dinner

Vegan Mac & Cheese

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My father was in the candy-making business for his entire adult life. And every year he would attend what the family called The Candyman’s Ball. He would return home from this evening laden with goodies from candy makers around the world. Yes, our house was always a favorite stop for Trick or Treating.

As part of his job, my father purchased huge quantities of sugar, cocoa, milk and other ingredients. Over the years, our family became good friends with his contact for dairy products from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. In fact, even after my father had died, we kept in touch and Toni knitted a beautiful sweater for my son when he was born. I have saved the sweater for my grandchildren, but sadly, we did finally lose track of one another. However, the fond memories of visits to their home remain.

Every year John would send us a 5-pound wheel of a delicious Pippen Cheese – a kind of cheddar. I always loved when the cheese arrived because it meant that my mother would make her wonderful Mac & Cheese. We’re not talking boxed Mac & Cheese, although that does have its place in the world of food, as most parents of young children can attest. Her Mac & Cheese was a thing of beauty, covered with thick slices of tomato, bread crumbs and cheese on top that would get bubbly and toasty brown.

My Vegan Mac and Cheese is more of an homage to my mother’s wonderful recipe rather an attempt at exact duplication. Like her deep-dish apple pie, it is something best left to my memories.

If you follow my blog, you will know that my husband and I try to eat more and more vegan and vegetarian meals. We do it for both health and personal ethical reasons. With the advent of so many new and really excellent vegan products, you no longer only need to eat beans, tofu and veggies – much as I love them.

While I rarely crave much meat (never did), I do desire a creamy, comforting Mac & Cheese now and then. But it’s really just too rich to be eating much of it at our age. I don’t want to merely live a long life, but a healthy one. So I challenged myself to come up with a delicious vegan version of Mac & Cheese. Of course, I did the usual thing of going online first and checking out available vegan recipes. Then I like to pick and choose things I like from several and ultimately include my own touches.

If you are looking to feed a hungry bunch, you can’t miss with this Vegan Mac & Cheese. All it needs is some good bread and a green salad. A nice glass of wine for the adults wouldn’t be bad either! And while this appears very rich, it is all plant-based fat. So when you crave that silky, creamy Mac & Cheese but worry that maybe your cholesterol says “uh uh” try this version instead.

Recipe

Yield: 6 portions

Ingredients

16 ounces pasta of choice, cooked according to package instruction (Use the shortest time given since this will also bake in the oven. Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water for use in the sauce!)

2 cups plain soy milk

2 cups plant-based cream

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1.5 teaspoons ground mustard powder (You could add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard if you don’t have mustard powder.)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper or to taste

2 rounded teaspoons vegan cream cheese

12 ounces vegan cheese, of choice – shredded (I used a combination of cheeses but you could use all cheddar-style)

5 to 6 Roma tomatoes, thickly sliced

Seasoned dried breadcrumbs (About 1/2 cup, although I didn’t really measure. You’ll scatter as much as you like.)

1/3 cup reserved pasta water

EVOO or melted plant-based butter for drizzling

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium-sized pot, on medium high heat, add all of the sauce ingredients and stir to melt. When the mixture is creamy, remove from the heat and pour over the cooked, drained pasta.

Place in a large, rectangular baking dish which is at least 2-inches deep. Cover the top with slices of tomato. Generously sprinkle the bread crumbs over the tomatoes and drizzle EVOO or melted vegan butter over the top.

Put the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is bubbly and toasted. (I actually had to place mine under the broiler for a couple of minutes since the oven I am working with in my rental is not the greatest.)

Allow the Mac & Cheese to rest for 15 minutes before serving. This will help everything to come together and will make serving easier. Now enjoy!

Baked Apples

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Growing up, my grandmother and my mother always made baked apples as soon as autumn began. My father loved eating these fragrant, dense treats with a bit of heavy cream poured on top while the apples were still warm from the oven. Even if you grew up poor in a shtetl or later a tenement, apples were affordable. So every Ashkenazi Jewish home ate wonderful apple cake in one form or another, strudel and baked apples. There are many examples on this blog of delicious apple cakes.

For me, autumn and winter smell like apples and cinnamon. There is nothing more wonderful than walking in from the cold to a house redolent of these aromas. You could taste the deliciousness in the air we would breathe.

So when I was grocery shopping and saw some beautiful, large Cortland apples, I told my husband that I was going to treat us to baked apples for Shabbat dessert. These juicy apples are known for being sweet with a hint of tartness and are perfect for baking. But, of course, apples are regional so if you don’t have Cortland apples where you live, ask the grocer or local orchard what apples will make great baked apples. Rome Beauties were also available growing up in New York and were another good option.

Baked Apples are neither difficult nor fancy. They likely won’t win a prize for the most beautiful dessert. And there isn’t a sprinkle in sight. But if you are looking for a dessert where you close your eyes for that first bite and then have a sigh of contentment escape you – well look no further.

