The Best and Easiest Challah

I have been trying to learn how to make Challah for over 11 years. Recipe after recipe, failure after failure, I gave up and started to rely on my local bakery or Trader Joes. When I moved to New York, I met my dear friend Chana who makes amazing Challah. After learning with her and much practice,I have FINALLY mastered the art of making Challah. My daughter can eat one loaf by herself, in fact she demands to have a loaf to herself every week I make it. Luckily I yield 10 loaves with this recipe which can easily be freezed for later use or given away as edible gifts, which my friends and neighbors look forward to at least once a month.

Ingredients:

5 pounds of unbleached all purpose flour (sometimes more or less depending on weather. You can also experiment with other flours)
6 packages of yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
4 teaspoons of Kosher salt
2 cups of EVO
1 1/2 cups of honey (or vegan substitute)
6 cups of lukewarm water

1 egg (optional)

1 tsp instant coffee (optional)

STEP: 1 preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

STEP 2: Proof the yeast in a large metal bowl (at least 8 quart size). Mix the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 cup of warm water. Place the bowl on your oven door to "wake up" the yeast. 

Leave it to rise until it looks like picture below (about for 10-15 minutes). In the meantime place honey in an oven safe bowl and warm in the oven.

Once the yeast is proofed, add warmed honey, olive oil, salt, and warm water. Mix.

Start to add flour 1-2 cups at a time. Mixing thoroughly. 

Continue to add flour until the dough is not sticky. Depending on the weather this could be more or less than 5 pounds of flour. 

Place the dough aside and wash, dry and grease the bowl. Place dough back inside the bowl, covering it with parchment and a kitchen towel. 

Let rise until it reaches over the bowl, about 55-75 minutes.

Now comes the fun part! I like to use aluminum 1 pound mini loaf pans, I reuse them at home and aren't missed when I give them away. Start by lightly greasing the pans.

Gently push the dough down, adding flour if it's sticky. Take challah with brocha, then form into 10 equal pieces. 

Divide each piece into three parts. Shape into three long pieces and braid. There are plenty of YouTube video tutorials. 

One by one place your challah loaves in the greased pans. After making ten loaves, mix the egg and coffee and lightly brush the top of each challah.

 

Bake the loaves (may have to do two batches of baking depending on size of oven) until golden brown. The challah should also have a slight hollow sound when tapped. This can take 20-30+ minutes.

Eat on Shabbat or any day of the week!!! Best with Earth Balance, real butter, hummus or avocado.

   

Carnivore to Herbivore: Beef Stroganoff to Tofu Stroganoff

I recently had a request to convert Beef Stroganoff into a vegetarian recipe. I spent quite a bit of time deciding how to make it and reviewed several different recipes. I decided to base my recipe on Julia Child's Sauté de Boeuf à la Parisienne found  on the Channeling Julia Child blog page. I made the dish with my favorite gluten free pasta and tofu rather than the rice and beef that Julia's recipe calls for. I also substituted shitake mushrooms for crimini, as they have more of a "beefy" taste.

I apologize to my vegan readers, as this isn't technically an herbivore recipe, I used real butter and whipping cream. Don't worry though, I provide tips for vegan alternatives.

I was a little hesitant on whether I would like the recipe because of the amount of mushrooms (I'm not a huge mushroom fan). To my surprise, I really enjoyed it.  It's basically fettuccini alfredo on shroom steroids! Between my husband, daughter and myself we ate the whole pan. This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and warm in the oven or slow cooker for a meal with friends and family. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
8 ounces of fusilli pasta 
8 ounces shitake mushrooms
15 ounces extra firm tofu (you could also use seitan or veggie beef if you aren't gluten free)
3 tablespoons butter (vegan alternative: Earth Balance)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion
pinch of salt and pepper (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons of tamari 
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup of vegetarian beef stock (Edward & Son's is my favorite brand)
1 cup whipping cream (vegan alternative: 1/2 cup soy cream blended with 1/2 cup soft silken tofu)
2 teaspoons cornstarch blended with 1 tablespoon of the cream

Ancient grain pasta is the BEST gluten free pasta on the market. It's not chewy and separates well while cooking. Egg noodles, fettuccini or tagliatelle pastas work too. Make the pasta as instructed, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water to make the "beef" broth with.

In the meantime, dice the onions...

and slice the shitake mushrooms (stems removed)

Use a cast iron pan, it adds so much flavor to your meals and IRON! Sauté the onions in the 2 tablespoons of butter for 7 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Of course Julia would tell you not to crowd the mushrooms, so gently stir until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the burner off and set aside the onions and mushrooms in a separate bowl. Don't forget about your pasta!

Now it is time to beef up the tofu. Turn your oven on broil mode. Take the tofu out of the container and press out water and pat dry with paper towel (see tips from my tofu taco recipe). Slice the tofu into thin strips and toss with tamari. Place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and broil until golden brown, flip 3-4 times throughout cooking process. This should take about 20 minutes.

