Homemade Chicken Nuggets

About 30 minutes from start to finish

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of skinless chicken breast cutlets (thin)
• 1 T canola oil
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup panko
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• cooking spray

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut chicken into two inch pieces.
• Spread panko on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake until golden - 4 minutes - watch carefully
• Transfer to dish and stir 1/2 t salt, pepper and drizzle with oil and put in pie plate
• Place flour in a separate pie plate
• Put beaten eggs in a separate pie plate
• Turn heat up to 450 degrees.
• Put tinfoil on cookie sheet and spray with Pam.
• Coat chicken pieces in flour, shaking off extra flour, then dredge in egg, and then coat in panko, pressing so it sticks.  Place finished nuggets on cookie sheet. 
• Bake for 12 minutes (flip halfway through)
• Serve with ketchup.

Broccoli with Fresh Fennel Soup

A few years ago, I attended at Temple Emanuel Sisterhood cooking event featuring Jewish Italian Cooking.  One of the best recipes that I came away with was this soup.

2 large heads of broccoli (washed and chopped); thick stems can be peeled and then chopped.
1 large onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 Fennel bulb with fennel tops
6 cups of water
salt
pepper
scallions for garnish
1 13.5 oz unsweetened coconut milk

1.  Sauté onion, garlic and chopped bulb until onion is translucent.
2.  Add broccoli and fennel wisps and water.  Simmer until tender about 20 minutes.
3.  Use stick blender to puree until smooth.
4.  Add coconut milk and stir and add salt and pepper.  Cook on low for 5 minutes.  Garnish with scallions.

Potato Latke Recipe

Hanukah is around the corner, and one of the traditions is to light the menorah and make latkes.

Ingredients:
5 large potatoes, washed and peeled
1 large onion
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour (and on Pesach substitute matzo meal)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Canola Oil

In a food processor with the grater blade, process the potatoes and onions in multiple steps.
Strain the potatoes and onion through a colander.
Put the potatoes and onions in a large bowl and add eggs, flour, salt and pepper and mix well.

Heat oil in either frying pan over medium heat or in an electric skillet.  Place batter onto the pan and fry for 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Turn over and fry on the other side for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from pan and place on paper towels on wire rack.  Continue with remaining batter until complete.  Add more oil when necessary.

Place on platter and serve with apple sauce.

Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

My daughter is not a big fan of vegetables.  She prefers fruit - peaches, plums, berries and apples.  In our house we all eat vegetables.  However, she really liked this zucchini side dish, so I had to share.  It is from Ina!

And late summer is zucchini season in New England.

6 medium zucchini (about three pounds) - washed
Olive Oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T minced fresh parsley
2 T julienned fresh basil
1/2 c freshly granted Parmesan cheese (NOT from the can)
3/4 c Panko

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Trim the stems off the zucchini.  Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds using a spoon (I use a regular small spoon).  Take a baking sheet and cover with tin foil.  Put the zucchini in one play on the pan and brush the scooped out side with olive oil.  Turn over the zucchini so the cut side is down.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and then some ground pepper.

Roast for 14 minutes.

While roasting, make the stuffing by placing the garlic, parsley, basil, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon regular salt, ground pepper, panko and 3 T of olive oil.  Mix well.

When the zucchini is ready, please about a tablespoon of panko in each zucchini.  Bake for 8 more minutes.  Serve hot.

Enjoy

Chicken for Rosh Hashana

I really enjoy trying new recipes for the holidays.  One recipe that is perfect for Rosh Hashana is from Kosher By Design - Cooking Coach by Susie Fishbein

Pomegranate Honey Chicken

1 chicken - cut into pieces
1/2 cup honey (to measure honey spray PAM on the measuring cup, and then pour the honey into the measuring cup)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 pomegranate juice
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 T cornstarch
1 t tomato paste
1/2 t dried thyme
2 cloves fresh garlic, minces
1 T non dairy margarine
fresh pomegranate seeds (garnish)

Line a roasting dish with tin foil.  Arrange the chicken into a single layer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a pot over medium heat, whisk the honey, brown sugar, pomegranate juice, teriyaki sauce, cornstarch, tomato paste, thyme and garlic.  Bring to a summer over medium heat until thickened (maybe two minutes).  Whisk in the margarine.  Reduce heat.  Cook for one minute.  Brush the sauce on each piece of chicken, and then pour the extra on all the pieces of chicken.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.  Baste every 15 minutes.  Transfer chicken pieces to a serving dish and spoon the sauce over the chicken.  Place a few pomegranate seeds onto the chicken pieces.

