Salmon and Tangy Pepper Chutney

Sixty minutes. That is the amount of time it took from start to finish to have dinner ready tonight. We had zucchini soup, roasted sweet potato chips, baked salmon with a pepper chutney and a garden salad.

If you ask me, the pepper chutney was the star of tonight's dinner. When Levi walked in the door he commented that something smelled delicious - it was the sauce for the fish.

Not only did it smell incredible, but it tasted even better. Imagine if you can, a sweet and tangy sauce to pair with a very simple baked salmon. The flavor and texture of the chutney sauce truly enhanced the flavor of the fish.

The greatest thing about this delicious duo is that it is simple to create in a very short amount of time!!!

I would also like to add that I think the sauce would also be a wonderful accompaniment to pasta or burgers.

Simple Baked Salmon


Salmon fillets 
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Onion powder
Lemon juice


Rinse salmon fillets and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle fish with salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder and just a tiny bit of lemon juice. Cover with foil and bake on 385. Bake until fish flakes easily.


Tangy Pepper Chutney


1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
3/4 cup rice vinegar (natural flavor)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
garlic powder
salt


Wash and dice both peppers and place into a pot. Add rice vinegar, brown sugar and spices. Cook on high until the mixture boils - allow to boil for about 5 minutes, mixing very often. Then lower flame and allow the sauce to reduce. 


Serve Tangy Pepper Chutney over Simple Baked Salmon

Tomato, Onion and Cornflake Crumb Coated Salmon

I sometimes joke that I am, "recipe challenged". You may not believe this, but there are many, many times where I will take out a cookbook, get to work on a recipe I have found and then twenty minutes later I will discover that I have completely mixed up the ingredients or instructions. While instructions are certainly useful, I have found that most of the time I use a recipe as a springboard for my own creation. Sometimes I modify a recipe because I don't have a certain ingredient in the house, and other times because I simply don't like a given ingredient. At other times I revise a recipe because I have no patience for multiple steps in my cooking and just want to get done quickly. Luckily, the vast majority of my recipe experiments turn out to be just what I want to eat :)

A few years back I came upon a salmon recipe that I wanted to try. The first time I prepared this recipe I actually followed the given instructions, yet the next time I decided to experiment and see if I could get it to be something that I would love. Last night I made this salmon for dinner and it was super delicious!

Tomato, Onion and Cornflake Crumb Coated Salmon

4 1/2 lbs fresh salmon (skin and bones removed)

black pepper

salt

3 tablespoons French's mustard

3 tablespoons honey

6 small tomatoes (I used Campari - Roma would be good too)

1/2 vidalia onion

1 1/2 cups cornflake crumbs

1/4 cup olive oil

a handful of fresh basil - chopped

garlic powder

Preheat oven to 385.

Cut the salmon into roughly 7 oz fillets. Place salmon in a glass baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix honey and mustard together and then brush onto the salmon. Slice tomatoes and onions into thin slices. Start with one piece of fish - place a tomato slice one end of the fish and then place some onion, then some tomato - continue the pattern until the slice of fish is covered, then move on to the next piece of fish until all are covered with tomatos and onions. Mix cornflake crumbs with olive oil, garlic powder and chopped basil. Place crumb coating over the tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle the tops of the fish with a little bit of water and place a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the dish. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake until salmon flakes easily.

Asian Style Spaghetti

As a child, one of my favorite storybooks was "More Spaghetti, I Say", by Rita Golden Gelman. I have great memories of reading this book and I remember being fascinated by the huge amounts of spaghetti in the pictures. Additionally, it was probably one of my favorites because I really do love spaghetti.

I love spaghetti and pasta in general and there are countless ways to have your spaghetti fix. Some people like cream sauces, others like tomato based sauces. I like most people have a good number of favorite spaghetti dishes. 

This past Shabbat I took a favorite pasta salad recipe and changed up and turned it into a hot spaghetti dish. 

This spaghetti dish involves sautéing some vegetables and then adding some soy sauce, rice vinegar and other seasonings and then "recooking" the spaghetti in the pot. 

I sent Shabbat dinner to a friend last week, and the next morning she was raving about the spaghetti, and asked if I could post the recipe to UnRecipes - so here it is.

