Lots of Latkes

Simply put - I love Chanukah! Our home truly fills with a warm glow when we all gather around to light the Menorah. As the beautiful flames on our Menorah dance happily I am filled with a wonderful warmth and happiness. I savor the moments my family spends together singing and enjoying the Chanukah spirit.
When the flames twinkle and shed light upon my home I am reminded that a simple bit of light, or a simple bit of kindness, can truly light up our world.

Of course Chanukah also means that my electric skillet is about to get quite a workout. When Chanukah rolls in I get to make lots and lots of latkes. I don't know about you, but I can't resist a soft on the inside, crisp on the outside latke!

Get brave this Chanukah (after all the Maccabees were brave!) and make your own latkes!

Before I get to the recipe here are just a few notes about the way I make latkes.
-My latkes truly resemble pancakes, meaning that I use the chopping blade in my food processor as opposed to grating my potatoes.
-It is best to fry your latkes in an electric skillet. The electric skillet has the ability to maintain a set temperature which ensures that your latkes will fry more evenly.
-A trick for making latkes in advance - don't drain them on a paper towel after frying them, rather set them on a cookie sheet. Freeze the latkes on the cookie sheet. When they are frozen you can store them in Ziploc bags. When you have your Chanukah dinner/party all you need to do is set the latkes on a cookie sheet and place them in the oven on 350 until they start to sizzle - they will taste like they were just fried.


Potato Latkes

5 medium potatoes

1 medium onion

2 eggs

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups flour

Sprinkle of lemon juice or vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Peel onion and chunk as well. Place potatoes and onions in food processor bowl fitted with metal chopping blade. Process until potatoes and onions are smooth. Place mixture in a mixing bowl and immediately add a sprinkle of lemon juice or white vinegar to stop the potatoes from getting grey. Add eggs, oil, flour and salt and pepper. (You may find that you need to adjust the amount of flour.) Mix well. 

Heat oil in an electric skillet, or in a frying pan. 

Place batter in the hot oil by the spoonful. When the latkes bubble it is time to flip them over.

Yield :Approximately 30 Latkes

Gratitude and Green Beans

Being a kindergartner, my son Shalom takes everything his teachers say quiet seriously - and so in recent days Thanksgiving has been a big topic of discussion for him - particularly the food :) Today he let me know that there is a list of things we MUST eat tomorrow.

While he has come home with stories of Pilgrims, the Mayflower and a menu,   I am hoping he has also learned about gratitude.

As Jews we begin our day by reciting "Mode Ani", we thank G-d for returning our souls to us and for the many blessings He bestows upon us. We thank Him for the opportunity to have yet another day to accomplish great things.

In a world with much darkness, I find that it is so important to be grateful for all that we do have. We need to take the time to focus on the wonderful things in our midst - and to thank G-d for them. When I see my two adorable, healthy children I can't help but smile with gratitude to G-d for these two little people who make my life so interesting on a daily basis :)

Speaking of little people, Shalom did inform me that it is very important to eat green beans on Thanksgiving, and so here is one of my favorite green bean "recipes".

Green Beans


Fresh green beans
Canola oil
Brown sugar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder


(These turn out best when made in a wok.)


Pour a little oil into the wok and heat on high.
Add the green beans. 
Stir the green beans frequently. 
Add salt, peper, garlic and then roughly a tablespoon of brown sugar. 
Allow the green beans to cook until they are well done (they will almost appear to be caramelized) - yum!!!

Basil

About five years ago Levi and I spent a Shabbos with one of my aunts in Brooklyn. Right after Kiddush she went to the kitchen to finish up the salads and I went to join her. I saw her chopping up what appeared to be a bunch of green leaves, and I was curious. Oddly enough I don't think I had ever noticed fresh basil until that Friday night. She explained how she chops up the basil and makes it into a dip. I took one taste of the basil dip and was totally hooked.

When we got back home my new mission was to locate fresh basil. (Now I don't have to look for it in stores anymore during the summer because I plant my own and have plenty of basil at my disposal all summer long!!!) The basil dip then became one of my absolute favorite dips for my Challah. When I excitedly told my mother about my new find she let me know that she "hates basil!" To this day my mother marvels at how she loves the basil dip, even though she hates basil :)

Before long fresh basil became a staple in my kitchen. I love buying a big bunch of fresh, beautifully green basil. Taking it out of its packaging is a treat as I LOVE the aroma of basil. I slowly began to experiment to see where basil could enhance our culinary experience.

Over the years I have found many a home in my recipes for this delicious, fragrant herb. Once you have used fresh basil in a recipe you quickly discover that the dried kind in a jar doesn't even come close.

If you have yet to use fresh basil I recommend that you get some and give it a whirl!!

To help you get started here is a list of my favorite uses for basil:
Basil dip (recipe included in this post), all the various pureed vegetable soups I create, fresh Challah croutons, roasted vegetables or sweet potatoes, pita crisps, focaccia bread or even in panini!

Enjoy the basil!

Basil Dip

Fresh basil
a few cloves fresh garlic
olive oil
salt


1. Wash all basil leaves and check for bugs in accordance with Jewish law.
2. Chop up basil (don't worry about having tiny pieces).
3. Chop up a few cloves of fresh garlic.
4. Cover basil and garlic with olive oil.
5. Season with a little salt.
6. Enjoy!

The Tomato Mango Salad

This recipe was created out of desperation one Friday night. I don't recall what the issue was, but for some reason I found myself lacking the correct ingredients for whatever was on the menu that night. With people standing around my table, singing Shalom Aleichem, I eyeballed the kitchen and hoped to figure something out. That's when the mangos caught my eye. I quickly diced up a mango, threw in some of the grape tomatoes sitting on my counter, added a few more things, and placed the salad on the table just at the right time. Then I waited - to see if anyone would eat it.

