Curried Egg Salad

While this technically is a recipe for Passover, it's good enough to be made year round. We had quite a few leftover eggs from my baking adventures, so I decided to try an old-fashioned egg salad. However, whilst perusing recipes, I stumbled upon a Curried Egg Salad that made my mouth water. How could I not try it? I'm so glad I did, because it's delicious. Tangy, spicy, sweet, creamy, and crunchy all at once.

It was a great break from heavy brisket and kugel - perfect for a light refreshing lunch outside in the sunshine!

Curried Egg Salad
adapted from Gourmet Magazine, 1991

Ingredients:
1/4 cup bottled mayonnaise (could probably use even less and it would be just as good)
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp celery salt
3 to 4 drops of Tabasco, or to taste
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1 TBS fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1.5 TBS bottled mango chutney, chopped
6 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
3 scallions, chopped

Instructions:
In a bowl stir together the mayonnaise, the curry powder, the celery salt, the Tabasco, the cumin, the mustard, the lemon juice, and the chutney. Stir in the eggs, the celery, and the scallions and season the salad with salt and pepper.

Passover Recipes: Raspberry Squares, Honey Nut Cake, & Matzah Crack

Passover is great for someone with a sweet tooth (<---THIS GIRL!) and bad for someone who wants to stay in shape (<---also, THIS GIRL). Thanks to the glorious interwebz, I had no trouble finding good passover dessert recipes for this year. And when I say good, I really mean it! These raspberry squares are good enough to make year round, if you wanted. The topping gets crisp and crunchy, while the bottom slowly absorbs the jam and softens ever-so-slightly. I've been nibbling on the leftovers all week long.

Raspberry Squares
adapted from Cara's Cravings


Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup matzoh meal
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 jar raspberry jam (or any other flavor you like!)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Line an 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper.
Stir together sugar, matzoh meal, oil and eggs until thoroughly combined. Fold in the shredded coconut and chopped walnuts.
Spread half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spoon the raspberry jam over it, and spread evenly. Crumble the rest of the mixture over the raspberry jam, patting it down evenly.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.

Honey Nut Cake with Soaking Syrup
adapted from epicurious.com

This dessert was a real treat! Many of the other bakers compared it to baklava, and I could definitely taste that. It's best made 1-2 days in advance, so the cake has plenty of time to absorb all the glorious sticky syrup. I made it on Saturday, and by the time I served it on Monday night, it was dense, moist, and perfect. The only thing I would change next time is to leave out the lemon juice. There's just something about lemon & honey together that makes me think of cough drops. I can't take it! But this cake...takes the cake.

Ingredients:
Cake
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon finely minced orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( or 1/2 teaspoon for a more pronounced cinnamon flavor)
1/2 cup matzoh cake meal
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Soaking Syrup
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 7-inch round layer cake pan (if you do not have one, you can use a round foil pan of the same or similar size available in the supermarket baking aisle).

Cake:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a wire whisk, beat the granulated and brown sugars with the oil and eggs until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in the remaining batter ingredients. Turn the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is light brown and set. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Soaking Syrup.

Soaking Syrup:
In a medium saucepan, combine the ingredients. Heat to dissolve the sugar and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes syrupy. Cool well.
Pour the cooled syrup over the cooled cake, poking holes in the cake with a fork, to permit the syrup to penetrate. Allow it to stand for 2 to 4 hours to absorb the syrup. I prefer to refrigerate this cake so that while it is absorbing the liquid, it is also firming up. Also, chilling the cake offsets its sweetness and makes it easier to cut. Serve it on splayed muffin liners.


Matzah Toffee "Crack"


I posted this last year, but it's so good that it's worth repeating. It's not even necessary to say it, but...ohmahgah.

Ingredients:
4-5 pieces of regular matzah
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
Optional toppings (I used sea salt and almonds)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 and cover a baking sheet with foil (makes clean-up much easier!).
Place the matzah in a single layer on the baking sheet, breaking up the pieces to fit if necessary. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and the sugar together over medium heat, stirring constantly. Do NOT leave this alone or it will burn! Once the mixture reaches a boil, continue to cook for an additional 3 minutes, until it's thickened and just starting to pull away from the edges of the pan.
Remove from the heat and pour over the matzah. Spread it out evenly with a spatula so that all the pieces are covered.
Put the pan in the oven and bake it for about 10-13 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn't burn. After 13 minutes or so, the toffee with bubble and turn a darker brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes until all the chocolate is softened, and then spread it around with a spatula or knife. Sprinkle on your toppings while it's still warm (I loved it with salt!) and place the pan in the fridge. This helps the chocolate set.
To serve, break the matzah into small pieces and allow it to sit at room temperature. Enjoy!

Passover Recipes: Matzah Apple Kugel and Garlic Brisket

More! Food! It just keeps coming!

It's the Jewish way, folks.
They tried to kill us.
They didn't succeed.
Let's eat!

Matzah Apple Kugel
adapted from allrecipes.com

Passover kugels aren't necessarily the best thing. No flour, no noodles...only matzah, maztah meal or matzah cake meal. However, this apple kugel was a surprise! It was flavorful and moist, and I cut back on the sugar so it wasn't too sweet. Everyone at the seder enjoyed it. The only change I would make for next time is to use a 9x13 baking dish instead. I like a crispy kugel and this didn't really have a chance for that in the 2-quart casserole dish.

Ingredients:
4 matzo crackers, crushed
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup white sugar (I used slightly less)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
3 Granny Smith apples - cored, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

1/4 cup white sugar (I used about 3 TBS)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the crumbled matzos in a medium bowl, and add enough water to cover. Let stand for 2 minutes, then drain off excess water. Do not squeeze.

