Cauliflower – Vegetable, Pasta Sauce or Soup (Parve)

I like cauliflower. Not just because it's one of those good-for-you cruciferous vegetables that dietitians rave about. I find it visually attractive, tasty and very versatile. If you need convincing, here's an easy and delicious recipe.

Use half a cup of broth and serve as a vegetable. More broth turns it into pasta sauce. Add the full amount and you have soup. Serve with a sprinkling of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, if you'd like.

By the way, this technique works well with broccoli too.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 medium head cauliflower, separated into small florets

½ to 4 cups vegetable broth (homemade is best; find out how)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté or saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cauliflower and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower begins to soften. This should take between 5 and 10 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, salt and pepper. (See instructions above for the amount of broth to use.) Bring to a simmer and cook just until the cauliflower is just tender. Don't let it get mushy!

Grains and Beans Made Easy

I’m a big fan of whole grains and beans. They're full of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and protein. They're a great source of fiber – a nutrient that most of us don't get nearly enough of. They're low-fat, salt-free, vegetarian and parve. They're versatile and they're delicious.

But most people stay away from them. They take too long to cook. They need to be pre-soaked. How many of us have time for that?

Thanks to the Israeli company Sugat, it's now easier than ever to eat grains and beans. Their "10-minute Collection" includes six mixes that take just 10 minutes to cook. They include grains like barley, spelt, rice, kasha and kamut as well as red, yellow and brown lentils and split peas.

How can whole grains and legumes cook in just 10 minutes? Sugat has done a little pre-cooking for us. All you do is bring some water to a boil. Add the mix and cook for 10 minutes. (I tried the Five-Grain Blend and found that it cooked to my liking in just 7 minutes.) Drain the grains and serve.

The possibilities are endless: Patties, pies, salads, soup, side dish or main course. I added vegetables an egg and cheese and used it to stuff red peppers. The next day I heated the leftovers with milk and cinnamon and enjoyed it as a breakfast cereal. The (English) website has lots of yummy sounding recipes for inspiration.

Look for these mixes in (Israeli) grocery stores near the packaged rice, grains and beans.

Soup and Cornbread in the Sukkah

Soup and quick breads - breads made with baking powder or baking soda rather than yeast, are a great lunch or dinner choice during Sukkot. You can prepare soup ahead of time and make the bread just before dinner. The beauty of quick breads is that they really are quick - you can mix them together in less than five minutes!

Here's a quick cornbread recipe. Try it with Red Lentil Soup for a delicious warm meal in your Sukkah. Chag Sameach!

Buttermilk Cornbread (Dairy)

¾ cup cornmeal

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Line a 9 “(23 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Using the same whisk beat the eggs slightly and then mix with the oil and buttermilk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just to combine.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6-8 servings

Vegetarian Pasta Recipe

Here's a light vegetarian recipe using summer zucchini. It makes a good weekday entree during the period before Tisha B'Av, when it's customary to not eat meat.

From Food for the Soul - Traditional Jewish Wisdom for Healthy Eating, Gefen Publishing House

Pasta with Zucchini Sauce (Dairy)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, minced

5-6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

2 cups non-fat or low-fat milk

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

freshly ground pepper

1 pound whole-grain or regular pasta tubes or spirals

Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring until slightly soft.

Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered over very low heat, until most of the milk has evaporated, stirring the mixture occasionally so that the bottom of the pan does not burn. Allow up to an hour of cooking for the milk to cook down with the zucchini into a sauce.

When the sauce is about half cooked, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta. Drain the pasta, rinse, drain again and set aside.

Add the cheese and ground pepper to the cooked sauce and mix with the pasta.

Serves 6-8

Rx for Israeli Tofu

I'm not one to complain about what's lacking in Israel. I don't miss canned cranberry sauce or pumpkin. Graham crackers would be nice, but I can do without them.

It seems to me that we have the widest selection of deliciously fresh, healthy kosher foods than anywhere else in the world.

I just have one minor gripe – Israeli tofu.

Perhaps I was spoiled living in Portland, where we had a choice of several brands of kosher tofu. One Vancouver company produced an especially soft and delicate tofu that was wonderful in miso soup. It also worked beautifully for parve chocolate mousse.

If you've cooked with Israeli-made tofu you know what I mean when I say that it's as dense and hard-as-a-rock. And I've tried every brand. There's one labeled "Japanese Style". How exciting – soft tofu at last! But it's the same as the rest.

