Here are some ideas on how to bake hamantaschen, the delicious pastries served on the upcoming holiday of Purim. These three-cornered baked goods can be filled with sweets, jam, prune, chocolate chips or even savories like spinach. Hamantaschen are Eastern European in origin; Jews of Sephardic origin (originally from Spain) make Orejas de Haman, (Oznei Haman in Hebrew) or Haman’s ears. Hamantaschen are supposed to resemble Haman’s hat (he was the bad guy in the Book of Esther).
Quinoa Bread with Oatmeal, camera color setting = neutral
I made two loaves of Mimi’s delicious Quinoa Bread with Oatmeal on Monday. I had fun playing with the different color settings on my camera.
Quinoa Bread with Oatmeal, camera setting = sepiaQuinoa Bread with Oatmeal, camera setting = AutoHappy girl who later eats the bread, camera setting = sepia
Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced carrot
1/2 cup minced burdock
1/2 cup minced lotus root
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon barley miso diluted in a little water
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon orange rind
1 cup spring water
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the vegetables in the following order, onion, carrot, lotus root and burdock.
Add enough water to cover the vegetables.
Cover with a lid and simmer on a low flame for at least 1 hour or until soft.
Add the diluted miso and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the ginger and orange rind and stir gently.
Remove from heat and serve over hot brown rice.
Comment from the recipe writer: You could use any of these veggies instead – parsnip, turnip, cabbage or squash – failing that use carrots and onions on their own. The relish changes every time we make it and even more so with different veggies – how splendid and wonderful a few simple adjustments can be!
• • •
Ever make a recipe where you are not sure how the finished result should taste? I made the tekka with sweet onion, parsnip, carrot, and a bit of nappa cabbage. After twenty minutes the vegetables were tender; I didn’t need to wait an hour. Also, “minced” is vague: I grated the parsnip and carrot (both were large) in my food processor. In any case, it was absolutely delicious. It tasted good without the brown rice, a bit like a cole slaw. I have a little left, which I will serve with Shabbat lunch. I wonder how it will taste cold? I’m sure I will enjoy it.
I might buy some burdock seeds, as I can get them for $2.95 for a little packet from Johhny’s Selected Seeds. After I buy a love trap for my neighborhood ground hog. Because I’m not planting dill again until he lives elsewhere.
Newbie asks: What to do about challah on a Friday night (or the lack thereof)?
Some responses:
As for challlah Friday night. I have two thoughts. First is the difference between the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law. I think the blessing say thanks for the bread etc. So, I have no problem saying the blessing over a piece of whole grain, or sprouted bread. Extending even further, why not substitute one grain for another. Why just wheat, why not rice. I have said the “ chamotzie” over rice, quinoa, hato mugi etc. many times. The other thought, is that even though challah isn’t remotely macrobiotic, if it makes you feel good, spiritually, physically, or in any other way. Have some. I’ve done that many times too. Macrobiotics is supposed to fit into your life, not the other way around
Klara’s response:
my compromise is I buy a very small unyeasted roll – and even then won’t eat it all – I have a friend who used to make rice kayu bread – which is half flour and half rice – and she would steam it. Steamed bread I was taught was easier to digest.
I was quite surprised by Michael Rossoff’s suggestion that it’s ok for me to have 1 – 2 slices of bread a day – so you see, I wouldn’t have known that if I didn’t go for counseling. As I said, each person had different needs.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced carrot
1/2 cup minced burdock
1/2 cup minced lotus root
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon barley miso diluted in a little water
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon orange rind
1 cup spring water
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the vegetables in the following order, onion, carrot, lotus root and burdock.
Add enough water to cover the vegetables.
Cover with a lid and simmer on a low flame for at least 1 hour or until soft.
Add the diluted miso and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the ginger and orange rind and stir gently.
Remove from heat and serve over hot brown rice.
Comment from the recipe writer: You could use any of these veggies instead – parsnip, turnip, cabbage or squash – failing that use carrots and onions on their own. The relish changes every time we make it and even more so with different veggies – how splendid and wonderful a few simple adjustments can be!
(Comment from me: I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I’ll print it and put it in my recipe book to try soon).
• • •
Note: I only follow a bit of the macrobiotic diet myself, in that I try to eat many vegetables, brown rice and beans. Thus my title of “pick n choose”: perhaps you can find a part of the diet to adopt?
Another Note: if you just pick and choose a little of the diet, you aren’t going to experience its healing effects. However, many of us like to put a toe into a pool before diving in…
Ratatouille, a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish
Ilana-Davita has hosted her first Kosher Cooking Carnival, and she named it the “Green Edition” because it is mostly meatless recipes and because it is almost Tu B’Shevat, the holiday of the trees. I thank her for including my matzo ball recipe and my ratatouille.
Looks like Tu B’Shevat will occur this year on Monday, February 9th. Maybe I’ll do a little collage of tree photos in honor of the day. It was always strange to me, growing up in snowy cold New England, that one celebrating the planting of trees in February. But Israel has a much different schedule than here, so I suppose February is a good time there to plant a tree!
