Cauliflower Sabzi and Moong Dal

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Cauliflower Sabzi and Moong Dal satisfy all of my senses. This entire meal comes together in just about an hour. Served with fluffy basmati or short grain brown rice or with your favorite flatbread and you have a delicious, slightly spicy and healthy meal. Since we make our own yogurt from goat and cow milk, I usually serve that along with some chutneys to make a meal into a feast. If you wish to keep this vegan, use a plant-based yogurt or skip it. And if you are gluten free, forget the naan or make your own using GF flour.

My husband and I have been following a primarily vegetarian diet for several years now. And the foods that most meet both our nutritional needs as well as appealing to our palate originate from South Asia and the Mediterranean/North Africa. These cuisines really know how to use herbs and spices and to make the most from vegetables and fruits. I have totally converted my husband who came from a big meat-eating family.

Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable that is wonderful at absorbing any spices that you throw at it. If you enjoy this cuisine, you will likely have all of the spices on hand. And because we eat primarily vegetarian, my pantry is well stocked with a variety of pulses (legumes, beans, lentils.) However, if you don’t happen to have Moong Dal on hand, it can easily be purchased online or found in Indian markets. You could also substitute any other dal you prefer. Moong Dal is a very homey, comforting addition that also adds some protein to this meal.

What is Sabzi?

You may also see it as subji. Sabzi originated with Persian cuisine and is a dish filled with vegetables and herbs. Essentially it is a kind of stew that is drier than a curry, but no less flavorful or delicious.

I came across this Cauliflower Sabzi while I was watching Chetna make a Peanut Cauliflower Sabzi and decided to try it with a few of my own changes. Is this an absolutely authentic sabzi? Possibly not, but it is delicious and certainly pays homage to this cuisine. The Moong Dal recipe comes from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey.

Any leftovers can keep for several days in the fridge and require only gently reheating.

RECIPE

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Cauliflower Sabzi

About 1/2 cup (60g) of raw cashews (If cashews aren’t in your budget, peanuts work well)

2 Tablespoons of a neutral oil like Avocado oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

About a Tablespoon of grated fresh ginger (I keep mine in the freezer and grate it as needed)

1 large tomato or two smaller ones, cut into large dice (I used a big, beautiful very red heirloom tomato)

1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of mustard seeds (I used brown mustard seeds)

A handful of fresh or freeze dried curry leaves

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1 pound, but I didn’t measure.) If the leaves are nice and young, use those as well as the florets.

2 smallish red or golden potatoes cut into large dice. The skins on mine were so thin that I didn’t bother peeling them.

1 teaspoon each: kosher salt, chili powder (I like Rajasthan Chili powder), turmeric, Garam Masala

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 to 3 Medjool dates, pit removed and torn into pieces

About 1/4 cup of water

A handful of chopped fresh coriander (If you hate coriander you can use parsley)

Juice of half of a lemon

For the Moong Dal

1 cup moong dal, washed and drained

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoon olive oil or ghee (I used ghee)

1/8 teaspoon ground asafetida

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 to 2 dried red chilis (I used Arbol)

1 medium shallot or 1/2 of a medium onion, peeled and cut into slivers

DIRECTIONS

I would start with the dal since it takes longer to cook.

Put the washed and drained dal into a 2 quart pot and add 3.5 cups of water. Bring this to a boil and skim off any white foam. Add the turmeric and stir to mix.

Partially cover the pot, turn the heat to simmer and cook for about 40 to 45 minutes. Add the salt, mix through and turn off the heat.

If you will be serving this right away, prepare the tadka. Pour the oil or ghee into a small frying pan set over a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the asafetida, cumin seeds and chilis in that order. As soon as the chilis darken, which only takes seconds, add the slivers of shallots or onions. Stir and cook until the onions brown. Turn off the heat and quickly pour the tadka over the moong dal. Stir through to mix.

For the Cauliflower Sabzi

Lightly pan toast the nuts without any oil. If you have a mortar and pestle, pour the toasted nuts into the mortar to cool. Once cool, bash the nuts. You don’t want a powder, although a little powder is fine. You just want a rough chop. You could also do this with a rolling pin or by pulsing in a mini-prep or even by hand with a knife. Set these aside.

Using about 2 Tablespoons of oil, start cooking the onions in 5 quart deep pan with a lid or a Dutch oven. Add 1 teaspoon each of the cumin and mustard seeds. Toss in the curry leaves and mix through. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 to 6 minutes, just to soften and lightly color the onions.