Enjoy!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Sometimes I just really want a freshly made chocolate chip cookie.  And sometimes I have to make it NOW.  Even if it is 90 degrees outside.  I use butter and not margarine. 
Here is the recipe:

·        2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

·        1 teaspoon baking soda

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (and as I learned in class this is an important part)

·        3/4 cup granulated sugar

·        3/4 cup packed brown sugar

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        2 large eggs

·        2 cups Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1.     Preheat oven to 375°F (Convection if possible)

2.     Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased baking sheets.  (I have a tablespoon scoop from King Arthur Flour so every cookie is the same size)

3.     Bake for 9  minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

TTry not to eat all of the cookies at once.

Cake - King Arthur Flour Cooking Class

I signed up for a cake class at King Arthur Flour (KAF) in VT, and the class was this past week.  First, if you have been thinking about signing up for a class at KAF, you should sign up.  It is an amazing experience and the chef baker, Melanie, that taught the class was out of this world.

Every one had their own station (which was set up with all the proper instruments) and ingredients.  Chef Melanie demonstrated how to make Dark Chocolate Cake but before she did that she explained that there were three different types of mixing methods:  Blending, Paste and Creaming.  She also told us that there are different ways to add ingredients, and the Dark Chocolate Cake would use the Dry and Wet method.  She also explained there are different types of cake - moist, with irregular crumb structure; tender, light and fluffy that has a tight crumb structure and then a moist denser cake with a more open crumb structure.  After she demonstrated the Dark Chocolate Cake, each of us made our own.  She then demonstrated the Tender White Cake (traditional wedding cake) and then we each made our own.  Then she demonstrated the Classic Yellow, which we did not have time to make.  We then cracked our eggs for the frosting, and then broke for an amazing and delicious lunch.

After lunch we made our two types of frosting:  chocolate American buttercream and Swiss Meringue buttercream.

After 8 hours of cake, I had learned so much (besides the above crumb structure and blending).

Random other pieces of knowledge:
*  weigh ingredients whenever possible;
*  use a conventional oven to bake cakes and a convection over for breads, vegetables and meat
*  buttermilk can be frozen and used later
*  buttermilk has the acid that re-acts with the baking soda, so you can't substitute regular milk and get the same result
*  when a recipe calls for room temperature ingredients in a cake use room temperature ingredients as it affects the way butter interacts with the ingredients
*  baking powder is baking soda with cream of tartar and cream of tartar is made from the residue inside wine casks
*  Whole wheat flour has a high amount of gluten and makes chewy baked goods.  The most tender flour is pastry flour.

Brittish Baking

https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/lemon_and_poppy_seed_63235

Ingredients

For the cake

• vegetable oil or cake release spray, for greasing the tin
• 250g/9oz self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 250g/9oz butter, softened
• 250g/9oz caster sugar
• 50g/1¾oz alond flour
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 4 unwaxed lemons, zest only (juice reserved for the drizzle)
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• a little boiling water, to slacken the mixture if necessary

For the drizzle

• 8 tbsp lemon juice (from above)
• 8 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp limoncello (alternatively use lemon juice)

To decorate

• 1 unwaxed lemon, thinly sliced and pips removed
• 4-5 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds

For the icing

• 125g/4½oz icing sugar
• 1 tbsp limoncello (alternatively use lemon juice)
• 1 unwaxed lemon, juice only

