Arielle's Kosher Recipes

Pierogies Yay!

2010-07-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but to me, sour cream and potatoes are major comfort food. Wrap those yummy potatoes in dough and wow what a tasty meal. I've always loved pierogies, a traditional polish dish, and I thought to myself why not make them. As you can already guess I like to simplify things. So instead of making the dough from scratch, I decided to use ready made puff pastry squares. This will cut the time on your recipe and give you a crispy, flaky, outside versus a gummy one cooked in boiling water. The addition of caramelized onions is the longest part but well worth the flavor.

Ingredients

1 package puffed pastry squares
2 onions sliced into thin rings
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-6 potatoes boiled tender
1 tbsp butter softened
2 tbsp light cream

Sour cream for serving.

Caramelize your onions first. This will take around 20 minutes. Heat the olive oil first then add the sliced onion rings using your spatula separate the rings and stir occasionally. When onions begin to get translucent hit them with paprika, and salt. The onions will turn a reddish color. push them to one side of the frying pan and let them cook till they start to turn light brown. Once they are light brown, hit them with some balsamic or wine vinegar to de-glaze the pan. Add another hit of salt, stir for two or three minutes, then turn off the flame. Set aside for later.

Preheat your woven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile take your potatoes which, should be room temperature. Mix in the butter and cream and mash them up nice and smooth. Gently fold in the onions that you previously caramelized. Spray a cookie sheet or two with non-stick cooking spray. Using a teaspoon add one or two rounded teaspoonfuls into each dough square. Have a little dish of water next to you, and when you finish filling the squares, use your finger tip to spread the water on the edges. Fold them into triangles and crimp with the tines of a fork.

Bake 30 minutes till flaky and golden. Serve with sour cream and enjoy!

B'tai Avon

Dani's Single Serve Eggplant Parmesan

2010-07-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

Usually in my house I do all the cooking and recipe creating but this past Shavuos, my husband Dani insisted on helping me. I wasn't feeling so well since it was the beginning of my pregnancy so his help was a welcome respite. I had planned to make eggplant parmesan for lunch and since it was just the two of us Dani came up with a single serve version that's great for one or two people or for a small amount of company. Since it's the 9 days and we're all looking for easy delicious dairy dinners I thought I'd share this great recipe with you.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 eggplants (depending on how many people you will be serving) cut into rounds
Bread crumbs
1 or 2 eggs beaten
Jarred marinara sauce of your choice
shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1-2 tbsps olive oil
Non-stick cooking spray

Take you eggplant rounds and dip them in the egg and then the bread crumbs. fry the eggplant slices until golden and brown drain on paper towels. Once cool enough to handle take two or three slices and on each slice place 1 tbsp marinara and a sprinkle of mozzarella then layer another slice on top and repeat and repeat again for a triple. Assemble as many stacks of these as you can. Using the same frying pan, spray it with non stick cooking spray add the eggplant stacks in and cover till the cheese melts.

Serve with some parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top, a good crusty loaf of Italian bread, and a garden salad.

Btai Avon!

An easy meal from entree to dessert for the 9 days.

2010-07-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

The 9 days is one of those times when one must be resourceful. Due to the limit of dairy only it makes most home cooks creative and allows for more flexibility in terms of side dishes and desserts that frequently have to be manipulated to accompany a meat meal. Tonight I had my parents over for dinner. Due to the heat and wanting to make something quickly I whipped up a simple pasta dish with a garden salad and a summer fruit cobbler for dessert. The pasta is really simple and takes max a half hour to make. The cobbler is simple to make but takes about 40 minutes to prep and bake so do that slightly earlier in the day.
Whole Wheat Penne Rigate with Olives and Tomatoes in Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients

3/4 to 1 box whole wheat penne rigate
2 plum tomatoes diced
1/2 can of black pitted olives rough chopped.
1 t0 1 1/4 cups of jarred tomato basil marinara sauce ( I personally like gefen funny huh? but you can use any brand you want)
1/4 to 1/2 cup light cream
fresh grated parmesan or Romano cheese
2 to 3 basil leaves chopped chiffonade ( optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. In a small separate sauce pan add the olives, tomatoes, jar sauce and light cream. stir and let simmer on a very low flame while the pasta cooks. when the pasta is done shut the flame of the sauce. Drain the pasta and place in a bowl. Pour the sauce over and toss to coat. Using a microplane or cheese grater take your block of cheese and lightly grate it over the top of the pasta. Toss the basil on the top, serve and enjoy!