Once the onions have softened, add in the chopped tomatoes and mix through. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes and then add in the garlic and ginger and cook covered for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once everything has softened and released its juices, add in the spices: salt, turmeric, chili powder, Garam Masala and ground coriander. Also add in the potatoes, cauliflower, dates and water.

Give everything a good stir, cover the pan and cook on medium low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. You don’t want mush. The cauliflower and potatoes should be tender but still have some bite.

Just before serving add in about half of the bashed nuts and 3/4 of the chopped cilantro. Add the juice of half of a lemon.

Top each portion with some additional cilantro and chopped nuts. Now enjoy!

Eggplant Artichoke Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

This Eggplant Artichoke Salad is the perfect addition to your salatim repertoire. Perfect for Shabbat or any weekday that you want to make just a bit more special. It is absolutely wonderful and so easy to make. While it may be at its absolute best the day you make it, I have successfully used it for 4 to 5 days, stored in the fridge. Just bring it to room temperature before serving. Then dig in with your challah, pita or Kubaneh bread. My husband and I went through half of an entire bowl in one sitting. It’s THAT good.

I know that there are people who say that they don’t like eggplant. I admit that I cannot understand a pronouncement like that. Eggplant, in all of its beautiful varieties, is one of the most versatile of vegetables. Okay, it’s really a fruit scientifically, I get it. But it’s savory; it’s sweet; it’s mushy enough to make into wonderful dips and it can be crispy. Eggplants can be wonderful side players or the star of the show.

The Eggplant Artichoke Salad is vegan/pareve on its own and will compliment a vegetarian or vegan meal. But it is equally delicious as a side with poultry, meat or fish. It’s a bit briny and bright with the smokiness from the roasted eggplant.

This salad originated with Sivan’s Kitchen and I have made some additions. Over time, I may make some more, although it is pretty perfect right now. And there are no special skills needed to make this and measuring is mostly by eye. The only cooking is the eggplant and everything gets dumped into one bowl. To serve, just spoon it into a favorite bowl.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant (about 1 to 1.5 pounds)

12 oz. jar of marinated artichokes (they will be coarsely chopped AND you will use the liquid as part of the dressing)

1 good handful of chopped herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro or a mix)

2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

salt and cracked black pepper to taste

About 15 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if small or quartered if on the larger side

Juice of one large lemon

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F or 400 degrees F if using a convection oven with the fan

Pour enough Avocado or other neutral oil onto a rimmed sheet pan to cover the bottom with a thin layer.

Trim the eggplant and make 1-inch thick slices. Then cut the slices into a large dice – about 6 pieces per slice.

Place the eggplant onto the baking sheet without crowding and flat side down. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and drizzle with avocado oil (or use a spray of oil.) Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning the pieces over once. (You don’t have to be too precious about it. Just take a spatula and flip a bunch at a time. Perfection is unnecessary.

While the eggplant roasts, prep everything else and toss it all in one bowl.

Once the eggplant is finished roasting, remove it from the oven to cool. Once cool, toss it in with the rest of the ingredients. Mix through and that’s it! Now enjoy!

Vegan Orange Malabi with Roasted Strawberries and Pistachios

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

My Vegan Orange Malabi is a dessert that you will not say no to. It’s light, citrusy and silky. Vegan Orange Malabi is the perfect ending to any meal.

Malabi is a Turkish snow-white milky pudding, flavored with rose water that is not too dissimilar to Italian panna cotta. It was initially introduced into Israel as a street food and can still be found today on some food trucks. It is silky and light and the pudding itself is not very sweet. However, it is traditionally served with a VERY sweet, bright red syrup.

My husband is not a fan of rose water and always complains that it tastes like he is eating pot pourri! Initially, I was simply going to substitute orange blossom water for the rose water. However, during one of our long walks, Andrew asked if I intended on adding orange zest. I thought about it and then decided to go all the way with the orange theme, using orange juice to substitute for the water in addition to the orange zest and orange blossom water. Purists may find this a sacrilege, but I think it turned out beautifully. If you think serving it as “malabi” will outrage someone, then just call it vegan orange pudding!

Vegan Orange Malabi is made with coconut milk and this version is topped with roasted strawberries and chopped pistachios. The base for this version comes from the wonderful cookbook Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Cooking by Einat Admony and Janna Gur. But my riff on this dessert is what I have included below.

I was first introduced to Malabi when I volunteered on Kibbutz Kissufim over 1973 to 1974. There was food rationing on the kibbutz at the time, a result of both the 1973 war and the fact that Israel was still a pretty poor country then. In 1973 it was almost unrecognizable from the prosperous tech giant it has become as well as now a foodie’s paradise.