How-to-videos

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 25cm/10in non-stick, fluted ring cake tin with cake release spray or vegetable oil.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the water) and whisk until smooth using an electric hand mixer. Add about 100ml/3½fl oz hot water from the kettle to slacken the mixture to a soft dropping consistency, if necessary. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cake starts to come away from the sides. To check the cake is ready insert a skewer, if it comes out clean the cake is cooked.
3. Meanwhile, make the drizzle. Put the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat a little and let it boil for about a minute, or until thickened and syrupy. Add the limoncello, boil for another minute and set aside.
4. For the decoration, add the lemon slices to the drizzle syrup. Reheat the syrup and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the lemon slices have softened. Turn off the heat and, using tongs, carefully transfer the lemon slices to a plate lined with greaseproof paper. Leave to cool and reserve any leftover syrup.
5. When cool enough to handle, make a cut from the centre of the lemon slices to the skin and twist the ends in the opposite direction (so they resemble a bow). Repeat with all the slices, sprinkle with caster sugar and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper.
6. When the cake is cooked, reduce the oven temperature to 100C/80C Fan/Gas ¼.
7. Leave the cake in the tin while you apply the drizzle. Make holes using a skewer and brush or spoon about a third of the drizzle over the cake. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Make some more holes in the top of the cake (these will be covered with icing later) and brush or spoon the rest of the syrup over the whole cake. Allow to cool completely. When the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving plate or cake board.
8. Meanwhile, put the lemon twists in the oven to dry out for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until they are chewy (rather than crisp).
9. Toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan until golden-brown, then set aside to cool.
10. For the icing, mix the icing sugar, limoncello and a little lemon juice until you have a thick icing. Drizzle it over the top of the cake, encouraging it to run down the sides a little. Decorate with the lemon twists, flaked almonds and poppy seeds.

Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad

Ingredients

1. 4 medium zucchinis; halved then cut diagonally
2. ½ cup hazelnuts; chopped
3. 3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino, sliced thinly
4. 1 cup basil
5. olive oil
6. salt and pepper

1. Heat a grill pan medium high. 
2. Slice the zucchinis in 1/2 inch slices at an angle. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Grill each side just enough to get grill marks but the zucchini are still firm.  About 2 min each side.
4. Let cool in a large salad bowl.
5. Add basil
6. Add hazelnuts
7. Add cheese

Basic Pesto

1. 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves.
2. 2 cloves garlic.
3. 2 T pine nuts, roasted
4. 6 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided.
5. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
6. 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese.

In a food processor, combine the garlic and the pinenuts.  Add the basil and process.  Slowly add the olive oil.  Add salt and pepper and the cheese.

Put on hot pasta.

Another Instant Pot Success

MILD General Tso's Chicken

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts cubed

6 T rice vinegar

6 T soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 t ground ginger

3/4 c hoisin sauce

4 T brown sugar

2 T cornstarch

garnish:  1 green onion chopped, sesame seeds

PREP

Pour the sesame oil in the Instant Pot.  Select sauté and adjust to normal.  Add chicken to the pot and cook and stir for five minutes, or until chicken is white (does not need to be cooked all the way through).  Press cancel.

In a bowl, mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce and brown sugar.  Pour into the Instant Pot with the chicken.  Put on the lid and close.  Select manual and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.  Do a quick release.

Press cancel and select sauté and adjust to normal.  When boiling, whisk in the cornstarch for about two minutes.  Press cancel.

Serve over rice and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.

Passover Almond Butter Banana Pancakes

Tried this new recipe for Passover.  Passover breakfast is always a challenge in our house since we normally eat cereal, and we have a few choices.  Passover means no ready to eat food in our house, and things need to be prepared.  Three out of four of us eat matza brie. . . . . no one likes the Passover pancakes (homemade or from a mix) and we all agreed the $7.99 box of Passover waffles was the worst waffle we ever ate.

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
4 eggs
1/2 cup almond butter
1 t vanilla (KFP)
1 cup chocolate chips
maple syrup
vegetable/canola oil

Place the bananas, eggs, almond butter and vanilla into the food processor with the "s" blade and process until smooth.  Pour into bowl and add chocolate chips and stir.

Heat griddle over low to medium heat.  Heat oil.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot griddle and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes.  Flip and cook for an additional minute and move to cookie sheet.  (You can keep the prepared pancakes in a warm oven until batter is gone.)  Continue.

Serve with maple syrup and a berry salad on the side.

