Monthly Archives: March 2014

Judy’s Chicken – Chicken with Mushrooms and Lemon

My mother was a very good cook. It was her love for cooking and food that helped shape my cooking skills and love for food. Her way of teaching me to cook was for me to sit with her in the kitchen and watch. And then the next time she made the dish, she would let me get involved in one or two of the steps: mixing, adding seasoning or slicing, etc. If I kept her company often enough, I was pretty much involved in making all aspects of the dish… Just not at once.

There is a chicken dish that she made pretty often and for holidays. It was her signature dish. She was a different kind of cook than I am, as she often used pre-mixed packets, mixes and bottled sauces and mixed them in with her own blend of dry and wet ingredients. For her signature chicken dish, she would mix in a brown mushroom gravy packet with her lemon juice, white wine and mushroom sauté. Except when she made the dish for Passover, because then, the flour in the packet was “off limits” for holiday. And it was this version that I loved more than her original because it had more of a lemony flavor. And it’s the version I make today.

This dish calls for breading and pan fry thinly sliced chicken cutlets. I slice a half chicken breast into 3-4 pieces length-wise. You can use breadcrumbs or the less glutinous Einkorn Flour, which works quite well, or if you are making it during Passover, matzo meal. The matzo meal actually gives the chicken a nice thicker coating than the breadcrumbs which holds up really well in this dish.

The chicken gets cooked twice in this recipe. First, pan-fried, then baked with the mushroom sauté and some chicken stock. For the pan-fry alt and pepper the chicken then dip it into an egg wash and then into seasoned matzo meal, breadcrumbs or Einkorn Flour. When all the chicken has been coated, heat the oil in a pan on the stovetop and pan fry for 3 minutes on each side, until the coating is a bit browned. I use about 3/4 cup of olive oil for 3 lbs of chicken, adding a little at a time so that the chicken doesn’t absorb more oil than necessary. When the chicken is a bit browned on each side, transfer to a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken.

To make the mushroom sauté, add to the same pan that was used to pan fry the chicken, the remaining oil, sliced shallots, garlic, and sauté for a minute, Then add the mushrooms and parsley. I use a mix of white, portobello and shitake mushrooms, but you can use any mixture that you like. Add the salt and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms are soft. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, then add the lemon juice and zest. Cook for about 5 minutes until the liquids blend. Pour mushroom sauce over the chicken, and then add the stock. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 50 minutes.

If you are making this dish ahead, pan fry the chicken and store in a separate container. Then make the mushroom sauté and store that in a separate container. When you’re ready to bake, add the chicken to the ovenproof dish, then top with the mushrooms mixture and add the stock. Cover the dish and bake.

Judy’s Chicken – Chicken with Mushrooms and Lemon

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

3lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1.5 cups matzo meal

¼ cup parsley

2 eggs plus 1/2 cup water

Salt and pepper

1 cup vegetable or olive oil

For the mushroom sauté:

¾ lb mushrooms – you can use any kind. I use a mix of white, shiitake and portobello

½ lb shallots, thinly sliced

¾ cup chopped parsley

3-4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

¾ cup lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup white wine

To bake:

1 ¼ cup chicken stock

Slice the chicken breasts thinly so that you get 3-4 pieces per half breast. Salt and pepper the chicken. Add 2 eggs plus ½ cup water to a dish and mix through. Add matzo meal and ¼ cup parsley to another dish and mix through. Dip chicken into egg wash then coat with matzo meal. Set on a plate. When you have finished coating all pieces of chicken, heat a sauté plan with ¼ cup of oil and pan fry the chicken in batches, about 3 minutes on each side, until they start to brown slightly. You will need to add the remaining oil in batches – ¼ cup at a time – as you cook the rest of the chicken. Put pan-fried chicken in an ovenproof pan.

When all the chicken has been pan-fried, add remaining oil to (you will have about ½ cup. Add garlic and shallots 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining 3/4 cup parsley and sauté 1 minute. Then add mushrooms and sauté until soft – this will take a few minutes. When mushrooms are cooked through, add 1/2 cup white wine and deglaze pan, then add the lemon juice and zest. Cook for about 5 minutes until the liquids blend. Pour mushroom sauté over the chicken, and then add the stock. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 50 minutes.

