Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Almond Streusel

I love participating in recipe swaps or themed cooking/baking groups.  They make you think outside your norm and try out recipes you wouldn't have though to try.  This was my first time participating in the What's Baking group, which gives a theme and sends you off on your way to create whatever you want from there.  This month's theme was Spring Produce.  One thing that jumped out at me from the list I found online was rhubarb.  It was something that I had always heard about, but never tried.  Going with my trend of trying out new foods, I set out to find something appealing using rhubarb.  I turned to my fancy shmancy Craft of Baking and found a recipe for Pear & Concord Grape crisp with Marcona Almond Streusel, which had ways to vary it for each season.  The spring ingredients were strawberry and rhubarb.  Sounded good to me!

I had seen rhubarb at my local market, so I knew I could get that.  What I didn't realize until I was at ShopRite was that marcona almonds are different than regular almonds (apparently they're sweeter).  I couldn't find them, so I just bought the store-brand chopped almonds from the baking aisle.  Still tasted good to me!

Now, I usually am convinced at some point in my cooking/baking that I've screwed something up and it will all turn out terrible.  Well, I start getting everything ready, I wash and slice the strawberries, wash and dice the rhubarb, toss them in a bowl, grab my 1/3 cup measuring scoop, stick it in the flour and dump the flour on the fruit.  Then I stood there frozen as I realize the 1/3 cup measurement was for sugar, not the flour.  I was only supposed to use 1 tablespoon of flour!  So I quickly rinse off all the flour from the fruit (trying to not make paper mache in the meantime), wash the bowl and then slowly and carefully add  the sugar and the small amount of flour I was supposed to use in the first place.  This may have affected how much juice ran out of the fruit in the end, but thankfully I hadn't made this before, so I couldn't tell the difference.  I also didn't use the exact measurements of the fruit.  I had purchased 2 rhubarb stalks (is that what they're called??) which came out to about 3 1/2 cups diced, and the package of strawberries came to just over 2 cups, so the total amount was the same, but it was a slightly different proportion.

The crisp came out delicious, and turns out, I actually really like rhubarb!  I think this may go under my "quick and easy (as long as I don't mess it up again) desserts".  I'm planning on trying other seasonal variations as well!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Almond Streusel (slightly adapted from The Craft of Baking)

Ingredients

FRUIT
4 cups diced rhubarb
2 cups hulled and halved fresh strawberries
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour 

STREUSEL
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (4oz) chopped almonds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted


Directions

FOR THE FRUIT:
In a large bowl, mix together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and flour.  Let the mixture stand at room temperature until juices begin to draw out from the fruit, about 30 minutes.

FOR THE STREUSEL:
Combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix just to combine.
Add the butter and mix just until the streusel comes together.
Spread onto a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the fruit and juices into an 8-inch square baking dish.
Crumble the streusel with your fingers to top the fruit.
Place the baking dish on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake, rotating the sheet half-way through, until fruit is tender, the juices are bubbling and thickened, and the topping is browned, about 40 minutes.
Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the crisp cook for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Penne alla Vodka

Each day, when I look at the Blog Update thread on the What's Cooking board, I basically drool over each picture and recipe, bookmarking many to be tried in my kitchen.  When this one popped up from Laura, I knew it was one that would have to be tried in our home.  While my husband and I have varying opinions on what goes on top of our pasta (he's a tomato sauce guy and I'd rather have a little oil, garlic and dash of salt), we both agree that vodka sauce is delicious.  I had made some homemade pasta (light wheat pasta, using my KitchenAid pasta press - a wedding gift my husband didn't think I'd ever use, but I've definitely proved him wrong!), and I had leftovers which I had frozen a few nights earlier.  So this seemed like the right time to try this recipe out.

The recipe was pretty simple to make, though I was a little pressed for time due to a little mix up with another recipe I was trying out just before (post to come later this week on that), so I started making this sauce forgetting to prep everything (rookie mistake, I know!) so as I realized I needed to cut up some garlic, the onions ended up getting a tiny bit burned.  But, in the end, I don't think it mattered much.  The end result was delicious and I would definitely make this again.  It doesn't take too long, even with a little prep time (which I'll remember to use wisely next time!), so it's something that I can whip up after work and still eat at a relatively normal hour.  And honestly, aside from the 1/2 cup of heavy cream, the sauce doesn't really have anything unhealthy in it!

