Chicken Soup Recipe
4 chicken thighs 4 chicken drumsticks 1 1/2 cups peeled baby carrots 1 whole peeled onion 3 sticks celery few sprigs fresh parsley 2 turnips peeled 2 parsnips peeled 3 leeks -white part only -washed well 4 teasp salt 1 teasp celery salt dash pepper 1 teasp season salt 4 chicken bouillon cubes
Method: -Three quarter fill a large soup pot with water -Bring to boil -Add chicken pieces, and all vegetables. -Simmer for about 5 hours -Then add all seasonings and cubes. -Strain soup but return all baby carrots to soup. (Reserve chicken meat for the chicken pies) -Serve hot with baked chicken perogen (pies) in the soup or on the side.
Chicken Perogen (pies) for soup
(Make your own pastry dough (Parve) or use store bought puff pastry which is made with butter)
Dough: 2 1/2 cups flour 2 teasp baking powder 1 teasp sugar 1/2 teasp salt 1 cup vegetable shortening 1 egg beaten 3/4 cup water
Method: -Mix flour,baking powder,sugar and salt together -Rub or cut in vegetable shortening with a knife or your fingers -Add beaten egg and some water if needed, to form a dough -Knead lightly on a floured board till it comes together -Roll out with floured rolling pin on floured surface into 31/2 inch rounds about 1/8 inch thick -Should get about 36 pies
Filling: 3 onions sliced oil for frying leftover deboned chicken meat meat from soup 1 teasp salt 1/4 teasp pepper 1/2 chicken cube crushed 3-4 Tablesp chicken soup
Method: -Fry onions in oil for about 10 mins till soft and caramelized -Add to food processor and bind together with chicken soup meat -Add salt, pepper, crushed cube and mix together -Add 3-4 Tablesp chicken soup and to moisten
-Place a spoonful of chicken filling in the center of each dough round. -Fold dough over to make a 1/2 circle and pinch edges together. -Arrange flat side down on lined baking tray -Brush with beaten egg -Bake at 400F for 15-20 mins till golden
Serve together with chicken soup for a delicious and wholesome meal. Enjoy
Challah
1 ½ sachets yeast packets ½ cup sugar 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast) -Mix all together and let it get foamy in warm place (NOT in a metal container)
Mix- 2 and ¼ cups flour ¾ teaspoon salt 1 egg beaten ¼ cup vegetable oil Add foamy yeast mixture and mix all together Add an additional 2¼ cups flour
Mix until combined and then pour onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Slightly oil up the insides of a smooth large metal or glass bowl and place dough inside. Make sure dough is also slightly oiled to prevent it from sticking to the sides of the bowl. Place the bowl in a warm spot in the kitchen away from draughts, and loosely seal with plastic wrap. Let rise for 2-3 hours Punch dough down lightly and let rise again for another ½ hour -this develops the flavor.
Pour dough onto a smooth surface and divide into 3 ropes about 15 inches long for a 3 braid loaf, or 6, 12 inch braids for a 6 braid loaf. Braid your loaf and let it rise again for about 20 mins. Can also be separated into little balls and placed up against each other to fill an oiled springform pan Brush with beaten egg before baking. Challah will rise again in the oven while baking
Bake at 350 F for 40 – 45 mins till golden
Jewish Holiday Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar 1 ½ sticks butter at room temp. 2 large eggs at room temp 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 1 teasp. baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
Method
-Slice butter into small pieces and place in mixing bowl -Add in sugar -Cream butter and sugar together till creamy and fluffy -Beat in the eggs and vanilla till creamy -Slowly stir in flour, baking powder and salt till a sugary dough forms -Pour onto a floured surface and form into a flat round 2 inch thick disc. -Refrigerate dough for at least an hour or even overnight. -Remove from fridge -Roll a portion of the dough(Cover the rest so the dough does not dry out) out onto floured surface to about ½ in thick for a softer cookie, or ¼ inch thick for a crisper cookie -Keep flouring and flipping dough over so dough does not stick to surface -Reshape and form all the excess trimmings until all the dough is used -Use cookie cutters to cut into Jewish holiday symbols and shapes
-Bake in batches for 6-8 minutes at 400F
-Cool before decorating with frosting
Special K Mandel Bread (Parev)
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
-Beat well in electric mixer till pale yellow in color
-Add in:
¾ cup oil
1 teasp vanilla essence
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teasp baking powder
-Beat all well together.