Eggs were rationed and any treats like chocolate or strawberries were distributed among the children of the kibbutz. There was always great excitement if one of the volunteers received a care package from home. I still recall with fondness the time our friend Lois was sent a salami all the way from Chicago. Lois generously shared it among the volunteers, with each of us receiving a chunk or thin slice. The salami had the exact perfect ratio of fat to meat. To this day, no salami ever tasted or will taste better.

Malabi first arrived as hot cereal for breakfast. It was something like a cream of wheat or cream of rice with nothing on top. Anything that wasn’t eaten up was repurposed. So by dinnertime, the trolley carts circulating in the dining hall would include a cold custard with a thick bright red syrup for dessert made from the breakfast cereal.

Malabi still is considered a street food, although top chefs have now transformed it into an elegant dessert with elaborate toppings.

Vegan Orange Malabi, which is also Gluten Free, is the perfect light and refreshing end to any meal.

RECIPE

YIELD: 4 Servings but can be doubled

INGREDIENTS

For the pudding

1 can (13.5 ounces) of full-fat coconut milk

2 Tablespoons of water

A pinch of kosher salt

2 Tablespoons of fresh orange juice without pulp

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1.5 Tablespoons of cornstarch

1.5 teaspoons of Orange Blossom Water

Zest of one large orange

DIRECTIONS

Prepare your slurry by placing the cornstarch, orange blossom water and 2 Tablespoons of orange juice in a small bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and flows easily. Set aside.

Pour the coconut milk into a medium saucepan (preferably non-stick) Add 2 Tablespoons of water and the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and quickly add in the well-mixed slurry, whisking vigorously! The mixture will almost immediately begin to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the orange zest. There should not be any lumps.

For family style, pour the mixture over into a pretty bowl.

Or use individual custard cups if you prefer that look. Place plastic wrap directly onto the top of the smooth custard. Refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to serve, remove the custard from the fridge and carefully remove the plastic wrap. Don’t worry if a bit of custard comes up with the plastic. Your topping will cover any issues. Now enjoy!

For the topping

Michelle Polzine’s Slow-Roasted Strawberries

Yield: About 1.5 cups (450 gr.) This is more than you need for the Malabi but it is wonderful on so many things that you will be happy that you made extra.

Ingredients

2 pounds (900 gr.) of fresh, ripe strawberries

1/2 cup (100 gr.) of granulated sugar (You can add 2 additional Tablespoons if the strawberries are not especially sweet on their own.)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 250 degrees F. Rinse and hull the berries. Leave any tiny ones whole and either quarter or halve the rest so the pieces are all about the same size.
  2. In a non-reactive pan (I used a stoneware baking dish) that will hold all of the berries closely packed in a single layer, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar.
  3. Roast slowly in the oven, uncovered for 3 to 6 hours, gently moving them around occasionally with a wide spatula. Mine took 5 hours. They are done when the juices have reduced to a syrup but not darkened into caramel and the berries are jammy. They can be stored in the fridge in an airtight jar or container for just about ever!

Garnishes

There are all kinds of toppings you could you substitute that are only limited by your imagination. A quick and simple sauce is to place frozen berries in a saucepan and add sugar to taste (about 1/4 of sugar to 12 oz. of berries). Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until the berries start to break down. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 Tablespoon of fresh orange or lemon juice. That’s it. If you want to be fancier, you can add a couple of tablespoons of a liqueur like Creme de Cassis or Grand Marnier.

Roasted pistachios, chopped

Shabbat in a Pot

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Shabbat comes once a week and you want it to be special. But special doesn’t mean difficult. This Shabbat in a Pot is a one pan meal that takes about 20 minutes of prep time and then it just does its thing in the oven for 3 hours or so. Meanwhile, you can go about your business or sit back and relax. Depending on where you live and what you have access to, you can also use this time to prepare your salatim or ready a dessert.

Shabbat in a Pot could be made in a slow cooker, but I like to sauté my onions first before adding everything else. My slow cooker doesn’t have a function for that so I prefer the stovetop/oven method.

These slow cooked meat dishes may not always be the most photogenic, but believe me when I say that when you smell the incredible aromas and taste the finished product, the LAST thing you will be thinking of is whether it is photo worthy.

Because it was only me and my husband, I used a fairly small cut of meat. However this can easily be sized up. The only limit is the size of your pan and the whether it fits in your oven.

I used chuck roast but you could use any meat that benefits from slow cooking such as short ribs, brisket, flanken or dekel. Chuck roast is a rich meat that is usually well-marbled. For health reasons (and because we just don’t eat that way anymore) it is something to enjoy occasionally. But enjoy it, you will.

