Enchilada Sauce

Chicken enchiladas are a great way to use up leftovers, or  a quick meal to make with a rotisserie chicken.  My favorite are with corn tortillas, which you need to heat a little to make them flexible.  I add whatever vegetables I've got in the crisper -- grated zucchini, leftover corn, etc.  And lots of cheese!  

3 oz dried ancho chilis (sweet)

3 oz dried guajillo chilis (tangy)

2-3 other chilis of your choice -- arbol (hot), chipotle (smoky), pasilla (rich, fruity)

1 medium white onion, peeled and rough chop. 

4 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups chicken broth or hot water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 oz piece of semi-sweet chocolate (optional)

Seed and toast the chilis until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.  Soak them in the broth or hot water for about 20-30 minutes, until soft.  Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth.  

Heat the oil in a large saute pan and strain the chili mixture into the pan -- this is important!  Add the chocolate and saute the sauce gently for about 10-15 minutes.  You can add a dash of vinegar if you want to, or a pinch of sugar, to adjust things to your liking.  I find that the sauce gets better after it sits for a day.  The sauce keeps well in the freezer, or you can even assemble the whole pan of enchiladas and freeze that. 

Chicken Coconut Curry

This is a nice one-pot informal dinner party meal because you make it ahead and can enjoy your guests when they arrive. Also reheats well, although the sweet potatoes do tend to fall apart.

Serves 8

2 lb chicken thighs, skinned boned and cut into 1 to 2 inch dice

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

2 tbls cooking oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 inch piece of ginger, grated

1/2 of a jalapeño, diced small

1 14 oz can coconut milk

2-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1-2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 cup chicken stock or water

1 sweet potato, 1-inch dice

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Cilantro chopped up for garnish, optional

Juice of two limes plus wedges for serving

Mix the chicken with the spices and let it sit while you’re doing the saute.

Sauté the onion in the oil about 10 min. Add the garlic, ginger, and pepper and sauté a few minutes. Add the chicken and stir everything together for a minute.

Add the coconut milk and bring to a low boil. Add the stock or water and curry paste and bring to a low boil. Add the sweet potato and lower heat. Cook until the sweet potato is fork tender, about 20 minutes. Check the seasonings at this point and adjust. About 10 minutes before serving add the broccoli. When the broccoli is to your liking stir in the lime juice. Serve over rice or noodles with a wedge of lime on the side and chopped cilantro for garnish if you like. I served this with naan and a light salad.

Sardine Dip

 This is a very quick pantry appetizer that you can make on short notice and has amazing flavor -- feel free to sub any kind of smoked fish

About 6-8 oz of smoked tinned sardines or other smoked fish, drained

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 small shallot, chopped fine, or equal amt of red onion

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Djion mustard

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or colatura di alici or fish sauce

1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs -- dill is my favorite, or cilantro or parsley

ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mash together cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth, mash sardines and add.  Add rest of ingredients and mix well.  Taste and correct seasonings.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour if you can.  

Twice cooked pork

 So fast and so tasty.  You can boil the pork belly ahead of time and refrigerate it, to make it even faster. 1 lb seems like a lot of pork for 2 people but it loses a lot of volume when it boils.  Sorry no picture, I always forget because I'm hustling it onto my plate.    Serves 2

1 lb pork belly 

2 slices ginger

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 tablespoon spicy broad bean paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 long hot pepper, e.g. cubanelle, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 leek, washed, split lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces.  discard the tough green parts. 

2 tablespoons shaoxing wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

generous pinch of sugar

1.  Put pork belly in a pot with boiling water, lower to a simmer/low boil and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove from water and rinse, discard ginger.  Cut pork into 1/8" slices the short way and set aside.

2. Heat the wok and add 1 tablespoon of oil.  Sear the pork until it's browned, and remove from pan.  

3.  Add the other tablespoon of oil.  Add the broad bean paste and let it fry for a few seconds to bring out the red color -- don't burn it.  Add the garlic, pepper, pork, and leek and stir for a a minute.  Add the wine.  soy sauce and sugar.  Stir everything together until the leeks are wilted -- the pepper should still have a little crunch.  

 Serve with rice.  