My friend Shimron (A talented chef who made aliyah from Portland) heard my complaint and came to the rescue.

Here's his Rx for Israeli tofu:

Rinse the whole piece of tofu and steam it over water for 5-10 minutes. (I use a small bamboo steamer basket, but a metal steamer works just as well.)

Remove it to a cutting board and cool slightly. Cut it into square or oblong shapes and marinate it * for several hours.

That's it. Now use it in your favorite tofu recipe.

* The marinade is your choice. Keep it simple with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Add ginger and/or garlic. Or go with olive oil and herbs. It just depends on what you plan to do with the tofu.

Zucchini Leek Casserole

The tradition of eating dairy foods on Shavuot has a number of explanations. Here's one of our favorites:

Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropol notes that the numerical value (Gematria) of the Hebrew word for milk is 40, corresponding to the 40 days that Moshe spent on Mt. Sinai.

This is a delicious dairy casserole to enjoy during Shavuot. You can make it in the morning, refrigerate it and then bake it just before dinner. Or prepare it ahead of time and reheat it on the plata.

Zucchini Leek Casserole (Dairy)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds (1 kilo leeks), trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 pound (½ kilo) zucchini squash, coarsely grated

1 cup crumbled low-fat feta or Bulgarian cheese

1 cup shredded kashkeval, Jack or other mild yellow cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill

½ to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the cheese)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they just start to soften. Add the zucchini and stir. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not mushy. If necessary, add a bit of water to prevent sticking.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cheeses, dill and salt (start with the smaller amount). Taste for salt. Add the eggs and mix everything together.

Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick spray or coat it with olive oil. Pour in the vegetable mixture. Drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown and firm.

 

Shavuot

I feel as if I've been cooking non-stop since Pesach, much like the holiday cycle from Rosh Hashanah to Sukkot. 

But Shavuot seems different. It's the last holiday before the long, hot, holiday-free summer. And since we eat mainly vegetarian and dairy meals most of the year anyway, it's easy to come up with a menu.

The only issue is cheesecake.

Mention cheesecake and everyone has an opinion. Some like it rich and dense while others want it light and airy. Some insist on full-fat cream cheese, while others like ricotta, white cheese or yogurt. So many variations!

I do enjoy cheesecake, though I don't make it often. My preference is for a not-too-sweet lemony ricotta cake, with a slightly crunchy crust.

My after-Pesach refrigerator inventory included a number of un-eaten cheeses close to expiration date. A pre-Shavuot cheesecake experiment came to mind.  I don't usually experiment with baking, but I looked at a few recipes and gave it a try. My formula was 1 egg for each cup of soft white cheese. 

The crust is dependent on whatever cereal we have. Cheerios, puffed rice and bran flakes all work well. Throw a cup or so into the food processor bowl along with a handful of walnuts and a dash of cinnamon. Process into crumbs and add just enough canola oil to keep it together. Press it into an 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan.

Rinse out the processor bowl and put in the cheese. I used:

1 container 5% cottage cheese

1 container 5% "Ski" cheese (soft white cheese)

½ small log of soft goat cheese

1 container 0% plain yogurt

Zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup sugar

Process the mixture until smooth and taste it for sweetness and flavor. Then add:

3 eggs

Process again to blend everything together well.

Pour the cheese mixture into the crust and bake at 325 F (165 C) for about an hour, or until it's firm. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in for another half an hour. Remove it to a wire rack to cool completely and then refrigerate.

 

 

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.

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 

Yes You Can! Home-Made Pudding

Pudding mix is so easy – just add milk and cook.

With basic ingredients in your pantry, you can make it almost as fast as with a mix. After all, pudding is just milk thickened with cornstarch, sweetened with sugar and flavored with vanilla or cocoa. What’s hard about that?

Cook it in the microwave to make it even faster.


Quick and Easy Microwave Chocolate Pudding (Dairy)


This recipe should convince you that homemade pudding can be quick, easy and delicious. It’s less sweet (and less expensive) than store-bought varieties. You can make it parve with unsweetened soy, almond or rice milk if you’d like.


3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

2 cups nonfat or low-fat milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Put the cornstarch, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Mix the ingredients together well with a whisk. Slowly mix in the milk, using the whisk to keep the mixture smooth and free of any lumps of cocoa. Stir in the vanilla.