Penne alla Vodka (from Tide and Thyme)

Ingredients
 
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 small onion minced (about 1/4 c)
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 medium garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 C vodka
1/2 C heavy cream
1 lb penne pasta
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh basil
Grated Parmesan for serving


Directions

Puree half of the tomatoes in food processor until smooth. 

Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding cores.

Combine pureed tomatoes and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until simmering.

Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around the edges, about three minutes.

Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt.

Remove pan from heat and add vodka.

Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes too vigorous.

Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

Add pasta sauce to penne pasta that has been cooked to al dente.

Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, top with parmesan.

Baked Zucchini Chips

A few weeks ago, we were making sweet potato burgers and I wanted a side dish for it that was quick, easy and healthy.  As I wandered through my local market I came across the zucchini and thought 'what about making some sort of chip?!'.  As per my usual, I pulled out my phone, googled "zucchini chips" and this page popped up.  Sounded like exactly what I was looking for!  Since it said "seasoned breadcrumbs" I decided on some with garlic & herbs seasoning.  The chips were pretty easy to make, though mine didn't turn out ultra-crispy.  But they were pretty delicious.  The recipe says it yields 4 servings, using 2 medium zucchinis.  My husband and I cleaned the plate between the two of us.  But, they're pretty healthy, so we didn't feel too bad about it afterwards!

Baked Zucchini Chips (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients 

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). 

In one small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Place the egg whites in a separate bowl.

Dip zucchini slices into the egg whites, then coat the breadcrumb mixture.

Place on a greased baking sheet. 

Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy.

Pesto Chicken Rolls

My husband came home from the store the other day with thin-sliced chicken breasts.  In the past I've sliced them up and cooked them with a little ground ginger and teriyaki sauce, but I wanted to do something different.  As I was on my way home last night thinking of what to make for dinner, the chicken entered my mind and I thought 'what if I put something on it, like maybe pesto, and rolled it up?!'  So I did a little googling and came across some recipes.  Of course, most pesto has parmesan cheese in it, so I knew I had to improvise to make this a kosher meal.  A little more googling of 'dairy-free pesto' followed, I made a stop at the store for some basil and pine nuts, and I had the makings of a delicious dinner!

This recipe even allowed me to use my immersion blender for the first time, which I've been meaning to use since we received it last fall.  The pesto was super easy to make (put ingredients into blending cup, blend, add garlic, blend, add oil while blending, done!).  The prep time ended up being about 40 minutes, which included unpacking my blender, so next time it will probably take me less than 30.

I put the rolls on top of pasta, which I had mixed with a little oil and salt for a bit of flavor and a delicious dinner was served!!

Dairy-Free Pesto (from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom)

Ingredients
 
2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves, packed
1/3 cup Pine Nuts
3 medium Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 and 1/2 tsp. fresh squeezed Lemon Juice (more or less, to taste)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

Directions

In a food processor or blender, combine the basil leaves with the nuts, lemon juice and sea salt.  Pulse a few times until mixture is reduced in volume and the mixture is well incorporated.

Add the garlic and pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the blender or food processor is running, stop to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

Taste.  Add more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.

Chicken Pesto Rolls (slightly adapted from Taste of Home Cooking)

Directions  

Spread each thin sliced chicken breast with a scoop of pesto to within 1/2 in. of the edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; secure with a toothpick or small metal skewer.  

Place chicken in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30-35 minutes or meat is no longer pink.

Remove toothpicks or skewers. Serve warm as a main course.

Gefilte Fish

When you hear "gefilte fish" you probably think "ugh, that stuff's disgusting!".  And why?  Because you probably bought a jar of it at the store and that's what you think it's supposed to taste like, and therefore is disgusting.  It's also because you haven't had a piece of gefilte fish made by my grandmother.

Every year for Passover and the High Holidays my grandmother makes her gefilte fish, sometimes making almost 100 pieces at one time!  She has to make this much, because not only does everyone eat it at that meal, but then we all want to take some extra home to eat later.  Those few family members who don't eat the fish are secretly told to accept their piece at the meal so whoever is sitting next to them can have seconds without anyone else knowing (you have to strategically figure out your seating to do this).

As my generation gets older we realize that we should start to learn the traditions of our family so that they can live on well into our own grandchildren's lives and beyond.  A few years ago I let my grandmother know of my intent to learn this skill of gefilte fish making, so we tried to find a good time to get together.  About a week before the set date my grandmother had to call me with the bad news - the fish markets only carry carp and pike during Passover and the High Holidays.  She tried several fish markets in our area and none sold it regularly during the year.  So, we had to put our plans on hold until last Passover when I spent a lovely day being instructed step-by-step by my grandmother.

