Place half of the onion slices in a noncorrosive deep roasting pan. Place the brisket, fat side up, over the onions. Pour the wine over the brisket into the pan. Sprinkle the pepper, salt and herbs over the brisket and place the remaining onions over that. Place the bay leaves in the liquid around the brisket. Cover the pan with foil to seal well. Bake in a pre-heated 275 degree oven for 6 hours or over nights. Remove the fat from the brisket and then place the brisket in another heatproof dish. Pour the juices from the roasting pan through a strainer over the brisket. At this point the brisket may be sliced or chopped as desired. Re heat the brisket to serve. If you would like to remove the fat from the liquid, cover the pan with plastic rap and chill thoroughly. The fat will harden and then easily scraped off. Then cover the brisket and re heat. Serves 8 to 12. Serve with horse radish or coarse mustard as desired.Latkes
Note: The batter must be made just before you wish to fry and serve the latkes. Once made, they will hold in a warm oven as long as 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
3 potatoes
1 onion, minced
1 Tbs. unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Steps:
- Peel the potatoes and grate with a coarse grater or shred with a food processor.
- Working quickly to prevent them from turning brown, place the shredded potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the onion, flour, salt and pepper.
- Mix in the eggs thoroughly.
- Heat 1/2" of oil in a deep, heavy nonstick frying pan or skillet to about 350 degrees. The air above the oil will appear to be wavy when the oil is hot, but it should not be smoking.
- Drop 1/3 cup mounds of the shredded potatoes mixture into the oil and flatten them into 1/2"-thick pancakes with the back of a spoon.
- Fry until brown and crisp on both sides, turning once.
Note: The latkes can be fried in batches. Place the completed latkes on a paper towel lined tray in a warm oven until all are fried.
Makes about 12 latkes; serves 6.
Noodle Kugel
Ingredients:
1 lb. wide egg noodles
3 Tbs. melted butter
2 c. small-curd cottage cheese, drained
1/2 c. sour cream
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. melted butter
Steps:
- Boil the noodles in salted boiling water just to al dente and drain in a colander. Let cool a few minutes.
- Place noodles in a mixing bowl and mix well with 1 Tbs. of the melted butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs and salt.
- Place in a buttered 9" x 13" baking dish and drizzle the remaining melted butter over the top.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until set, brown and crisp on top, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand a couple of minutes before cutting into rectangular single servings.
Serves 8.
Alternative: For a sweet kugel, add 1 cup raisins, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1 cup light brown sugar to the mixture before baking.
Apple Cinnamon Chutney
Ingredients:
4 or 5 tart apples
Juice of 2 fresh lemons
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. granulated sugar
Steps:
- Core the apples and cut them into chunks. Place in a noncorrosive 3- or 4-quart saucepan with the lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and sugar.
- Cook over medium heat until apples begin to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the apples are tender and the mixture is thick and syrupy.
- Serve warm with latkes or as a topping for ice cream or pound cake.
Makes about 4 cups.
Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Chutney
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 Tbs. kosher salt
4 tomatoes, seeded and peeled
1 onion, sliced into short strips
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tbs. coarsely ground pepper
Steps:
- Cut the eggplant into chunks and place it in a mixing bowl. Toss with the salt and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Drain off any liquid that is collected.
- Cut the tomatoes into chunks and toss with the eggplant, adding the onion, olive oil and garlic.
- Place in an even layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary and pepper.
- Place in a preheated 325-degree oven and roast until brown and aromatic. The eggplant and onion should be very tender.
- Using a silicone spatula, scrape into a mixing bowl and mix together well. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes about 4 cups.
Spring Onion Farmers Salad
Ingredients:
1 c. chopped spring onions, greens and whites
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 to 6 radishes, cut into small slices or pieces
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
3 c. large-curd cottage cheese, drained of any excess liquid
Note: This creates a lovely lunch when stuffed into hollowed tomatoes and garnished with large chilled cooked cocktail shrimp. You may also garnish this salad with chopped cucumber, avocado and fresh chopped herbs.
Steps:
- Place the onions, bell pepper, radishes and parsley in a glass or ceramic mixing bowl and toss them together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gently fold in the cottage cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.