Cook in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove and whisk the mixture until smooth. Return to the microwave and cook on high for 2 to 5 minutes, until it comes to a boil and thickens.

Pour the pudding into individual serving dishes or one serving bowl and refrigerate until cold.


Serves 4 to 5

Happy Purim!

Here are two recipes for your Purim repertoire.

First, an easy vegetarian main course that Queen Esther might have enjoyed. And then, cupcakes that go together in a snap. Great for dessert or to include in mishloach manot.

Enjoy and have a Chag Sameach - A Happy Purim!

VEGETABLE STEW WITH GARBANZO BEANS (PARVE)

1 cup water
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½ “thick diagonal slices
3 to 4 zucchini cut in half lengthwise and sliced ½ “ thick
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14 to 15 oz / 400 gm) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 can (15 oz / 400 gm) garbanzo beans
1/3 cup raisins
½ teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the carrots and water for in a covered saucepan for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for about 3 minutes, until just tender. Remove the vegetables from the broth and set aside. (Use the broth for a soup or sauce.) When the saucepan is cool, dry it with a paper towel.

In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for a few minutes. Stir in the garbanzos and raisins and simmer another few minutes. Add hot sauce, zucchini and carrots and simmer a few more minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serves 4-6

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES (PARVE)

These cupcakes are quick and easy to prepare. Instead of using full-size muffin tins, I like to bake them in mini-muffin tins for mishloach manot.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
½ cup sugar
½ cup molasses or silan (date honey)
½ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder, dissolved in
½ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C).

Line 16 muffin cups (regular size) with paper liners.

Sift or whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices and set aside.

Beat together eggs just to mix. Add the sugar, molasses and oil and mix. Mix in dry ingredients and coffee. The mixture will be thin.

Pour the batter into the muffin cups. (You can do this easily with a glass measuring cup.)

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until cakes spring back when gently touched. Remove cupcakes to a rack to cool.

Makes 16 regular size cupcakes and 32 or more mini size

Yes You Can! Soup Stock

Is dry soup powder one of your pantry staples? Do you know what’s in it?

Here’s the ingredient list of chicken-flavor parve soup powder: salt, sugar, starch, vegetable fat, anti-caking agents, dehydrated vegetables, spices and flavorings. A cup of liquid broth made with dry soup mix will add about 1000 mg of sodium to whatever you’re cooking.

Do you know that home-made stock can be made in a snap with ingredients you probably have in your refrigerator? With a fraction of the salt and loads more flavor.

Here’s how:

Roughly chop up an onion, a carrot and a stalk or two of celery (including leaves). Sauté the vegetables in a little canola oil for about 10 minutes, until soft. It’s o.k. if they start to brown. Add a few cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add other vegetables and herbs if you have them. Good additions to soup stock include zucchini, winter squash, parsley root or leaves, bay leaf, tomato, leeks, potatoes and garlic. Just wash, trim and add it to the pot. Add water to more than cover the extra vegetables.

For extra-speedy, really in-a-hurry stock, don’t sauté the vegetables. Just simmer a chopped onion, carrot and celery in water for 10-15 minutes.

Yes You Can! Piecrust

Ready-made piecrusts usually contain saturated fat, sugar and excess salt.

Why not make your own from healthy canola or olive oil and a bit of flavorful whole-wheat flour?
It’s really not that hard. It’s also tasty, healthier and less expensive.

Here are two recipes to get you started.

For the first, you don’t even need a rolling pin. Just mix the ingredients together right in the pan. What could be easier? Use it for dessert or savory pies and quiches.

Plan ahead for the second recipe, as the dough needs to “rest” for 30 minutes before you roll it out. It’s great for rustic-style vegetable pies.

NO-ROLL PIE CRUST (Dairy or Parve)

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
¾ teaspoon sugar (for a sweet pie)
¾ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons milk (dairy or soy)

9 “(23cm) pie plate

Whisk together both flours, sugar (if using) and salt right in the pie pan. Mix the oil and milk together. Add them to the flour mixture in the pie pan and mix with a fork or your fingers. Add more milk, if necessary, until the dough holds together.

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan and even-out the edges.

To pre-bake: Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C). Place a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper over the dough and fill it with dry beans. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C), carefully remove the beans and foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Or fill the crust with your favorite filling and bake as directed in your recipe.

