Kosher Cookbook App

Meatless Monday: Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze (recipe, pareve)

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze P Yield: 8 slices

The pressed tofu soaks up all the wonderful flavors from the ginger, molasses, pineapple, sesame oil and pepper. When it’s fried, you get to enjoy the meatier texture of the tofu together with the sweet and spicy sauce with a slight crunch from the toasted sesame seeds.
Prep time: 60 min. Marinate: several hours or overnight Cooking time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 container extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons tamari
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cinnamon stick
1 poblano pepper-washed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 inch fresh gingerroot-peeled and sliced
1 large clove garlic-minced
1 small onion-peeled and sliced thinly
Flour for dusting tofu slices
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl
Medium skillet
Oven to table serving dish
DIRECTIONS

Drain tofu and put it on a plate. Cover tofu with waxed paper and weight it down with a large heavy can. Check tofu after an hour or so and pour off liquid. Continue to weight it down until tofu has shrunk in size and given up most of its liquid. Starting from the smaller end, slice it into eight pieces and arrange them in a single layer in a dish that can hold the marinade.
Pour tamari, crushed pineapple, two teaspoons sesame oil and molasses into mixing bowl. Stir well.
Add all remaining ingredients except for sesame seeds. Stir marinade and pour over tofu slices. Marinate for two or three hours before turning slices over and marinating again. This can be done overnight.
Spread about ½ cup flour on a flat surface. Gently remove tofu slices from marinade and dredge them in flour shaking off any excess.
Pour just enough vegetable oil in skillet to cover bottom of pan. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil. Heat over medium flame. Brown tofu slices on each side until they are golden brown. Arrange in a single or overlapping layer in serving dish. Set aside.
Remove cinnamon stick and add marinade ingredients to skillet. Sauté until onions and peppers are soft. Add a little more vegetable oil if necessary. Pour sautéed vegetables over tofu slices. Add sesame seeds to same pan and stir quickly until they toast. Sprinkle seeds over tofu. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Meatless Monday: Eggplant Parmesan (Recipe, Dairy)

2012-01-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Eggplant Parmesan D Serves: 4

Roasting the eggplant makes this dish much lighter and less oily than what we’re used to. Serve with a tri-color salad.
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 pound whole milk mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Large cookie sheet
Pastry brush
Baking pan-13x9x2
Directions

Preheat oven to: 450 F.
Pour a little oil in bottom of baking pan and spread it all over pan using a brush, paper towel or your fingers,
Peel eggplants and cut them lengthwise into ¾-1 inch slices. Arrange slices in baking pan and roast for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Brush the top of eggplant slices with olive oil and roast five minute longer. Slices should be soft enough to be easily punctured with a knife. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper. Let slices cool a few minutes.
Cover bottom of baking pan with eggplant (no parchment or oil necessary). Spread about ¼ cup tomato sauce over each slice. Sprinkle with chopped basil and then with a ¼ inch slice of mozzarella and two teaspoons of grated parmesan. Repeat process until all the eggplant slices have been used. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs.
Bake at 375 F. until the top has puffed and browned- about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Tired of plain old pasta with tomato sauce? Try Farfalle with Meat Sauce (recipe, meat)

2012-01-12T14:17:00.000-05:00

Meat Sauce M Serves: 4

Rich and full of flavor, this meat sauce is easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. Use any pasta you like; but I prefer shapes with spaces that will hold on to the sauce like farfalle or fusilli.
Ingredients
1 large onion
2 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound chopped steak
One 28 ounce can organic crushed tomatoes-drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Equipment
1 large skillet
Directions

Peel and chop onion and garlic finely by hand or in electric food processor.
Heat oil over medium flame in skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until onions are soft and translucent. Add chopped meat to pan in small amounts. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Break up meat as you stir so that the sauce is smooth and there is no redness left in the meat.
Add drained tomatoes, tomato paste and dried basil to sauce. Stir well. Taste. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over any pasta, cooked al dente of your choosing. Serve with a mixed salad and dinner is done!

Jay's Carrot Cake (recipe, pareve)

2012-01-10T09:20:00.001-05:00

JAY’S CARROT CAKE P SERVES: 12-16
This is a straight forward delicious carrot cake that we enjoy as is. Spread it with cream cheese icing and you have a dessert cake.
INGREDIENTS                    EQUIPMENT
2 cups sugar                    electric mixer
1 ½ cups vegetable oil                9” tube pan
4 eggs                        cooling rack
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 pound carrots-grated
Non-dairy baking spray
Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to: 325 F. Spray tube pan and dust with flour. Set aside.
2. Pour sugar and oil into bowl of mixer. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, until they are incorporated into batter.
4. Pour in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Beat on medium speed while pouring in grated carrots. If using nuts, add them at this time.
5. Pour batter into tube pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into cake comes out clean. Allow carrot cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning it onto rack. Cool completely before serving.

Layered Chopped Meat and Pine Nut Pie in Filo Dough (recipe, meat)

2012-01-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

Unbaked Borek

Baked Borek

Borek after dinner :)

Layered Chopped Meat and Pine Nut Pie in Filo Dough M Serves: 8

Called “borek” in Turkey, the aroma and taste of the cinnamon and oregano flavoring the chopped meat more than compensates for the time it takes to wrap it in filo dough.
Prep time: 60 min. Baking time: 40-45 min.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion (about 16 oz.)
5 garlic cloves
2/3 cup pine nuts-toasted
1 pound chopped steak
1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
1 heaping tablespoon oregano
1 small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups pareve soy milk
2/3 cup olive oil
1 box filo dough-thawed (The Kontos brand #4 sheets are easy to handle for this pie)
Equipment
Electric food processor
Large skillet
Large pastry brush
10 inch springform baking pan-3 inches high*
*I used a springform pan so I could unmold this pie intact and present it whole. You can use any shape pan you want if you choose to cut the pie in pieces before you serve it. It’s a little less dramatic but still delicious.
Directions

Peel onion and garlic and place in food processor into which steel knife has been inserted. Process until vegetables have been finely minced.
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high flame. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Break up the chopped meat and stir it into the onions and garlic until there is no redness anywhere. Stir in 1/3 cup (4 tablespoons) toasted pine nuts, cinnamon, oregano and parsley. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Allow to cool.
Beat eggs together with soymilk and oil. Set aside.
Preheat oven to: 400 F.
Dampen a dish towel. Place springform pan on table. Unwrap filo dough carefully. Take 2-3 sheets and fit them into pan so that several inches hang over one side. After removing first sheets of filo dough, cover the remaining dough with damp towel to keep it from drying out. Brush top of fllo with egg mixture. Take another 2-3 sheets of filo and starting in middle of pan, arrange dough so that it overlaps the other sheets and hangs over the other side of pan. Brush more egg mixture on top piece. Take another 2 pieces and arrange the other way across the middle. Brush with egg mixture. Now, Take one piece at a time and arrange in pan. Pour some egg mixture over it. Do this 3 times-each time pouring some egg mixture between filo sheets. Spread one last sheet on top of egg and leave dry.
Spoon meat mixture into pan and pat down gently.
Fold in the shorter end of filo dough and stick together with egg mixture. Fold over the longer ends of dough and paste down with more egg mixture. You can use a brush but it’s easier to do with your hands.
Place pie in oven and bake 40-45 minutes or until pie has puffed and is golden brown. Sprinkle the top of pie with remaining toasted pine nuts and serve hot or at room temperature. This is a beautiful presentation piece even after the pastry falls.

Kosher Cookbook included in KosherEye's 2012 Culinary Forecast!

2012-01-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

Check out a lovely mention of Gloria Kobrin and the Kosher Cookbook App in KosherEye.com 's roundup of food trends for 2012!

Thanks to Lois Held and Roberta Scher for the vote of confidence!

