Israeli Cuisine - Chapter II
Chicken with Pomegranate -
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 3-1/2 to 4-pound chicken, quartered
1 pomegranate, halved
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. cinnamon/sugar mixture
Salt
Pepper
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a cup, mix oil and garlic. Brush garlic and oil over chicken.
Place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle any remaining oil over chicken. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, basting several times with pan juices, until skin is browned and juices run clear when a thigh is pierced at thickest part with a fork.
Remove 1 tbsp. seeds from pomegranate. Set aside for garnish. Squeeze juice form remaining pomegranate through a sieve into a small bowl. In a small nonreactive saucepan, mix pomegranate juice, wine, lemon juice, and cinnamon/sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer roasted chicken to a serving platter and pierce each piece several times. Pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve at room temperature.
Matbucha - Tomato dip from Morocco
2 lbs. tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 lb. green peppers, seeded and sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 can of tomato paste
a little oil
Heat oil, add all the ingredients (except tomato paste) and cook until veggies are soft and liquid has evaporated; stir in tomato paste. Let cool and process in food processor until coarsely chopped but "scoopable."
Adjust adult portion, if desired with additional harissa for a little bit more heat, also depends on how hot your jalapenos are.
Rice with Beef -
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
1/2 kg ground beef
salt
pepper
sweet paprika
cumin
1 c peeled almonds
1 teas olive oil
Cook rice in water until ready to eat. Put on a plate. Fry onion . Add garlic, and fry for another minute, while stirring. Add ground beef to the pan and Continue frying, while stirring and separating the beef chunks with a fork. Season. Spread beef over the rice . Fry almonds in olive oil. Sprinkle over rice.
Pickled Turnips -
2-3 turnip roots, peeled, halved and sliced
1 beet root, peeled, halved and sliced
1-2 small hot pepper
2 stalks of celery, with the leaves
8 C water
2 tabs salt
Place the turnip slices, beet slices, hot pepper and garlic in a jar. Place celery on top. Mix the water with salt. Pour into jar, until covered. Close jar for a few days
Meatballs in dough - Aphganistan
1 lb. beef
2 onions, finely chopped
3 tabs rice
1 C finely chopped parsley
1 tab finely chopped fresh mint
1 teas salt
1 teas pepper
1 teas cinnamon
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups oil for frying
Wash the rice and add to the meat with the parsley, onion, mint, spices and salt. Mix thoroughly. Take a small piece of the mixture and roll into a ball between wet palms; place in a pan. Continue until all the mixture is used. Pour half a cup of warm water over the meatballs , cover the pan and cook over low heat until the rice is soft. Remove from heat and leave aside until cool. Mix the eggs with the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and half a cup of warm water. Mix to a batter. Heat the oil, dip the koftas in the batter, place in hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Pan Bread -
1 pound whole wheat flour
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp black cumin
1 pkt. yeast
3 cups lukewarm water
Salt to taste
In 1½ cup of water dissolve the yeast . Combine flour, oil, cumin and salt into the yeast mixture. Add the remaining 1½ cups of water, knead well, cover and set aside for 2 hours in warm place. Knead some more and cover for half an hour. On slightly greased baking pan, spread out dough and decorate with finger or knife. Bake 1 hour In 335* F .
Tzimmes - Ashkenazic
3 tabls schmaltz
2 lbscarrots
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c brown sugar
1 teas salt
Heat the schmaltz in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots and saute until lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Add broth , sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the carrots are tender but not mush, about 25 minutes. Increase heat and cook, until most of the liquid is evaporated .
Sweet and Sour Fish - Ashkenazic
4 pounds sole fish fillets.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tabs sugar
3 tabs chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teas salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 13 by 9 inch casserole. Arrange the fish in the bottom of the casserole. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over fish. Cover and bake 15 minutes.
Uncover and bake, basting occasionally, until the fish is tender and loses its translucency, about 20 additional minutes. Serve hot or at room temperate.
Chicken with Olives - Morocco
12 chicken pcs
1/2 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas ground turmeric
1 teas sweet paprika
pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 chopped onions
1/4 c chopped coriander
1 1/2 c chicken stock
4 strips lemon rind
2 tabs lemon juice
1 c green olives - pitted
Combine chicken with spices in large bowl. Stand covered, for 1 hour. Heat 2 tabs oil in a large pan. Fry chicken until well browned, but not cooked through. Transfer to larger pan.
Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Transfer to large pan with chicken pieces. Add coriander and stock, lemon rind, juice and olives.
Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes, until tender and liquid has reduced.
Kasha - Ashkenazic
1 cup buckwheat groats
1 beaten egg
2 c boiling water
1 Tab schmaltz
Combine groats and egg in a large heavy saucepan. Stir to mix thoroughly. Place pan over medium heat and stir until grains separate. Stir in boiling water and salt to taste. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes before stirring in schmaltz .
Latkes - Ashkenazic
2-1/4 lbs russet potatoes peeled and grated
3 onions peeled and grated
4 eggs
1/4 c flour
salt & pepper
1 c oil
Combine grated potatoes and onions in a bowl. Mix . Transfer to a sieve placed over a large bowl. Press out the excess liquid with a wooden spoon. Transfer vegetables to another bowl. Stir in , add flour to make a light batter. Season .
Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drop about 2 tabs of batter into the oil and flatten with back of a wooden spoon. Fry about 2 minutes. Turn and fry 30 seconds or so on the other side.
Schmaltz and Gribenes - Ashkenazic
4 c chicken fat and skin cut into 1/2-inch pieces or smaller
Kosher salt
pepper
1 c onion rings
Wash fat and skin well in a colander, and pat dry. Place in a heavy skillet, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over low heat . When the fat starts to melt and get slightly brown, add onions and continue cooking until onions and cracklings are golden brown and crunchy.
Pour schmaltz (incl onions and cracklings) into jar, cover, and refrigerate.
Israeli Cuisine - Part I