caesar salad made easy

My first-ever attempt at Caesar Salad was a success! The idea of using raw eggs and anchovies always turned me off... but then I discovered this recipe that calls for neither! 

You can make this salad either Milchig or Pareve (it is absolutely divine served with grilled chicken breast).

For the croutons - you can buy those ready-made, but I love making my own and adding them to the salad when they're hot out of the oven. Just dice up some 'old' bread and toss with garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper, and a dash of olive oil. Spread out your croutons on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes, until golden and crispy.

(Side note: This recipe calls for Worcestershire Sauce... the brand I used does contain fish, but if you're concerned about mixing fish with dairy/meat, there are many other brands that are strictly 'veggie')

Ingredients

1 cup Light Mayonnaise

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp Milk (or Soy milk)

2 heads Romaine Lettuce Hearts, diced

1 cup Croutons

Directions

In a large salad bowl, mix first 8 ingredients until well-blended. Add more milk if dressing is too thick. 

Add Lettuce and Croutons and toss.

Top with additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Little Bites For Little Birthdays

Thank you to Material Maidel for inviting me to contribute to Kosher Cuisine. While I was happy to be included, I wasn’t sure what I could bring to the table here (ha ha ha! That’s so punny!) I’m not the world’s best cook, and I don’t really have any recipes in my repertoire that are so exceptional that they deserve to be shared here. One thing I do know, however, is how to feed hungry kids on a tight budget. Another thing I know (hey! I know two things!) is how to throw a fun birthday party for the young’uns that won’t burn a hole in your wallet (think arts & crafts, jewelry beading, painting, and “manicures & makeovers” for the girls; outdoor ball games for the boys, because you don’t really want so many rambunctious little boys inside your house at one time).
So I thought I’d share with you some menu ideas that will allow you to host a fun, inexpensive and easy to prepare birthday party that DOES NOT INCLUDE PIZZA (kids eat way too much pizza). The rule of thumb here is that most kids like food that is cut up, crunchy, easy to eat, and presented in a fun way- in colorful little bowls, or on a stick. Added bonus: you won’t need to provide any cutlery- this is finger food (except for the ice cream).
***For ages 3 and up only. Some of these foods present a choking hazard to children under 3.

Dairy menu:
­*Bowls of potato chips, pretzels, licorice bites, M&Ms, etc. for snacking.
*Miniature bagels filled with cream cheese, butter, strawberry or grape jelly, tuna salad, egg salad or grilled cheese.
*Cut up cucumbers, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and red/yellow/orange baby bell peppers arranged attractively on a tray or on colorful toothpicks. Provide small bowls of creamy salad dressing for dipping.
*For dessert (and instead of an expensive birthday cake that no one will finish) prepare in advance little 4 oz. cups with one scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with a bit of chocolate syrup. Before serving, top each one with whipped cream and colored sprinkles. Put a lit candle in the birthday child’s cup and sing Happy Birthday.

Meat Menu:
*Bowls of potato chips, pretzels, licorice bites, popcorn, etc. for snacking.
* Alternate cocktail franks on toothpicks with crunchy pickle slices. Provide ketchup and mustard for dipping.
*Put out trays of french fries, mini corn on the cobb, and small potato burekas (just fill store bought puff pastry squares with mashed potatoes and bake at 425 degrees Farenheit for 15-20 minutes).
*You can add a tray of homemade chicken nuggets if you’d like.
*For dessert: put out little bowls of fruit: grapes (plucked off the vine), baby apples, cubes of seedless watermelon, and orange sections. Put each type of fruit in a separate bowl, so the kids can select the ones that they like.
Instead of birthday cake: brownie squares with colorful sprinkles. Put a lit candle in the birthday child’s brownie and sing Happy Birthday.

Bring on the Broccoli Salad

Have you seen this salad recently? Quite possible - because it's become one of those dishes that graces almost EVERY Shabbos table in Brooklyn.  I found the original recipe in today's holy bible of Kosher cooking, Susie Fishbein's Kosher by Design. Here's my version.

Ingredients
1 head broccoli, stems discarded, florets chopped very small
1 cup light or fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
3 Tbsps. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsps. sugar
1 package kosher Ramen-type soup noodles (discard seasonings packet)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, shelled and unsalted
1/4 cup raw cashews, unsalted
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pine nuts

Instructions
Crumble soup noodles in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, onion, sugar and vinegar. Add broccoli and toss until evently coated.
Add noodles and remaining ingredients. Toss lightly.


This dish tastes great served right away or even the next day.

Avocado Strawberry Salad

This is an easy, breezy, yummy Shabbos salad that avocado fans will love!