-Add in till blended but don’t overmix;
1cup sliced almonds or any chopped up nuts
2 cups Special K cereal ( or rice krispies or corn flakes etc.)
-Chill in the fridge for 10 mins.
-Remove from the fridge and divide into 2 logs about 1inch thick x 14 inches long on lined baking sheet or sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray
(Dough will be a bit sticky)
-Smooth tops and sides with spatula
Bake for 18 minutes at 350F
Remove from the oven and slice up the logs into fingers.
Place back onto the baking sheet, flat side up.
Sprinkle with cinnamon
Place back into oven and cook for another 10 mins till brown (watch them as they burn easily)
Remove from oven
Cool and enjoy
Flourless Chocolate Cake
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 stick butter
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup cocoa powder
Directions
-Prepare an 8 inch, lined with parchment paper on the bottom, very well sprayed or buttered on the sides, cake pan.(Cake will stick to pan if not well lined and sprayed)
-Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler and then let cool
-Whip eggs well until very light and fluffy
-Sift cocoa powder and add in sugar
-Add the cocoa powder and sugar mixture to the eggs.
-Fold in the butter and chocolate mix to the egg mixture.
-Pour into pan
-Bake for about 22 -25 minutes at 350F
-Allow to cool on a wire rack
Enjoy.
Plum Kuchen Tart
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
Pinch salt
¼ tsp baking powder
½ cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 x 1lb 12oz can plums, drained
Topping
1 cup cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 Tbsp sugar
Pinch cinnamon
-Sift together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder
-Work in butter till mix is fine and crumbly
-Press dough (reserve about ½ cup for topping) into bottom and sides of a greased 9inch springform pan
-Bake at 350F for 15 mins
-Mix remaining ½ cup dough mix, with cinnamon
-Arrange drained fruit on the bottom of ½ baked pastry shell
-Sprinkle dough and cinnamon mix onto fruit
-Bake 20 mins at 350 F
-Beat cream with beaten egg yolks
-Remove kuchen from oven and pour topping over fruit
-Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mix bake for another 10 mins , or until custard has set
Cheesecake with sour cream topping
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp sugar
⅓ cup butter melted
-Mix above together and press thinly onto base and up sides of loose bottomed spring-form baking pan
2½ x 8 oz packages cream cheese softened (20oz)
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
-Mix softened cheese with sugar, eggs, and vanilla
-Mix well together but don’t whip
-Pour onto graham cracker base
-Bake 350 F for 25-30 mins
-Combine sour cream,sugar and vanilla together.
-Spoon over baked cheesecake and return to oven
-Bake at 375 F for an additional 5 mins
-Cool and serve or refrigerate for 24 hours and then serve
Rosh Hashanah Noodle Pudding (sweet)
½ lb wide egg noodles
4 Tbsp butter
½ cup cream
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbsp corn syrup
4 Tbsp cream cheese
½ tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
-Boil noodles in salted water about 10-15 mins
-Drain well
-Mix together with butter, cream, sugar, syrup, cream cheese and cinnamon
-Beat eggs and milk together
-Stir into noodle mix
-Pour into a buttered oven proof rectangular dish
-Bake at 350 F for 45 mins.
