The Shabbat Menu From 7.8.11

I was very pleased to make this menu when our Rabbis came for Erve Shabbat dinner a couple weeks past.  This is a dairy and parve meal.  It was very tasty and the house smelled amazing!   My husband chose a Blackberry Red Wine and our Rebbetizin brought us a bouquet of the most beautiful purple wildflowers for the table!

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

1 package of cooked brown lentils

6 Tomatoes seeded and diced

2 Cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced

6 green onions finely chopped

1 bunch parsley finely chopped

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

6 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

5 Cloves Garlic finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and serve it cold.  Keep refrigerated.

Salmon Croquettes

2 lbs. Salmon Fillet

4 Tbsp. Butter

2 C. finely diced onions

1/4 C. chopped parsley

1 C. Bread Crumbs

6 cloves garlic finely chopped

3/4 C. olive oil mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

1 C. Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

Steam the salmon till cooked through and then flake into a bowl. 

Saute onions, garlic and parsley in the butter until onions are tender but not brown.  Combine with the salmon, bread crumbs, mayo, salt and pepper.  Then shape into patties (12-16) and coat with the remaining bread crumbs.  If you stack them, separate them by wax paper.  They can keep in the refrigerator for up to six hours until you are ready to cook them.

Pour 1/2 C. Olive Oil into a saucepan or skillet with a cover.  Heat to medium heat and then fry four at a time for about 8 minutes or until crispy golden brown on all sides.

Stuffed Shells

24 cooked jumbo pasta shells

5 oz. raw spinach, washed, dried and chopped.

4 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp. butter

15 oz. ricotta cheese, drained

1 C. finely shredded mozzarella

1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper

16 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (Emeril's or Barilla is Kosher)

2 C. shredded mozzarella

Saute spinach, garlic and butter until cooked through.  Combine spinach mixture with ricotta cheese, 1 C. of mozzarella, and crushed pepper in a bowl.  Place 1/2 C. Spaghetti Sauce into the bottom of a glass baking pan.  Distribute the filling into the cooked shells and place them into the baking pan.  Cover with the remaining sauce and last 2 C. of cheese.  Refrigerate until ready to bake up to 12 hours.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

White Chocolate Parfait

Challah

Spicy Carrot Soup

If there is anyone else out there that is as busy as me, you need to utilize the crock-pot on a regular basis!  This recipe is very easy and I just let everything simmer in large chunks in the crock-pot until I am ready to puree the soup with an immersion blender.  This is excellent with fresh warm bread, or depending on your available time, just pop a few slices of bread in the toaster...that works too!

Just a side note, I add a couple of peeled potatoes and I add a whole onion (I prefer red onion) as well as two extra garlic cloves.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped`
• 2-3 dashes hot red pepper flakes
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and saute for 1 minute. Add the carrots and bell pepper and continue to saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened.
Add the vegetable broth, raise the heat to bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Puree the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender. Enjoy!

Recipe from: About.com

Sloppy Lentils

Just in time for the Fourth of July!  This is a vegetarian version of a classic American meal!  The kids LOVE this and I would highly recommend trying it!  There are two versions of this.  If you click on the picture, it will take you to one version and if you read the bottom recipe that is the other version.  I personally prefer the recipe linked to the picture.  But, you can try them both and see what works for your family!  Bon Appetite! 

Ingredients:

Servings:
4 4

4-6

Servings Size

• 
  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (or green bell pepper)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons tamari or 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1/2 day

1. 1 Heal the oil in a skillet over medium heat; add in the onion and bell pepper; cover, and cook about 5 minutes, until softened.
2. 2 Add in chili powder, stirring to coat.
3. 3 Transfer mixture to a slow cooker; add in the lentils, tomatoes, water, tamari, mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper; stir to combine.
4. 4 Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
5. 5 Serve sloppy-joe style on warmed buns.

Recipe is from: Food.com

Summer Barley Salad

This is the latest and greatest craze in our house right now!  Oh my goodness...it is SO good!

The recipe below is from MyRecipes.com, but I will tell you what I did a bit differently.  Instead of the olives, I added capers, a whole bag of Nature's Sweet cherry tomatoes, and two extra garlic cloves.  The green onions and parsley I chose to chop very fine in a food processor and that seemed to work better for the kids since they are not really excited about large green things.  Since this salad is meant to be eaten cold, I have prepared it for Shabbat so that it has plenty of time to meld flavors and chill in the refrigerator.  This is the perfect Kosher dairy meal and then we served ice cream with it afterwards and had iced tea to drink with it.  Seriously...this is amazing!