RECIPE

Yield: About 6 servings, depending on sides and if you have teenage boys or very athletic girls!

INGREDIENTS

2.5 pounds of boneless chuck roast

2 Tablespoons of Avocado or other neutral oil

2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced thinly

10 to 12 peeled garlic cloves, left whole

4 to 5 carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into about 3-inch pieces

Baby Bella or Button Mushrooms, cut into quarters or 6 pieces, depending on size (How many you use will depend on the size of your pan. I actually would have liked to have added more.)

Preferably a 2-pound bag of small golden or red potatoes left whole (If you only have bigger potatoes, cut them into pieces about the size of the carrots. (But if you use whole ones, they just go into the pot as is! Again, I would have used more if I had had more space.)

1.5 generous teaspoons turmeric, divided

2 teaspoons of salt

Cracked black pepper to taste

1 generous teaspoon of ground cumin

1 generous teaspoon of sweet paprika

Pure date syrup (Silan) for drizzling (If you don’t have date syrup, you could use Pomegranate Molasses or even tamarind paste. Each will change the flavoring some, but all will be good.)

14 oz. can of tomatoes in their own juice (I like to use whole tomatoes that I crush with my hand.)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 12-inch deep pan with a lid, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Sauté until softened and well-colored.

Lay the meat on top of the onions and surround the meat with all of the veggies. Drizzle the date syrup over everything. Sprinkle the cumin, paprika, remaining salt, turmeric and black pepper over the meat and vegetables.

Pour the can of tomatoes over everything and using your hand, squish the tomatoes. (You could use canned, diced tomatoes if you prefer.)

Pour about 2 cups of water over everything. I eyeballed it. The water should not quite cover the meat and vegetables. Depending on how long you end up cooking this, you might add a little more water. You could use beef broth if you prefer, but it really isn’t necessary.

Bring the pan to a boil. Then cover it and place it in the oven. Now let the magic happen. Leave it untouched for 2.5 hours. Baste the meat and veggies with some of the liquid. Then turn the heat down to 325 degrees F. You can continue cooking for up to another 2 hours. Just check that all of the liquid hasn’t boiled away. You don’t want this swimming in liquid – just enough to keep everything juicy.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes. Then remove the meat to a cutting board and slice it thickly against the grain. Now dig in!

Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Eating well and healthily is not about denial. It’s about good choices. So most nights our dessert consists of fresh fruit and a few simple cookies. There is an Italian cookie made from cornmeal that I adore and which has become so difficult to come by. But I digress. However, for Shabbat and other holidays I like to make something just a bit more special. This Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake by Adeena Sussman was this week’s dessert.

Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake cake uses olive oil instead of butter so it can be eaten with a meat meal under the laws of Kashrut. But I also love an olive oil cake because unlike when you use butter, there is no laborious creaming of the butter and sugar. Which means, no electric mixer and this comes together quickly. And as with many Middle Eastern style semolina cakes, there is always a sugar syrup to pour over it, which keeps the cake from getting dry and improves the flavor with each passing day.

Curiously the cake recipe only calls for baking powder as a rising agent. Generally if your cake contains an acid you also want to include baking soda. I made the cake as written but next time I might try adding some baking soda.

The semolina flour adds a bit of crunch to the outside of the cake and the all-purpose flour produces a finer crumb. The surprise ingredient is ground sumac. I absolutely love sumac and use it in most of my salads and roasted meats and vegetables. It’s made from a deep red pulverized berry and is used all over the Middle East. It adds a tangy, fruity, citrusy bite which absolutely complements the orange in this cake.

I further enhanced the orange flavor by using a fine orange infused olive oil. I love the oils that I get from Sciabica in California. It’s not essential and you can simply use a good quality buttery olive oil.

The original recipe called for blood oranges in the syrup and navel oranges in the batter. I used Cara Cara oranges in the batter and navel oranges in the syrup because that is what I had. I don’t believe that it made a significant difference.

Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake is not overly sweet despite the sugar syrup. I paired it with a bit of whipped cream, but a lightly sweetened yogurt or mascarpone would also be delightful. And, of course, it can just be eaten as is adorned only with some chopped roasted pistachios.

So the next time that you need a quick dessert that isn’t overly fussy and pairs especially well with Middle Eastern or North African food, give this a try. There is another Orange Semolina Cake recipe on my blog which is a Cypriot specialty. Frankly, you can’t go wrong with either one although there are differences.

