the eggroll wrappers in my freezer. I had no idea if this would work, especially since I had no intention of frying them, but I decided to give it a try. And work, it did. The wontons turned out perfectly crispy without being greasy and the filling, although not traditional, was perfectly delicious. If you don’t mind frying, go ahead and make these super golden and crispy in some hot oil!

I call these “wonton empanadas” because they are a cross between traditional empanadas (filled with ground beef, olives, and cumin) and beef eggrolls (filled with meat, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms etc.). You can call them Asian empanadas or Spanish eggrolls, either way, these meat-filled samosas are sure to please!

Wonton Beef Empanadas

1 medium onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 container mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
3/4 c shredded carrots
1/2 c sliced green olives
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
good quality dry red wine
wonton wrappers
szechuan sauce, for dipping

Method:

Saute onion and garlic till translucent, add mushrooms and carrots. Continue to saute until softened and golden. Add olives and spices and mix until fragrant. In a separate pan, saute the meat until crumbly and no longer pink. Drain the meat of the fat and add to vegetable mixture. Add a splash of red wine (about 1/8th of a cup) and cook for a few minutes.

Lay a wonton wrapper on a clean cutting board and cut on the diagonal so that you have 2 triangular wraps. Cover the remaining wrappers with a damp towel while you work so that they don’t dry out. Place a teaspoon of filling on each wrapper and fold in half to close. Wet the sides of the wrapper with some water and press down to seal edges (if this doesn’t work for you, you can try eggs, or make a “glue” with 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water). Place on a greased cookie sheet. Spray wontons generously with cooking spray and and bake at 400 for about 8-10 minutes on each side, until golden.

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Peanut Chicken Curry


My sister Sara opened my eyes to Indian food with this chicken recipe. I never imagined peanut butter and chicken would make a good combination, but she urged me to try it, and I’m so glad I did. Now I’ve broadened my horizons and have taken to experimenting with Indian spices like garam masala, chicken curries, coconut rice, and more.

I wasn’t quite sure if my kids would take to this recipe. One of my daughters loves peanut butter, so once I elaborated on the peanut-butteriness of the dish, she was willing to give it a go. The younger one is willing to try anything new, and thankfully, both of them absolutely loved it. So if your kid loves peanut butter, just tell them you’re making extra special “peanut butter chicken” and they’ll be singing your praises around the dinner table.

Peanut Chicken Curry

1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1 pkg chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup water
Basmati rice, for serving
scallions, diced, for garnish

Method:

Saute onion and garlic in a bit of oil until translucent. Add curry powder and continue to saute until fragrant. Add chicken and stir over medium heat until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well to incorporate. Cook, stirring until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Serve over basmati rice and garnish with scallions.

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