Category: Salad

Passion for Persimmon: Salad & Sorbet

I’ve blogged about persimmon before, but I couldn’t help exploring the overlooked fruit again since I just. can’t. get. enough. I first fell in love with persimmon when I went to seminary in Israel, where they can be found in abundance.

The most important thing to know about persimmon is this: there are 2 different types, fuyu and hachiya. They can both be enjoyed during the fall months, you just need to know how to eat them.

Don’t worry, I’ve pretty much got it all down pat. Read on and you’ll soon be on your way to persimmon heaven.

Fuyu persimmon have a squatted flat shape, almost like a tomato. They can be eaten when firm, but are best when they are just the slightest bit soft and orange in color.

My favorite way to enjoy fuju persimmon is in a salad. Use it as you would mango or papaya.

Fuyu persimmon also benefit from roasting with warm spices like cinnamon and allspice with a drizzle of honey.

Kale Salad with Persimmon & Pomegranate

1 bunch kale leaves, center ribs and stems removed
2 fuyu persimmon, hulled, peeled and chopped
1 pomegranate, deseeded (how to deseed a pomegranate)
1 avocado, cubed
1 small red onion, sliced thinly into half rings

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra light olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

Tear kale into pieces and place in a large bowl, Add persimmon and pomegranate and mix to combine.

Add dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk to emulsify. Pour over salad before serving.

VARIATION: If persimmon are not in season, you may substitute with mango or peaches.

TIP: I have read that massaging the kale helps to get rid of it’s bitter aftertaste.

 

Hachiya persimmon are oval-shaped and cannot be eaten unless they are incredibly ripe – almost to the point of looking rotten. Unripe hachiya persimmon will leave a dry, pithy substance in your mouth that will make you want to scream :)

My favorite way to enjoy hachiya persimmon (short of eating the silky smooth pulp with a spoon) is freezing them for a few hours until the liquid turns into a creamy sorbet. One taste and you’d never imagine it was that easy!

The silky pump of hachiya persimmons can also be mixed into baked goods like cakes and pies as well as puddings and smoothies.

 

Hachiya Persimmon Sorbet

1 very ripe hachiya persimmon

Method:

Wash the persimmon and place in the freezer for 2-4 hours, until slushy, but not frozen solid. Turn upside down and slice off the tip. Scoop out the creamy flesh and enjoy.

1 year ago: apple celery veggie dip

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UnEGGSpected Egg Salad

If this week has made me realize anything, it’s that life is unexpected. When I wrote my last blog post, I never imagined that Hurricane Sandy would reach such catastrophic proportions. Even with all the warnings and precautions that were being taken, I thought they were overdoing it.

At first, the destruction and devastation didn’t sink in. I was busy with my kids, trying to keep house and home without my cleaning help and dealing with a strep-ridden toddler. Still, I couldn’t ignore the pictures, the posts and the pain all around me. The unfathomable loss and despair in the aftermath of the storm was inescapable.

As the stories of pain and loss began to emerge, I couldn’t imagine putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and writing a blog post. How could I be so trivial at such a desperate time? How could I go on blogging about recipes when people were without power, and many had lost their homes?

“Food makes people feel good,” I reasoned to myself. “It’ll take their mind off of things,” I rationalized. “I’d better dream up some real comfort food,” I challenged myself. Instead, here I am talking about eggs.

In Judaism, so much of what we do revolves around symbolism. Even the foods that we eat. On Rosh Hashanah, we dip apples in honey for a sweet new year and eat pomegranates so that our merits should be abundant like their seeds. On Chanukah we eat fried foods like donuts and latkes, reminiscent of the miracle of the oil. Purim is notorious for hamantaschen, a reminder of Haman’s 3-cornered hat. You get the idea.

What am I getting at? Well, when a Jew sits shiva, (seven days of formal mourning for the dead), it is customary to eat foods that are round like eggs, bread and lentils. They symbolize the cyclical nature of life – death and birth. On a deeper level, the circular foods are meant to impress upon the mourner that although things seem at their worst, life has it’s cycle. Just as there is loss and pain, there is also joy and happiness, and there will be again. Eggs are also eaten to symbolize that just as they are round without a “mouth”, we are also without words at a time of loss.