Speaking of matzo balls, my middle son (he’s twelve) made the matzo balls on Friday. I dictated the recipe to him by heart, as I was rushing off to take a shower about an hour before Shabbat. When he asked “how much oil,” I yelled, “some.” The matzo balls came out absolutely delicious. When I asked him how he did it, he claimed he “worked the balls a lot.” Which is sort of the opposite of conventional wisdom on how to make a good matzo ball. He also made a “chocolate chip pie” using a muffin recipe cooked in a round pie tin. That got devoured, too. And I had enough time to make my cole slaw with red and green cabbages, brussel sprouts and garlic spread.
or Rat-Tat-Too-Eeee as it is pronounced and affectionately called
I enjoy making this delicious, warming dish in the cold winter months. You may also serve it at room temperature.
Ingredients:
1 medium sized eggplant (see note below for substitutes)
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 zucchinis
some mushrooms (optional)
some red wine (or substitute tomato juice or broth)
1 can tomatoes (or use fresh ones if available)
optional herbs: parsley, basil (I don’t usually have these in the winter)
optional hot stuff: hot pepper (jalapeno), hot pepper sauce, or schug
olive oil
Note: if you don’t like eggplant or you don’t eat nightshades, you can use squash, yam or sweet potato instead. The taste is a bit different, but it is delicious all the same.
Cube and stir fry the eggplant in olive oil in a large-bottomed pan (I use a wok-like pan). Alternatively, you can bake the eggplant whole, especially if you have the oven on for other dishes. Then chop the baked eggplant and add after the onions are sauteed. Take the eggplant out of the pan and put aside. Chop and sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil and cook until translucent. Add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms soften, add sliced zucchini and a bit of red wine or other flavorful liquid. Add the cooked eggplant and cover. When the zucchini has softened, add the tomatoes and herbs. May be served warm or at room temperature. Easy to re-heat.
More on nightshades (though I don’t know how you could make this without tomatoes)
Speaking of ratatouille, did any of you see the movie? I thought it was OK, but when it comes to mouse/rat movies, I really preferred the recent The Tale of Despereaux. Anyone see that one or read the book?
I’m going to admit I’m cheating on this one. I never measure when I make matza balls. Too much trouble. I just mix 2-3 eggs, some matza meal, some oil, some seltzer, a touch of salt, a bit of pepper until I get a goopy but not too gluppy mixture. Then I refrigerate for a few hours, take it out when my soup is boiling hot, form the balls quickly and throw ’em in the pot.
Since you probably want measurements, I’m taking them off my box of Streit’s matzah meal:
1 cup matzah meal
4 large eggs (I don’t usually make this much)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup seltzer
1 tsp. salt or to taste
pinch of ground pepper
Beat eggs. Add oil, salt, pepper. Mix well. Add matzah meal and stir thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour. Bring soup to a boil. Moisten palms with cold water (I’ve never done this: have you?). Form mixture into balls 1″ in diameter. Drop balls into boiling water. When all the balls are in the pot, reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes.
Tricks: don’t handle the balls much. Do use the seltzer.
Anyone else got any good matza ball tricks? My paternal grandmother’s matza balls supposedly floated out the window. The opposite are some I have tasted from a can that would make great golf balls.
In honor of Ilana-Davita who is hosting the Kosher Cooking Carnival at the end of January
It’s that time of year when we light candles, play dreidel and eat… greasy food! Because of a greasy story two thousand years ago where a little jar of greasy oil lasted in the Temple for 8 days when it was only supposed to last for one. Since not much of the food in this post is greasy, I decided to call this the Greasy Story Edition, and not concentrate too much on greasy food (can one be yotzeh–fulfill one’s obligation–to eat food with oil by eating a salad with olive oil?). B’tayavon (bon appetit in Hebrew).
Another traditional food for Chanukah is sufganiyot, jelly doughnuts. No one posted a recipePhyllis posted a baked version, and I can tell you quickly my version: you make a sugary yeast dough, fry little balls of it in massive amounts of hot oil, dip the fried balls in yet more sugar, and inject with jelly. A delicious and fattening food.
Speaking of halacha, there are only supposed to be eight lights on a chanukiah, and then one extra for the shamash, the “helper” candle. Does anyone know why more show up in my photo? (Hint: the answer has nothing to do with halacha).
Sarah aka Proud Mommy's dreidel cookies
If you would like to participate in a future Kosher Cooking Carnival, please submit your post.
Here’s the stuffed squash I made last week. Using Klara‘s idea of using shitake mushrooms, I sauteed some onions and mushrooms to stuff my squash. I also mixed in some chopped celery and sage from my garden, as well as bits of cooked buttercup squash. I didn’t use any animal products, but I must say I might have found it just a tad tastier if it had either a bit of cheese or some chopped meat. We humans do crave fat. On the other hand, my body felt much better eating it this way, a lighter food.
Here are some ideas on how to bake hamantaschen, the delicious pastries served on the upcoming holiday of Purim. These three-cornered baked goods can be filled with sweets, jam, prune, chocolate chips or even savories like spinach. Hamantaschen are Eastern European in origin; Jews of Sephardic origin (originally from Spain) make Orejas de Haman, (Oznei Haman in Hebrew) or Haman’s ears. Hamantaschen are supposed to resemble Haman’s hat (he was the bad guy in the Book of Esther).
Batya has “cooked up” a delicious 
Anyone see that one or read the book?
