Category: Side Dish

Hawaij Couscous

It all started with Zahav, the fabulous book on Israeli cooking by Michael Solomonov. Reading Michael’s descriptions of traditional Yemenite soup made me want to charter a flight to Israel, but I did the next best thing: I purchased some Hawaij (and practiced the pronunciation more times than I’d like to admit….CHA-WAYIJ). I was hooked.


There’s just something about the warm golden spices that transports me – and I don’t even know where. I’m 5th generation American on my Mom’s side, and while my Dad is Israeli, his Ashkenazi mother was cooking up shlishkes when he was a kid. I’ve got no Sephardic blood, although I later married into a Syrian family where they cook up their couscous with allspice. This, then, is the power of hawaij, I decided. It has the ability to carry you to a place you never even knew – but it feels like home. Perhaps it’s my souls yearning for Jerusalem, the city of gold, the color of this truly intoxicating blend: Zahav.


Of course the first thing I cooked up with Hawaij for soup wasn’t soup. Because I never go the traditional route (you should know that by now). Instead, I made Jerusalem Hummus in Jars, followed by Hawaij Garlic Confit  (you can find that life-changing recipe in my cookbook, Millennial Kosher), some roasted chicken and potatoes, and, yes, finally the soup (where I mixed the meat and chicken in one pot). I also explored the sweet side of Hawaij, with Hawaij for coffee – although of course not in coffee – with my Hawaij Honey Cake.

If you’re confused – let me explain. Hawaij is so good – the Yemenites decided to make two blends – one sweet and one savory. The savory one is used for classic Yemenite soup and the sweet one, for coffee. But the magic spice deserves more and I’m all over it.


So this summer I was putting up a last minute pot of Israeli couscous when I realized I was out of chicken and vegetable stock. I prefer not to cook my couscous in water, since it’s kind of bland, so I looked through my spice cabinet to see how I could improvise. The hawaij for soup looked at me and I realized that if I didn’t have soup – then I could just let the hawaij for soup take it’s place, and then THIS happened! It’s everything you never knew you wanted in Israeli couscous and it’s about to become your go-to recipe.


And since I know by your messages that y’all have hawaij in your cabinets by now, no need to go searching. Just make sure you use the savory blend otherwise this will be a couscous to remember for other reasons  (insert facepalm here!).

Hawaij Couscous

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced small
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
2 heaping tbsp hawaij for soup
1 17.7oz. pkg Israeli couscous (or 2 8.8oz. bags)
1 15oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, optional
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep skillet and saute the onion until deeply golden. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms caramelize. Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and hawaij seasoning and continue to saute until the spices are toasted and fragrant. Add the couscous and saute until lightly toasted. Add chickpeas, if desired, 5 cups of water and salt and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Stir and serve.

VARIATION: I’ve tried this recipe with just onions, onions and mushrooms, and onions, mushrooms and chickpeas. I ended up liking the one with just onions the most but you can also try with peppers, eggplant and/or other vegetables.

NOTE: If you prepare the couscous in advance, add a bit of water, cover and steam for a few minutes, mixing with a spoon to loosen up the couscous before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTION: serve with lemon sumac pargiot with silan.

Related Recipes:

hawaij honey cake with labneh frosting
Jerusalem hummus in jars

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Mom’s Potato Knishes

As a recipe developer, it’s not often that I make other peoples recipes, and when I do, it’s often ones that have been in my family for years. I usually find myself cooking my mom’s dishes around the High Holidays – there’s just something about the Days of Awe that makes me want to connect to my roots, and how more so than with food.

Mom’s potato knishes are a staple at every holiday meal, and it has always been my favorite, because, well… potatoes. It’s probably the only time you’ll see me using margarine – EVER – because coconut oil just doesn’t fly here and to keep the knishes pareve, I’ve got no other choice. Plus, puff pastry is basically 80% margarine anyway, so what’s a little more, amiright?

What I love about this recipe is that the filling makes enough to fill 3 whole rolls and they freeze great! And since they’re frozen unbaked, they taste like you just made them when you bake them up before serving. = a perfect recipe for long holidays like Succos coming up! If you have a custom to eat stuffed foods for the Harvest Holiday, I’ve got you covered there too!

Mom’s Potato Knishes

8 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 medium onions, sliced into half moons
3 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 stick trans-fat-free margarine
salt and pepper, to taste
3 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain well.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sliced onions and saute until deeply browned and caramelized.

