The International Conference of Chabad Shluchos

Last week my family joined me in visiting NY as I attended the International Conference of Chabad Shluchos (the women Chabad emissaries).  This conference is held each year during the weekend of the 22nd day of the month of Shvat as this is the day of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka's (the Rebbe's wife) passing. 

My husband was thrilled to be able to spend some time with his family and my kids loved having hours to play with their cousins. Shabbat was really lovely at my brother's home - and I was lucky enough to have 3  visitors from my Birthright trip last  January join us for dinner. 

During the conference on Thursday and Friday I had the opportunity to see cousins and friends whom I hadn't seen in ages - while listening to interesting speakers and checking out new resources for Chabad House across the globe. Interacting with "Shluchos" from all over gave me the opportunity to share ideas and arm myself with some new ones too!

The highlight of the conference was surely the banquet at the Hilton in NYC on Sunday night. Imagine if you can for a moment, a ballroom filled with 2,000 women who run Chabad Houses all around the world. It was an awesome sight - at my table alone there were women from the Georgia, Florida, Sao Paolo, Brazil, and the Netherlands to name a few. The speakers did a phenomenal job and were truly inspiring. It was a true reminder of how Chabad is available for every Jewish soul, no matter where on this earth he or she may be. It was a reminder for of how incredible this path I have chosen for my life is - and a reminder of the incredible things each and every individual can accomplish. 

As I listened to the "roll call" at the end of the evening when each and every Chabad House location was named, I was awestruck by the span of Chabad Lubavitch. It filled me with pride to be a part of this incredible network of people who have dedicated their lives to helping people around the globe in a multitude of ways. 

Of course an "Un-Recipes" post would not be complete without a recipe and so I will share a recipe for a salad I enjoyed during my Shabbat meal at my brother's home. This recipe is not mine, but rather that of my sister in law Zlata :)

Hearts of Palm - Avocado Salad

1 can hearts of palm, sliced

2 avocados, cut into chunks

Grape tomatoes, halved

Canola oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!

Pineapple Salsa

Wow! It has been ages since I have posted a "recipe". I have certainly thought about posting many times, and I have even sat in front of my computer to type...but each time something got in my way. So today I will post a recipe that I had planned on writing about two weeks ago.

While deciding what to make for dinner I noticed a lonely pineapple sitting in my spare fridge in  my garage. (I had bought the pineapple because I was certain I would cut it up and eat it - but of course it got totally forgotten about. This happens to things in everyone's refrigerators - right??) So I decided that the pineapple would be lonely no more and would star in that night's dinner. (Luckily only a tiny part of the pineapple needed to be cut off and discarded from its long life in my fridge.) I quickly cut that pineapple up into little pieces, added some fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, diced a red pepper and a red onion - added some seasoning and presto - pineapple salsa!  I placed the salsa in the fridge so the flavors could mingle (looks like people don't have a monopoly on the mingling) and headed to the fish store where I purchased super fresh salmon.  I baked the salmon with very light seasoning and then served it with the salsa - delicious!   Who knew that healthy food could be soooo easy AND delicious!!

Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple

Red bell pepper

Red onion

Italian flat leaf parsley

Rice vinegar

Lime juice

Garlic

Salt

A tiny bit of cumin

Dice up the pineapple, red pepper, onion and parsley and place in a bowl. Season with rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, salt and a little bit of cumin. Place in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with chicken, fish or anything that makes you happy!

Coleslaw With Celery Seed

About two weeks ago, my husband and I were walking down the spice aisle in a local grocery store. Looking at the rows and rows of spice bottles and jars I decided it was time to purchase something that didn't already have a home in my spice cabinet.

Generally speaking, the foods I prepare rely on a pretty basic list of seasonings - and I decided it was time to spice things up and purchase some new little bottles to put in my already overstuff cabinet.

That night I decided I was going to try and use a new spice at least once a week for the next couple of weeks. I purchased a bottle of celery seed for the first week and ground mustard for the second week. Sadly, the spices sat patiently waiting for about two weeks before I got to work on the experiment.

Last Thursday I finally got out the bottle of celery seed. (You could it breathe a sigh of relief at finally getting some air!) I decided to give it a try in my regular, basic coleslaw to check out how it would change up the flavor. I got out the bag of shredded cabbage and got right to work on the dressing - and shortly thereafter everyone was trying the "new coleslaw".

After tasting the coleslaw I decided that I liked the new twist on my regular coleslaw dressing. According to my taste buds, the addition of the celery seeds gave a slight tang and taste of bread and butter pickles (which I love). Levi agreed that it tasted great and my two kids happily ate it without comment - which believe me is a sign that they like it.

Up next is the ground mustard....we shall see how that goes.

