Category: Dairy

Grilled Cheese with Figs & Honey

I spend all summer waiting for figs to come in season. When they finally turned up at the market, I could not resist putting some sweet, fresh figs onto my grilled cheese sandwich. The best thing about this “recipe” is that it’s not a recipe at all. You can use any bread you like, any soft or creamy cheese, and you can slice, mince, or grill up the figs before adding them to your sandwich (fig jam also works really well).

I don’t have a panini press, but if you do, feel free to grill up your sandwich to get those beautiful grill marks. Alternatively, you can just press your sandwich down over a grill pan for a toasted and crunchy bite!

For a low carb option, hold the bread and just grill up a whole wheel of brie or Camembert and top with figs and generous drizzle of honey.

This post is part of the Kosher Recipe Linkup for the month of August, featuring GRILLED recipes. Scroll down for more!

 

Grilled Fig & Cheese Sandwich

2 slices wholegrain bread or 1 baguette
2-3 tbsp creamy cheese, such as ricotta, farmer’s or goat OR a few slices of soft cheese such as brie or camembert
3 fresh figs, sliced
drizzle of honey
pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp butter

Method:

Spread cheese on bread and top with figs. Drizzle honey over figs and sprinkle a dash of cinnamon. Heat up butter in a grill pan and grill the sandwich until browned and toasted.

1 year ago: honey roasted figs

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Linguini Lasagna

With the nine days* upon us, we’re all looking for a quick fix dairy dinner that doesn’t require oven time. At least here in Brooklyn, where the weather has been stifling hot and humid.  A nice big salad would make for the perfect meal, but I’ve got kids to feed, and salad is just not gonna cut it. My kids adore lasagna, but all that prep and cooking time is too much on these long summer days. My solution? a one-pot pasta dinner with all the lasagna components. The best part is, you can customize it to include all your favorite lasagna fillings. I knew I did well when I served this up and my daughter’s first words were “this tastes like Bubby’s lasagna!” Use store-bought marinara to save on prep time, or prepare your own original recipe.

What recipes are you serving up during the Nine Days? On my menu this week:

Monday: baked ziti and greek salad
Tuesday: crispy beer battered fish tacos from The Shiksa
Wednesday: light eggplant parmesan (no breading)
Thursday: quesadillas with assorted fillings

For more great Nine Days menu ideas, check out last years post.

*The Nine Days is a mourning period over the destruction of the Holy Temple. During this time, observant Jews abstain from eating meat and drinking wine as well as other joyous activities.

 

Linguini Lasagna

1 box linguini pasta, cooked al dente (see package instructions)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups chopped spinach (if frozen, thaw and squeeze out water)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 jar marinara sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp sugar, optional
1 8oz. container cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Method:

Heat up oil in a skillet and add garlic. Saute until fragrant, but not browned. Add spinach and saute for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add marinara sauce, basil, oregano and sugar and bring to a boil. With tongs, toss the linguini into the sauce and stir in cottage cheese and mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Variation: For a fun twist on traditional lasagna, break a few lasagna sheets into pieces. Cook until al dente. Use in place of linguini and mix with remaining ingredients.

1 year ago: spinach stuffed mushrooms

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Corn Flake Crunch Ice Cream

I am so excited to be a part of this all new kosher recipe linkup! Each month, the linkup will feature another theme. This month it is frozen desserts. Check out the other great frozen dessert recipes below!

I don’t have an ice cream machine, so when I thought about what frozen dessert to post, I kept coming back to one of my most popular posts, my peanut butter fudge ice cream pie. What makes that recipe so great is the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Who doesn’t love that decadent pairing? My brother reminded me about another ice cream recipe that my mom used to make that also uses peanut butter and chocolate. Mixed with crunchy clusters of corn flakes and slivered almonds, this recipe is sure to become your next favorite dessert! Feel free to use store bought ice cream or you can make your own.

Corn Flake Crunch Ice Cream
adapted from “The Balabuste’s Choice”

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4.5 oz. (1/2 bag) chocolate chips
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cups Corn Flakes
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the slivered almonds out on a baking sheet and bake until toasted and brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Add peanut butter and chocolate chips to a pot and stir over medium heat until melted. Stir in slivered almonds and corn flakes. Pour the softened ice cream into a 9×13 pan and fold in the cornflake mixture. Freeze for several hours.