Brisket with prunes for Rosh Hashana
6lb flat brisket
3 cups water
1 onion halved
1 carrot halved
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp salt
½ chicken bouillon cube
½ tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp garlic pdr
¼ tsp pepper
25 prunes pitted
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp cane syrup
6 potatoes halved and parboiled
2 tsp gravy mix or cornstarch mixed to a paste with cold water
-Parboil potatoes till just tender
-Bake brisket uncovered at 325 F with vegetables (not potatoes), seasonings and spices until tender( about 3-4 hours)
-Add more water to pan if needed
-Add prunes, lemon juice and syrup
-Add potatoes
-Add cornstarch or gravy mix to pan to thicken gravy
-Bake for another 15 mins until liquid is reduced
Blondies
1½ sticks butter
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking pdr
½ tsp salt
1 cup light brown either muscovado, turbinado or brown sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs beaten
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk or white choc chips
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp toffee chips or semi sweet choc chips
½ cup coarsely chopped toasted, raw almonds
-Line 9×9 by 2 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper allowing a 2 inch overhang over the sides
-Thoroughly butter or use non stick spray on both pan and parchment paper
-Melt butter and sugars in medium pot about 5 mins on medium heat
-Mix till blended as much as possible, and remove from stove
-Let it cool slightly
-Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together
-Whisk in eggs and vanilla mix by hand into sugar and butter mix until combined
-Add in the flour mix until just incorporated
-Fold in the all the choc chips and almonds
-Pour into prepared baking pan
-Bake 350 F for about 27 mins until top cracks, or skewer inserted into center comes out with a few moist pieces clinging to it
-Cool in pan on wire rack
-Remove from pan using the parment handles
-Cut into 2 inch squares
Curried Butternut Soup
2 leeks thinly sliced
2 medium onions, diced
4 tbsp butter
1 Tbsp curry pdr
2 butternut squash ,peeled, seeds removed, and diced, or 3-4 bags frozen diced
4 potatoes ,quartered
8-10 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Salt
Pepper
-Cook leeks and onions in large pot till glassy
-Add in curry pdr and mix together
-Add in butternut and potatoes
-Add water to cover
-Add in seasonings
-Simmer for about 1 hour
-Blend with hand held blender
Enjoy!
(For an added intensity of flavor, try roasting the butternut in the oven till the edges caramelize, and then add to the pot.)
Roast Orange/Ginger Turkey Breast
(Requires overnight refrigeration with spice rub before cooking)
1 boneless turkey breast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 chicken cube
1 tsp garlic salt
2 heaped Tbsp ginger pdr
½ tsp paprika
-Mix all above together
1 lemon cut in half
1 onion peeled but whole
1 orange with ends cut off
3 cups orange juice
1 cup oil
Additional:
4-5 cups orange juice
2 tsp ginger
Corn starch
-Using the lemon, rub the spice mix inside and outside the turkey breast
-Refrigerate overnight
-Place onion and orange inside turkey cavity
-Pour 3 cups orange juice and 1 cup oil over turkey
-Cover with foil and cook 350 F about 40 mins until cooked through
-Cooking times will vary depending on size of breast
Gravy
-Pour off excess oil from roasting pan
-Add in 4-5 cups orange juice and 2 tsp ginger pdr to pan drippings
-Thicken with a little corn starch added to pan
Shabbat
Jewish tradition commands us to observe the holiday of Shabbat each week, from sundown on Friday night until sundown on Saturday night.
There are certain rituals that specifically apply to Shabbat:
Lighting Candles:
- The lighting of candles welcomes in Shabbat
- Jewish custom is to light at least two candles, representing the two passages in the Torah in which we are commanded to keep Shabbat. The first states: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” and the second : “Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”
- According to Jewish law, one should not light a fire once Shabbat has begun. Thus, we light the candles before saying the blessing because the blessing is what marks the beginning of Shabbat.
- Many people wave their hands in front of themselves three times before covering their eyes and reciting the blessing. This is so they don’t see the burning candles until after the blessing has been completed.
- In this order, we light the candles, cover our eyes and recite the following blessing:
- Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat.
- Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the light of Shabbat.
Customarily, it was women who lit the Shabbat candles, but anyone may light them.
CHALLAH:
- The word Challah actually is Hebrew for loaf of bread. We begin our Shabbat meals by making a blessing over two loaves of bread.
- It is customary to braid the Challah that we eat on Shabbat. We braid each one with three strands, together; the two Challah’s have six strands. This signifies the six days of the week preceding the Shabbat.
- When we braid the Challah we signify bringing those six days together creating unity and harmony in our lives by celebrating Shabbat.
- Before it is served, the challah is covered, often with a special, decorative cloth.
Blessing over the Challah:
בָּרוּך אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם הָמוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הַאָרֶץ
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has brought forth bread from the earth.