I like to serve pasta with a light simple salad. I take spring greens and add 1 persian cucumber, 1 plum tomato and the rest of the olives from the can rough chopped. I toss it with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a drizzle of honey, and a little garlic powder. easy and tasty.

Summer Fruit Cobbler

Filling
3 nectarines sliced in thin slices
1/2 container strawberries sliced in thin slices
1/2 container of blueberries left whole
1 tsp sugar
1/2 a lemon

Topping

1 stick margarine at room temperature(I use earth balance it's trans fat free and works great for baking)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour

preheat you oven to 375 degrees.
Take any pan can be round, square , whatever you have and place two of the sliced nectarines in the bottom of the pan. the pour the blueberries on top of that and then layer the strawberries. Take the third nectarine and layer that on top. Sprinkle the tsp of sugar on top and squeeze the lemon half over all the fruit. Watch that you don't get any pits in.

In a medium bowl add the margarine, flour and sugar. Using your hands ( take that diamond off first) scrunch and mix everything together till you have a crumbly mixture and all the flour and sugar is mixed in. You don't want any lumps mixed in so make sure you really break the margarine down. Sprinkle the streusel over the fruit and make sure you cover all the fruit. Cook for 30-35 minutes until the fruit juices bubble through and the crust is very lightly browned.
serve hot with vanilla ice cream or on it's own warm or at room temperature.

Btai Avon!

Steak with onions sauteed in sherry wine and honey

2009-12-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

Since I've become a stay at home wife I've been experimenting with all types of different cooking.
I recently have been trying the skillet method; where I sear the meat in hot oil first then add in aromatics and veggies or fruits sometimes and then wine to de-glaze the pan.

I happen to be a huge fan of onion soup which is made with sherry wine which is how this recipe was born. This steak is so flavorful I promise you won't even need ketchup. It was my first time ever eating steak without ketchup and I'm a ketchupholic.

Please let me know how it goes if you make this. I would love to know how it comes out.

2 boneless rib steaks or chuck steaks
salt and pepper
1 onion sliced in rings
3/4 cup sherry cooking wine ( kedem's is great)
1 tsp and 1 tbsp of honey.
Olive oil to coat the pan.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks.
Place the skillet on the burner and turn the heat to medium high. Add the oil and let it get hot about a minute.Place the steak in the hot oiled skillet and let it sear for about 3-5 minutes on each side. remove the steak and put on a plate. Add the onions, they will turn light brown from the steak juices. Let them saute for a few minutes till they turn translucent and very soft and start to caramelize. Pour in the sherry and honey. Allow the liquids to boil and reduce for about 5-10 minutes till it's down to a half a cup. Place the steaks back in and use your tongs to swirl them around in the liquid, then cover the skillet and let it cook for 3-5 minutes till heated through.

Serve with onions on top and pour the sauce over it. Delicious with a healthy green salad.

Btai Avon!

Easy One Pot Meal

2009-12-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

In the winter when days are short and cold there's nothing like coming home to a hot home cooked meal. Except as the main cook in my house, I usually am the one who has to cook it, not come home to it. That's why I love my slow cooker, because it allows me to come home to a meal that took minimal time, and prep work and is fresh, easy, and delicious.

Most of us take the slow cooker out once a week for cholent and it sits unused on the shelf, just taking up space the rest of the week. So take the slow cooker off the shelf and get ready to use it because the possibilities are endless. From soups to one pot meals it all is in one pot, the crockpot.

I came up with this easy recipe, you can play with it and add or subtract things as you please, what I'm really teaching is a method.

Ingredients

1 onion diced

1 tsp. fresh chopped garlic

1/2 package to a whole package ground beef

2 stalks basil leaves

4 mini vine tomatoes quartered or any type of tomato diced

2-3 baby bella mushrooms ( I find that these hold up better and have a meatier flavor but any type of mushroom will do)

4-5 fingerling or red bliss potatos cut in rounds

3 tbsp marinara sauce mixed with 1/2c cup Kedem sherry cooking wine ( or any red wine you have lying around)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Turn the slow cooker to keep warm. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil at the bottom of the pot. Toss in the garlic and onions. Add the meat and break it up with the side of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the meat.Toss together so the meat mixes with the garlic and onions. Add in the tomatoes. Pull the basil leaves off of the stems and tear the bigger leaves in pieces. Drop them in the pot. Add the mushrooms and potatoes and pour the sauce (marinara and wine which you've combined) over everything and give a quick stir to combine the ingredients.