RECIPE

Yield: One 9 X 5-inch Loaf cake

INGREDIENTS


Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup olive oil (I used an orange-infused olive oil, but a plain buttery or light olive oil would work)

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or extract

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Zest and juice of 2 large oranges (I used Cara Cara but navels or even large Blood Oranges would work)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semolina

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground sumac

For the Syrup:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup blood (or regular) orange juice

Pinch of salt

Garnish

1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted pistachios, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Generously grease a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan with oil or vegetable spray. (If you like, line the bottom with parchment paper for easy cake extraction). In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and frothy. While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil, then whisk in vanilla, sugar, salt and zest.

Mix in the flour, orange juice, semolina, baking powder and sumac until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden and hard to the touch, 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and onto a cooling rack. 

Let the baked cake cool for 10 minutes; loosen the edges with a knife and remove to a wire rack. (If you used parchment paper, the cake should come right out.) Use chopsticks to poke holes in the cake, drizzle some of the syrup over the cake, and garnish with pistachios. 

Make the orange syrup:

While the cake is baking, combine the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside and allow the syrup to cool.

Breakfast Yogurt Lemon Berry Parfait

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Breakfast Yogurt Lemon Berry Parfait is the perfect start to your day. It’s loaded with protein, fiber and anti-oxidants and sets you up for the entire morning. The berries and lemon combination brightens up the yogurt and almost makes you feel as if you are being just a bit naughty eating dessert for breakfast.

My husband, who is 6’2″ eats one of these parfaits with one of my protein muffins. I find either of these options sufficient for me. But one thing we have found over the years, is that skipping breakfast is rarely a good idea. So periodically I like to switch things up a bit, especially as the seasons change.

Therefore, in winter I prepare a fully loaded hot cereal. But as the days are finally getting longer and warmer, this Breakfast Yogurt Lemon Berry Parfait fits the bill. It’s like summer in a jar.

I came across the recipe on a vlog that I follow of this British PhD nutritionist, Dr. Emily Prpa. Even though her target audience are pre-menopausal women, which at 73 I clearly am not, I find her very engaging and with sensible and non-scary health information that frequently makes sense for me as well. Unfortunately, however, she is not a recipe writer and this one had a few issues that I have corrected here.

NOTE:

You can make this parfait vegan by using a non-dairy yogurt. It will be a little less protein but still a good choice. This can be gluten free if you use an oatmeal, such as Bob’s Mill that is labeled as gluten free.

RECIPE

YIELD: 4 glass jars

INGREDIENTS

JAM LAYER/JAR

100 g frozen mixed berries per portion (320g in total)

1 tsp chia seeds OR a mixture of Chia and Hemp

YOGURT LAYER

400 g thick Greek yogurt (dairy or non-dairy) I used a full fat yogurt, but you could use a reduced fat or non-fat yogurt if you prefer.

Juice of 1 medium lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

4 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

CRUMBLE TOPPING

160 g rolled oats (Gluten Free, if that is a problem for you)

60 g chopped almonds

4 tsp ground flax seeds

4 Tablespoons vanilla protein powder (any kind you like – whey, plant based)

¼ teaspoon of kosher or fine sea salt

4 tsp maple syrup

4 tbsp cashew butter (You could also use almond butter if you prefer)

1/4 cup of milk to combine (I used cashew milk, but you could use dairy)

DIRECTIONS

You will need 4 (16oz.) jars with lids

Place the frozen berries to the bottom of each jar. Add 1 teaspoon of the hemp/chia seeds on top of the berries in each jar.

Make the yogurt layer:

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and maple syrup until combined and smooth. Divide the yogurt evenly over the berries in each jar.

Make the crumble topping:

Using the same bowl, mix the oats, ground almonds, flaxseeds, protein powder and salt.

Then whisk the cashew butter and maple syrup in a small bowl. Add ¼ cup of the cashew milk. Using a whisk, stir vigorously until you have a thick but runny mixture. You may need a bit more or less of the milk since it will depend on the consistency of the nut butter to begin with. At first the nut butter will appear to seize up, but give it a minute, adding more milk if necessary to get the right consistency.

Add the nut butter mixture into the oat mixture and mix until mostly evenly coated. You should begin to see some clumps form.

Divide the mixture evenly over the yogurt in each jar. If there seems to be more topping than you need, just refrigerate any extra and it can be used with yogurt or cereal. If you wish for a softer oat topping then add about 1 Tablespoon more of milk.


Cover each jar tightly and refrigerate overnight. These will last up to a week in the fridge.


