Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1/2 cup finely sliced leek (milder than onion)
1 lb (500 g) mushrooms, sliced or quartered

1/2 cup dried assorted mushrooms, rehydrated for 1/2 with hot water (Optional but Oh So Good!) *
1 litre (4-cups) vegetable stock or pareve chicken stock or pareve stock cubes dissolved in 1 litre water
1 thinly sliced carrot (or cut into tiny cubes) - optional but it is very pretty!
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
Nutmeg
1 bay leaf
Cayenne pepper
Freshly cracked pepper and salt, to taste

1/3 cup olive oil or butter or margarine plus 1/3 cup flour  (to make a roux)
1 litre milk (4 cups) (or non-flavoured milk substitute)


*When using re-hydrated dried mushrooms, it is essential that you rinse them a few times after soaking as they may have a bit of grit left in them.  Dicard the soaking water.

In a large pot, add about 4 Tbsp Olive oil (half can be butter or margarine) and place over medium heat.  Sautee the sliced leeks until transluscent - about 5 minutes.  Add fresh mushrooms and sautee until they are just tender - about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add stock to the pan and bring to a simmer.  Add the well-rehydrated and rinsed dried mushrooms, if desired. Add the thinly sliced carrot.  Add thyme, nutmeg, bay leaf, cayenne and cracked pepper.  If you used broth cubes for the stock, be careful when adding salt.  Add mushroom and leek mixture and allow this all to simmer, partially covered, over medium to medium-low heat.  The liquid will probably reduce by half.  That's a good thing :)In a medium, heavy bottomed pan, pour in 1/3 cup oil, butter or margarine (or a mix of these) into a pan and allow to melt over medium heat.  Add the same amount of flour to the pan and stir(I use a fork)  until smooth and bubbly.  Slowly pour in milk, or milk substitute, stirring continually as the milk is added and soon it will thicken.  Allow to boil, on medium heat, for one minute.  This standard sauce takes about 6 minutes of attention.  You will end up with a perfect Béchamel that will help thicken the soup.

*Note - this is the first sauce I was ever taught to make on my own as a young child.  It is easy and so versatile as nearly anything can be added to make different dishes.  I would suggest keeping this recipe.  If I remember correctly, I memorised it from the 1954 Edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook!

Slowly stir this Béchamel into the broth and vegetable mixture.  Allow to simmer and combine, stirring gently, for about five minutes.  During this time, adjust seasoning.

Pour into warmed soup bowls and garnish the tops with a bit of paprika and fresh parsley or whatever you have on hand that is pretty.  As you can see in the steamy photo, I only had some assorted greens on hand.  No matter.  A glass of wine later and I didn't even care!

K (D) unless you use a milk substitute



Serve with a nice salad and good quality bread

Butternut Pumpkin (winter squash) Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole butternut pumpkin, cut into big chunks, skin on - other winter squash may be used
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt

Olive oil
1/4 cup (50g)  finely chopped leek - it is more mellow than onion, although that will work too
1 clove garlic, pressed 1 tsp finely minced ginger
1 litre stock or water + pareve chicken stock cubes (1 litre = 4 cups)
cumin
nutmeg
cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cream for the finish (canned milk, unflavoured milk substitute, etc.)

Method:

Place pumpkin, skin side up, in a heatproof baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt.  This makes peeling easier after baking.
Bake pumpkin in a 170C/350F oven until tender - a knife or fork will go through a thick piece.
Set aside to cool.

In a heavy bottomed pot, add about 2-3 Tbsp olive oil (margarine or butter can be used)  Set over medium heat.  When the oil is heated, add the minced leek and cook for about 5 minutes - stirring often - until translucent.  Add the pressed garlic, and the ginger.  Cook for about one more minute and then pour the stock into the pot.  Keep on medium heat.

Next, take a spoon and scoop pumpkin from the skin and add this to the pot.  Be careful not to get any skin in the soup.

Cook for a bit and then using a potato masher or stick mixer, blend the pumpkin into the soup until it is well incorporated.

Add about 1/2 - 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 (more or less) cayenne pepper and some freshly ground black pepper.  Cook until it gets thick enough - This will not take very long.

Taste and adjust seasoning!  If you need to add more seasoning, cook a few minutes longer, adding a bit of water if it gets too thick.

When serving, drizzle a bit of cream, yoghurt, or a milk substitute on the top of each bowl of soup.  Garnish with a bit of chopped parsley, coriander or even a bit of finely shredded carrot!Serve with salad and good bread.  Yum!

K (P) unless you use a Dairy topping

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients (serves 6-8 ish...)

• 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 kg (~3 lbs) beef (tri tip/brisket/chuck), trimmed, cut into 5cm pieces - (My butcher does this for me) or see link below for additional cuts of meat that are kosher. *
• 1 large brown onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed
• 2 cups red wine (500 mls)
• 2 cups brown beef stock (500mls)  I usually use half and add more if necessary toward the end.
• Herbs of choice - I used 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped and a bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 16 small pickling onions, peeled (see tip)
• sliced carrots or better yet, baby carrots if you can get them
• 400g (~ 3/4 lb) small button mushrooms - Sautéed lightly in olive oil
• Green beans and garlic mashed potatoes (or pasta) to serve

Method

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy-based casserole dish over medium-high heat. Dry the beef cubes or they will not brown well.  Cook beef, in batches, for 5 to 6 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl.  If you cook too many of the beef cubes at once, they will not brown nicely.  Take your time with this!
   
2. Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining oil in dish. Add minced onion. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until onion has softened. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute.  Garlic burns easily so watch it carefully.
   
