Appetizer – Page 15 – Busy in Brooklyn

Call ’em crispy rice latkes, call ’em snap crackle and pop cakes, call ’em crispy crack or even tahdig – just do yourself a favor and make them, ok??

These leftover sushi rice cakes were a total afterthought the morning after a make-your-own-sushi-roll for dinner night. I usually just stir fry my leftover rice and top it with a runny egg for breakfast the next morning but this time, I decided to crisp it up into what basically turned into a crack cake. It’s tahdig on steroids and solves the soggy latke problem, because even hours later, the latkes remained super crispy.

I think my biggest problem was what to top them with but I solved it pretty fast because runny eggs are my jam, especially when they are jammy soft boiled ones. But honestly, the options are endless. Lox and creme fraiche if you’re feeling fancy. Caviar if you really want to take it over the top. Some tuna tartare if you want to go Asian, or some sesame pulled beef if you’re feeling meaty.

And if you really want to be fancy, mix the scallions INTO the rice before frying. Or add any fillings of your choice. ENDLESS. OPTIONS.

Chanukah has been so good to me. It gave me life (I was born on the 5th night), and it celebrates my Anniversary (I got married on my birthday). I’ve always felt a special connection to the holiday of fried food, donuts and wine + cheese and I secretly wonder if it’s one of the reasons I was born with the foodie gene!

This Chanukah is especially momentous because I get to share the holiday with so many of my fans and followers at my local book signings in Williams Sonoma and Bloomingdales! I could not be more excited to share some of my favorite Chanukah recipes in some of my favorite stores. I am feeling so. very. blessed. Thank you all for making this year so special to me!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Chanukah!

Crispy Rice Latkes

2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
oil, for frying
special equipment: ring mold (optional)

Method:

Rinse rice until water runs clear. Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Place vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat slowly until salt and syrup dissolves.

Place cooked rice in a wide, shallow glass bowl. Toss rice gently with vinegar mixture using a plastic spoon. Cool completely.

Heat oil in a frying pan and grease a ring mold with cooking spray. With wet hands, press some rice into the mold in a thin layer. Alternatively, form rice cakes with your hands. Fry until a crispy brown crust has formed and flip over to crisp the other side.

Serving suggestions:
serve with soft boiled or sunny-side-up eggs with scallions and sriracha
serve with lox and creme fraiche
serve with pulled beef or lamb
serve with tuna tartare or sashimi
serve with guacamole
serve with kimchi and tofu

Variations:
add scallions, herbs and/or cheese to the rice before frying.

Other Latke Recipes:

salami potato latkes
sabich latkes
falatkes (falafel latkes)
poutine latkes
confetti latkes
butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes

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Bourbon Peach Meatballs

On September 20, 2018September 20, 2018

by chanie

in Appetizer, Dinner, Meat & Poultry, Recipes, Shabbos

4 Comments

Is it just me or is time just getting away from us this year? Everything seems to be moving so fast – the somber days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are already behind us, and it’s party time!

Succos is one of my favorite holidays. I love the smell of autumn in the air, the sound of ruffling leaves as we sit outside to eat and the cool breeze that blows through our little hut as we gather to celebrate. What I don’t love, is the exorbitant amount of food that seems neverending as we roll from one meal to the next for eight days straight! No matter how much one loves cooking, we all get sick of prepping, and even eating, that much!

So…. here are some tips to help us all manage and get through the cookfest:

1. This seems pretty obvious but DON’T. COOK. SO. MUCH.! Let go of the stereotypical meal of fish with dips and salads + meat and/or chicken with several sides + dessert. Instead, lighten things up with a composed meal that consists of a small plated appetizer – fish, if you’re traditional, or something vegan, if you’re not. Then move onto the main course – a large salad, festive roast or chicken with one starchy side, one vegetable and something kid friendly. For dessert – spruce up some Duncan Hines brownies with some tahini, oreos, frozen cookie dough or whatever you wish and serve with ice cream.
2. Plan themed menus! This keeps things exciting instead of boring and repetitive. I love to do a Mexican, Israeli, or Asian meal over Succos. Check out this post for some ideas!
3. Reinvent leftovers! Instead of throwing out that leftover chicken soup, why not make chicken pot pie? Or repurpose your leftover roast into a Shepherd’s pie. If you think outside the box and try to repurpose your leftovers, you can make a whole new meal without having to cook much at all.
4. Cook once, use twice! When prepping for the first days of the Chag, prepare a double portion of things like pulled beef, grilled chicken or hummus and use them a bunch of different ways.