Of course, the first step is probably the most disgusting - rinsing off the fish heads, skins and bones before putting them in the soup sock.  At least the folks at the fish market took the fishes' eyes out before packaging the heads up for us (ick!).

I slightly revised my grandmother's recipe below to include the tricks and tips she passed along - like grinding everything twice so that it is finely ground and any leftover bones are ground properly.  When I set out last week to make my own batch in my kitchen without my grandmother standing next to me I remembered almost everything she taught me.  But the one thing that I'd change is that when shaping the balls, they shouldn't be actual balls, they should be a little flatter, more like the shape of Reece's Peanut Butter Eggs.  This way they stay better on the plate and you can easily put the horseradish and carrot on top without them rolling off.  I personally like to have mine with just horseradish, no carrot, but most people do like the carrot.  My grandparents (and most people of their generation) like the jelled stock with theirs as well.  And please note the official recipe name - my grandmother came up with that herself.

In this day and age when most people serve the jarred fish or at most buy the loaf that you recook with a few seasonings then slice and serve, it's nice to keep this "old country" tradition alive.  I think the best compliment I received was from my husband's grandparents.  I had sent a few pieces home with them so they could try it and they said that it tastes just like what their mothers used to make.  Now if that isn't flattering, I don't know what is!

Marilyn’s Super Duper Gefilte Fish

1 lb white fish

1 lb carp

1 lb pike

1 medium sized onion

1 small carrot

3 eggs, well beaten

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper

1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp matzo meal

fish heads, skin and bones

1tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Pinch of sugar

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

Have the fish market filet the fish, saving the heads, skins and bones.  Put the fish heads, skin and bones in a large pot (use a soup sock for easy removal).  Add 2 qts cold water, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and a pinch of sugar.  Bring to a boil and boil for at least an hour – while you are preparing the rest of the fish.

Using the fine blade, put the carrot through the grinder and set aside.  Do the same with the onion.  Put all fish through the grinder (it is best to slice the fish before grinding it into one inch strips to easily go into the grinder).  When everything has been ground once, put it all back through the grinder a second time, alternating between handfuls of fish, onion and carrot (always end with the carrot so you know when everything has gone through).  It should be very finely ground.  Place in a large mixing bowl (you could “catch” it in the bowl from the grinder the second time through).  Stir in eggs, 2 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and 1 tsp sugar.  Gradually add about 1/3 cup water to make a soft mixture.  Stir in matzo meal.  Mix thoroughly.

Take the pot of fish heads, etc from the stove and remove the contents, retaining the fish broth and strain all the bones, etc thoroughly (if you used a soup sock, just remove it from the pot).  Carefully bring the broth to a boil.  With wet hands, make balls out of the fix mixture and place in the boiling broth.  Try not to allow the broth to stop boiling as you place the fill balls in it.  Add the sliced carrot .  There should be enough liquid to cover the fish, if necessary add more boiling water.  Cover the pot and bring to a rapid boil.  Uncover and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 2 ½ hours.  Shake the pot every 15 minutes or so so that the fish will coko evenly and not stick.  Carefully remove the fish to a serving platter.  Strain the stock and place in a glass bowl or glass jar.  Arrange carrot slices around the fish.  Cool and refrigerate until the stock jells (sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t).

This recipe should make 8 or 9 pieces of fish.

You can double & triple this recipe.  I’ve gone as far as 10 times (30lbs of fish) and ended up with 90 pieces of fish.  No adjustment is necessary in any o the ingredients – except maybe with the carrots in the fish mixture – you could subtract one with an order of over 18 pounds of fish.

Serve with horseradish.

Matzo Ball Soup

A holiday meal at my grandmother's just isn't complete without a bowl of her matzo ball soup.  Before the soup is served my grandmother comes out of the kitchen to ask the all-important question "one or two?" though we all know it's coming and already have our fingers in the air (newcomers to these meals are taught this tradition in advance so they are ready to place their matzo ball order).

Since we were not going to my grandmother's seder this year, I felt it unfair to ask her to bring us leftover soup, so I decided to take on this recipe myself.  I had never made chicken soup from scratch before (unless you count pouring a packet of seasoning into a pot of water and boiling it) so I was excited (and only slightly intimidated) by this undertaking.