The recipe here can be easily adjusted to suit your tastes. If you don’t like or have dates, you could use raisins or dried cranberries or just leave them out and add additional nuts. If you don’t like nuts, add more dried fruit. I used sweet hawaij which we love, but you could use all cinnamon or a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg. If you have apple juice (I did not) you could use that instead of water. These are not precious – just simple and delicious. So just make them and enjoy. They are especially great while sitting around a fire.

Try them on their own or with some good vanilla ice cream or cream (dairy or vegan). How soft you like your apples is personal taste. You don’t want apple sauce but you also don’t want crunchy apples. Depending on your oven, 40 to 45 minutes for large apples is about right for me. However, ovens vary as do apples. So start checking them after 35 minutes. You want to be able to eat the apples with a spoon – not a knife and fork.

We enjoy them warm, but they will keep for a day or two covered in the fridge. You can always warm them up a bit in the microwave before eating.

Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 large baking apples

3/4 teaspoon sweet hawaij or ground cinnamon or cinnamon and ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

3 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter or vegan “butter”

1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts

1 Tablespoon dried fruit of choice cut into small pieces

1/4 cup whole rolled oats (Not instant)

1/4 brown sugar

juice of 1/2 a small lemon

1 stick cinnamon

4 to 5 whole cloves

3 strips of lemon zest

3/4 cup warm water or apple juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash, dry and carefully core the apples. I found it easiest to use a sharp paring knife and a metal measuring teaspoon. You want to cut down about 3/4 of the way until you reach and remove the seeds. While I have an apple corer, I found this method to be easier. As soon as you have cleaned out the core, squeeze a bit of lemon juice into the opening to prevent browning and because lemon and apples are a great combination!

Place the ground spices, brown sugar, butter or vegan “butter”, oats, salt, dried fruit and nuts into a bowl. Using your fingers or a fork, smush everything together until the mixture is soft and the elements are well distributed.

Using a teaspoon or your fingers, evenly divide the filling into the opening you created when you cored the apples. Go all of the way to the top. Place the apples in an 8 or 9-inch square pan or baking dish. They should be able to stand up in the dish without assistance. Pour in the water or apple juice and add the whole cloves, cinnamon stick and lemon zest. This will prevent the apples from drying out while baking and makes a delicious liquid to spoon over the top when serving.

Place the baking dish into the hot oven and bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Take a look and see if the apples have just barely begun to split and give a poke with your finger. If the skin gives easily, they are done. If not, put them back for another 5 minutes. They will continue to cook a bit even when removed from the oven. As they cool, the skin will begin to contract and wrinkle. THAT is how they should be. Spoon some of the delicious pan liquid over each of the apples before serving. Now enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower Lentil Curry

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My grocery store had some gorgeous organic cauliflower on sale this week. I knew that if I bought it, a meal featuring this brassica was in the offing. So I went to my favorite vegan blog, Pick Up Limes and came across a recipe for a delicious Roasted Cauliflower Lentil Curry. I have had very good luck with their recipes. But as a reasonably experienced cook, I am not afraid to make some changes to better suit our tastes. While I present the recipes with my changes, the blog is a wonderful source of clear, comforting and non-preachy information on everything vegan.

I love to cook and have the time to go the extra mile of doing certain things that can be purchased ready-made. Not only does it tend to be more cost-effective to make things myself, but it allows me to season things to my taste or cut them exactly the way I want. But if you don’t have the time or inclination, you can buy pre-cut cauliflower. You can also use canned or vacuum-sealed pre-cooked lentils. I do still remember what it was like to have a young family while attending graduate school full-time, so there is no judgment here.

On the other hand, lentils can be cooked ahead and refrigerated. And if you are going to the trouble of making them (honestly, they don’t involve much and there is no soaking necessary), you might as well make extra and you can use it throughout the week in salads or in pilaf. I’m just sayin’!

Don’t get scared off by the list of ingredients. If you love South Asian and Middle Eastern food, these should always be in your pantry. And don’t be afraid to tweak amounts. If you want more lentils or spinach, add it. And if you can’t be bothered to cook rice, buy some Naan, which seems to be carried everywhere these days.

Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Curry tastes rich, creamy, with a bit of heat. It is oh so delicious while also being comforting. And when you can eat something that is this delicious AND healthy, well what are you waiting for? Make it this week!

A bit of wisdom shared. It took me MANY (too many) years to realize that a bit more time at the front end saved a lot of stress and mistakes at the back end. So have everything ready and set up BEFORE you start cooking or baking. You will thank me later.

Yield: 4 to 6 generous servings

Ingredients

Roasted cauliflower

1 medium to large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces (I like the variety of textures that a mix of some bigger and smaller pieces gives when roasted.)

2.5 Tablespoons neutral vegetable oil (I like Avocado Oil, but you could use canola or safflower, if you prefer.)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 to 1 scant teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon chili powder (I LOVE Rajasthan chili which has some mellow heat and an earthy flavor. I use it with so many things.)

