I was inspired by this article, http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/food/2013/11/24/thanksgivukkah-knishes-with-cranberry-mustard/,which my friend Karen Dolan shared with me, and today for lunch, we had Thanksgiving Leftover Knishes! They can be whatever you want them to be.
I took frozen puff pastry dough, thawed it out a bit, and rolled it out. Cut it into squares and then filled each square with a mixture of mashed turnips, stuffing, turkey, gravy, cranberries, etc. Sealed the edges up, brushed it with egg wash (just a beaten egg, brushed on the dough so it browns and shines nicely) and baked them at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
A new holiday tradition is born!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Creamed Onions
This is another staple at my Mom's family's dinner table - I must confess, I don't like these at all, probably because I don't care for cream sauces all that much. BUT, they are a huge hit every year so I make them dutifully. And because so many love them, I'm sharing them with you.
Ideally, you'd start with fresh pearl onions (about 6-7 per person), and carefully cut off both ends and peel them. Then cook them in gently boiling water, which is lightly salted, for about 5 minutes. But if you want to save time, you can buy them frozen and already peeled and cooked at Trader Joe's. Just thaw them out and let them drain before mixing them with the cream sauce.
The sauce is a basic bechamel --
In a pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk into it 2 tablespoons of flour (this is called a roux). Once that cooks for a couple of minutes (to get rid of the raw flour taste), whisk in whole milk (you could also use 2 % milk, but anything less is too thin). You'll need to "eyeball" the milk -- do it slowly, making sure you break down all the lumps from the roux you made -- keep whisking until you've incorporated at least 2/3 cup of milk and let it simmer on medium/low heat. Keep an eye on it because it can over-thicken in an instant. As it's cooking, if it becomes more like a porridge or pureed potatoes, add in some more milk until it's the consistency you want. Take it off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste, and a few grinds of fresh nutmeg -- not a lot though. A little nutmeg goes a long way!
Then pour it over the onions (which should be warmed before the sauce is put on them) and serve.
Ideally, you'd start with fresh pearl onions (about 6-7 per person), and carefully cut off both ends and peel them. Then cook them in gently boiling water, which is lightly salted, for about 5 minutes. But if you want to save time, you can buy them frozen and already peeled and cooked at Trader Joe's. Just thaw them out and let them drain before mixing them with the cream sauce.
The sauce is a basic bechamel --
In a pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk into it 2 tablespoons of flour (this is called a roux). Once that cooks for a couple of minutes (to get rid of the raw flour taste), whisk in whole milk (you could also use 2 % milk, but anything less is too thin). You'll need to "eyeball" the milk -- do it slowly, making sure you break down all the lumps from the roux you made -- keep whisking until you've incorporated at least 2/3 cup of milk and let it simmer on medium/low heat. Keep an eye on it because it can over-thicken in an instant. As it's cooking, if it becomes more like a porridge or pureed potatoes, add in some more milk until it's the consistency you want. Take it off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste, and a few grinds of fresh nutmeg -- not a lot though. A little nutmeg goes a long way!
Then pour it over the onions (which should be warmed before the sauce is put on them) and serve.
Cranberry Sauce
This is only the second year I've ever made homemade cranberry sauce and I honestly don't know what I was doing all these years . . . yes, I still buy a can of the jellied stuff because my daughters love it, but I'm hoping they'll outgrow it soon.
I read a lot of recipes and decided I wanted to keep it somewhat simple. So this is what I did --in a saucepan, I combined:
1 bag of cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
zest of one naval orange
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
a micro-pinch of salt (because salt always brings out the best in a sweet dish)
3/4 cup sweet-ish rose wine (not like a Moscato or anything that sweet -- it was marketed as a "dry" rose, but that wasn't really accurate, hence my using it in the cranberry sauce)
I brought this all to a boil and then simmered it for about 20 minutes, until the cranberries broke down, and it became nice and thick. I used a potato masher to break up whatever cranberries were still in tact, let it cool, and am refrigerating it till tomorrow. I plan to put it in a lovely crystal bowl from Tiffany (wedding present!) about an hour before serving because I like it best at room temperature.
Hope you like this version too!
I read a lot of recipes and decided I wanted to keep it somewhat simple. So this is what I did --in a saucepan, I combined:
1 bag of cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
zest of one naval orange
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
a micro-pinch of salt (because salt always brings out the best in a sweet dish)
3/4 cup sweet-ish rose wine (not like a Moscato or anything that sweet -- it was marketed as a "dry" rose, but that wasn't really accurate, hence my using it in the cranberry sauce)
I brought this all to a boil and then simmered it for about 20 minutes, until the cranberries broke down, and it became nice and thick. I used a potato masher to break up whatever cranberries were still in tact, let it cool, and am refrigerating it till tomorrow. I plan to put it in a lovely crystal bowl from Tiffany (wedding present!) about an hour before serving because I like it best at room temperature.