Ingredients
2 large avocados
4 strawberries, sliced
1/2 red pepper
1/2 small purple onion
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely diced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions
Halve and pit avocados. Julienne avocado, red pepper and onion into thin strips and place in medium sized bowl.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

Enjoy!

Nothing Like Matzah Brei!

Crossposted on me-ander

What's your most reliable, filling Passover food staple?

For us it's the classic "Ashkenaz" Matzah Brei. I just made a nice big one for my husband to take to work. It's a day's worth of food for him. It's one dish we can't live without on Pesach. OK, this isn't diet food, and I doubt if I'll eat one this year. I'm not planning on traveling, so I can make my usual low carb goodies.



Matzah Brei is easy, simple to make and includes ingredients and equipment everyone (and if you don't have, they're worth buying) has at home:

• matzah
• eggs
• water (milk optional)
• margarine or oil for frying
• something sweet to spread on it, honey or jam (optional)

The necessary equipment:

• a large bowl
• a spoon
• covered frying pan (you can cover with a plate or foil)
• spatula (or knife and spoon used in tandem)

Yes, that's it.

• take a few matzot and break them up in a large bowl
• add some water, half way unless you want milk, too, then the combination should be half way up the matzah
• add eggs, at least one per matzah
• mix
• let sit for awhile, so the liquids can be absorbed by the matzot
• heat oil/margarine in the frying pan
• spoon the mixture onto the hot, greased pan
• lower the heat and cover
• when you can see that the top is cooked/solid/not eggy-runny, then turn over and cover
• wait a minute and turn off the flame and let it sit for at least five minutes
• That's it!
  
  

My Pesach Present

My son-in-law saw this for sale and knew he had to buy one. He and my daughter decided that it was just perfect for me. It's a well-made wooden cutting board, constructed like a "table." Underneath is a "bowl." It's for cutting salad.

The ironic thing is that a number of years ago, I also saw one of those and bought it... for my mother.

I like Israeli Salad

For the past few weeks I have been experimenting with creating the perfect salad. What is a Friday night without a nice salad full of freshly chopped vegetables? and What is life without a little rabbit food?

The best type of salad is one that you have all the necessary ingredients for. What good is a fancy recipe if you don't have any of the things you will need? That is why I recommend making a salad with things you have and not things you will have to search a million stores just to find. However, there are a few things that are essential when making an Israeli salad: cucumbers and tomatoes. Once you have those two things, the rest is metaphorical icing on the cake.

This is the recipe that I used most recently for a nice tasting Israeli salad.

3 medium tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 cucumbers (not those small ones, the nice size ones: you don't want it to be totally tomato)
1 medium onion

Peel the cucumbers. De-seed tomatoes and peppers. Chop the all the vegetables into small pieces. (For instructions on how to cut vegetables into small pieces watch this video.)Mix in a big salad bowl.

Once you have chopped all the vegetables it is now time to create a salad dressing. Personally I am a big fan of the Italian style dressing. But if you are one of those types that don't like much dressing, just add some lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

Otherwise:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Mix all the above ingredients together until your hand goes numb. Then pour in 1/2 cup olive oil and continue to mix with your other hand. Seal in some sort of sealable container and shake until frothy.

Pour as much dressing as you want over the salad.

Enjoy.

Serves: Depends on appetite of individual eating.

Red Cabbage Salad

I love salads with red cabbage in them.  An added benefit is the fact that if you make them for Friday night, the leftovers can still be served Shabbos morning.

The dressing for this particular salad is a bit different from the standard.

Sorry, I don't have a picture but I like to dress it right before serving and I usually serve it on Shabbos ;)

Enjoy!

Salad:

2 Bags Red Cabbage

1/2 cup Pine Nuts

1/4 cup Sesame Seeds

2 cups Chinese Noodles

Dressing:

1 cup Oil

1/4 cup Vinegar

2 Cloves Garlic (I personally love garlic, but sometimes go easy on this amount...)

2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Sugar

Dash of Salt and Pepper

Asian-inspired Broccoli Slaw

This one comes from one of my favorite shows on the Food Network - Paula's Home Cooking. (I love her Southern drawl!) I've adapted the recipe to make it a little more 'Asian' and easier to make, but if you want to see the original, click here. If you can't find shredded Broccoli slaw at your local grocery store, feel free to substitute Cole slaw. I like to serve this salad the same day I make it, when it's still nice and crunchy.

