Israeli Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tomatoes
• 3 cucumbers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 scallions
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt
• pepper

PREPARATION:

• Chop the vegetables into small pieces. The secret to a really good Israeli salad is finely chopped vegetables.
• Immediately before serving, season lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Bon Appétit!

Shakshuka Recipe

Probably the most popular egg dish in Israel is shakshuka, one of those ono­matopoeic Hebrew and North African words, meaning "all mixed up." The most famous rendition of this tomato dish, which is sometimes mixed with meat but more often made in Israel with scrambled or poached eggs, is served at the Tripolitana Doktor Shakshuka Restaurant in old Jaffa.




INGREDIENTS:

• One 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• One medium sized yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of salt
  
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 large eggs
• Black pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

• In a medium saucepan or skillet add the onion and fry over medium-high heat until soft, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika, pepper and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally.
• Break the eggs over the tomatoes and gently break the yolks with a fork. Cover and continue to cook for about 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Bring the pan directly to the table and spoon out the shakshuka over thick pieces of toast.
• Alternate method: You can also make individual portions by lading some of the sauce into very small pans, ramekins or oven safe bowls and poaching one egg in each. You can also sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the top if you like.

Bon Appétit!

Cholent Recipe

The word Cholent (from Eastern Yiddish טשאָלנט tsholnt) or shalet (from Western Yiddish שאלעט shalet) refers to a number of dishes from Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, which can be braised on a very low flame for many hours.
Their existence is due to the Jewish Sabbath laws, which do not allow a practicing Jew to light a fire on the Sabbath. However, an existing and covered fire may be used. Therefore, Jewish cooking incorporates a lot of dishes that can slowly braise from late Friday afternoon to noon on the Sabbath. There are many variations containing meat, potatoes, cereals, beans, or vegetables as well as combinations from dumplings and dried fruit. The word cholent is thought by some to be derived from the French words chaud 'hot' and lent 'slow', and by others to be derived from the Latin calientem — a term documented with this exact meaning in the Spanish form caliente in the Late Middle Ages.

The historic origin of cholent is the Mishnaic חַמִּין. Similar dishes exist in many Sephardi groups. The most known of these dishes is probably the Iberian and Moroccan Sephardi dish.


INGREDIENTS:

• 3 onions, quartered
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 pounds chuck roast , cut into large chunks
• 1 cup dry kidney beans
• 1 cup dried pinto beans
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thirds
• boiling water to cover
• 2 (1 ounce) packages dry onion and mushroom soup mix
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

• In a large oven safe pot or roasting pan, saute onions in oil over medium heat.
• Add meat, and brown well on all sides.
• Mix in beans; stir continuously until the beans start to shrivel. Stir in the barley. Add potatoes, and add just enough boiling water to cover the meat and potatoes.
• Mix in dry soup mix and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes on stove top.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Cover pot tightly, and place in preheated oven. Allow to cook overnight for at least 10 to 15 hours.
• Check periodically to make sure you have enough liquid to cover; add small amounts of water if needed. Do not stir; stirring will break up the chunks of potatoes.

Bon Appétit!

Latkes (levivah) Recipe

Potato pancakes are an important part of Jewish cuisine in the United States and Europe. They can be served any time, but by tradition they are especially popular in the celebration of Hanukkah. Eating potato pancakes is not one of the mitzvot of Hanukkah; that is, it is not a fundamental part of the Hanukkah rituals, and has no explicit religious significance. However, Jews find it appropriate to eat foods cooked in oil during the festival that celebrates the miracle of the Temple oil. In Israel, where they are known as levivot (singular levivah), potato pancakes are familiar and well-liked.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons Matzo meal, corn meal, or flour
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for less oily latkes), or enough oil to fill the pan to about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm).
• applesauce and/or sour cream

PREPARATION:

• Peel potatoes and onion and grate.
• Optionally soak the resulting mixture in water, or squeeze it in a dishtowel, in order to remove excess starch.
  
• Mix potato and onion with egg, meal, and salt.
• Heat oil in a 10" pan over medium heat until it is quite hot.
  
• Drop 1-2 tablespoons of the potato mixture onto the pan per pancake.
• Turn once to allow both sides to fry. Allow 10-15 minutes total.
• Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream as a topping.
  

Bon Appétit!

Challah Recipe

Traditional egg bread for the Jewish Sabbath. You can add 1 cup raisins or golden raisins to the dough just before shaping and then make the loafs into round braids for Rosh Hashanah.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

PREPARATION:

• In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
• Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

Bon Appétit!

Raisin Kugel Recipe

This Sweet Dairy Noodle Kugel has old fashioned flavor. It is a great brunch dish, when served with bagels and spreads. It is also the perfect dish to serve at the end of a fast such as Tisha B'Av or Yom Kippur.


INGREDIENTS:

• 16 ounce package wide egg noodles
• 12 ounces sour cream (reduced fat works, too)
• 12 ounces small curd cottage cheese (reduced fat works, too)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups corn flakes, coarsely crushed
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

PREPARATION:

• Preheat oven to 350º
• Cook noodles and drain.
• Combine sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, and raisins in a large bowl.
• Add cooked noodles to wet mixture in bowl and coat noodles thoroughly
• Combine corn flakes, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Drizzle melted butter on corn flake mixture and combine.
• Place noodle mixture in a greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Top with cornflake mixture.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350º

Bon Appétit!