Michele Shrem
We all have many recipes that we make every week. Some people I know never veer off that path, and others, like myself, are always looking for a new dish. But, with many women working in today’s world, it has been harder and harder to find recipes that are easy to shop for, very easy and quick to cook, and yet also look beautiful on the table.
There are so many recipes to be found on the internet, or passed along through friends, but it would be great to have them readily available for the coming weeks for use during special meals with the upcoming holidays approaching soon.
The recipes below all have ingredients that can be found in local supermarkets as well as in our community specialty grocery stores. They are all very easy to put together, and they all make a wonderful presentation for a Shabbat table that you can be proud of showing off to your family, friends, and guests. Some of these recipes can even be used for Passover.
Crock Pot Brisket
From Sofia Sutton
Ingredients:
- brisket
- 1 large onion
- Goodman’s onion soup mix – 1 envelope
Instructions:
- Add water about half way up in the crockpot.
- Place a crock pot liner (bag) over the water. I don’t like the Reynold’s brand liner, since it has ripped on me in the past, and then the water is able to enter the food.
- Slice one onion into rounds, and place on the bottom of the bag.
- Wash the brisket, add salt and pepper to taste, and lay it flat directly onto the onions.
- Add one cup of water and one packet of Goodman’s onion soup mix to the top of the brisket.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- This is so easy, especially in the summer months, when you don’t want to cook a roast or brisket in your oven.
Mongolian Beef
From Nathan Rudy
I make this recipe often, since it’s a family favorite. It’s a classic Chinese restaurant item, and it’s always my first choice. There are a few different ways to adjust this recipe as well, so check the notes section.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. beef tenderloin/beef chuck, cut into strips
- 1/2 tsp of meat tenderizer
- 1/2 cup cornstarch/corn flour
- oil, for deep frying
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp hoisin sauce (optional)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch, diluted in 3 tsp water
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Instructions:
- Start off by tossing the beef strips in cornstarch mixed with meat tenderizer. Make sure the strips are coated evenly. Allow it to sit for 10-20 minutes to get to room temperature.
- Deep fry the beef strips for 4-5 mins, drain the oil, and set aside.
- In a saucepan, heat oil on high heat setting. Quickly add in the ginger and garlic.
- Stir quickly for 10 seconds. Immediately add in the soy sauce, water,rice vinegar, and hoisin sauce. Bring the sauce to a quick boil.
- Add in the brown sugar and cornstarch and mix thoroughly.
- Now add in the beef strips and let cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the green onions and cook for an additional minute.
- Serve hot with rice.
Notes:
- To make this recipe spicy, I add 1 to 2 tsp of red chili flakes.
- You don’t need to marinate the beef beforehand in this recipe, unlike the
- other recipes for Mongolian beef. It’s the quickest and most delicious way of making it!
- Add an additional teaspoon of corn flour/cornstarch diluted in two teaspoons of water if you want it to be slightly thicker and stickier.
Rosemary London Broil
From Shiri Zimmerman
Ingredients:
- 2.5 lbs. of London broil
Marinade:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed (can use the frozen squares)
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions:
- Score both sides of the London broil in 2 directions, making diamond shapes in the meat.
- Mix marinade ingredients together and place meat & marinade in a gallon size Ziploc bag.
- Marinate for 2 to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to Broil. Take meat out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Remove meat from marinade and broil on both sides for 10-15 minutes, for medium rare meat. (It will cook more if re-warming lateron.)
- Baste meat with marinade while cooking and discard the rest of the marinade. Can also grill meat on barbecue.
- Slice meat thinly against the grain and enjoy!
Chicken with Caramelized Onions& Chestnuts
From Guila Sakkal
Ingredients:
- 7-8 onions, thinly sliced into crescents
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 tbsp Silan (date syrup)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2-3 packages chestnuts
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (skin-on, bone-in)
Instructions:
- In a large pan, sauté 7-8 sliced onions over medium heat until translucent.
- Add paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper, bunch of chopped parsley (or 5-6 cubes frozen), 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce, 2-3 tbsp of Silan, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Stir well and continue cooking until the onions caramelize and have a nice golden color. (Add a little water to caramelize.)
- Mix in 2-3 packs of chestnuts, coating them with the onion mixture.
- Add the chicken pieces, turning to coat them fully in the sauce.