Summer Barley Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked pearl barley
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 1 cup diced seeded plum tomato (about 2 small)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 20 kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

• 1. Cook barley according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cool completely. Combine barley, corn, and next 4 ingredients (through kalamata olives) in a bowl. Combine juice and next 4 ingredients (through garlic), stirring well with a whisk; drizzle over barley mixture. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Linked to:

Melt In Your Mouth Monday
Creative Bloggers Party
Don't Waste Your Homemaking
Delectable Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Honey Mustard Chicken With A Pretzel Crust

I do not make plain chicken.  I just cannot do it.  My chicken is always dressed up with flavor!  Perhaps it is just a revolt against the tasteless Minnesota cooking that I grew up with.  It was good, but Heaven help us if anyone had a cold or allergies...not even standard Minnesota chili will help clean out the sinus passages.  My mother was a great cook, but had no idea how to use spices beyond salt and pepper or the sweet spices such as cinnamon.  When I moved out...I decided to broaden my horizons with cooking...that is one reason my husband LOVES me...I am a great cook and I put alot of love, time and effort into what I make because I want to please him and give him a reason to get home quickly after work!  Of course my kids reap the rewards of my labor of love as well.  My sons have very high standards for their future wives!

***FYI, in this recipe, I do not use skin on my chicken to reduce calories.  I omit the mayo and use unsalted pretzels and let the mustard do most of the talking.  It alters the recipe quite a bit...or you could try Grapeseed Mayo (my Grandma turned me onto this) as a healthier alternative.

Photo from AllRecipes.com, Recipe by Kathleen

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 cups salted pretzels
•  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, mix together the red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, the spicy mustard, coarse-grained mustard, 1 tablespoon of honey, and the vegetable oil.
3. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Coat the chicken well with the mustard mixture.
4. Place the pretzels into a resealable plastic zipper bag and roll the bag under a rolling pin to finely grind the pretzels. Place the coated chicken breasts, one at a time, into the bag, seal, and shake the bag to thoroughly coat each chicken breast with pretzel meal. Place the chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet and spray each breast with cooking spray.
5. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until the coating is golden brown and the meat is no longer pink in the center, about 25 minutes. Flip the chicken after about 12 minutes of cooking to brown both sides.
6. Mix together the mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard, 3 tablespoons of honey, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle the honey-mustard sauce over the chicken to serve.

Shabbat Challah

If you have been following my blog for any length of time you will know that we celebrate Shabbat weekly!  Shabbat is different than going to church on Sunday like Christians are used to, Shabbat is taking G-d's Word, the Torah, literally and observing the Sabbath (Shabbat).  Now, according to the Rabbi's you basically are not allowed to do anything....except study God's Word, pray and eat.  So...this means we get the house really clean before sundown Friday night, make sure the cooking is done for the next day and any baking that needs to be done.  I believe that is why the Challah recipe makes so many loaves...to feed family and friends through three meals and snack times too.

Whatever the reason, Challah is one of my favorite breads!  Give it a try sometime...I have a feeling that you will love it whether you celebrate Shabbat or not!  :)

Photo from AllRecipes.com
Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

• 9 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
• 11 cups sifted white flour
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 1/4 cups canola oil
• 6-7 cups warm water
• 3.5 ounces (100 grams) fresh yeast

Preparation:

1. Place the oil, 2 cups of warm water, sugar and salt into the mixing bowl. Add 5 cups of each kind of flour to this and stir a bit.

2. In another small bowl, put the yeast together with 2 T. of sugar, and add 1 1/2 cups of warm water.

3. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to start activating. When it is bubbling and foamy, add it to the mixing bowl and start to mix the dough.

4. Add in another 3 cups of flour, either kind, and another cup of water. Mix and then turn off the mixer and allow the dough to start to rise for 10 minutes.

5. Mix again and add all the rest of the ingredients slowly, one cup at a time, until you reach a smooth, non-sticky consistency of dough. If the dough sticks too much to the sides of the bowl, add in a bit more oil.

6. After the dough is thoroughly prepared, grease a large (it will rise a lot) bowl with a fine layer of oil. Turn out the dough into this bowl and turn several times so that the dough will be greased lightly on all sides.

