What Should I Eat? Beets

More short tidbits about “normal” food that is good for you.

We spent a day in Tel Aviv during Chol Hamoed Pesach. Just for a change of scenery, a walk along the sea and a meal in a restaurant rather than at home.

I ordered fish and an unusual-sounding salad:  Beets, walnuts and goat cheese on a bed of baby mix, dressed with a simple vinaigrette.

Wow! Beets have never topped my list of favorite vegetables, but this was a winner. I added beets to my next shopping list.

My mom made one thing with beets - cold borscht. I remember it fondly as a kid, served with a dollop of sour cream and chopped cucumber. Very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Otherwise, beets never managed to inspire me. Until I tasted this salad.

When I do cook beets, I usually roast them to preserve their flavor. Wrap them whole (cleaned but not peeled) in heavy-duty foil, place on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven at about 400 degrees F (200 C). When they're done, cool and peel.

Steaming is an even quicker way to cook beets. Use a steamer basket on the stovetop or a baking dish with a few tablespoons of water in the microwave. First trim and peel the beets with a vegetable peeler. Cut them into wedges, cubes or slices, about 1/2 to 1 inch (1 1/4 to 2 1/2 cm) thick. Steam them for 10-15 minutes on the stovetop or 8-10 minutes in the microwave.

Half a cup of beets has 29 calories, 2 grams of fiber and nearly 20% of the daily value for the B-vitamin folate. Their gorgeous color comes from betanin, a phytochemical that may bolster the immune system.  They also contain heart-healthy antioxidants and the powerful cancer-fighting agent betacyanin.

 

 

It's Israel's 61st Birthday!

Celebrate with family. Celebrate with a picnic. Celebrate in the park. Celebrate with friends. Celebrate at home. Celebrate at the Beit Knesset. Celebrate with a barbeque. Celebrate in your community. Celebrate!

!  חג עצמאות שמח

Pizza Part II

Our very favorite pizza is home-made. It takes some time to get everything together, but you can do it in stages. Make the sauce a day or two in advance. Roast or sauté the vegetables ahead of time. Then put it all together when the crust is ready.

Pizza crust is easily made in a bread machine or food processor. You can make your own pizza sauce (recipe below), buy ready-made sauce or simply brush the crust with olive oil or pesto.

You’re in control of the toppings and cheese. I suggest using lots of vegetables (see the suggestions below) and a small amount of flavorful cheese.


A baking stone (a special ceramic stone that can be put into your oven) is optional, but it helps make an especially crisp crust.

Pizza Dough

This recipe makes two thin-crust pizzas, 12-14” (30-36 cm) or one thick crust pizza. If you want, you can refrigerate all or part of it for a day or freeze it for a month. Package it in a freezer bag and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.

1 1/3 cups water (room temperature)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ cups all-purpose white flour
1 package (2 ½ teaspoons) dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Bread Machine Instructions

Put all of the ingredients in the pan following manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the dough (or pizza dough) cycle. The dough should be soft.

Take the dough from the pan (divide it now if you plan to use only half) and knead it gently into a disk gently on a lightly floured surface. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

Food Processor Instructions

Insert the metal blade and place the dry ingredients in the bowl of the processor. Mix the water and oil together and pour it through the feed tube until the mixture forms a soft ball. Knead in the processor for a few minutes.

Remove the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled. Portion it and continue with directions from above.

If you’re using a baking stone, put it on the bottom shelf of the cold oven now. Preheat the oven to 475 Fahreinheit (245 Centigrade).

Roll out the dough on a lightly oiled pan, using your fingers to push the dough gently into the corners of the pan.

Spread the tomato sauce on the dough and then arrange your choice of toppings.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is brown and crisp.

Sprinkle on grated cheese and return it to the oven for another minute or to, until it melts.


Pizza Sauce

This is an easy sauce made with ingredients on hand. If you don’t have the exact type of canned tomatoes called for, be flexible – use tomato sauce or cut-up whole tomatoes instead.


Olive oil
1 small (or ½ large) onion, diced
1 whole clove garlic, peeled
1 small can (400gm/15 oz) diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 small container or can (100 gm/6 oz) tomato puree or paste
½ teaspoon dried oregano

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and whole garlic and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes, puree and oregano and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes. If need be, add water to thin the sauce, or cook longer to thicken it if it’s too thin. Remove the garlic clove before using.

Topping suggestions:

Sautéed onions, mushrooms, grilled eggplant, zucchini, black or green olives, thinly sliced tomatoes, cherry tomato halves, red, yellow or green peppers

Cheese:

A small amount of flavorful cheese compliments, rather than overwhelms the vegetable toppings. Use grated mozzarella, parmesan, Bulgarian or other cheese of your choice. By sprinkling on the cheese at the end, it stays soft and creamy.

