Sweet or Spicy Italian sausage, kosher

I stole this recipe from allrecipes.com.  The original recipe called for using ground pork, but that's no good if you want to serve it at synagogue.  It comes out great with beef.

Sweet or Spicy Italian sausage, kosher

Ingredients

12 h 20 m 12 servings 243 cals

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/4 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
  
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

• Prep
  20 m
• Ready In
  12 h 20 m

1. Place the beef and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, paprika, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Knead until flecks of spice are evenly distributed through the sausage.
2. Divide the sausage into thirds, and form into 3 logs; wrap each in plastic wrap. Place wrapped sausage into a freezer bag before freezing, or store in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before cooking.

Pavlovas

Pavlovas are dreamy. For the uninitiated, a pavlova (named after the famed ballerina’s fluffy tutu) is essentially a meringue shell baked at low heat until the outside is barely golden crisp, but the inside remains soft and billowy, like a creamy marshmallow.
The shell then is typically filled with whipped cream, custard, or fruit compote.
And, as mentioned, the result is a dream-come-true. Pavlovas are a splendid choice for entertaining, because contrary to what we might think of a delicate meringue, these guys are pretty hardy, and you can make them a day or two in advance no problem.
Just be sure to keep them in an airtight container so they don’t absorb ambient air moisture and lose their delightful crisp texture. Then, top just before serving.
As you probably know, meringues are primarily two ingredients: egg whites and sugar.
In this the good cop/bad cop pairing, sugar is definitely the bad cop, while egg whites are considered downright health food by many folks who look like they know what they are talking about at the gym. (They aren’t wrong, by the way, one egg white has 5 grams of protein, at only 25 calories and no fat.)
The sugar is what gives the pavlovas their luscious interior. So I wondered: Just how low I could go on the sugar without ruining the texture and creating just a weird protein puff that only my gym-friends would want to eat?
The answer: surprisingly quite low. A typical pavlova recipe might have a ratio of 1/4 cup of sugar per egg white in the recipe. I found that I could cut the sugar in half with no noticeable impact on texture and taste.
So I kept testing and reducing the sugar.
And the very lowest that yielded a reasonable result was a ratio of 2 teaspoons of sugar per egg white, or one-eighth the typical amount of sugar.
At that level of sugar, the pavlova becomes less flowy, and more airy and crisp, almost styrofoam-y.
Two of my kids actually preferred this version!
Most of us felt like a little extra sugar was worth the nutritional profile impact, and so I’ll share that version —with 4 teaspoons of sugar per egg white, or 1/4 cup sugar to 3 egg whites as the recipe is written.
Still, a dessert victory, if you ask me.
Tangy Raspberry Pavlova with Balsamic Glaze
Start to finish: 90 minutes, including inactive time
Servings: 8
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar (The recipe will work with as little as 2 tablespoons of sugar, but texture of pavlova will be less lush.)
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Topping:
1 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup raspberries (or other fruit)
1-2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (reduced balsamic vinegar) for drizzling
fresh mint leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat eggs on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minutes.
Add the sugar and continue to beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form.
Add the vinegar, corn starch and extracts and beat on low until well mixed. (You can use a hand mixer, but times may be a little longer.)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spoon the meringue into 8 even, round piles.
Use the back of a tablespoon to spread the meringue into circles about 1/2-inch tall, and approximately 3-inches wide.
Use the spoon to create a gentle depression in the center of the meringue.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Keeping the oven door closed, turn off the heat but leave the pavlovas in the oven for another hour.
Remove the pavlovas from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Stir the light sour cream and maple syrup together in a small bowl.
Remove from the parchment paper gently.
Place the pavlova on a plate and spoon 2 tablespoons of the cream into the center.
Top with berries and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Top with a sprinkle of mint leaves, if desired.
COOK’S NOTE: Pavlovas can be kept in an airtight container for up to three days.
If they get soft from sitting out on the counter too long, you can crisp them up by heating in 275 degree oven for 15 minutes and then cooling.
Nutritional information per serving: 99 calories; 24 calories from fat; 3 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 42 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 12 g sugar; and 4 g protein.

