creative jewish mom

Quick Moroccan Pickled Lemons!

We now interupt the crafting to bring you this important culinary tip!

My father in law, of blessed memory, didn't usually meddle in the affairs of the kitchen, but one of my fond memories is watching him make a large batch of Moroccan pickled lemons in my kitchen. Lemons, kosher salt, large jars, and a technique passed down through the generations......I just adore the idea of large jars of pickled anything, but my success with pickled lemons has been only mediocre, and I really don't love the mushy taste of them after they'd been around for awhile.

So, when I saw this quick recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman of the New York Times, I practically squeeled with joy, knowing I could whip this up as a surprise for my husband. And you should have seen the smile on his face when he spied the jar on the counter Friday night! So now that I've tried the recipe, and more importantly my Moroccan-born husband has tried the recipe, we give it the thumbs up. So very simple, and in my humble opinion, even more delicious than the real thing!

Ingredients:

• 4 lemons, preferably organic, but if not, blanched in boiling hot water
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar

Preparation:

Remove seeds from lemons. Chop lemons into small pieces, rind and all, the smaller the better for those not so familiar with this pickle. Add salt and sugar, mix, and set aside at room temperature for three hours. That's it! Store refrigerated for up to a week. (Though honestly I wouldn't know what happens to it after a day or so, since my husband eats this by the spoonful!)

Enjoy with fish, mixed into a vegetable salad, as a side wtih middle eastern/Israeli salads, or even chicken! I especially enjoyed it in small quantities eaten together with techina on my whole wheat pitas....delicious!

Moroccan-Style Baked Chicken And Potatoes: Simple & Delicious!

Like my chicken recipe, these lanterns, originally available at zgallerie.com, are "Moroccan style, how's that for creative photo selection? If you see something like these, stock up on a few to use as great Succah decorations next year or for instant indoor style anytime!

I have been making this recipe for at least three years, and it's always delicious! I served this with confidence to guests in our Succah today, and my kids loved it too! It's simple and a really great for serving a crowd since there are really very few steps involved.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken cut into pieces, or the chicken pieces/quantity of your choice
• potatoes
• turmeric
• chicken soup powder, msg free (and yes I usually turn my nose up at chicken soup powder in recipes, but in this case it's really the secret ingredient.....)
• fresh coriander, (can substitute fresh parsley)olive oil or vegetable oil
• ginger (optional, I didn't use any today......)
• seasoning: our kosher chickens are very salty as is, so no additional salt is necessary. Use your own judgement based on your experience with the chickens you use.

Directions:

Peel and thickly slice enough potato rounds or half rounds to generously cover the bottom of the baking dish you'll be using...I use a large pyrex dish, but have certainly used very large disposable aluminum trays as well (you can save them for crafting ya know!) when preparing a large quantity.

Make a thick sauce by combining about 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1/2 tablespoon soup powder and enough oil to achieve a maple syrup-like consistency. Add a teaspoon or so of ginger if desired. Add chopped coriander, at least 1/2 cup or so.

Dunk the chicken pieces in the sauce to coat the top of each piece, and place top side up on the bed of potatoes. Bake covered for about 1 hour and bake for another 15 minutes or so uncovered until chicken is nicely browned. Enjoy! I served this dish with a platter of whole-wheat couscous embellished with a mix of boiled zucchini, pumpkin (dlat), carrots and onion, cut in long strips. A refreshing lettuce salad would be a great compliment as well.

 

Kids & Veggies: Try Fresh Zucchini Salad! (You'll like it too!)

Not to brag, but my kids are big vegetable eaters. And truthfully all the hard work that has gone into achieving this wonderful state of being has been endless hours preparing all the fresh and cooked Moroccan salads that my husband introduced me to, and that we can't live without! (see recipes here) My kids will even fight over alfalfa sprouts! Can you believe that? And last week one of my teenage sons even snuck a handful of sprouts to the Shabbos table behind his back (!) prompting one of the guests to say "uh, we used to do that with cookies?" A proud mothering moment indeed!