Turn up the slow cooker to low heat and let cook for 6-9 hours.

Come home and enjoy!

( Remember you can substitute any ingredients with what you have in the house)

Easy blueberry pie

2009-09-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

This week we were invited out for shabbos dinner and our contribution was dessert. I wanted something easy with ingredients I already had around the house. I came up with this easy recipe that uses simple ingredients you probably already have around the house . Served warm with some vanilla Ice cream or sorbet it'll be a hit at your next meal.

Filling

1 1/2 pints blueberries

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

Crust

1 ready made frozen pie crust

2 packets maple and brown sugar, sugar free oatmeal

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

4-5 tbsps room temperature margarine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine blueberries with lemon juice and 1 tsp sugar. Pour into frozen crust. In a medium bowl, combine oatmeal, sugar, flour and margarine and mix with your hands till you get a soft dough. Take the dough and flatten over the blueberries leaving some space at the edges to allow steam to escape. Pat the top with flour and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Easy Beer Bread

2009-09-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

Recently my husband and I took an amazing trip to Seattle. While there we met a lot of wonderful people and we had some amazing food. Shabbat was spent on Mercer Island and we had great food! We ate lunch at Radio Host's Michael Medved's home and his wife Diane made the most delicious beer bread. My husband was so in love with it that I started looking for recipes when I came home. I came across another foodie blog "The Picky Apple" who had posted a simple recipe that I just made some variations too. I made it this week in lieu of challah and I hope you'll give it a try.

Beer Bread

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tbsps sugar

1 12 ounce bottle of Guiness

8 tbsps margarine or 1 stick

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray a loaf pan with a misto or non stick cooking spray. Melt the butter for 45 seconds in the microwave. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar and stir together. Add the beer and stir till combined, dough will be sticky. Pour half the melted margarine in the bottom of the pan. sppon the dough in and try to smooth it out so it won't be too lumpy. Then pour the rest of the margarine on top. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes and enjoy!

Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

I love chocolate chip cookies especially home made ones. I wanted a cookie that was a little less traditional, and while playing in the kitchen I came up with this mocha version which really complements the sweetness and chocolate.

1 stick butter
1 oz baking chocolate chopped fine
1/2 tsp coffee (Instant is fine)
1 egg
1/2 cup Splenda blend brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 bag Chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave at 45 second intervals. Once melted add in the chocolate and coffee and stir till they are melted and combined. Pour into a mixing bowl add egg, and sugars. Beat on medium speed till combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and beat with the mixer until it's sticky and combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spray two non-stick cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Spray non-stick cooking spray into an ice cream scooper (cool trick the cookie dough slides out really easy) and scoop half a scoop of cookie dough onto the baking sheet and release. Repeat till done. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

Potato Salad With Basil Lemon Mayo

2009-02-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

Lately now that I'm not working I sit home and watch the Food Network a lot I get inspired and go play in the kitchen. Yesterday I bought fresh basil and I'm always looking for ways to play with basil beyond pesto which, while delicious is pretty limited. I also try to find ways to get my husband to eat things he doesn't normally like and that's how I came to create this recipe. It's a non-potato salad tasting, potato salad that everyone will love and it's super easy.

1 small bag of red potatoes quartered, boiled and cooled

Basil Lemon Mayonnaise

Half clove elephant garlic minced
1 shallot minced
1 handful basil coarsely chopped
3-4 tbsps low fat mayonnaise
1/2 lemon
salt & freshly ground pepper
1-2 tbsps olive oil

Combine the first four ingredients and stir together to combine. Take the lemon and squeeze it into the bowl being careful not to get any pits in. Squeeze until all the juice is squeezed out. Save the lemon half. Add 2 or 3 turns of the pepper grinder and a pinch of salt. Using the stick blender, blend the mixture together till all the garlic and shallots are totally undetectable and all you see are little flecks of basil. Add the olive oil until you achieve desired consistency. Taste to make sure you like the flavor you can add more lemon or salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the cooled potatoes. Take the lemon half that you reserved from earlier and using a microplane or grater zest it over the potato salad. Cover in plastic wrap. Chill and serve.

Delish!

Campfire Cholent

2008-10-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

This cholent is a fan favorite for resident's of Washington Heights. I came up with the recipe only about a year ago, but it is already a big hit in the neighborhood if I should say so myself.
We named this the "Campfire" cholent at the Mt. Sinai shul cholent cook-off this past winter, due to one major ingredient... baked beans.