You may serve this in scoops or cut into squares and garnish with chocolate syrup and slivered almonds.

1 year ago: fruit skewers with dipping sauce

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Salmon Pasta Salad

If you follow my blog, you know how much I love turning leftovers into something fabulous. This salmon salad is no exception. Back on Succos, I prepared a huge portion of salmon and although delicious, I still had so much left over. Because salmon tends to get a bit fishy the next day, I wanted to serve it up in a way that I could mask some of its fishiness. And that’s how this recipe was borne.

This year, we go straight from Shabbos into Shavuous and I’m sure many of you are going to have lots of leftovers. And since not everyone has the luxury of leaving on their oven for 3 days, we’ve all got to make the most of what we’ve got. This recipe will take your leftover salmon from fishy to delicious! I’ve upped the ante for Shavuous by using soft Israeli cream cheese instead of mayonnaise. Make sure to bake your salmon in a pareve oven so you can make it dairy.


Salmon Pasta Salad

1 12 oz box bowtie pasta (reserve 2 tbsp cooking water)
2 slices leftover salmon (see note)
1/2 c peas, thawed
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp dill
1/4 cup soft Israeli cream cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare pasta according to package directions, making sure to reserve 2 tbsp of cooking water before draining. Add the pasta to a mixing bowl and stir in cream cheese while it’s still hot. Add pasta water 1 tbsp at a time to help thin out the cream cheese. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don’t have leftover salmon, you can use chunks of canned salmon or you can bake fresh. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze some fresh lemon on fish, sprinkle salt, and drizzle a little olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

Variation: For a pareve version, use mayo instead of cream cheese. Omit the pasta water.

1 year ago: black bean & chorizo chocolate chili

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Cream of Leek Soup + Fresh & Easy Cookbook Review

I don’t know what’s taken me so long to make something from Leah Schapira’s fabulous cookbook Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking, but I’m so glad I finally did. It also gave me a chance to revisit the book and look at page after page of mouthwatering recipes and pictures. While the title “Fresh & Easy” refers to the recipes, it also reflects the cookbooks ease of use. Being a web designer by trade, I really appreciate a fresh and clean layout, and Leah’s book does a fabulous job of creating organized, easy-to-read meal plans for the everyday cook. With picture perfect menu’s, an informative guide to seasonal fruits & vegetables, as well as freezer tips and food pairings, “Fresh & Easy” is the perfect resource for busy moms and cooks.

One of the recipes that stood out to me was this cream of leak soup. While I usually make french onion soup for Shavuous, I find it quite heavy, so I was looking for something dairy, but lighter. While this is similar to a vichyssoise, the lack of potatoes and heavy cream keep it light – which I love. Of course I had to throw my own twist on it, so I made some crispy leeks for garnish.

Some of the other recipes I’m eyeing from Leah’s book include the gemelli basil pasta salad, butternut squash with grapes and shallots, red wine tomato sauce, Italian breadsticks, double chocolate pecan waffles, creamy thai chicken thighs, plum asian chicken, savory hamentaschen, peanut butter bars, cinnamon twists, cheese buns….(I better stop here before I type up the whole cookbook!)

Do you own the Fresh & Easy cookbook? What are some of the recipes you’ve tried? I’d love to hear from you!

Cream of Leek Soup
reprinted with permission from Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking by Leah Schapira of CookKosher.com

3 large leeks (white and light green parts only)
2-3 tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
4 tbsp flour
2 cups pareve chicken stock (I used Imagine)
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup milk

Method:

Slice the white and light green parts of the leek in half vertically (I seem to have misread this part and used the green parts too, oops!). Wash well and cut crosswise into thin slices. Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the leeks and onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the flour, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat. Add white wine, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Add milk and heat thoroughly, taking care that the soup does not come to a boil.

Note: Puree if desired.


Crispy Leeks

1 leek, white and light green part only
canola oil

Method:

Slice the leek in half vertically and wash to remove dirt and grit. Dry well. Cut the leek lengthwise into thin strips. Heat up oil in a small pan and add leeks. Fry until golden and drain on paper towels.

1 year ago: mini zucchini muffins + Rivka’s pumpkin cake

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