Category: Appetizer

Beer Battered Salami Chips with Beer Mustard

Oh yes I did. I made SALAMI. ON. STEROIDS.

And I didn’t have much choice either. I mean, there’s pretty much no outdoing my drunken hasselback salami, so I had to go there. And by there I mean, the deep fryer.

Ever since I read about a not-so-well-known custom to eat salami on Purim (to commemorate the hanging of HAMAN…hanging….salami….get it?), I’ve been banging out salami recipes for the holiday. Truth be told, I have no idea if this is a real thing, or if I happened upon a practical joke, but regardless, this taking-salami-to-the-next-level challenge has been a blast.

And it’s so ironic because I literally hated salami growing up. My mom used to feed us salami sandwiches for lunch every Friday afternoon. She’d smear ketchup on rye and top it with thick slices of salami all wrapped up in a foil package so we could take it along as we played in the courtyard of our building. One at a time, we’d chuck those salami sandwiches down the incinerator, and my mom was none the wiser! Fast forward some 20+ years and here. I. am.

Now when I think about this recipe, I have to admit, it’s like the ultimate guy food. It’s got beer, salami and it’s fried. I mean, seriously, could you ask for anything more?

Apparently you can. Because, not only did I come up with the ultimate finger food, I even made a beer dipping sauce, just to take the whole Purim thing over the top. Because that’s the way I roll. Or hang, apparently.

I’ve never made mustard from scratch before so I was excited to give it a try. There’s something really interesting I discovered about mustard in this recipe creation process. When mustard is exposed to heat, it loses it’s potency. (Same goes for horseradish and wasabi by the way)! I learned this by trying the same mustard recipe two ways – one used a bit more beer so I reduced it over heat, and the other I blended in the food processor to thicken, using no heat. The results were astounding! The blended mustard is super hot, while the cooked mustard is mildly sweet with little heat. Pretty awesome, right?

When the crispy salami and beer mustard meet, it’s the ultimate marriage. And it’s not just any salami, by the way. I used my favorite brand, Abeles & Heymann, because after visiting their factory a few months ago, and watching the salami-making process with my own eyes, I know their salami is made with the highest quality ingredients from start to finish!

And I wouldn’t think of coating that salami in anything less than the perfect crispy batter – which is what you get from beer batter. It’s super light and crisp, and let’s not forget, easy! Beer batter is just flour and beer and that’s it. Because the salami is packed with flavor, I don’t add much else, but you can always add a pinch of cayenne for some heat, if you’d like.

Now that we have the ultimate party food, lets discuss the Jewish holiday of Purim for a second! The Purim celebration is based upon the biblical Book of Esther, which recounts the story of Queen Esther and how she saved the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman (after whom the HAMANtasch is named). We celebrate with a festive feast (where these salami chips must make an appearance!), sending food gifts to family and friends, drinking until we don’t know the difference between the evil HAMAN and the righteous MOREDECHAI, and of course, dressing up as characters in the Purim story.

Growing up, Purim was always our favorite holiday, and you can imagine why. We got to dress up, deliver goodies to our friends and gorge on hamantaschen. As an adult, I love to put my own twist on the holiday with creative themes on my food gifts, fun twists on holiday cocktails and of course, crazy spins on salami!

If you live in Brooklyn, Queens or The Five Towns, be sure to check out my other salami recipe in the all new FYI Magazine! I’m so excited to join the team of FYI as the food editor, with a column for Fast & Fresh recipes as well as a Nutritious and Delicious section. This month, I’ve got a quick and easy salami quiche as well as a Persian twist on dried fruit truffles – perfect for your Purim feast or your Mishloach Manos.

Whether you choose to take on the Purim salami tradition or not, just remember to have fun and be joyous, because that’s what this holiday is all about! :) Happy Purim!

Beer Battered Salami Chips

1 16oz. Abeles & Heymann salami, sliced
1 cup all purpose flour
1 12oz. bottle of beer, ale preferred
pinch of salt

Method:

Add the flour and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the beer and stir until a thick batter forms. It should be a little thicker than pancake batter. You’ll need most of the bottle of beer (with about 1/2 cup left over).

Heat a few inches of oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees.

Dip the salami slices in the beer batter and place in the hot oil. Fry a few at a time until golden brown on one side, and then flip over to brown the other side. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels. To keep the salami chips crisp, remove from the paper towels and place on a rack.