Instead of Chinese Takeout, Try My Lemon Chicken with Vegetables (recipe, meat)

2011-12-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

Lemon Chicken and Vegetables M Serves: 4

This is the perfect recipe for anyone who loves an intense lemon flavor. In this recipe, I’ve used the sauce over chicken, but you could also use it over tofu or a firm white fish like halibut. Use it as an appetizer or main course. Everyone will be begging for more.
Prep time: 45 min. Cooking time: 30 min.
Ingredients
4 chicken cutlets
2 tablespoons light soy sauce or tamari
¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon vodka
3 egg whites
1 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch
½-3/4 cup vegetable oil
½ cup vinegar
1 cup low salt chicken stock-fresh /boxed
2 tablespoons water
1 large lemon
2 large carrots
½ red pepper
3 scallions
1 cup crushed canned pineapple-drained
1 tablespoon pure lemon extract
4 cups cooked basmati rice
Equipment
2 small mixing bowls
Shallow bowl for marinating chicken
Large skillet
Small saucepan
Grater/microplane
Directions

Mix soy sauce, sesame oil and vodka in small bowl.
Trim and rinse chicken cutlets. Arrange them in a single layer in shallow bowl and pour marinade over them. Turn them over so that the marinade coats the cutlets and let them sit for 30 minutes.
While cutlets are marinating: Peel and trim carrots. Cut them into small match stick size pieces. Set aside. Remove all seeds and core from pepper and cut into small match size pieces. Add to carrots. Rinse and trim scallions. Cut both green and white parts into 1/8 inch rounds. Add to other vegetables. Add pineapple to this mixture and set aside.
Beat egg whites til frothy in mixing bowl. Pour one cup cornstarch into shallow bowl. Remove chicken cutlets from marinade (Discard marinade.), mix them with egg whites and dredge them in cornstarch. Shake off any excess cornstarch and set cutlets aside.
Heat ½ inch of oil in skillet until it is very hot. Add cutlets and fry until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. Cut into one inch cross wise slices. Keep warm in 200 F. oven until sauce is ready and you are ready to serve.
Grate lemon on large holes of grater /microplane and set aside. Juice lemon and remove pits.
Place vinegar, sugar, remaining one tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with water, lemon rind and juice in saucepan. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook until mixture thickens slightly. Add vegetables and pineapple to sauce.Stir well. Remove from heat. Add lemon extract. Taste. Add more extract one drop at a time if you want it more lemony. The taste will change depending on the size and taste of your fresh lemon.
Spread cooked rice on a platter. Arrange chicken slices attractively over rice. Pour lemon-vegetable sauce over the top.#Serve hot.

For a Change, Try A No Potato Vegetable Latke

2011-12-21T12:00:00.002-05:00

A No Potato Vegetable Latke P Yield: 24 latkes

Who said you must use potatoes to make latkes? Shredded veggies plus miscellaneous other ingredients fried in oil produce a flavorful light latke. Add some smoked salmon (in the shape of a rose or not)or even a piece of pastrami and you have a fabulous first course.
Prep time: 20 min. Frying time: 45 min.
Ingredients
2 eggs-beaten
Pinch salt
2 cups shredded celery root- about 20 ounces
11 ounce can kernel corn-drained
1 ¼ cups shredded carrots-about 2 large carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 full tablespoon white horseradish
¼ cup freshly chopped dill
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Equipment
Electric food processor (for shredding and chopping veggies)
Large mixing bowl
Large skillet
Wooden spoon
Slotted spatula
Cookie sheet lined with paper towels
Directions

Beat eggs together with salt in mixing bowl. Add vegetables to eggs. Stir well. Add horseradish, dill and flour. Stir again.
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in skillet until it is very hot. Carefully, place about four rounded spoon full s of vegetable mixture in oil. Do not flatten them. Wait patiently until latkes are well browned on one side before flipping them to other side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat this process until you have used up all the mixture. Serve latkes hot with dill/horseradish sauce if desired. They are delicious on their own.
To serve as a first course: make a rose of smoked salmon and surround it with three latkes or roll up the smoked salmon and lay it on top of each latke. You can do the same thing with pastrami. Use honey mustard as a sauce if you choose pastrami.

A Litlte Bit of Spice: Potato-Apple-Cumin Latkes

2011-12-20T23:17:00.001-05:00

Potato-Apple-Cumin Latkes P Yield: 36 latkes

The aroma from the warm cumin mixed with sweet apple that accompanies you as you fry these latkes is addictive!
Prep: 20 min. Frying time: as long as it takes you to fry 4-5 latkes at a time-about 45 min.
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup chopped onions/scallions
1 pound white potatoes
1 pound sweet apples
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups + vegetable oil
½ cup minced parsley
Equipment
Electric food processor
Large skillet
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Cookie sheets lined with paper towels
Directions

Beat eggs with cumin and onions in mixing bowl.
Peel and quarter apples. Remove core. Set aside. Peel and rinse potatoes .
Insert the shredding attachment in your processor and shred potatoes and apples. Add them to egg mixture. Sprinkle with flour and stir well.
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in skillet until it is very hot and drop small amounts of latke mixture into the hot oil with a wooden spoon. Press on the back of latkes carefully with the back of spoon to flatten them out. When you see the edges browning, flip latkes and brown the other side. You should under fry them slightly if you plan to reheat them another time. Place cooked latkes on paper towels to drain. Arrange nicely on a platter. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve hot. These are delicious plain, with applesauce or chutney.

Potato-Apple-Cinnamon Latkes--Perfect for Dessert or for Brunch

2011-12-20T23:11:00.001-05:00

Potato-Apple-Cinnamon Latkes P Yield: 36 latkes

A cross between my potato-apple galette and potato latkes, I see this as a dessert latke but it would also be yummy as a side dish with meat or chicken. Cinnamon and apple are a standard combination and well- fried with potato- it’s perfect.
Prep time: 20 min. Frying time: about 45 minutes
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 pound white potatoes
1 pound sweet apples
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups + vegetable oil
½ cup white sugar for sprinkling
Equipment
Electric food processor
Mixing bowl
Skillet
Wooden spoon
spatula
Cookie sheets lined with paper towels
Directions

Beat eggs together with cinnamon in mixing bowl.
Peel and quarter apples, Remove cores. Peel and rinse potatoes.
Insert shredding disk into processor and shred apples and potatoes. Add them to egg mixture. Sprinkle with flour.
Pour 1/2 inch vegetable oil in skillet and heat until very hot. Drop spoonfuls of latkes mixture into oil with wooden spoon, Flatten the top of latkes with back of spoon. Fry until edges start to brown and then flip latkes to other side and fry until browned. Undercook latkes a little if you plan to reheat them at another time. Otherwise, drain them on paper towels and then arrange them on platter and serve hot. Sprinkle with sugar right before serving.

A Taste of the Old Country: Khrustiki Cookies for Chanukah

2011-12-19T18:03:00.000-05:00

Twig Cookies (Khrustiki) P Yield: 60 twigs

We went to Russia several years ago and I made a cocktail party before our trip for which I only made Russian dishes. As I am from partly Russian descent, it was a lot of fun to do. One of the books I bought to work with is called : Please To The Table by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman.

Here is their recipe for Twig cookies which I thought would be a nice addition to the Chanukah table. I only changed it by increasing the brandy from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon. They are crisp and light and “kichel” like. The dough is easy to work with and can be twisted into as many shapes as your fingers will allow. I made twigs and knots. Despite the brandy and rum in the cookies , the main taste is a sweet one-the perfect way to end a meal.

Prep: 30 min. Frying time: 30 min.

Ingredients

2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon brandy

1 teaspoon rum

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for deep frying

½ cup confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling

Directions

1. Beat together the eggs, yolk, water, brandy, rum and sugar in a large bowl or electric mixer.

2. Mix dry ingredients together (not confectioner’s sugar) and add slowly to the egg mixture. When the dough starts to come together, scrape it onto a floured surface and knead it until smooth. Divide it in half. Dust each half in flour if you are going to wrap it up and roll it out later-otherwise sprinkle a surface with flour and roll out half the dough until it is 1/8inch thick. Cut it into 6 x3/4 inch strips.

3. Heat oil in electric deep fryer or deep frying pan until it reaches 375 F. Last time I did this I used a frying pan, this time I used an electric deep fryer. Much easier in the electric fryer!

4. Shape strips: 1. Cut a slit 2-3 inches from one end and pull the other end through (twigs) 2. Tie strip in a loose knot 3. Let your nimble fingers create other shapes.

5. Fry the dough about 12 at a time for about 3 minutes or until golden. Turn them carefully if they don’t turn themselves. Drain on paper towels and cool completely before sprinkling liberally with confectioners sugar. Another idea- You could also melt some apricot jam and dip them.) Delicious!

Getting Ready to Fry for Chanukah: Skinless Fried Chicken (Recipe, Meat), Churros and Perfect Latkes

2011-12-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

Eating fried foods over Chanukah is guilt free. Isn't that what we are mandated to do to commemorate the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days in the Temple? And anyway- who doesn't crave fried food! Not only is it delicious but generally speaking, you get to eat it with your hands. So have lots of napkins available, serve lots of fruit, veggies and salad to feel healthy and let's fry!

SKINLESS FRIED CHICKEN M YIELD: 24 PIECES

The outside is crisp and well-seasoned and the inside is moist and delicious.

Prep time: 60-90 min. Frying time: about 60 min.

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

3 frying chickens-skinned large mixing bowl

and cut into joints large plastic bag

3 eggs large cookie sheet

2-3 tablespoons seasoning salt* long handled tongs

3 tablespoons water

2 cups flour

vegetable oil

*Use 2 tablespoons seasoning salt for small joints-3 tablespoons for large ones.

