Category: Dinner

Thai Chicken Curry

So here’s my Pesach philosophy, bear with me.

I’m not a fan of all the processed junk that they make to mimic the flavors of year-round-ingredients that people can’t use on Passover – like imitation mustard and caramel-colored brown sauce that they call “soy sauce”. No. Just no.

Passover, to me, is a time to go back to basics and use what’s natural and wholesome. What a way to eat! And that doesn’t have to mean boring and bland chicken and potatoes or 8 days!

It all boils down to the produce – relying on lots of fresh herbs, aromatics and spices to help build a dish from the ground up.

For this recipe, I tried to keep it simple – so while the curry paste is non-traditional it’s doable and not too spicy. And the processed ingredients like almond butter, coconut milk and coconut aminos, are all wholesome and natural. Just the way our Passover should be!

Thai Chicken Curry

For the Thai-ish Chili Paste:

1 large shallot
3″ chunk ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 stalks lemongrass
2 Thai chilies
handful of cilantro stems
2 tsp chili powder
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp tomato paste
kosher salt, to taste

Blend all the ingredients in the food processor until pasty (add a splash of water, if needed, to get it going). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

For the curry:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 heaping tbsp minced ginger
1.5-2 lbs. dark meat chicken, diced into bite-size pieces
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup Thai-ish curry paste
2 tbsp coconut aminos
1-2 tbsp honey
juice of 1/2 lime

For serving
zucchini noodles
cilantro
chopped scallions
sliced almonds
lime wedges
thinly sliced Thai chilies

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a wok or deep skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until softened, 1 minute. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and saute until cooked through and no longer pink.

Add the almond butter, coconut milk, curry paste, coconut aminos and honey and stir to incorporate. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is slightly thickened and creamy. Season, to taste, with salt. Add the lime and stir to incorporate.

Serve over zucchini noodles (lighty saute for 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp) and garnish with cilantro, scallions, Thai chilies, almonds and serve with a lime wedge.

NOTE: You can also use cashew butter instead of almond butter.

Related Recipes:

peanut chicken curry
panko crusted salmon with almond butter sauce
cucumber salad with almond butter dressing
Almond Butter Tahini

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Chili Lime Tuna Crudo with Mango Juice


A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to a bluefin tuna carving event with Fleishigs magazine and Akimori restaurant at the kosher.com test kitchen, sponsored by Tuscanini. They brought in a 158lb. bluefin tuna that had been caught that very day in Mexico, and they carved it right in front of us! It was fascinating.

The tuna was broken down into akame (lean), chutoro (medium-fatty) and otoro (fattiest) and prepared in different styles – shashimi, nigiri, torched and lightly seasoned. They also set up a poke bar for us to make our own bowls! It was such a fun way to learn about the different styles of fish and their preparation and we had a blast! The best part was getting to take home a goodie bag of otoro, the most prized part of the fish, and I knew I had to make something extra special. With Passover in mind, I decided to create a bright and fresh mango juice to cut the richness of the fish, and it was epic!! I hope you give it a try!

 

Chili Lime Tuna Crudo with Mango Juice

1 ripe mango
2″ chunk of ginger
juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp water
kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. sushi grade tuna
1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
handful of microgreens
zest of 1/2 lime
2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
flaky salt

Method:

Using a blender or food processor, blend the mango, ginger, lime juice and water until pureed. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Season with salt, to taste.

Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the fish in a single stroke.

Transfer the fish to a large platter, dispersing it in an even pattern. Using a small pitcher, pour the mango juice around the fish, taking care to fill the empty spaces and not pour it over the fish.

Garnish with radishes, chilies, microgreens and lime zest. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with flaky salt.

Serve cold.


Related Recipes:

sushi burrito

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Hamantachos! Eggroll Nachos

Oh em geeeeeeee you guysssss!! I have not been this excited about a recipe in some time (I say that every time, don’t I?!), but seriously now – these nachos are a DREAM! The idea came to me by way of apricot hamantaschen – the triangle shape (perfect for eggroll wrappers or wontons) and the apricot filling – only savory – which I do best.

Who doesn’t love some warm sauteed cabbage, pop-in-your-mouth edamame, and crunchy wonton chips. And the duck sauce? It’s always the favorite part! So I made my own, with an apricot jam base, flavored to perfection with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sriracha. oh. so. good.

This recipe is just perfect for the Purim meal. Finger food for noshing  – just what I like to serve! And you can even set up a BYOB station so people can build their own bowl!

 

Hamantachos

6 eggroll skins, sliced into triangles
canola oil, for frying
1.5 lbs. ground dark meat turkey or chicken
1 scant tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp + 1 tsp neutral oil (grapeseed, avocado), divided
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil, divided
soy sauce, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
3 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp black and white sesame seeds

Apricot Jam Duck Sauce
1 cup good quality apricot jam
2 clove garlic, grated on microplane
1″ chunk ginger, grated on microplane
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp sriracha

Method:

Heat a generous amount of canola oil in a frying pan. Add a few eggroll wrappers at a time and fry until golden, flipping after 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Heat a large saute pan or wok, add 1 tbsp neutral oil and 1 tsp sesame oil. Add the ground turkey, season with salt and cook until crumbly and no longer pink. Season to taste with soy sauce (about 2-3 tsp). Remove from the pan.