Curry

2 cups uncooked brown or Basmati rice (Cook according to package instructions, which vary by brand and which rice you choose to use.)

1 Tablespoon neutral vegetable oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tablespoon curry powder (I like Madras curry powder)

½ Tablespoon garam masala

½ Tablespoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1⅔ cups (400 g or 14.5 oz. can) canned diced tomatoes

12 cherry or large grape tomatoes, halved

399 mL or 13.5 oz. can) of full-fat coconut milk 

2.5 cups cooked brown lentils (If making yourself, I like to use Spanish Pardina lentils which are readily available. They cook up nicely in about 18 to 20 minutes and they retain their shape.)

About 4 cups (60 g) fresh spinach, thicker stems removed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the cauliflower pieces on a large baking sheet in a single layer. In a small bowl, mix up all of the ingredients under “Cauliflower.” Pour the mixture over the cauliflower and use your hands to mix things through. Be sure to get some of the seasoning mixture on each of the pieces.

Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 40 to 45 minutes, turning the pan half-way through. If you like your veg roasted more, go for it, but it will be ready at this point.

If you are cooking brown rice, you should probably start it now.

Add the oil to a large pot on medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook until golden. Add splashes of water if needed to deglaze the pot.

Then add the garlic and all of the spices. Stir continuously to toast for 30 – 60 seconds.

Add the canned tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Finally, add the coconut milk, lentils, spinach, and roasted cauliflower. Cook until everything is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve over the rice or with Naan.

No Recipe Shabbat or Sunday Dinner

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While we eat a LOT of vegan and vegetarian meals, I do like to serve some kind of meat for Shabbat along with whole grains and lots of salads or salatim. (Many wonderful examples can be found on my blog.) This No Recipe Shabbat or Sunday Dinner is the perfect answer to wanting something that feels (and tastes) special but requires very little work or planning.

In over 50 years of cooking, I have made quite a few roast chicken dinners, several of which you can find on this blog. And while each of them was good, this version, based on Thomas Keller’s recipe, is the best. And how great is it when the best recipe is also the simplest? For those of you unfamiliar with Thomas Keller, he is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation. We would say that he has yichus (loosely translated as “pedigree.”)

Now of course, you can switch up the sides to suit your tastes, but I am giving you two delicious examples that take next to no prep or cooking time and still feel special.

When I was growing up in a suburb of New York, we used to have our chickens delivered to our door by Irving the Chicken Man. He also brought us fresh farm eggs and – pizza. I have no idea how the pizza fit in and the reason is lost to memory, assuming that I ever knew. But the chickens were wonderful. Unlike today’s supermarket chickens – even organic ones – these chickens were relatively small, averaging around 3 pounds, and were very flavorful. When I went shopping for my whole chicken, it was impossible to find any under 4 to almost 5 pounds. Those would have been considered stewing chickens and were used primarily for soup.

Short Rant

Poultry today is over-bred for large breast meat to suit all of those people who have been told that the more flavorful thigh meat is bad for you. To me, these chickens are less flavorful and can more easily become rubbery. But it appears that is what people want. They don’t know what they are missing. Okay, rant over.

Back to Business

No Recipe Shabbat or Sunday Dinner is accompanied here with a simple roasted broccoli and whole wheat couscous. When you use really good ingredients, simple preparations are the best. Why drown out the natural flavors of the food with added sauce or too many spices? (Is this another rant?) While I like to buy my broccoli whole to cut myself, if you are short on time or just don’t love cooking, you can always find pre-cut broccoli florets. And if you don’t like broccoli, you could use cauliflower or a mixture or any veg that you prefer.

The original recipe called for a 2 to 3 pound chicken, which I cannot find around here. It also gave an optional herb baste for the chicken. But this sacrifices the crispy skin, so I don’t do it. If you want to serve a gravy that is your choice. For me, the chicken is juicy, oh-so-flavorful and the crispy skin is a treat that I only allow myself rarely. So I don’t need anything more than a few of the pan drippings drizzled over the serving. But you do you. (NOTE: Keller believes that the crispy, fatty tush of the bird is the cook’s treat. (My mother, who came from a Socialist/secular background called it The Pope’s Nose) And Keller is right! Is it healthy? No. But every once in a while, eating something a little unhealthy is just fine.)

The biggest problem that my husband and I had with the chicken was knowing when to stop eating it. After we ate what was on our plate, we kept walking by the chicken and stealing juicy bits of meat and crispy skin!

The bird I am cooking is 4 pounds – the smallest I could find after going to 3 grocery stores. So I have adjusted the timings from the Thomas Keller version. I chose roasted broccoli because it can roast in the same temperature oven as the chicken only for a shorter period of time. Whole wheat couscous is a wonderful choice when you don’t have the time or inclination to fuss. It is readily available online and in a number of grocery stores. Not only is it delicious, but it is ready in 5 minutes! Just boil a liquid of choice, pour it over the couscous, cover it and wait 5 minutes. That’s it! I do use a flavorful EVOO in the preparation and some chicken broth but nothing else is needed. Fluff and enjoy. Of course, if you prefer to cook rice or some other grain, they all work.

