Sweet and Peppery Noodle Kugel

The excitement in our house today is tangible. I believe you could reach out and touch it.

My seven year old daughter Mushky spent 10 days in Arizona at a special overnight camp for children of Shluchim. (Shluchim are the people who run the Chabad Houses all around the globe.) While Mushky was away we were lucky to be able to see some pictures of her online and see that she was really enjoying herself. My heart was beating rapidly as I made my way through security and proceeded to the gate to retrieve Mushky. Seeing her was such an exciting moment! Her eyes were sparkling and she spent the whole ride home giving us all the details. Being a good Jewish mother, I made sure to ask her if she liked the food and if she had enough to eat :) She let me know that some of the food was yucky and some was good - but that nothing was as good as her mommy's food! That being said, I figured we better create some of her favorite Shabbos foods for tonight's dinner.

Amongst the other items on the menu, we will be having a sweet and peppery noodle kugel which Mushky loves.

A few years ago my husband's sister Chanie came for a visit and made this kugel. We loved it so much that we asked for the recipe. I have made some very minor tweaks to the recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year!

Sweet and Peppery Noodle Kugel

4 ½ cups water

¼ cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

1 lb egg noodles

2 eggs

4 Tb dark brown sugar

3 Tb oil

Boil water, oil, sugar, pepper and salt.  When it comes to a boil turn off the fire but leave the pot on the stove. Mix in the egg noodles. Cover pot and let sit for 15 minutes.  While you are waiting, mix the eggs, brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of oil together. When 15 minutes are over add in the egg mixture. Cover pot and let sit for an additional 15 minutes. After 15 minutes spray a baking dish (around 9 x13) with Pam and pour the mixture into the pan. Bake on 350 until the top of the kugel is brown and slightly crispy.

Sesame Chicken

A Chinese Shabbat dinner - yum!

While it took lots and lots of preparation, last night's Chinese themed Shabbat dinner was delicious! We served up an Asian style gefilte fish, a colorful angel hair pasta salad, a crunchy bok choy salad, coleslaw with a soy sauce dressing and a garden salad. Piping hot chicken soup, served with chow mein noodles came along for the second course. The third course brought yummy sesame chicken, stir fried veggies and of course egg rolls and duck sauce.

I had lots of fun creating all these yummy Chinese style delights and had many requests for the recipes to appear on this blog. 

Tonight I will start with the Sesame Chicken.

A good number of years ago my cousin Esty told me she was making sesame chicken for dinner. I thought that sounded yummy and asked her for her recipe. She gave me some basic instructions (her family also isn't big on exact recipes) and I have experimented with this dish ever since.

Here's how I created the sesame chicken for last night's dinner. (Being that we were prepping chicken for 50+ people I don't really have any real measurements. I always change up this recipe, so just use your best judgement :)

Sesame Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breast

Flour

Water

salt

Canol oil

Brown sugar

Soy sauce

Ketchup

Garlic powder

Black pepper

Sesame seeds

Cut chicken breast into strips (chicken finger style). Mix flour and water together until it has the consistency of a thin paste. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and mix. 

Heat oil in a frying pan. Dip chicken strips in the flour and water mixture and then fry until it is almost cooked. Place fried chicken strips in a pan and place in the oven to finish cooking. 

Sauce:

Mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, pepper, garlic powder and lots of sesame seeds. Mix well. 

Place sauce in a pan and place in the oven to warm up while the chicken finishes cooking.

When chicken is cooked and sauce is hot, toss chicken in the sauce and serve. Delicious!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

It happens to all of us. We have busy days filled with countless things to do and then we realize that somehow dinner needs to be created - and fast. We reach into our brains and scan our list of easy and quick dinners. This happened to me yesterday. Amongst other things, I went to Shalom's first violin recital. I loved watching his smiley face as he gently played the violin. As soon as the recital was over we headed home and then I realized that I had to make dinner quickly.

Having taken out ground beef I decided we would be having mushroom barley soup, spaghetti and meatballs and broccoli for dinner. I got to work and dinner was ready in under an hour.

Spaghetti and meatballs are really easy to make, yet the first time I made them they were not so tasty. I realized that I better get some meatball advice. I decided to call my aunt Breindy.

While I attended high school in Montreal, I lived with my aunt and uncle, Breindy and Berel. Breindy always made delicious meatballs and I loved coming home to yummy hot meatballs after walking home from school in the freezing cold. Breindy told me over the phone how she makes her meatballs. I tried them and they were delicious. 