Passover Meat Lasagna

Ingredients

1.5 lbs ground beef - not extra lean (if you want to make it vegetarian, use 1.5 pounds of mushrooms that you have pulverized in the food processor)
2 onions, chopped
3/4 c. pignoli nuts (you can substitute dates)
1/2 c raisins soaked in red wine
1-2 t ground cinnamon
1 t cloves
2 T Olive Oil
One box of matzah (4 sheets per layer)
2 eggs
1/2 c beef broth or red wine
salt and pepper

In a pan, heat oil over medium heat and add onions and a pinch of salt.  Let onions cook for 5-7 minutes.  Add nuts and raise the heat a bit.  Add ground beef and cook for 5 minutes.  Add raisins with the wine, cinnamon and cloves.  Let cook 5 more minutes and add salt and pepper, if needed.  Cook until beef is cooked.  Remove from heat and cover.  You want the mixture to have some liquid (if there isn't any add some beef broth or wine).

Preheat oven to 350F

Take a 9 x 5 pan and fill with water (this is to soak matzah).  Place 4 matzot to soak for a few minutes, but not too long.  You want it in one piece and not many.

Take another 9 x5 pan and add a teaspoon of oil and put in the oven for a minute (to heat but not burn).  Take out pan and put in two matzahs.  Add 1/2 of the meat mixture with some juice and cover with two matzahs.  Then add the rest of the meat and matzah.  You need to replace the matzahs in the water as you take out two to keep the process going.

Beat the eggs together.  Poke a few holes in the top layer of matzah.  Pour egg mixture over it.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes then serve.

Sephardic Charoset

Growing up, the charoset on our Passover table was made of apples and nuts.   A few years ago, I learned about how each geographic area had their own charoset.  My mother in law introduced this to me before I married her son.

Sephardic Charoset

1 pound of dark raisins
8 oz. pitted dates
2 cups water

Place raisins and dates in a bowl and cover with water and let stand for one hour.
Chop fine in a food processor in small batches, and put in a heavy saucepan.
Simmer over a very low heat until all liquid is absorbed (about an hour)
Remove from heat and cool.
Place in Tupperware in the fridge.

After the seder is over, I typically serve it for breakfast or with lunch to spread on matzah.

Mario's Pasta - made two ways

I made this pasta this weekend.  I made 1/4 of the recipe without anchovies and 3/4 with the anchovies.  I think the anchovies add a deeper taste, however my vegetarian husband doesn't miss it.

St. John’s Eve Pasta

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

¾ cup sliced blanched almonds

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

4 salt-packed anchovies, filleted, rinsed, and chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 cups tomato sauce

6  fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

1 pound pappardele pasta

Preparation:

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

Meanwhile, in a 10-inch sauté pan, gently toast the almonds in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat until golden brown.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the almonds to a plate. In the oil remaining in the pan, toast the bread crumbs, stirring, until golden brown and crisp. Combine the bread crumbs and almonds in a small bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons more olive to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the anchovies and crush them into the oil with a fork. Add the anchovies and oil to the bread crumb mixture and season with lots of black pepper. Set aside.

Add the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, add the onion and garlic, and coo gently until softened but not browned.  Add the tomato sauce, being to a brisk simmer, and cook until the sauce has reduced by one-third. Add the basil, remove from the heat, and set aside.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain the past well, and toss into the pan with the sauce. Add half of the bread crumb mixture and toss to mix well.

Transfer the pasta to a warmed serving blow. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumb mixture over the top, and serve immediately.

Source: Molto Italiano by Mario Batali

Creative Hamentashen recipes

My nearly 12 year daughter really wants me to try these:

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-unicorn-hamantaschen-recipe-of-your-dreams/

In the past she has requested these:

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/rainbow-hamantaschen/

Rosewater and Almond:
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/chef-laura/

Girl Scout inspired:
http://kitchen-tested.com/2012/02/23/girl-scout-samoa-hamantaschen/


