Potato Blintzes and Mushroom Sauce

3,323 years ago, the Jewish nation gathered at the foot of Mt. Sinai to receive a special gift from G-d - the Torah! Every single year since then, the Jewish people gather on the 6th day of Sivan to hear the Ten Commandments being read from the Torah.

Each year at Chabad House we host an ice cream and Ten Commandments party. Our annual ice cream party took place in the evening yesterday. A few minutes before 5:30 people started to come in and then before I knew it the Chabad House was filled with people. While the Torah reading got started with the adults, I lead a special program for the children. A little while later it was time to read the Aseret HaDibrot - the Ten Commandments, and so all the children headed downstairs and into the main room. Describing the scene, my father told me today, "it was incredible to watch the kids come into the room, they just kept on coming and coming, more and more kids". As we got read the Torah I looked around the room and saw well over 100 people from all over Hampton Roads. I saw people of all ages from little babies to bubbies and zaidies. People from all walks of life - yet standing there together we all something very much in common - we were the Jewish nation standing once again to receive the Torah from Hashem, and it was heart warming.

Of course along with the reading of the Torah we get to eat lots of food on Shavuot (as on any Jewish holiday!) It is customary to eat blintzes on Shavuot - though in most cases they are filled with cheese. While I couldn't include any dairy in my menu, I still wanted to have blintzes, and so I spent quite some time creating my potato blintzes. In the afternoon when everything was cooked and baked I noticed a container of mushrooms in my fridge so I decided to try my hand at making a mushroom sauce for the blintzes...what a yummy combination that was!

So while most foods I blog about are quick and easy, these recipes are more time consuming - but well worth it. (If you are wondering what you need the recipe for now, I have to say that my kids finished off the last blintzes tonight and let me know they would be a good dinner food.)

Potato Blintzes


Make some crepes:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil for frying


Mix the eggs, flour, water and salt until smooth. Heat a small amount of oil in a small frying pan (I think non-stick works best) on medium-high. When oil is hot drop a small ladle of batter into the pan and quickly swirl around to make a very thin pancake. When the crepe starts to bubble it is time to flip it over and quickly cook the second side. Remove finished crepes to a plate line with a paper towel.


Mashed potatoes:
(This "recipe" comes from my father. He was the mashed potato maker in our house and they were always my favorite. So I learned his tricks and now make it myself:)


The amounts listed here filled 24 blintzes and I still had leftover mashed potatoes.


7 large russet potatoes
2 eggs
2 yellow onions
Oil for frying
Salt 
Pepper
Garlic


Peel and cube potatoes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Sprinkle some salt into the pot. Boil and then lower the flame and allow potatoes to cook until they are soft. When soft, drain the potatoes. While potatoes are piping hot add two raw eggs to the potatoes and mash. (I mash mine with my hand mixer!) The heat in the potatoes will ensure that the eggs get cooked while making the potatoes nice and smooth. 
Peel and dice the onions and sauté until very soft. Add the onions to the potatoes and season with salt, pepper and garlic. 


To make the blintzes:
I fried mine in an electric skillet to ensure an even oil temperature. I set the temp to 350. 


Place a small amount of mashed potatoes in the crepes, fold up and then fry until golden colored on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.


Mushroom Sauce


Canola oil
1 lb button mushrooms
2 yellow onions
Dried thyme
Dried marjoram
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Flour
Water


Place oil in a frying pan and heat on medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and diced onions. Saute mushrooms and onions until very, very soft. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, marjoram and thyme. Mix some flour and water together in a bowl and then pour into the very soft mushrooms and onions. Mix continuously until the sauce has thickened and has an even texture. Serve hot over blintzes

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!!!

Grilled Chicken Skewers

When Memorial Day rolls around I think summer. Like many others, I enjoy spending the day with my family doing something fun:) Today we headed out bright and early in the morning and went to Busch Gardens. Yes it was over 90 degrees and we were slowly starting to melt, but I really love watching my kids faces on their favorite rides - and the looks on their faces when Levi and I won the giant stuffed banana they have been eyeing for weeks was priceless.

Along with spending hours outside, barbecuing is another sure sign for me that summer is here. After we got home we busily worked to get dinner ready. We grilled chicken-veggie skewers, onions, asparagus and pineapple and added some corn on the cob to the mix. Kudos to Levi for grilling our yummy feast on this super, duper hot day.

Sometimes I wonder if heading out to an amusement park and finishing the day with a BBQ are proper observances of Memorial Day.  Today while I was doing this thinking, it occurred to me that it is because of our dedicated, brave and committed service men and women that we are able to celebrate in this fashion. Of course I stopped to think about those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and of course I am truly grateful to these brave men and women and their families. At the same time, I am so thankful that we continue to live in a free land - and that we can choose to spend the day enjoying our many freedoms.

Here is the "recipe" for the chicken skewers so that you too can enjoy a yummy summer BBQ :)

Chicken Veggie Skewers


Chicken breast - cut into chunks
Portobello mushrooms
Yellow sqaush
Onions
Red peppers
Fresh basil
Fresh garlic
Canola oil
Rice vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Oregano


(If you are using wooden skewers, you will need to soak them in water for about 20 minutes or so before using - this will prevent them from burning.)


Cut chicken breast and place in a bowl with some oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic and basil, pepper and oregano. Wash veggies and cut into chunks, place in a bowl with oil, rice vinegar, salt, pepper, minced garlic,  minced basil and oregano. Allow both the chicken and the vegetables to marinate (though in a pinch I only let them sit for about 10 minutes).  Alternating with chicken and vegetables, fill the skewers. Grill.


Enjoy!