- Cover and cook on low to medium heat for about 2 hours, allowing the chicken to release its own liquid.
- Avoid stirring – gently shake the pan or spoon sauce over the chicken as needed. The sauce should thicken up.
- Cook until most of the liquid has reduced and the chicken is tender.
Chicken & Peppers
From Michele Shrem
Ingredients:
- 4 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 peppers, one red, one yellow, and one orange
- 2 onions
- Hawaage (or, you can use soup spice)
- Salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Cut the onions and peppers into slim slices and add hawaage, salt, and pepper.
- Sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil, and then line them on the bottom of a casserole.
- Then, spice and sauté the chicken pieces on each side until browned.
- Layer the chicken on top of the onions and peppers and re-spice again. Add a little water.
- Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until done, about 30 minutes or so. Cover after 15 minutes.
Roasted Lamb (can use roast or shoulder)
From Guila Sakkal
Ingredients:
- Lamb roast
- Fresh garlic
- 2 oranges
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Salt, pepper
- Garlic powder and cumin
Instructions:
- Sear lamb roast on a hot pan (only if using roast, not shoulder).
- Make slits with a knife in the lamb and stuff fresh garlic SLICES (I make 10-12 slits) into the slits.
- In a cup mix juice of 2 oranges, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin.
- Add mixture to the lamb and marinate in a cooking bag overnight.
- Cook for 2-3 hours in the bag at 350 degrees. Poke a small hole on top so bag doesn’t explode.
- Once cool, slice up and arrange in Pyrex with sauce.
- For a side dish – serve with jasmine rice with ground beef.
Jasmine Rice with Ground Beef
Ingredients:
- Chopped Meat
- 1 onion
- Salt, pepper, and cinnamon
- Roasted, slivered almonds
Instructions:
- Sauté 1 chopped onion and 1lb of chopped meat.
- Cook until cooked through, and add 2 tbsp of water.
- Season with salt and pepper, and a dash of cinnamon.
- Add cooked rice and mix well.
- Sprinkle roasted slivered almonds on top when ready to serve.
Easy Baked Chicken and Eggplant
Rachel Mizrahi
Ingredients:
- 2 medium eggplants, sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions:
Prepare the eggplant:
- Lay the eggplant slices on a paper towel-lined surface and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.
Roast the eggplant:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit..
- Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Sprinkle with ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, and allspice. Toss to coat evenly.
- Bake for 20 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
- Season the chicken:
- In a bowl, toss the chicken thighs with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp garlic powder.
- Assemble and bake:
- In a roasting dish, arrange a layer of roasted eggplant slices.
- Place the seasoned chicken thighs on top, then cover with another layer of eggplant. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Crisp the top (optional):
- Uncover the dish and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and slightly crispy.
Serve:
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy on its own or with rice.
Stuffed Eggplant and Chicken
Yola Haber
Ingredients:
- Eggplant
- Oil for sautéing
- Chicken
- Chopped meat
- Rice
- Allspice, cinnamon
Instructions:
- Slice eggplant, sauté it, and then add to the bottom of a roasting pan.
- Make stuffed eggplant and add it to the top of the sautéed eggplant.
- Spice chicken with your choice of spices, and layer it on top of the stuffed eggplant. Cook slowly on low until golden.
Yemenite Soup
Michele Shrem
Ingredients:
- 2-3 lb. of flanken on the bone
- 3-5 potatoes (preferably Yukon gold)
- 2-3 onions
- Hawaage and salt
- Schug
Instructions:
- Fill a pot with water, add the flanken, and bring to a boil.
- Cut the potatoes up, and the onions into halves.
- Once the water with flanken comes to a boil, take a large spoon and remove the fat from the top.
- Then add the potatoes, onions, salt, and 2 heaping tbsp of hawaage.
- Simmer for one hour.
- Serve with fresh lemon and schug. Goes great with Syrian/pita bread.
Note:
You can add carrots and/or celery, although I prefer not adding.
For Passover, you can crush up matzah to add to the soup. The Yemenite soup recipe is very special to me. I got the recipe from my mother who made it for my father, may he rest in peace. The recipe was passed down through the generations, and is a family favorite. My father once admitted to me that I made it even better than my mom, and it was as good, or better than, my grandmother’s recipe. It does not have any color, or cilantro, as many of the recipes contain. However, I promise you will love it, and it is so easy to make, too! I hope you will try all of these recipes and keep me posted!