Recipes

Reuben Mina

Sat, 18 May, 2013 6 a.m.

One day when I found rye matzah at the store, I bought a box. I had instinctively thought of a Reuben casserole. I layered the matzah, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese and corned beef; I poured egg over it all to bind it together. I baked it until it was golden, melted, and luscious. And so, although I couldn't find the rye flavor this year, I had to make a Reuben Mina. How could I not? I approximated the rye flavor with a sprinkling of caraway seeds; it's the caraway flavor that people seem to associate with rye, anyway. And this can be made year-round with plain or egg matzah, which is available at any time.

Ingredients

1 cup Egg Beaters
4 plain or egg matzot (plural of matzah)
1-1/2 pounds sauerkraut, drained
8 ounces Thousand Island dressing
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
4 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese, ...

Angelina de Leon’s Matzah (from The New York Times Passover Cookbook)

Sat, 18 May, 2013 6 a.m.

I can’t claim that this is my own concoction, and frankly, it’s so good and is so notable that I wouldn’t dare to tinker with it. This matzah recipe has survived for 500 years because it is a part of history.

Ingredients

2 cups white flour
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Stir together the eggs, honey, oil and water; pour over the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Turn the dough out onto a countertop and knead until it forms a cohesive ball.

Divide the dough into 6 portions. One by one, roll them out into 8-inch rounds; prick all over with a fork, then place onto a very lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake matzot (plural of “matzah”) for 10 ...

Miriam Shaw's Easy Braised Brisket

Fri, 17 May, 2013 6 a.m.

I was recently honored and thrilled to be one of the judges at the third annual Brisket Bake-Off hosted by the Sisterhood of Temple Beth Emeth. One of the entries came from Miriam Shaw. Her brisket was notable among the 10 offerings because it had featured Mediterranean flavors, rather than traditional onion-based gravy. This brisket is great on its own, chopped and served over pasta with a generous helping of sauce, or used as a filling for a sandwich... it's an easy, flavorful dish with excellent flavor!

Ingredients

1 2.5-pound brisket
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (Miriam used cooking spray)
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water (Miriam used 1/2 cup, but I needed to add more to keep the sauce from getting too thick)
1/3 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1 14.5-ounce can diced ...

Gingered Mango Soup

Fri, 17 May, 2013 6 a.m.

If you’re feeling a bit unconventional, you can serve this as an appetizer. It’s also appropriate for dessert, and you could serve it either warm or chilled, depending upon whether it’s 40 or 80 degrees in your town this spring.

Ingredients

8 champagne mangoes, peeled, chopped (4 cups fruit)
2 cups sweet white wine
2 cups water
1/4 cup candied ginger
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 5.3-ounce container Siggi’s Icelandic-style coconut yogurt
1 Manischewitz almond macaroon, crumbled (optional)

Directions

Place mangoes, wine, water, and ginger into a large saucepan; bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger.

Use an immersion blender to purée the fruit; alternately pour it carefully into a blender and puree until smooth, then return the soup to the saucepan.

Stir in the honey and pomegranate molasses; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Skim ...

Grilled Salmon with Chipotle-Honey Glaze and Pineapple Salsa - sweet fruit pairs well with fish's assertive flavor

Peggy Lampman — Fri, 17 May, 2013 4:06 a.m.

Grilled Salmon with Chipotle Glaze and Pineapple Salsa

Peggy Lampman | Contributor

The dinnerFeed web site links to great

summer grilling, salad and chilled soups!

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Grilled salmon may be unadventurous to some, but there's a reason why it's so popular as a grilling fish. The fatty flesh on salmon sears beautifully — like a well-marbled piece of beef — when exposed to the flame.

Indulge your inner baking fan with this Tres Leches Cake

Jessica Webster — Thu, 16 May, 2013 7:29 a.m.

Tres leches cakes, made with three types of milk (evaporated, sweetened condensed and whole milk) are popular in Central America.

Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com

Did you see the picture of the cake resignation letter? A British immigration officer resigned from his job by baking his office mates a cake and writing his farewell note in icing. He, like millions in Britain, had gone mad for baking, and he wanted to do it full time.

According to a story on NPR’s food blog, The Salt, cake baking has become all the rage in Great Britain of late. There are cake clubs, not unlike book clubs, springing up all over. Sales of flour were at an all-time high in 2012, and cake cookbooks are flying off the shelves.

Peanutty Macaroons

Thu, 16 May, 2013 6 a.m.

They're chewy, and there is an intense peanut flavor since ground peanuts provide the bulk of the cookies' substance; the sweetness of the date-fig fruit mixture complements the nuts perfectly.

Ingredients

2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup dry roasted peanuts, ground
1/2 cup date-fig charoset (see yesterday's post)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with lightly greased foil.

In a medium bowl, stir together the egg yolks, peanut butter, sugar, and ground peanuts. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks; fold them into the peanut mixture.

Place the batter into 12 mounds on the baking sheet. Place a generous teaspoon of charoset into the center of each mound. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the macaroons are set and just golden along the edges.

Carefully remove the macaroons from the ...

Dijon Deviled Eggs

Thu, 16 May, 2013 6 a.m.

Recently at a gathering, the topic of deviled eggs came up. Everyone has a favorite recipe; some add chopped ham or salami, some add hot sauce, some add horseradish, some add dill. There is no wrong way to make these simple but delicious treats! And since I always like to tinker with things, I make the base with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and dill, but often add other items according to my whims.

Ingredients

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Directions

Carefully pop the yolks out of the eggs and place them into a small mixing bowl. Place the whites onto a serving plate.

To the egg yolks, add the mayonnaise, mustard, dill, salt, pepper and horseradish; mix well. Use a small cookie scoop (if ...

Black Bean Burgers are centerpiece of a healthier take on fast food

Peggy Lampman — Thu, 16 May, 2013 4:50 a.m.

Black Bean Burgers

Peggy Lampman | Contributor

The dinnerFeed web site links to great

summer grilling, salad and chilled soups!

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by email, sign up here.

I’m reluctant to quote statistical data linking patronage of fast food chains to high obesity rates; so much material is circumstantial, biased, and, therefore, skewed.

Cherry coconut chocolate chip brownie cake - a dessert fit for a celebration

Mary Bilyeu — Wed, 15 May, 2013 8 a.m.

Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

It's National Chocolate Chip Day!

Sure, you could enjoy some chocolate chip cookies — you can never, ever go wrong with them. Chocolate chip pancakes would make a lovely "breakfast for dinner," everyone's favorite. But since I had maraschino cherries on hand, as well as some leftover almond macaroons from Passover, it only made sense to make an extra special cake in honor of the occasion.

Rich, dense, moist, and delicious, this is a great celebration cake!