Raspberry Fool

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Raspberry Fool is an incredibly simple dessert to make and is the perfect ending to a fish or vegetarian holiday dinner. If you make a non-dairy whipped cream, then you could serve this with a meat or vegan meal. However, as a lover of real whipped cream made by me, I would prefer to eat this dessert when it doesn’t violate the laws of kashrut. But you do you.

There are very few ingredients to make this rich, yet somehow, light dessert. It feels luxurious somehow although there is nothing exotic about it. All that it needs to accompany it is a simple cookie. During Passover, I serve this with my Passover Florentine Cookies.

Why is this dessert called a “Fool?” It isn’t 100% clear, but many people believe that the word comes from the French verb fouler, which means to crush or press. The raspberries are macerated with sugar and liqueur and then lightly mashed or crushed before adding them to the whipped cream.

This beautiful Raspberry Fool has the fluffy white whipped cream with ribbons of fresh, macerated and crushed raspberries running through it. You can certainly make the whipped cream ahead and then place it in a sieve over a bowl in the fridge to allow any of the liquid to drain off. The raspberries can also be prepared ahead but do not assemble the dessert until you are just ready to serve it. Any leftovers (Really, there will be leftovers??) will still taste good, but won’t look quite as pretty.

While I have only made this dessert using beautiful raspberries, I can’t see why you couldn’t make it with ripe strawberries, blackberries or a mix of berries. Perhaps its because great raspberries seem so decadent.

Serve the Fool in a pretty dish. Get creative. I used small snifters that came as part of a gift of Napoleon Mandarin Liqueur. Dessert should be delicious and fun! Top it with either a few unmacerated raspberries and a sprig of mint or add a small dollop of the macerated berries that you set aside for this purpose.

While I rarely make any of Ree Drummond’s recipes, this is hers. It works perfectly every time and is simple and straightforward. I did make a couple of tiny tweaks. The most difficult thing about it is to know when to stop whipping the cream.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for a holiday to make this delightful treat!

RECIPE

YIELD: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 cups fresh raspberries and a few more for garnish

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons Chambord or Framboise liqueur

2 cups of cold heavy or whipping cream (I try to buy it without any stabilizers)

Powdered or Confectioners Sugar

A good splash of pure vanilla extract

FOR GARNISH

3 fresh, washed and dried raspberries per serving

A sprig of mint per serving

OR a drizzle of the macerated raspberries that you have set aside for this purpose

A simple cookie to accompany it

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, gently stir together the raspberries, granulated sugar and liqueur (you could use water but it just isn’t the same). Allow this to sit for about 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl that you place in your sink to avoid any mess, add the heavy cream. (TIP: chill the beaters or balloon whisk before using.) You could do this in a standing mixer, but for this amount of cream I generally use an electric hand mixer. And for some reason having to do with physics that my husband has tried to explain to me MANY times over the years, a larger amount of cream to whip makes less mess than a smaller amount.

Whip the cream on high until it starts to form soft peaks and look like whipped cream.

At this point stop the whipping and add the vanilla extract and 2 to 3 Tablespoons of confectioners sugar. Whip it some more to mix everything through and then stop to taste it. You want the whipped cream to be fairly stiff but not turned to butter.

If it is too soft like a Chantilly, the cream will collapse as soon as you add the berries. If its perfect, you’re done. If you prefer it sweeter or with more vanilla, add a bit more, whip and taste.

You could use more of the liqueur instead of the vanilla in the whipped cream. It’s your choice. Once the cream is to your taste, set it in a sieve over a bowl. It can be refrigerated until you are ready to assemble.

Just before assembling, take a fork and mash the raspberries until all of the liquid and fruit are mashed together. Spoon half of the fruit into the whipped cream and gently fold it through once or twice with a rubber spatula to create streaks. DON’T OVER MIX! You want it to be streaked, not solid pink. Repeat with remaining raspberries, setting aside some first as a garnish. You could alternatively choose to layer the whipped cream and fruit in your serving dishes. It’s hard to go wrong.

Now enjoy!

Matzattata

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

I don’t know about you, but after two seders and Shabbat, I am ready for something lighter and simpler for dinner. So tonight I made a Matzattata. Perhaps as you can guess this is a riff on a frittata. Now I could simply have made a frittata, but I wanted to use a few less eggs while also making something just a bit more substantial.

While I am giving you how I made the Matzattata, there are almost endless variations you could make by switching out vegetables or herbs or spices. So as long as the proportions are more or less similar, make this your own.