Of course over time I began to experiment with the meatball dish and here is the recipe the way I made them last night.

Classic Meatballs

1 lb ground beef

A couple of squirts of ketchup

garlic powder

3 cans Hunt's tomato sauce

Oregano

Before starting with the meatballs, set a pot of water to boil for your pasta.

In a pot,bring the tomato sauce to a boil with garlic powder and oregano. While it boils mix the ground beef with ketchup and garlic powder. Form into meatballs and drop into the boiling sauce. Bring sauce back to a boil and then lower the flame as the meatballs finish cooking. Meatballs cook pretty quickly which is a good thing. 

When I have more time on my hands I have all kinds of variations to this recipe. Sometimes I will put eggs and bread crumbs and even chopped onion into the meatball mixture. Other times I will first sauté an onion and fresh garlic in the pot before adding the tomato sauce. There are also times where I throw in some fresh basil. When I am in a hurry, I stick with this very simple recipe and it's a winner every time.

Butternut Squash Soup

As I have written previously, I am a big lover of soups of all kind. With the freezing cold weather we've been having there is nothing like a bowl of nice, hot soup. About a year ago I picked up a butternut squash on a trip to the grocery store, but wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it. The poor squash sat in my house for a very long time before I decided that it was time to create something yummy with it. 

I decided on butternut squash soup. I had never had butternut squash soup before but once I tasted it I was hooked. This soup is sooo easy to make (the hardest part is peeling the squash), and you only need a very few ingredients. I will even venture to say that your kids might just like it! I told Mushky and Shalom that butternut squash soup is a cousin of zucchini soup and so they agreed to taste it. Turns out that they really like this soup, so much so that Mushky asked for a second serving last night!

So, here's how you make it.

Butternut Squash Soup

canola oil

1 butternut squash

2 big onions

2 cloves fresh garlic

4 big leaves fresh basil

chicken stock 

dried dill

salt 

pepper

Slice the onions and place in a pot with some canola oil. Allow the onions to get really soft and slightly brown. Then add in the garlic and allow to sauté for a few more minutes. Peel the squash and cut into chunks, add to the pot. Stir the vegetables and let the squash cubes get a little soft together with the onions. Wash (and check for bugs) 4 basil leaves, tear the leaves and add them to the pot. Cover everything with the chicken stock (enough water to cover and then a little bit more). Season with salt and pepper and dill. Bring to a boil - then lower and allow to cook until squash is soft. Once the squash is soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Enjoy!

Recipe For Smiles

I am fully aware that this is a food blog - however today I will go with a recipe of another kind, a recipe for smiles.

When an idea falls into my head, I have a very hard time ignoring it. Recently a new Chanukah concept lit up like a light bulb in my brain, and I knew I had to run with it. My brain moved into overdrive and the "Chanukah Party Bus" was born. 

The concept in reality was quite simple; fill a bus with kids, take the kids to bring Chanukah cheer to local seniors AND make the bus ride a cool Chanukah party. 

I quickly lined up three assisted living facilities who were more than thrilled for us to bring children in for a Chanukah celebration. I then started spreading the word, and it took off like wildfire.

In the days leading up to the event I worked on getting the "party" part in place and took the opportunity to help the last few seats on the bus get filled.

Nothing could prepare me for the awesome experience it was. It is hard to describe boarding a bus filled with excited children (and their parents) with smiles beaming from ear to ear. To listen to so many voices singing Chanukah songs as the bus pulled away from Chabad House was awesome. After singing a few songs and taking part in a lively Q & A session with Rabbi Levi, we were already at our first destination. 

The seniors were THRILLED with the arrival of the children, and the kids looked so happy to be there.  At each of our three stops we lit the Menorah, sang a few songs, danced and gave out doughnuts and chocolate gelt to the residents.

On the bus, the party rocked on. A big puppet made an appearance as the story of Chanukah was told, a cool Chanukah movie was presented on the video screens, we played an exciting game where each side of the bus had to be the first to pass certain items to the front of the bus, we cheered and we sang. 

I loved watching as the children's eyes grew with amazement when I began to hand out giant chocolate coins, and I loved seeing the joy in their eyes as they received a dreidel bubble necklace at the end of the ride. 

Most of all, I loved that with one simple bus, we were able to bring Chanukah smiles to people of all ages. I loved watching the sweetness in the children as they went around to pass out chocolate gelt to the seniors we met. I loved seeing the shining eyes of the residents at each stop as they watched the next generation continue with the traditions of Chanukah. 

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!

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!!)