Hope you like this version too!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Kale Salad
I can't take too much credit for this recipe -- it's a salad I've had at a number of restaurants, including Lincoln in DC (http://lincolnrestaurant-dc.com/) and I've just recreated it in my own kitchen. But it's delicious, stays good in the fridge for a number of days, and is so healthy you feel exceedingly virtuous eating it!
4 cups of kale, chopped finely in a food processor
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup dried currents, craisins, golden raisins, or whatever your favorite dried fruit is
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese
Mix this all together in a large bowl and let it sit, in the fridge, for at least an hour before eating so that the flavors can all meld together. Taste before serving to make sure there's enough salt and pepper.
Can also be mixed with equal parts quinoa for a heartier dish. If you do this, add a little extra olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4 cups of kale, chopped finely in a food processor
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup dried currents, craisins, golden raisins, or whatever your favorite dried fruit is
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese
Mix this all together in a large bowl and let it sit, in the fridge, for at least an hour before eating so that the flavors can all meld together. Taste before serving to make sure there's enough salt and pepper.
Can also be mixed with equal parts quinoa for a heartier dish. If you do this, add a little extra olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Chicken Salad
I always cheat a bit when making chicken salad-- I start with one of those rotisserie chickens from the supermarket -- you can get them anywhere, and they are quite delicious.
Peel all the meat off the bones (white and dark meat) and cut into small cubes and place in a large bowl for mixing.
Into that bowl, also add:
2-3 heaping tablespoons of mayonaise (I don't like chicken salad that is overly mayonaisey, but if you prefer more, feel free to add more mayo)
Slash of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar but NOT balsamic -- that's too overpowering)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (don't overdo the salt -- the precooked chicken already has a fair amount of salt in it)
1 tsp. tarragon
1/4 red onion and 1 stalk of celery, diced into small pieces (you can omit both or one of these if they are not to your taste)
Mix together and let it sit at least an hour before serving, so the flavors all have a chance to meld.
Serve on bread, rolls, croissants, or just on top of a salad.
Peel all the meat off the bones (white and dark meat) and cut into small cubes and place in a large bowl for mixing.
Into that bowl, also add:
2-3 heaping tablespoons of mayonaise (I don't like chicken salad that is overly mayonaisey, but if you prefer more, feel free to add more mayo)
Slash of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar but NOT balsamic -- that's too overpowering)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (don't overdo the salt -- the precooked chicken already has a fair amount of salt in it)
1 tsp. tarragon
1/4 red onion and 1 stalk of celery, diced into small pieces (you can omit both or one of these if they are not to your taste)
Mix together and let it sit at least an hour before serving, so the flavors all have a chance to meld.
Serve on bread, rolls, croissants, or just on top of a salad.
Grilled Chicken Breast
Made this recipe this weekend for a dinner party and got a lot of compliments. It's SO easy, you make it well ahead of time, and just cook quickly on a grill before serving -- great meal to feed a big group of people.
Marinade:
Juice of 4 lemons
Equal amount of olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (dried rosemary will work, but fresh is better)
Take up to 10 chicken breasts and slice them in half, so they are nice and thin for grilling. Place them in a gallon size ziploc bag, pour in the marinade, squeeze the air out of the bag, and make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated all over with the marinade. Refrigerate this at least for a few hours, but overnight is best as the lemon and salt will tenderize the chicken breast.
Preheat your grill on medium heat, and cook the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.
If you want to make it look elegant, garnish the serving platter with lemon wedges and sprigs of rosemary. Whatever is left over is great diced up and either made into chicken salad, or sprinkled over a salad for lunch or dinner.
Marinade:
Juice of 4 lemons
Equal amount of olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (dried rosemary will work, but fresh is better)
Take up to 10 chicken breasts and slice them in half, so they are nice and thin for grilling. Place them in a gallon size ziploc bag, pour in the marinade, squeeze the air out of the bag, and make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated all over with the marinade. Refrigerate this at least for a few hours, but overnight is best as the lemon and salt will tenderize the chicken breast.
Preheat your grill on medium heat, and cook the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.
If you want to make it look elegant, garnish the serving platter with lemon wedges and sprigs of rosemary. Whatever is left over is great diced up and either made into chicken salad, or sprinkled over a salad for lunch or dinner.
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