Ingredients
1 package broccoli slaw
1 package kosher Ramen-type soup noodles and seasonings packet (any flavor)
3 green onions, finely diced (or chives or scallions)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds and/or slivered almonds
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Instructions
Crush noodles in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pan.
Combine all ingredients in one big mixing bowl. Toss until broccoli is well coated.
Serve! (Your salad will be a little bit darker than shown in the picture)

crunchy sweet carrot salad

This carrot salad is perfect for a hot summer's day (ok - I know we're in the wrong season here - but it's delish right now too!). You can peel and shred your own carrots - or if you're feeling extra lazy, buy one of those ready-to-use bags you can buy in the grocery aisle.

Ingredients
2-3 carrots, peeled and shredded or one bag of shredded carrots
2 green onions or chives, finely diced
2 Tbsp. orange juice or 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. pine nuts and/or almonds
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries or raisins or dried dates (chopped into small pieces)
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in one large mixing bowl. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow flavors to set. Serve!

Turkish Salad

I adapted this recipe from my favorite kosher cookbook, Gatherings. (you can buy Gatherings online at Amazon and even find it free at Google Books!)

It's similar to Moroccan Tchoutchouka, but made with eggplant - and takes much less time to make! I've been told that it's good enough to bottle and sell, but here's the recipe for your free enjoyment!

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large eggplant
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
4 Tbsps. tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper and/or hot paprika

Instructions
1. Slice eggplant into 1 inch thick rounds, and then cut rounds into eighths.
2. In a large non-stick pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and fry until soft. Covering your pan reduces cooking time, but remember to stir your eggplant so that it doesn't get burned.
3. Reduce heat and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer (that means keep the cover on!) for approximately 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Let cool before serving. Enjoy with warm pita or challah! Keep refrigerated.

pasta salad with broccoli and pine nuts

I recently made this pasta salad for a dinner party and as usual, it was a hit! It's a great way to make your favorite high carb dish a little more nutritious!


Ingredients
2 cups Fusilli Vegetable Pasta, uncooked (or substitute your fave pasta)
1 small head broccoli, chopped into big chunks
3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup pine nuts and/or almonds
5 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small purple onion, diced
1/4 fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp. + 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. salt

Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water to cool. Set aside in large mixing bowl.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and 1 teaspoon of salt and let cook uncovered until broccoli is just tender (a fork should easily pass through a broccoli floret, but do not overcook!). Drain and rinse in cold water to cool. Chop into finer pieces and add to pasta.
3. Over medium heat, in a small skillet or frying pan, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. When your pan gets warm, brown garlic and pine nuts. Add your garlic and pine nuts to pasta.
4. Stir in the remaining ingredients to the pasta and serve! Add more or less salt and pepper according to your taste.

Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage Slaw

It took me a while to find the perfect red cabbage coleslaw! My father doesn't like mayonnaise but loves cole slaw so this is a great mayonnaise-free recipe. I've also made this salad using green cabbage instead of red (or purple) cabbage and it turned out equally delicious.

Ingredients
1 small head red or purple cabbage
1 small white onion
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 red bell pepper (optional), julienned (finely sliced)
1 tbsp salt
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Shred cabbage, onion, and carrot using mandolin or food processor. Place in bowl and add red bell pepper and 1 tbsp salt and mix.
2. In a small pot, add vinegar, sugar and oil. Bring to a boil and slowly pour hot dressing over cabbage. Add only as much dressing as necessary to fully coat cabbage. Cabbage will turn a bright fuchsia color. Do not mix.
3. Cool coleslaw and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Russian Potato Salad

As in almost every recipe, ingredients may be added or removed to suit individual taste. This is my favorite version of Russian Potato Salad that my grandmother (from Vinnitsa in Western Ukraine) taught me to make. I like to serve the salad at room temperature, although my mother prefers to serve it after it is refrigerated overnight.

Ingredients

5 white potatoes (Idaho or any other waxy variety), unpeeled and whole
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 large egg, boiled and peeled
2 full sour pickles
1 small onion (Spanish or Vidalia are great) or 2 stalks of fresh green onions
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 cooked hot dog or 2 oz dry beef salami (optional)
1 can (15 oz) green sweet peas
2 cups Mayonnaise (or Mayonnaise-type dressing)
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. In large pot, add potatoes, 1 tsp salt and enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender (potatoes will be tender when can be pierced with a fork).
2. Pour out water from pot and cool potatoes to room temperature. When cooled, peel and dice potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and place in large bowl.
2. Dice carrot, egg, carrot, pickles, onion, bell peppers, salami into small cubes and add to potatoes. Add sweet peas, reserving liquid.
3. Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper and paprika to taste and mix salad with spoon. If salad looks dry, add 1 tsp at a time of reserved liquid from sweet peas.

Refrigerate and serve!