2 cans pareve baked beans
1 container of vegetable broth
3/4 cup of barley- you can make it more or less depending on preference
Pearl or regular onion chopped into chunks
salt
black pepper
cumin
1 log of frozen kishke
"Shabbos" meat

In medium to large size crock pot, combine cut up meat chunks, baked beans, 3/4 cup barley, onion, vegetable broth and spices. Stir to combine. Drop in kishke in it's second outer layer. Turn the crockpot to low. Start the cooking process either thursday night or friday morning and let the cholent cook on low till right before shabbat. Then turn the crockpot to warm and enjoy campfire cholent all shabbos long!

Easy Chicken Satay

2008-10-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

I love peanut butter. It's so simple yet so tasty. I had been hearing about chicken satay and I thought what a delicious grown up way to eat peanut butter. I was on peanut butter and co.'s website and they had a chicken sandwich with spicy peanut butter and pineapple jelly and thus an idea was born.

Ingredients

2 cups natural peanut butter smooth or chunky
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tbsps. lime juice
1 tsp soy sauce
red pepper flakes adjust for your own personal taste
salt
black pepper
4 tbsps pineapple jelly
chipotle tabasco sauce
1/2 cup water
4 chicken breasts pounded and sliced in strips

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a sauce pan. Heat and whisk till smooth. Place sliced chicken in a pan. Pour jalf the marinade over the chicken, reserve the other half. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Heat a table top grill or grill pan. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken pieces on grill and cook until white and juicy. Serve with reserved peanut sauce for dipping.

Cinnamon-Sugar Half Whole Wheat Challah

2008-10-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that I combined from two different places. I recently had really amazing challah, which was made with cinnamon and sugar by Rachel (Neuman) Fryman. I am using Aish.com's "Half & Half" Challah recipe and combining it with her cinnamon and sugar coating. (The half and half refers to half whole wheat flour, half white flour).

For those of your who love cinnamon buns, or sweet pastries, you'll love this challah!!

2 oz. (60 gm.) yeast
4 eggs
2 cups warm water
4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup honey
5-6 cups white flour
3/4 cup oil

Mix together yeast, water, honey, oil, and eggs. Add the sifted flour. Knead until dough does not stick to fingers. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. Separate challah, if necessary. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Divide each ball into thirds and braid (see illustration, page 122). Let rise for 1 hour.

Spread and mix cinnamon and sugar onto large flat surface or tray. Roll each piece of risen dough into the sweet mixture and make sure the dough is sufficiently, but not overly, coated.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.), for 30-45 minutes. Do not overbake. Makes 6 loaves OR 2-3 large round challahs.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Cinnamon
Sugar
Flour
Oil
egg

Brush challah with egg, combine rest of ingredients and crumble over the top.

Mexican Spicy Fruit

2008-09-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

My husband has been raving about this since he came across this on the streets of Los Angeles. We recently came across similar vendors here in NYC in Washington Heights, in the Dominican area. This is a great healthy snack that hits all the major tastebuds in your mouth: sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.

Your choice of cut up:

Mangoes
Pineapples
Watermelon
Or any juicy sweet large fruit

Salt

Mexican Spicy Chili Powder

Lime Juice

Plastic Ziplock style bag

Cut fruit into large chunks and place in plastic bag.

Liberally add salt, lime juice, and chili.

Fully close bag and shake! Make sure the fruit is covered by the added ingredients. Open the bag and eat with a fork or your fingers. Enjoy.

Spinach Salami Roll

2008-09-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of the flavors of caramelized onions and roasted garlic. Both get sweeter throughout the cooking process and add amazing flavor to anything. I wanted an alternative to deli roll and I thought what if combined onions garlic and salami? I added spinach for color and to add a veggie and voila, I had a hit on my hands. It's so easy to make and you can roast the garlic ahead of time to save time when you actually make it. You'll find yourself coming back to this over and over because it's easy, tasty, and affordable.

Ingredients:

I cup Cubed Salami

1/2 Package frozen spinach

1 red onion caramelized

5-6 cloves roasted garlic

1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in warm water.