Beer Mustard, Two Ways

1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 12 oz. beer, ale preferred
3 tbsp mustard powder
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 heaping tbsp honey
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt

For sweet mustard, soak the mustard seeds in the beer overnight. Place the mustard seeds with the soaking liquid and all the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to break up the bubbles. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally, so the mustard seeds don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Be sure not to thicken the mustard too much as it will thicken more once cooled.

For spicy mustard (VERY SPICY!), soak the mustard seeds in 1 cup of beer (not the whole bottle) overnight. Place the mustard seeds with the soaking liquid and the remaining ingredients (excluding the leftover beer) in a food processor. Blend until the mustard seeds break down and the mixture thickens (it will thicken more in the fridge).

For either mustard, store in a glass jar in the fridge, giving it a few days for the flavors to meld and develop.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET 15% OFF YOUR ABELES & HEYMANN ONLINE ORDER USING COUPON CODE “BUSY”!

Salami making at the Abeles & Heymann factory with owner, Seth Levitt! This is the first and last time you will see me in a lab coat and hairnet ;)

This post is sponsored by Abeles & Heymann. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! 

Other Salami Recipes:

drunken hasselback salami
baked salami chips with dijon dipping sauce

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Tortilla Crusted Chicken Fingers (Baked!)

Wait. Stop. I know what you’re thinking. These look EXACTLY like KFC chicken tenders, now how did she do that?! I’m an accidental genius, that’s how (and a very humble one at that). Read on.

These crazy, amazing, oven-fried crispiest-ever chicken fingers where never supposed to happen. It was around the holidays, Succot to be exact, and I decided to go with a Mexican-themed menu. We’d already had so many meals and I needed a break from the traditional! I made blackened fish tacos, guacamole, taco salad, black bean & chorizo chocolate chili, cornbread, empanadas, and Mexican hot chocolate brownies. Now there was lots of meat going on, but not much in the form of chicken, so I wanted to make sure we had something kid-friendly that matched the Mexican theme. I looked through my pantry for something “corny” and found a half-eaten bag of BBQ tortilla chips – perfect! OK maybe BBQ tortilla chips are not authentically Mexican but I figured it could pass.

And pass it did. Those chicken fingers never even made it to the table. They got passed around and were gone in seconds. And the crazy part is – I made them the most untraditional way – by dipping the chicken in oil instead of egg.

My youngest is allergic, and I wanted to make sure there was something for him to enjoy, so I decided to forgo the egg-dipping and just go for some oil as a binder. True oil is not as sticky as egg, so the chips did not adhere as well – but they were super ultra crispy.

They were also super ultra tasty – because I used BBQ tortilla chips instead of the plain old boring ones. The BBQ seasoning gives the chips a nice color, so even though they’re baked, they look fried. Just like those crispy cornflake chicken tenders you drool over in every fast food commercial.

Speaking of commercials, I had wanted to get these up for Superbowl Sunday this week, but they just didn’t make it. Maybe that’s because I, nor anyone I know, is interested in the game. We’re more like social media geeks than sports fanatics so if you ask my husband and I who played, we have no idea. The only thing I know about Superbowl Sunday is that Katie Perry wore a yalmulkah dress! And I only know that ‘cuz it was all over my whatsapp!

Superbowl or not, these crispy oven-fried chicken tenders are the perfect appetizer for any party. They also make the best child-friendly dinner, with a mayo-salsa sauce for dipping. My picky-eaters loved them, and I’m sure yours will too!

Tortilla Crusted Chicken Fingers

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 bag BBQ tortilla chips
cooking spray
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup salsa

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour the tortilla chips into a ziploc bag and crush with your hands until completely broken apart into small bits. Set up a dredging station with the chicken strips, eggs and tortilla chips each in a separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the tortilla chips, pressing down so the chips stick to the chicken. Place the crusted chicken strips on a well-greased baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until chicken is crispy and cooked through. For best results, serve immediately or remove to a cooling rack so chicken remains crispy.

For the dipping sauce, combine the mayonnaise with the salsa and mix.

EGG-FREE VARIATION: Dip the chicken strips in oil instead of egg and proceed as above.