DIRECTIONS

Beat eggs with water and seasoning salt in mixing bowl.
Clean chicken thoroughly. Remove any fat or bone chips that have been left on chicken. Often, the butcher doesn’t take the time to skin the wings. The best way I’ve found to do it is to just grab the skin with a paper towel and pull. Most of the skin can be removed this way. Add chicken to beaten eggs and mix well. (If you have the time, let the chicken sit in the eggs and salt, covered with waxed paper, for about an hour in the refrigerator.)
Pour about one cup of flour into another large mixing bowl. Remove two or three pieces of chicken from egg mixture and place on top of the flour. Sprinkle more flour on top of the chicken. Continue this process until all the chicken has been layered in the bowl with flour in between each layer. Pour remaining egg mixture over chicken and (with wet hands) mix all the chicken together. The chicken will be very moist and sticky. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator to allow coating to set.
Pour about two inches of oil into skillet. Heat over medium- high flame until oil is very hot. You can test the heat of the oil by dropping a bread cube into the pan. If it browns right away, the oil is hot enough for the chicken. Carefully, using a long handled tongs, place three or four pieces of chicken in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry chicken for about ten minutes on each side until chicken is tender and golden brown. After you brown the chicken on the second side, reduce heat and cover frying pan. Steam chicken five or six minutes. Carefully remove cover (the oil will be sizzling and the steam will come rushing out). Raise heat again, and turn chicken to be sure it is well browned. If you are nervous about the breasts being cooked through, make a small slit with a sharp knife into the thickest part and test it.
Remove chicken from oil and drain in a single layer on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Note: It’s hard to know for sure how much chicken to prepare. I count on at least two pieces of chicken per person if the pieces are small. I don’t even use the wings in my count. To be on the safe side, order three chickens for eight people. If you are serving an additional main course, you can order only two chickens.

Need more oily inspiration? Check out my Churros !

And of course, Latkes with everything :)

Cookie Cutter Sugar Cookies--Make Turkey Shapes for Thanksgiving! (recipe, pareve)

2011-11-16T09:00:00.004-05:00

COOKIE CUTTER SUGAR COOKIES P YIELD: 3 ½ DOZEN

Every Thanksgiving I pull out this recipe to make Turkey cookies. Young children (and some adults) often don’t like the fruit pies traditionally served at this time. These cookies are a nice, plain not too sweet treat. Naturally, you can use this dough to make any shape you want. You can frost them with multi-colored icing or just sprinkle them with decorating sugar or sprinkles as I do.

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks non-dairy margarine-softened

1 cup golden brown sugar-tightly packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

2 2/3 cups flour plus extra flour for kneading

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

optional: colored decorating sugar, sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Beat margarine and sugar in electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat until well blended. Pour in dry ingredients. Beat until completely mixed. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl while beating.
Sprinkle any flat surface with flour. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for two minutes. Keep adding flour to the surface and to your hands so that the dough doesn’t stick. It will be very soft. Shape dough into a thick rectangle, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate several hours. This dough will never get really stiff so you won’t have to soften it before rolling.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cover cookie sheets with baking parchment.
Sprinkle flour on flat surface. Remove dough from refrigerator. Cut off 1/3 of the dough. Roll it in flour and then roll it quickly into a 1/8 inch rectangle. Cut out cookies with cookie cutter. Remove excess dough from around cookies and transfer them with a large spatula onto cookie sheet.* These cookies don’t spread so that you can leave only ½ inch between them.
Reroll dough and repeat process until cookie sheets are full. Bake in middle level of oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies are slightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool for five minutes before removing cookies to cooling rack.

*NOTE: Sprinkle decorating sugar or sprinkles on cookies at this point before baking them. Bake the cookies first if you plan to decorate them with icing.

Wild and White Rice Stuffing with Pearl Onions and Dried Fruit (Recipe, Pareve)

2011-11-15T09:05:00.003-05:00

Wild and White Rice Stuffing with Pearl Onions and Dried Fruit P SERVES: 10

What a delicious alternative to bread stuffing! The caramelized onions, apricots and cranberries give a wonderful flavor to the rice mixture. Serve this with turkey, Cornish hens or plain chicken. Your guests will all want seconds.

Prep time: 20 min. Cooking time: 45-60 min.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces wild rice

1 ½ cups long grain white rice

4 ½ cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons dried thyme

16 ounces frozen white pearl onions- defrosted and drained

6 tablespoons pareve margarine

6 ounce package dried apricots- sliced into 3-4 pieces each

1 cup dried cranberries

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Add broth and 2 tablespoons thyme to saucepan. Bring to a boil and add wild rice. Stir once and return to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
After wild rice has been cooking 30 minutes, add white rice. Stir once. Cover saucepan and simmer until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. This should take about 15-20 minutes .
Prepare onions while rice is cooking. Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until browned- about 15-20 minutes.
Remove cover from saucepan and stir rice. Add sautéed onions (with remaining margarine from skillet), apricots and cranberries to mixed rice. Stir well. Taste. Add thyme, salt and pepper as needed. Add the remaining four tablespoons of margarine to the stuffing before you spoon it into a serving dish if you are serving the stuffing right away. Otherwise, allow stuffing to cool completely, and then refrigerate it. Add the margarine to the stuffing right before you heat it up. Serve hot.

Thanksgiving Is My Favorite Holiday! Gloria Kobrin's 2010 Thanksgiving Menu

2011-11-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I don’t know if it’s because I was born on Thanksgiving day and so it’s ingrained in my DNA , or because I adore all the various foods I choose to prepare for the feast, or because I love the informality of the day –probably a combination of all the above. We have established our own traditions for Thanksgiving including my husband’s cornucopia overflowing with unusual fruits and bittersweet branches. Every year he does something dramatic that outdoes the year before.
In terms of food, I have a long list of recipes that I have worked on over the years. Each year, I try to add something new thinking that I’ll replace an old standard; but no- I just add on. When I leave something out, my kids say- where is the…So I do it all. For the last 20 years or so, we have had the same family come for “leftovers” the Friday night dinner following Thanksgiving. The adults are close and the children have grown up together. Our friend’s husband died three years ago and we miss him terribly. That Friday night dinner is now not just a wonderful time together but a time to remember.
We are fortunate to have a Thanksgiving guest list that runs the gamut from Great Grand Parents to great grandchildren with siblings, nephews, nieces, and friends in between. There is so much for which to be grateful. We often lose sight of the good stuff while we’re obsessing over the frustrations and annoyances that definitely impact our daily life but shouldn’t become the focus of it. Thanksgiving gives us a chance to stop for a minute and express gratitude in a casual unscripted way.
The following is a list of hors d’oeuvres, turkey, vegetables, starches and desserts that I prepare. One added note: My Mother is allergic to green, yellow and orange vegetables-thus I have a number of red and white vegetables on the table. My daughter is vegetarian-but as you can see the turkey is almost an afterthought in this meal. I also make a separate vegetarian gravy for her. My grandson is allergic to nuts so I remove the nut toppings I usually put on top of sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. And now on to the food...

THANKSGIVING MENU 2010

HORS D’OEUVRES
Mushroom Ears
Pigs ‘n Blankets (mustard)
White Bean Dip
Guacamole
Fried Olives
BUFFET DINNER IN PANTRY
Sliced Turkey- Gravy
2 Cranberry Sauces
Cornbread Stuffing
Wild & White Rice with Dried Apricots , Dried Cranberries, & Pearl Onions
Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy for Jessica
Sweet Potato Casserole
Smashed Root Vegetables with Caramelized Onions
Candied Parsnips
Roasted Butternut Squash
Brussel Sprouts with Dill
Pearl Onions, Chestnuts & Celery
DESSERT
Pecan Pie, Spiced Apple Pie, Pear-Currant Turnovers, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Pot Pie Dough for Chicken or Vegetable Pot Pies (recipe, pareve)

2011-11-02T15:11:00.000-04:00

POTPIE DOUGH P YIELD: CRUST FOR 12 POTPIES

This dough is easily and quickly made in an electric food processor. If you have a large bowl you can make it all at once; otherwise you can halve the recipe and make it twice. The dough is firm and easy to roll and forms a tight crust over any filling, keeping it hot for a long time.

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

4 cups flour electric food processor

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup pareve margarine

1 egg

½ cup cold water

DIRECTIONS

Place flour and salt in bowl of processor with steel knife in place. Process one minute. Cut margarine into tablespoons and add to flour. Pulse one and off until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Beat egg with water. With machine on, pour liquid slowly through feeding tube. If mixture seems too dry, add more water a little at a time. When dough has formed, scrape it out of mixing bowl and wrap in waxed paper. Chill for at least two hours or overnight before using.