Asian Style Spaghetti

1 lb spaghetti

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

6 scallions

1/4 lb snowpeas 

canola oil

soy sauce

rice vinegar

garlic powder

black pepper

sugar

Wash peppers and cut into thin slices. Cut snowpeas diagonally. Slice scallions. Heat some canola oil in a pan and then add the peppers and allow to get slightly soft. Then add the snowpeas and scallions. When the vegetables are somewhat soft, remove them from the fire and set aside. Cook spaghetti. After spaghetti has been drained, return to the pot. Add a little oil, some soy sauce (enough to turn the spaghetti light brown), a few sprinkles of rice vinegar, garlic powder, black pepper and sugar. Add in the sauteed veggies. Turn flame to medium high and mix frequently. Cook just until some of the spaghetti starts to crisp. Serve warm. Enjoy!!

Chicken Soup For the Jewish Soul

There is something to be said for chicken soup. It is truly a comforting food, and I would venture to say a staple in the realm of Kosher cooking. We eat it on Shabbat, we eat on holidays, and there is nothing like chicken soup to help you feel better when you are under the weather.

My kids love having Matzah balls in their chicken soup. Many people prefer rice or noodles. If you are in Israel (or at least want to feel like you are) you pour in a whole bunch of those yellow and crunchy mini croutons (in Israel they call them "shkeiday marak" - soup nuts).

No matter what your preference for soup accompaniments - we can all agree that chicken soup is good for body and soul.

While I have a busy day of Shabbat preparations ahead of me, I am really looking forward to Shabbat. I look forward to lighting my Shabbat candles and filling my home with peace. I look forward to saying Hamotzi and enjoying my freshly baked Challah. I look forward to the lively conversations which will take place around my Shabbat table with family and friends, and most of all I look forward to that piping hot bowl of chicken soup and Matzah balls!

Here's to hoping your Shabbat is filled with peace and warmth - and maybe even some chicken soup!

Shabbat Shalom!

Side note, if you would like to come taste my chicken soup - mark your calendar for Monday, February 21 ~ 7:15 PM at Chabad House. We are having an evening titled, "Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul" - it will be a delicious night of inspiration, wit and wisdom to warm your soul. It will be led by guest speaker Chaya Teldon who is will be visiting us from NY. Along with enjoying a delicious dinner, (including the chicken soup & all of its accompaniments) Chaya will make you laugh, cry and certainly warm your soul.

Traditional Chicken Soup

1 chicken

10 carrots

3 parsnips

2 turnips

4 large onions

6 celery stalks

1 zucchini

salt 

pepper

garlic powder

dill weed

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Add enough water to cover all of the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle in spices. Bring soup to a boil and then lower flame and allow soup to cook until it is a pretty orange color.

Ten Awesome Days!

I consider myself to be the luckiest person on earth! I just spent ten days in the beautiful land of Israel. My father and I were lucky enough to staff a Mayanot Birthright trip (he went as the rabbi, and I went as the rabbi's wife - clearly a different rabbi's wife!!).

We met up with 40, incredible, young Americans in JFK airport, met our amazing Israeli staff, Gavriel, Miri and Chana, upon arrival - and were even lucky enough to have seven awesome Israeli soldiers join us for half of our trip.

When you go to Israel with Birthright you can totally forget about that necessary something called sleep. In place of sleep you are guaranteed days which are packed beyond your imagination, experiences that will stay with you forever and friendships to last a lifetime.

We hiked in the Golan Heights (and it was quite a hike!), got in some jeeping action, got the big picture on the borders of Israel, visited the holy city of Tzfat, tried our hand at writing like a Sofer, spent time on the beach in Tel Aviv, heard an original recording of the State of Israel being declared - in the very room in which it was declared, danced at the Kotel on Friday night, enjoyed a beautiful Shabbat dinner together, took in the scene at Ben Yehuda street, heard from a Holocaust survivor at Yad V'Shem, were very moved during our visit to Mt. Herzl (a military cemetary), toured the Old City of Jerusalem, celebrated Bar and Bat Mitzvahs with members of our group, ate dinner in a Bedouin tent, rode camels (well actually I skipped this one in order to get a tiny bit of extra sleep), climbed up Massada in the RAIN, and went for a float in the Dead Sea.

We  walked on the very ground where our ancestors walked before us. We learned incredible tales of our Jewish history. We saw first hand the miracles which take place on a daily basis in Israel and we learned first hand of the sacrifice and dedication of the IDF.

Along with all of these incredible experiences (and truth be told I didn't list everything we did), we also did plenty of eating.