To the bowl of matzo, add eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, lemon juice and applesauce. Stir to combine. Mix in the apples and dried cranberries. Spread the mixture evenly into a 2 quart casserole dish. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden, and the apples are soft.

Braised Brisket with Thirty-Six Cloves of Garlic
adapted from epicurious.com

Oh, man, this is soo good. The garlic cloves mellow out during the cooking process and become sweet, instead of pungent. The gravy is then finished with chopped rosemary, more garlic and a sprinkling of lemon zest for an extra oomph.

The only complaint I have is that using a kosher brisket makes for a very salty gravy. I added broth, more rosemary and even MORE broth...but it was still pretty salty. Overall, it didn't ruin things, but I think that next time, I'll make my gravy with help from one of those gravy packets...minus the salt.

The low and slow cooking time braises the brisket perfectly, so that it becomes fork-tender and just melt in your mouth good. If you're looking for a good brisket recipe, you can't really go wrong with this one.

Ingredients:
36 fat unpeeled garlic cloves (1 2/3 to 2 cups) or an equivalent amount of smaller cloves, plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic (I used pre-peeled cloves)
3 tablespoons olive oil
A first-or second-cut beef brisket (about 5 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, wiped with a damp paper towel, and patted dry
2 TBS red wine vinegar
3 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade or good-quality low-sodium purchased
3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs, or 2 teaspoons dried leaves
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp grated lemon zest

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan or casserole large enough to accommodate the meat in one layer. Use two burners, if necessary. Add the brisket and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter and set aside. (Or brown the meat under the broiler: place the brisket, fat side up, on a foil-lined broiler pan under a preheated broiler. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until browned. Don’t allow it to develop a hard, dark crust, which might make the meat tough or bitter. Move the meat around as necessary, so it sears evenly.)

Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat remaining in the pan and add the garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic edges are tinged with gold. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the stock, thyme, and rosemary sprigs, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Salt and pepper the brisket to taste on all sides, and add it to the pan, fat side up. Spoon the garlic cloves over the meat.

Place the brisket in the oven, cover (if you have no lid, use heavy-duty foil), and cook, basting every half-hour, until the meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours or longer. (As the meat cooks, periodically check that the liquid is bubbling gently. If it is boiling rapidly, turn the oven down to 300°F.)

The brisket tastes best if it is allowed to rest, reabsorbing the juices lost during braising, and it's easiest to defat the gravy if you prepare the meat ahead and refrigerate it until the fat solidifies. That is the method I use, given here, but the gravy can be prepared by skimming the fat in the traditional way, if you prefer. If you go that route though, do let the meat rest in the pan sauce for at least an hour.

Cool the brisket in the pan sauce, cover well with foil, and refrigerate until the fat congeals. Scrape off all solid fat. Remove the brisket from the pan and slice thinly across the grain.

Prepare the gravy: Bring the braising mixture to room temperature, then strain it, reserving the garlic and discarding the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Skim and discard as much fat as possible from the liquid. Puree about one half of the cooked garlic with 1 cup of the defatted braising liquid in a food processor or a blender. (If you want a smooth gravy, puree all of the cooked garlic cloves.) Transfer the pureed mixture, the remaining braising liquid, and the rest of the cooked garlic to a skillet. Add the chopped rosemary, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Boil down the gravy over high heat, uncovered, to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Rewarm the brisket in the gravy until heated through.

Arrange the sliced brisket on a serving platter. Spoon some of the hot gravy all over the meat and pass the rest in a separate sauce boat. Watch your guests drool.

Passover Recipe Series

ETA: in case you haven't noticed the VAST improvement in picture quality...I GOT MY CAMERA FIXED!

I'm going to post the recipes that I use for Pesach (Passover) over the next few days. I hope you're able to try them out and enjoy them with family and friends!

Eggplant Camponata


This is my mom's recipe. She used to make it when there was company over, and I would sneak into the living room to grab crackerfuls of it. It's flavorful, healthy and a great appetizer for any party. It really tastes best, in my opinion, on a buttery Ritz cracker, but matzah will have to do for the week.

Ingredients:
3 cup peeled and cubed eggplant (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/3 cup of oil (canola or olive oil)
1 small (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/4 cup water2 tablespoons wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1.5 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Put first 6 ingredients in a skillet and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring. Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
Simmer, covered, until eggplant is tender, about 30-60 minutes. Refrigerate when cool.
Serve with pocket bread cut into quarters or crackers. This definitely tastes better a few days after making, since it gives the flavors a chance to meld.

Rosemary Spiced Nuts
adapted from Dragon's Kitchen

I had a whole container of fresh rosemary and a huge bag of mixed nuts. What's a girl to do? Scour the internet for spiced nut recipes, of course! I planned to have plenty of snacks on the seder table because it can be at least an hour from when you sit down to when you eat. I always enjoyed having something to nibble while reading the Haggadah.

These nuts were a great combination of flavors - spicy, sweet, tangy and salty, with the rosemary adding just another layer of yum. I found the recipe on a new food blog, which I know will become another addition to my blogroll. These are super easy to make, and guaranteed to be a hit!

Ingredients:
2 cups mixed whole almonds, raw cashews, pecans and/or raw peanuts
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 TBS fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300°F. (this was too low for mine, so I upped it to 370)
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the rosemary, chilli powder and cayenne pepper. Stir for about 20 seconds.
Reduce the heat to low and add the nuts, stir to combine. Add sugars and salt. Stir to blend.
Transfer the nuts to a baking pan. Bake until the nuts are toasted, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. (Mine took about 40 minutes to get golden brown.)
Serve warm or at room temperature. Store them in an air tight container for up to 5 days...if they last that long!