Chicken Pot Pie--the Ultimate Comfort Food! (recipe, meat)

2011-11-02T14:55:00.002-04:00

Chicken /VeChicken or Vegetable Pot Pie M Yield: Serves: 12-14

I have always loved Chicken Pot pie. As my children were growing up, there was always an argument as to how thick the sauce should be. Everybody like the sauce better the second day-meaning that they liked it thicker. Thus, I now make the sauce thicker on the first day. We like a thick creamy sauce but if you prefer it thinner, use the lesser amount of flour and you’ll be happy. The amount of sauce you will need depends on the size casserole you use and how many of each. After you make this the first time, you will be better able to gauge quantities. You can always make an extra batch of sauce and add it in if you don’t feel you have enough. As to the topping- my Pot Pie Dough is a cinch to prepare in a food processor and just as easy to roll out. Add to that, it forms such a tight seal, the pies stay hot at least 20-30 minutes after baking. Frozen pareve puff pastry is also easy to work with but doesn’t retain the heat the same way. Many people enjoy mashed potatoes on top which is delicious; but again, they don’t retain the heat very long and are not really great the next day as leftovers.

Prep time: Chicken: 45 min. Vegetables: 20-30 min. Sauce: 30 min.

Assembly: about 45 min. for individual pies-- 20 min. for one large casserole

Ingredients
8 chicken cutlets-about 4 pounds
1 large onion-peeled & quartered
2 bay leaves

1 head broccoli- about 4 cups florets

½ pound carrots-peeled & cut into ½ inch pieces

¾ pound green beans-trimmed & cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup corn kernels (use frozen and defrost)

1 pound white pearl onions-(use frozen and defrost)

1 cup peas-(use frozen and defrost)

24 ounces tri color small new potatoes –rinsed and quartered

1 large red pepper- cored and diced

4 cups chicken/vegetable broth (reserved cooking liquid plus low salt boxed broth or water)

4 cups regular non dairy soy milk

1 cup pareve margarine

1 ½ cups flour

Sea salt + hot pepper sauce-to taste

1 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley

Pot Pie Dough/non-dairy frozen puff pastry

1 beaten egg

Equipment
Large saucepan with lid
Large skillet
Large colander
2 large mixing bowls
Strainer
12 cup casserole+individual casseroles
Rolling pin
Pastry brush
Cookie sheets
Directions: Chicken and Vegetables

Rinse chicken cutlets and place in saucepan with onion, bay leaves and water to cover. Bring water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook chicken until done- about 30 minutes. Remove cooked cutlets from the liquid (reserve liquid if you are going to use it in sauce) and let them cool. After they have cooled, take a sharp knife and cut them into small cubes. Set aside. Strain cooking liquid and reserve for use in white sauce.

Prepare vegetables while chicken is cooking. Bring about two inches salted water to boil in skillet. Add broccoli, string beans and carrots, cover skillet and steam them two minutes. Place large colander over a larger mixing bowl and drain vegetables-reserving cooking liquid. Use the same liquid (adding more water if needed) to steam potatoes for 8 minutes. Add peas, corn and onions to steamed potatoes and steam 2 minutes longer. Drain vegetables, in colander over mixing bowl reserving liquid; and add these vegetables to the others in the mixing bowl. Add cubed red pepper. Toss vegetables lightly. Set aside.

DIRECTIONS: SAUCE

Use a mixture of reserved liquid from cooking chicken and vegetables plus more low salt chicken broth to make white sauce if you have no vegetarians to consider. If you have vegetarians, use just the liquid from cooking vegetables plus water or prepared vegetable broth to make sauce.

Melt margarine in skillet over medium high flame. Add 1 cup flour and stir vigorously so that a smooth paste forms. Slowly, pour in 4 cups cooking liquid, stirring constantly as a sauce forms. Then, slowly, pour in 4 cups soy milk, continuing to stir constantly to form a white sauce. At this point, you make a decision as to how thick you want your sauce to be. I added an additional ½ cup flour ( I scooped out 2 cups liquid and mixed flour in that before returning it to skillet and incorporating it with the rest of the sauce.) to make the sauce thicker. Season sauce with sea salt and hot pepper sauce to taste. Start with 1 teaspoon of each and taste from there. Strain sauce if you think you might have any flour lumps. When sauce is done, stir in chopped parsley.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Remove dough from refrigerator or puff pastry from freezer 30 minutes in advance.

Fill large casserole or individuals with vegetables if you have vegetarians. Mix remaining vegetables with cubed chicken. Divide mixture evenly amongst casseroles or pour into one large one. Pour sauce over casseroles. The sauce should cover no more than ¾ of the casserole.

Divide potpie dough into quarters. Roll out one quarter at a time (for individual casseroles) on a floured surface. Roll out large piece of dough for larger casseroles. Dough should be about 1/8 inch thick. Cut pieces large enough to cover casserole and overlap about ¼ inch all around. Press dough around the top to seal. Repeat process until all casseroles are covered. (The puff pastry can be done the same way.) The covered casseroles can be refrigerated until baking time. Before baking, let casseroles return to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to: 400 F.

Take a sharp knife and lightly score tops of casseroles-making any pattern you like. Brush tops and sides of casseroles with beaten egg. Make any decorations you like with extra dough and place them on top of casseroles. Brush again with beaten egg. Place them on cookie sheets and bake 30-40 minutes or until pastry has browned.

Individial Mini Meat Loaves (recipe, meat)

2011-10-17T09:15:00.001-04:00

INDIVIDUAL MINI MEAT LOAVES M YIELD: 18-20 MINI LOAVES

This is meat loaf dressed up enough to be served at an informal dinner party.

Prep time: 30 min. Forming loaves: 20 min. Baking loaves: 45-50 min.

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

2 large onions 2 large skillets

3 stalks celery 2 jelly roll pans

4 large cloves garlic electric food processor

4 large carrots cooking parchment

8 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup soy milk

1 cup catsup

6 eggs

1 ½ cups unflavored non dairy bread crumbs

4 pounds chopped steak-ground twice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to: 350 F. Line jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
Peel onions, carrots, and garlic. Mince vegetables in small quantities in food processor. Set aside.
Heat four tablespoons vegetable oil over medium flame in each skillet. Put half the minced vegetables in each skillet and sauté until very soft. Cool slightly.
Mix the pepper, cumin and nutmeg. Divide spices between both skillets and stir well with wooden spoon.
Beat eggs lightly with catsup and soy milk. Pour some into each skillet and stir well. Add ¾ cup bread crumbs to each skillet and mix thoroughly.
Break up chopped meat into small pieces and add two pounds to each skillet. Mix thoroughly.
Gently form small loaves (with your hands) about four inches long and three inches high. Don’t pack the meat too tightly or the loaves will be heavy. Arrange loaves on prepared jelly roll pans and bake them 45-50 minutes. Serve mini meat loaves hot with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable. They are so moist, they don’t even need gravy.

Note: These mini loaves are very versatile. They also make a great lunch or picnic dish. For lunch: Allow the loaves to come to room temperature. Slice them and arrange slices attractively on a platter surrounding roasted vegetables or rice salad- or both. For a picnic: Put a couple of slices of meat loaf between two slices of fresh Italian bread with a thick slice of tomato and romaine lettuce. It’s wonderful.

Italian Almond Tart (recipe, pareve)

2011-10-17T09:05:00.001-04:00

We ate this Italian Almond Tart in Rome. They presented it with a small mallet and told us to break up the tart with it. We opt to just break it with our hands...but your family and friends might have a good time bashing it to bits :)

ITALIAN ALMOND TART P SERVES: 8

This is crunchy but still melts in your mouth oozing flavors of almond and orange.

Prep time: 15 minutes Baking time: 40-50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 egg yolk

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons cornmeal

½ teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons non-dairy margarine

4 ounces blanched almonds- toasted and chopped

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

non-dairy baking spray

EQUIPMENT

9” springform cake pan

cooling rack

DIRECTIONS

Grease spring form pan with baking spray. Set aside.
Preheat oven to: 350 F.
Mix yolk with orange rind and both extracts. Set aside.
Mix flour together with cornmeal and salt. Cut in margarine with a fork or your hands. Stir in both white and brown sugar and almonds. Add yolk mixture and add it to other ingredients with a fork. The mixture will be crumbly.
Pour mixture into baking pan and pat down as evenly as possible. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack completely before unmolding.

