Category: The Nine Days

Gefilte Fish Patties in Tomato Sauce

If you follow my blog, you’ve probably realized by now that my family is big into gefilte fish. I’ve already posted quite a few variations. This one however, is even closer to home – it’s a family recipe. My mom has been been making her gefilte this way ever since I can remember, and my Bubby before her. My kids love these patties so much that I even make them for dinner every now and then. They like it without the sauce, so I just leave some out. These are best served fresh and warm because they fluff up in the tomato sauce. They can also be served at room temperature with or without the sauce.

NOTE: These patties freeze very well. If you are like me and don’t like to fry a lot, just make a double batch and freeze half of the patties. When you are ready to use, just defrost, cook up the tomato sauce and add the patties. They’ll taste as fresh as the day you made them.

Gefilte Fish Patties in Tomato Sauce

2 loaves frozen gefilte fish, defrosted (I like Raskins Sweet)
2 eggs
1/3 c matza meal
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
2-3 tbsp sugar
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
canola oil, for frying

Method:

Mix gefilte fish, eggs and matza meal in a bowl. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Form patties from the gefilte mixture and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove to paper towel. In a separate pot, cook mixed vegetables in salted water and drain. Bring tomato sauce, sugar, salt and pepper to a boil and add mixed vegetables. Add gefilte fish patties and simmer for a few minutes, or, spoon sauce over patties.

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Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

I love stuffed mushrooms and often order them in restaurants. They’re usually filled with parmesan and bread crumbs or covered in a cheesy crust. You may also find them in a pool of marinara sauce. Whatever their filling, stuffed mushrooms serve as a delicious appetizer or side dish. Here is a pareve version that can be served alongside a  fleishig meal.

Check out my tutorial on how to clean mushrooms!

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

2 packages stuffing mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
Salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
flavored breadcrumbs
olive oil

Method:

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Add chopped stems, sauteing until golden. Add spinach, season with salt and pepper and continue to saute until incorporated. Spoon mixture into mushroom caps. Sprinkle lightly with flavored breadcrumbs. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

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Grilled Chickpea Burgers


First of all, I’m happy to say that we are back in business. My very talented husband was able to recover most of the stuff off my faulty hard drive and I’ve learned a few important things along the way.

#1 Back up your stuff on an external hard drive or through dropbox.
#2 Don’t put too many pictures in one folder. Sort folders by date or topics.
#3 If you use windows, defragment and run a disc cleanup on your hard drive every month. You can do so by right clicking on your hard drive and clicking properties. Disc cleanup can be found under the general tab. Defrag can be found under the tools tab.
#4 If you like to surf the web for recipes like I do, chances are you have malware/spyware on your computer. Run software like Malware bytes weekly to get rid of all the junk that slows down your computer.

And now back to our scheduled programming…food! :)

I’m sure most of you are warming up the grill for a nice BBQ over this long holiday weekend. Hot dogs and burgers are the usual fare, but I’ve got something healthy, light, vegetarian, and positively delicious. Last week, my husband rounded the kids up for a trip to Costco on Erev Shabbos, while I put the finishing touches on our Shabbos menu. He returned with the usual fare – napkins, tissues, some produce and an extra special gift – an assortment of food magazines. In lieu of flowers that week, we drooled over tantalizing photos of delicious recipes I promised to make. From all the magazines (granted not the best selection at Costo), “Fine Cooking” stood out with the most delicious recipes, including a feature on “Going Meatless on the Grill”. I knew I had to try the Grilled Chickpea Burgers, so I heated up the BBQ on Sunday afternoon and got grilling!

If you like falafel, you’ll love these flavorful patties. Serve with coleslaw, Israeli salad, or sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Charif, chumus and techina round out your meal, for the perfect meatless BBQ.

Happy Grilling!

Grilled Chickpea Burgers
Fine Cooking, June-July 2011

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; more for brushing
4 medium cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 whole wheat pitas
2 15.5-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp techina
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 large egg
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

Prepare a high gas or charcoal grill fire.

Heat the oil, garlic, and cumin in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the garlic is soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Set aside off the heat.

Toast pitas until golden-brown and crisp. In a food processor, grind the pita into fine crumbs; transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and measure them—you’ll need 1/2 cup.

