Tag: appetizer

Drunken Hasselback Salami

I bet you’ve never heard of anything like drunken hasselback salami. Hasselback potatoes, maybe. What are they? Well back in the 1940’s, a dish of whole potatoes cut to resemble an accordion was first served at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm. Cutting the potatoes this way results in a soft and creamy interior with crisped and browned edges.

Hasselback potatoes have been popular ever since, most commonly served in a simple preparation of butter and salt. I put my own twist on these a while back, using sweet potatoes & apples for a sweet variation.

For Purim, I decided to really bring some hassel back with a sweet & savory combo of salami in an apricot-brand glaze. Since salami is a food that is traditionally hung to dry, many have a custom to eat it on Purim to commemorate the hanging of Haman.

There’s no question that this drunken hasselback salami will be the star of your Purim meal! I couldn’t resist adding some booze to the sauce to really take it over the top. Coming from a former salami-averter, trust me when I tell you that this stuff will please even the pickiest palate. Salami is NOT my thing, or I should say, WAS not my thing – until I ate this. My husband and kids gobbled it up, sopping up the extra sauce with the pulled salami chips.

The first time I tried to make hasselback potatoes, I inadvertently sliced all the way through so many times that my accordion potato morphed into a gratin. But after stumbling upon the coolest hasselback trick, I haven’t screwed up a single potato since! Simply place a chopstick on either side of the potato (or salami) and slice. The knife will stop cutting when it hits the chopstick for perfect accordions every time! How cool is that?

This finger-licking hasselback experiment has got my wheels turning. I’m already dreaming up lots of other accordion-style treats – stay tuned!

Drunken Hasselback Salami

16oz. salami
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3 tbsp brandy*
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all ingredients besides for salami to a pot and whisk over medium heat until jam is melted and mixture begins to boil and thicken. Remove the wrapper from the salami and place on a cutting board with chopsticks on either side. Holding the salami down with one hand, slice into thin, even slices (don’t worry, the chopsticks will ensure that you don’t slice all the way through).

Generously brush the salami with the sauce, making sure to get in between all the slices. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, basting every 10-15 minutes, until the salami is browned and crispy around the edges. Serve warm with leftover sauce for dipping.

NOTE: You will notice that the salami will begin to turn and split open in a certain spot. When basting, split the salami open in different areas so it can brown evenly all over instead of just one spot.

*If you do not have brandy, you may use bourbon instead.

Related recipes:

hasselback sweet potatoes with apples
salami chips with dijon dipping sauce

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Chickpea Cakes with Za’atar Cauliflower Relish

If you follow my blog, you probably already know about my passion for Israeli fare. From cumin to za’atar and roasted eggplant to chickpeas – you’ll find loads of Middle Eastern-inspired recipes here on BIB. I’ve been growing my collection of Middle Eastern cookbooks as well, with Balaboosta just recently added to books like Plenty, Jerusalem, Cook in Israel, The Book of New Israeli Food, and more.

In this delicious appetizer, I’ve created a chickpea cake, in a preparation similar to polenta, using garbanzo flour. Such cakes are popularly served in Northern Italy (where it’s called panisse) as well as the South of France (where it’s called panelle). They are often cut into sticks and fried to resemble french fries.

For the topping, I went with a delicious combination of za’atar roasted cauliflower with caramelized onions, prunes and toasted pine nuts. The result is a delicious combination of Middle Eastern flavors – the perfect recipe to guest post on Yosef Silver’s blog, This American Bite. You may remember it from The Great Blog Swap Link-Up where I created a recipe for grilled corn with za’atar garlic butter, inspired by his recipe for garlic, za’atar & olive oil stovetop popcorn.

For the recipe, head on over to This American Bite.

1 year ago: teriyaki salmon
2 years ago: stuffed roasted butternut squash
3 years ago: quick & easy chocolate rugelach

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Tuscan White Beans with Spinach

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I love to eat out. Which is why I’ll probably never leave Brooklyn. Aside from Israel, New York has got to be the mecca of the kosher culinary world. You’ll find all sorts of restaurants scattered throughout the five boroughs, including Indian, Italian, French and Chinese eateries. Being a foodie-turned-chef, I take inspiration for my recipes from everything around me – especially quality restaurant dishes. When I eat a good dish at a restaurant, I’m bound to whip up my own version in my kitchen (like I did here). This is one such recipe.

Tuscan White Beans with Spinach

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c dry white wine
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2-2 c vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 6oz. bag baby spinach

Method:

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook over high heat to reduce, 1-2 minutes. Add beans, thyme, bay leaf and 1 1/2 cups of broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mash half the beans and cook until creamy and thickened, adding additional broth if needed. Add baby spinach and cook until wilted. Serve immediately.

NOTE: I like to serve this as a side dish, but if you’d like to turn it into a soup, add some more vegetable broth until desired consistency is reached.

