Vegetable Tian - delicious way to use summer squash

My little granddaughter loves making the pattern of green, yellow, white and red and reciting the colours in Yiddish.


Vegetable Tian (thinly sliced veggies topped with cheese and then roasted)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium potato
1 medium tomato
1 tsp. dried thyme
Treif salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Directions:
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180 (400 degrees f) Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown

K (D)

Individual Cheesecakes in Muffin Cups - Easy and Fun! Perfect for Shavuot!

These individual cheesecakes are just so cute.  My daughter used to make these when she was abut eight years old. They are easy to make and also delicious.  The basic cheesecake recipe is used.  However, instead of a crust, you just pop one Nabisco Nilla Wafer in the bottom of a cupcake liner and bake in a muffin/cupcake pan.  Just before serving top each cheese cake with the fruit of your choice (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, or mandarin orange sections), lemon curd, canned pie filling, etc. 


Guaranteed to disappear!

Ingredients:

Cheesecake batter:

1 cup  sugar

3 pkg.  (8 oz. each)  **Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup  good quality Sour Cream or thick Greek Style Yoghurt

2 tsp.  vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon Almond extract/essence
Juice of one lemon

3 eggs, beaten

Crust:

1 Nabisco Nilla Wafer per cupcake paper

Topping:

Choose one or a few!
Fresh Fruit - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peeled and sliced kiwi etc.
Canned pie filling - cherry, blueberry, strawberry, etc
Lemon Curd

Additional supplies:

Cupcake or Muffin tins
Cupcake/Muffin paper liners

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F/175ºC

Crust:

Place paper cupcake liners into cupcake/muffin tins
Place one Nabisco Nilla Wafer into the bottom of each liner

Filling:

In a mixing bowl or food processor beat SOFTENED cream cheese and remaining sugar until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla or vanilla/almond combination.  Add juice of one lemon. Mix well. Add beaten eggs, and mix until blended.

Using a cup with a spout (for ease) pour filling into each cupcake liner - 2/3 full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until almost set.  You may want to check them after 15 minutes - if they seem to be done, remove the muffin tin to a cooling rack.  Cool 5 minutes and then carefully removed each individual cheesecake to a rack to continue cooling.  Once completely cool, cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving, top with your choice of fruit or filling. (Leave the cupcake liners on - easier to eat) 

Enjoy!

K (D)
These mini cheesecakes can also be made Kosher for Pesach if you omit the Nilla Wafer crust.

Salmon Quiche - perfect for a dairy Shabbat breakfast or lunch

In this quiche, I used a bit of spinach I had in the refrigerator.  It is not included in the recipe below as it is not necessary.

First, the crust. I use a 9"/23cm quiche pan.  I have been using frozen, parve short crust as it is readily available.  You can use any short crust pasty recipe that you enjoy or even perhaps the following:

Crust: 

1       cup all-purpose flour
1/2     teaspoon salt
1/3    cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, margarine or butter
2       to 3 tablespoons (60-90ml) cold water

Alternatively, you can use frozen shortcrust pastry - thawed

Mix flour with salt.  Cut shortening into flour mixture until the shortening is about the size of small peas.  Do not over-work this important part - you want flaky crust.  Add cold water and stir with a fork.  If the dough is too dry and does not stick together, then add a few more drops of water.  Wrap in plastic and chill while cleaning up or for about 15 minutes or so.

Roll out into a circle a few inches larger than your pie pan or removable-bottomed quiche pan.  Place into pan and crimp edges to make it pretty. Make little prick marks with a fork or add pie weights to keep the crust from puffing up at this point.  Pop this into the oven (350°F/175°C) for about 5-8 minutes - this helps to prevent the bottom crust from being soggy.  You do not want to completely bake it - just temper it a bit.