The unexpected horrors that occurred this week are truly beyond words. Seeing houses sink under rising flood waters, watching neighborhoods go dark without power, cars crushed under fallen trees, chaos at every gas station in town. It almost feels as if life was turned on it’s head. And yet, just like the round egg, life edges forward. We pick ourselves up, we soldier on, and we rebuild. Such is the power of the human spirit.

And so, without further adieu, I present my UnEGGSpected Egg Salad, a delicious recipe with an unEGGSpected ingredient. Make some for your family, or better yet, prepare sandwiches for a friend who is stranded without power, a relative who has lost their home, or the volunteers at your local firehouse.

If you’d like to volunteer in the relief effort for Hurricane Sandy Victims, visit the UJA site or Occupy Sandy website for opportunities. You can also donate to synagogues, Chabad houses and other organizations that are helping with the relief effort.

UnEGGSpected Egg Salad

5 hard-boiled eggs (how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs)
2 tbsp mayo
1-2 tbsp horseradish sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
1 scallion (green parts only) or 3 chives, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Chop or mash eggs (depending how you like it). Add mayo, horseradish sauce, paprika and scallions. Season with salt and pepper.

Variation: If horseradish sauce is too strong for your taste, substitute with spicy or regular mustard.

1 year ago: persimmon yogurt smoothie

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Pomegranate Coleslaw


Welcome to the first ever Jewish Holiday Blog Party, hosted by Jessie of Taste and Miriam of Overtime Cook, and sponsored by Kitchen Aid! As you may know, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year is coming up, and Jewish bloggers from all over the world are celebrating with all kinds of twists on traditional Rosh Hashanah foods.

This is the first of hopefully many exciting Holiday Blog Parties, so if you would like to join in the fun, please email holidayblogparties@gmail.com.

For the blog party this year, I decided to make a nontraditional salad that incorporates a lot of the sweet Rosh Hashanah foods that are eaten on the holiday. With pomegranate seeds, apples and honey, this coleslaw makes the perfect quick, healthy and refreshing side dish for your holiday meal.

For more sweet and delicious holiday recipes including my famous honey cake with caramelized apples and my Rosh Hashanah roast,  make sure to check out my new Rosh Hashanah category.

And don’t forget to check out my step by step instructions for how to deseed a pomegranate!


Stop by and check out some of these amazing Rosh Hashanah themed recipes on the following blogs:

Challah and Bread:
Marlene of The Jewish Hostess made Apple Challah
Amanda of The Challah Blog made Pomegranate Challah
Shelly of The Kosher Home made Apple, Honey and Pomegranate Challah!

Sides, Salads and Starters: 

Sarah of Food, Words, Photos made Tzimmes (Rosh Hashanah Carrots)
Tali of More Quiche, Please made Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash
Roberta and Lois of Kosher Eye made Simanim Salad
Chanie of Busy In Brooklyn made Pomegranate Coleslaw
Rivki of Life in the Married Lane made Super Salad
Hannah of Cooking Manager made Beets Marinated with Ginger and Garlic
Sina of The Kosher Spoon made Pomegranate, Almond and Raisin Couscous
Shulie of Food Wanderings made Rosh Hashanah Salad
Hindy of Confident Cook-Hesitant Baker made Warm Roasted Beets with Farro
Sarah of Kosher Street made Sweet Potato Apple Tzimmes

Main Dishes:

Jessie of Taste made Smoked Salmon
Samantha of The Little Ferraro Kitchen made Chicken with Dates
Michele of Kosher Treif Cooking made Coconut Chicken w/ dipping sauces
Melinda of Kitchen Tested made Key Lime Glazed Duck
Stephanie & Jessica of The Kosher Foodies made Pom Braised Chicken
Liz of The Lemon Bowl made Beef Brisket
Estee of Anyone Interested? made Easy Breezy 5 Minute Brisket

Desserts and Drinks:

