Category: Lunch

Pesto Pinwheels

If you love pesto, you’re gonna fall head over heels for these pinwheels. I mean, who doesn’t love anything made from puff pastry? The light and flaky dough paired with sharp cheddar cheese and delicious pesto makes the perfect appetizer for your dairy Shavuous meal. You can even fill them with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella to make pizza pinwheels, and serve a duo on the table.

The best part about making these is that you can prepare them in advance. Just freeze the puff pastry after you’ve rolled in the ingredients. When you’re ready to make them, just thaw, slice, bake and serve!

Pesto Pinwheels

1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten mixed with 1 tbsp water
2/3 cup pesto
1/3 cup cheddar cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry dough to form a large rectangle. Brush lightly with eggwash. Spread the pesto on the dough, leaving a 1″ border all around. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Starting from the short side of the rectangle, roll the puff pastry to form a log. Make sure the log is tightly sealed at the seam. Refrigerate for 1 hour (this will make it easier to slice). Brush with eggwash and using a sharp knife, cut into 1/2″ slices. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

NOTE: You may prepare the pinwheels in advance and freeze the log. Just remove from the freezer when you are ready to use, thaw, slice and bake as above.

1 year ago: quick & easy individual trifles

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BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Jalapeno Pizza

I’m not usually one for making yeast doughs. I mean, it’s not like I can’t do it, it’s just that I can’t be bothered. With all of the flour mess and sticky dough, I usually just leave it to the companies who prepare the frozen variety. This week, however, the rainy weather was a good excuse to play around in the kitchen. And my leftover hickory BBQ chicken was the perfect inspiration for this dish.

I have to tell you that with Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast, making the dough was super easy. There was no rising time. Simply mix, knead, top and bake. I don’t think I can go back to freezer pizza dough again!

Obviously, cheese on this pizza would probably be delicious but because I’m kosher, I have to leave it out. If you’re brave, you can try using soy cheese but personally that stuff freaks me out!

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Pizza

2 cups flour (I used spelt)
1 envelope Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup very warm tap water
3 tbsp olive oil
BBQ sauce (I used Hunts hickory & brown sugar flavor)
leftover chicken, shredded
1/4 fresh pineapple, sliced into small pieces
1 red pepper, chopped
1 red onion, sliced thinly into half circles
1 jalapeno, deseeded, deveined and sliced into thin strips
soy cheese, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add water and oil and mix to incorporate. Gradually, add another cup of flour until a ball of dough is formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface, adding additional flour, if needed. Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil and using your hands (flour them, if necessary), press dough out to fill pan. Brush the dough with BBQ sauce.

If you have leftover pan-drippings from your chicken, mix it in to the shredded chicken to moisten it. If you don’t, mix in some diluted BBQ sauce (just add a bit of water to dilute) so that the chicken doesn’t dry out during baking.

Top the pizza with shredded chicken, pineapple, red onion, red pepper and jalapeno (for more heat, don’t remove the vein and seeds). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp.

NOTE: When prepared on a cookie sheet, the amount of pizza dough in this recipe yields a thin crust pizza. If you like a thicker dough, double the recipe.

1 year ago: BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches

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Rice Vermicelli

Is your pantry filled with little bags of assorted leftover pasta? That extra orzo from when you only made half the box?  Or the scraps from the 10 oz. bag of egg noodles (whose recipe only called for 7 oz.)? Well luckily, I have a great recipe to use up your leftovers before Pesach! This Shabbos, you can turn your simple plate of rice into a two-toned pilaf that is just as pleasing on the palate as it is on the eyes! It’s simple, easy, and kids love it!

 

Rice Pilaf

2 cups white rice
3/4 cup fine egg noodles, spaghetti cut into pieces, orzo or other fine pasta
4 cups water or chicken stock
3-4 tbsp oil
2 tsp salt

Method:

Heat up oil in a saute pan and add pasta. Saute over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pasta is fragrant and golden. Watch the pasta carefully because it can quickly go from golden to burnt. Add the rice and stir for a minute or two. Add water or stock and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

1 year ago: sesame linguini with marinated chicken breast

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Sweet Pepper Burgers

Unless you’re the type of person who has all their Pesach food cooked in advance, most people are pretty sick of cooking by the time Chol Hamoed comes around. Quick and easy dinners are a must!  This simple recipe is a nice change from the standard chicken & potato fare, and works for lunch or dinner. The burgers can be broiled, grilled or pan-fried, and seasoned according to your Pesach pantry. If you use ketchup or spices, feel free to add some. In my case, I need to peel the peppers, but the sweetness it adds to the burgers makes the effort worthwhile.

 

Sweet Pepper Burgers

2 lbs ground beef
1 cup mixed colored peppers, diced
1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix gently to combine. Scoop out palm-sized portions of meat and shape into patties. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and broil on high for approximately 7 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes on the opposite side. Drain on paper towels. Alternatively, you may cook the burgers on the grill.

TIP: Always mix the beef gently and pack the burgers lightly as squeezing the meat results in tough, rubbery burgers.

NOTE: I like to switch to a clean cookie sheet when I turn the burgers over so that they don’t cook in the fat that was released from the first round of broiling.

1 year ago: mock chopped liver

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French Fried Chicken Nuggets

I would imagine there are about as many Pesach minhagim as there are recipes. Each family has their own book of standards and mine is no different. Thankfully, my husband’s family grew up similar to mine so I don’t have to go eating shmaltz or anything! I always considered myself lucky that my family wasn’t that strict, but I guess compared to some people they are. Basically, we use nut oil, peel all fruits & veggies, use liquid sugar and salt (no other spices). The only processed foods that we buy are orange juice, chocolate, potato chips and lady fingers.

On the days leading up to Pesach, once the kitchen has already been cleaned, my mom likes to use many of the processed kosher for Pesach (non-gebroks) products in her cooking. This way, we don’t feel like we are eating Pesach food too early, and we don’t have to eat pizza out of a plastic bag on the front stoop. The following recipe is great for those who use processed ingredients on Pesach, and for those who only eat it before. The instant mashed potato flakes form a crust on the chicken that tastes similar to french fries. It also reminds me of tater tots.

 

French Fried Chicken Nuggets

1 pkg chicken breasts
2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
2 eggs
onion powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
oil, for frying

Method:

Trim chicken cutlets and cut into bite sized pieces. Set up a dredging station with separate plates of chicken, whisked eggs and potato flakes. Season the potato flakes with onion powder, salt and pepper. With tongs, dip the chicken into the eggs and then the flakes. Place in a pan of sizzling hot oil. Fry on each side until golden. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

1 year ago: breaded gefilte fish patties

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