Zucchini Stuffed with Mushrooms and Ham Recipe

As a first course, one half zucchini is sufficient, and for a lunch or light supper I serve two together with bread, wine, and dessert.

Serves 4 or 8

Ingredients

4 zucchini, 6 to 8 inches long, peeled if necessary (see note below)
¼ pound ham (boiled, baked, or smoked), finely chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves
5 sprigs parsley, chopped
Duxelles (finely chopped mushrooms and shallots – see the recipe below)
Mornay Sauce (cheese sauce  – see the recipe below)
2 tablespoons milk
Butter, for baking dish
2 ounces Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler, grated (about ? cup)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack in the upper third of the oven. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.

2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.

3. Place the zucchini halves in the boiling water and blanch until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on freshness. Drain on paper towels.

4. Stir the ham, thyme, and parsley into the duxelles. If the Mornay sauce was made ahead of time, reheat it. Thin the sauce with the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk well. Stir 5 to 6 tablespoons of the hot sauce into the stuffing.

5. Butter a baking dish or ovenproof platter that will hold all the zucchini. Fill each zucchini half with stuffing and place in the baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the stuffed zucchini and sprinkle with the grated cheese. (The dish can be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.)

6. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese begins to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Note: Zucchini skin is sweet when it is very fresh, but can turn bitter when it’s older. While trimming the stem, I cut off and taste a piece of the skin. If it’s bitter, I peel the zucchini. If it’s sweet, I just wash it. Peeled zucchini is fragile when cooked, and care should be taken in handling it.

In Addition: There are many possible fillings for a stuffed zucchini. Cooked chicken, lamb, or ground beef can replace the ham in this recipe. Cooked rice or bread crumbs can be added when unexpected guests appear. Or use a fresh Tomato Sauce with or in place of the cheese sauce.

Duxelles Recipe
Duxelles is one of the foundations of French cooking. It is used by itself, or mixed with chopped meats and herbs to form stuffings. To chop the mushrooms by hand is time-consuming and tedious, but a food processor will do the work in seconds.
Makes 1 1/2 cups

2 tablespoons butter
5 shallots or 1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound white mushrooms, washed, dried, and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots or onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms, increase the heat to high, and sauté until most of the water has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Mornay Sauce Recipe
A Mornay is a cheese-flavored béchamel that can be used with poached eggs, crêpes, vegetables, and meat. In France, the cheese used for the sauce is usually Gruyère, or a combination of Gruyère and Parmesan. Any Swiss-style cheese can be used; if you use other than a Swiss-style cheese, such as Camembert, the sauce takes on the name of the cheese. Classically, a Mornay is made with an addition of 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter just before serving. I find this added richness unnecessary and have eliminated it with today’s eating habits in mind. When browning the sauce as in
a gratin, I always sprinkle additional cheese on top.   
Makes 2 cups to serve 8

2½ tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 ounces Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler, grated (about ? cup) or 1 ounce each Gruyère and Parmesan cheese, grated

1. In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, until the roux is pale yellow and frothy, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the milk and stir well with a whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil, 2 to 3 minutes. (This is a béchamel sauce.)
2. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk vigorously for about 10 seconds. Simmer gently, whisking the sauce well from time to time, until the sauce is the consistency of heavy cream, 2 to 3 minutes. Skim off any butter that may rise to the surface.
3. Stir in the cheese and bring to a boil while whisking. At this point the sauce should be slightly thicker than heavy cream and is ready to use. (The sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated for several days or frozen for later use. Cover the surface with plastic wrap. To reheat, bring to a boil and check the consistency and seasoning before using. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little milk or water.)

This is my Easy Recipes For You!

Enjoy! (:

Braised Brisket with Ginger and Coriander

 

Braised Brisket with Ginger and Coriander
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 to 4 pounds breast of beef (first-cut brisket)
2 onions, halved and thickly sliced
4 large carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced, or more to taste
2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock, homemade or canned  
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 to 2 dried red chili peppers (optional), to taste
Bouquet Garni  (** see note below)
? teaspoon salt
? teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 to 16 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

Preparation
1. In a flameproof casserole or large Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. Add the meat when the oil is hot and brown it, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the meat.