Patty Pan Squash

Those of us living in Norfolk, VA are no strangers to storms, but the storm that blew through here yesterday seemed to really mean business. Within minutes of the sky turning grey (black?), rain started pounding on our house, the wind started howling and then before I  knew big hail was falling from the sky. Looking out of my window I watched my neighbor's big trash cans swim across the street and then  manage to be blown halfway up their lawn. The noise in my house was super loud and my kids were starting to get super nervous.

Thank G-d the storm blew past us and we only had a few branches fall from our trees. Other areas weren't so lucky, with downed trees and widespread power outages. 

This morning my phone rang at 6:30. I couldn't figure out who would be calling me so early in the morning. I picked up and quickly found out that my kids' school had no power - and that they weren't going to school.

So what to do on a beautifully sunny, no school day? I called a friend and we gathered our kids and headed out to Pungo to go strawberry picking. The kids were thrilled to take their buckets and start picking strawberries.  After baking in the sun and collecting the beautiful red treats for quite some time we headed to the farmer's market to pay. 

While the strawberries were being weighed, I decided to check out the rest of the produce being sold. I came upon a pile of beautiful looking Patty Pan squash that I purchased for dinner.

Once home I gave the squash a good scrubbing and turned them into a delicious side. A little perk - my kids loved the shape of these squash and were excited to try them - and then they loved the way it tasted!

Patty Pan Squash

3 yellow patty pan squash

3 white patty pan squash

Canola oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic 

Dried sage

Pre-heat oven to 425. Wash squash and slice any way you like. Place in an oven safe dish and drizzle some oil into the dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and dried sage and mix well. Place in the oven and mix every so often. Remove when the squash very soft. 

Enjoy!

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)

Cholent for Jewish Bikers

Each year the JMA (Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance) hosts a "Ride to Remember". Each year members of Jewish motorcycle clubs from around the world gather in a chosen city for a special weekend together. The main event is, "The Ride to Remember", when they ride to remember the Holocaust and raise money to support Holocaust education.

This year the Ride to Remember was held in Virginia Beach. The festivities began with a BBQ at the oceanfront which my husband Levi and I attended so that Levi could help the guys put on Tefillin.  The next morning, we both attended the ceremony for the bikers held at the local JCC. My father, along with other area rabbis, addressed the bikers and thanked them for biking for a good cause. After the ceremony, everyone crossed the parking lot to hear the students of the Hebrew Academy sing.

At the conclusion of the song, the bikers all climbed aboard their motorcycles and got ready to ride. Someone else also donned a helmet and got ready to ride too - that would be my husband. My kids got such a kick out of seeing him drive off on a motorcycle! I am sure it was the highlight of their day.

After picking up my husband from his fun ride, we dashed back home to get some Shabbos cooking started before we had to run to Chabad House to run our Challah Twists club for a group of children. When the club had ended, Levi worked quickly to peel potatoes and onions, chop them up and mix them in with a bunch of beans and barley and seasoning. Levi had been asked to prepare the cholent for the bikers' Shabbat lunch the next day. Cholents prepared he headed for the oceanfront, delivered the cholent (which we found out after Shabbos was a huge hit!) and dashed back home - arriving roughly one hour before candle lighting.

On that note, today's recipe is not mine, but rather belongs to Levi. Levi is the cholent maker each week at Chabad House, and each week the cholent is finished to the last drop. So here is his recipe :)

Rabbi Levi's Cholent
(recipe is for an 8 quart slow cooker)


6 potatoes, cut into big chunks
3 onions, cut into big chunks
1/2 bag of large lima beans
1/2 bag of kideny beans
1/2 bag of barley
a bunch of ketchup
oil
salt
pepper
garlic
Water


Peel and prepare potatoes and onions and place in pot. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover with water. Turn slow cooker to low and allow to cook overnight. Enjoy!

Talking Cookies

As a child we had a book called, "Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree". A number of months back my mother found a copy of the book and I was thrilled to bring it home to my children. They loved reading about how Cookie Monster plead with a talking cookie tree to let him have some of its cookies. Of course they laughed at the idea of a cookie tree - let alone a talking one.

As an adult I have discovered that while trees don't talk, cookies can certainly have their own voice. I'm sure you have heard it before in your own kitchen. You know, the voice that says, "I'm super yummy!" or "Eat me, I am delicious". I don't know about your cookies, but mine tend to talk to me a lot. After the cookies are baked and have barely had a chance to cool off the choir begins. The cookies all start singing to me and hoping that I will eat them, and of course I do :)

A few months back I tried out a new type of cookie. I will call them "Heavenly Jelly Squares" At first they appeared to have flopped (yups this happens sometimes), but then I tasted one and it was delightful. My brother Shmulie came to eat some, and then let me know that whatever I had done to the "flopped cookies" should be repeated again in the near future. 

This past Shabbat we had a full house on Friday night. My parents joined us for dinner as did 5 of my 6 brothers. I decided to make these cookies and some oatmeal cookies. Sure enough, the jelly squares were a hit.  Of course I made a whole bunch of cookies, and they have been talking to me ever since. I did a pretty decent job of declining the offer - but when I saw just one cookie left tonight, I decided to go for it!

Here's the recipe :)

Heavenly Jelly Squares

2/3 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of oil

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

preserves or jam of your choice (Levi and I like raspberry best, while my kids prefer strawberry - so I make both)

Mix the sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Mix well, until dough is crumbly. Spray a glass rectangular dish with Pam and press the cookie dough into the dish. (Don't put the dough on the sides as you would do with a pie crust.)

Use your thumb to make rows of indentations. Drop a half teaspoon of the jam or preserves of your choice into each thumbprint. Bake on 350 until lightly brown. Allow cookies to cool and set before cutting and removing to a serving platter.