Now, for the quiche mixture:

Ingredients:
3-4 eggs, depending upon size
One can evaporated (not condensed!) soy milk or 12 oz milk, soy milk (or other liquid milk alternative)**
1 Tbsp freshly chopped tarragon/1tsp dried tarragon leaves
200gm/7oz smoked salmon (lox), chopped
1/2-3/4 cup cheese
2 Tbsp. Capers, optional but nice
Freshly cracked pepper
Salt to taste (may not be necessary as the salmon is usually salty enough)
Sliced Fresh Tomatoes - either full sized ones or nice cherry tomatoes

**Some people do not combine liquid milk and fish.  I don't mind in a cooked dish.  Therefore, I often use regular milk if I do not have evaporated milk, and simply add an extra egg. 

Method:
In a milchig bowl, beat three extra large eggs, checked (or four regular sized eggs) well.  Add one can of evaporated milk (375ml/12oz standard can) and beat together.  Snip up some fresh tarragon - about a Tablespoon - or use one teaspoon of dried tarragon leaves.  Mix again.

Check the pie crust if you have forgotten about it! ;)

Add to the milk/egg mixture the following:

200gm/7oz smoked salmon (lox), chopped up a bit.
  *I use 'cooking salmon' as it is made from off-cuts and you can find it quite reasonable on sale and freeze it for later.  Photo below.
1/2-3/4 cup cheese - I often use a mixture of what ever I have here - cheddar (white, rennet-less), mozzarella, etc. 
Capers - about 2 Tbsp, if you can find kosher ones.  Quite nice, actually.
Freshly cracked black or mixed pepper
Salt - careful with the salt as the salmon is quite salty.  You should not need much.

Mix the above all together and pour into 9"/23cm quiche pan.



Top with fresh sliced tomatoes. 

Bake in oven (350°F/175°C) for about 25 minutes - I have a fan forced/convection oven - your timing might be about 5 minutes longer.  When a knife comes out clean, remove quiche from oven and cool on a rack.

This delicious quiche can be eaten hot, after cooling for about 5 minutes, or can be cooled and then stored in the refrigerator overnight for a lovely dairy brunch entrée. 

This is the type of smoke salmon/lox that I use.  As it is off-cuts (not perfectly sliced lox) it is often available at a discount price and can be successfully frozen for later use.

Easy Metric to Imperial Kitchen guide  <-- this is a good link to use if you need to convert!  Enjoy.

Pavlova - Dreamy, Delicious. Perfect for Shavuot and Kosher for Passover!!!

 I like it with berries - The fruit in the recipe will make the one below.

Ingredients:
 If you are using this recipe for Passover, ensure all ingredients are labelled Kosher for Passover                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Meringue:
    6  eggs, checked and separated - You will be using the whites only for this recipe.
    1 1/4 cups (270g) caster/granulated sugar
    1 tsp white vinegar

Filling:
    1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    300ml/11-12 oz Pure whipping cream
    2 tbs icing sugar, sifted - ensure this is pure powdered sugar and is marked Kosher for Passover!

Fruit:
I prefer a combination of berries and peaches on my Pavlova.  However, tastes vary.  Use what is in season and looks pretty.

    Fine zest and juice of 2 limes
    2 Lady finger bananas, thinly sliced diagonally
    3 golden kiwifruit, peeled, thinly sliced
    2 starfruit, thinly sliced
    Pulp of 2-3 passionfruit

Method:

Preheat oven to 120°C/250°F. Line an oven tray with foil. Next, line it with baking paper.  Brush baking paper with melted butter or margarine. Mark a 24cm/9 inch-diameter circle on baking paper.

In order for the egg whites to whip, all equipment must be spotless and free of any grease.  Wash everything in hot soapy water, dry, and then proceed.  When separating the eggs, if any yolk gets into the white of the egg, use a clean eggshell to scoop it out.  This is an important trick for whipping meringue.

 Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, until meringue is thick and glossy and sugar dissolved. Rub a little meringue between fingers. If still "gritty" with sugar, continue to whisk until sugar dissolves. Add vinegar and vanilla and whisk until just combined.