2. Add the onions and carrots and cook over high heat until they are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

3. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, shallots, and ginger, and stir for 10 seconds before adding all of the remaining ingredients except the potatoes.

5. Return the meat to the casserole, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until tender, 2½ to 3 hours. This can be done on top of the stove or in a 300°F to 350°F oven.

6. Add the potatoes during the last hour of cooking. If your casserole is too small to hold them, boil or steam them separately.

7. When the meat is tender, discard the bouquet garni. Reserving all of the cooked vegetables, strain the cooking liquid, which will have thickened to form a sauce, through a fine-mesh sieve. Skim to remove all fat. (This recipe can be prepared to this point in advance. Reheat the meat and vegetables before serving.)

8. Slice the brisket and serve it with the potatoes and vegetables. Spoon some of the sauce over all and serve the remaining sauce separately.

** To create Bouquet Garni
A bouquet garni consists of 4 to 5 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf, and 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried leaves), which I tie up in a celery rib cut in half.  The reason for tying the ingredients together is to enable you to discard them easily once the cooking is finished.  If you plan to strain the stock or sauce in which the bouquet garni has been cooking, it is not necessary for you to tie up the ingredients, although it makes skimming easier. 

Serving Suggestion
Start with an Endive and Pink Grapefruit Salad or a green vegetable as a first course. For dessert, serve a Crème Caramel. (Recipes available in French Classics Made Easy)

Wine
Serve with a dry red.

Variations
Braised Beef [Boeuf Braisé]
Omit the ginger, coriander, and chili peppers and you have my basic braised beef recipe.

Braised Beef a l’Hongroise [Boeuf Braisé à l’Hongroise]
Use the basic Braised Beef (above) and omit the carrot, add another onion and 1 tablespoon of paprika.

Alsatian-Style Braised Beef [Boeuf Braisé à l’Alsacienne]
Omit the coriander and chili pepper. In place of the ginger, use 15 juniper berries. Add a whole head of cabbage cut into wedges at the same time as the potatoes in step 6.

Enjoy! (:

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients

½ cup raisins
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
½ cup chopped walnuts

You will also need: 8- or 9-inch loaf pan

Makes one 9-inch loaf cake

Kosher Key: Pareve

Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let the raisins plump in the hot water while you create the cake batter.

Use an electric mixer to mix together sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and eggs till smooth. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Mix again till blended.

In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

Pour liquid ingredients into dry. Mix together till blended. Do not overmix.

Drain the raisins and pat dry with a paper towel. Fold the raisins and chopped walnuts into the batter.

Grease a medium loaf pan. Pour batter into the pan. Bake cake at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour, until the edges brown and a toothpick inserted into the thickest section of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Gently release the cake from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy! (:

Rosh Hashanah Recipes

Ingredients

3/4 cup (6 oz) whole dates
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Nonstick cooking spray

You will also need
8- or 9-inch loaf pan
2 mixing bowls

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place dates into a bowl and cover them with very hot water. Let the dates soak while you prepare the cake batter.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, brown sugar, honey, eggs, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir till a thick batter forms.

Drain water from the dates. Pit the dates, then chop the fruit into small chunks.

Fold the walnuts and date chunks into the batter.

Generously grease your loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into loaf pan.

Place loaf pan in preheated oven. Bake cake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and set on a wire rack to cool.

 

Saffron Rice
Read Tori's whole description and visit The Shiksa to view step-by-step photographs.

Servings: 8 side portions
Kosher Key: Meat or Pareve (use salted water instead of stock for pareve)

Ingredients

2 pinches good quality saffron threads (spice)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cups white basmati rice
3 3/4 cups chicken stock, or substitute water + extra pinch of salt
1 tsp salt

Preparation
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Take one pinch of saffron threads and put them in a spice mortar. Grind the spice with a pestle to a powdery consistency.

Add a second pinch of saffron threads to the mortar. Do not crush these threads.

Pour 1/4 cup of hot water into the mortar. Let the saffron soak for 5 minutes. This will open up the flavor of the spice.

Meanwhile, sort your basmati rice and rinse in a colander. Drain.

In a large heavy pot, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium. Add the minced onion to the pot and saute for about 10 minutes, till the onion begins to caramelize.

Add rice to the pot and saute for one minute longer, mixing the rice together with the cooked onion.

