Apple-icious!

Dreams do come true! Each fall I fantasize about taking a little trip to see  beautiful fall foliage, and I finally did. 

Levi and I took a little trip to Charlottesville and were truly surrounded by magnificent beauty. Although we woke up to a rain shower on our first day there,  the dazzling colors on the trees popped out against the dreary sky. (Luckily today we woke up to a gorgeous sunny day - and saw the trees in a whole new fashion!)  Many of the trees we saw were simply breathtaking!

The grand finale to our little vacation was a trip to Carter Mountain Orchard. Surrounded by trees in bright reds, yellows and oranges we made our way up the curvy road, to the top of the mountain. 

We got some instructions in the "Apple Barn" and then set off for some apple picking. Walking through the trees dotted with brightly colored apples, we filled two bags with apples, and we learned that apple picking is lots of FUN!

Now the proud owner of  freshly picked Pink Lady and Winesap apples, I know that I MUST make apple pie. 

I love the combination of a crisp, crunchy crumb crust together with soft, gooey apples infused with lots and lots of cinnamon. YUM!!!

I imagine that now you too have visions of apple pie before your eyes - so here is my recipe - enjoy!

Crumb Crust Apple Pie

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sugar (plus extra for the apple mixture and to sprinkle on the top of the pie)

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup oil

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 or 5 apples

 cup orange  juice

 cinnamon (use however much you like - I like TONS)

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 9 inch pie plate. 

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. 

Mix in oil, egg and vanilla.  Dough should be crumbly.

Press dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Peel apples and rinse. Cut into slices and place in a bowl. 

Mix apples with cinnamon and sugar and orange juice.

Place apples (without the juice) into the pie plate.

Cover apples with remaining crumb crust dough.

Sprinkle with a little water. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar.  Use a knife to cut a few slits to allow steam to vent out of the pie.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Going Green - With Zucchini Soup

Grey and dreary days simply beg for soup.

Today is no exception, with a gray sky and the pitter patter of rain on my skylight, I knew today was a soup day.

When I first got married I made exactly three soups; chicken, tomato and mushroom barley. A lot has changed since then! Soups are now a very frequent visitor to our dinner table, both on Shabbat and during the week.

I have discovered that a good soup is a healthy and filling dish. (The bonus is that many times it's a great way to get veggies into my kids!) A number of years back I came upon a zucchini soup recipe in a Kosher By Design cookbook, and that is how my soup obsession began.

Zucchini soup remains a favorite of mine, and my daughter Mushky's too! A reason for this, is that it is soooo easy to make and is ready in a very short amount of time...what could be better than quick and easy!

I no longer follow a recipe when making this soup, however I did make note of what went into the pot when I made it just a few minutes ago :)

Once your beautiful green soup is ready, top with some Osem soup croutons and enjoy!

Zucchini Soup


(This is how I made it tonight, it varies from time to time - go ahead an experiment, you might enjoy it!)


Canola oil
2 big onions
5 medium sized zucchinis
2 cloves garlic
handful of fresh parsley (I have small hands!)
5 medium sized basil leaves
leftover chicken soup
dill
oregano
salt
pepper




1. Cut the onions into chunks and brown in some oil.
2. Add in slightly chunked garlic.
3. Slice the zucchinis and add to the pot (no need to peel!!)
4. Add in the parsley and basil.
5. Let everything cook on the fire and get a little brown, and of course soft.
(Tonight I used leftover chicken soup for the liquid - you could use water with consomme powder or simply use water for a slightly different taste) 
6. Add enough liquid to cover the veggies - but really just about to cover, don't put it too much higher, or your soup will be too thin.
7. Sprinkle a few shakes dill, oregano, black pepper and salt.
8. Allow to boil, then lower.
9. When zucchini is soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Delish!

Broccoli Salad

As my Challah dough mixes on the counter, I decided to share a recipe for one of the salads on tonight's menu.

A few months back, a friend emailed me for a salad recipe, and let me know that she thinks I am a "Salad Queen". While I wouldn't go that far, I certainly do enjoy creating a delicious salad.

The prospect of making an interesting salad always excites me. I love to explore and combine a medley of veggies (and fruits!) to create something beautiful and tasty. 

Amongst my menu of salads tonight will be the "Broccoli Salad". This salad is a newcomer to my directory of salads. 

A few summers back, my camp staff (who live in my house) made a broccoli salad each week. A number of weeks ago I found myself with half a bag of broccoli in my refrigerator, I decided that I should do something to save it. Deciding upon a broccoli salad, I tried to get the recipe from one of the girls who made it, but I was running out of time - and did a little googling and then made my own version of this salad.