Sausage and Cabbage

 Another recipe from the New York Times - and talk about perfect timing! I just got another cabbage in my CSA box, and I just made my one cabbage recipe - cabbage rolls - with the one I got last week!

 

 Sausage and Cabbage

Julia Moskin

• Yield6 servings
• Time3 hours

Save To Recipe Box

Print this recipe

Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on TwitterEmail

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

This recipe is an adaptation of one created by Tamasin Day-Lewis, the Stevie Nicks of British cookery. A casserole recipe that she credits to the British food writer Jane Grigson has just four ingredients — sausage, cabbage, butter and pepper — but after two and a half hours in the oven, it emerges mysterious and succulent.

Featured in: The Return Of One Dish Family Meals. 

Italian Pork Sausage, Savoy Cabbage

511 ratings

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds fresh sweet Italian pork sausages or bulk sausage
• 1 large green or Savoy cabbage, about 4 pounds, cored and thickly shredded
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty bread and mustard, for serving

• Nutritional Information

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish. If using sausages, remove casings and discard them.
2. Place cabbage in boiling water, cover, and let water come back to the boil. Uncover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain cabbage in a colander and run cold water over it to stop cooking.
3. Put about 1/3 of the cabbage in buttered dish and cover with 1/2 the meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Repeat, ending with a final layer of cabbage, and dot top with butter.
4. Cover dish tightly with a layer of parchment paper, then top with a lid or a layer of aluminum foil. Cook for about 2 1/2 hours, until cabbage is soft and sweet, and top is lightly browned. After 2 hours, uncover the dish: if there is a lot of liquid in the bottom, leave uncovered for the rest of the cooking time. If not, re-cover and finish cooking.

Chocolate hot pots from the New York Times

These basically sound like lava cakes.  They should be great!

Ingredients

Butter for ramekins

• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup superfine sugar
• 3 tablespoons Italian 00 flour (see note) or all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Place baking sheet in 400-degree oven. Butter four 2/3-cup ramekins and set aside.
2. Using a microwave oven or double boiler, melt together the semisweet chocolate and the butter. Set aside to cool.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sugar and flour. Add cooled chocolate mixture, and mix until blended. Fold in white chips.
4. Divide mixture evenly among ramekins and place on baking sheet. Bake until tops are shiny and cracked and chocolate beneath is hot and gooey, about 20 minutes. Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve, reminding children that ramekins and chocolate are hot.

Purslane and Parsley salad

 From Epicurious.

 

Yield

Makes 6 servings

Active Time

30 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

1. • 3 tablespoons olive oil
   • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
   • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
   • 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes (preferably assorted heirloom varieties), halved or quartered if large
   • 6 cups packed tender purslane sprigs and leaves (from a 1-pound bunch)
   • 4 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves (from 2 large bunches)

Preparation

1. 1. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, shallot, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.
   2. Add tomatoes, purslane, and parsley, gently tossing to coat.

Cooks' note:

Herbs and greens can be washed and dried 1 day ahead, then chilled in sealed plastic bags lined with paper towels. Toss with tomatoes and vinaigrette just before serving.

Tabouli - Lebonese salad

1 Cup dry bulgar wheat
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 Cup olive oil
2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
black pepper to taste
4 scallions, finely minced, whites and greens
1 packed cup minced parsley
10 to 15 fresh mint leaves, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced.

Optional:
1/2 Cup cooked chick peas
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 small cucumber, seeded and minced

Makes 6-8 servings

1. Combine wheat and boiling water in a medium-large bowl. Let stand until wheat is tender (20-30 minutes).

2. Stir in salt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving.

3. Add everything else and mix well.

Fluffy Passover Walnut Cake

This recipe is from Jennie Grossinger's Art of Jewish Cooking. My mother has made it every Passover for as long as I can remember.

The trick to Passover cooking is that you can't use anything with yeast or baking soda or baking powder or traditional flour - nothing that would make food rise. Instead, you have to use some permutation of matzo, the flat, cracker-like Passover bread.

This is to commemorate that, according to the Passover story, when the Jewish slaves finally got permission to leave Egypt, they had to leave in a hurry, before Pharaoh changed his mind. (Which, of course, he did, but that's later in the story.)  So they had no time to let their bread rise.