1 sheet phyllo dough

1 egg beaten

sesame seeds

Mustard ( any type you like)

Preheat oven to 350F. Caramelize onions and roast garlic. add onions to spinach and saute spinach till wilted. Add in garlic and salami and saute for 5 minutes. pour boillon and stir occasionally till most of liquid is absorbed. remove from heat. place mixture on phyllo sheet flod sides in and seal with warm water. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds. Bake for 35 mintes till puffed and golden.

To serve cut slices and place on a platter with a small bowl of mustard in the middle.

Herbed Flounder

2008-09-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

This is so easy and so healthy. I love fish and I find it satisfying and still light. You can make this and feel good afterwards for making a truly tasty and healthy meal. I make this often when I don't have a lot of time and want something good and homemade that can cook quickly.

Ingredients:

4 pieces fresh or frozen flounder

4 tsps low fat mayonnaise

Fresh chives

Fresh parsley

Fresh basil

salt

pepper.

Defrost fish if you are using frozen. Smear fish with 1 tsp mayonnaise per fillet. Chop herbs and sprinkle over mayonnaise. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Place in a toaster oven/convection oven and put on broil for 10-15 minutes. Serve with a fresh salad and some brown rice. Yum!

Strawberry Mango Salad

2008-09-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Before I got married I liked to experimebnt in the kitchen to prepare for my future home. One shavous I made this salad and was it a hit. The sweet flavors of mango and strawberry mingling with the tangy balsamic vinegar dressing really hits the spot. The salad goes great with both meat and dairy. This salad has many variations but I find this one to be the most satisfying.

1 carton strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 or 2 medium mangos peeled and cut up
I bag baby lettuce or spring mix
1/2 red onion chopped
a handful of Pine nuts.

Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

1/2 Cup balsamic Vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine salad ingredients and set aside. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil, then add the garlic saute for about a minute to infuse the flavor. Put vinegar in a bowl, slowly whisk in warm garlic olive oil. whisk thoroughly to combine. Add honey and make sure it's combined. if needed add salt and pepper. Taste the dresing to make sure it's not too sweet or tangy. Adjust accordingly. If not serving immediately pour dressing only when ready to serve.

Caesar Salad

2008-09-27T19:03:00.001-07:00

Caesar salad is always a hit. I make it very often for parties or sometimes on just a random shabbat. If you want to really cheat, buy the store bought dressing otherwise make this easy at home dressing to go along with the salad.

Ingredients

One bag romaine lettuce
1 carton cherry tomatoes halved (optional)
Homemade croutons (see below) or a bag of store bought

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 fresh lemon juiced
2-3 cloves minced garlic
4 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard. (brown will work if you don't have dijon)

Croutons

Take any leftover bread you have and cut into cubes and place on a baking sheet. sprinkel with garlic powder, onion powder, and italian seasoning. Spray with a misto and bake for ten minutes. Let cool and Voila croutons without the preservatives.

To make the salad combine ingredients. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pur over salad. Toss and Enjoy. For a real treat. Grill some checkine breasts, slice them and place over the top and you have a meal in a bowl.

Butternut Squash Kugel

2008-09-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

One shabbat we ate by someone's house I don't recall who. I tasted this kugel and thought it was delicious. I didn't know the recipe so going by taste I came home and threw it together. This kugel is so easy and is pretty much always a hit. Plus if you make a large kugel it will last for a few meals.

Ingredients

2 cartons frozen butternut squash
1 cup sugar
drizzle of honey
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
cinnamon
1/4 cup parve cream (optional)

Defrost squash in microwave. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium to large bowl combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Use margarine to grease a 9''13 inch roaster pan and pour in mixture. Spread to create an even layer. place in oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes till set. When cooled, lightly sprinkle cinnamon over the top for a pretty presentation.

Apple Crisp

2008-09-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

I started making this in high school and it has become one of my signature recipes. Whenever I seve this whether I make a big or small pan there is never any left. It is so easy and can be served as a side dish or desset with vanilla ice cream. It is best served immediately, but if you serve it on shabbos I suggest serving it cold otherwise the crust will turn mushy.

Ingredients

10 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup orange juice
Cinnamon and Sugar (optional)

Topping

1 stick margarine cold
1 cup quick oats
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour

Place apples in pan. Pour prange juice over them and if you want cinnamon and sugar. In a medium bowl combine topping ingredients. Cut margarin in in pieces let sit for a few minutes and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork or your hands combine the topping ingredients by mashing the margarine with the dry ingredients till you get a crumbly texture. Sprinkle over the top of the apples and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The topping should be golsden and the apples should be bubbling.