Nonetheless, zucchini just hasn't scored high on the list of favorites, and I even started making grated soup (recipe here) to hide the zucchini. And then something magical happened, thanks to a recipe I saw for raw zucchini salad that is prepared by creating slivers with a vegetable peeler. As simple as that!

So the other night while preparing dinner I simply starting filling a plate with zucchini peels and my kids literally went wild! "What are you doing? Can I try some?" It was all I could do to add some seasoning (salt, pepper, olive oil) before the plate was attacked. My six year old said "a meal fit for royalty!" "can we have this every night?" And then as the zucchini started to disappear they begged me to take if off the table so there would be some left for dinner! My daughter said "remember when we didn't like zuchini?" Yes , I remember, that was just yesterday! I just took it all in, and smiled to myself. And the cherry on the top of the cake was when my husband came home for dinner and said "wow, what a suprise! Is there more?"

Note: Due to differences in genetic makeup and environmental influences, each family is different, so I really can't guarantee that your results will be similar to mine, but good luck!

Delicious And Simple Pumpkin Soup!

Here's an absolutely healthy and delicious soup recipe that you'll find yourself going back to time and time again. Even my pickiest eater ate three bowls of this soup the other night! The main thing is keep it simple, stick to my recipe and it will be perfect every time. This is an elegant soup to serve at a special occasion as a first or second course, and yet it's so simple to make that it can also be a part of your everyday meal planning.

Ingredients:

• Roughly 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) pumpkin or any orange squash (Dlat is the best choice in Israel)
• Two green apples, or really any apple, but preferably not a red skinned one
• One large white onion
• Olive oil for browning the onion

Instructions:

1. Slice onion and saute in olive oil
2. Peel apples and pumpkin and cut into large chunks and add to pot
3. Add water such that the level is slightly below that of the pumpkin chunks
4. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for roughly 40 minutes or until pumpkin is very soft
5. Blend soup and add salt and pepper to taste, add extra water if soup is too thick
6. Sit back and wait for the compliments

I hope you enjoy this oh-so-simple recipe, I know I can't wait to make it again!

Gluten-Free (Flour Free) Delicious & Simple Peanut Butter Cookies!

Ever had a guest with special dietary needs and you fell short? It's not a great feeling. Now with this simple recipe you'll be able to offer wheat-free guests or guests with celiac disease a real treat. And in fact, you can whip these up at a moments notice if need be! Just be sure to set some aside for the guest for whom they were actually made, because if you're not careful the rest of the family will gobble them up, they're that good!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar (these cookies are quite sweet, you can reduce the sugar a bit if you prefer things not soooo sweet)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F (200C)
2. Mix ingredients manually with a spoon to form a ball of dough.
3. Line a cookie sheet or tray with baking paper.
4. Form about 30 balls, rolling each one in regular sugar before placing on tray.
5. Bake for roughly ten minutes, checking frequently to avoid burning.
6. If you have the time and want to make these even more special, drizzle with melted chocolate, or dip half the cookie in melted chocolate. Wow!

Note: I forgot to flatten cookies with a fork, in the traditional peanut butter cookie manner, so that's why my cookies are a bit dome shaped. Also, I forgot to use the baking powder and they were still good. I'm interested to make some more with the baking powder to see the difference! Enjoy.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes: Simple And Delicious, Great For One of Those Busy Days!

Now that some of us are in the heart of the busiest crafting season of the year, we can get a bit caught up in the crafting and forget about the fact that while we can probably go without eating, our families certainly need meals as usual! Dinner? Lunch? Whoops!  Here's a recipe that just might save you. Nothing new, just a helpful reminder, and your family will thank me. Hot baked potatoes right out of the oven is true comfort food and perfect for those chilly nights.......and if you decorate the plate with some attempts at Japanese vegetable cutting, well, the little hands just won't be able to resist!

Ingredients:

• Baking potatoes
• kosher salt
• olive oil (or canola)
• something to stuff the potato with like: grated cheese, low fat sour cream, baked beans, egg salad, stir fried onions, cooked vegetables and tofu, get creative!