Add another tbsp neutral oil and tsp of sesame oil. Stir in the green and red cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until softened, seasoning with salt and soy sauce, to taste. Remove from the pan.

Add a tsp of netural oil and a 1/2 tsp sesame oil to the pan and stir in the edamame. Stir fry until lightly toasted, seasoning with salt. Remove from the pan.

In a small saucepan, add the duck sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, whisking to break up the jam. Cool slightly.

Layer the nachos: Spread the eggroll wrappers out on a platter, top with warm sauteed cabbage, ground turkey crumbles, edamame, scallions and sesame seeds. Drizzle the duck sauce generously over the nachos and serve immediately.

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Related Recipes:

hot dog eggrolls
Asian chicken salad with crispy wontons
plantain nachos

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Salami Wellington

It’s amazing how I’ve been trashing up salami here for Purim on the blog for 12 years now and I still get so excited about it. AND I still, somehow, come up with new and exciting ideas! This year is probably my favorite because I’ve ALWAYS wanted to make beef wellington and I couldn’t believe just how awesome it turned out! Yes, it’s a bit of a patchke, but it’s so beautiful to serve, especially for your Purim meal!

Why have I been trashing up salami for 12 years now? I started the trend on my blog years ago for Purim since salami is hung like Haman was hung on the gallows! My drunken hasselback salami went crazy viral, as did my salami babka a few years later! I hope you love this one as much as I do!

Happy Purim!

Salami Wellington

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely minced
16oz. finely minced cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
splash of whiskey, optional
5 strips Abeles & Heymann beef fry
2 tbsp dijon mustard
14oz. Abeles & Heymann salami
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk, thinned out with a splash of water

Method:

In a shallow pan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute over high heat until all the liquid has been released and the mixture is mostly dry, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to incorporate, saute 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with whiskey, if desired. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and transfer to a plate or baking sheet. Place in the freezer to cool.

Lay a large piece of Saran wrap on your work surface. Place slices of beef fry down in a row, overlapping slighty. Spread the mushroom mixture over it. Brush the salami with dijon mustard and place on top of the mushrooms. Lifting the Saran wrap, roll the layers around the salami, tightening the roll around the sides until taut. Place in the freezer while you prepare the puff pastry.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly roll out the puff pastry to smooth out the folds. Take the second sheet of puff pastry, and using a lattice cutter, cut out a strip of lattice.

Remove the roll of salami from the freezer. Place on the solid sheet of puff pastry, wrap it around tightly and seal the ends. Brush with egg wash. Wrap the lattice sheet of puff pastry over it and brush with additional eggwash.

Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Other salami recipes:

last year: salami chopped sandwich
two years ago: sweet & sour salami
three year: roasted antipasto salad
four years ago: salami nduja
five years ago: salami tarte tatin
six years ago: salami potato latkes
seven years ago: salami babka
eight years ago: salami quiche
nine years ago: beer battered salami chips with beer mustard
ten years ago: drunken hasselback salami
eleven years ago: salami chips

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Kani Mock Crab Cakes

Friday’s look very different in my house from week to week. With my kid’s leaving to their dad’s every other weekend, I don’t cook for Shabbat every week, and when I do, I’m not always hosting. I have my busy hosting weeks where I plan my menu on Thursday night, write up a shopping list, and shop early Friday morning. And then I have my lazy Fridays where I pull out whatever I have in the fridge from the week and plan a last-minute meal. I love both styles of cooking – one where I have to be more organized, and the other where I get to be creative and play.

This past weekend was the free kind and I had a package of kani leftover from our build-you-own-sushi-bowls dinner on Monday. I had made flaked salmon, so nobody went for the kani, and I wanted to use it up. Mock crab cakes were the obvious choice, and I had some hearts of palm in the fridge, a bunch of peppers, dill from my soup, and plenty of saltines leftover from my stomach virus (so fun!!!)…. the perfect mix for some patties.

Kani Mock Crab Cakes

16oz. kani (mock crab), diced small
1 red pepper, finely diced
2 hearts of palm, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup crushed saltine crackers
3 tbsp chopped dill
1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
zest of 1/2 lemon
dash of tajin
1/3 cup mayo
2 eggs + 1 egg white
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp grapeseed oil + 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, for frying

Crumbs:
2 cups panko
1/3 cup toasted black and white sesame seeds
kosher salt, to taste

Spicy Mayo
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp sriracha
2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

In a large bowl, combine the kani, red pepper, hearts of palm, garlic, scallions and seasonings, mix with a spoon until incorporated. Place the crumb ingredients onto a flat plate or small sheet tray and stir to combine.

Press the kani mixture together to form patties and dredge in the crumbs until coated on both sides.

Heat the oils in a frying pan and fry the patties until golden on both sides, adding more oil, if needed.

Serve with spicy mayo.

Related Recipes:

Asian kani bites
kani caesar salad with nori croutons
kani salad

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