This dinner will easily feed 4 to 6 people, with no leftovers. Of course, this needs to be adjusted if you are feeding teenagers. My husband’s mother said that when he was a teenager, she made one chicken for the rest of the family and one chicken for him! Since leftover roast chicken has so many uses, make two, if you like.

Recipe for Roast Chicken

Ingredients

4-pound whole chicken, dried inside and out with a paper towel (remove giblets, if you are lucky enough to have them included)

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. If you have the time, take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before you start to roast it.

Liberally sprinkle the dried chicken with the salt and black pepper, inside and out. Do this from several inches above the chicken to get nice, even coverage. Normally I am not a huge salt consumer but for this, I use about 1 Tablespoon of salt for the entire chicken.

Using kitchen twine, tie the chicken legs together at the ends. Tuck the wings underneath. (I am currently living in a temporary rental while our apartment is being renovated. As it turns out, I took neither twine nor a meat thermometer with me. So we improvised. We used a nylon elastic from a bead-stringing kit and I did the loose-leg test to see if the chicken was done.)

Place the bird, breast-side up in a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. (You don’t want this in a deep pan. Yes, it will spatter your oven, but it will give a great result.)

Roast until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F. Do not touch the bone when using a thermometer. This will take about 90 minutes on a 4-pound bird. (Ovens vary, so using a thermometer is the safest way to tell if poultry is done.) If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, the bird is done when you can easily wiggle the leg and thigh to the point that it almost comes disconnected from the main part of the bird. If you are lucky enough to find a smaller bird, it will take about an hour.

Once the bird has reached 165 degrees, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes to absorb all of the juices and to finish cooking. If you tent the bird with foil, you will lose some of the crispiness in the skin so I don’t advise it.

When you are ready to serve, drizzle some of the pan juices over the cut pieces.

For the Broccoli

Cut 2 heads of broccoli into florets. (I like different sizes so there will be a variety of textures in the finished product.) I cut the tough part of the stem away and slice and use the tender stem and any nice leaves.

Place all of the broccoli on a half-sheet pan and drizzle well with EVOO or avocado oil. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

While the chicken is resting, place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the broccoli to your desired doneness. At 450 degrees, this should only take 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, if your oven is large enough, you can place the pan of broccoli in the oven with the chicken for the final 20 minutes.

Now serve and enjoy!

Delicious Bean Stew

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Delicious Bean Stew is creamy, vibrant, budget-friendly and incredibly satisfying. It is vegan comfort in a pot. Easy to make in under an hour, this deceptively rich vegan stew is incredibly satisfying without leaving you feeling as if you over-indulged.

Since the Pandemic, I have been following a vlog out of Amsterdam called Pick Up Limes. They now also have a really terrific app and a website. If you are looking either to add some vegan meals to your repertoire or are choosing to go whole-hog vegan (pun intended) this is a great place to start. It is accessible, non-judgmental and best of all – the recipes really work. Yes, I do make some tweaks, but they would also be great as written.

This Delicious Bean Stew has a few changes from the original, in part because my store and pantry were out of some items. But this only proves how good the recipe is. I went to three separate grocery stores and no one had either Butter Beans or Dried Rosemary. As it happens, I really love to cook up my own beans as I have mentioned many times before. Not only do dried beans store well, with no worries of exploding or leaking cans, but I control the aromatics. In addition, I use the resulting cooking liquids to replace or augment the liquids in soups and stews.

Would canned beans work? Of course. And if that is your preference or all you have time for, please use them. While the original recipe called for Butter Beans, I used Royal Corona. We absolutely love these beans, which are easily available online. These large European runner beans cook up to be meaty and creamy and can replace pretty much any white bean called for in a recipe. If you have never tried them, you are in for a real treat. I cook them with a sprig of rosemary, a bay leaf and some confited garlic in olive oil. Even without the aromatics, they are delicious.

Maybe there is a run on dried rosemary, but every store was out of it and mine was packed away for our move. However, there was fresh rosemary available. I know! When using fresh herbs, just essentially double the amount of dried herbs suggested in the recipe. I tend to be very generous in my measurements for herbs so don’t get to precise here. I did use dried thyme.

Delicious Bean Stew needed nothing more than some good bread (I used my Breadsticks in an Hour, but any good bread will do.) If you want to make a salad or serve some grapefruit with pomegranate seeds as I did – go for it. Leftovers can gently be reheated.

So whether you made any New Year’s resolutions or are just looking for some healthy, delicious vegan meals to add to your repertoire, Delicious Bean Stew is a great option.