True, it has oh so healthy broccoli, but don't let that scare you, it is truly a tasty dish. It has sweet, crunchy, and a healthy veggie...what could be better than that?

So here is the "unrecipe" for the Broccoli Salad - I hope you enjoy it, I know we will tonight!

Shabbat Shalom!!

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli (In order for broccoli to be used in a Kosher kitchen, it must first be inspected for insects. I do this by soaking the broccoli in water with some salt, or even dish soap. After it soaks, I check it to make sure there are no bugs stuck on the broccoli.)

Chopped almonds

Craisins

Red onion (diced)

Honey

Mayonnaise

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

(sorry for the lack of measurements, but on this one I really just mix it all up - give it a whirl, you  might surprise yourself.)

Place broccoli, Craisins, almonds and red onion in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl, mix the honey, mayo, salt, pepper and garlic. 

Pour dressing over salad, mix, and then allow the salad to sit in the dressing for a little while before serving. (I mix it a few times while it is in the sitting stage.)

It's All In The Dough - Challah Recipe

Shabbat is the highlight of my week. As I light the Shabbat candles each week, I feel a special peace as I welcome the Shabbat Queen into my home.  Lighting the candles is truly a beautiful Mitzvah and I look forward to this moment each week.

Of course no Shabbat would be complete without a feast fit for a king. Along with the delicious foods which are prepared for the special Shabbat dinner, there is always Challah.

It is interesting to note that Challah got its name from a special Mitzvah which goes along with the yummy bread we eat each Friday night. Thousands of years ago, during the times of the Beit Hamikdash (Temple), people would bring a portion of their dough to the Beit Hamikdash for the Kohanim. This was a good reminder that everything we have comes from G-d, and indeed, a portion was given to G-d's workers, the Kohanim.

Today we no longer have the Temple and can no longer bring a portion of our dough as a gift to G-d. Instead, we recite a special blessing and then separate a small portion of dough. This small separated piece is then burned, as we recall a time when the dough was brought to the Beit Hamikdash, and of course pray that the Temple will soon be rebuilt.

In order to perform this Mitzvah, you separate a piece of dough (about an ounce) and then recite the blessing, "L'hafrish Challah". This Mitzvah is indeed a special one, and is also a special time for saying personal prayers. It is a good moment to pray to Hashem for the health of our family and friends, for sustenance and good, kind children.

After saying the blessing and ones one personal prayers, the dough is burned.

Each week I treasure the moments that I spend alone praying to G-d and acknowledging His goodness and kindness.

I started baking my own Challah probably about 10 years ago and the recipe has evolved over time. My recipe started out with a recipe I found in a cookbook and was then merged with the recipes I received from two aunts. Over time, the recipe has continued to change...and so here it is in its current form:)

Happy Challah baking!!!

6 tablespoons yeast
3 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/4 cups oil
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
3 tablespoons salt
around 15 cups of flour 


1. Place  yeast in a bowl with about 2 teaspoons of sugar. Dissolve with the warm water. This is called proofing the yeast. You will see the yeast activate and start to bubble. After about ten minutes you can continue with the rest of the recipe.
2. Add in the oil, sugar, eggs and salt. Mix well. 
3. Add the flour - do a little less than the 15 cups to start. Knead the dough. If the dough is still sticky you will need to keep adding flour until the dough is a nice, soft, smooth and not sticky texture.
4. Once your dough is ready, allow it to rise for 30 minutes, punch down and allow to rise again.
5. Shape your challah, allow to rise once more. 
6. I glaze my Challah with a mixture of 1 egg and some water. 
7. I bake my Challah on 400 for about 20 minutes or so. 

Un-Recipes Is Born

I don't know how or when it happened, but one day I realized that I had a calling for cooking. Maybe it happened after I got married and realized that if Levi and I wanted to eat, I was going to have to cook it. Maybe it happened when we started having large crowds of people for Shabbat dinner. However it started, I eventually came to discover that I have a great love for cooking (and for eating too!)

Of course I have a collection of cookbooks sitting on my kitchen bookshelf, and yes, I spend hours looking through all of these books. (The Kosher By Design series are my favorites!) Over time, I have taken lots of recipes from lots of places and made so many changes that they have evolved into my own.

While I LOVE to cook, I do NOT love to follow a recipe. Many things that I create simply don't have any exact measurements - so I call them, "Un-Recipes".

I hope you will enjoy reading my posts as I take you into my kitchen. I will share how "recipes" came about and of course share lots of "Un-Recipes" with you. From time to time I will also share my thoughts on some of my favorite ingredients and of course my favorite kitchen tools (and I have many!!)