As I like to say, I spent ten days eating fried foods served in a pita (or in a lafa!). I spent my days eating lots and lots of falafel and "shnitzel" sandwiches. Each day I ate something stuffed in a pita and filled with techina, hummus and a variety of vegetables. It was awesome! It was a nice little break from cooking and I happen to love these Israeli foods!

If you have been to my Shabbat table, you know that I truly love Hummus. After my last trip to Israel I truly wanted to be able to duplicate  the taste of Israel in my home. Luckily Susie Fishbein introduced me to a great recipe for hummus. The recipe I have included here is her recipe with just a few tiny modifications.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do - and as they say in Israel, B'tayavon!

Hummus


1 can cannellini beans
1 can chick peas

3 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup tahini paste 
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
a sprinkle of black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water


Drain and rinse the beans and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper and cumin. Process until smooth.


Drizzle in the olive oil, followed by the water. Process again.


Enjoy!!

Of Weddings and Parties

What's not to love about a wedding? A little over a week ago my brother got married to a lovely girl from Brooklyn. We piled our two kids into the car and headed up to NY to celebrate. After an afternoon of getting everyone to look their best we headed off to the wedding.

What a fun night it was! If you have never been to a Chassidic wedding, it is hard to describe one. The music was lively and the dancing was high speed. Around and around in circles we went. My daughter Mushky seemed to have gotten a magical burst of energy and kept me dancing with her all night long.

Along with the lively dancing was the great thrill of spending hours with my family and my cousins many of whom I hadn't seen in quite some time.  It was also awesome to see how many of our friends from Norfolk (and some who used to live in Norfolk) had come to join my brother in his celebration.

Late at night the wedding came to an end and we wearily dragged ourselves home to sleep, however the fun was just beginning. After a Jewish wedding, the bride and groom attend Sheva Brachot (literally seven blessings). Each night for seven days after the wedding, friends and family throw parties for the newlyweds, which conclude with the recitation of seven blessings - the Sheva Brachot.

While the first few Sheva Brachot were held in Brooklyn, we had the pleasure of hosting four here in Norfolk.

At the party held in my home I made a vegetable soup, garlic bread and put together a salad bar with many delicious options.

Here is the recipe for the vegetable soup.

Vegetable Soup with Orzo

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 zucchini, diced

4 carrots, sliced into discs

3 stalks celery, diced

1 can chickpeas

1 can corn

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

8 cups chicken stock (can use powder soup consomme instead)

1/2 teaspoon dill (dried)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup orzo

Heat olive oil in a 6 quart pot. Add diced onions and minced garlic to pot. Mix often as it browns. Add diced zucchini, sliced carrots and diced celery. Allow vegetables to brown and get soft. Drain chick peas and add to pot. Add corn with the liquid to the pot. Chop parsley and add to pot. Add dill, black pepper and salt. Add chicken stock and allow to boil. Add orzo and allow to reboil. Simmer and allow to cook until all vegetables are soft.

Torah, Tea and Oatmeal - Craisin Cookies

Each week I host Torah and Tea in my home. A group of women gather in my home and we chit chat, sip tea and of course study the weekly Torah portion. This week we will talk about the meaning of freedom and the Mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh. Along with our Torah and our tea, I try to bake a yummy treat for all of us to share :)  This week I decided to go with oatmeal-craisin cookies. 

These oatmeal-craisin cookies are not your typical oatmeal cookies. These are special, gooey treats that seem to have some sort of addictive quality to them. My two kids who never touch oatmeal cookies were raving over these.

Years ago, a friend of mine by the name of Seena made these cookies for a Kiddush on Shabbos. I tasted one and I was hooked. After I got married I made sure to get this recipe so that I could make these delicious treats myself.

As much as I love these cookies, I haven't made them in a while. When I searched my computer for the recipe, I discovered that it was missing a few details, so this morning I followed the recipe as much as I could and then I made my own decisions.

I'm looking at the clock, and I see that it's almost time to open my door and get started, so here is the recipe.

Oatmeal-Craisin Cookies

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup Craisins (original flavor)

Mix oats, brown sugar and oil together. (I put on gloves and mixed with my hands.)

In a cup, mix 2 eggs with the salt and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the oatmeal mixture. Add the Craisins.

Mix well. (I used a hand mixer for the last mixing.)

Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and drop spoonfuls of cookie mixture on to the tray. 

Bake on 325 for about 20 minutes. Delish!