Recipe

Yield: 4 servings with bread

Ingredients

1.5 Tablespoons neutral vegetable oil (I like Avocado)

1 large or 2 smaller leeks, white and light green parts only, washed well and thinly sliced

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or 1.5 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped

1 rounded Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1.5 cups water or cooking liquid if preparing your own beans

1 vegetable bouillon cube, crumbled

4 cups of large white beans (Royal Corona, Butter Beans, Lima’s)

3/4 cup plant-based heavy cream (I like soy, but any will do)

About 5 cups of coarsely chopped fresh spinach

2.5 Tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Optional but Recommended Garnish

Red pepper chili flakes

chopped, flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Place oil in 5 quart pot, preferably with a heavy bottom, over medium-high heat. Add the sliced leek and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

Now add in the sun-dried tomatoes and flour and continue cooking, while stirring for 1 more minute.

The liquid and bouillon cube are added next. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until thickened. This only takes a minute or two.

Stir in the beans and cooking “cream” and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Add in your spinach, the vinegar and pepper and mix through just until the spinach wilts. Again, only another minute or two.

Garnish and enjoy!

Avocado Pistachio Pesto

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What is a dip for vegetables, a spread for burgers and sandwiches and a sauce for pasta? Avocado Pistachio Pesto – that’s what! I could even see using it on top of grilled fish or chicken. This simple-to-make, beautifully vibrant pesto is delicious in so many ways. So make a bunch and use it liberally. And the added bonus of many vegan meals is that they are extremely budget-friendly. And who wouldn’t want a delicious meal that doesn’t break the bank?

When making a dish with a few ingredients, always choose the best quality that you can find and afford. And that is especially true when using olive oil. I use a few trusted brands and I especially love the flavored olive oils. Baking cakes with olive oil not only makes them taste rich and flavorful, but they hold up beautifully as well. And there is no tedious creaming of butter and sugar or remembering to leave the butter out so it is malleable.

Don’t misunderstand. I love a really good unsalted butter slathered on freshly baked bread. And there are some cakes and cookies that just would not be the same without it. But if you haven’t tried a top quality olive oil, you don’t know what you are missing.

When ripe, avocados are creamy and rich tasting, while also being a healthy fat that packs a punch of anti-oxidants and vitamins. When combined with pistachios, lemon, basil, EVOO and mint, you have a party going on. This Avocado Pistachio Pesto will keep for a few days in the fridge if covered with a layer of EVOO. Anytime you take some pesto, fill in the gap with EVOO and the pesto will stay a beautiful green and will retain its vibrancy.

I paired my Avocado Pistachio Pesto with a red lentil pasta and some frozen, thawed baby peas. But any kind of pasta that you like will work. Throw together a quick, colorful salad and you have a great meal. So don’t wait. Make this today!

Recipe

Yield: About 4 cups

Ingredients

1 cup of raw pistachios, lightly pan-toasted

2.5 large, very ripe avocados

2 ounces of fresh basil leaves, thick stems removed

5 large garlic cloves

Juice of half of a lemon or more to taste

3/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

About 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh or frozen mint leaves

Lemon EVOO or other quality EVOO that is bright and with a bit of an edge (I actually used two different olive oils in making this.)

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a strong blender or food processor. While the machine is running, drizzle in the olive oil until you get a consistency you like. Don’t be afraid to use the EVOO. The sauce will thicken some over time. How thick you make it is personal taste. When using it with pasta, I also add about a cup of the pasta water to the sauce when ready to serve.

Easy Chicken Stir-fry

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Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters and from Terror Organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.

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Work has FINALLY begun on a long-overdue renovation. We had naively thought that we could remain in our apartment while most of it was ripped apart. Not and keep our sanity! Thankfully, we live in a neighborhood with lots of new and beautiful rental apartments. Since we have been owners for 40 years now, there was some sticker shock to get past before we actually could sign a lease for 6 months.

Hopefully by moving out, not only do we retain our sanity, but the work can progress more quickly. But what this means is that we have been packing up most of our place and several decades worth of treasures for the past few weeks. We are living out of a small corner of our apartment until the movers come in the next two weeks.

So I am keeping the cooking as easy and painless as possible. Eating out or ordering in not only is expensive, less healthy, but also generally less enjoyable. So we accommodate. We have definitely been drinking down our wine cabinet much faster than usual! Less to pack, right?

I saw that the New York Times was featuring a recipe for Moo Goo Gai Pan last week. This ubiquitous Americanized Cantonese dish seemed like a good choice for an easy weeknight dinner. But when I decide to make something I found online, I always check out anywhere up to 5 versions of the dish and pick and choose what I like.

The version I ended up with came from The Forked Spoon. I made a couple of minor changes to this Chicken Stir-fry, but mostly followed it. This could easily be made vegan by simply substituting the chicken with vegan “chicken,” the broth for vegetable broth, and use a vegetarian Oyster Sauce. I served it over rice and had a simple, delicious, satisfying, and healthy one-pot meal.