 

1 year ago: spicy garlic chicken
2 years ago: cornbread scones

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Teriyaki Mushrooms

I’m a big mushroom fan. I love all types of the fungus, well, except for the poisonous variety that’s growing in my backyard. The funny thing is, my husband never really got to appreciate them growing up because his mother is severely allergic. I found this out soon after my marriage, when we gathered for sheva brachot dinner. They were serving some kind of mushroom knish, which may or may not have been disguised as meat. My mother in law took one bite and her throat swelled up like a balloon. I don’t remember much after that, but I DO remember that every time I tried to make dinner with any kind of ‘shroom, my new husband gave me this are-you-really-going-to-serve-me-fungus-for-dinner look. But instead of putting one of my favorite veggies on the back burner, I taught him to love them. This is one of the ways.

Making these delicious teriyaki portobello mushrooms, is such a joke, you won’t believe your eyes, or your taste buds, when you eat them. Such a simple preparation and they taste fabulous. I always turn to this “recipe” when I need a quick side dish for Shabbat dinner. The platter always gets polished off to the last drop.

Teriyaki Porobello Mushrooms

6 medium portobello mushrooms
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp teriyaki sauce (I use La Choy brand)
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
chopped scallions or chives, for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently clean the portobello mushrooms with a damp paper towel and trim the stem, if needed. Cut into slices. Place all the portobello slices onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, stir the mushrooms immediately, so that they are well coated (if you don’t stir right away, the olive oil soaks right into the mushrooms). Drizzle the teriyaki sauce over the slices and mix with your hands to coat. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and caramelized. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions or chives.

Other Mushroom Recipes:

crockpot mushroom barley stoup
spinach stuffed mushrooms
portobello burgers with sundried tomato aioli
portobello pizza

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Zucchini Parmesan Chips

A couple of months ago, a bunch of kosher bloggers and I went out to celebrate the anniversary of The Kosher Connection (a group that we formed that presents monthly challenges to kosher food bloggers). We all met at Siena’s, a dairy Brooklyn restaurant on Kings Highway to have some fun and enjoy good food. And that we did. One of the first things they served us were crispy tempura-fried zucchini chips with marinara sauce for dipping. Those chips were completely addictive and being pregnant at the time, I repeatedly craved them throughout my pregnancy!

Fast forward a couple of months later and I’m craving those chips again. With Chanukah in mind, I decided to try a breaded version, with some parmesan mixed in. Eating fried foods on Chanukah is a well known custom (to commemorate the miracle of the oil), but eating dairy is as well. We do so to remember the bravery of Yehudit, a young widower who lived in Bethulia in the land of Judea. To save Jerusalem from a paralyzing siege and approaching enemy troops, Yehudit seduced a Greek general into a drunken slumber by feeding him salty cheese and quenching his thirst with strong wine. As the general slept, she beheaded him with a sword. After finding that their general had been killed, the Greek army fled in disarray.

So not only do we gorge ourselves on fried doughnuts and chocolate gelt – we also add dairy to the mix to really tip the scales! Thanks to the zucchini in this recipe, you get to deguiltify the whole deep-fried thing altogether! Which reminds me…

I made these zucchini chips on a Wednesday morning. I remember because right after they came out of the fryer, I went out to pick up the New York Times. You see, I’m not much of a newspaper-reading gal, but on Wednesdays, the paper includes a fantastic Dining supplement and I just have to have it. To my amusement, the front page of the Dining Section was dedicated to the art of deep frying. It read, “Deep Fried and Good for You.” Talk about deguiltifying.

In the article, Mark Bittman reasons that deep frying is not all that bad for you, since fat is actually good for you. He concedes that not all fats are created equal and continues on to reject the notion that olive oil is inappropriate for frying. Since most deep-frying is done at around 350 degrees, and olive oil smokes at 375, it’s a fine option, he says.

I turned the page to continue the article and found that Mark had included a recipe for fried zucchini sticks, similar to the chips I had just made. “Mark says they’re good for you,” I told myself as I continued to eat the whole pan (did I mention I was pregnant?!).

Zucchini Parmesan Chips

1-2 large zucchini
1/2 c flour
1-2 eggs, whisked
1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c grated parmesan
salt & pepper, to taste
canola oil (or any neutral flavored oil), for frying
Marinara sauce, for dipping

Method:

Using a mandolin or knife, slice the zucchini into approximately 1/4″ rounds. Prepare your breading station by placing separate bowls of flour, egg and panko mixed with parmesan. Season each bowl with salt and pepper. Dredge the zucchini in flour and shake off to remove excess. Repeat with egg and then panko-parmesan mixture. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees*. Place a few pieces of zucchini into the hot oil. When the zucchini begins to brown on one side, flip it over to brown the other side. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately, with marinara sauce for dipping.

*If you don’t have a deep fry thermometer, you can test the temperature by adding a pinch of flour to the oil. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.

VARIATION: try this recipe with eggplant, asparagus, green beans, or any veggie of your choice.

NOTE: If you prefer to bake these, place the breaded zucchini rounds on a greased cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray and bake at 450 degrees, for 15 minutes per side, until browned and crisped.

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