Miriam of Overtime Cook made Mini Apples and Honey Tarts
Laura of Pragmatic Attic made Fresh Ginger Honey Cake
Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen made Honey Caramel Apple Galette
Danielle of Hugs and Cookies xoxo made The World’s Best Rugelach
Amy of What Jew Wanna Eat made an Apple and Honey Cocktail
Nick of The Baking Process made Apple and Date Honey Squares
Lisa of The Monday Morning Cooking Club made Honey Cake 2 Ways
Leah of Cook Kosher made Pomegranate Ice Cream
Nossi of The Kosher Gastronome made Pareve Key Lime Caramel Cheesecake

Have you entered our giveaway for The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen cookbook? To enter, click here!

For additional entries, you may click over to the other participating blogs in the Rosh Hashanah blog party as they are also giving away a copy.

Pomegranate Coleslaw

1 14oz. bag coleslaw
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
2 scallions, sliced
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (how to deseed a pomegranate)
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp whole grain mustard (with mustard seeds)
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine coleslaw, apple matchsticks, pomegranate seeds and scallions. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

NOTE: If you have a custom not to use vinegar on Rosh Hashanah, you may substitute with lemon juice.

VARIATION: For sweeter coleslaw, increase honey by 1-2 tbsp and add chopped pitted dates.

1 year ago: chicken pastrami roulade

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Black Quinoa Salad with Garlic Scape Pesto & Dried Cherries

I don’t know if you follow my friend Melinda over at Kichen-Tested, but if you do, you’ll know why I decided to guest post this recipe on her blog. Melinda is all about being adventurous in the kitchen. She loves to pair odd ingredients (like her cinnabon onion and squash cookies or her feta shortbread cookies) and experiment with spices (like her jalapeno chocolate chip cookies or her jamaican hot pepper jelly). There is no ingredient that she won’t try at least once (beef bacon is a regular ingredient in her recipes!). But that’s not all. Not only is this talented cook and baker an amazing photographer and blogger, she also sells her gourmet pareve caramels from home. Visit kitchen-tested.com for more about Melinda and her adventures in the kitchen.

For recipe and step by step photos, visit my guest post on Kitchen-Tested.

1 year ago: peanut butter fudge ice cream pie

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Roasted Beet Salsa

I’m back with another great farmer’s market recipe! This one involves a vegetable that has become a staple in my house ever since I married my husband. I didn’t grow up eating beets. The only time my mom would serve them was on Pesach, in her “vinaigrette salad” (a combination of beets, potatoes, carrots and onions). On the other hand, beets were a staple on my husband’s Shabbos table each and every week. My mother in law serves them up cubed, shredded or sliced and it’s always gobbled up to the very last drop. I have adopted my husband’s love for beets and my kids are growing to love them too!

When I first started making beets, I would boil them like my mother does. But then I learned that the best way to really bring out their flavor is to roast them. My favorite part is that I don’t have to use any pots! I wrap each beet in foil and roast them at 400 degrees until my whole house smells like the sweet purple vegetable.

I serve beets in many different ways, but we always fall back on the most simple preparation – diced with some oil, lemon juice and salt. I also like to slice them into circles and lay them out as a bed for salmon. Sometimes, I alternate the slices with yellow (golden) beets and place them on a bed of arugula sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and orange segments.

I hope this post has inspired you not to leave beets just for Pesach cooking. They are a flavorful and healthy root vegetable that can be eaten raw, boiled or roasted and prepared in a variety of ways. You can even eat the greens that grow from the beets (although some stores remove them). Try them sauteed in olive oil with some fresh garlic!

Other beet recipes on BIB:

Israeli couscous with thyme & honey roasted carrots, parsnips and beets
Roasted beet & orange salad

 

Roasted Beet Salsa

2 medium beets
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Wrap the beets in foil and roast at 400 degrees until fork tender. Let cool and using gloves, gently pull the skin off the beets. Cut the beets into a small dice and add to a bowl. Add onions, jalapeno, parsley, olive oil, honey, lime and salt. Serve over fish.

1 year ago: gefilte fish patties in tomato sauce

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