Coleslaw With Celery Seed

Shredded cabbage
Canola oil
Rice vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
a little sugar or splenda
Celery seed

Place cabbage in a bowl, add seasonings, mix and enjoy!

Simchat Torah

I don't know about you, but I love Simchat Torah. It is such a lively and joyous holiday! Amidst all of the singing and dancing, I managed to do some thinking as I watched our holiday unfold. Sooo..here are some of my thoughts.

 I absolutely LOVED watching our Chabad House fill with people this past Thursday night. I loved seeing people who I see all the time, I loved seeing people who I only see a few times a year and I certainly loved meeting new people for the first time as they came to celebrate with the Torahs. After a delicious dinner, the children headed to a separate room for a cool magic show, while the adults got the Hakafot (dancing around the Bima with the Torahs) started. When the magic show was done, all of the kids lined up and marched into the Shul singing "Hashem Is Here" - it was a beautiful sight! I couldn't stop watching as the children sang and danced with our beloved Torahs - for it is the children who will make sure that the Torah and our traditions, are passed on from one generation to the next.

Later in the evening, we said a L'chaim for the safe return of Gilad Shalit, a L'chaim for all of the souls of those who have been lost in senseless acts of terror in Israel and of course we voiced our wishes that Hashem will protect our special land, even with the release of so many terrorists. Then we danced and danced as we dedicated the Hakafah to Gilad and all of Israel  - the energy in the room was kind of surreal.

Throughout Hakafot, something came over me each and every time I saw someone dance by with a Torah. Watching as our Torahs were held with such love and care. I couldn't help but feel an amazing sense of Jewish pride. I had this incredible feeling of how wonderful it is that for thousands of years our nation has held onto our Torah.

On Simchat Torah we read the last part of the Torah, and then we immediately start the cycle all over again - as the study of Torah truly never ends. As we said, Chazak, Chazak when we completed the Torah - I thanked Hashem that we have completed the cycle of the Torah once more...and when we started with Breishit, I looked forward at the coming year and all of the opportunities that will come along with it.

Along with all of the singing and dancing and being sentimental (it happens to me sometimes!), we also did our fair share of eating - sometimes it seems this is what we do best:) At our big Simchat Torah party on Thursday night we served a grand buffet, including a mexican style corn salad - here is the recipe.

Mexican Style Corn Salad


2 cans of corn
1 can black beans
1 small can sliced black olives
1 red pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
Canola oil
Rice vinegar
Cumin
Lemon juice
Salt
Black pepper
Granulated garlic
A little bit of sugar if you would like


Drain the cans of corn, beans and olives and place in a bowl. Add diced pepper and onion. Season with canola oil, rice vinegar, a splash of lemon juice, salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and cumin (and a bit of sugar if you please). Mix and allow to sit for a little while to allow the flavors to mingle. Enjoy!

Three Years Later...

This past week marked three years since the day that darkness descended on the Chabad House in Mumbai, India. Though I never met Gavi and Rivky HY"D, I felt like I knew them - and their absence was sorely felt. While darkness entered the world that day - it only brought forth an abundance of light, with the addition of more and more Mitzvot by individuals around the globe.

The post below was written a few months back - and somehow never got posted. Now seemed like a good time to post..

The birth of a child is always a special occasion. Two weeks ago my friends Hallie and Yehoshua  were blessed with a beautiful baby boy. 

Last Sunday the Chabad House was filled with family and friends who came to celebrate with them at their son's Bris. Of course like everyone else in the room I was curious to know which name had been chosen for this little cutie.

When his name, Gavriel Noach, was announced, I was a little surprised to feel my eyes well up with tears. I was totally moved and turned to Hallie and said, "I love the name, good choice!" (as if they need my approval) ;)

I was so taken by this little boy's name because he was named for the incredible Shliach (Chabad emissary) who was tragically killed in Mumbai, India. The baby's father explained that they wanted their son to grow up in the footsteps of this wonderful Shliach. He continued that they wanted their son to evolve into someone who would do his best to help fellow Jews get in touch with their special roots, just as Gavriel and Rivky Holtzberg did - and as Chabad Shluchim around the globe continue to do.

I am truly excited to watch little Gavriel Noach as he grows up and it is my wish for Hallie and Yehoshua that they get much nachas from their little boy.

So of course being that this is a food blog I will share a recipe:)

As part of the menu we served egg salad. I wasn't actually the one who made the egg salad as I was busy putting together flowers in vases, but I will share my recipe for delicious (I think!) egg salad.

Rashi's Egg Salad

Hard boiled eggs (boiled to the perfect yellow color)

Mayonnaise

Salt 

Black pepper

Garlic powder

Onion powder

This is how I boil eggs.

Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Place the lid on the pot. Place on stove with burner turned to high. When the water starts to boil, remove the pot from the fire and let sit covered for 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, rinse eggs in cold running water for a couple of minutes to stop them from continuing to cook. 

Peel eggs (it is much easier to do right after they are cooked) and place in a bowl. Mash eggs (I usually put on gloves and mush the eggs with my hands.) Mix in some mayonnaise (I actually make my own - but that is for another day!) - I try not to put too much mayo (I feel that the mashed eggs shouldn't be swallowed up by the mayonnaise and lose their identity.) Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. 

Purple Cabbage - Green Grapes

Being the big fan of food that I am, I love to look through food magazines. A few months back I came across the The Food Network Magazine - and I love reading it. I always find some cool tips, ideas or recipes - and of course I just love to read about food.

Looking at their pretty pictures I always say that I am going to try some of the recipes, but of course I am usually in a hurry and fall back on my tried and true foods.

This past Friday I was flipping through the magazine while Levi drove us to BJs to shop for our Shabbat dinner at Chabad House. I came across a pretty picture of a recipe for a red cabbage and grapes salad  - my first reaction was, "who would eat that?". When I described the recipe to Levi he decided we should try it at our kiddush at Chabad House - so I agreed that we would give it a whirl.

I quickly glanced at the recipe to see what the dressing was made of. Not being a huge fan of some of the ingredients I made a mental note to use certain substitutions. In the end, I realized on Shabbat morning that I had left the recipe in my car before Shabbat. I pretty much only remembered that the recipe called for red cabbage, green grapes and dijon mustard (I used regular mustard), and so I made up the dressing as I went along.

When it was time for lunch we placed the salad on the table and hoped for the best. (I must say that the green grapes mixed in with the purple cabbage really did look beautiful.) The salad pretty much vanished and the few people I asked said it tasted good. I finally tasted it myself and was surprised to find that I loved it!

Purple Cabbage and Green Grapes Salad

Purple cabbage
Green grapes, sliced lengthwise
Scallions
Canola oil
Mustard
Rice vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Sugar

Slice purple cabbage and place in a bowl. Slice grapes and add to cabbage. Slice scallions and add to bowl. To dress the salad pour in a little bit of canola oil and rice vinegar. Then add a few squirts of mustard, salt, pepper, garlic and sugar. Mix well and serve.

Enjoy!

Strawberry-Spinach Salad

Today I had four lovely families over at my home for lunch. We had a full house, but it was a house full of happily playing kids and laughing adults. The perfect addition to all the great company was a super yummy feast for lunch. I must've been hungry when I planned my menu because there was SO much food to eat today.

I baked two styles of focaccia bread, garlic-basil and black olives with sage, and made croutons from left over Challah to put in the garden salad. I Used beautiful strawberries and baby spinach leaves to put together a delicious salad. Pasta was mixed with soy sauce and spices and salmon was baked with simple seasoning. A variety of veggies were marinated and grilled alongside a bright yellow pineapple. For dessert we had oatmeal-craisn cookies and cupcakes topped with whipped cream and strawberries. A great time was had by all and my family barely ate dinner after having a feast for lunch:)

The strawberry-spinach salad was a big hit and there was only about a spoonful left by the time the afternoon was over. With Shavuot around the bend, I think it is a perfect recipe to serve at your holiday meals. (Speaking of Shavuot - if you are in the Hampton Roads area, why not bring your family and friends to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments and relive the giving of the Torah...there will be lots of fun and games for the kids and a yummy ice cream party too!!)

Strawberry-Spinach Salad


Baby spinach 
Strawberries
Red onion

Canola oil

Rice vinegar

Poppy seeds
Sugar 
Salt
Pepper
Garlic


Wash and check spinach leaves for insects and then place in bowl. Wash and slice strawberries and add to spinach. Dice a red onion and to the rest of the salad. Dress with canola oil, rice vinegar, sugar (I used Splenda), poppy seeds, salt, pepper and garlic. Yummy!!!

Potato Salad and Painted Faces

Yesterday we celebrated Lag B'Omer with a BBQ and celebration at Chabad House. My brother Shmulie "drove" the grill and turned out delicious burgers and hot dogs. The tables were filled with buns, corn on the cob, cole slaw, a garden salad, potato salad and watermelon - and of course everything needed to make perfect sandwiches:) There were cupcakes for dessert, which the children got to decorate with icing, jelly beans and sprinkles. Cool refreshing drinks completed the menu.

Smiling faces were seen everywhere as the kids happily played on the playground, blew bubbles, used sidewalk chalk and played games with a parachute and hula hoops. The kids also LOVED having their faces painted by an excellent artist and everyone had a blast getting their cotton candy made by Rabbi Levi. 