Serves 8-10

Egg Salad with Spinach

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This egg salad is full of color, nutrition and taste. It adds a great twist to traditional egg salads and is great to serve for brunch along with the egg salad with mushrooms.

The secret lies in using a food processor to finely chop and mix the egg and spinach before adding the mayonnaise. I use a box if frozen spinach, thawed in a sieve and then using paper towels, I squeeze handful amounts of spinach between the paper to get all the moisture out of the spinach before adding it to the processor with the hard boiled eggs. The mixture gets processed for about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes so it is finely chopped and thoroughly mixed.

Add the mixture to a bowl and add salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Once all the ingredients are mixed, refrigerate for at least 2 hours for the flavors to set, before serving.

Egg Salad with Spinach

Ingredients:

12 hard boiled eggs, sliced in half

1 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise

Thaw spinach and drain using paper towels so the spinach is completely dry. Add to food processor with the hard boiled eggs and process for about 1½ – 2 minutes so it is finely chopped and thoroughly mixed. Put eggs and mushrooms mixture into a bowl add salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Mix together and chill for at least 2 hours for the flavors to set, before serving.

Serves 4-6

Egg Salad with Mushrooms

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This is one of my favorite breakfast/brunch dishes that my mother used to make. What I love about it is the airy mousse consistency that is brought upon by processing the eggs and mushrooms together in a food processor. The result requires very little mayonnaise to make it moist and savory. For a dozen hard-boiled eggs and one pound of white mushrooms only two tablespoons of mayonnaise is needed.

The mushrooms are cooked in boiling water before they are finely chopped with the eggs in the food processor. Once finely chopped, add the mixture to a bowl and add the salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Cover bowl and let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve with rice cakes, toast, tomatoes or other brunch foods such as egg salad with spinach.

Egg Salad with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

12 hard boiled eggs, sliced in half

1 lb white mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Clean mushrooms with damp cloth or paper towel and cut mushrooms in half. Put mushrooms in a pot and boil until they are cooked through. Drain and add to food processor with 8 hard boils eggs. Process about a 1 minute or 2, until the mixture is very fine — it will have a soufflé-like consistency. Put eggs and mushrooms mixture into a bowl add salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Mix together and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Serves 4-6

Flourless Almond Sponge Cake

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This is a gluten-free version of a cake my grandmother used to make for Shabbat and holidays. It’s a sponge cake, made very light and airy with beaten egg whites. This cake is not only gluten free but it’s also dairy free, making it a great dessert for Passover. Orange zest and a bit of orange juice provide the added flavoring. The tricky part in making it with almond meal is that the amount of wet ingredients had to be reduced from the original recipe. I used fewer egg yolks and orange juice than what I would use to make the traditional sponge cake. I tried making the cake with varying types of almond meal from course to fine. I found that fine almond meal absorbed the wet ingredients better.

Traditional sponge cakes are made in a tube pan, and I baked this one in my grandmother’s tube pan. The key in making this cake is to really whip the egg whites until they are thick and frothy and then add a few teaspoons of sugar and keep whipping until it’s absorbed so the egg whites become glossy. Reserve the egg whites and then in the same mixing bowl add the yolks and whip for a minute then add the sugar gradually until the sugar is completely absorbed into the yolks and the mixture is glossy. This will take 5-10 minutes, depending on your mixer. The color of the egg yolk-sugar mixture will turn a mustard color.

To the yolk-sugar mixture, add the juice and zest and mix for a minute. Then fold in the egg whites, one quarter at a time, and then pour the mixture into the ungreased tube pan. Tap the bottom of the pan to get rid of any air bubbles and place in a 350° pre-heated oven for 50-60 minutes, until a fork comes out clean.

The trick to keeping the shape, height of the sponginess of the cake lies in turning the pan upside down over the neck of a bottle (I use a wine bottle) let it stand until the cake is cool, about an hour.

Flourless Almond Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup almond meal

1 cup sugar

6 eggs plus 2 egg whites

2 tablespoons of orange juice

Zest of one large orange

Beat egg whites until stiff and frothy. Add 4 teaspoons of sugar, one a time, and continue to beat so the sugar us absorbed and the egg whites are silky and glossy. Remove egg whites and reserve.

