Marcy's Caramel Matzo Crunch

Marcy's Caramel Matzo Crunch
From A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking So busy tasting, I forgot to take a picture.

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
Rest time: 5 minutes
Chill time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients::
4-6 unsalted matzos
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup coarsely chopped semi sweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C Line a large rimmed cookie sheet (or 2 smaller ones) with foil. Cover the foil with parchment paper. This is important as the caramel mixture will be very sticky during baking.

2. Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with matzos, cutting extra pieces as required to fit any empty spaces.

3. In a 3 quart/liter heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2-3 minutes). Continue to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour over the matzos, covering them completely.

4. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F/180°C. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning. If it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325°F/160°C and return pan to oven.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate over top. Let it stand for 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate over the matzo. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes.

6. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set (about 15-20 minutes should do).

Marcy also suggests using your favorite frosting or simply dust the top with powdered cocoa or confectioner’s sugar.

Roasted Salmon with Teriyaki Hoisin Sauce

Roasted Salmon with Teriayaki Hoisin Sauce
From Rose Reisman's Family Favorites: Healthy Meals for Those Who Matter Most Served here with her lovely Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Syrup Dressing and a simple mixed green salad.

Printable Recipe

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes
Roasting time: 10 minutes per inch of thickness (Ruth’s note: I did an entire side of salmon (about 4lb/ 2kg) which took about 30 minutes. I used an instant read thermometer - 140°F/60°C)

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb/680g salmon fillet
Teriyaki Hoisin Sauce:
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
Garnish - (I forgot them this time around)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray (for easy cleanups).

2. Prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes or just until mixture thickens.

3. Arrange the salmon on the baking sheet and pour half the sauce over it. (Ruth’s note: because I used such a large fillet – the entire side of salmon – I used almost all the sauce). Bake until tender 10 minutes per 1 inch thickness or until the fish just flakes when tested with a fork. (Ruth’s note: an instant read thermometer will read 140°F/60°C).

4. Gently reheat the remaining sauce and serve over the baked salmon. Garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and parsley or cilantro just before serving.

Roasted Vegetables with Maple Syrup Dressing

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Syrup Dressing
From Rose Reisman's Family Favorites: Healthy Meals for Those Who Matter Most

Printable Recipe

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes
Roasting time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb/450g sweet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into wedges
1 lb/450g Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled & cut into wedges (I used new potatoes cut in half)
1 lb/450g butternut squash peeled and cut into 2” pieces
1 large sweet yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
2 peeled beets, cut into 1” pieces (I cut them into wedges)
Dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Garnish:
¼ cup fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanups).

2. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet(s) – don’t crowd them or they’ll just steam. Better to use two pans. Lightly coat with cooking spray (I did use about 1 tbsp olive oil). Bake until tender (usually 25-30 minutes), turning after about 20 minutes or until browned and almost tender. Transfer to a serving platter.

3. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the dressing in a small bowl. Add all the dressing ingredients and whisk. Once the vegetables are on the platter, pour the dressing over, toss and garnish with parsley.

Spicy Crab Cakes

Spicy Crab Cakes
From: The $10 Gourmet My Honey says these are awesome

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup, canned crab meat (or fresh frozen crab meat if you can find some), drained
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp liquid honey
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil

Directions
1. Combine everything BUT the olive oil in a bowl. Mix well and shape into 4 patties.
Ruth's Note: I added a step - place a layer of panko crumbs on a plate and place the delicate patties on top. Add some more panko and gently pat onto the patties.

2. Heat the oil in a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Carefully transfer the crab cakes to the pan and brown for 15 minutes, turning once.

Serve with flavored mayo (Ken suggests adding some wasabi). I served it over mixed greens with a blueberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Garlic & Basil

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Garlic & Basil
From: The $10 Gourmet

Printable Recipe

Prep & cooking time: 20 minutes (time to boil the water and cook the pasta)

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb/450g penne or farfalle (or whatever short pasta you choose)
Sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 small red (or yellow) bell pepper, chopped
4 medium shallots, chopped
Pinch of red chili pepper flakes (if you like some heat)
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
½ - 1 tsp dried basil
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup goat cheese, crumbled

Directions
1. Boil pasta in lots of water with 1 tbsp salt for time specified on package.

2. While the pasta is boiling, heat a medium sized skillet, and sauté the garlic, bell pepper, and shallots for about 2 minutes. Add everything BUT the goat cheese and continue to cook for another 6 minutes or so.

3. Drain the pasta when it’s al dente and reserve ¼ cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta to the pot, pour the sauce over the pasta and toss. Add the crumbled goat cheese and stir until melted.

Serve hot.