Makes one 9” (23cm) crust


SEPHARDIC PASTRY DOUGH (Parve)

¼ cup water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ - ½ cup all-purpose white flour

Combine the water, oil and salt in a bowl. Stir in the whole-wheat flour. Gradually add enough of the white flour to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead gently in the bowl and shape into a disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C)

Generously grease a 9” (23 cm) pie pan with cooking oil spray. Roll the dough into a round to fit the pan. Fill with your favorite filling and bake until the filling is set and the crust is brown.

Makes one 9” (23 cm) crust

Kitchen Helpmates

With quality ingredients, I can whip up a good meal with a sharp knife, cutting board and decent cooking pans. But I also enjoy the convenience of electric appliances.

My food processor makes fast work of pureed vegetables, cookie dough and grated carrots. The mixer comes out for cakes, especially those with whipped egg whites.

I use the microwave for re-heating leftovers, making a quick white sauce, gently melting chocolate and cooking winter squash and eggplant. Chocolate pudding, one of our favorite treats, (see the recipe below) takes five minutes to make in the microwave.

I also rely on three specialized kitchen appliances: a bread machine, rice-cooker, and an immersion blender.

With a bread machine it’s easy to make whole-wheat challah, artisan-style semolina and multi-grained loaves, pizza and focaccia. Just put all of the ingredients into the pan, check for proper consistency and let the machine run. I often make challah dough on Thursday and refrigerate it overnight in a plastic bag. First thing Friday morning, I braid the dough, let it rise and then bake it.

An electric rice-cooker cooks more than just rice. Wheat berries, bulgur, barley, kasha, quinoa, millet, couscous and polenta turn out perfect in the rice cooker. Some grains require a pre-soak, but for most, just measure the grain and water into the pan, turn on the machine and walk away. It’s a no-fuss way to prepare nutritious whole grains.

We eat a lot of soup, and our hand-held immersion blender is especially helpful for pureeing it. Before discovering this handy device, I would pour hot soup into the food processor, only to watch it overflow into a big mess. With an immersion blender, you can puree the soup while it’s still hot in the pot. And if you like creamy soup without the cream, this is the way to make it.

Here are two "appliance" recipes – paella in the rice cooker and soup pureed with an immersion blender.

Vegetable Paella in the Rice Cooker (Parve)

I’ve adapted this recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook (Hensperger & Kaufmann, Harvard Common Press.) Although many of the recipes in the book are not kosher or use dairy products, I still find it a very useful cookbook.

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced onion
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika (sweet, hot or smoked)
1 medium-sized zucchini, cut into small cubes
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or ½ cup canned diced tomatoes, drained)
1 ¼ cups Arborio (medium-grain Italian rice)
1 ¾ cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon salt
A few threads of saffron, crushed (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ frozen petite peas

Turn the rice cooker on to the quick or regular cycle) and put the oil into the cooking pan. When it’s hot, add the onion and red pepper. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, oregano, paprika, zucchini and tomatoes. Close the cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice, broth, salt, saffron and a few grinds of pepper. Close the cover and reset the machine for the regular cycle.

When the cycle is finished, scatter the peas on top of the rice. Cover the machine and let sit for 15 minutes to steam the peas. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Serves 4


Butternut Squash Soup (Parve)

This is a very basic soup, so dress it up to your liking. Add grated fresh ginger, curry powder or baharat spice when you’re sautéing the vegetables. Or keep it basic and garnish each bowl with flavored croutons or toasted pumpkin seeds.

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
4 cups cubed butternut squash
1 cup diced carrot
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the squash, carrot and onion and cook until the vegetables are soft and just starting to brown. Stir in the broth and season with pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are completely soft, 30-45 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender and taste for salt.

Serves 6-8

What Should I Eat? Whole Grains

Here's another in the series "What Should I Eat?" Each post is about "normal" food that is good for you. Nothing exotic or expensive - I promise.

Whole Grains

Think whole grains for healthy wholesome eating. Chock full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, they’re low in fat and high in taste.

Try bulgur, cracked wheat, barley, millet, quinoa and brown rice. Our current favorite is farro – an heirloom strain of wheat that we first tasted in Tuscany. Chewy, soft and mild, it’s easily digestible and cooks faster than whole wheat berries. It makes a lovely summer salad and a tasty side dish to fish and poultry.

Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice. But if you don't have a full 45 minutes or so to cook it, you can plan ahead with these two "short-cuts".

1. Soak the rice (1 cup rice, 2 ¼ cups water) for an hour or so before cooking it. This also works if you’re using a rice machine.

2. Parboil the rice: Boil 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot. Add 1 cup of rice. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain. Use it now in your favorite white rice recipe, or store it in the refrigerator and use it within a few days.

After The Fog of War

Three weeks of being on high alert took its toll. On the one hand, I felt super alert, ready to run at the first sound of a siren. On the other, I felt foggy-brained and unable to concentrate. Multi-tasking was out. Curling up on the couch with a book was in.

We’ve been rocket-free for several days now in Beer Sheva, and the city is slowly coming back to life. I saw a few children out playing today. The buses were fuller, the shops busier. Schools are re-opening tomorrow.

I’m getting back on track as well. I woke up energized and started working on neglected laundry, sewing repairs and a clean sweep of the refrigerator.

Among my findings were leftover mashed potatoes and a bit of salvageable fresh dill: I’ll add a can of salmon and an egg and make salmon patties for dinner.

What about that pitcher of fresh lemon juice my husband squeezed a few days ago? I’m thinking of making lemon curd, that tart and tangy spread that’s especially popular in Great Britain. Traditionally it’s made with butter and egg yolks, so it’s high in fat and cholesterol. But this recipe cuts out the butter altogether and uses whole eggs instead of just yolks, so it’s more like a thick sauce or custard. Serve a spoonful over fresh fruit, berries or sponge cake for a special Shabbat dessert.

Lemon Sauce (Parve)

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon

Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and heat it to a simmer.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until they’re slightly frothy. Whisk a little of the hot lemon mixture into the eggs, mixing constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking it in carefully and stirring constantly with the whisk. Cook the mixture, whisking it all the time, until it begins to simmer. Cook for another minute.

Pour the lemon cream through a fine strainer set over a bowl. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest and let cool.

Refrigerate in a covered container.

Makes about 1 ½ cups

Missiles are flying and food is still on my mind

I’d like to think that we won’t have to get used to this.

Pillows, blanket, radio (and now a teddy bear for our granddaughter) on the floor in the hallway - our “safe” area.
Flashlights strategically placed around the house.
The light left on all night and the front door we leave unlocked, just in case.

Will I get used to watching T.V.?

Except for an occasional cooking show or movie classic, television never held my interest. I’m much happier reading a good book or listening to music. But here I am now, checking every few hours for news updates.

After this morning’s news, I happened on a lesson broadcast for high school students in the south, where schools are still closed. The teacher was contemporary Israeli author Meir Shalev. His subject – King Saul, David and Goliath (Samuel I). How interesting to hear his thoughts on the Tanach delivered in eloquent literary Hebrew.

He encouraged the students to think about contemporary leaders in light of biblical heroes. How does charisma influence leadership? Can young people contribute creative solutions to the tough problems we face today? He stressed the importance of thinking “outside of the box”.

At the end of his lecture he took a slingshot out of his pocket and began to demonstrate David’s technique in his match with Goliath.

At which point my mind wandered to Shalev’s novel that I’d recently read in translation - “Four Meals”. His story revolves around four gourmet meals eaten by the narrator. Ah yes, it was back to food for me ….

Remember those garbanzo beans I was cooking the other day?

My husband and I collaborated on this delicious meal. It's not a formal recipe. There are no measurements. Just these general guidelines:

Whole Chomous and Eggplant (Parve)

1. Pre-soak and then cook a cup or two of garbanzo beans (chick peas, chomous). When they are nearly done, season with salt to taste and cook them a little more until they’re very soft. There should be a little cooking liquid left. Add a tablespoon or so of extra-virgin olive oil to the beans.

2. While the beans are cooking, grill an eggplant or two until the skin is charred and the inside is completely soft. Slit the eggplant with a sharp knife and let it drain in a colander.

3. Chop the cooled eggplant coarsely. Season it with techina (Especially easy with more liquid pourable techina sold here.), salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Garlic is good too.

4. Toast a handful of pine nuts in a small dry skillet.

5. Put the warm garbanzo beans into a serving bowl or arrange them on a platter.

6. Spoon the eggplant on top of the beans. Sprinkle with a little sumac (or paprika) and then with the pine nuts.

Enjoy!