In memory of this haste, today Jews spend every Passover on time-consuming work-arounds to get cakes to rise without yeast or baking powder.  This particular work-around uses egg whites, stiffly beaten, to make the cake light and fluffy.  It works remarkably well.  But you have to be quiet when the cake is in the oven - it falls easily. And until recently, it was a pain to get out of the pan.

But then I found this great tip from King Arthur Flour: Just before you pour the batter into the pan, use a pastry brush to paint the pan with melted shortening, then coat it with granulated sugar.  Once you're done baking it, wait 5- 10 minutes, cut off any cake lapping over the center tube, then turn the pan upside-down to drop the cake out. If it doesn't drop out, put it back in the cooling-but-still-warm oven for 10 minutes and try again.

When served with fresh-whipped cream and strawberries, this cake can't be beaten. (Well, technically, I suppose it is beaten,  what with the six eggs whipped into fluff and all. But you know what I mean.)

Ingredients:

3/4 Cups matzo meal
3/4 Cups potato starch (can't find potato starch? Don't panic. Use more matzo meal.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1 3/4 Cups sugar
1 Cup orange juice
1 1/2 ground walnuts
1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind (my mom just chops it.)

Mix the matzo meal, potato starch and salt together.

Beat the egg yolks until thick - the beater should leave tracks for a brief time in them.

Gradually add the sugar, beating until the egg yolks are lemon colored.

Add the matzo meal mixture alternately with the orange juice.  I find it works well to use the orange juice to wet down the dry powder - this cuts down on the white dust that might otherwise coat your kitchen.

Fold in the walnuts and lemon rind.

Beat the  egg whites until stiff.  A food processor does this beautifully and quickly.  But a hand held mixer is more fun - you can see it make peaks.

Fold the egg whites gently into the batter until they're fully mixed. But be careful so you don't lose the air bubbles - that's what will make your cake light.

Put the batter into a non-stick bundt pan painted with melted shortening and coated with granulated sugar.

Bake at 325 degrees for an hour until browned, the cake shrinks away from the sides of the pan and your fingers don't leave a dent when you gently press down. Cool on a cake rack for 10 minutes, then turn it upside-down on your serving plate to get it out of the pan.  Serves 6-8.

Chai Spiced Truffles

These chai spiced chocolate truffles are perfect for Valentine’s Day. They are dark and dense orbs, made using good quality 70 percent dark chocolate infused with cream and the gorgeous sweet spices ordinarily used in chai, including ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

They can be made in advance, then refrigerated, leaving you more time to spend with your loved one.

They are perfect eaten after dinner and with a little dessert wine or just nibbled slowly all by themselves.

They don’t just have to be for your partner, either. Valentine’s Day is fast becoming a time to appreciate everyone you love — father, mother, siblings and friends.

Chai Spice Chocolate Truffles

Start to finish: 2 hours 25 minutes (25 minutes active)

Makes 48 truffles

8 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground dry ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium, combine the cream and butter.

Heat until the butter melts and the cream starts to bubble.

Be careful not to burn the cream.

Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate, whisking to melt the chocolate until you have a smooth mixture.

Add the cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sugar.

Mix well, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.

To make the truffles, place the cocoa powder in a bowl to one side.

Using a melon baller or small cookie scoop dipped in hot water, scoop out a little of the firm chocolate mixture and shape into a ball.

To coat, roll around in the bowl of cocoa powder until well covered.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from Meera Sodha for the Associated Press.

Nutritional information per truffle: 50 calories; 40 calories from fat (80 percent of total calories); 4 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 0 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; and 1 g protein.

Mexican Chocolate Chip Brownies

These brownies are on the fudgier side. The kick from the spices — cayenne, cinnamon and ancho chili powder — is at first subtle, then more pronounced, then fades. All of which means, of course, that you must go back and have another bite. And another.

Don’t be tempted to substitute regular chili powder or chili spice blend. These spice mixes have additional spices in them. They may work wonderfully in a beefy chili, but won’t bring anything to the party here, and will in fact confuse things.