An Comfort Food Filled Menu for Erev Shemini Atzeret

2011-10-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

Whether you are eating home or are still eating in the Sukkah, the sudden chill in the air, while expected, makes us want to warm up with a bowl of hot soup. The Parsnip and Apple soup combines the sweetness and heartiness of a root vegetable with the tartness of the Granny Smith apple.Follow the soup with a platter of Mini Meat Loaves. Each person gets their own meat loaf: chopped meat mixed with sauteed mixed vegetables- which produces a light and delicious loaf. When served over a bed of whipped creamy Yukon Golds, there is nothing more satisfying. The acorn squash filled with ratatouille is again delicious, easy to serve and hearty enough to be a main course with the potatoes for your vegetarians. End your meal with this crunchy Almond Tart and berries and you will have eaten well.

Parsnip & Apple Soup
Mini Meat Loaves
Acorn Squash filled with Ratatouille
Whipped Yukon Golds
Italian Almond Tart
Mixed Berries

**All recipes available on the Kosher Cookbook App for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad**

Have My Salmon Croquettes (recipe, pareve) for Yom Tov Lunch in the Sukkah!

2011-10-11T09:30:00.001-04:00

SALMON CROQUETTES P YIELD: 6 CROQUETTES

Salmon croquettes are a real old fashioned comfort food but can be very versatile.

Prep time: 30 min. Frying time: 15 min.

INGREDIENTS

two 16 ounce cans salmon-drained

juice of 1 large lemon

¼ teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons parley flakes

1 teaspoon dill

4 eggs

½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs

1 cup or more yellow cornmeal

vegetable oil

EQUIPMENT

mixing bowl

frying pan

DIRECTIONS

Place salmon on a flat surface and carefully remove all the skin and bones. Squeeze lemon juice over the salmon and mash it. Add onion powder, herbs, crumbs and 2 beaten eggs. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Lightly shape mixture into 6 medium sized croquettes with your hands. (Wear gloves while doing this.)
Beat the remaining 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Pour cornmeal into another shallow dish. Dredge croquettes in cornmeal, then in egg, and then again in cornmeal. Place prepared croquettes in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Fill frying pan with enough oil to come half way up the croquettes. Heat oil until very hot. Carefully place croquettes in hot oil and fry on each side until a golden brown crust has formed. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon. Drain croquettes on paper towel. Serve croquettes hot or at room temperature with cocktail sauce or catsup. Add mashed potatoes and a steamed green vegetable and you have a terrific casual meal. Serve them as a main course for lunch or a light dinner; or make them very small and use them for hors d’oeuvres.

Coq Au Vin (recipe, meat) Makes a Great Sukkah Meal!

2011-10-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

COQ AU VIN M SERVES: 8-10

Each chicken piece is saturated with red wine and herbs and is incredibly delicious.

Prep time: Chicken- 35-45 min. Simmering time- 30 min. Vegetables- 45 min.

Chilling- several hours or overnight. Sauce: 15-20 min.

Assembly& reheating: 30 min.

INGREDIENTS

three 3 pound frying chickens-cut in joints

freshly ground black pepper

2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons non dairy margarine

3 cups low salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons tomato paste

6 large cloves garlic-peeled and crushed

1½ teaspoons crushed thyme

3 large bay leaves

2 one pound bags frozen pearl onions-defrosted

9 tablespoons vegetable oil

herb bouquet: 2 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon thyme, 8 peppercorns

wrapped in cheesecloth

2 pounds small white mushrooms

9 tablespoons flour

EQUIPMENT

6 quart Dutch oven

Large skillet with cover

whisk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to: 300 F.
Clean, rinse and dry all chicken pieces. Sprinkle chicken with freshly ground black pepper and set aside.
Melt six tablespoons margarine in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and brown them on all sides. Place each batch of browned chicken in casserole. Repeat process until all the chicken pieces have been browned. (Do not wash skillet.) The onions and mushrooms can be browned in the same pan with the chicken drippings.) Put casserole in the oven. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
Remove casserole from oven. Pour in enough wine to almost cover chicken. Add chicken stock to finish covering it.
Add tomato paste, garlic, one teaspoon thyme and two bay leaves to the chicken. Bring liquid to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover casserole and continue simmering for 30 minutes. Prepare onions and mushrooms while chicken is simmering.
Melt six tablespoons margarine and six tablespoons oil in skillet. Sauté onions over high heat until they are as evenly browned as possible. Pour in 1 ½ cups wine. Add herb bouquet. Cover skillet and simmer onions 30 minutes or until tender. Remove onions from skillet. Set aside. Do not wash skillet before browning mushrooms.
Wipe mushrooms clean. Cut off stems. Quarter the larger mushrooms and leave small mushrooms whole. Heat six tablespoons margarine and three tablespoons oil until they foam in skillet. Add mushrooms. Shake skillet until all mushrooms are coated with margarine and are slightly browned. Remove mushrooms from pan. Set aside. (You may now wash the skillet.)
When chicken has finished cooking, remove it from the sauce and set aside. Chill sauce several hours or overnight until the fat congeals at the top (Wrap the chicken well with plastic wrap if you chill it and the sauce overnight.)
Take sauce out of refrigerator and remove fat. Bring chicken to room temperature. Boil sauce down until it has been reduced by 25 %. Discard bay leaves. Blend six tablespoons margarine and flour until they form a paste. Whisk paste into the hot wine sauce. Simmer two minutes until sauce thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Return chicken to the sauce with onions and mushrooms and heat over a low flame until chicken is hot. Serve coq au vin piping hot with rice, orzo or noodles and a green vegetable.

Note: If you are a confirmed white meat eater, you will eat the dark meat when prepared like this. In addition, this recipe gets even better when prepared a day or two in advance and can be frozen. There is just no downside.

TO FREEZE: Cool coq au vin completely. Cover with waxed paper and then with heavy duty tin foil before placing in freezer.

RUGELACH: A Great Treat for After the Yom Kippur Fast (Recipe, Dairy)

2011-10-05T10:30:00.001-04:00

RUGELACH D YIELD: 24-28

They melt in your mouth.

Prep time: Dough-15 min. Chilling time: 60 min.

Rolling &folding dough: 15 min. Chilling: 20 min. Filling mixture- 5 min.

Rolling out dough & filling: 45-60 min. Baking time: 20 min.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup sweet butter-softened

3 ounces cream cheese-softened

½ cup + 3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Cream butter, cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until fluffy by hand or in electric blender.
Add salt and flour to cream cheese mixture and blend well. Remove from bowl and knead a minute or two with your hands, Wrap in waxed paper and chill one hour.
Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out until ¼ inch thick on a floured surface. Fold dough in thirds and then in half again. Repeat procedure one more time: roll out dough, fold in thirds and then in half. Chill 15-20 minutes.
Mix walnuts with cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
Preheat oven to: 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
Roll out dough into a 1/8 inch thick square. Cut out triangles about 1 ½ inches at the base. Place ½ teaspoon of nut mixture near base of triangle and roll up toward the point. Place on cookie sheet and bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on racks before serving. These rugelach may be frozen.

A Break Fast Menu for Yom Kippur: Some Ordered, Some Homemade and All Yummy!

2011-10-05T10:05:00.001-04:00

To be delivered Friday morning in anticipation of the Saturday night break fast:

A bite for hungry guests as they walk in:
A selection of cheese and crackers*
Freshly squeezed orange juice

Bagels*
Nova*
Vegetable & Scallion Cream Cheese*
Pickled Herring in Cream Sauce*

Homemade:
Chopped Eggs & Onions
Vegetarian Chopped Liver
Mandelbrodt, Rugelach, Apple cake, Fruit salad
Individual noodle puddings

Sliced Lemon Pie (recipe, pareve)

2011-10-03T09:35:00.004-04:00

SLICED LEMON PIE P SERVES: 8

Definitely more tart than sweet!

Prep time: 15 minutes + 120 minutes macerating Baking time: 25-35 minutes

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

dough for all-purpose crust rolling pin

2 large lemons 9” pie dish

2 cups sugar cooling rack

4 eggs

DIRECTIONS

Wipe off lemons. Make sure to remove all labels. Slice lemons very thinly. Remove all pits. Place lemon slices in a mixing bowl with the sugar. Let this mixture stand at least two hours.
Divide dough into two pieces- one slightly larger than the other. Roll out smaller piece on a floured surface until it is about ¼ inch thick. Carefully, lift dough and place it in pie dish. Smooth it out so there are no air bubbles. Trim overhanging dough with a sharp knife. Refrigerate until needed.
Preheat oven to: 450 F.
Beat eggs well. Mix them thoroughly with lemon sugar mixture. Set aside.
Remove pie shell from refrigerator. Pour lemon mixture into pie shell.
Roll out remaining pie dough and cover pie with it. Press the tines of a fork around the edges to seal the pie. Trim extra dough with a sharp knife. Make two slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Place pie in the oven. Reduce heat to 375 F. Bake 25-35 minutes or until crust has browned. Place finished pie on rack and cool completely. This pie is better if refrigerated before serving.