Comfort Food

We live in Beer Sheva. As of last night, we are officially in a war zone. Several missiles launched from Gaza have landed here. Schools are closed (One missile hit an empty school building this morning.) and many people are staying close to home. Thank God, there have been no injuries so far.

Otherwise, life is fairly normal. The man from the gas company brought our new gas canister and UPS was just here to pick up a package. Even Teva Ha’bsor, our organic produce provider, which is very close to Gaza, is open and working. Their plan is to deliver tomorrow, as usual.

During times of stress, many people turn to food for comfort. It’s understandable. Anxiety and fear affect our physical as well as our mental health. Some people lose their appetite. Others feel like eating more. Many of us crave something soothing, like ice cream, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and chocolate.

Everyone has their favorites. For me, it’s soup. Right now I want something warm, creamy and satisfying. I don’t want to fuss around a lot in the kitchen. And I want to use what’s already in the refrigerator. With an onion, potatoes and cauliflower, here’s what I made:

Curried Cauliflower Soup (Parve)

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cauliflower, chopped coarsely (about 8 cups)
1 or 2 potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 ½ cups)
8 cups vegetable broth or water
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the curry powder and sugar and cook for another minute. Add the cauliflower, potato and broth. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and cook covered for 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Puree the soup (I use a hand-held immersion blender) and serve.

8-10 servings

Vegetarian Chanukah Menu

How about an Indian-inspired vegetarian meal this Chanukah?

Fragrant spices and frozen peas take traditional latkes to another level.

As an accompanyment, red lentil dal. In India, the word dal is used loosely for legumes, which provide the major source of protein for vegetarians there.

To make this meal even easier, cook the dal ahead of time and re-heat it in the microwave. A simple green salad or chopped Israeli-style salad would work well to complete this meal.

Indian-Style Latkes

These green-flecked, delicately spiced potato pancakes remind me of Indian dosas – crispy thin pancakes filled with spiced potatoes and peas.

2 ½ pounds (1 kilo) potatoes
1 large onion
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
½ -1 teaspoon salt
½ cup frozen peas, defrosted
Vegetable oil for sautéing
Low-fat yogurt for serving

If the potatoes are organic, scrub them well and leave the peels on. Conventionally-grown potatoes should be washed and peeled.

Coarsely grate the potatoes and onion in a food processor. Transfer to a colander to drain.

Mix the eggs with the flour, all of the spices and the salt. Squeeze the potatoes and onions to extract any liquid and add them to the egg mixture. Gently mix in the peas.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat two tablespoons of oil until hot. Cook the latkes, using about ¼ cup of the potato mixture per pancake. Flatten each pancake and cook until browned on each side. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.

To keep the latkes warm until serving time, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 250 F (120 C) oven.

Serve with low-fat yogurt.

Makes about 24 latkes


Red Lentil Dal

Red lentils are a healthy convenience food. They don’t require pre-soaking and are done cooking in half an hour or less. They’ll break down into a puree and turn golden yellow while they’re cooking.

1 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed well
3 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
¼ teaspoon black mustard seed
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

Bring the lentils to a boil with the water and salt. Reduce the heat and cook, partially covered over low heat, for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils soft and completely broken down. Add more water if necessary, to keep the lentils from sticking.

Heat the oil in a separate small skillet. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn gray and start to pop. Add the rest of the spices and cook for another minute. Add this mixture to the cooked lentils and serve.

Serves 4-6

An Easy Soup for Chol Hamoed Sukkot

We're coming down the home-stretch of the holiday season. We've been cooking a lot. And most likely eating a little too much.

With Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah ahead of us, I'm trying to keep things easy - less fussing in the kitchen and fewer calories will have everyone feeling better.

Here's a simple recipe from my book - a nutritious, warming soup that is perfect for cool nights in the Sukkah.

Moadim B'simcha! Chag Sameach!

Red Lentil Soup (Parve)

Small red lentils cook quickly and give this soup a golden hue.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash cayenne pepper, optional
6 cups water

1 1/2 cups red lentils, sorted, checked and rinsed well in a strainer
1 small can diced tomatoes (14 to 16 ounces/400 gm), with their juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook, stirring for a minute or two. Add the water or broth, lentils and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the soup, partially covered, until the lentils are cooked and the soup is thick. You may want to add more water if the soup is too thick.

Season the soup with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Serves 6 to 8