Yankee Chopped Salad

This recipe came about from a need to use up some odds and ends in my crisper.  Feel free to riff on it.  We had this with grilled lamb chops and and it's substantial enough that you don't need anything else.  Leftovers keep well. 

1 1/2 cups cooked bulgur (1/2 cup bulgur simmered with 1 cup water for about 10 min or until water absorbed)

3-4 mushrooms, sliced thin

3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled

1/2 granny smith apple, small dice

1 stalk celery, small dice

6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in quarters

1 small shallot, small dice

2 large handfuls spinach, chopped

1/3 cup feta, crumbled

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

Marie LeBlanc's Millionaire's Shortbread

 From my friend Marie LeBlanc.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13X9 with parchment paper (helps if you put it up the sides so that you can grab it out of the pan – so much easier to cut them)

 

Shortbread Crust:

1 cup – unsalted butter – softened

1/3 cup – sugar

1/3 cup – light brown sugar packed

1 large egg yolk

¾ teaspoon – vanilla

½ teaspoon - salt

2 ¼ cups – all-purpose flour

 

Beat butter until well creamed.

Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy (30-60 seconds)

Add egg yolk and vanilla, stir and combine well.

Gradually add flour – sprinkle salt halfway through while beater is still running.

You want it to be slightly crumbly.

Press evenly into pan.

Cook 20-25 minutes till edges are brown.

Let cool.

 

Caramel

2 – 14oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk

14 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of light brown sugar packed

1/3 cup – light corn syrup

¾ teaspoon – salt

1 teaspoon – vanilla extract

 

Combine everything but the vanilla extract.  Put all in pot prior to starting the heat.

Put on medium to low heat, stir frequently until butter is melted.

Once butter is melted stir constantly until it comes to boil then reduce heat to simmer, always stirring.

Continue till mixture turns a rich caramel color and has thickened – it should start pulling away from the sides.

Candy thermometer temp=225 degrees.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla extract.

Pour over cooled shortbread

Put in refrigerator for at least an hour before adding chocolate ganache.

 

Chocolate Ganache

2 cups – Semi sweet chocolate (I use 1 cup milk – 1 cup semi sweet and sometimes I just use milk chocolate.  I have also used Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate – Wegmans sells a good one but they used to cost $1.99 now they are $4.29 a bar – CRAZY)

½ cup – heavy cream

 

It seems that the longer they sit, the tastier they get.  ENJOY!

 

Sigara Boregi

This is a very quick and easy appetizer, and really delicious!  This recipe makes approximately 12 boregi about 4" long.  You can make them ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them.  

250 grams good quality feta 

1 egg

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 tsp cayenne or kashmiri chili, adjust to taste

Phylo pastry -- I used about 4 large sheets of the thinnest phylo

Enough neutral oil to come about 1/3 of the way up the borek when you fry it, ~1/8-1/4".  I like corn oil, but canola or whatever you have is fine. 

Filling:  Mix everything but the phylo and oil together in a bowl.  

Put a sheet of phylo over another one to make a 2-sheet stack.  Cut the sheets into triangles roughly 6" at the base and about 10-12" long (you can adjust this to the size of borek you want).  Beginning 1" from the base of each triangle, put about 2 tsp of filling across the base, leaving about 1" of phylo on either side.  Fold the sides over the filling and then roll the whole thing up from the base of the triangle, folding the sides in as you go.  You are making a little phylo cigar.  Place the finished rolls on a piece of parchment.  Repeat until your filling is done.  

Heat the oil in your pan to about 350, and add as many boregi as you can fit without crowding them -- I like to leave 1-2" between them.  Fry until the bottom is golden brown, about 30 sec-1 minute, and then turn each one with tongs, continuing until they are a nice even brown on all sides -- maybe 2-3 minutes total.  Remove from pan and place on a couple of layers of paper towels to drain.  Repeat until you've cooked them all.  

These are best served warm.

Vin D'Orange

 Adapted from Samin Nosrat's recipe, which seems to have disappeared from the internet.  

12 Seville oranges
1 orange
400 g sugar
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
3 liters of cheap white or rose wine
1 750 ml bottle of vodka

Rinse all the citrus, cut them it into smallish chunks.