RECIPE

YIELD: 2 to 4 servings depending on sides and appetite

INGREDIENTS

4 standard squares of matzah

5 large eggs

3 to 5 Mushrooms, sliced (Mine were very large so I only used 3)

5 of the thicker kind of asparagus, with the stem thinly sliced. Save the tips plus about 2-inches of stem to add separately

Onion or shallot, finely chopped – about 1/4 cup

1 bell pepper, finely diced

1 medium tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 Tablespoons dairy or non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk)

kosher salt and either cracked black pepper, Aleppo Pepper or red pepper flakes

Neutral oil such as avocado or a buttery olive oil

rounded 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Rounded 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Rounded 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

About 5 ounces of your favorite shredded cheese. I used a Kosher for Passover smoked Gouda and Mozzarella.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Break up the matzah into smallish pieces – about 2 x 3-inches. Place the broken matzah into a sieve or colander. Run cold water over the matzah and using your hand, gently toss the matzah. Only do this for about a minute. You wanted the matzah softened but not mush!

Drain and add to a medium bowl. Add the 5 eggs, milk, dried herbs and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Set aside.

In a 9-inch oven-proof non-stick (or well seasoned cast iron) skillet, heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil or a neutral oil like avocado on medium heat until just shimmering.

Add the onion, pepper, mushroom and thinly sliced asparagus stems. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes and then add the tomato. Cook until the vegetables have softened – about 5 minutes.

Once the vegetables have softened, add in the matzah/egg mixture. Using a spatula or large spoon, spread the mixture over the top of the vegetables, covering everything. Press down slightly.

Cover the top with the cheese. I didn’t do it because I forgot, but lay the asparagus tips over the cheese in whatever way looks pleasing. Press it down slightly into the cheese.

Allow this to cook undisturbed on the stovetop for about 3 to 5 minutes. Then place the pan in the hot oven uncovered! Allow it to cook for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. It will look like there is a LOT of oil, but it’s fine.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. This will allow things to firm up so you can make clean slices. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or cut tomatoes.

Eggplant Supreme

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

We all LOVE eggplant in my family. This Eggplant Supreme is sweet from roasting the eggplant. It is savory and bright with lemon, almonds and mint. Serve it with or without crumbled feta and it will be a delightful addition to any table. This Eggplant Supreme is along the lines of something I saw Jamie Oliver make on YouTube and it turned out to be a big hit.

Eggplant Supreme can be a wonderful side to a meat, fish or vegetarian meal. If you add some crumbled feta, it makes a light lunch. Best of all, it can be made ahead and will hold up in your fridge for about a week – unless you devour it like we do!

I enjoy it best at room temperature, but it can also be eaten straight from the fridge. Just be sure to use a quality olive oil. I like to use the Mediterranean Medley Olive Oil from Sciabica, but a good quality lemon or garlic oil would also be great here. Fresh mint is classic in Mediterranean cuisine and it just brightens things up. However, if for some reason you are not a fan, you could use pretty much any fresh herb as a substitute.

I chose to use a shallot, but you could use red onion, Vidalia, yellow onion or even a scallion. Because I used a shallot, I didn’t feel the need to add any fresh garlic, but you certainly can.

Another thing I love about this eggplant dish is that there is no messy frying. The eggplant planks are roasted in the oven. I do strongly encourage you to cook the eggplant on parchment rather than using foil or even directly on the pan. Using anything else tends to make the eggplant stick and then you end up with large rips in the planks. And while I used a mortar and pestle to make the topping, you could chop the things together and then mix in the olive oil, lemon juice and zest.

Eggplant Supreme is great for Passover and all year long so give it a try.

RECIPE

YIELD: About 6 to 8 servings as a side

INGREDIENTS

3 eggplants about a pound each

About 1/3 cup Olive Oil, divided

Zest and juice of one lemon

1/3 cup chopped raw almonds

About 1/4 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1 small shallot, chopped or about 2 tablespoons of any onion you prefer

Feta cheese – Optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. If you are doing multiple sheet pans and have convection, preheat to 375 degrees F. Line your sheet pans with parchment and set aside.

Cut off the tops and bottoms of each eggplant. Then lay the eggplant on its side and take a thin slice off, which should mostly be skin. You then want to slice planks that are about 1/2 inch thick. Don’t worry if they are not perfectly the same. Mine NEVER are! I have found that it is easiest to stand the eggplant on its now flat bottom and to slice down vertically from the top. Some people prefer cutting with the eggplant on its side. Do whatever is easiest for you.

When you get to the last piece of each eggplant, again take a thin slice of skin off to expose the meat of the eggplant. Lay each plank on the prepared pans without overlap. Brush each plank with the olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Bake the first side for 20 minutes.