Related Recipes:

french fried chicken nuggets
nut crusted shnitzel

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Roasted Tomato Soup with Muenster Breadsticks

I really feel bad for you guys. Here I am living it up in sunny Miami, while my fellow Brooklynites are stuck with a curfew while the city shuts down due to a blizzard. I’m truly thinking of you while I sit here relaxing at the beach! :- p

And just to show you how much I care, I’m sharing this comforting roasted tomato soup with muenster breadsticks in honor of Snowmaggedan 2015! I know you all stocked your houses to the hilts, so chances are, you have the ingredients on hand (and then some), so lets get cookin’!

They’re calling this NorthEastern historic and crippling and I’m calling this recipe duo soul-warming and pure comfort food. It’s the perfect kind of meal to eat at the fireplace while piles of fluffy white snow accumulate outside your window. Winter Storm Juno’s got nothing on you.

We start our not-so-little snow feast with roasted tomato soup. If you’ve never roasted tomatoes before, it’s time to start! They become so deliciously sweet – perfect with sweet roasted garlic and shallots. Topping off the soup with pesto and fresh basil just takes it over the top.

You can’t have tomato soup without cheese and bread! I love me some grilled cheese with tomato soup, but roasted tomato soup requires something a bit more sophisticated – like breadsticks! Don’t be overwhelmed by the thought, I keep things simple using a quick & easy pizza dough (you can even use store-bought dough). And for the filling – I use my ultimate favorite cheese of all time – MUENSTER! Muenster is a white cows-milk cheese that melts incredibly well. Natural & Kosher makes convenient pouches of shredded muenster that are perfect for making grilled cheese, mac ‘n cheese, pizza, or quesadillas.  I like to twist my breadsticks so I get lots of the toasted crispy cheese all around, but you can also make these more traditional and keep the cheese inside (see recipe for how).

Now back to sunny Miami – we’re keeping away from the pool today because it’s all of 55 degrees,, and the natives are pulling out their Uggs! I’m still on a high from The Miami Marathon (hashtag Miami Famous) this past Sunday, which I was lucky enough to walk/run in honor of The Friendship Circle.


Running a marathon was something I’ve always wanted to do, but I never thought I’d really do it. When my friend Rochel Leah recruited me for Team Friendship, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into. Little did I know, I’d have to train 4 times a week to complete 13 miles, when I could barely meet a single mile mark.

Six weeks of training proved nearly impossible in 20 degree weather (and less!), but I pushed myself to my limit and walked/ran as much as I could. Four times a week didn’t happen, but I managed quite a few training sessions, increasing my mileage to as much as 10 miles. I covered Prospect Park, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Williamsburgh, Long Island City and more! I can’t wait to share pics and more about my experience in a future post. In the meantime, you can still support my run and help me reach my fundraising goal here!

I’m off to relax in the sun, but stay warm you guys, I’m thinking of you!

Roasted Tomato Soup:

10 plum tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 shallots, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tsp dried oregano
pesto, for garnish
fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the tomatoes and shallots in half lengthwise and place them on a baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Coat the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes.

Place the roasted vegetables in a pot with their juices. Add stock and oregano and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more stock, if needed.

Ladle the soup into cups and garnish with pesto and fresh basil. Serve with muenster breadsticks (recipe follows).

Yields: 6 half cup servings.



Muenster Breadsticks
Thanks to my son’s teacher, Frayda Brown, for this super easy pizza dough recipe! 

1 tbsp dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
4 oz. Natural & Kosher shredded muenster
olive oil
garlic powder
Natural & Kosher grated parmesan

Place the yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl and let it rest until foamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise, about 1 hour.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle, adding flour as needed, to keep it from sticking. Spread the muenster cheese over the bottom half of the dough and fold the top half of the dough over the cheese. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into sticks and twist carefully. Place the strips on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan cheese and bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

VARIATION: Try mixing some shredded muenster directly into the dough for more cheesy goodness.
SHAPING: If you prefer to keep the cheese inside the dough, roll out small strips of dough into rectangles, fill with shredded cheese and roll into a long rope, pinching to close on all sides. Brush with oil and proceed as above.

Yields: about 12 breadsticks.


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

Related Recipes:

minestrone soup
3-cheese broccoli pull apart buns
lasagna roll-ups

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Wilted Kale & Kabocha Squash Salad

Kabocha squash seems to have gained popularity in recent years. When I was growing up, no-one ever seemed to know what it was. Maybe that’s because my mom always called it kaboochie squash! She’s not usually ahead of the trend, but she’s been making it ever since I can remember.