3. Return beef and juices to pan. Add wine. Bring to the boil. Add stock until the meat is covered and then stir in tomato paste. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add pickling onions, sliced carrots and lightly Sautéed mushrooms. Check to see that there is enough liquid left.  If necessary, add the rest of the stock.  Cook, covered, for 30 minutes or until meat and onions are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
   

*Notes:
 Kosher Beef Cuts  <---Link to Kosher cuts of beef

Tip: Leave a little root attached to each pickling onion to prevent them falling apart during cooking.

If you wish for a thicker gravy, then you can combine 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch/cornflour to 1/4 cup cold water and add this and cook until the sauce becomes clear again. Omit this step during Passover.

Serve with green beans and mashed potatoes - I make garlic mash to go with this dish. 
I also make a good basic french bread/baguette to help with sopping up the gravy.

This makes a great hamin/cholent, too!  Just make the meat ahead of time and add the veggies and put it on a blech just before candle lighting.  Yum!

K (F)

Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake

Makes 12 slices (the shop I sell to cuts it into 16 and the customers are happy)


Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger (optional but YUM!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting cake


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 12-cup bundt pan with butter and dust with flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, lemon zest, ginger, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time; mix in lemon juice.

Set mixer on low and alternatively add flour mixture in 3 parts and sour cream in 2 parts.  Mix just until flour and sour cream are incorporated, making sure not to over mix.

Spoon batter into bundt pan and smooth top with spatula.  Firmly tap pan on counter to level the batter.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.  If cake browns too quickly, cover pan loosely with aluminium foil.
Let cake cool for 30 minutes in bundt pan.  Then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Store for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly in plastic and keep at room temperature.

K (D)

Old Fashioned Homemade Chocolate Pudding

When you absolutely, positive, NEED chocolate NOW!
This is a cornstarch (cornflour) based chocolate pudding.

Serves:  um....4?

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups milk
• 1  tablespoon margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (sometimes I use half almond extract and half vanilla extract)

Directions

1. In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium heat, and stir in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in margarine and vanilla. Let cool briefly, and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.

 K (D)
Notes -  This is a quick and easy dessert and a favourite of children.  You may use a non-flavoured milk substitute.  Always use the best cocoa you can buy!  Use non-wheaten cornstarch/cornflour  Enjoy!  Can also omit the cocoa and make this plain vanilla - but I have no idea why anyone would want to do that :)

Salmon Wrapped in Phyllo with Spinach and Mushrooms

Salmon Wrapped in Phyllo with Spinach and Mushrooms

Serves 4 as a main dish, can be doubled or serves 8 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

4 (6-ounce) centre cut salmon fillets, skin removed (equal size pieces)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 cups washed, dried, and loosely packed fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup sour cream
2 frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Brush both sides of the salmon with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Warm 2 tablespoons oil in 2 separate skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of the onion and half the garlic to each pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and thyme into 1 pan and the spinach, lemon zest and remain lemon juice in the other pan. Stir the spinach until it wilts, then transfer it to a bowl and set aside. Sauté the mushrooms until they are reduced and tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Set aside.

Unroll a pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin lightly seal the seams and lengthen the dough slightly. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 equal strips, using the natural seams as a guide. Roll out the second puff pastry sheet to get 1 more strip. Save remaining puff pastry for another use. Lightly prick the 4 strips with a fork. Put 1 heaping spoonful of mushroom mixture on 1 half of each pastry, top with salmon, and then layer with a heaping spoonful of spinach mixture. Wet the edges of the pastry with water and fold over the other half, pressing lightly and folding to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Cut 2 vents on the top of each pastry packet and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until the pastry is golden and fish is just opaque in the centre, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Garnish with chives or parsley and serve with the sauce below, if desired:

  This is a simple lemon-butter sauce made with
3 Tbsp dry white wine or Vermouth
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, cut in small cubes  (Use margarine for a Pareve sauce)
 a pinch of salt -
In a saucepan put the wine, lemon juice - cook, watching carefully, and reduce until it is about 2 Tbsp.  Add pinch of salt.  Slowly, over low heat, add the little chunks of butter until you have a fabulous sauce.
I usually double this sauce - it is sooo good!

Delicious with this dish or asparagus or Artichokes or broccoli or...well, anything!

K (D) unless you use margarine and Tofutti better than sour creme - then it is K (P)

Pistachio Dukkah - yum!!!

1/4 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds (optional but delicious!)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 cups pistachios, roasted in your oven.  (other nuts, such as hazelnuts, can be substituted but this is traditional for me)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
* I add crushed red pepper flakes as I like a bit of spice in my food
Paprika - for a bit of colour and of course, extra flavour!

Taste with a bit of bread and olive oil to check for seasoning.  

Rustic bread cubes  - I use stale toasted challah, stale toasted sourdough bread or homemade, warm, soft pita               
High-quality extra virgin olive oil


Place sesame seeds in a small skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and repeat with coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds. Let cool, then place in a blender or food processor with pistachios and crushed red pepper flakes, if used; process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add paprika if you want a bit more colour.

Transfer to a decorative bowl and serve with bread cubes and olive oil. Dip bread cubes into oil, then into dukkah. May be stored for up to one month in a tightly covered container.

Salad Dressing
To use this in a yoghurt-based salad dressing - use 1 cup plain, good quality yoghurt.  Add finely chopped mint, a bit of lemon juice and add some of the dukkah above.  Especially delicious if the salad has cucumber and tomatoes in it!

Enjoy!