Category: The Nine Days

Linguini Lasagna

With the nine days* upon us, we’re all looking for a quick fix dairy dinner that doesn’t require oven time. At least here in Brooklyn, where the weather has been stifling hot and humid.  A nice big salad would make for the perfect meal, but I’ve got kids to feed, and salad is just not gonna cut it. My kids adore lasagna, but all that prep and cooking time is too much on these long summer days. My solution? a one-pot pasta dinner with all the lasagna components. The best part is, you can customize it to include all your favorite lasagna fillings. I knew I did well when I served this up and my daughter’s first words were “this tastes like Bubby’s lasagna!” Use store-bought marinara to save on prep time, or prepare your own original recipe.

What recipes are you serving up during the Nine Days? On my menu this week:

Monday: baked ziti and greek salad
Tuesday: crispy beer battered fish tacos from The Shiksa
Wednesday: light eggplant parmesan (no breading)
Thursday: quesadillas with assorted fillings

For more great Nine Days menu ideas, check out last years post.

*The Nine Days is a mourning period over the destruction of the Holy Temple. During this time, observant Jews abstain from eating meat and drinking wine as well as other joyous activities.

 

Linguini Lasagna

1 box linguini pasta, cooked al dente (see package instructions)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups chopped spinach (if frozen, thaw and squeeze out water)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 jar marinara sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp sugar, optional
1 8oz. container cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Method:

Heat up oil in a skillet and add garlic. Saute until fragrant, but not browned. Add spinach and saute for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add marinara sauce, basil, oregano and sugar and bring to a boil. With tongs, toss the linguini into the sauce and stir in cottage cheese and mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Variation: For a fun twist on traditional lasagna, break a few lasagna sheets into pieces. Cook until al dente. Use in place of linguini and mix with remaining ingredients.

1 year ago: spinach stuffed mushrooms

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Shlishkes (Gnocchi with Toasted Breadcrumbs)

Being of ashkenazi descent, I grew up eating many traditional Hungarian dishes like kraut-pletzlach (noodles and cabbage), holopches (stuffed cabbage), as well as shlishkes (potato dumplings rolled in toasted breadcrumbs). My mother would make shlishkes on occasion, but I hadn’t eaten it in many years. We were reminiscing about it the other day, so I decided to give it a try. The idea of making a pasta-like dough seemed intimidating, but it was actually quite easy. Rolled in toasted breadcrumbs, these soft potato dumplings are sure to please any palate, ashkenazi and sephardi alike! You can also use this recipe to make gnocchi, and mix it with your sauce of choice (marinara or pesto are good options).

When I looked up my family recipe for shlishkes (which I’ve lightly adapted), I found something interesting. After the instructions for preparing the dough, it said, “take challah.” I would never have imagined that I would need to set aside gnocchi dough for hafrashas challah! After doing some research, it seems as though one would not need to “take challah” for dough that uses only 1 1/2 cups of flour (the original recipe used more). If you’re interested, you can read more about it here.

Shlishkes

4 medium russet potatoes
1 egg
1-2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c flour
6 tbsp butter or 1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup plain bread crumbs

Method:

Scrub potatoes to remove dirt and boil until fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool to the touch, peel them. Mash the potatoes very well*, or if you have one, push them through a potato ricer or fine mesh sieve. While the potatoes are still warm, place them into a mixing bowl and add egg, salt and flour. Mix the ingredients and knead with your hands until a soft dough is formed. Add additional flour if necessary. On a floured surface, and with floured hands, roll out a handful of dough into a long strip. Cut the strip into 3/4″ pieces. If desired, roll the dough over (or under) a fork to create ridges. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, drop pieces into the water and let them simmer until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. In a separate pan, melt margarine or heat up oil. Add bread crumbs and stir until browned and toasted. Add gnocchi and toss until coated.

* If you don’t mash the potatoes really well, you’ll be left with large lumps of potatoes in your dough.

1 year ago: salad nicoise and other shalos seudos ideas

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Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

OK. I admit it. I made pancakes yesterday. That’s right. After 3 days of chowing down on cheesecake, lasagna, and so many other calorie-laden delicacies, I still went ahead and make breakfast pancakes. And now the guilt is setting in.  I haven’t even stepped on the scale but I can only imagine the damage. I think it’s about time for a detox, don’t you?

When I come up with a new recipe, a lot of my inspiration comes from what’s in my fridge. In this case, I had some leftover leeks from this leek soup, plus some spinach and mushrooms. The spaghetti squash had been sitting around for a while so I decided to give it a go. This recipe is extremely light and diet-friendly, yet tasty and satisfying. Try it with a side of baked salmon or grilled chicken for a complete and healthy meal!