Nom nom. Take a sample. Turn the burner back on and add the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Now add the wine and no-beef broth (1 cube mixed with the reserved pasta water) and reduce it to about 1/3 cup. Beat in the cream and cornstarch mixture. Simmer for about a minute, until the mixture is bubbling and thickened. Add the tofu, mushrooms and onions, stir evenly, then toss in the pasta.

Now get cooking so you can enjoy! Please comment! 

Food and Culture: Jamaica

Getting ready to sail to Booby Cay Island, Jamaica (yes I got the name right)

A couple of years ago, my husband and I went to Negril, Jamaica. We did not stay at a resort and had to venture out for dinner each night. One night we went to a quiet cafe to have dinner. I was a little skeptical becuase we were the only people there, but then again, most other tourists eat at resorts. 

There was no menu, the choices were jerk chicken or salt fish and ackee. Hmmmm...I could handle salt fish but what the heck is ackee?

The chef explained that it tastes like scrambled eggs, but it's a fruit. A fruit!!? We were lucky to be in town while the ackee was being harvested. There was an actual ackee tree next to his restaurant. He generously showed us how the fruit is picked and then prepped. Watch out for the seeds, they are poisonous. As you can see in the first video, Salt Fish and Ackee is the national dish of Jamaica, and not only is it available for breakfast, but all day.

Another night we went to a roadside stand for Ital food, similar to the Healthy Ways place in the video. We also had a dish of rice and beans with soy "meat." Unfortunately there are few authentic Ital food stands on the coast of Jamaica (at least in Negril). Locals told us that many Rastafarians have moved inland of the island.

Carnivore to Herbivore: Tofu Taco "meat"

There were many staple foods I missed when I became a vegetarian in the late 1990s. Rated amongst the top were tacos. As a newbie Californian vegetarian, I was still not a huge bean fan (now I can't get enough) and I had no idea how to cook tofu. Thank goodness I had some fabulous friends living in Los Angeles who taught me how to master tofu tacos (thanks Amber and Jeremy!).

My taco bar tonight with roasted potatoes, tofu, beet horseradish, guacamole, salsa, white cheddar cheese, lettuce, whole wheat tortillas and hard shell corn tortillas

I had to make some changes to their original recipe due to my recent intolerance to nightshades (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant..etc.). If you are looking for nightshade free meatless taco recipe, look no further. If you can have nightshades I included some tips on how.

Ingredients

2 packages of extra firm tofu
1 onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 ounces of beer (I like IPAs and any beer or no beer is fine)
4 ounces of water (8 ounces if you skip the beer)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried parsley or 2 Tbsp fresh
3 Tbsp Tamari or soy sauce

Directions

Open the tofu containers and drain the water. "Stand" tofu in container (see picture below) and let sit while moving to next step.

Draining the water helps the tofu develop a firmer texture as it cooks

Dice the onion and sauté in a non-stick pan until transparent. Once the onions are done, place them aside in a bowl.

Big girls don't cry when chopping onions

Drain the excess water from the tofu containers and pat dry the tofu with paper towel (reuse the paper towels for cleaning the counter later).  Dice the tofu in cubes, similar to the size of a dime. Put the tofu in the nonstick pan that was used for the onions. Don't clean it, the onions and leftover oil adds to the flavor of the tofu. Sauté the tofu until golden brown (see pictures below).

Pat dry tofu with clean paper towel

I like to dice the tofu for tacos, however, you can also mash it or cut into thinner strips (like thick matches)

This part of the recipe can be a base for any meatless entree, simply add the seasonings you desire. For example,  add miso, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice and garlic for an Asian inspired dish. Add coconut milk, lime juice, turmeric, ginger, garlic and black pepper if you are in the mood for Indian inspired cuisine.

Once the tofu is done, add the onions and the rest of the ingredients. Stir occasionally until the liquid is absorbed by the tofu. Serve with your favorite taco bar items! Some of my favorites are shredded white cheddar cheese, tahini, beet horseradish, romaine lettuce, black beans, roasted potatoes, black olives, limes, salsa and tomatoes (for those who can eat nightshades) and of course, it wouldn't be complete without guacamole.

Voila!

TIP 1: If you can eat nightshades, add cayenne, paprika and sautéed peppers.
TIP 2: Save time and substitute taco seasoning mix instead of the spices in this recipe. Add half the liquid as instructed in recipe from package.

Zucchini and Fennel Soup Recipe

Last Friday I made a vegan version of Peter Ting's (from Food and Wine magazine) Zucchini and Fennel Soup. It is a thick pureed soup with delicate notes of fennel flavor and hints of lemon. I used real crème fraîche for the garnish. Those of you who prefer to keep the soup vegan, the Wicked Good Vegan has a great crème fraîche recipe.