Here are some suggestions:

Pulled beef: scroll to the bottom of this post for my super easy pulled beef recipe. It freezes great so make a double portion and freeze for later – pull and freeze in the sauce.
Serving suggestions: pulled beef sliders, nachos, tacos, bourekas, Shepherd’s pie, serve over hummus or mashed potatoes.

Grilled chicken: prepare a large portion and wrap smaller portions and freeze.
Serving suggestions: chicken salad, chicken wraps, fried rice, lo mein, ramen bowls, summer rolls, eggrolls.
Recipes:
grilled chicken wedge salad with carrot ginger dressing
grilled chicken fattoush with za’atar ranch
grilled chicken salad with jalapeno honey mustard
grilled chicken shawarma salad
sheet pan chicken fajitas 5 ways
farro grain bowl
sesame linguini with grilled chicken
Asian chicken salad
curried chicken lettuce wraps

Hummus: make a large portion of hummus and repurpose with different toppings.
Serving suggestions: hummus bassar (you can also use baharat, taco seasoning, shawarma spice…), humshuka – hummus with shakshuka on top, hummus with shawarma chicken, hummus with falafel, hummus with chickpeas, hummus with beets, hummus with roasted eggplant and pomegranate seeds, hummus with olives…

Grains or Pasta: make a large batch of pasta or grains of choice like quinoa.
Serving suggestions: pasta salad, pasta bolognese, lo mein, baked ziti or quinoa salad, quinoa patties, quinoa chili, quinoa stuffing.

I hope these ideas helped you manage the cooking frenzy ahead! Wishing you a Chag Sameach!

Bourbon Peach Meatballs

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
15oz honey hickory BBQ sauce
12 oz. peach jam
1/2 c bourbon
1/2 c water
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
2/3 c bread crumbs
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Saute until translucent. Add the BBQ sauce, peach jam, bourbon and water and bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the meatballs: Mix ground beef with eggs, bread crumbs, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Form the mixture into small balls and drop into the simmering sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.

Serve on it’s own as an appetizer or over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes as a main.

NOTE: If you can’t find peach jam, use apricot instead.

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Mom’s Potato Knishes

On September 13, 2018September 20, 2018

by chanie

in Appetizer, Purim, Recipes, Rosh Hashanah, Shabbos, Shavuous, Side Dish

20 Comments

As a recipe developer, it’s not often that I make other peoples recipes, and when I do, it’s often ones that have been in my family for years. I usually find myself cooking my mom’s dishes around the High Holidays – there’s just something about the Days of Awe that makes me want to connect to my roots, and how more so than with food.

Mom’s potato knishes are a staple at every holiday meal, and it has always been my favorite, because, well… potatoes. It’s probably the only time you’ll see me using margarine – EVER – because coconut oil just doesn’t fly here and to keep the knishes pareve, I’ve got no other choice. Plus, puff pastry is basically 80% margarine anyway, so what’s a little more, amiright?

What I love about this recipe is that the filling makes enough to fill 3 whole rolls and they freeze great! And since they’re frozen unbaked, they taste like you just made them when you bake them up before serving. = a perfect recipe for long holidays like Succos coming up! If you have a custom to eat stuffed foods for the Harvest Holiday, I’ve got you covered there too!

Mom’s Potato Knishes

8 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 medium onions, sliced into half moons
3 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 stick trans-fat-free margarine
salt and pepper, to taste
3 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain well.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sliced onions and saute until deeply browned and caramelized.

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until no lumps remain. Add margarine, onions, salt and pepper. Once the mixture is cool, add in the eggs and stir until creamy.

Unfold the puff pastry onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out to form a large rectangle. Spread the potato mixture over it and starting from the longer side, roll up the pastry like a jelly roll with the seam on the bottom. Lift the parchment paper and place the roll on a baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut slits into the pastry and bake until puffed and golden brown.

Repeat with remaining puff pastry and potatoes.

NOTE: This recipe can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate before baking. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking. Alternatively, you can freeze the roll before baking, brush with egg wash and sesame seeds and bake frozen.