A Pre-Fast Menu for Yom Kippur from Kosher Cookbook

2011-10-03T09:30:00.002-04:00

My husband is a creature of habit, so we don't deviate much from this menu from year to year. Some years, I swipe out the Sliced Lemon Pie for Lemon Meringue...but the rest of the menu remains the same.

Melon
Matza Ball soup
Roast Chicken
Cranberry Sauce or Rhubarb with Cinnamon & Currants (rhubarb left over from summer or frozen)
Stringbeans
Tzimmis
Veg Tzimmis
Sliced Lemon Pie

My Sweet and Pungent Pot Roast Makes a Fabulous Alternative to Brisket

2011-09-26T15:37:00.000-04:00

For some reason, brisket has become the 'go to' cut of meat for festive holiday meals. I have always made my pot roast with top of the rib, which is a leaner and much less expensive cut. You have absolutely nothing to lose with this cheaper and equally flavorful option!

SWEET AND PUNGENT POT ROAST M SERVES: 8

The aroma that emanates from this dish is intoxicating.

Prep time: 25 min. Braising: 2-2 ½ hours Vegetables: 20 min. Finishing: 35 min.

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

2 Top of the Rib-trimmed of excess fat large roasting pan with cover

6 tablespoons flour large skillet

½ teaspoon black pepper oven to table serving dish

6 tablespoons corn oil

12 ounces white hot horseradish

2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce

2 sticks cinnamon

6 whole cloves

2 cups instant beef stock

1 pound frozen white pearl onions (defrosted)

2 pounds carrots

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix flour and pepper.

2. Rinse meat and pat dry. Dredge meat in flour and pepper and set aside.

3. Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Brown meat on both sides and place in roasting pan. Reserve drippings in skillet.

4. Add all remaining ingredients except for carrots and onions to meat. Bring to a boil and simmer covered 2-2 ½ hours or until meat is somewhat tender.

5. While meat is cooking, peel carrots and cut them into two inch logs. Brown onions and carrots in meat drippings. Add vegetables to meat after the first simmering. Simmer 25-35 minutes more or until meat is tender. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.

6. The next morning, remove congealed fat, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Slice meat and transfer to oven to table serving dish. Arrange carrots and onions over top and around slices. Pour sauce over all. Cover loosely with foil and reheat in 350 oven for at least 30 minutes or until piping hot.

Note: In addition to being delicious, this recipe is also versatile. Leftovers make terrific sandwiches; and also can be combined with cooked potatoes in a pre-baked pie shell to become a “pot pie”!

Spaghetti Squash Primavera (recipe, pareve)

2011-09-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

SPAGHETTI SQUASH PRIMAVERA P SERVES: 8

You will feel like you’re eating pasta but you’re not !

Prep time: squash- 45 minutes other vegetables- 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

two 4 pound spaghetti squash 2 large roasting pans

1 bunch asparagus large skillet

1 head broccoli

½ pound white mushrooms

3 multi-colored peppers

1 medium yellow squash

1 medium zucchini

1/3 cup olive oil

2 large cloves garlic-minced

½ cup pignoli nuts-toasted

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

freshly ground black pepper

6 cups tomato sauce

optional: grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Place halves, cut side down, in roasting pans. Pour in 1 ½ inches of hot water. Cover each pan with foil. Bake about 30-45 minutes or until you can make an indentation on the back of the squash with your finger. Remove squash from oven. Turn squash halves over and allow to cool slightly. Scrape out squash strands with a large fork. Set aside. (If you prefer a microwave, follow instructions that come with your oven.)
Cut off head of broccoli and separate into florets. (Discard stems.) Cut florets in half if they are very large. Rinse well. Set aside.
Break off the woody stems of the asparagus. Cut asparagus into ½ inch pieces on the bias. Rinse well. Set aside.
Rinse, core and seed peppers. Cut them into small dice.
Rinse zucchini and yellow squash. Trim ends. Cut them into medium dice.
Wipe, stem and quarter mushrooms.
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic. Sauté for one minute. Add broccoli, asparagus and peppers. Sauté three-four minutes. Add diced zucchini and yellow squash. Sauté for one minute more. Add chopped basil and nuts. Toss well. Add spaghetti squash to the sautéed vegetables and heat through. At this point, you can add tomato sauce and mix it all up together before transferring to a serving dish or you can serve hot tomato sauce on the side.

Note: Grated Parmesan cheese is delicious with this recipe if you are having a dairy meal.

A Light, Vegetarian Lunch Menu for the Second Day of Rosh Hashana

2011-09-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

This year, the second Rosh Hashana lunch precedes Shabbat dinner. I recommend a light vegetarian lunch that will allow you to still usher in Shabbat with a special meal and the ability to eat it.

Artichokes

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Poppyseed Cake with Orange Glaze

Lace Cookies: Light, Lovely, Crunchy and Perfect (recipe, pareve)

2011-09-19T10:05:00.005-04:00

LACE COOKIES P YIELD: 48

These taste like crispy caramel and look like lace.

Prep time: 20 min. Baking- 8-10 min.

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

½ cup non-dairy margarine medium saucepan

½ cup light corn syrup large cookie sheet

2/3 cup dark brown sugar-solidly packed baking parchment

1 cup flour spatula

1 cup finely chopped pecans cooling racks

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to: 325 F.
Line cookie sheet with parchment.
Put margarine, sugar and corn syrup in saucepan. Melt margarine slowly before bringing mixture to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in flour and nuts. Cool 10 minutes while batter thickens.
Scrape small amounts of batter from a spoon on to cookie sheet. Leave three inches between cookies. Bake eight to ten minutes or until cookies are mahogany brown. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool one minute before gently removing them to cooling rack. The cookies will still be flexible. They will crisp on the rack. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper between them. Do not refrigerate or freeze these cookies because they will lose their crispness.

Don’t start this recipe if you’re in a rush. Take the time necessary to bake just a few at a time and allow them to cool properly before removing them from the cookie sheet. Your patience will pay off.

What to Serve with Rock Cornish Hens? A Menu for the Second Night of Rosh Hashana

2011-09-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

I grew up having our major Rosh Hashana meals for lunch. My Father didn't and doesn't go to shul at night. No one wanted to eat so late so everyone gathered for lunch. Dinner was a snack. On the other hand, my husband does go to shul at night and feels very strongly about having his major meals for dinner.I think he also feels that if I don't have to worry about company for lunch, I might get to shul earlier.Oh well. Anyway, I used to make Roast Veal for second night because I could cook it right before dinner. Over the years, I've found that we and others are so full from the night before and lunch-no matter how light it is, that I've started serving poultry the second night as well. Once the hens have been cleaned and prepared, they can be easily roasted right before dinner. The carrot pudding can be made the day before or frozen. The pears only get better if they're made a day in advance-not frozen though. You can always opt to make your own sorbet or buy one or two of the delicious sorbets available in the market. Serve the sorbet with berries and cookies and everyone will be happy.

Mixed Green Salad

Roasted Rock Cornish Hens
Rice with Sauteed Veg & Currants
Carrot Pudding
Stuffed Cabbage

Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage
Poached Pears in Red Wine & Cinnamon
Lace Cookies

Sweet and Sour Meatballs--for Shabbat or any time! (recipe, meat)

2011-09-15T22:00:00.002-04:00

SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS M SERVES: 8

Make these meatballs a day in advance and let the flavors intensify overnight.

Prep time: 30 min. cooking time: about 60 min.

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

2 pounds chopped meat large Dutch oven

1 cup bread crumbs large mixing bowl

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon ground allspice

2 eggs

2 28 ounce cans organic crushed tomatoes

1½ cups instant/boxed beef stock

1 large onion

4 garlic cloves

¾ cup solidly packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Peel and mince garlic and onion separately. Set aside.
Pour both cans of crushed tomatoes into Dutch oven. Add ½ cup minced onion, half minced garlic, sugar, beef stock and lemon juice to tomatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer slowly while you prepare meatballs
Beat eggs in mixing bowl. Combine with chopped meat and other remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly but gently.
Shape meat into small balls taking care not to pack the meat too tightly. Carefully, drop meatballs into simmering sauce. Partially cover Dutch oven and simmer slowly until sauce has thickened and meatballs are cooked through. Test one meatball after about 1 hour. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Make the meatballs normal size and use them for dinner; make them very small and you have hors d’oeuvres.