Using the same beaters and bowl, beat the yolks on medium-high speed and then add the remaining sugar and beat until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture is glossy – it will take about 10 minutes or so and the color will be a mustard yellow. Then add the juice and zest and then the flour. Mix until incorporated.

Fold in the egg whites 1/4 at a time. Pour into an ungreased 10″ tube pan. Pat bottom to remove any air bubbles. Place in bottom rack of 350° pre-heated oven and bake 50-60 minutes, until a fork comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and invert it on a wine bottle to keep the elasticity until the cake is cool, about an hour.

Serves about 10.

Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)

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When I was in high school, I had a friend who was half Syrian and it was at her house that I helped make meat stuffed grape leaves. This was my first introduction to dolmas. I had never had the rice-stuffed ones that are far more popular until years to come. In fact, I rarely see meat-stuffed dolmas anymore. As I look to increate the amount of protein in my diet, these type of dolmas came to mind.

I don’t recall what was in the meat-rice stuffing or the exact ingredients in the cooking liquid other than that it contained lemon juice and tomato sauce in (which I remember thinking was a bit odd at the time) and that we lined the pot with unused grape leaves so that the bottom layer would not burn when cooking. But, what I do remember is that I really liked eating them.

Stuffed grape leaves or dolmas are popular in Mid-Eastern food, Greek food and Turkish food, made with varying fillings, spices and sauces, depending on the region. Since my first encounter was of Syrian influence, I kept this recipe of that culture, using allspice as a main seasoning ingredient and combining a mixture of beef and lamb, sprinkled with pine nuts along with the rice. The rice is rinsed twice to remove the starch, then added to the meat mixture.

I was able to buy jarred brined grape leaves at Whole Foods, but given the wide amount of cultures that make stuffed grape leaves, I would think that most supermarkets would carry them as well. To assemble the grape leaf pockets, unravel the grape leaves from the jar and separate the leaves. Place one leaf on a flat surface, shiny side down. Place a tablespoonful of stuffing in the center of the leaf. Note that for the smaller leaves, the fillings might need to be smaller, perhaps more like a teaspoon in size. To make the packet, fold the top leaf down, pressing into the stuffing, then fold in the left side, then tuck the bottom left leaf into the fold, pushing into the stuffing, and then toll the wrapped stuffing from left to right to cover the right side, tucking in the top and bottom leads in as you roll. Repeat the process until all of the filling is used. You will have plenty of grape leaves left over, so if they are small or ripped, choose another.

To cook the grape leaves, I lined the pot with carrots rather than the left over grape leaves to prevent burning the bottom layer of grape leaves. The carrots offer the right amount of protection while also providing a flavoring ingredient for the sauce. To do this, I cut up about 4-5 carrots length-wise about 1/8″-1/4″ in thickness, and fit them to cover the bottom of the pot. Then I layered the grape leaves on top. I have read that you are not supposed to have more than 3 layers of meat stuffed grape leaves to help keep the cooking time even.

Once the grape leaves are stacked, I add the ingredients of the sauce. I mix the tomato sauce with 2 cups of water to thin it out and pour it over grape leaves. Then I add lemon juice, garlic, mint leaves, and then more water until the liquid meets the top of the grape leaves. An inverted plate is then placed on top of the grape leaves, and finally the cover to the pot. Cook the grape leaves on a simmer for 50-60 minutes until the rice has cooked through. Discard carrots and strain sauce. Serve the dolmas hot with the sauce.

Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)

1 15 oz. jar of grape leaves (you’ll use about half)

For the filling:

3/4 lb beef

3/4 lb lamb ground

1 cup rice

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

For the sauce:

1 cup tomato sauce mixed with 2 cups of water

4 cloves smashed garlic

3/4 cup lemon juice

Leaves from 1 sprig of mint (about 6-8 leaves) torn from sprig and torn in half

4-5 carrots cut length-wise into about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness

Additional water

Make filling: Pour the cup of rice into a bowl and add water to cover. Swirl the rice around with a spoon to help release the starch. Drain in a colander and repeat process. Add the beef, lamb, rinsed rice, pine nuts, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix through.