In the food processor, purée 1 can of the chickpeas with the oil mixture, techina, lemon juice, egg, and salt until smooth. Add the remaining chickpeas, pita crumbs, parsley, and cilantro; pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely chopped and the mixture is well blended.

Shape the chickpea mixture into patties. Brush both sides with oil. Grill, covered, until heated through and nicely marked on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

NOTE: I did find the mixture to be slightly crumbly. Some crumbs may fall while grilling, but the patties stay together when handled gently.

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Tuna Salad with a Twist


I’m definitely a tuna person. Cream cheese? not so much. Lox, not a chance! So tuna is bound to show up on my lunch menu quite often. I like my tuna 2 ways: albacore, and in water. I like to mix up my recipes so it doesn’t get too boring.

To prepare tuna, I start with an empty sink and a pair of gloves! I drain the can of water and empty the tuna into a bowl. Then, using my hands (remember, I’m wearing gloves), I break the tuna apart, so that I end up with perfect flakes that are not too ground, nor too chunky.

Classic tuna with mayo always works, but adding additional ingredients turns it into a salad for a complete meal when served with crackers, rice cakes, or cucumber slices. Sometimes I add a bit of harrisa and lemon for a quick and easy spicy tuna. Other times I’ll mix it into some pasta for a heartier dish, or into salad nicoise – an all time favorite. In this recipe, I use a surprise ingredient which really ups the ante from traditional tuna salad, to something out of this world! What is it? Golden raisins! It may sound weird at first, but I urge you to give it a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!

To make these fun cucumber rolls, just slice english cucumbers or zucchini lengthwise, very thin (preferably using a mandoline, but it can be done by hand or with a peeler). Put a spoonful of tuna salad about an inch away from either end. Roll the end over the tuna, and continue to roll up. Fasten with a toothpick. NOTE: If you slice the cucumbers paper thin, you won’t need a toothpick, they will stay closed on their own.

Tuna Salad with a Twist

2 cans albacore tuna in water
1 handful shredded carrots
1 celery stick, diced small
1 handful golden raisins
1/3 cup mayo (more, if needed)
1 tbsp mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Method:

Drain tuna well and flake with a fork, or using your hands (I suggest gloves!). Add remaining ingredients and mix well. If it is too dry, you can add more mayo, one teaspoon at a time. Serve in cucumber rolls, or with bread, crackers, or rice cakes.

NOTE: The EPA and FDA cautions pregnant women, women of childbearing age, nursing mothers and young children against eating more than 6 ounces of albacore tuna per week due to high levels of mercury. If you wish to eat more tuna, go for the lower mercury light tuna (commonly skipjack or yellowfin).

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Spinach Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

In keeping with last weeks theme of cooking in season, strawberries are an all time favorite in the spring. They are packed with vitamins, fiber, and high levels of antioxidants and are low in calories, as well as low GI, with a value of 40 on the glycemic index. Strawberries are also a good source of manganese and potassium. Just one serving (about 8 strawberries) provides more vitamin C than an orange!

Regardless of their nutritional value, we love strawberries simply because they are fresh, light, sweet and delicious. Pair them with your breakfast cereal or yogurt, dip them in chocolate for dessert, or throw them into a salad. They compliment dishes in every course with a versatility all their own.

I came up with this salad to please everyone at the Shabbos table. I love spinach. My husband loves hearts of palm, and my daughter loves strawberries. I threw in some avocado for good measure, and some candied walnuts for crunch. The dressing complements the salad perfectly, with a fresh, light taste that is mildy sweet.

This salad will round off your dairy Shavuous meal perfectly!

Spinach Stawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

1 bag baby spinach
1 container strawberries, leaves trimmed, cleaned and diced into circles
1 can hearts of palm, cut into circles
1 avocado, cubed
candied walnuts or honey roasted pecans

Dressing:

1/2 c light olive or grapeseed oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp strawberry jam
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Method:

Prepare salad ingredients. Start with spinach, top with strawberries, hearts of palm, avocado and finish with nuts. Prepare dressing in a blender, or whisk well to incorporate (I like to use a blender to smooth out the lumps of jelly. If you don’t have one, you can heat up the jelly in the microwave, it is easier to mix in once it is melted). Pour dressing over salad and serve immediately.

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