Sure enough...this salad took off like wildfire and is finished to the last drop each and every time I make it. 

(PS you can try some tomorrow night at YAD-Chabad Shabbat - just email me at rashibrashi@me.com if you would like to come!)

Here's how to make it in your home:) - please keep in mind that I have no clue on real measurements that I have used..so you will have to do a little experimenting!

Tomato Mango Salad

2 mangos - diced

1 can mandarin oranges

3 scallions - thinly sliced

a handful of craisins

1 red pepper

1 small container grape tomatoes - cut in half, length wise

Once it is all in the bowl...you add the dressing..again, you will have to make it up as you go:)

rice vinegar, canola oil, salt, pepper, garlic, sugar (or splenda), tiny bit of lime juice.

Bake A Cake & Eat It Too!

I love birthdays - and today is my special day:)

When a Jewish soul enters the world, it is a special moment for the entire Jewish nation.

Each year when my birthday rolls around, I take a moment, and reflect on the past year. I remind myself of the wonderful things which transpired, the miraculous moments I experienced and of course I thank G-d for helping me through the difficult spots. A birthday reminds me that Hashem has put me on this earth with a purpose - to help make the world a better place, and on my birthday I reaffirm my commitment to do just that.

Celebrating one's Jewish birthday is no doubt an important milestone each year. (To find out when your Jewish birthday is and how to celebrate it click here.) We are taught that our Jewish birthday is a day to improve in our observance of a Mitzvah, or to bring an additional Mitzvah in to our lives. It is a day to give extra charity and be kind to others. It is a day to be grateful to G-d for the amazing blessings in our lives.

It is said that one celebrating their Jewish birthday has the power to bless others on that day. Being that today, the 27th day of Cheshvan, is my Jewish birthday, I would like to share a blessing for you.

To quote a song by the Jewish band, 8th Day, "May the heavens swing open, and all your hearts desires rain down on you!" May G-d bless you with all that you need and grant you many blessings in your life.

And with that I share with you my favorite birthday cake recipe!  (It's the recipe inside the pretty pink cupcake pictured in this post!)

Rashi's Birthday Cake Recipe


2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup oil

3 ½ cups flour

4 tsps baking powder

1 cup Tropicana orange juice

1/3 cup water

2 tsps vanilla extract

1. Beat eggs and sugar together.

2. Add oil flour, baking powder, OJ, water and vanilla extract.

3. Mix well.

4. Pour into desired cake pan or muffin tins.

5. Bake on 350 until golden brown. (You can check to make sure it is done by inserting a toothpick - it is done when the toothpick comes out dry.)

Pizza Time - But Hold the Cheese

Most people who know me are aware that I have a severe dairy allergy. When people learn this piece of information, the first thing they ask is, "What? You mean you can't eat pizza?" Pizza it seems is a big part of people's lives.

Recently my kids have started coming home from school and asking if they could have pizza. A couple of weeks ago, wanting to make them happy, I told them I could make them a pizza without cheese.  They were uber excited.

This afternoon I decided to surprise them with pizza for dinner. I pulled out my food processor, got out the recipe booklet which came with the machine and got to work.

In the past I haven't really had spectacular results with the pizza dough recipe, so today I decided to read the recipe a little more carefully. (I think I am recipe challenged!!) While reading the instructions I noticed a few tiny words I had never seen before and hoped it was the solution to my problem.

I made the pizza dough, with just a little variation from the recipe and set it to rise. I then began to search my fridge and cabinets for yummy ingredients to top this pizza with.

After assembling the sauce, black olives, slivers of onion and diced red peppers on the pizza dough, it was ready to go into the oven.

My house smelled heavenly as it baked and a short while later a beautiful, dairy-free pizza emerged!

The smiles on Mushky and Shalom's faces when they saw the pizza were priceless!

Pizza was delish - and almost everyone loved it - Shalom simply informed me that he doesn't like pizza with sauce, seems you can't win them all.

Cheeseless Pizza Recipe


1/2 tablespoon yeast
a little sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon oil
Hunt's tomato sauce
Hunt's tomato paste
oregano
garlic powder (the granulated kind)
sliced black olives
1/2 fresh red pepper
1/4 of a sweet onion


To Make The Dough: (I use a Cuisinart food processor with the Dough mode and dough blade.)


1.Dissolve 1/2 tablespoon yeast + a pinch or two of sugar,  in 1 cup warm water. Wait for the mixture to foam.
2. Put the flour, salt and oil in the bowl of the food processor. Press Dough and then On.
3. Pour the yeast/water mixture through the small hole in the pusher tube. (This is the piece you would use to push ingredients down the tube. The small hole is to let liquids fall into the bowl at a slow pace - I think this was the step I was missing all these years.)
4. Allow the dough to be processed until it cleans off the sides of the work bowl. I then added around another 1/3 of a cup of flour to keep the dough from being to sticky - and let it process again for 30 seconds. 
5. Remove dough from bowl and allow to rise for about an hour. 
6. Press dough into a big rectangle on a cookie sheet and brush with a little bit of oil.
7. Mix tomato sauce with tomato paste and spread on the dough - don't put sauce near the edges, this way the edges will puff up into a nice crust.
8. Sprinkle sauce with sliced black olives, sliced onion, diced red pepper, oregano and garlic.
9. Bake on 425 for 15-20 minutes.
10. Enjoy!