Category: Main Dish

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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Bone Marrow Butter Roast Turkey & Gravy

If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while, you probably know that I’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving with my friend Melinda and her family for the past 7 years, it’s tradition! Sadly, Melinda didn’t host this year, so I decided to host a Friendsgiving potluck with my friends and make my first turkey!

I was so excited but also nervous to make the perfect juicy bird, so I did research on techniques and I literally could not sleep coming up with ideas on how to keep my bird moist. Most recipes recommended slathering the turkey breast with butter – but that’s a no-no in the kosher kitchen, so I needed an alternative. Of course I could go the margarine route, but anyone who knows me knows that I don’t do margarine. Like ever! (Trauma from kosher culinary school and my mom’s kitchen growing up!).

Alas, as I twisted and turned at night, I came up with the most amazing non-vegan-butter alternative – MARROW BONE BUTTER! I roasted marrow bones with garlic to make a buttery confit, and I blitzed it in the food processor to make the most umami, lip-smacking butter that I literally took my bird OVER THE TOP! My guests could not get enough (even the turkey haters!) and it was an absolute success.

I may have to bring it to Melinda’s Thanksgiving next year!

If you’re wondering, here’s what all my friends brought to the potluck!

I made turkey and gravy, red wine cranberry sauce, chestnut hummus and stuffing and my daughter made her amazing sourdough bread.

My friends brought:

Orzo with mushrooms
Meat stuffed peppers
Roasted potatoes
Strawberry apple crisp
Sweet potato Pie
Roasted brussels sprouts
Nish Nosh salad
Arugula salad with oranges, dates, mint

For dessert we had:

Pecan Pie
Lotus Babka
Streusel cookies
Cinnamon cake with maple frosting

I’m thinking this Friendsgiving thing has to happen every year! So grateful for good friends and reasons to celebrate!

Bone Marrow Butter Roast Turkey & Gravy

6 marrow bones
6 oz. peeled garlic
3 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, or enough to almost cover
13 lb. turkey
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery, roughly chopped
7 lady apples (mini baby apples)
1 apple, sliced in half
1/2 orange
1 small head garlic
bundle of mixed herbs (I used tarragon, rosemary and thyme)

Gravy:
1/4 cup oil from the drippings
6 tbsp flour
2 cups turkey stock (may sub chicken)
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

First make the bone marrow butter. In a non-reactive dish, combine the marrow bones, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil to almost cover. Bake at 375 until the garlic is soft and starting to brown and caramelize, about 30 minutes.

Scoop the marrow from the bones into a food processor with the S-blade attached. Add the garlic and a bit of the oil (1/4 cup) and blend until creamy. Transfer to a container and put in the freezer to solidify while you work on the turkey.

Place the chopped onions, carrots, celery and lady apples in the bottom of a roasting dish. Season with salt, pepper and toss with a bit of olive oil. Place the turkey rack on top.

Thoroughly dry the turkey on all sides, taking special care to dry out the cavity. Stuff the cavity with apple halves, orange, garlic, and herb bundle. Tie the legs with oven-safe string. Remove the marrow butter from the freezer (if it’s too frozen, allow it to soften for a few minutes) and generously slather it under the chicken skin, spreading it out over the breast (be careful not to rip the skin).

Pour some of the remaining confit oil over the turkey and rub it all over the skin. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast the turkey, breast-side-up at 350 degrees for 13 minutes per lb. or until it reaches 160 degrees (I recommend the thermometer method), basting every hour with the pan juices. If the skin starts to get too brown, you can tent it with foil.

Remove the turkey rack from the roasting dish and set aside. Using a slotted spoon, remove the roasted vegetables and apples and set them aside. Pour all the pan juices into a measuring cup, allow them to settle and use a spoon to separate most of the fat from the pan drippings.

Place the roasting dish on the fire and and add 1/4 cup oil from the roasting pan. Add flour and whisk until a paste forms, stirring the mixture over the entire pan to incorporate all the bits of flavor from the pan. Stir the paste until it takes on a deep tan color, about 6 minutes.  Add the turkey stock and whisk until creamy. Pour in the pan drippings and whisk to incorporate. Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve to strain.

Serve the turkey with gravy and roasted apples from the pan. Gobble Gobble!

More Thanksgiving Recipes:

Thanksgiving grazing board
chestnut hummus
cranberry oat bars
stuffed dates with chestnut cream
baklava pumpkin pie
acorn squash with wild rice stuffing
cookie butter pumpkin pie
Mexican hot chocolate pecan pie
cranberry sriracha green beans
shaved brussels sprouts salad

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Garlic Bread Halibut

If you find yourself having leftover sourdough and fresh fish filles (try saying THAT ten times fast) you KNOW you wanna get in on this new recipe!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Garlic bread halibut

2 fillets halibut or any flaky white fish
1 slice sourdough, blitzed until crumbly
1/2 stick butter
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 425°. In a skillet melt the butter over low heat and add the garlic. Sauté until fragrant, but not browned. Remove from the heat and serve in the breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt.

Season the halibut with salt and pepper and top generously with bread crumb mixture. ‏ Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Related Recipes:

Old Bay Fish Tacos
How To Build A Fish Board
Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas


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Dave’s Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Growing up with many Jamaican neighbors, surrounded by the smells of Jerk chicken and BBQ, I always wanted to learn to make it! When I saw @davedreifuscooks grilling some up on his stories, I asked him to teach me, and boy am I glad that I did! The marinade was everything I dreamed of and more! Sweet, spicy, sour, fruity…. You gotta try this!!!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Dave’s Jamaican Jerk Chicken

For the marinade:

3 inches of ginger, peeled , roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves
4 large scallions, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped (for more heat, use a scotch bonnet pepper)
1/4 cup fresh thyme

Blend until smooth, then add:

2 tablespoons allspice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup tamarind paste
1/2 cup vegan worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce

For the BBQ sauce:

1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 scallion, chopped
1 tbsp neutral oil
1 cup reserved marinade
1 cup ketchup

Method:

Pour the marinade over the chicken, reserving 1 cup. Saute the onion, garlic and scallion in oil until browned, deglaze with marinade till cooked through , add ketchup and simmer for 10 min, blend till smooth. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for approximately 25 minutes flipping constantly so the sugars don’t burn. When almost cooked through brush with barbecue sauce.

Related Recipes:

 Bourbon Apricot BBQ Chicken
Grilled Marinated Chicken

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Weekend Leftovers Ramen Bowls


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Weekend Leftovers Ramen Bowls!

6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp sriracha

Fillings and toppings:
3 pkg ramen noodles, spice packet discarded, prepared according to package directions
Shredded cabbage
Julienned carrots
Snap peas
Sliced radishes
Soft boiled eggs
Leftover meat, chicken, fish or tofu
Sliced scallions
Toasted sesame seeds
Sriracha or chili crisp

Get slurpin!

Related Recipes:

Lemony Hawaij Chicken Couscous Soup
Wild Mushroom & Collard Green Soup
Yemenite Chicken Soup
Mushroom Cauli Soup

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