Kabocha is a winter squash that’s grown primarily in Japan. It’s often referred to as Japanese pumpkin. It’s not the prettiest looking thing, and it’s one of the hardest squashes to cut, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Kabocha squash is sweeter than traditional pumpkin, with a creamy texture similar to sweet potato. My mom always roasted it with brown sugar, my favorite, but it’s also wonderful braised with savory Asian flavors like soy sauce and ginger.  To make kabocha squash easier to tackle, I like to look for small ones that I can break open with one swing of my chef’s knife. The best part about it is that it’s got an edible peel, so there’s no need to start fussing with the knobby skin.

For this winter kale salad, I decided to roast the kabocha squash with maple syrup and pair it with seasonal pears and pecans. I’m not a fan of raw kale, so I wilt it down a bit to make it easier to eat. If you don’t find raw kale to be tough, you can go ahead and skip this step.

Wilted Kale & Kabocha Squash Salad

1 small kabocha squash, seeds removed, diced small
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
kosher salt, to taste
1 bunch kale
2 tbsp olive oil
splash of stock or water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pear, seeds removed, thinly sliced
1 cup candied pecans
shaved parmesan, optional

dressing:

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tbsp minced shallots
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the kabocha squash out on a baking sheet and mix with olive oil, maple syrup and salt. Roast until tender and starting to brown, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add the kale. Saute until heated through and add a splash of water or stock. season with salt and pepper and cover the pan. Cook until kale is wilted.

In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients besides for the oil. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking as you go, until dressing is thick and emulsified.

Place the wilted kale on a large platter and top with kabocha squash, pear slices and candied pecans. Garnish with shaved parmesan (optional) and drizzle with salad dressing.

VARIATION: I find raw kale to be rather tough, but if you like it, you can skip the wilting step and just the massage the dressing into the raw kale (it helps to remove some of the bitterness).

Related Recipes:

kale persimmon salad

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Cream of Chicken Soup in Bread Bowls

Winter has been good to us this year — so far. Besides for a few cold and blustery days, we haven’t had much snow. In fact, today is just about the first day of real powdered white fluff that didn’t melt when it hit the ground. Days like these call for hearty meals. The kind that involve fresh yeast and a creamy bowl of hot soup.

I’m really not one for baking doughs, but when I saw snow in the forecast, I decided to challenge myself to a comforting dinner of bread bowls filled with cream of chicken soup. It was so much easier than I had anticipated, mostly thanks to the new Bosch mixer that I bought myself for the New Year.

The Bosch makes dough-making so incredibly simple, I don’t know why I didn’t splurge on it 10 years ago! The only problem with baking up some yeasted breads and treats is that they are such a tease! I’m reserving my bread-making for special occasions, like snowy winter days like these.

The only thing better than these easy soup bowls, is the comforting cream of chicken soup that goes in it. It’s almost like a chicken pot pie, minus the puff pastry. I love to add potatoes for a hearty meal that kids and adults alike can enjoy.

Stay warm out there!

Cream of Chicken Soup:

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups diced cooked chicken (see note)
1 cup coconut milk (I use Coconut Dream Original)

Method:

In a large stockpot, heat half of the olive oil and saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add remaining oil, carrots, celery and potatoes and continue to saute until fragrant and softened. Slowly add flour, sauteeing continuously until the flour turns into a blond paste, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the stock, stirring continuously and add the bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the soup up to a boil, stirring throughout, so flour incorporates into the soup without lumping. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook until vegetables are completely tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken and coconut milk and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Simmer until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes.

NOTE: To cook chicken, place 2 large bone-in chicken breasts (skin-on) in a pan and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Bread Bowls

2 packets rapid rise yeast
2  1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
6 1/2 – 7 cups flour

Method:

Place the yeast, water and sugar in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the yeast. Let stand until foamy. Mix in remaining ingredients, starting with 5 cups of flour, and add more, as needed. When the dough has pulled together, knead it for a few minutes, until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil the dough, cover, and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. Punch down the dough and divide it into 6 equal portions. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place an empty sheet pan on the 2nd shelf of the oven. Brush the dough with eggwash and put the tray of rolls onto the first shelf of the oven. Immediately pour a cup of hot water into the empty tray below it and close the oven door.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Slice off the top of the bread bowl and scoop out some of the bread. Fill with soup and serve immediately.

Related Recipes:

individual chicken pot pies
chicken pot pie croquettes
leftover turkey pot pie
pumpkin pot pie

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