VARIATION: You can also try this with sauteed cabbage to make cabbage knishes or sauteed mushroom and onions.

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Hummus Simanim

On September 3, 2018September 20, 2018

by chanie

in Appetizer, Dips, Recipes, Rosh Hashanah, Salad, Shabbos

27 Comments

As the New Year approaches, I always like to evaluate where I stand and think about what changes I want to make for myself in the coming year, both personally and professionally. For years, my goal was to take the necessary steps towards writing my own cookbook, and now that I have met that goal (far beyond my expectations, with our first printing of 15,000 books completely sold out in just 3 months!), I keep asking myself, “What’s next?”.

I’m not the type of person that settles on status quo – I’m always dreaming up the next big thing and finding ways to challenge myself. It’s like they say – “If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind” – and I definitely believe in that.

Truth be told, once the book went to print, I was so emotionally and physically exhausted that I couldn’t imagine coming up with new recipes and ideas ever again! But as my workload lightened up this summer, I got back in the kitchen because I wanted to, not because I had to, and I found my groove again! I went back to my roots, the foods and the flavors that I love the most (yes, that means Israeli food!) and this amazing new recipe came to me! It’s simanim on steroids and it is everything you’ve ever dreamed of for your Rosh Hashanah table and more!

Simanim, or symbolic foods, are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize our hopes for a sweet New Year. Some simanim include leeks, pomegranate, gourds (any type of squash), dates, black eyed peas or green beans, beets, carrots and fish head (some use ram’s head). These specific foods are eaten because their hebrew translation relates to specific blessings that convey our wishes for the coming year.

When I put the platter together, I couldn’t stop taking photos because, I mean, HOW GORGEOUS IS IT, amiright??? I all but maxed out my SD card and went. to. town. (No- I like seriously went to town, for some fresh pita!). I invited my neighbors over and we stood over my kitchen counter in the mountains, scooping hummus and salad onto blistered bread, the tastes of Israel growing stronger with each bite. It was a simple dish, but it captured everything I love about what I do – channeling my creativity, sharing with friends, cooking with color and putting a twist on tradition.

This dish reminded me how important it is to cook from a place of love – it is, after all, the secret ingredient that makes everything taste better – and that it’s food, family and tradition that brings us all together.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and sweet New Year with much success in all areas of your lives. May we continue to reach milestones and share good news with each other this year!
Ksiva Vachasima Tova L’shana Tova Umisukah!

Hummus

2 cloves garlic
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cumin
1 cup good-quality tahini paste, stir if separated
3/4 cup ice water
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and tahini to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Puree the mixture; while the machine is running, pour ice water through the feed tube. Blend until mixture is very smooth. Add chickpeas; blend until creamy. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt, cumin, or lemon, if desired. To adjust consistency, add a bit of water at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

To assemble the platter: spread the hummus over a large lazy Susan or a shallow bowl. Place mounds of pomegranate blistered green beans, preserved lemon carrot slaw, beet salad, baharat roasted squash, sauteed leeks and pomegranate seeds in the center of the hummus. Add a few pitted dates. Drizzle olive oil over the hummus and serve.

Pomegranate Blistered Green Beans

1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 1/2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Add the green beans and saute over high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until tender-crisp and blistered. Lower the heat, stir in the garlic and saute until softened. Add the pomegranate molasses, salt, pepper and sesame seeds and toss until coated.

Preserved Lemon Carrot Slaw
reprinted from Millennial Kosher

1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup light olive oil
3 Tbsp minced preserved lemons
salt and pepper, to taste
3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
¼ cup packed parsley, roughly chopped

Method:

Add garlic, olive oil, preserved lemons, salt and pepper to a bowl; stir to combine. Pour mixture over grated carrots; stir in the parsley.

Beet Salad

1 lb. roasted or prepared beets, cut into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
handful of parsley, roughly chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat.

Baharat Roasted Squash

small butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp baharat
1 tbsp honey
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet and add olive oil, baharat, honey and salt, stir to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Baharat recipe: combine 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 1/4 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cardamom.

Sauteed Leeks

2 leeks
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut off the upper portion of the leeks, keeping the white and pale green portion at the bottom. Chop the leeks. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the leeks. Saute until caramelized and season to taste, with salt and pepper.