 

Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

2 small or 1 large spaghetti squash
1 large leek
3 cloves garlic
1 container mushrooms
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/8 cup dry white wine, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for sauteeing

Method:

Prepare spaghetti squash according to these directions. In the meantime, slice the leek in half vertically and wash well to remove dirt. Dry on paper towels and and cut crosswise into thin slices. Saute the garlic and leek in olive oil for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are soft and lightly browned. Add spinach (don’t worry if it won’t fit in the pan, it will wilt down into nothing in seconds) and pour in chicken stock. Stir the spinach until wilted and add wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add spaghetti squash and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Saute for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

1 year ago: savory & sweet cheese balls

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Salmon Pasta Salad

If you follow my blog, you know how much I love turning leftovers into something fabulous. This salmon salad is no exception. Back on Succos, I prepared a huge portion of salmon and although delicious, I still had so much left over. Because salmon tends to get a bit fishy the next day, I wanted to serve it up in a way that I could mask some of its fishiness. And that’s how this recipe was borne.

This year, we go straight from Shabbos into Shavuous and I’m sure many of you are going to have lots of leftovers. And since not everyone has the luxury of leaving on their oven for 3 days, we’ve all got to make the most of what we’ve got. This recipe will take your leftover salmon from fishy to delicious! I’ve upped the ante for Shavuous by using soft Israeli cream cheese instead of mayonnaise. Make sure to bake your salmon in a pareve oven so you can make it dairy.


Salmon Pasta Salad

1 12 oz box bowtie pasta (reserve 2 tbsp cooking water)
2 slices leftover salmon (see note)
1/2 c peas, thawed
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp dill
1/4 cup soft Israeli cream cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare pasta according to package directions, making sure to reserve 2 tbsp of cooking water before draining. Add the pasta to a mixing bowl and stir in cream cheese while it’s still hot. Add pasta water 1 tbsp at a time to help thin out the cream cheese. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don’t have leftover salmon, you can use chunks of canned salmon or you can bake fresh. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze some fresh lemon on fish, sprinkle salt, and drizzle a little olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

Variation: For a pareve version, use mayo instead of cream cheese. Omit the pasta water.

1 year ago: black bean & chorizo chocolate chili

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Cream of Leek Soup + Fresh & Easy Cookbook Review

I don’t know what’s taken me so long to make something from Leah Schapira’s fabulous cookbook Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking, but I’m so glad I finally did. It also gave me a chance to revisit the book and look at page after page of mouthwatering recipes and pictures. While the title “Fresh & Easy” refers to the recipes, it also reflects the cookbooks ease of use. Being a web designer by trade, I really appreciate a fresh and clean layout, and Leah’s book does a fabulous job of creating organized, easy-to-read meal plans for the everyday cook. With picture perfect menu’s, an informative guide to seasonal fruits & vegetables, as well as freezer tips and food pairings, “Fresh & Easy” is the perfect resource for busy moms and cooks.

One of the recipes that stood out to me was this cream of leak soup. While I usually make french onion soup for Shavuous, I find it quite heavy, so I was looking for something dairy, but lighter. While this is similar to a vichyssoise, the lack of potatoes and heavy cream keep it light – which I love. Of course I had to throw my own twist on it, so I made some crispy leeks for garnish.

Some of the other recipes I’m eyeing from Leah’s book include the gemelli basil pasta salad, butternut squash with grapes and shallots, red wine tomato sauce, Italian breadsticks, double chocolate pecan waffles, creamy thai chicken thighs, plum asian chicken, savory hamentaschen, peanut butter bars, cinnamon twists, cheese buns….(I better stop here before I type up the whole cookbook!)

Do you own the Fresh & Easy cookbook? What are some of the recipes you’ve tried? I’d love to hear from you!

Cream of Leek Soup
reprinted with permission from Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking by Leah Schapira of CookKosher.com

3 large leeks (white and light green parts only)
2-3 tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
4 tbsp flour
2 cups pareve chicken stock (I used Imagine)
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup milk

Method:

Slice the white and light green parts of the leek in half vertically (I seem to have misread this part and used the green parts too, oops!). Wash well and cut crosswise into thin slices. Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the leeks and onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the flour, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat. Add white wine, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Add milk and heat thoroughly, taking care that the soup does not come to a boil.

Note: Puree if desired.


Crispy Leeks

1 leek, white and light green part only
canola oil

Method:

Slice the leek in half vertically and wash to remove dirt and grit. Dry well. Cut the leek lengthwise into thin strips. Heat up oil in a small pan and add leeks. Fry until golden and drain on paper towels.

1 year ago: mini zucchini muffins + Rivka’s pumpkin cake

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