7. Cover the bowl with a large plastic garbage bag and allow it to rise for one hour before punching down and shaping.

8. Alternatively, place the unrisen dough in the large garbage bag, with all the air taken out and knotted on top of the bag, and placed in the fridge overnight to be shaped early the next morning.

9. This dough will shape and handle the same way the pure white one did and comes out delicious when it is baked. It is an especially tasty treat when cut into slices, toasted, and then served spread with a bit of butter and sprinkled with some cinnamon and sugar on top.

YIELDS: 10 medium-sized challahs

Sweet Potato Pear Bake

Last week I left you wondering what in the world I made to go with my Cranberry Chicken!  Well, here it is...Sweet Potato Pear Bake...Yummy!  This highly nutritious side dish actually works well as the main course, but I like to keep the hubby happy with meat dishes once in awhile.  :)

Photo from AllRecipes.com, recipe by Ray Taylor

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pear halves
• 3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, divided
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 6 tablespoons whole berry cranberry sauce

Directions

1. Drain pears, reserving 2 tablespoons juice (discard remaining juice or save for another use). In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, 3 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg and reserved pear juice. beat until combined. Spoon into a greased shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Arrange pear halves onto top, cut side up.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, orange peel and remaining butter. Cook until heated through. Drizzle half over pears. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining honey mixture. bake 15 minutes longer. Fill pear halves with cranberry sauce.

Best Cranberry Chicken

We have still had some fairly chilly weather here, a few rainy days and so I have opted for food in the oven a bit more...just to take advantage of its additional warmth!  Here is a recent recipe that I made and have been making for quite some time.  It is a favorite and even the boys enjoy it!  I have made this recipe for my Grandparents and now my Grandmother uses this recipe as well...she likes how easy it is for company.

***Just an FYI...I make sure I skin the chicken first and get rid of those extra calories.  And if you want to keep the calories down, only make half the sauce and it will still taste great!

Photo from AllRecipes.com, Recipe by misscarolb

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 pounds chicken thighs
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1 (8 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the butter and onion in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, push the onion over to one end, and place the chicken thighs in the dish in a single layer. Return to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes.
3. Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard powder, and cranberry sauce in a bowl. Remove the chicken from the oven, and scoop the cooked onions into the cranberry mixture. Spoon the mixture over the chicken thighs, and return to the oven.
4. Bake until the cranberry mixture is slightly caramelized and the chicken is done, about 20 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Now...I am going to keep you in suspense.  You will have to come back next week to see what I made to go with this amazing Cranberry Chicken!  :)

Clotted Cream

Spring is slowly eeking it's way here into Minnesota...very slowly.  Most other places in the good ole' U.S. of A. gardens are already producing lettuce and radishes, strawberries are ripening...it is a great time to think about eating fresh fruits and veggies!

One of our favorite meals is a conglomeration of veggies (such as red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes) piled onto whole wheat with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus on one side and spicy brown mustard on the other...YUM!  Of course for dessert an array of fresh berries with freshly whipped cream is magnificent!

*Photo courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Easy Clotted Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Using a whisk attachment on the mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Remove from mixer, and hand whisk in the sour cream and confectioners' sugar until just combined. Store in refrigerator.

You can find this recipe on AllRecipes.com, posted by Magique

Please think about your store bought foods or even your locally grown foods this year.  Many types of cancers are stimulated by pesticides and it is better to take the extra time to clean them properly than to deal with mounds of medical problems later.

At Off The Grid News, if you sign up for their FREE e-newsletter, you will also receive a FREE download of their Food Shock Report.  This is exceptional and for home educators this is a great supplement to any health curriculum you may be using.

***Please watch this video from our affiliates at Eat Cleaner...what is really lurking on your plate.  If you sign up for their FREE Newsletter, you will receive a coupon for 25% off your first purchase!

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Caramelized Oranges

Welcome and thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!  This last week I had a bit of a challenge.  I almost never have a problem with desserts, but this last week for our Passover Seder I did not find a good recipe that would work well with our meal until almost midnight the night before!

We have chosen to eat by the Kosher way as outlined in Leviticus.  There are many benefits to doing so, though for us just being obedient to God's Word and His Ways is enough.  When you eat Kosher there are two main rules that I have kept in the forefront of meal planning...first, did God make it or is it processed?  Two, do not mix meat and dairy in the same meal.