I highlighted the minor changes I made to the original recipe below:

·      2 large fennel bulbs—8 small fronds reserved, bulb cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick (one bulb reserved for garnish) ·      juice of 1 Meyer lemon ·      Salt and pepper to taste ·      3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ·      1 3/4 pounds yellow zucchini, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick ·      1 large onion, thinly sliced ·      1 large garlic clove, smashed ·      1 quart vegan chicken stock ·      Freshly ground pepper ·      1/2 cup crème fraîche ·      2 tablespoons corn starch * the soup can be made up to two days ahead.

1.    In a medium saucepan, cover one of the sliced fennel bulbs with water. Add the lemon juice and a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the fennel is tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain the fennel. 2.     In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the zucchini, onion and garlic, season with salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 10 minutes. Add the mock chicken stock and cooked fennel and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until the vegetables have softened completely, about 15 minutes. 3.     While the soup is simmering, toss the remaining fennel with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil the fennel for 20 minutes (until carmelization occurs, but not burnt). 4.     Place the corn starch in a small bowl and whisk with a ½ cup of the heated broth. 5.     Puree the soup with your immersion blender (or in a blender). Add the cornstarch mixture to the puree. Continue heating the soup on high for seven minutes, until thickened, stirring occasionally. 6.     Ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Dollop 1 tablespoon of the crème fraîche into each soup and swirl in. Garnish with the broiled fennel bulb and fennel fronds. 7.     Serve immediately.

My favorite brand of vegan bouillon cubes, nightshade free 

The original recipe called for one fennel bulb. In my version, I used one for the soup. I sliced and tossed the other one in olive oil, salt and pepper and broiled it, using it with the crème fraîche and fronds for a garnish. Instead of plain lemon juice I like using Meyer lemons.  They are sweeter with a more complex citrus taste.  I only had yellow zucchini on hand, and I doubt that it makes much of a difference flavor wise, if anything it gave the soup more of a yellow hue. The key change to making it vegan is to simply use mock chicken broth. I prefer the Edward and Sons  "Not-Chick'n Chicken Broth."

From TV to Table: Gordon Ramsay's Salmon En Croute from MasterChef Junior

My kids and I love watching MasterChef Junior. It's amazing to see what these young chefs can create. Besides being entertained and inspired, we also get hungry. Last week's episode featured Gordon Ramsay's Salmon En Croute with minted peas and potatoes. It is his daughter, Matilida's favorite meal, and after seeing how it's prepared I can see why.



For today's TV to Table talk, I decided to feature Gordon Ramsay's Salmon En Croute. Unfortunately I couldn't locate this recipe in my friend's collection of Ramsay cookbooks or online. So I made it from what I learned on the show, a recipe found online (which says it's Ramsay's but it was slightly different than shown on last week's episode) and Ramsay's video demo (See video clips and links below). My daughter and dear friend assisted and we ended up with a gourmet meal fit for kids and foodies alike. If you make this, please share stories and pics!

Salmon En Croute ala Jasmin

Gordan Ramsay's Salmon En Croute Demo

Be careful, this demo is fast. I had to watch this several times and there are no measurements (although with this recipe you can season to taste). Making this my first time, I used this recipe from Red to navigate my preparation.

FYI~ listen to other chef's recommendations and don't use leftover hollandaise sauce! Trust me, I tried with my leftovers the next day :) (if any of you readers have successfully used leftover hollandaise sauce do tell).

Carnivore to Herbivore: Chickenless Sofrito

vegetarian, nightshade free

Today I finally gifted myself with Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. This book is full of recipes reminiscent of Jerusalem. Paging through the text seeing the beautiful pictures and personal stories, I felt like I was back in Israel. Take my word, this cookbook is a great addition to your collection.

The first recipe I chose to make was Chicken Sofrito. I made a few modifications in order to match what I had on hand while meeting my dietary needs (Nightshade free pesco-vegetarian). I added butter and a “Not-Chick’n” bouillon cube (I use these bouillon cubes frequently). Together these help give a “chicken” like flavor. I also substituted seitan for the chicken (tofu or mock chicken works too). The result was a flavorful dish that will now be a staple meal for my family.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Butter

1 eight-ounce package seitan

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp of sugar

2 ½ tbsp lemon juice

1 large onion peeled and quartered

1 cup Not-Chick’n broth

1 pound fingerling potatoes washed and cut in half lengthwise

20 cloves of garlic (whole)

salt and pepper to taste

Put the 1 tbsp butter in a Dutch oven and put on medium heat. Once the butter is sizzling, add the seitan and cook until golden brown. Season with turmeric, salt, pepper, sugar and 1 ½ tbsp of lemon juice. Add onion and Not-Chick’n broth and cover with lid. Decrease the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add water as needed (enough for ¼ on an inch to be on the bottom of the pan).

In the meantime, put 1 tbsp in a medium sauté pan, fry the potatoes and garlic until crispy and tender. Set aside.

Once the seitan has cooked for 45 minutes, add the potatoes and stir. Serve immediately with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice. Be'te-avon! (Bon appetite in Hebrew)!

Add a dash of parsley for color