Place all the fruit into a tub big enough for everything. Add the sugar and vanilla bean, and pour in the alcohol. Mix well but gently until the sugar dissolves. Cover and leave in a cool, dark place (or the fridge, if there is room!) for at least 40 days 

 Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into clean sealable bottles.  I use my corker to cork them but you can use whatever you've got. The vin d’orange is now ready to drink, and will only get better and better. 

Braised Brisket

This is my own original recipe, since I couldn't find one I liked.   

2 large red onions, sliced

1 6 lb brisket

10 oz jar Mina harissa, mild
8 oz dried apricots
2 tablespoons beef bouillon base, or 2 cups of beef bouillon
Soy sauce, salt, pepper, honey to taste - see directions below

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 lb of mushrooms, sliced

Soy sauce to taste


Brisket is much easier if you cook it the day before. Heat the oven to 300. Put the sliced red onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Slather the brisket with the harissa and put it on top of the onions with the fatty side up. Add the apricots around the brisket, beef bouillon, and enough water to come up to the top of the brisket. Cover with foil and cook until tender - a 6 lb brisket should take about 6 hours.

When it’s done take it out of the oven and let it cool. Wrap it and put it in the fridge overnight. Save the braising liquid including onions and apricots in a separate container and refrigerate that as well - you should have at least a quart,

The next day, slice the brisket across the grain and put it in a smaller baking dish. Remove the solidified fat from the top of the braising liquid if you want to and put the rest of it in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste it and correct seasonings - you may want it a little saltier or a little spicier or a little sweeter.  Pour half of the braising liquid over the brisket. At this point you can cover the baking dish with foil and return everything to the fridge until you’re ready to heat it up for dinner. When you’re ready to re- heat, leave the foil on and put the baking dish in a 350 oven for about half an hour, or until everything is hot. In the meantime, put the remaining braising sauce in a small saucepan and heat it to a simmer (taste and correct seasonings - I usually add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce to it)

In a frying pan, sauté the onion gently in the olive oil until it starts to turn brown in bits, then add the mushrooms and sauté both together until they’re soft. When you’re ready to serve, put the brisket on a serving plate and pour the onion and mushroom mixture and the hot braising liquid over it.

Persian Roast Chicken for Shabbat

Marinade for two chickens:

3T sumac

3 T ground dried lime

2 T honey

1 tsp turmeric

Juice of 4 limes

Bottom of pan:

1 lime cut into thin slices

1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced thinly

1 head of garlic, cloves separated but peels left on

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.  Put a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet and scatter  the vegetables over it.  Spatchcock the chickens and lay them on the veggies.  Cover the chickens with the marinade.  (At this point you can put the chicken pan in the fridge until you're ready to cook it.)  

Heat oven to 425 and roast the chicken for 45-90 minutes until it's done, depending on the size of the chicken.  

Bran Muffins

 1 1/2 c bran (I replace 1/4 c of this with milled flax seed if I have it - ups the flavor and fiber)

1 c boiling water

1 egg

1/2 c oil

2 T brown sugar

1 c flour

2 T ground flax seed

2 T chia seed

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c blueberries

Set oven to 375. Mix bran and water. Add egg, oil, and sugar. Stir in everything else except blueberries. Add blueberries. Put in greased muffin tin or paper cups and bake 15-20 min. Makes 9 large or 12 small or 20 mini muffins

Veggie Burgers

 This recipe makes a lot of burgers (about 10-12) and the patties freeze really well. I usually make them ahead of time and freeze them and they thaw fairly quickly. Highly recommended to serve with some kind of sauce like a tahini sauce or tzatziki or sriracha mayo or Peruvian green sauce (see recipe)  to punch up the flavor a bit and add some moisture.

 

2/3 cup medium-grind bulgur, rinsed

1 1/2 c boiling water

1/2 t salt


1 large raw beet (8 ounces), peeled and grated coarsely

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves


3 garlic cloves, minced


2 cups cooked pinto beans

1/4 cup mashed sweet potato - this is just something sticky to hold it together

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard


1 1/2 cups panko

1/4 cup vegetable oil

 

1.      In a large bowl, mix bulgur, salt, and water and let it sit 15-20 minutes until it’s tender. Drain it if there’s any water that’s not absorbed.