Start your Rosh Hashana Lunch Off Bright: Green Pea Soup (Pareve Recipe)

2011-09-13T14:51:00.000-04:00

GREEN PEA SOUP P YIELD: 8 servings

This soup is bright green and really tastes like peas.

Prep time: 30-35 min. Pureeing time: 15 min. Chilling over ice: 15-20 min.

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

2 stalks celery 8 quart stock pot

1 large onion large colander

2 tablespoons olive oil electric food processor/blender

8 cups peas (fresh/frozen) large mixing bowl

8 cups pareve instant chicken broth

2 tablespoons sugar

white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Defrost and drain peas if you are using frozen ones. Rinse fresh peas. Set aside.
Clean celery, peel onion and chop them both.
Heat oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped vegetables and cook until soft. Stir often.
When vegetables are soft, add pareve broth and bring to a boil.

Add peas. Allow broth to return to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook (uncovered) about 15 minutes or until peas are very tender.

Drain peas and vegetables in a colander reserving liquid.
Puree peas in small batches, adding broth a little at a time. Pour pureed soup into a mixing bowl and place in a larger mixing bowl filled with ice or ice cold water.* Stir soup until it has cooled.
Taste soup. Add sugar and white pepper to taste. Refrigerate. Serve cold.
* Note: Don’t skip this step. The ice helps the soup retain its right green color so that it looks beautiful on the table.

An elegant Rosh Hashana Lunch

2011-09-08T09:00:00.003-04:00

This is an elegant lunch that can be prepared in advance and eaten at room temperature.

Green Pea Soup

Baked Poached Salmon

Green Sauce

Potatoes, Peppers, Tomato & Endive Salad

Onion Tart (veg alternative)

Choc-Chip Brownie Pie

Fruit Salad

**Recipes Available on the Kosher Cookbook App for iphone**

Making a List and Checking it Twice: Getting Ready for Rosh Hashana (Plus a menu for the first night)

2011-09-06T16:49:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe but Rosh Hashana is fast approaching. Despite the fact, we call it "late" this year, some advance planning makes the preparations easier.

I like to start with a check list:

1. invite guests

2. make menu

3. make separate lists for butcher, fish store, grocery store, green grocer, bakery (challah, desserts-if you don't make them yourself), liquor store (you need a lot of kiddush wine for all the holidays-buying by the case usually saves you some money)

4. any cleaning/wait staff you might need to help clean, cook, serve during the holiday season

I've got about 20 for Erev Rosh Hashana, 12 for second night of Rosh Hashana and 8-10 for each lunch. Shabbat might also be about 12 more people. Altogether, that's about 65 meals I have to organize and cook. As I've done this for 40 years, experience has taught me that whatever I can freeze in advance saves me at the end.

My Stuffed Cabbage is already in the freezer (and has been for a couple of weeks!) Chicken Soup is a traditional first course. When I have so many people, I often opt to serve a wedge of Cranshaw or Honeydew instead and save the soup for Shabbat dinner. Breast of Chicken with White Wine, Grapes & Mushrooms freezes beautifully. I add the grapes after I defrost it. Kugels of any kind freeze well. I freeze the Chocolate Cake in layers and frost it on the day I'm serving it. So,on erev Rosh Hashana, I just have to set the table, prepare apples and honey, make vegetables and cut fruit unless I just serve berries.

Menu (with Vegetarian Equivalent in parentheses)

Chicken Soup (Any vegetarian soup/melon)

Breast of chicken with White wine, Mushrooms &; Grapes (Tofu with White Wine, Mushrooms &Grapes

Stuffed Cabbage (Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage)

Asparagus

Potato Kugel

Chocolate Cake with Mocha Icing

Fruit Salad

All recipes available on the app!

Turn that Beautiful August Corn into Corn Soup!

2011-07-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

Corn Soup P Serves: 8

Combine the creaminess of pureed fresh corn, sweet onions and potato, add the bite of sautéed corn kernels and slivered shitake mushrooms and you have a spectacular summer soup. The flavors of this soup are enhanced when eaten cold so make this soup a day in advance and enjoy having one less thing to do when your company comes.
Prep time: 30 min. Cooking time: 75 min. Chill overnight
Ingredients
10 ears fresh corn-shucked
2 large sweet onions-peeled and thinly sliced
6 tablespoons pareve margarine
2 teaspoons sugar
1 large Yukon Gold potato-peeled and diced
½ cup dry white wine
2 sprigs thyme
Salt
1 pound shitake mushrooms-stemmed
1 bunch chives-minced
Equipment
Large soup pot with cover
Long handles tongs
Fine strainer
Large mixing bowl
Medium saucepan with cover
Medium skillet
Electric food processor
Slotted spoon

Directions

Fill large soup pot with 12 cups of water. Bring water to a boil and add corn to pot. Cover and boil 5 minutes. Using long handled tongs, remove corn from pot and set aside to cool. Reserve cooking water. When corn is cool enough to handle, cut off all the kernels and set them aside. Place cobs back into cooking water, cover pot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain liquid into mixing bowl and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons pareve margarine in saucepan. Add sliced onions and stir until onions are coated with melted margarine. Cover saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions have softened-about 10 minutes. Remove cover and add sugar. Stir well and cook until onions have caramelized and turned golden brown.
Remove one cup of corn kernels from the rest and set them aside. Pour remaining corn, diced potato, caramelized onions, and wine to the soup pot. Simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated. Add strained corn broth and thyme to this mixture. Cover pot and simmer until potatoes are tender-about 15 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs. Let corn soup cool about 15 minutes before pureeing it.
Using the steel knife in a processor, puree corn soup two cups at a time until it is very smooth. Pour puree into a large container. Repeat this action until all the soup has been pureed. Add salt, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until you are happy with the taste. Set soup aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon pareve margarine in saucepan (the one in which you cooked the onions is fine). Sauté reserved cup of corn kernels until they have browned. Remove them from saucepan with a slotted spoon and add to corn soup. Chill soup overnight.
Before serving soup: wipe off shitake mushrooms and slice them thinly. Melt 6 tablespoons pareve margarine in skillet and sauté mushrooms. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Rinse chives and mince them.
To serve soup: Fill soup bowl with chilled corn soup. Garnish each serving with 4-5 slices of sautéed mushrooms and a pinch of chives.

Julia Child's Chocolate Truffles made Pareve!

2011-07-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

I can't imagine what Julia would have said if she had heard that her truffles were being made with --gasp--pareve margarine instead of her beloved butter. They truly are equally delicious, but perhaps it's best that she never knew ;)

Julia Child’s Chocolate Truffles- In My Words, and Pareve Yield: about 36 truffles

The original recipe is on page 472 of Vol. Two of Mastering the Art of French Cooking

These tiny little truffles are a chocaholic’s dream. They are rich, creamy and totally delicious! An extra perk is that these are a great treat for Passover!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon espresso powder/instant coffee dissolved in ¼ cup water
7 ounces pareve chocolate chips
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
5 ounces pareve margarine
¼ cup orange liqueur
½ + cup unsweetened pareve cocoa
Equipment
Double boiler
Hand held electric mixer
Paper candy cups
Directions

Fill bottom of double boiler with just enough water so that the top does not touch water. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to a slight simmer.
Mince the unsweetened chocolate with a sharp knife and add it along with the chocolate chips and dissolved coffee to the top piece of double boiler. Insert the top into bottom of double boiler and cover. Remove cover every few minutes and stir until chocolate has melted. Beat chocolate with electric mixer until smooth. Remove from heat and continue to beat chocolate a few minutes until cool.
Cut margarine into tablespoons and beat them, one at a time, into chocolate. When you have a totally smooth mixture, dribble in the orange liqueur and beat until it is well incorporated into chocolate. Chill chocolate mixture about two hours until it is firm enough to scoop.
Pour cocoa onto a shallow dish. Separate about three dozen paper candy cups and line them up in front of you.
I’ve formed the truffles two ways. 1. Take two teaspoons. Scoop a small amount of chocolate with one and scrape it out with another. Then, mold an uneven ball with your hands and roll the ball into the cocoa. Place in a candy cup. 2. Scoop chocolate mixture with a small melon baller, scrape it out with a narrow knife, roll in cocoa and place in candy cup. I find the second option quicker, easier and neater. Keep truffles refrigerated for a few weeks or keep them in the freezer for a few months.

A Mid-Summer Soiree: Dinner Party Menu

2011-07-21T22:00:00.001-04:00

Generally, on Friday nights, I have my children and grandchildren over for dinner and, very often, it isn't until the very last minute that I know exactly who is coming and how many friends of theirs will be tagging along.

In order not to mess with my open door not-quite-empty-nest policy, I try to do the bulk of my entertaining with a few dinner parties sprinkled over the course of the year. Because they are generally not on Shabbat, my menu can be somewhat more complex and I don't have to take the constraints of Shabbat into account.