Unwrap the grape leaves and one at a time, lie it flat shiny side down on a flat surface. Place about a tablespoon of filling in the center (less if the leaf is small). To make the packet, fold the top leaf down, pressing into the stuffing, then fold in the left side, then tuck the bottom left leaf into the fold, pushing into the stuffing, and then toll the wrapped stuffing from left to right to cover the right side, tucking in the top and bottom leads in as you roll. Repeat the process until all of the filling is used.

Line the pot with the carrots. Layer the stuffed grape leaves on top. Mix the tomato sauce with 2 cups of water, pour over grape leaves, add lemon juice, garlic, mint leaves, and then add more water until the liquid meets the top of the grape leaves. Place an inverted plate over the grape leaves. Cover pot. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer. Simmer 45 minutes until rice is cooked through . Discard carrots and strain sauce. Serve the dolmas hot with the sauce.

Makes about 40

Vegetable Stuffed Artichokes

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When I think of a stuffed artichoke, the first image that comes to mind is one that is stuffed with breadcrumbs flavored with oregano, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan cheese, like those served in restaurants in Little Italy in New York, and at New York’s annual Feast of San Gennaro. My mother made her own version without the cheese, and it was a real treat when she made them.

While artichoke hearts (often added to various recipes) are more common for the home cook and much easier to eat, I prefer to eat this savory vegetable in its whole state – picking each leaf off and eating them one by one. While they are messy to eat, require an extra bowl for the mounds of waste, offer just a bit of “meat’ on each petal and require a cleaning of the “hairy” choke before getting to the heart, which is the real “prize” in this vegetable, they are well worth all the work. Stuffing adds great flavor and more “meat” to each petal making it worth it even more. Besides flavor (and, yes, I also find them fun to eat), artichokes are also very nutritious, providing high amounts of potassium, antioxidants, and fiber.

As I look to have less gluten in my diet, I look for alternative, healthier ways to eat them rather than the breadcrumb stuffing that I have come to know and love. Sometimes I steam them in lemon juice, water and garlic and dip the leaves in a vinaigrette. But there is something about a stuffed artichoke that seems quite decadent and, well, exciting to eat. This recipe for vegetable stuffed artichokes, uses colorful diced vegetables to offer the right balance of taste and decadence and cooked in a lemony broth. The key to making the vegetable stuffing, is to dice the vegetables into small pieces about 1/8”. I use carrots, red bell pepper, string beans, zucchini, lima beans (frozen or canned is fine), but you can use any other vegetables that you like. This stuffing recipe will yield more than you need.

To prep the artichokes for stuffing, slice the top off using a serrated knife and cut off the bottom stem so that you have a flat bottom and the artichoke stands upright. Then cut each outer leaf with a scissor to remove the hard pointy tips. Then remove the center leaves and all the white pithy parts. If you can, scrape the choke out at this point, it’ll make eating a neater experience. If not, no worries, as it removes easy with a fork or spoon when eating them. Artichokes turn brown rather quickly once they have been cut into, so drizzle the cores with lemon juice as you’re finishing the prep for this dish.

I cook these vegetable stuffed artichokes on the stovetop. Once the artichokes are stuffed, place them in a pot on the stove and add the lemon juice, garlic, bay leaf and salt to the pot, then fill the pot with water about 1-1½ inches high – but no more than halfway up the artichokes Cover the pot and simmer the artichokes for about an hour, until they are tender. To test the doneness, pick a leaf off and eat it. If it is hard, then keep cooking. You may have to add a bit more water to the pot to add a bit more water to the pot if the liquid evaporates before the artichokes are done.

Vegetable Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients:

4 artichokes

1 medium size zucchini – diced into 1/8” pieces

1/8 lb. string beans – cut into 1/8” pieces

½ red bell pepper – diced into 1/8” pieces

1 carrot – diced into 1/8” pieces

¾ cup lima beans (canned or frozen are fine), cut in half

1/2 cup chopped parsley

2 teaspoons of Kosher salt

½ cup of lemon juice plus extra for drizzling on artichokes

4 large garlic cloves smashed

1 bay leaf

Water

Make stuffing by cutting the zucchini, string beans, pepper, carrot into 1/8” pieces and add to a bowl. Cut lima beans in half and add to bowl along with parsley and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix the stiffing mixture through.

