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| Nourish your Soul and Body with Laura Frankel's yummy kosher recipes |
 Modern Chop Suey
Chop Suey was once a Chinese dish that was made over in an effort to appeal to Western tastes. Currently the dish is passé. I am on a one-chef campaign to bring it back en vogue. What is out is in again and chop suey is no exception. I am also intrigued by the kitsch of the dish, so I offer you my chop suey makeover for your Christmas dinner.
Essential Sauce No. 1
1 cup chicken stock
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 scallions, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 star anise
2 teaspoons spicy Asian chili paste (optional)
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water
Chop Suey
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
8 ounces Chicken, turkey or beef, sliced thinly
8 ounces Fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thinly
4 ounces Oyster or other exotic mushrooms, sliced thinly
4 Scallions, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup Snow peas
½ cup Green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
Canned baby corn, drained and rinsed
Bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
1 small head of bok choy, chopped
Cilantro leaves and bean sprouts for garnish
1. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and add the dried shiitake mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger and star anise and chili paste. Turn off the heat and allow the mushrooms to soften for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Add the mushrooms back to the chicken stock mixture. Add the soy sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer.
3. Whisk the corn starch in a bowl with cold water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and allow the mixture to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a large wok or sauté pan over high heat. Add the canola and sesame oils. Add the chicken or turkey to the pan. Cook stirring frequently until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients and stir fry quickly until lightly browned, but still leaving the vegetables crispy. Add back the chicken to the pan and pour some of the Essential Sauce over the stir fry.
5. serve the chop suey over steamed rice and garnish with bean sprouts and fresh cilantro leaves.
Sufganiyot
As the holiday winds down and think you can eat one more fried delectable-I offer you these tasty and simple homemade doughnuts. They puff up light and airy making it all the easier to scarf up more! Don’t worry-there is always next week to get back on the diet. Chanukkah Sameach!
3/4 cup apple cider, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (1 package) dry yeast
4 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons canola oil
For the filling
1 cup favorite seedless jelly
sugar and cinnamon for dusting
1. Place the apple juice into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast over the apple juice. Add all of the ingredients in order with the machine running at a low speed. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic in texture.
2. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
3. Punch the dough down, Pull pieces of dough , about the size of walnuts and roll them gently into balls. Place the dough balls onto a sheet pan. Continue until all the dough is rolled.
4. Heat a saucepan with oil to a depth of 3 inches to 350 degrees. Fry the dough nuts in batches in the hot oil. When the doughnuts are completely browned and float to the top, the doughnuts are done.
5. Remove the doughnuts with a slotted spoon and drain on papertowels.
6. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a small tip, with YOUR favorite jelly. Push the pastry tip into the side of a doughnut and fill with jelly.
7. Roll in sugar and serve.
Latke Bar
I only use egg whites for my latkes. Think about it. Yolks make doughs and batters tender and cakey. I want my latkes crispy and crunch (all the better for holding up to some toppings). My latkes are crispy and stay that way longer. Save the yolks for your cakey sufganiyot.
3 cups peeled and grated Russet potatoes
1 large Spanish onion-peeled and grated
2 egg whites-lightly beaten
All-purpose flour about ¼-1/2 cup
Salt and pepper
Neutrally oil for frying-about 3-4 cups (prefer canola or peanut oil)
1. Place the shredded potatoes in a bowl of ice cold water *(this helps keep them from turning rust colored). Let the potatoes sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Fill the pan with oil to a depth of about 2 inches.
3. Remove the potatoes from the water. Squeeze as much water as possible by wrapping the potatoes in a towel. There will about a white starchy paste at the bottom of the bowl. Scoop some of the potato starch and add it to the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the onion and eggs. Add enough matzo flour to bind the mixture but not make it too firm. Season with salt and pepper
4. When the oil has reached 350 degrees, scoop the latke mixture with an ice cream scoop or large spoons and gently drop into the oil. Fry until golden brown and turn to fry the other side. remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
5. The latkes can be made several hours before serving and can be reheated in a 400 degree oven on a sheet pan until crispy. Serve with applesauce or the following recipes.