And, yes, I am known for going a little bit over the top with my menus...but when I get in the swing of making and trying out new recipes, I am often having too much fun to stop :)

This was a recent, mid-Summer soirée for a handful of couples.

Hors d’Oeuvres
Armenian Meatballs with Plum Sauce
*Mushroom & Pesto Ears
Fried Olives
White Bean Dip (pita chips, baby carrots, sliced peppers)
Preplated 1st Course
Cold Corn Soup garnished with Sliced Shitake Mushrms & Minced Chives
Salad
Radicchio leaf filled with Avocado, endive, heirloom tomatoes
Buffet
Beef Tagine
Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Grilled Peaches-Sauce in Gravy Boats
Lemon-Pistachio Rice
Roasted Potatoes
Steamed Asparagus
Dessert
Nectarine & Blackberry Galette
Rhubarb & Raspberry Galette
Chocolate Truffles, *Meringues, *Candied Orange Rind
Melon
Coffee/Tea

*recipes on Kosher Cookbook App for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

Gloria Kobrin's Cream Cheese Cake: The Creamiest Yet Lightest Cheese Cake That You Will Ever Eat!

2011-06-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

Cream Cheese Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ tablespoons sweet butter-softened
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (9+ crackers)
4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
12 ounces cream cheese-softened
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of cream of tartar
optional: 2 pints strawberries/blueberries
2/3 cup melted seedless strawberry, blackberry jam

EQUIPMENT

8 inch spring form pan*
electric blender
large mixing bowl
electric beater
pan large enough to hold 1 inch water and spring form pan
small saucepan
long spatula

DIRECTIONS

Spread butter thickly around sides of baking pan. Sprinkle sides of pan with crumbs by holding the pan at an angle and rotating it to receive crumbs. Pat remaining crumbs on the bottom of pan. Freeze pan for 30 minutes.
Separate eggs. Place egg whites in large mixing bowl and yolks in a small dish.
Pour cream into saucepan and heat over low flame.
While cream is heating, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg yolks, salt and vanilla in electric blender until mixture is smooth. Carefully touch cream with the tip of your finger. It should be very hot. Beat scalded cream into cream cheese mixture very slowly. Mixture will be thin.
Preheat oven to: 300 F.
Beat egg whites until foamy. Add pinch of cream of tartar and beat until stiff not dry. Fold whites into batter gently but thoroughly. Pour into spring form pan.
Pour enough boiling water (about 4 cups) in baking pan to reach one inch up the sides. Place filled spring form pan in water and bake 1 ½ hours. Cool 30 minutes before refrigerating for six hours.
Remove cake from refrigerator. Take a long spatula and press around the outside of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides; then push up the bottom of the pan and remove cake from ring. If a lot of crumbs remain on the pan instead of on the cake you can pat some extra graham crackers crumbs around it and no one will know. The bottom of the cake pan is another story. I find it easier to freeze the cake and remove the bottom of the pan after the cake has frozen. You can also leave the bottom on and cover it with berries.
Freezing advice: Freeze the cheese cake before you wrap it and you will preserve the smoothness of the cake. Conversely, remove the wrapping before you defrost it so you don’t put any dents in the cake.
To serve: You can serve the cheese cake plain and it will be delicious. To make a fabulous presentation cover it with strawberries or blueberries or a combination of both. Glaze the berries with melted seedless strawberry or blackberry jam and allow the jam to drip down the sides of the cake. It is stupendous!

* You can use a 9 inch spring form pan. The cake will be flatter but just as good.

A Prelude to Cheesecake: A Shavuot Luncheon Menu from Kosher Cookbook

2011-06-04T22:00:00.001-04:00

Watermelon Gazpacho*
Fried Fish with tartar Sauce*
Pasta with Cippolini Onions, Broccoli, & Parmesan
Mango, Jicama, Corn Salad*
Cream Cheese Cake*
Poppyseed Cake*
Fruit

*recipes available on the Kosher Cookbook App for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch*

It's all leading up to Chocolate Cheesecake! Another Shavuot Luncheon menu from Kosher Cookbook

2011-06-04T10:30:00.001-04:00

Cream of Tomato Soup*
Baked Poached Salmon with Green Sauce*
Avocado Salad with Jicama,Tomatoes & Olives
Spinach & Mozzarella Manicotti
Chocolate Cheesecake*
Mandelbrodt*
Fruit

*Recipes available on the Kosher Cookbook App for iPhone*

Tired of all that heavy stuff? A lovely Halibut salad for your Shavuot lunch!

2011-06-02T13:42:00.000-04:00

Halibut Salad

A very mild fish salad that gets its kick from cocktail sauce.

INGREDIENTS

3 ½ pounds center cut fresh halibut*
1 large onion
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
2 large lemons
4 large stalks of celery
1 cup or more mayonnaise
2 12 ounce bottles cocktail sauce

* Ask your fishmonger to remove the bone and tie the pieces together.

DIRECTIONS

Rinse fish. Place it in pan and cover ¾ of fish with water.
Peel and quarter onion. Add onion, bay leaf and peppercorns to water. Bring water to a boil and quickly reduce it to a simmer. You should barely see the water moving and there should be no odor at all. Poach fish until it is completely opaque. If the halibut is very thick, you should turn it over once during poaching. (Don’t worry about breaking the fish, you are going to flake it anyway.)
Remove poached halibut from liquid and place in mixing bowl. Peel off skin. Squeeze lemon juice from both lemons over freshly poached fish. Let it cool completely before flaking it.
Wash celery vigorously. Make sure to scrape out all the dirt in the veins. Dry celery stalks and dice. You should have 3-4 cups of celery. Mix diced celery with the flaked halibut. Add one cup of mayonnaise. Mix well. The salad should hold together on a fork. Add more mayonnaise if you prefer the salad to be more moist.
Line serving platter with lettuce leaves. Mound the halibut salad in the center. Decorate platter with sliced peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. Serve cocktail sauce and crackers on the side.

Exotic Memorial Day BBQ in Your Own Kitchen! Chicken, Pineapple and Snow Pea Kebobs

2011-05-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

Ever since I can remember, Memorial Day has become synonymous with barbecues. These kebobs are the perfect solution for those of us city folk without a backyard grill because can be made on a stove top grill pan! You can even make them and bring them to a friend's backyard bbq, or simply have a family barbecue in your own dining room.

Chicken, Pineapple and Snow Pea Kebobs M Yield: 30 Kebobs

Easy to make, impressive to behold and truly delicious to eat! The stove top grilling caramelizes the sugar in the pineapple and the marinade on the chicken. These kebobs can be eaten hot or room temp-the perfect lunch, dinner or picnic meal.
Prep time: 30 min. + overnight marinating Cooking time: 16-18 min. (5-6 kebobs at a time) on grill plus 20-30 min. in oven
Ingredients
3 pounds white meat chicken-cubed
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sesame oil
1 cup teriyaki sauce
8 garlic cloves-smashed
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 inches fresh gingerroot-peeled and minced
1 pineapple-peeled,cored and cut into one inch pieces
2/3 pound snow peas-trimmed
Olive oil spray
Equipment
30 eight inch bamboo skewers
Large mixing bowl
Plastic wrap
Foil
Stove top grilling pan
Pastry brush
Two oven to table serving casseroles or one large foil pan
Directions

Rinse off chicken cubes. Make sure all fat and pieces of membrane have been removed. Separate cubes according to thickness so you can place cubes of like thickness on skewers.
Mix sesame oil, vegetable oil, teriyaki sauce, smashed garlic, thyme and minced ginger in mixing bowl. Mix well. Pour chicken cubes into marinade and stir until all the cubes are covered with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Soak bamboo skewers in water for one hour before you plan to use them.
To form kebobs: Push one cube of chicken on to skewer, then pineapple, and then a snowpea. You can fit three chicken cubes on each skewer. Repeat this process until all the components have been skewered. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if you are not cooking them immediately. Reserve marinade for basting and refrigerate as well.
To grill: Spray grill pan with olive oil. Heat pan over medium high flame.
Preheat oven to: 400 F.
Brush five or six kebobs (depending on the size of your pan) with marinade. Carefully, place kebobs on grill pan. Grill about eight or nine minutes before turning kebobs over , basting them again and grilling an additional eight or nine minutes. You should see significant grill marks on the chicken and the whole kebob should look shiny and caramelized. I find the constant turning of the kebobs to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked on a stove top grill very time consuming and tiring. It’s easier to place grilled kebobs into oven to table casseroles as you finish them and set them aside until all the kebobs have been grilled. Cover them with foil and place them in oven for 20-30 minutes. Check one of the thicker kebobs to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.