My husband chose steak for our Passover meal (rubbed down with crushed red pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, then grilled).  So, we are having meat, that means no dairy.  For the sides I chose oven steamed broccoli and baby carrots with fresh lemon, and our other side I made oven roasted red potatoes (cubed and coated with a bit of red crushed pepper, olive oil and about six minced cloves of garlic).  Then...there was the problem of dessert.  What to do, what to do?

Since we had meat, I could not use dairy.  This sounds easy, right?  Not exactly because for Passover, we may have no leaven (baking soda, baking powder, yeast, etc.) in our homes or our diets for one week.  This means no cake, no quick breads, no brownies, etc.  So, I after doing some searching, I found this recipe for Caramelized Oranges.  While it was not chocolate or a decadent pastry as I would prefer, it was better than I expected it to be and it fit within our Kosher and Passover guidelines very nicely!

As far as reviews go, one of my sons liked it and would like me to try candied oranges at some point.  My other son took one bite and did not finish it (they are like night and day).  My husband loved it and took the rest to work the next day.  I enjoyed it as it was something different.  I had never tried melting sugar before and while I know I can improve, I don't think I did a horrible job on my first try.  I enjoy stretching my cooking abilities and learning new techniques!

I do apologize as this is not my picture, but will link directly to the recipe.  I was so busy with preparations there was not time to take pictures of my own confection.  Also, just a side note.  I did not have ginger in my home nor time to run and get any, so I substituted ground cinnamon instead.  This actually worked nicely to tie in the flavor of the Charoset from the Seder Plate.

If you decide to try this, let me know what you think! 

Ingredients

• 10 to 12  medium  oranges or blood oranges
• 1-1/2  cups  sugar
• 1  cup  freshly brewed hot tea
• 2  tablespoons  finely snipped crystallized ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1  recipe  Meringue Cookies (see recipe in recipe center) (optional)

Directions

1. Finely shred 1 teaspoon orange peel; set aside. Remove and discard peel and white membrane from oranges. Place in bowl; set aside.
2. In large heavy skillet heat 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat evenly. Do not stir. Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to medium-low; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until sugar is melted and turns golden brown, stirring with wooden spoon. Do not overcook. Remove from heat.
3. Very slowly and carefully stir the hot tea into the caramelized sugar. If necessary, return to heat. Cook until all hard sugar particles dissolve. Cool. Stir in shredded orange peel, crystallized ginger, and vanilla. Spoon mixture over oranges in bowl. Toss to coat. Cover; chill at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Spoon mixture over oranges again before serving.
4. Slice each orange crosswise, then reassemble in dessert dishes. Divide syrup among dishes. Serve with Meringue Cookies, if desired. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Irish Soda Bread

 If your family is anything like my family...bread is a staple.  There is always some form of bread in the home, and the flour jar is consistently ready to make more!  Irish Soda Bread is a very quick, easy and yeast free way to get a steaming hot loaf on the table just in time for dinner!

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

This recipe is located at AllRecipes.com, by MP Welty

I have made this bread for friends and family and there has never been leftovers.  If you choose to make this bread, be prepared for encores!

Healthy Strawberry Bread

Healthy Strawberry Bread

Ingredients

• 3 C. Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 C. Rolled Oats, processed till a fine flour
• 2 C. Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbs. Cinnamon
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 C. Whole Milk
• 1/2 C. Olive Oil
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 Lb. finely chopped strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 3 7x3 inch loaf pans well.
2. In a large bowl mix the whole wheat flour, finely processed rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Whisk together till well mixed.
3. Then, add the whole milk, olive oil, and eggs. Stir until well mixed together.
4. Fold in the strawberries.
5. Pour evenly into the three prepared loaf pans.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. The loaves will be done when the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pans and the tops are a nice golden brown. An inserted toothpick should come out clean.
7. Put the pans on a wire cooling rack till cool to the touch and then enjoy!

This recipe can be found at AllRecipes.com

This is a great recipe when your garden is overflowing with strawberries, also, keep some chopped up and frozen for making this bread in the winter.  We usually eat this as a breakfast bread, but I have put it into a 13x9 inch pan and used this as a dessert recipe as well (same bake time and temperature). 

I have sent this to work with my husband with rave reviews from his co-workers.  I have made this for friends and family when company has come, it never fails to please.  Let me know what you think...and enjoy!!!