Buy pure ancho chili powder for this recipe, which is made from the ancho pepper. It has a mild, slightly smoky and somewhat fruity flavor. And be sure to keep it on hand to use for spicing up all kinds of Mexican dishes.

It is no accident that this recipe makes a large pan. Valentine’s Day may be meant for couples, but these brownies are meant for sharing.

Mexican Chocolate Chip Brownies

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 24

3 cups (18 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter

13/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low, melt 2 cups of the chocolate chips with the butter, stirring frequently.

As soon as the mixture is smooth remove it from the heat.

Stir in the sugar and vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

While the chocolate is melting, in a medium bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and ancho chili powder.

After beating the eggs into the chocolate mixture, stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or skewer inserted at the center comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Cut into 24 squares.

Recipe from Katie Workman for the Associated Press.

Nutritional information per serving: 230 calories; 120 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 50 mg cholesterol; 115 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 22 g sugar; and 3 g protein.

Eggless Challah!

Sephardic Challah With Whole Spices

Julia Moskin

• Time4 to 5 hours
• Yield2 round loaves

Save

Add to a collection

Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Print this recipe

More

Sabra Krock for The New York Times

Challah is tremendously popular in the United States, among Jews and non-Jews alike.  But it doesn’t say anywhere in Jewish scripture that challah is a braided, sweet, eggy, deliciously squishy bread of the kind familiar to most Americans; that loaf is Ashkenazi, from Eastern European Jews. The Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews from North Africa and the Middle East, have their own distinct traditional loaves. Here, use the raisins, eggs and full amount of honey to make a richer, festive Sephardic loaf that is delicious by itself; leave them out for a lean, savory Mizrahi bread that goes beautifully with Moroccan tagines and Middle Eastern mezes, salads and dips.

Featured in: A Twist On The Traditional Challah. 

Anise, Caraway Seed, Sesame Seed, Jewish

32 ratings

Ingredients

• ½ cup/75 grams raisins, dark or golden or a combination (optional)
• 4 tablespoons/40 grams sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams caraway or coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon/10 grams anise, cumin or poppy seeds
• 1 envelope/7 grams active dry yeast
• 5 cups/600 grams bread flour, more for dusting work surface
• 2 ½ tablespoons/30milliliters/30 grams extra-virgin olive oil, more for oiling bowl and pans
• 2 to 4 tablespoons/30 to 60 grams honey (depending on how sweet you like your challah)
• 2 eggs, at room temperature (optional)
• 1 tablespoon/16 grams kosher salt
• Cornmeal, for dusting
• 2 egg yolks

Preparation

1. If using, cover raisins in 2 cups/500 milliliters warm water and let plump for 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. In a skillet, toast 1 tablespoon sesame, the caraway and the anise or other seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
3. In a small bowl, combine yeast with 2 tablespoons warm water (you can use the soaking water from the raisins if handy). Let stand until thoroughly moistened, about 5 minutes.
4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour with olive oil, honey, eggs (if using) and warm water (3/4 cup/180 milliliters if using eggs; 1 1/2 cups/360 milliliters if not).
5. Mix at low speed until a very soft dough forms. If it is stiff, add warm water a tablespoon at a time. Add salt, yeast mixture and toasted seeds and mix at medium-low speed until the dough is supple and smooth, 10 minutes. Mix in raisins. Using oiled hands, transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free spot until the dough is doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Lightly oil 2 small cookie sheets and dust them with cornmeal. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press to deflate. Cut the dough in half and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each piece into an 18-inch-long rope and let rest for 5 minutes longer, then roll each rope into a 32-inch rope. Take 1 of the ropes and, starting from 1 end, form the dough into a coil; tuck the ends under the completed coil. Repeat with the remaining rope.
7. Transfer each coil to a baking sheet and cover each loaf with a large inverted bowl. Let stand for 1 hour, until the loaves have nearly doubled in bulk. (The risen loaves can be frozen, wrapped, for up to 2 weeks; top and bake just before serving.)
8. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the loaves and let stand uncovered for 30 minutes. Brush with the egg wash once more and sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds. Bake the loaves side-by-side in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, until they're golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer the loaves to racks and let cool before serving or slicing.