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until no lumps remain. Add margarine, onions, salt and pepper. Once the mixture is cool, add in the eggs and stir until creamy.

Unfold the puff pastry onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out to form a large rectangle. Spread the potato mixture over it and starting from the longer side, roll up the pastry like a jelly roll with the seam on the bottom. Lift the parchment paper and place the roll on a baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut slits into the pastry and bake until puffed and golden brown.

Repeat with remaining puff pastry and potatoes.

NOTE: This recipe can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate before baking. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking. Alternatively, you can freeze the roll before baking, brush with egg wash and sesame seeds and bake frozen.

VARIATION: You can also try this with sauteed cabbage to make cabbage knishes or sauteed mushroom and onions.

Related Recipes:

cabbage bourekas
deli roll
spanakopita bourekas
salmon en croute with creamed leeks

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Lemon Grilled Leeks with Crispy Panko

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: leeks are an underrated vegetable. Thankfully, they are one of the symbolic foods that is customary to eat on Rosh Hashanah, so once a year people actually take the time to pay attention to them!

Leeks are buttery soft when braised, crispitty crunchy when fried and smoky when grilled. In a word: they are versatile. And I’m so happy to share this method + recipe with you!


First, let us consider that since Rosh Hashanah is so early this year, we can still make use of our grills, and if you don’t have one, there’s still time to savor some al fresco dining. PC Richard & Son has everything you need for outdoor grilling – like these Traeger grills that I’m personally hoping to upgrade to, and some more affordable Weber models. I’ve been grilling so much this summer and I can honestly tell you that there’s nothing quite like it. You keep the mess outdoors, the food is full of flavor and meals come together in minutes. It’s a win-win.

I’ll tell you what else is a win-win: the combo of lemony leeks with a hint of sweet honey and garlicky crispy crumbs makes this humble vegetable the star of the holiday table. It also makes the perfect side to some braised brisket, a leg of lamb or grilled rib eye steak. So lets get grillin!

Lemon Grilled Leeks

5 leeks
3 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
honey, to taste
crispy panko crumbs, recipe follows

Method:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

While the water is boiling,  prepare the leeks. Cut off the upper portion of the leeks, keeping the white and pale green portion at the bottom. Cut off the opposite end, as close to the root as possible. Peel off the tough outer layers. Cut the leek in half vertically. Wash the leek thoroughly, carefully peeling back the layers to clean the dirt on the inside.

Fill a bowl with ice water; set aside. Place the leeks into the pot of boiling water and blanch for 4 minutes. Remove the leeks with tongs and place into the ice bath. Once cooled, drain and pat dry thoroughly.

Preheat your grill to medium heat.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Brush the mixture over the leeks, coating on all sides. Place the leeks on the grill and grill for 3 minutes on each side.

Place the leeks on a platter and drizzle lightly with honey. Top with crispy panko crumbs.

NOTE: If you don’t have a grill you can also roast the leeks in the oven. To do so, skip the blanching, brush the leeks with the oil mixture and roast in a 425 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until tender and caramelized.

VARIATION: For added spice, drizzle the leeks with hot honey. To prepare, add honey to a pot with sliced fresh chilies. Simmer for 1 hour, strain and cool.

Crispy Panko Crumbs

3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup panko crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Heat olive oil in a frying pan set over medium heat. Add garlic, cook until softened. Add thyme and panko crumbs; sauté until crisped and golden. Remove from heat. Add lemon zest, salt and pepper.

This post is sponsored by P.C. Richard & Son. All opinions are my own.

Related Recipes:

salmon en croute with creamed leeks
roasted smashed potatoes with leeks
cream of leek soup

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Food Files Cookbook + Giveaway!

I was recently lucky enough to receive a copy of the beautiful new cookbook, Food Files, benefiting Yeshiva of Flatbush. The book is a compilation of beautiful, healthy, seasonal and original recipes from home cooks in Flatbush, Brooklyn. As a food blogger, I’m honored to receive review copies of cookbooks all the time. Sometimes the books are nothing to write home about, and they end up in the growing “give away” pile in the basement. Other times, the books are so beautiful that they’re worthy of your coffee table, and this, my friends, is one of them.

I was pleasantly surprised at the simple yet sophisticated style of this book, the stunning photos and the original recipes. All too often cookbooks are filled with recipes and adaptations of recipes that we’ve all seen before, but Food Files is filled with truly original dishes that capture the inventive cook.