Now I happen to find chopping and prepping vegetables relaxing. But I completely understand that if you are busy working and rushing to get a nice meal on the table, you just might not feel that you have the time. These days you can always find sliced mushrooms and carrots and even minced garlic in your grocery. Some stores even sell, pre-sliced chicken breast ready for fajitas and stir-fry’s. I don’t generally buy them because they are a) more expensive and b) more likely to have E.coli or salmonella. But we all make choices every day of convenience vs. cost etc. So no judgement.

Unfortunately, I had already packed up my Shaoxing Wine and dry Sherry, so I had to use more broth instead, but it was not a huge miss. And when I went to the store, they had beautiful, fresh Sugar Snap Peas but no Snow Peas. Moo Goo Gai Pan calls for white button mushrooms, but I prefer Baby Bella mushrooms. But you do you. These and other small changes are why I chose to call this an Easy Chicken Stir-fry rather than Moo Goo Gai Pan.

Whatever you call this dish, just enjoy it. It comes together quickly and is bright and colorful with tender chicken and crunchy vegetables. If you are hoping for spicy, this dish is not your jam. But if you are looking for tasty and comforting – look no further.

Recipe

Yield: 4 servings with rice

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

2 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil (I like avocado oil for its high burn point)

2 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Sauce

1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil

¾ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or Amino Acids

2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce (There are Kosher and Vegan brands available)

2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine – (substitute with dry sherry or additional broth)

3 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Stir-Fry

2 tablespoon oil – divided

4 large cloves garlic – minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root – grated

5 stalks green onions (scallions) – chopped and divided

10 ounces Baby Bella or white button mushrooms – sliced

2 carrots – sliced

1 cup Sugar Snap or Snow Peas

1 (5 ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots – drained

2 (5 ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts – drained

Sesame Seeds – to garnish

Directions

Prepare the chicken– Slice the chicken against the grain into pieces approximately 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl and combine with the oil, cornstarch, and salt. Use your hands to coat the entire surface of the chicken with a thin layer of cornstarch. This step will keep the chicken moist and tender. (Some people use egg white instead of oil, but this achieves the same level of tenderness.)

Mix the sauce– Add all ingredients for the sauce (sesame oil, low-sodium chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch) to a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.

Cook the chicken– heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bottom is white and no longer translucent. Carefully flip each piece of chicken over and cook the other side for an additional 20-30 seconds. Immediately remove to a clean plate (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point – but that’s ok).

Cook the “holy trinity” of Chinese cooking – Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic, ginger and half of the green onions to the pan. Mix to combine and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Cook the remaining vegetables– Add the carrots and mushrooms to the skillet, mixing well to combine. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables start to turn soft, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts, mixing well to combine. Continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.

Add the sauce and return the chicken. Give the sauce a final stir to dissolve the cornstarch and pour directly into the skillet with the vegetables. Add back the chicken and the remaining half of the green onions. Mix well to combine and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve immediately over rice and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired.

Breadsticks in an Hour

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 4 Comments

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Crispy on the outside, chewy/soft on the inside and ready to eat straight from the oven. Breadsticks in an Hour is the perfect accompaniment to soup, salad and pasta.

I am in the midst of packing up our apartment for a long overdue renovation. We will be in temporary digs for about 6 months. So, as a result, I am keeping things simple. But we are bread people. There, I’ve said it. I never understood the fad of not eating carbs. We eat them daily and both my husband and I are slim.

Since we are under a severe freeze warning this week, following a snow and ice storm, all I want for dinner is some good hot soup and bread for dinner. Although, honestly, I’m in the mood for homemade soup and bread anytime of the year. And you will find many wonderful examples on my blog.

Not only do I want to keep things simple after a day of packing and lugging boxes, but many of my things are already packed up. So I have to come up with things that are still available to me until we actually move in about 10 days. And between the weather and moving, we are not rushing out to the store when I am out of something.

One day last week, it was 4:00 and we were having pasta for dinner and I realized that I didn’t have any bread. I know that for many people this is not a serious problem. However, I REALLY wanted bread with my dinner. So I went online looking for a quick recipe that didn’t require either a long rising or baking time. I came across a recipe here. It looked easy enough and I had all of the ingredients. I thought how bad could it be? I have made it twice now, tweaking it some, and I am sharing the results with you.

The way that I made the Breadsticks in an Hour yielded about 18 to 20 breadsticks. I used different flours each time and both versions had their merits, although the one I am showing here was the favorite. They freeze well and add just the right accompaniment to pasta, soup and salads. This is a recipe that will be made on repeat throughout the year.

In addition, the Breadsticks are fun to make and would be a great small project to do with kids. While I made this using a stand mixer, you could make them entirely by hand. The kneading would take a bit longer. I added rosemary and garlic powder to the dough, but you can make them with just some flaky salt on top, sesame seeds or any other dried herb or grated cheese. As they are shown here, the Breadsticks in an Hour are vegan and Kosher.