Cone made from parchment paper

 Spoon meringue onto the foil, using the marked circle as a guide.  I find using  a rolled piece of baking paper, made into a cone works best for me.  That way the meringue goes on lightly and evenly - more control this way.
 
Smooth sides and top of pavlova meringue. Use a small spatula to forms little peaks around edge of pavlova. What you will have will appear to be a 24cm/9-inch dish made out of meringue.  If you are worried that your pavlova will cave in, then you *can* make it in a springform pan - as long as it is very clean and lined with a sleeve of parchment paper.  But really - this dessert is spectacular no matter how your base looks.

Bake in oven for 1-1/2 hours or until pavlova meringue is dry to the touch. Turn off oven. Leave pavlova in oven with the door ajar to cool completely. When completely cold, transfer to serving plate or store in an airtight container until required.

Use an electric mixer to beat the cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form.  Refrigerate until just before serving.

Spoon cream into and on the top of pavlova.  Add your choice of fruit to the top of the pavlova in a decorative way.  Or, use the fruit guide above in the manner below:

Pour lime juice into a ceramic or glass bowl. Add banana slices and toss to coat with juice. Drain. This will keep the bananas from turning brown.
Decorate pavlova with banana, kiwifruit, starfruit, passionfruit and lime zest.

Serves 6-8 for dessert
K (D) Kosher for Passover

If you know of a non-dairy whipped topping that is marked Kosher for Passover, this dessert can also be Parve/Pareve
            
                                    Pavlova below was made using a spring-form pan lined with parchment paper

South Carolina Sock It To Me Cake - Best Tea Cake Ever

You want a winning Tea Cake?  You like coffee cake in the morning?  It is time to throw out all your other recipes as this one is a winner for many generations.

I am continually surprised at the popularity of this cake.  A few coffee houses order this from me and it is one of the best sellers from my home.  Like the Banana Cake, it tastes even better the next day.  Enjoy!


Ingredients:

1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix (or other Kosher yellow or vanilla cake mix) or your favourite homemade yellow two-layer size cake recipe - dry ingredients only

Glaze:

1/4 c. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla
2 to 3 tsp. hot water

Heat butter until melted. Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and water. Stir all ingredients until smooth.

Streusel:
I usually double this struesel mix as I think it tastes better

2 tbsp cake mix

2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon


Cake:
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Baking Instructions:

Preheat oven: to 175°C/350°F Grease and flour Bundt Cake pan

To prepare streusel filling: Combine 2 tablespoons cake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Set aside.

To prepare cake:  Combine remaining cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, water and granulated sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer 4 minutes. Pour two-thirds of batter into pan. Sprinkle with streusel filling. Spoon remaining batter evenly over filling.

Bake: at 175°C/350°F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely before glazing.

Drizzle prepared glaze over cake.

K (D) see link below
http://www.allinkosher.com/c-503-baking-mixes.aspx

Chili Relleno Cassarole - Great for Shavuot and Kosher for Passover!

This recipe fits in a 13x9x2" pan.  It is easily halved but makes for fantastic leftovers - hot or cold.

Ingredients:
4-4oz cans of whole Ortega Chiles, seeds and tough veins removed
2 Cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Cups grated Cheddar Cheese
4 eggs
12 oz. can evaporated milk

Chopped fresh tomatoes (olives, cilantro, salsa, sour cream or other garnish that you enjoy)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

In a 13 x 9 x 2" pan, layer 2 cans of the chiles, covering the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the cheddar and half of the Monterey Jack cheese on top - see photo just above this section.

Layer the rest of the chiles on top. Add the rest of the cheddar cheese.

Beat the eggs and milk together.  Pour over the chili/cheese mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until the egg/milk mixture is no longer runny.  The top should be a bit brown.

Top with chopped fresh tomatoes, olives, cilantro, sour cream, as desired.

Serve with rice and beans.  Chips and guacamole are a nice accompaniment, as well. 

Kosher(D)
Kosher for Pesach (Passover)  - check all labels to make sure the ingredients are Kosher for Pesach