Pour the yellow saffron liquid evenly across the top of the rice, making sure to scrape any saffron that clings to the mortar into the pot.

Add broth (or water and extra pinch of salt) to the pot. Bring to a boil.

Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes, or until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

 

Honey Herb Roasted Chicken
Read Tori's whole description and visit The Shiksa to view step-by-step photographs.

Servings: 4-6 servings
Kosher Key: Meat

Ingredients

1 whole chicken without giblets (3.5 lbs-4 lbs)
1 small handful of fresh rosemary sprigs
1 small handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Peel from one small lemon, sliced
2 garlic cloves
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp honey, divided
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
Fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs for garnish (optional)

You will also need
medium sized roasting pan, string for trussing chicken, foil, mesh strainer

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours
Total Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 tbsp of honey, and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice. This is your basting mixture.

Assemble your chicken, herbs, lemon peel, garlic, and a few small slices of onion.

Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper and brush some of the basting mixture inside the chicken (go light on the salt if you're using a kosher chicken, which will already be salted). Stuff the cavity with half of the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs, sliced lemon peel, garlic cloves, and a few pieces of the sliced onion. Don’t overstuff the cavity; pack it loosely with room to breathe.

Truss the chicken; click here for instructions. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Take remaining sliced onions and place them in an even layer on the bottom of your roasting pan. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over the onions. Remove leaves from the rest of the rosemary and thyme sprigs, then put the leaves into the roasting pan and discard stems. Use a large spoon to toss and coat the onion slices with herbs and olive oil.

Place the chicken breast side down onto the bed of onions. Pour half of the basting mixture over the chicken, using a brush to coat it evenly.

Cover the roasting pan with foil. Pierce a few small vents into the outer edges of the foil with a knife. Place covered roasting pan into the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes.

Take roasting pan out of the oven, remove the foil (reserve), and flip the chicken to breast side up. Brush off any onions or herbs that cling to the top of the chicken. Brush the rest of the basting mixture evenly onto the top of the chicken. Cover the roasting pan again with the vented foil. Place back into the oven for 45 minutes longer.

Remove foil from the top of the roasting pan and reduce oven heat to 375 degrees. Let the chicken continue to roast another 20-30 minutes until the skin is brown and crisp. The skin may get quite dark in places; this is from the honey in the basting liquid. Watch the chicken carefully, as it can go from brown to black very quickly. Blackened parts of the skin will not affect the flavor in a negative way.

Chicken is done when the skin is nicely browned, and the internal temperature reaches at least 170 degrees F as measured on a food thermometer at the thickest part of the thigh.

Take the chicken out of the roasting pan and place it on a carving board. Cover it with foil to keep the heat in and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, use a mesh strainer to strain the pan drippings from the roasting pan into a small saucepan.

Let the drippings settle for a moment; you will see brown bits settle to the bottom of the pan and lighter fat and oil rise to the top.

Skim about half of the fat/oil from the top of the liquid. Add ½ cup of white wine, ¼ cup of chicken broth, and 2 tbsp of honey to the pan. Whisk to blend. Heat the sauce over medium to a light boil and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly.

Remove the honey sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carve the chicken. Drizzled each serving of meat with some of the honey sauce. Garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary, if desired, for a pretty and aromatic presentation.

 

Pomegranate Molasses
Read Tori's whole description and visit The Shiksa to view step-by-step photographs.

Servings: About 1 cup of pomegranate molasses
Kosher Key: Pareve

Ingredients

4 cups pure 100% pomegranate juice (bottled or fresh)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 60 - 80 Minutes

Preparation

Pour pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan.

Heat up over medium until the sauce begins to simmer lightly. Stir to dissolve sugar. Allow the liquid to simmer very lightly for 60-80 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, till the liquid reduces by 75% to about 1 cup of molasses.

The liquid is ready when it has a light syrupy consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Don't let it thicken too much, or it will harden when it cools.

Remove from heat. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools. If you're unsure about the consistency, measure the reduce liquid-- it should be between 1 and 1 1/4 cups of syrup. If it's a lot more liquid than that, continue reducing.

After the syrup cools completely, store it in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Enjoy! (:

Orange Cookies

Makes about 80 cookies

COOKIES

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the vanilla, orange juice, lemon juice, and orange zest. Beat to combine.With the mixer off, add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll the dough into 4 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10 to 12 inches long. Chill or freeze the logs, uncovered, until firm enough to cut without losing their shape.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch rounds and place on the prepared pans. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Cool completely on wire racks.