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 C or 350 F
2. Wash and dry potatoes
3. Pierce each potato with a fork in two places
4. Place potatoes in a large bowl, add a little bit of oil and mix with your hands to coat the potatoes with just a bit of oil
5. Sprinkle some kosher salt into the bowl and mix again to distribute the salt, not too much but enough so that it's visible on the skins of the potatoes
6. Put the potatoes into the oven directly onto the rack (or if this just doesn't appeal to you, so put them on a piece of aluminum foil or baking paper)
7. Bake for about 1 hour or until soft.
8. Cut open the potatos either lengthwise or with two criss crossing cuts, and stuff. If you use cheese, be sure to close the potato back up so the cheese will melt.
9. Dig in!
10. This would be a great meal to serve, along with a delicious salad for some unexpected guests, or even as a meal idea for a party — a buffet of potato toppings would be great!
11. Dig in!

Note: I don't cook in the microwave because I've read that it causes food to loose some of it's nutrients, but if someone arrives at your door and needs a hot meal quickly, it might be a good idea to use the microwave in the name of human kindness.

Follow steps 1-7 above and then:

1. Place a paper towel over a ceramic plate (not plastic!) and place the potatoes on the plate.
2. For a large potatoes, bake  on HIGH for about 5 or 6 minutes. For a medium potatoes, bake on HIGH for 4 minutes. For a small potatoes, bake on HIGH for 3 minutes.
3. Let the potato stand for a couple of minutes after you've taken it out of the microwave. The steam that is still trapped in the potato will help it finish cooking.
4. Serve to your hungry guest with a smile. 

Oh, and did I ever mention that I dream of learning how to sculpt with vegetables? Some people specialize in fancy desserts, I'd like to specialize in fancy vegetable trays! These decorative carrots were just a beginning attempt, I hope to show you more in the future. And if you want to try it to, just cut vertical triangular wedges from a whole carrot, and when you slice the carrot it looks like a flower! A great trick for getting the little ones to eat their vegetables, don't you think?

An Artful Finish To Any Cake: Chocolate Swirled Topping!

Don't you just love food that looks like art? Me too, as long as it doesn't mean investing tons of time on something that will just get eaten anyway! So when my neighbor brought over this dairy-free ice cream cake last night for a celebration we were hosting (more on that later) I just had to take a picture and share this simple idea with you.

This swirled chocolate topping would work as the finishing touch on a wide array of desserts. Though I would definately say that the chocolate swirled on white (in this case ice cream) was very striking and elegant. And a piece of this cake topped with a strawberry or raspberry (or even a little red jelly candy) would be simply stunning!

Or for another totally great idea, use this chocolate to decorate the rim of dessert plates, just you'll need a place to put those plates until dessert time......hmmm. Or how about just decorating the rim of a large cake platter, that sounds a bit more practical and would make a gorgeous presentation.

Whatever you decide to do, have fun with this idea and show your friends and  family how much you care with this extra special yet quick touch for any celebration!

You'll Need:

• a cooking bag
• semi-sweet baking chocolate or the chocolate of your choice
• a little oil, (will try to find exact quantity soon)

How-To:

1. Place chocolate and oil in bag.
2. Melt chocolate by placing in a pan with some boiling water, or even directly in your electric tea kettle as one guest suggested (just make sure not to drink that water afterwards!)
3. When the chocolate has melted, poke a small hole in the corner of the bag and have fun creating an original work of art.

Pomegranite and Mixed Fruit Salad: Refreshing, Simple and Looks Great!

Yes, it's true, I have been sitting in our Succah, or in the kitchen preparing lavish feasts, and yes, I said I wouldn't be blogging, but today I made this salad by accident and just had to share it with you! It wasn't totally by accident, but the ingredient that made this salad really delicious and memorable were the pomegranate seeds, which only ended up in the salad since half a pomegranate happened to be sitting on the table when I brought the bowl to the Succah to serve desert! I love spontaneity, especially when the results are delicious, don't you?