Zucchini Gratin
Ingredients:
6 Tbs. butter
1 small onion, minced
1 or 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
About 6 c. sliced fresh young zucchini
1 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley leaf
1/2 c. fresh chopped basil leaf
1/2 tsp. crushed dried oregano or a scant tsp. fresh, minced
2/3 c. extra-dry vermouth
2/3 c. cream or milk
2/3 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. melted butter
Steps:
- Heat 6 Tbs. butter in a large, heavy, nonstick ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the zucchini, flour, salt and pepper to the pan and saute another 3 minutes before adding the parsley, basil and oregano.
- Give the contents of the pan a quick stir, then add the vermouth and cook another minute or two.
- Pour the cream over the top.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and cook a couple of minutes.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan, sprinkle over the top and drizzle with melted butter.
- Broil about 8" from the heat until golden-brown on top and bubbly around the edges, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Serves 8.
Corn Fritters* with Ancho Chile Butter
Ingredients:
2 c. canned or frozen and thawed corn kernels, drained
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 Tbs. dried Italian herb blend
1 c. breadcrumbs
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Butter for frying
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
Steps:
- Combine all ingredient except butter and parsley in a mixing bowl.
- Heat a generous amount of butter (about 6 Tbs.) in a heavy, 12" nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat until the foam subsides.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls into the butter, flattening with the back of a spoon into small irregular rounds.
- Brown on both sides and cook until done in the middle, about 4 minutes per side.
- Serve on a warm platter and sprinkle with the parsley. Makes about 16 fritters; serves 8.
Ancho Chili Butter
Ingredients:
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1 tsp. (or to taste) ancho chili powder
1 tsp. Salt
Steps:
- Blend ingredients together well. Do not overblend, or the butter will separate.
- Scrape into a ramekin and cover with plastic wrap (let the wrap touch the surface of the butter) until ready to serve. Before serving, bring to room temperature. Makes about 2/3 cup.
Salmon Frittata
Ingredients:
4 Tbs. butter
2 potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 onion, minced
6 stalks asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 Tbs. fresh dill, stems removed and chopped
6 oz. smoked salmon, cut into pieces
6 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
A few thin strips of red and green bell pepper
Steps:
- Heat the butter in a 12" ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat and brown the potatoes and onion for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the asparagus, mushrooms and dill; saute another minute or two.
- Sprinkle the salmon pieces over the top to distribute evenly, then pour the eggs over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the pan in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes, then arrange the pepper strips decoratively over the top.
- Continue to bake until the frittata has set and browned on the top, about 30 minutes total. Remove from oven and allow to stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serves 6.
Red and Green Mozzarella Caprese
Ingredients:
2 firm but ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced
3 balls (about 8 oz.) fresh water-packed mozzarella, drained and sliced
3 or 4 oz. fresh baby greens
2 Tbs. pesto sauce
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil leaves to taste
Steps:
- Arrange the tomato and cheese slices over the baby greens.
- Drizzle with pesto sauce and the balsamic and garnish with fresh basil leaves to taste. Serves 4 to 6.
Scalloped Potatoes with Black Forest Ham, Spinach and Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 c. cubed Black Forest ham
5 c. shredded potatoes
1 Tbs. Italian herb blend
1 Tbs. flour
2 oz. fresh baby spinach
1/2 c. pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. milk
1 Tbs. cream
Steps:
- Heat the butter in an ovenproof 12" nonstick heavy saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the ham, potatoes, Italian herb blend and flour to the pan. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and stir in the spinach and pine nuts.
- Add the milk and bring to a simmer.
Cook 5 minutes; then pour in the cream. - Bake for 50 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. Serves 6.
Cranberry Apple Cinnamon Crumble
Ingredients:
6 apples, cored and sliced
2 c. fresh cranberries
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
2 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. quick cook oatmeal
1 c. unbleached all purpose flour
4 oz. (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
Steps:
- Place the apples slices and cranberries in a large mixing bowl; toss first with the lemon juice and then with the 2 Tbs. flour, powdered sugar and cinnamon.
- Place the mixture in a buttered deep baking dish (about 9"x13").
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oatmeal, 1 c. flour and the butter until the texture of coarse meal. Pour in an even layer over the apple / cranberry mixture.
- Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven until golden on top and bubbly around the edges, about 45 minutes. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or nondairy topping. Serves 8.