Honey & Red Wine Vinegar Marinated Flank Steak

Honey & Red Wine Vinegar Marinated Flank Steak
From A Year in Lucy's Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes and Memorable Meals

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours on the counter or overnight in the fridge
Grilling time: 10-12 minutes for medium rare
Resting time: 5-10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large flank steak (about 2lb/1kg) (also known as Jiffy Steak, London Broil)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp liquid honey
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1-2 tsp fresh garlic, chopped or minced

Directions:
1. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, thyme, honey and garlic in a small bowl.

2. Place the flank steak in a zip lock baggie, pour the marinade over, making sure it’s covered on both sides. Ruth’s note…unfortunately, I don’t have a bbq – and am especially missing one for this recipe. That said, my grill pan – or my Cuisinart Griddler will sear it up quite nicely. The only problem is that this time, the flank steak is too big. I cut it in half before placing in the zip lock baggie and spread the marinade over all of it.)

3. Preheat your grill – be it bbq, grill pan or griddler – and you could also do this under your broiler in the oven. Because of its size, this time I used my Griddler open and half the flank steak covered one side.

4. Grill for 4-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness (or longer if you like your meat well done). Remove from the grill and let it rest, covered with foil for 5 minutes or so before slicing across the grain.

This time I served it with mashed roasted acorn squash and a quick sautee of baby greens with a little garlic.

Spicy Beef Burgers

Spicy Beef Burgers
Adapted from Delicious - Australia

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1lb/450g ground beef
3 tbsp medium curry paste (I used rogan josh)
2 tbsp cilantro/coriander, chopped
¼ cup mango pickle, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
For the bun…
Red onion slices ( grilled mine along side the burgers on my grill pan - they caramelized and were awesome) My Honey liked his raw.
Spicy tomato relish (magazine suggestion, I didn’t have so opted for more mango pickles)
lettuce

Directions:
1. Combine ground beef, curry paste, cilantro, chopped onion and chopped mango pickle in a bowl. Form into 4 patties.

2. Preheat a grill pan or BBQ, if you’re lucky, brush burgers with a little oil (I used olive, but any vegetable oil would do). Cook for about 5 minutes per side, turning once. The burgers should be cooked through but not dried out.

Serve on buns with your favorite fixin’s.
NOTE: this would make an awesome meatloaf. Just bake at 350ºF/180°C for 45 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160ºF/71°C. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to absorb some of the juices.

Thai Chicken & Shrimp Curry

Thai Red Curry Chicken & Shrimp
Inspired by Everyday Easy: Chicken

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless and cut into bite sized pieces
4-6 large cremini mushrooms, cut in half and sliced (or just coarsely chopped)
4 tsp Thai red (or green) curry paste – for if you like things really spicy
1 can (14oz/400ml) coconut milk (I used lite)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1lb/450g large/extra large shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 scallions/green onions, green part only, cut into ¼” pieces
Handful of snow peas
Handful of Asian Greens (I forget the name, but you could see what looks like sweet pea tendrils at the ends)
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Garnish:
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and mushrooms and stir fry until the chicken and mushrooms are browned (about 3 minutes or so). The chicken will not be cooked through. Stir in the curry paste and toss to coat.

2. Add the coconut milk and soy sauce and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium low and add Asian greens and most of the scallions. Simmer, covered for about 8 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper (or more curry paste) to taste.

Serve hot, garnished with the last of the scallion greens and cilantro. It’s perfect with steamed rice to sop up all that curry.

Baked Fish Fillets in Sour Cream

Baked Fish Fillets in Sour Cream

Adapted from Creative Cooking – Fish & Other Seafood (out of print)

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Roasting time: 20 minutes or so

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1-1 ½ lb/450-650g white fish fillets (my daughter used haddock)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (the book calls for tarragon – not my favorite, use the herb you love best)
2 tbsp bread crumbs (the book calls for Italian seasoned, I love Panko)
2 tbsp butter
¼ cup Italian/flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Directions:
1. Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt & pepper.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

3. Place fish in a single layer, in a buttered shallow baking dish.

4. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, grated cheese, paprika and herb of choice. Spread evenly over fish and dot with butter.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

6. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Tilapia Chanticleer

Roasted Tilapia Chanticleer

Adapted from Creative Cooking – Fish & Other Seafood (out of print)

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 4-5 hours
Roasting time: 15 minutes or so

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets (the cookbook actually calls for haddock, but any white fish will work wonderfully)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup shallots, chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup Gruyere cheese, grated
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
¼ tsp each - dried thyme, rosemary, oregano
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt & pepper. In a small dish, combine lemon juice, shallots, mustard and parsley. Pour over fish and marinate for 4-5 hours in the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.

3. Place fish in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the top with cheese.

4. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and herbs and sprinkle over fish. Dot with butter and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets. It should be white in the center, flaky and juicy.