When I swung by my grandma's the other day to pick something up I asked her to talk me through this recipe, and I'm glad she did!  She had some great tips for making this that really made it foolproof.  She provided me with "soup socks" so that I could put all the ingredients into it for easy clean-up (I put the chicken, veggies, herbs and cloves in the bag, but put the salt pepper and garlic salt right into the water), and provided me with the schmaltz that she had prepared herself earlier in the week.

Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat, which you can either buy at a kosher butcher, or you can make yourself by melting the fat in a saucepan.  My grandmother adds chopped onions to this and lets it saute, which gives the schmaltz a yummy flavor.  She keeps the onion with some of the schmaltz, but gave me a container w/o the onions.

Because the cooking process takes a long time and the matzo ball mixture has to set twice, I made the matazo ball mix, then as it set for the first hour as I prepped the soup and started that boiling.  Since it boils for 2-3 hours, I then moved the mixture into the fridge until it was ready 3 hours later.

After the first 2 hours I noticed that a lot of the water had boiled out of the pot (I had it mostly covered but left it a little open so it didn't boil over).  I added another qt or 2 of water and let it continue to boil for the last hour.

When the soup was ready, I lifted the soup sock with the chicken and veggies out of the water and used the steamer tray that came with my pot to help drain the extra soup out of the chicken, etc and back into the pot.  Since the chicken was then fully cooked, my husband cut it up and used it for a salad the next day with the cooked veggies.

I then cooked the matzo balls directly in the soup to give it a little more of that flavor.  When it was all done cooking, I let it cool and packaged up the soup and matzo balls separately to store in the fridge.  The next night I put 4 matzo balls and some soup into a small pot, boiled it for a bit and then served it up for a nice delicious meal!

I'm excited to have learned how to make chicken soup from scratch.  Now next time my husband or I are sick I'll just make my own instead of going out to the store to buy some.  I'm sure there's more medicinal quality to homemade chicken soup anyway....

Chicken Soup

Clean chicken and place in 4qts water.  Add 3 carrots, 3 stalks celery, a small bouquet of parsley and dill, 1 small turnip (cleaned and quartered), 1 parsnip, 3 whole cloves, salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.

Bring to a boil and let cook at a rolling boil for 2 – 3 hours until chicken is tender.  Remove all ingredients, strain and serve.

If the water boils out during cooking, additional boiling water may be added during cooking.  Seasonings may be adjusted at any time.

Matzo Balls

4 eggs well beaten

½ cup cold water

1/3 cup melted schmaltz, warm – not hot

1 tsp salt

1tsp sugar

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 cup matzo meal

Mix eggs, water, salt, sugar and nutmeg.  Add schmaltz and beat well with fork or whisk.  Add matzo meal and mix thoroughly.  It will be a loose mixture.  Let stand at room temperature for one hour.  If it is still very loose, add up to ¼ cup of additional matzo meal.

Put mix in refrigerator for several hours to set.

In a large pot add salted water to boil.  Wet hands and form batter into a ball the size of a clementine.   Drop into boiling water and boil for 40 min.  Remove from liquid and drain in colander.  Serve with hot chicken soup.

Geshmearta Matzo

I remember my father making Geshmearta matzo ever year for Passover.  This recipe was created (so I'm told) by my great-aunt.  While I was never a huge fan of cottage cheese, I always looked forward to eating this treat every year.  When I moved out on my own I started making it myself and continue to whip up a batch every Passover.  Even my husband who doesn't like sour cream thinks this is tasty!  I eat it for breakfast or as a snack.

I make it on plain matzo, but you can vary it up with whole wheat or egg matzo and I'm sure it'll still come out well.  The amount of matzos this makes will vary by what brand you use.  The original recipe says it makes 11 matzos, meanwhile with the shrinking Manichewitz matzo, I made about 16 pieces.  I scoop 3-4 spoonfuls of the mixture onto the matzo and spread it out leaving a little bit clear around the edges.

Geshmearta Matzo

¼ lb butter (1 stick), melted

3lb cottage cheese (I use 2lbs small curd, 1lb large)

4 eggs

½ pt sour cream

¾ c sugar

Matzo meal

Cinnamon to sprinkle

Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl.  Add enough matzo meal to make it a good “shearing consistency” (I used about ¾ cup at first, then sprinkled a little more in a few batches in).  Schmear onto whole pieces of matzo, sprinkle cinnamon on top

Bake for 30 min (or until edges are brownish) on ungreased baking sheets at 350.