These are some great toppers for your latke bar. Have a Freylich Hanukkah!
Cured Salmon Remoulade
2 oz cured or lightly smoked Wild salmon slices-diced small
2 T. capers
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 T. prepared horseradish
1 T. fresh lemon juice
3 T. flat leaf parsley-chopped
¾ cup mayonnaise
dash of hot sauce (optional)
1. Mix all of the above ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Tapenade
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
1 T. capers
1 clove garlic-chopped
2 T. fresh lemon juice
3 T. Extra Virgin olive oil
2 anchovy filets (optional)
Salt and Pepper
1. Place all of the above ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is combined but still chunky. Adjust seasoning.
Muhummarah
This delicious Middle Eastern condiment makes a great dip, crust for fish or poultry and perfect topper for the latkes
2 red peppers-roasted
1 cup walnuts-toasted
2 T. tomato paste
¼ cup pomegranate molasses
1 cup fresh bread crumbs-left over challah is perfect
1/3 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
¼ t. chili flakes
1 t. ground allspice
½ t. ground cumin seed
Salt and pepper
1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is fairly smooth. You may need to add more Extra Virgin olive oil to adjust the consistency.
2. Place in a container and cover the surface of the muhummarah with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. The muhummarah can be kept covered for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Apple-Raisin Chutney
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds tart green apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 large garlic cloves
1 2-ounce piece fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden raisins
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
Place all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until the apples are tender and the liquid has evaporated – about 45 minutes.
TORTELLI DI ZUCCA
These fried purses are filled with pumpkin, rice and cheese. The dough and filling can be made several days ahead of serving. Once the tortelli are assembled, they can be frozen for several months. Before serving, heat your oil to 360, remove the tortelli from the freezer and fry to a golden brown. Have a Freylich Hanukkah and happy frying!
For the pastry
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg
½ cup ice water
1. Combine the flour, olive oil and salt in the food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Add the egg and water and process until the dough forms a ball. Remove the dough and knead for several minutes until the dough forms a smooth-elastic dough. Add a little four if the dough seems sticky.
For the filling
olive oil
4 leeks, white part only, minced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
½ cup COOKED Arborio rice or other risotto rice
2 large eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1. Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Sweat the leeks until they are very soft and fragrant (about 15 minutes). Add the garlic and continue cooking for 5 more minutes until the garlic is soft. Add the pumpkin puree. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool completely.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Assemble the tortelli
2 cups extra virgin olive oil for frying
Sea salt and parmesan cheese for garnish
1. Using a pasta machine or on a large work surface, roll the dough until it is very thin. Cut the dough into a rectangle about 12 X 20 inches.
2. Scoop walnut size pieces of filling and position them 1 ½ inches apart. Cut the tortelli using a pizza or pasta cutter. You should have 20 tortelli.
3. Heat at least 2 inches of extra virgin olive oil, to 360, in a deep saucepan. Fry the tortelli 3-4 at a time until they are golden brown and puffed (about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and sea salt.
Roasted Parsnip and Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
3 large parsnips (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces
Olive oil
1/2-pound Jerusalem artichokes (about 5)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 medium shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
[1/2] cup dry white wine such as chardonnay
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 cups Chicken Stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Suggested Garnishes
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts or hazelnut oil
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Drizzle the parsnip pieces with olive oil. Place the parsnips on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Transfer the parsnips to a large sauce pan or stock pot.
3. While the parsnips are roasting, peel and dice the Jerusalem artichokes. Place the pieces in a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice to keep them artichokes from turning dark.
4. Place a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Sauté the shallots until they are slightly browned and soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the wine to the pan and cook the mixture for 3 minutes. Add the wine-shallot mixture to the saucepan with the parsnips. Drain the Jerusalem artichoke pieces and add them to the saucepan. Add the thyme and chicken stock to the insert.
5. Simmer for 1 hour until the Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips are very soft.
6. Puree the soup in batches or with an immersion blender until the soup is very creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped toasted hazelnuts and a drizzle of toasted hazelnut oil. |
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