Ingredients: Serves 10-12 small dessert bowl portions

• 4 red apples
• 1 1/2 cups halved green grapes
• 2 oranges
• 1 large can pineapple chunks
• 1/2 large pomegranate
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup grape juice (or more, to taste)
• juice of  1/2 medium lemon

Preparation:

1. Dice apples and oranges, cut green grapes in half, separate pomegranate seeds from rind and mix in 2/3 of seeds. Set other seeds on the side.
2. Add lemon juice, coconut and almonds. Add grape juice. Mix and serve in small colorful bowls. Sprinkle a few extra pomegranate seeds on top for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy.
3. For the grand finale, follow this with a pot of Moroccan mint tea and an assortment of nuts and dried fruits. Perfect!

Delicious and Simple Whole Wheat Apple Cake!

This apple cake recipe is an old favorite of mine that's wonderful any time. I made it one morning for guests as a part of a brunch meal, and the smell of the cake wafting through the house drove them crazy! I once made it for some important guests visiting from Mexico, and they didn't stop talking about the cake for months!

I'm not a big baker, so I like cakes that are simple, delicious and present well. I bake this cake in a round silicon tart pan, and for serving I sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. A nice decorative touch would be to cut an apple shape from paper, place it on top of the cake, sprinkle on the powdered sugar and then remove the paper apple to reveal a beautiful apple shape! But with or without powdered sugar, this cake will be one you'll want to bake time and time again.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 250 sugar (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 packet baking powder (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 apples, cubed
• 1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. cube apples and place in the bottom of pan
3. Mix eggs and sugar in a mixer (if possible) for 15 minutes, or however much time you have, and then add oil slowly
4. Add rest of ingredients and mix
5. Pour batter over apples and bake for roughly 45 minutes, just watch the cake so that it doesn't burn!
6. The top should be lightly brown and cracked, and the apples will remain at the bottom of the cake.

Would be delicious with some vanilla ice cream, and/or a nice cup of hot tea. Enjoy!

Note: American recipes generally use a combination of baking soda and baking powder, whereas Israeli cake recipes generally use baking soda only, as in this recipe. I really have no idea why, but the results seem to be similar!

Simply The Best Chocolate Cake: Quick and Simple

One of the things I love about having a blog is that I can share with you all the good stuff I happen to have learned. And one of the important things I've learned is that every Mom needs to have a good basic cake recipe to pull out of her hat when cake is requested! I usually go for healthy recipes, but this one quite simply is not.....sometimes there is just no replacement for that sinful white flour and white sugar— at least there's no margerine!

I am often asked to bake cakes for community celebrations, and although I wouldn't call myself a master baker by any stretch of the imagination, I always feel confident baking this chocolate cake, because it's quite simply delicious and pretty much no-fail. And you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen. Bake it as a flat cake or better yet, in a decorative pan like a bundt pan, ice it with chocolate/coffee glaze and you've got yourself a winner!

Doba's Basic Chocolate Cake Recipe:

• 2 1/2 cups white flour (I've used up to 1 cup whole wheat with success)
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp  baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 5 eggs (you can use 4 if you prefer)
• 1 cup oil (I've used 1/2 cup of oil and the cake was still great)
• 2 cups very warm water
• 2 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients, and slowly add to bowl wet ingredients. Mix well.
Bake in a large sheet pan (approx 12"x14") at 350 degrees for one hour.

Note: If you use a standard bundt pan you will have some batter left over for a small cake or muffins.

Chocolate Glaze Recipe:
whoops cant' find it! but will get it to you soon!
Find the recipe here.

While glaze is still moist, add some sprinkles or grated coconut! And while you're at it, make a double batch so you'll have some cake in the freezer — always a good thing to have on hand for those unexpected guests!  Even if your house is a mess, quickly defrost the cake (cut with a sharp knife and defrost in the microwave or in the oven) and serve it on a platter with some glasses of hot tea, and a smile. You'll be glad you took my advice!