GLAZE

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice, or as needed

Sift the confectioner's' sugar into a bowl and whisk in the orange juice to make a smooth glaze.

Dip a cookie in the glaze, which should form a thin layer. If necessary, adjust the consistency of the glaze with more juice or confectioners' sugar. Repeat the dipping process, and then let the glazed cookies set on wire racks.

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4teaspoon salt
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated
sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the
butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add
the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the vanilla, orange
juice, lemon juice, and orange zest. Beat to combine. With the mixer off, add the
flour mixture and mix just until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and
let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll the dough into 4 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10 to 12
inches long. Chill or freeze the logs, uncovered, until firm enough to cut without
losing their shape.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
Cut the logs into .-inch rounds and place on the prepared pans. Bake for
about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Cool completely on wire racks.

This is my easy recipes for you!

Enjoy! (:

Challah Slow Cooker Stuffing

 

Challah Slow Cooker Stuffing

Ingredients
1 large challah (about 1 ½ lbs)
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 lb. celery, peeled and chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (or 1 ½ tsp dried sage)
1 tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped (or 1 ½ tsp dried marjoram)
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
1 quart chicken broth (4 cups)
1 lb. sliced white mushrooms
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper 

You will also need: large sauté pan, large skillet, very large mixing bowl, 5 to 6 quart crock pot or slow cooker

Makes 8-10 servings
Kosher Key: Meat

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the challah into ½ inch cubes. Spread the cubes out across two baking sheets. Place the trays in the oven for about 12 minutes, switching trays on racks halfway through cooking, till the challah cubes are toasted and starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high. Sauté the onion and garlic for 6-7 minutes till softened and fragrant. Add the chopped carrots, celery, parsley, sage, marjoram and oregano to the pan. Sauté for 5-6 more minutes.

Pour 2 ½ cups of chicken broth into the pan along with 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp of black pepper. Remove from heat. Reserve remaining chicken broth.

Heat up the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Sauté for 10 minutes till the mushrooms begin to brown and shrink in size. Remove from heat. You may need to cook the mushrooms in two batches depending on the size of your skillet.

In a large mixing bowl, combine challah cubes, vegetable/chicken broth mixture, and mushrooms. Stir to blend all ingredients, making sure the challah cubes are evenly moistened. Add the beaten eggs to the mixture and stir till they are well mixed into the stuffing. The mixture may seem dry now, but wait to add more broth until it’s had a chance to cook—the liquid will slowly be absorbed by the bread.

Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, then pour the challah mixture in. Turn slow cooker to high heat setting and cover the pot. Cook for 30 minutes on high. Check the stuffing to see if it seems dry; if it does, drizzle a little more broth over the top of the stuffing. Cover pot again and reduce heat to low. Let cook on low for 4 hours, checking and stirring every hour to make sure the stuffing isn’t too dry. If it is, add more broth—carefully, as it can easily go from the right texture to overly wet and mushy.

After 4 hours, stir, taste, and add more salt or pepper, if desired. Switch to warm setting until ready to serve.

 

Rosh Hashanah Sangria

 

 

ROSH HASHANAH SANGRIA

Ingredients

½ cup honey
1 pomegranate
1 apple, cored and sliced thin
10 oz. seedless grapes
1 bottle of red wine (syrah/shiraz)
2 cups pure 100% pomegranate juice
1 cup grape juice
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup triple sec

You will also need: 2.2 liter pitcher (or larger), heavy wine glasses

Serves 6-8
Kosher Key: Pareve

Pour honey and ½ cup water into a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, till the honey is completely dissolved into the water. Do not boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This is your honey simple syrup.

Meanwhile, seed the pomegranate. Discard the rind and pith. For instructions, click here.

Place the pomegranate seeds, apple slices, and grapes into the bottom of your pitcher. Pour the entire bottle of red wine into the pitcher over the fruit. Add the pomegranate juice, grape juice, brandy, triple sec, and honey simple syrup to the pitcher. Stir gently to blend all the flavors together.

Place pitcher into the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours before serving. This will allow the flavors to blend. Stir again before serving.