Other recipes:

https://www.haaretz.com/food/best-hamantaschen-recipes-for-purim-1.5420325

http://www.busyinbrooklyn.com/baklava-hamantaschen/

https://www.buzzfeed.com/marcelle/crazy-hamantaschen-flavors-for-purim?utm_term=.ovBjoGPKW#.dmpMYNW1K

http://fritosandfoiegras.com/2012/03/french-onion-soup-hamantaschen.html

http://www.thisglutenfreelife.org/2011/01/bakery-style-hamantaschen.html

http://www.styleitkosher.com/2012/03/lemon-bar-hamantaschen/

http://www.diaryofamadhausfrau.com/2012/03/spelt-brown-sugar-hamantashen-with-red.html

Poppyseed filling for Hamentashen

1 cup sugar
1/4 c water
1 3/4 c poppy seeds
juice and zest of one orange (approx. 1/3 c of liquid)
1 t vanilla
1 T dark rum
1/4 c chopped figs
1/4 c raisins
1/2 t cinnamon
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 cup apricot jam
1/4 c butter or parve margarine

In saucepan over medium heat, dissolve sugar and bring to simmer.

Add poppy seeds to pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Add orange juice and zest, vanilla, rum, figs, raisins, cinnamon and egg white.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Add jam and butter.  Simmer for 2 additional minutes.  Remove from heat and chill until firm.

Yield 2 1/2 cups

Savory Hamentashen!

Just tried my first savory Hamenstashen.  Here is the recipe:

Dough

1/2 pound butter (or parve margarine)
1/2 pound cream cheese (or Tofutti cream cheese)
2 cups flour
1 T sugar
1 egg beaten with 1 T water to brush on pastry

Preheat oven to 400

Combine flour and sugar in food processor.  Cut butter and cream cheese into small chunks.

Add half the butter and half the cream cheese into the flour mixture.  Pulsing until coarsely mixed.  Add rest of butter and cream cheese.  Process until dough forms a ball.

Transfer mixture to bowl and sprinkle with flour so that ball isn't sticky.

Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and form into a small ball.  Sprinkle flour on board.  Roll out ball with rolling pin to form a 3 inch circle.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Place 1 teaspoon of filling into each center of each circle and pinch the sides to form triangles.

Use a pastry brush to coat tops with egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden.

Makes 40-45 Hamentashen

Caponata

1 peeled eggplant, cut into small cubes
1/2 green pepper, cubed
1 large onion minced
10 oz. mushrooms, cut up finely
1/2 c olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup tomato paste
2 T wine vinegar
1 1/2 t sugar
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup chopped olives stuffed with pimentos

Heat olive oil and sauté garlic until slightly brown.  Add eggplant, onions and peppers and cook for a minute.  Add all other ingredients except for olives.

Stir and heat for 20 minutes until all ingredients are soft and all liquid has evaporated.

Stir in olives

Allow mixture to cool.  Refrigerate overnight.

Instant Pot Recipes

Mac and Cheese

https://www.centercutcook.com/instant-pot-easy-mac-and-cheese/

I used Kraft shredded cheese.  Next time I would use a higher quality cheese.  Both my kids liked it

Applesauce:

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-applesauce/

Risotto (easier than traditional and just as yummy)

https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-parmesan-risotto/

Ginger and Butternut Squash Soup

https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/ginger-and-butternut-squash-soup/

Cranberry and Maple-Glazed Chicken Leg Quarters - Instant Pot

Cranberry and Maple-Glazed Chicken Leg Quarters

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
4 skin-on chicken leg and thigh quarters
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup canned whole-berry cranberry sauce
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons loosely packed fresh sage leaves, minced

Melt the butter or heat up the oil with the sauté button. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and brown the chicken legs two at a time. Brown well, turning once, about six minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

Stir in the cranberry sauce, maple syrup, broth, and sage until well combined. Slip the chicken legs back into the pot and ladle some of the sauce over the chicken leg quarters. Lock the lid on the top, set the valve to sealing, and press the poultry or manual button to 18 minutes.

Use the natural release method (instead of the quick-release above, which is best for soups, stews, and non-meat dishes) to release the pressure. Turn the machine off and allow the pot to come back to pressure by itself, which can take between 10-20 minutes. When the silver button next to the valve falls, the pressure is released and the lid is unlocked.