With lively Jewish music in the air, friends and family all around and delicious food to eat, it was a wonderful event that more than 70 people enjoyed.

Throughout the evening I kept hearing that the potato salad was really good - and so today I will share my recipe for potato salad.

(PS...missed out on the fun yesterday? Not to worry...more fun is just down the road with the annual Shavuot Ice Cream party on June 8 at 5:30 PM)

Rashi's Potato Salad

Red potatoes, (I do around one per person)

Mayonnaise

Bread and butter pickles

Scallions

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Dill (the spice)

Scrub potatoes (do not peel) and boil with some salt in the pot. When the water comes to a boil, lower it and allow to cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. While potatoes are still warm, add sliced scallions, diced pickles and the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic and dill.  Serve and enjoy!

(sorry there are no numbers...but I make it in different amounts each time and don't really have any real numbers to share)

A Tropical Shabbat Dinner

As you may know, we host a Shabbat dinner at Chabad House each month. We switch off between doing a traditional Shabbat dinner menu and a themed Shabbat dinner menu.

After having tons of people throughout Pesach we sailed straight into our Shabbat dinner of 50 people.

Back in the summer when I designed the postcard for Shabbat with Chabad we included all the dates and themes for the entire year. So when I looked at my records I saw that this past Shabbat was to be a tropical themed Shabbat dinner.

To be honest I wasn't totally sure what should be served at a tropical themed Shabbat dinner - after all there are a good number of tropical places in this world - each with its own cuisine.  After doing lots of research I finally came up with what I thought would be a good menu. We started with a carrot salad based on a recipe I saw for Caribbean carrot salad, avocado dip, tomato-mango salad, a garden salad with carrot-ginger dressing and pineapple-teriyaki gefilte fish. Then we had chicken soup with matzah balls - I am fairly certain that Jewish people in tropical places still eat chicken soup with matzah balls! The third course brought pineapple-mango chicken, sweet potato kugel and green beans with toasted almonds. Dessert was brownies and fresh strawberries and pineapple.

All in all I believe it was a very colorful and tasty Shabbat dinner! (next month we will have a traditional menu - May 27 @ 8:00 PM)

Here is the recipe for the carrot salad

Tropical Carrot Slaw


Carrots, grated
Craisins
Scallions
Canola oil
Rice vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Sugar
Lemon juice
Lime juice


Grate carrots and place in a bowl. Add chopped scallions and a handful of Craisins. Dress with canola oil, rice vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, sugar, lemon juice and lime juice. I happened to discover that it tastes better after it has been refrigerated for a bit. Enjoy!

Seders in Every Corner of the Globe

109 years ago, on the 11th of Nissan, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was born in the city of Nikolaev in Russia. Today is the 11th day of Nissan on the Hebrew calendar and it marks the 109th birthday of the Rebbe.

The Rebbe was a visionary - and the Rebbe had an incredible impact on the world. The Rebbe knew that there were Jewish people all over the globe that were searching for ways to feed the fire burning in their Jewish souls. He knew that people from all walks of life were in need of Jewish education, were in need of a place to call their Jewish home. The need was so great to the Rebbe that he enlisted his own army of "Shluchim" (emissaries) to move to places near and far to provide for Jewish communities large and small. 

The Rebbe set up a system that allows Jewish people to connect with G-d in any part of the world in which they may find themselves.

Having been privileged to meet the Rebbe, and receive his blessings, numerous times, I am honored to be a part of the Rebbe's vision and be one of those thousands of emissaries. 

As I write, one of my six brothers is preparing to have Seders with the Jews in South Korea, and another is in the Ukraine for Pesach, and a third is in Montreal providing Seders for Jewish students at the McGill University. Along with my brothers, there are countless others leading Seders in a wide variety of interesting places. The Rebbe in his infinite wisdom set up this system to allow Jewish people everywhere to participate in a Seder. 

The Rebbe taught the world at large that through acts of goodness and kindness we can have an immense impact on the world - why not do something good for someone else today in honor of the Rebbe's birthday!

Speaking of Seders around the globe, I am sharing a recipe from our Seder menus this year. 

(PS: If you, or someone you know, is still need of a Seder make sure to visit www.Passover.net to find a Seder in almost any part of the world.)

And with that I wish you a wonderful Pesach. 

Cucumber Salad

(Yes, this is a SUPER simple recipe -  but tastes really good!)

Cucumbers

Sweet onions

Canola oil

Fresh lemon juice

Fresh lime juice

Sugar

Kosher salt

Peel and slice cucumbers and onions (I do half moons). Dress with canola oil, fresh lemon juice, a little fresh lime juice, sugar and Kosher salt. Mix well. Allow salad to sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving to allow flavors to blend.

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.

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.)