Some of the recipes that caught my eye include homemade burrata, cauflower tabbouleh with raw falafel balls (yes!!), porcini mushroom latkes with truffle infused chive cream, farro leek soup, date hazelnut and feta salad, lemon poppy seed pancakes, green chili mac ‘n cheese, spiked sweet potatoes (recipe below), Chilean sea bass kanafe, mushroom stuffed ribeyes, no bake chocolate hazelnut cheesecake, peanut butter honeycomb pie, and tartufo martinis.

With Thanksgiving just a week away, please enjoy sample recipes for Asian Glazed Turkey Breast and Spiked Sweet Potatoes from the book, below!

Food Files makes a great Chanukah gift and is available for purchase here, but I’m so excited to be giving away a copy of their cookbook as well!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

To enter the giveaway to win a copy of Food Files:

1. Leave a comment below letting me know your favorite cookbook.
2. For an extra entry, follow Busy In Brooklyn via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Just be sure to leave a note in the comment letting me know where you follow.

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents (for international entries, prize can only be shipped in the U.S.). Winner will be chosen at random at 10:00 AM EST on Thursday, November 23rd, 2017.

Asian Glazed Turkey Breast
Recipe by Julie Ebani, reprinted with permission from Flatbush Food Files

FOR THE MARINADE:
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake or dry white wine
5 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14- to 15-pound) turkey breast,
on the bone
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 to 10 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon cornstarch, diluted
in 1/4 cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the marinade: In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Mix well and set aside.
Place the turkey breast in a large roaster. Sprinkle the curry powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper evenly over the turkey breast. Put the thyme sprigs inside the cavity of the turkey, between the breast and the bone. Spoon the marinade over the turkey and roast it, uncovered, for 2 hours, basting about every 15 minutes so that the flavors are well
absorbed. If you see that the skin is getting too dark, cover it lightly with foil. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
To make the gravy, transfer the juices of the turkey to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When the liquid is boiling, lower the heat and allow the liquid to simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until it has reduced by half. Add the cornstarch mixture to the liquid and let it simmer until it thickens to a gravy-like consistency, about 2 minutes.
The turkey can be served whole and carved at the table, or it can be served already sliced, with the gravy drizzled on top. Reserve the rest of the gravy to be served on the side.

Spiked Sweet Potatoes
Recipe by Micki Horovits, reprinted with permission from Flatbush Food Files

1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup whiskey
1/3 cup maple-flavored agave
Cinnamon, to taste
4 to 6 sweet potatoes, peeled
and cubed
Oil, to coat the baking pan
1/4 cup brown sugar, for topping
1 bag marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl, mix the orange juice, apple cider, whiskey, agave, and cinnamon together. Add in the sweet potatoes and stir to coat.
Place the potatoes in a large, lightly oiled oven-to-table baking dish. Crumble the brown sugar on top. Bake for about 1 hour, until the sweet potatoes are glazed and soft.
When the sweet potatoes have come out of the oven, top them with marshmallows. Be generous; they should almost be packed in, and you shouldn’t be able to see the sweet potatoes underneath.
Raise the oven temperature to broil. Broil for a few minutes, until the marshmallows are toasted and golden brown.

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Mini Pumpkin Pies for a Crowd

I’m really not much of a freezer person, but there is one recipe that I make every year for the holidays and it’s this one. These mini pumpkin pies are so festive and seasonal, and they’re great to have in the freezer as a pretty and delicious side dish. I always have them on hand for last minute company and they are so kid-friendly too.

What I love about this pie is that it’s very adaptable. If you are nut free, use oats in the streusel in place of nuts. You can make large or mini pies and swap in different types of milk or oils. You can make your own pie dough or pumpkin puree, if you’re so inclined, or go for the easy store-bought variety. In short, stock your freezer and you can thank me later!

Mini Pumpkin Pies with Pecan Streusel

29oz. can pumpkin (not pie filling)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c almond or coconut milk
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
30 mini pie shells

Topping:
2/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chopped pecans (use oats for nut-free)
1/3 c oil
Pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin with brown sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients until crumbly. Fill the pie shells with the filling and divide the streusel among the pies. Place on two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 45-55 minutes, until crust is lightly browned.

OPTIONAL: Melt some cookie butter and drizzle over pies before serving.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: Place the pies in a single layer in the freezer and freeze until solid. Once frozen, you can layer the pies in a pan, with parchment between the layers. Wrap with saran wrap and foil. Bake the frozen tarts until heated through and serve.

Related Recipes:

cookie butter pumpkin pie
pumpkin banana souffle
pumpkin cake

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