Category: Shabbos

Sweet Chili Salmon with Wasabi Crust

It’s just one of those days. I got the kids out of the house on time for a change, and I was hoping to sit down early this morning to get a head start on work. But it was not to be. After making my rounds to the girls’ school, boys’ school and daycare for the little one, I was finally on my way back home when my daughter called me to say she had left her lunch. Oh, Mommyhood.

As a blogger, recipe developer, food photographer and full time mom, it’s hard to set a schedule for myself because kids are just so unpredictable. On the one hand, I’m SO thankful to have a job where I can make my own hours and work around my Mommy duties, but on the other hand, there’s so much to do and so little time. My husband is always telling me to hire help but I’m literally the worst delegator on earth. You know how they say if you want something done, do it yourself?  Well that’s kind of my M.O. I’m a perfectionist, and rather than dealing with someone doing something that is not up to par with my standards, I’d rather just do it myself. Can any of you relate?

I’m the same way in the kitchen. If I’m having lots of guests or prepping for big holiday meals or a cooking demonstration, the reasonable thing to do would be to have someone help me. But stubborn me just does it all myself because God forbid someone will slice something the wrong way. (Insert hands-over-eyes emoji) I know I’ve gotta learn to let go and be more flexible, I’m just not sure how. Ideas, anyone?

In the meantime, I’m going to go wake myself up with a big handful of spicy wasabi peas. It’s one of those snacks that I used to eat with abandon, and then suddenly one day, I found that I couldn’t look at them anymore. It’s been a while, but they’re back on my addictive snack list – I even put them on my salmon for an amazing spicy crunch!

This salmon recipe is super quick and easy – perfect for a weeknight dinner with some rice, and pretty enough for company with a side of sushi salad. Chop sticks optional.

Sweet Chili Salmon with Wasabi Crust

4 slices salmon fillet
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup wasabi peas (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place salmon fillets in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and soy sauce. Pour sweet chili sauce generously over the salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Pulse the wasabi peas in a food processor or blender and spread generously over the salmon before serving.

VARIATION: for a hint of sesame flavor, you may brush the fillets with a bit of sesame oil instead of olive oil.

Related Recipes:

spicy roasted edamame
teriyaki salmon
kani salad

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Salami Quiche

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks here at BIB, with lots of Purim demos, cooking classes and recipe writing! I always say that calling myself BUSY IN BROOKLYN was like a self-fulfilling-prophecy, because when I started this blog I wasn’t half as busy as I am nowadays. But busy is good and I am so thankful for it! Except when all that busying around turns into a sinus infection, and my recipe testing is put on hold because I can’t taste anything! I had amazing plans for a new hamantasch this week, but my taste buds won’t cooperate. And even though I can barely lift my head off my pillow, I’ve got my third demo this week in a couple of hours! So, I THANK GOD for this amazing recipe that I developed for a local magazine’s Purim issue last year, so at least I have something to share!

You all know that I’ve taken on a BIB tradition to share a salami recipe every year. I once heard that people have a tradition to eat salami on Purim because it is hung, like Haman (!!!). Who knows if it’s true, but it’s definitely fun. And it was especially thrilling when my DRUNKEN HASSELBACK SALAMI went crazy viral two years ago (I can’t believe it’s so old!). I always meet readers at demos, or even on the street who tell me that it’s become a weekly tradition for them. I just love that!

For this year, here’s something a bit more homey and family-friendly for your Purim meal. I’m sure this will become a staple in your family for the holidays too. Happy Purim!


Salami Quiche

1 9″ deep dish pie crust, frozen
1 1/2 cups chopped salami (approximately 8 oz.)
1 large onion, thinly sliced into half rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 large eggs
1 cup coconut milk (see note)
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, as needed

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the frozen pie crust for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Saute the salami until it begins to crisp and renders some of its fat. Remove the salami from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and saute until golden and caramelized, adding more oil as needed. If your pan starts to burn, add a splash of water. When onions are soft and caramelized, add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Stir in the mushrooms and saute until they release all of their moisture and there is no liquid left in the pan. Set aside to cool.

Stir the salami into the vegetables and place the mixture on the bottom of the pie crust. In a bowl, mix the eggs with the coconut milk and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the filling. Place the quiche on a foil-lined baking sheet, in case of spillage, and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until the the filling is set. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

NOTE: I use coconut milk from the carton, which has a very mild coconut flavor that does not come through in the quiche. If you prefer not to use coconut milk, you may use soy milk, almond milk, or any creamy pareve milk.
MAKE AHEAD: Quiche may be made up to 3 days in advance. Serve cold or reheat gently at 250 degrees.
VARIATION: You can also make individual quiches using mini pie crusts.
KITCHEN TIP: If your pie crust begins to brown, but your filling is not yet set, cover the edges loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning.

Related Recipes:

drunken hasselback salami
beer battered salami chips with beer mustard
salami chips with dijon dipping sauce

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Soy & Ginger Glazed Sugar Snap Peas

Have you ever had a mind block that you just can’t explain? Sugar snap peas is it for me. I just never know the difference between them and their close cousins, snow peas. Which is which? Thank you Google!

It’s also hard for me to choose which ones I like better, because they’re both so good! But remember – flat = snow peas, full = snap peas. Wait, am I right? Google….