So if you are new to bread baking or an old hand at it, these are a great addition to your repertoire. Give them a try! You won’t be disappointed.

Recipe

Yield: 18 to 20 long breadsticks

Ingredients

1.5 cups of warm water (warm to your finger tips)

1 Tablespoon active dried yeast or instant yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried, crumbled rosemary (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped rosemary)

3/4 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder

3+ cups of flour (I love Bob’s Mill Artisan Flour. I also used about 2 Tablespoons of Janie’s Whole Kernel Bread Flour. The first time I made these, I used only the Whole Kernel Bread Flour.)

EVOO (About 1/4 cup in total) (Try to use a good, flavorful EVOO. I like Mediterranean Blend or the oil left from making Garlic Confit.)

Flaky Salt for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. I like my oven to be good and hot when I bake bread.

If you are using Active Dried Yeast (as I do), then place the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Stir it through and allow to stand until bubbly. My house has so many yeast spores around that this only took about 5 minutes. If you are using Instant Yeast, you can skip this step.

In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add 3 cups of the flour, the salt, dried herbs and seasonings, if used. Give it a quick mix with a spoon or spatula to distribute everything. Add your Instant yeast, sugar and water OR the yeast/water/sugar mixture once proofed.

On the lowest setting, start to mix everything together. Once the flour won’t fly out of the bowl, turn the mixer up to the second level and keep it going until a soft dough just clears the sides of the bowl and is only very slightly sticky. If necessary, add another one to 2 Tablespoons more of flour. This only took about 4 minutes.

Allow the dough to rest in the bowl, covered with a towel, for 10 minutes.

Spread EVOO in a half-sheet pan and a quarter-sheet pan. (I use a silicone brush).

After the dough has rested, add a little EVOO to your counter surface or silicone mat. Press the dough out with your hands into a rectangle that is about 16-inches by 7-inches. You don’t have to be perfect! I use a silicone mat with a ruler on it, to make it simple for me.

Since I am using a silicone mat, I use a large plastic knife to cut my dough into strips about 1 to 1.5 inches in width. I do the cuts vertically along the short end. The dough is stretchy so your breadsticks will end up longer then the 7-inches.

Then give each strip a few twists. Again – we are not going for perfectly even. Some bits will be a little thinner and some fatter. Place the twisted strips onto the baking sheets about 1/2-inch apart. If an end is too thin, I just tucked it under a bit. I love the knobs and twists that get a great crisp on the outside, with a lovely chewy, soft inside.

Brush the breadsticks with EVOO and sprinkle with Maldon Flaky Salt (widely available) or sesame seeds. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes. They will poof up some.

Place the breadsticks in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. As soon as you remove the breadsticks from the oven, brush with a little more EVOO and sprinkle on a few more flakes of salt.

My current oven can only accommodate one pan, so the other pan got an additional 18-minute rest. I didn’t notice any difference in the two pans after baking.

To freeze: Just place in a freezer bag. Re-warm, thawed breadsticks in a 350 degree F. oven for about 3 minutes.

Vegan Egg Salad

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Normally, I take vegan recipes on their own merit rather than comparing them to their non-vegan counterparts. However, if you didn’t watch me make this Vegan Egg Salad and I simply served it in a sandwich, you very likely would assume that you were eating real eggs. I have also served this as a luncheon salad over lettuce and other than it doesn’t look quite exactly like non-vegan egg salad, the taste was the same.

I have no problem with real eggs. No animal had to die to give them to me and they are nutritious powerhouses. But I actually have come to prefer my Vegan Egg Salad over non-vegan egg salad. And I get all the protein with less fat.

Tofu sucks up flavor like a sponge. So in and of itself, there isn’t much of a flavor profile. Squeeze out the excess liquid and add your seasonings of choice and now we’re talkin’. There are different levels of tofu – everything from Silken tofu to extra, extra-firm. And different brands. Find a brand that you like and use the extra-firm for this recipe.

This recipe is my favorite version, but feel free to change it up. Use fresh dill instead of parsley or cilantro or a combination. If you absolutely have no fresh herbs in the house, use some dried dill. The one ingredient that you must have to pull this off is Kala Namak or Black Salt. It smells god-awful. But it is that sulphurous smell that when used with tofu, fools you into thinking you are eating eggs. Thankfully, once it is mixed with the other ingredients, that awful smell dissipates. You don’t need a lot, but if you are looking to make tofu scrambles or chickpea omelet or fritatta, you’ll want this on hand. It’s available online and in spice shops and some ethnic grocery markets.

So if you are looking to add some delicious and easy vegan alternatives to your weekday meals, this Vegan Egg Salad is a great way to start. The measurements are a guide. Depending on where you live, tofu may come in slightly different weights than I get. Don’t get bogged down with that. You may like more -or-less – pickle. Make it your own. Give it a try. This will hold up well in the fridge for several days, although you may need to mix through or pour off any liquid that might form at the bottom.