2.      Meanwhile, pulse beet, walnuts, basil, and garlic together in a food processor until they are finely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add beans, sweet potato, mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pulse until well combined

3.      Transfer mixture to the large bowl with the bulgur and stir. Add in panko and stir. Divide mixture into 10-12 equal portions and pack into patties.

At this point you can cook them like a regular burger by adding the oil to a frying pan and sautéing until they’re nicely browned, or freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and then bag them up to store in your freezer. They CAN be grilled but make sure to oil your grill.

Fruitcake

 

Basic recipe for 16 1lb (3"x5" pan) cakes:

Dried chopped fruit 8-9 lb

Liquid for soaking fruit 2 c - jam or fruit juice or liquor (Jack Daniels, bourbon, or rum) plus more for bathing

Nuts 3-4 lb

Butter 1 lb

Brown sugar 2 lb (4 c)

Eggs 12

Flour 2 lb (6-7 c)

1 tsp each salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking powder

2-7 days before making the cakes, soak the chopped fruit in the liquor and stir I every once in a while.  On the day you’re baking, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and spices (it’s basically a pound cake batter).  Mix in the fruit and nuts.  Warning – you probably don’t have a bowl big enough for this – if you have a big dish pan or stock pot, use that, or you can split it between two bowls.  Line your 1 lb pans with parchment and fill them with batter. Bake at 325 for 60-90 min or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.  Brush or douse them with a little liquor, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.  You can repeat the dousing every couple of days or weeks for as long as you like.  I usually wait at least a month before eating them.  They keep indefinitely in the fridge. 

A note on fruit:  If I can get fresh citrons (from my Jewish friends after Succoth, thank you!) I usually candy them myself – they have a wonderful fragrance and a lot more flavor.  Figs, dates, apricots and sour cherries are my favorites but I use whatever I’ve got. 

2022:

2 lb crystallized chopped pineapple

1 lb sour cherries

1 lb candied citron

1 lb candied lemon peel

1 lb candied orange peel

2 lb raisins

1 lb chopped figs

2 lb chopped pecans

1 lb chopped almonds

1 lb chopped walnuts

2024:

1 lb citron

1 lb pineapple

2 lb currants

1 lb apricots

2 lb sour cherries

1 lb dates

1 lb pecans

1 lb walnuts

1 lb almonds

Bolo de Fuba (sweet corn cake)

This is a very nice gluten free sponge cake - moist but not heavy, with a lovely coconut-corn flavor. It is better to use a fine-grind corn flour if you have it, but medium grind will work as well.

2 1/2 cups sweet corn kernels

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup corn oil

4 eggs

2 cups corn flour or fine grind corn meal

1 cup sugar

1 cup shredded coconut

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

Set oven to 350 and grease and flour a Bundt pan or angel food pan. In a blender, Blend the corn in a blender with the two milks until very creamy. Add the oil and eggs and blend a little more until incorporated. Pour the contents of the blender into a large bowl and add flour, sugar, coconut and salt. Stir to incorporate. Add the baking powder and stir to incorporate. It will be quite a liquid batter.  Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and let it cool for 15 min and then unmold onto a rack or plate.  

If you like you can make a drizzle with lemon juice and confectioner's sugar, but personally I like it plain.  

Gingerbread

 Makes one 8-inch square cake

Ingredients

    3/4 cup Guiness
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    2/3 cup molasses
    3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons ground ginger
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon table salt
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
    2 large eggs
    1/3 cup vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan.

    2. Bring Guiness to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. When foaming subsides, stir in molasses, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until dissolved. Take off the heat and whisk in eggs, oil, and grated ginger until combined.

    3. In a large bowl whisk flour, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pepper together. Whisk wet mixture into flour mixture in thirds, stirring vigorously until completely smooth after each addition.

    4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and tap pan against counter 3 or 4 times to dislodge any large air bubbles. Bake until top of cake is just firm to touch and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Coconut Chichi Dango

 1 pound mochiko

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 15 oz can coconut milk

3/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

food coloring (optional)

cooking oil spray

corn starch

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, add wet ingredients and food coloring if adding it.   Spray a 9-x13 backing dish with cooking oil and pour batter into it.  Bake for 1 hour or until the edges are slightly brown.  Let cool and turn the whole thing out onto a cutting board dusted with corn starch.  Cut into bit sized pieces and dust with more corn starch.  (It also sometimes helps to dust your knife with corn starch)   

You can also play with flavors -- I like substituting passionfruit or guava paste for some of the water.  