Then remove the pans from the oven and carefully turn the planks over. Brush this side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. This side will cook faster so only bake it for another 8 to 10 minutes. Ovens vary so just watch it. You want the eggplant tender and beginning to brown.

While the eggplants bake, prepare the topping. You will use about 3 Tablespoons of the oil for this and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remember that you already salted the eggplant and if you use feta, cheese, that also adds salt. Put everything into a mortar and pestle or small food processor. If you are using a mortar and pestle, bash everything to get a coarse, paste. If using a processor, pulse everything until you get a coarse paste. You want texture! If you are just chopping by hand, then add all of the chopped bits into a bowl and mix through with the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Once the eggplant has finished baking, lay the planks on a platter in a pleasing arrangement. There is no one right way.

Spread the topping over the middle of the eggplant. If you are using feta, crumble it over the top. Drizzle a bit more olive oil and add a few cracks of pepper if you are using feta. Now enjoy!

Passover Brownies

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Over nearly 5 decades of preparing Pesach meals, I have made many wonderful desserts. You will find most of them on my blog and I will also link to them below. For several years I tried to make these brownies from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America. This doyenne of Jewish cooking tells the best stories, but I have always found her recipes to be problematic. And the recipe for these Passover Brownies created by the Capsouto Frères NEVER worked. I finally figured out that there was a mistake in the recipe.

I have fixed the mistake and made a couple of small tweaks to the recipe. These Passover Brownies are just delicious and for those who must avoid gluten, they are good enough to enjoy all year. Rich with dark chocolate, dense and yet light because of the eggs and almond flour, they are a wonderful addition to any Passover meal.

And perhaps best of all, these brownies get EVEN better as they age which makes them a perfect make-ahead dessert. The flavors intensify and the brownies themselves become a bit denser while maintaining their lightness.

This recipe is a more old fashioned Passover recipe that does not take advantage of Kosher for Passover baking soda and baking powder which was unavailable decades ago. Our only leavening was lots of eggs that we separated into the yolks and whites. The whites had to be beaten into stiff peaks and gently folded into the rest of the mixture which included the yolks. While a bit of a tedious process, it still works.

When eggs were scarce during the pandemic, it was certainly nice to have other options. But recreating some of these older recipes brings me closer to my parents and grandparents, may they all rest in peace. I especially wanted to make some of these older recipes this year when my family is far away and it is just me and my husband. It reminds me of a happier time when our family was bigger and lived close by one another.

If you have a hand or standing mixer, this recipe is not too onerous to make. But it will take a little more effort than a standard brownie recipe to achieve the delightful result. And if we can’t take a little more effort during the holiday, well when can we?

For More Passover Desserts

Turkish Walnut Cookies for Passover (Mustacudos de Muez)

Fudgy Passover Brownies – Gluten-Free

Chocolate Orange Vegan Passover Cake

Vegan Dark Chocolate Mousse

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

Iraqi Almond Cardamom Cookies

Passover Sephardic Wine Cookies

Passover Almond Coconut Macaroons

Passover Florentine Cookies

Passover Orange Ginger Spice Cookies

Chocolate Chip Vegan Meringue Buttons for Passover

Vegan Almond Coconut Macaroons

RECIPE

Yield: One 9″ square pan (You decide how big or small to cut them. I got 16 pieces)

INGREDIENTS

1.5 sticks of unsalted vegan or dairy butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 large eggs, separated

6 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate (try for 70 to 72% cacao)

6 ounces finely ground natural almond meal or flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

A good splash of dark coffee (about 1 Tablespoon)

DIRECTION

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment and lightly spray it with avocado oil or other kosher for Passover neutral spray.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. I just use an oven-safe bowl that I place over a pot with hot water. You can melt chocolate in the microwave but it’s a fussier process. Just heat the water and have the bowl sit in the pot just ABOVE the water. Stir occasionally with a spatula. Once melted, remove the chocolate from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

While the chocolate melts, cream the better and sugar, scraping down the bowl periodically. You should cream the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes in either a standing mixture or with a hand mixture. Slowly add the egg yolks one at a time. You want this to be light and fluffy.

Then add the slightly cooled chocolate, the vanilla extract, coffee and the ground almonds. Mix through.

In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Take about 1/4 of the whipped egg whites and thoroughly mix it into the chocolate batter to loosen it up. Then in 3 other portions, gently but thoroughly fold in the remaining egg whites just until no whites are showing. Use a rubber spatula for this and make figure eights through the batter to incorporate the whites without deflating them too much.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes. The top should look baked and just slightly cracked.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting. Don’t worry if the center sinks a little as it cools. Now enjoy!