This is great to take on picnics because unlike things made with real eggs and real mayonnaise, Vegan Egg Salad won’t spoil as quickly.

Recipe

Yield: About 4 cups

Ingredients

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14 ounces of extra-firm tofu, pressed or squeezed of its liquid (Since the tofu will be broken up anyway, just go ahead and squeeze the liquid out with your hands.)

2 to 3 scallions or 1/2 of a small onion, chopped

2 to 3 T chopped pickle of choice (I like gherkins for this, but you do you.)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon Kala Namak or Black Salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (Parsley, cilantro, dill or a mix)

1/2 of a small carrot finely grated or to taste

1/8 teaspoon of ground turmeric

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

2 rounded Tablespoons of your favorite vegan mayonnaise or more to taste

Directions

Squeeze as much liquid out of the tofu as you can. Crumble the tofu into a bowl.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Mitzapuny Soup

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Mitzapuny Soup is unpretentious comfort in a bowl. It fills the stomach and satisfies the soul. There won’t be any beauty awards given for Mitzapuny Soup. But if you are looking for something that is easy to make and will ward off any damp or chill, then look no further. I came across it in my Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Gloria Kaufer Greene. It’s a wonderful cookbook with great recipes and stories. While out of print, it is available online if you look for it. I have made a few adjustments to her recipe. But don’t I always?!

The name comes from the Yiddish word martzpunis, which over the years has come to mean something special or extraordinary. Origins of words and how they morph over time is an interesting topic for a doctoral thesis and martzapunis would be right up there. Apparently, it was the name of some exotic fruit, which of course would be rather extraordinary in some shtetl in the Pale of Settlement. I can’t even find it on Google!

This meaty, split pea, bean and barley soup uses ingredients that would have mostly been available in the dead of winter. And if meat was scarce and your purse was almost empty, the frugal housewives made Mitzapuny with beef bones that the butcher would give you for nothing or just a kopeck or two. Try finding soup bones today that don’t cost as much as actual meat!

While you could make this soup completely meatless, you would really need to up the ante with the onions, salt and pepper. I would also probably add a turnip in addition to the carrots and celery and would cook this in a vegetable stock instead of plain water.

However you choose to make this soup, now that winter has settled in for the next several months in most of the Northern Hemisphere, make a big pot soon. Serve it with your favorite bread or rolls and gather in your friends and family for a big bowl of old-fashioned comfort food. And give everyone a good laugh while you are at it when you tell them the name.

I served our Mitzapuny with a dark pumpernickel that I baked earlier in the day.

Recipe

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

12 cups of water (You could use part beef or vegetable broth, although it was unlikely that would have been how my grandmother made it.)

2 to 3 pounds of soup meat (I like beef shank or short ribs, but my grandmother might have used deckel or flanken, trimmed of most visible fat. The bones in the shank and short ribs add flavor and in the case of the shank – marrow.)

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 to 5 large, fat carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks or rounds

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1.5 cups of green split peas, sorted

1 cup dried lima beans, sorted (baby lima beans, regular or Christmas Lima Beans, which is what I had on hand)

1/2 cup hulled barley (you could use pearled barley but it is not as nutritious nor as flavorful IMHO

Kosher salt to taste (you can always add more but you can’t remove it!) How much you use will also depend on whether you: salted your beef (or bought kosher meat) and if you used salted broth or stock vs. plain water

Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

If you did not buy Kosher meat, I highly recommend that you liberally salt the meat you did purchase overnight in the fridge, covered or in a plastic bag. This not only keeps in the flavor of the meat but will prevent it from drying out.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place your beef shank or other meat, meat side up on a foil covered pan. Sprinkle with fresh-cracked black pepper. There is no need to add salt if you salted your meat overnight or if you are using kosher meat. Roast for 15 minutes. Then turn the meat over and roast for 12 more minutes. Turn them on their side and roast for about 8 to 10 more minutes or until well-browned. Set aside.

You can brown the meat in the pot instead of in the oven. However, I find this a tedious process and one that invariably spatters grease all over my stove. I also find that when I brown the meat in the oven, I really don’t have to skim the soup liquid – another tedious process. And almost all of the excess fat remains on the foil which I simply discard, instead of either having to clean the pot in between or later skim off.

Place the lovely, roasted meat into the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot (6 or 7 quart enameled cast iron is best.) Rinse very well the split peas, beans and barley. Then add them and all of the remaining ingredients into the pot with the meat.

Cover everything in the pot with your liquid of choice. You want the liquid to be about 2-inches above the other ingredients.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure that your liquid hasn’t all evaporated. You can add additional liquid to keep things from drying out. By this time, the split peas have become mush and the beans, barley and meat are tender.

The soup should be thick and will continue to thicken as it sits. The barley will add a creamy thickness to the soup. Exactly how thick you like your soup is between you and you.

If you made the soup ahead and are reheating it, you will likely need to add some additional liquid. This soup does freeze well so don’t be afraid to make a big batch. Winter has only just begun!