Salmon Cakes

These were delicious!  Great use of leftovers.  I served them with the Peruvian Green Sauce (see recipe for Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce)  

Makes 6 good-sized cakes

3/4 lb cooked salmon (or 1 can canned salmon)

1 egg

1/4 c mayonnaise

1 c mashed potatoes

1/4 c diced red onions

1 cup panko, divided

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 c cooking oil

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup of the panko, divide into 6 portions and form each into a 'burger'.  roll in remaining panko.  Heat cooking oil to medium in a skillet and fry the burgers until brown and crusty, about 6-8 minutes.  Serve with sauce of your choice -- a hollandaise or béarnaise is nice, or try the Peruvian Green Sauce to add a little zip.  

Welsh Fondu

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Kate Lingley, who has skills too numerous to list here but among which is this righteous fondu, which she made for me once about 20 years ago.  I thought I remembered a more robust ale, but she says it's a lager. Anyway, cheese and beer what's not to like.

30g / 1oz / 2 tbsp butter

250g / 8 oz leeks, trimmed and finely chopped

2 tbsp plain flour

250ml / 8 fl oz / 1 cup beer

315g / 10 oz / 2 1/2 cups grated cheese

pepper

The recipe calls for Caerphilly cheese but I always used Jarlsberg, so maybe not so Welsh.

Saute leeks in butter for 10 minutes till tender. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, then add lager and heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Gradually add cheese and continue to cook until melted, stirring frequently. Season with pepper.

It’s important to add the cheese gradually or it will form a big unappetizing lump.

Clam Chowder with smoked salmon

 This may be a little more exotic than your grandmother's clam chowder but it's a lot more interesting.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, minced

2 carrots, minced

2 celery stalks, minced

1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, minced

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups corn 

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons dulse flakes

1 tablespoon thyme

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 cup white wine

1 quart chicken or shrimp stock

16 oz chopped clams

1 lb cod filet, chopped into 1 inch pieces

4 oz smoked salmon, chopped up

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon capers

salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and saute the onion gently in it for a couple of minutes, until transparent.  Add the carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, corn, and spices and saute briefly.  Add the wine and bring to a simmer, perhaps reduce it a little.  Add the stock and simmer until the vegetables are al dente.  Add the seafood, cream, and capers and give it a stir and simmer another 5-10 minutes.  Correct the seasonings and serve.  

Tube pan version of Bolos de Arroz

Bolos de arroz are a wonderful Portuguese pastry -- usually made as a sort of muffin or cupcake.  This recipe is made for a small tube pan, like a sponge cake, and makes a very nice afternoon snack, with the consistency of a sweet cornbread.  You can also make this recipe the traditional way, as a sort of high-sided cupcake.  I have seen recipes that use only rice flour, which will give you a denser cake, but still tasty, if you want a gluten-free option. 

1/4 lb (113 grams) butter at room temperature

1/4 cup  (50 grams) neutral oil like corn oil or canola

1 cup (225 grams) sugar and more for sprinkling

4 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups flour (200 gr) 

2/3 c rice flour (100 gr) -- if you don't have rice flour, grinding up rice in a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder is always an option, but make sure you sieve it or your cakes will be crunchy! Some people soak the rice first to soften it.

2  tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

the zest of 1 lemon

2/3 c (150 ml) of milk

1. butter and flour the tube pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  you can also use a bundt pan. 

2.  cream the butter, oil, and sugar together until light 

3. add the eggs one at a time until each is incorporated

4. in a small bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, zest, and salt

5. add the flour mixture to the batter alternately with the milk, in 2 or 3 divisions

6.  pour the batter into the tube pan and sprinkle a little sugar on top of the batter 

7.  bake about 30-40 minutes or until the cake is slightly brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean.  

8.  take the cake out of the oven and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, then invert gently.  cool on a rack.  Because of the sugar sprinkled on top I usually serve it sugar side up.