Pizza Part I

Just before Pesach. Just after Pesach. What's better than eating pizza?

Pizza has a bad name. Loads of goopy, greasy cheese and a thick white-flour crust means lots of calories, fat and cholesterol and little in the way of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

But we all love it. And it doesn’t have to be bad. In fact, if your favorite take-out pizza place is flexible, you can order pizza that’s good for you.

Every now and then our family orders pizza from a store here in Beer Sheva. We like their thin, crisp crust and fresh vegetable toppings. It’s not greasy, delivery is quick, and they are very polite.

When we get past the delivery details, the phone conversation goes something like this:

Me: “I’d like eggplant, onions, tomatoes and black olives. And no yellow cheese, please.”
Young man at the pizza store: “Excuse me?”
Me: “Just a very small amount of Bulgarian (hard white) cheese.”
Young man: “O.K. Yellow cheese plus Bulgarian cheese.”
Me: “No, just Bulgarian cheese. And only a little.”
Young man: “Are you sure? You know it costs the same.”
Me: “Yes, I’m sure. And I don’t want the soft drink.”
Young man: “But it comes with it. You’re paying for it anyway.”
Me: “Yes, I know. Send a bottle of sparkling water instead.”
Young man: “I don’t think we have any.”
Me: “No problem. We’ve got plenty of water at home. Just send the pizza. And please, be sure to leave off the yellow cheese.”

It may take some effort to get what you want, but it’s worth it. So go ahead and order a pizza once in awhile. Eat just a few slices and enjoy.

And don’t be shy about special requests!

Dust Is Not Chametz!

Seems logical, right?

In Beer Sheva we know from experience.  Here in the desert we inevitably get a dust storm before Pesach – just as we've finished our major cleaning. (The photo is of an actual dust storm approaching Beer Sheva.)

Don't let yourself get caught up in "spring cleaning" mode. Of course we all want a clean house, but the whole idea at Pesach is to eliminate chametz.

While you're getting rid of bread crumbs, take a moment to think about the spiritual dimension of Pesach cleaning. Judaism teaches that spirituality comes from the holiness hidden within the mundane. Including the mundane chore of cleaning.

So ridding your house of chametz might also mean trying to rid yourself of unwanted habits and behaviors. 

And there's the comparison of chametz (bread made fluffy with air) to a bloated ego:  self-importance that's nothing more than hot air. Cleaning for chametz reminds us that we all could use a little "inner cleaning" of the soul.

With best wishes to all of my readers for a happy, healthy and relaxing Pesach!

 

 

Braised Carrots and Fennel for Pesach

These vegetable recipes use a technique called braising – first you sauté the vegetables in oil and then add a small amount of liquid to finish the cooking. The result is a crisp-cooked vegetable in a flavorful sauce.

Sweet and Sour Braised Carrots (Parve)

This recipe (and the fennel recipe that follows) uses a technique called braising – first sauté the vegetables in oil and then add a small amount of liquid to finish the cooking. The result is a crisp-cooked vegetable in a flavorful sauce.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds (1 kilo) carrots, sliced diagonally

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup unsweetened grape juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the carrots and cinnamon and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Add the juice, vinegar, water, salt and pepper to the carrots and mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Italian-Style Braised Fennel (Parve)

3-4 fennel bulbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup water

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Trim the root and stem ends of the fennel. Remove any tough outer leaves. Slice the fennel in half lengthwise, remove the core, and rinse well.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and then add the fennel in one layer. Cook the fennel until it turns golden brown, turning occasionally. Add the water (it should barely cover the fennel) and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the water to a gentle boil and cook, uncovered, until the fennel is tender and most of the water has evaporated.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6 

Passover Cookies and Cake

Here are two Pesach dessert recipes that use heart-healthy nuts.  

Turkish Walnut Cookies (Parve)

2 cups walnut pieces

½ cup sugar

1 egg

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C)

Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until it forms a firm paste.

With wet hands, form the mixture into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls. Arrange on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball with your moist fingers.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they just begin to brown. Remove them from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 25-30 cookies

Italian Chocolate Almond Cake (Parve)

If you can’t get kosher-for-Pesach unsweetened chocolate, use dark bittersweet chocolate instead.

1 cup whole almonds (with skin or blanched)

2 ounces (200 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup sugar, divided

7 egg whites

Pinch of salt

Line the bottom of a 9 “ (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Oil the sides of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Combine the almonds, chocolate and ½ cup of the sugar in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. (Don’t grind them into a powder.)

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until they form soft moist peaks.  

Gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff but not dry.

Gradually fold the chocolate and nut mixture into the egg whites, until thoroughly mixed.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and firm. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out dry.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa.

Serves 10-12