5. Turn the oven up to broil and continue to cook until the topping is browned. Serve at once.

Roasted Eggplant Rollups with Swiss Chard & Fresh Mint Filling

Roasted Eggplant Rollups with Swiss Chard & Fresh Mint Filling
From Bon Appetit March 2010 (better photo next time)

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Eggplant “salting” time: 30-60 minutes
Eggplant broil/grill time: 25 minutes
Final roasting time: 40-50

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants (about 2 ¼ lb/1kg), trimmed and cut lengthwise into ¼” slices
Coarse kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ -3 cups tomato sauce
1 8oz/226g fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained and thinly sliced (use Buffalo mozzarella if you can find it – definitely worth the cost)
Filling:
1 (1lb/450g) bunch Swiss Chard, center ribs removed
2 large eggs
1 15oz/475g container ricotta cheese
1 ¼ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
Pinch of salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cover the bottom and sides of 2 large colanders with 1 layer of eggplant slices in each. Sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt. Continue layering and salting until all the eggplant slices are used. Place each colander over a large bowl and let stand for 30-60 minutes. Rinse eggplant slices to remove any salt and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.

2. Preheat oven to broil.

3. Position oven racks 6” below the broiler element. Line large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange a single layer of eggplant slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Broil until eggplant slices are tender and beginning to brown. Turn at 3 minutes and continue to grill for another 3-4 minutes. Watch to make sure that the slices do not burn. Note: an alternative to using the broiler is to use a grill pan on top of the stope– or even better the BBQ.

4. Allow eggplant slices to cool before stuffing.

To prepare the filling:
5. While eggplants are draining, you need to prepare the Swiss chard. Bring a large pot of water (I use my Dutch oven) to a boil, add some salt and then the chard. Cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Drain well, rinse under cold water and drain again, pressing out as much liquid as you can. Coarsely chop the chard and then squeeze between two sheets of paper towels to get out even more liquid. The idea is to get the chard as dry as possible.

6. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Stir in the chard, ricotta, 1 cup of Parmesan, mint and black pepper. Set aside.

7. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F/175°C and prepare the baking dishes. I like to use either glass or ceramic coated cast iron dishes. For this dish I needed to use a large lasagna pan plus and 8” square baking dish as well. Lightly oil the pan(s) and place ½ the tomato sauce on the bottom.

8. Place a tbsp of the filling mixture in the center of a single eggplant slice, rolling from the narrow end to the fatter bottom and place the “stuffed” eggplant, seam side down on the tomato sauce. Repeat until all the slices are rolled. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the top of the slices and then add the mozzarella slices and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan.

9. Cover the pan(s) with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the top is brown in spots and the sauce is bubbling (an additional 15-20 minutes).

Serve hot with a salad and you have the perfect dinner.

Cavatelli Frittata

Cavatelli Frittata

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
5 rashers pancetta, chopped
2 cups (or whatever you have left) cavatelli with cauliflower
5 large eggs, beaten

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.

2. In a small, oven safe nonstick skillet, over medium high heat, sauté the pancetta until almost crispy. Add the leftover cavatelli to the pan and toss. Allow to cook for a minute to reheat. Add the beaten eggs over the contents of the skillet and cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, lifting the edges and tipping the pan so that the uncooked egg can get closer to the pan around the edges.

3 Once the edges are set and the top still moist, but no longer runny, transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the top is golden, and the eggs completely set. The top should be bubbling from the olive oil in the cavatelli.

Cavatelli with Cauliflower

Cavatelli with Cauliflower
From Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy:

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes (plus time to boil the water)
Serves 6

Ingredients:
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 plump garlic cloves, peeled and sliced (or coarsely chopped)
½ teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste (I used red chili pepper flakes)
½ cup cured black olives, pitted & coarsely chopped (my addition)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large head cauliflower, cut in small florets
1 batch (1½ pounds) Fresh Cavatelli or 1 pound dried pasta
1 cup freshly grated pecorino (or half pecorino and half Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for a milder flavor)

Directions:
1. Fill the large pot with salted water (at least 6 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt), and heat to a boil. With the pasta water at a rolling boil, drop in the cauliflower florets, and cook them for about 3 minutes, until barely tender. Drop in the cavatelli, stir, and return the water quickly to a boil. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is fully tender and the pasta is al dente (if you are using dried pasta, it will, of course, take longer). (Ruth’s note: I used dried pasta and so I cooked the pasta and the cauliflower at the same time).

2. In the meantime, our the olive oil into the skillet, set over medium-high heat, and scatter in the sliced garlic. Let the garlic start to sizzle, then toss in the peperoncino/red chili pepper flakes, olives and parsley; stir and cook for a minute. Ladle in a cup of the pasta cooking water, stir well, and adjust the heat to keep the liquid in the skillet simmering and reducing gradually while you cook the cauliflower and pasta.

3. Lift out the florets and cavatelli with a spider or strainer, drain briefly, and spill them into the skillet. Toss well, to coat all the pasta and vegetable pieces with the garlicky dressing, then turn off the heat, sprinkle over the skillet the grated cheese, and toss again. Heap the cauliflower and cavatelli in warm bowls, and serve immediately.