Now the only thing better than crisp-tender snap peas is GINGER GLAZED snap peas. The funny thing is, I was never a fan of ginger. Not until I went to culinary school and we added finely julienned ginger to a bunch of Asian dishes. That was just next level spicy goodness and I’ve never turned back!

So if you really want to up the ante on your next Asian dish, try julienning your ginger instead of grating (my 2nd favorite method using a microplane zester) or mincing it. Like I did here. You can thank me later.

Wait, remind me again, is it sugar snap peas, or snow peas. I give up!

Soy & Ginger Glazed Sugar Snap Peas

2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely julienned
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lb. sugar snap peas
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method:

Remove the strings from the each sugar snap pea by snapping the stem end and pulling the string down the side. (Optional, but makes them more pleasant to eat!).

Heat the sesame oil in a wok or heavy frying and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant.

Add the sugar snap peas and olive oil and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the peas turn bright green and are just starting to cook, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and add to the wok with the honey. Cook until the sauce thickens and coat the peas. Garnish with sesame seeds.

VARIATIONS: for added heat, add a squirt of sriracha, or for added brightness, try some orange zest and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Related Recipes:

sticky ginger chicken wings
spicy roasted edamame
cranberry sriracha green beans
snap pea, corn and red currant salad

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Bundt Pan Rotisserie Chicken

I have a confession to make. I used to be afraid of chicken. And I don’t mean of eating it.

Yes, you read that right. When I was a teenager, I wasn’t too fond of helping in the kitchen, and when I had to make chicken, lets just say it was an ordeal. I always wore gloves, but sometimes the chicken got the better of me and I would throw it into the sink, terrified that it would come to life and leap at me.

I mean, do you blame me? Look at that chicken sitting there all pretty. It looks so…well…human.

It took a few years, but I got over my fear. And just time in time for this GENIUS homemade crispy rotisserie chicken hack.

I can’t take credit for this stroke of brilliance. All credit goes to Justin Chapple, the senior editor of Food & Wine Magazine, who’s Mad Genius Tips constantly blow me away!

When I saw a short clip of this easy bunt pan rotisserie chicken on Instagram, I was all over it. I made it for Shabbat that week, and I’ve been making it ever since. It’s my husband’s favorite way to eat chicken, and we always fight over the crispier-than-ever chicken wings!

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s super healthy and indulgent nonetheless. You feel like you’re eating fried chicken (it’s that crispy!), but without those extra calories. It also makes a great one-dish meal when you add potatoes or other veggies.

Bundt Pan Rotisserie Chicken

1 whole chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 sticks celery, diced
a few sprigs of thyme
1 lemon, cut in quarters (do not peel)
1 bay leaf
olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425. Place the vegetables and aromatics around the bundt pan and cover the hole with a piece of foil. Pat the chicken dry and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper and place the chicken cavity over the bundt pan stick. Roast for approximately 1 hour, until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should be 165 degrees) and the skin is golden and crisp.

VARIATION: You may use other vegetables and/or aromatics, such as parsnips, turnips, potatoes, fresh garlic cloves (no need to peel), rosemary etc. If you are roasting vegetables that you’d like to serve with the chicken (such as potatoes) and they aren’t tender by the time the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the bundt pan and return the vegetables to the oven, baking until tender.

NOTE: Try to keep the chicken as raised as possible. This ensures that the skin gets crispy all around.

Related Recipes:

lemon & garlic whole roasted chicken

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Bourbon Apricot BBQ Chicken

Sukkot is one of my favorite holidays. I have such amazing memories of my family Sukkah, always filled to the brim with guests, amazing homemade food and bottles and bottles of mashkeh (Yiddish for alcoholic beverages) to go around. The men would drink L’chaim and sing Hassidic melodies, banging on the table in their drunken stupor. It was beautiful.

Simchat Torah, the holiday where we conclude and begin a new annual Torah reading cycle, is just a few days away. It’s a time of great rejoicing, when we take to the synagogue, kick up our feet and dance with the Torah. Of course the drinks are free-flowing, and so is the food. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the Chag than with this bourbon-spiked BBQ chicken. The chicken is braised in a luscious sauce that is so good, you’ll want to eat it straight with a spoon (or drink it out of a L’chaim glass)! Make it for Simchat Torah dinner, and it will become a staple on your holiday table.

L’chaim!

Bourbon Apricot BBQ Chicken

1 chicken, quartered or cut in 8
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1 1/2 cups bourbon
6 oz hickory brown sugar BBQ sauce
15 oz apricot jam
1/2 cup water

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven, or oven-safe pot. Pat the chicken dry and sear the chicken, skin-side-down, until browned. Brown the other side and remove from the pot.

Saute the onions in the fat (you can pour off some fat if there is too much) and cook until golden. Add the bourbon, BBQ sauce, apricot jam and water and bring to a boil. Boil the sauce for a few minutes, so the alcohol cooks off, lower the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken to the pot, cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

NOTE: You may use any BBQ sauce, but I love how the hickory and brown sugar flavor pairs with the bourbon.

Related Recipes:

drunken hasselback salami
beer battered salami chips with beer mustard
turkey meatballs with red wine cranberry marinara
honey roasted za’atar chicken in wine
whiskey cider

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