Prepare artichokes by cutting the top off and the bottom stem, using a serrated knife, so that you have a flat bottom and the artichoke stands upright. Then cut each outer leaf with a scissor to remove the hard pointy tips. Then remove the center leaves and all the white pithy parts. Drizzle the core of the artichokes with lemon juice.

Stuff the vegetables into the core of the artichokes and stand them up in a pot (I use a Dutch oven). Add the lemon juice, garlic cloves, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of salt to the post and add enough water to cover about 1”-1 ½” of the artichokes but no more than halfway up the artichokes. Cover the pot and simmer the artichokes for about an hour, until they are tender. To test the doneness, pick a leaf off and eat it. If it is hard, then keep cooking. You may have to add a bit more water to the pot if the liquid evaporates before the artichokes are done.

Makes 4 artichokes.

Baked Apples with Prunes and Dried Cherries

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Finding a good dessert that isn’t filled with flour, butter, cream and sugar and yet still satisfies the sweet tooth can be pretty tough. For this recipe fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice and fruit preserves come together for an exciting dessert that is healthier than most.

There is something about a baked apple that is comforting. It’s warm, sweet and hearty. This recipe for a baked apple is stuffed with prunes with dried cherries that have been soaked in apricot brandy. A bit of apricot preserves is added to the stuffing for flavor, sweetness and liquid. Orange juice, the reserved cherry-brandy liquid, and more apricot preserves are mixed together in the pan to create a balanced sauce that isn’t too sweet. The result is not only delicious, but eye-catching as well.

I prefer to use Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples as they have the right sweet-tart balance and hold their shape when baked. Other types of apples can get mushy or mealy when baked. When you core the apple, make sure there is about an inch in diameter. I use a cookie cutter ring to help make the top a perfect circle and then use a paring knife to cut the hole down the core. Most recipes say not to cut all the way through to keep the juices inside, however since this recipe has a prune on the bottom it serves as a stopper will keep the inside juices in place.

To prepare the cherries, place the cherries in a pot with 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Place cherries and liquid into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of apricot brandy. The brandy gets absorbed into the cherries pretty quickly, so I let the cherries sit for just one minute or two before I strain them and reserve the liquid. If you prefer a stronger brandy flavor you can let the cherries sit longer.

To stuff the apple, place a prune at the bottom, then layer 1/2 teaspoon if the cherries, 1/2 teaspoon of apricot preserves, the second prune and the remaining cherries on top. When you are done with all the apples, place them in an ovenproof pan and add the reserved cherry-brandy liquid, orange juice and remaining preserves and the to the pan. Mix it through and drizzle the liquid on top the apple to fill. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven set at 375° for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until they are tender when pierced with a fork.

Baked Apples with Prunes and Dried Cherries

Ingredients:

4 pink lady apples, cored

8 prunes

1/4 cup of dried cherries

1/4 cup of water

2 tablespoons apricot brandy

4 teaspoons apricot preserves

1/2 cup orange juice

Add cherries and water in a pan and heat until water is simmering. Remove from heat pour into bowl and add 2 tablespoons of apricot brandy and swirl through. Let stand 1-2 minutes (longer if you want more of a brandied flavor.) drain cherries, reserve liquid.

Put one prune into each apple and push down to sit at the bottom then layer 1/2 teaspoon cherries (about 7), 1/2 teaspoon apricot preserves, second prune and the rest of cherries (about 5 each)

Add reserved cherry liquid with brandy to pan, the orange juice, and the 2 teaspoons of apricot preserves. Mix the sauce through for the preserves to thin out a bit, then spoon some liquid over each apple. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 more minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.

Makes 4.

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Monthly Archives: March 2014

Judy’s Chicken – Chicken with Mushrooms and Lemon

Egg Salad with Spinach

Egg Salad with Mushrooms

Flourless Almond Sponge Cake

Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)

Vegetable Stuffed Artichokes

Baked Apples with Prunes and Dried Cherries