Faceromance

Lentil Spaghetti Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can tomato paste
2 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup lentils, washed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a saucepan sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms
in the oil until onion is soft.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste,
water, lentils, basil, oregano, sugar, bay leaf, salt and pepper
and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and cover the
saucepan.
Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve over pasta.

Burekas (Jewish Sephardic)

Source: Lior’s Kitchen Talk

Jewish Sephardic BUREKAS is quite similar to the Turkish
“burak.” Burekas can be prepared with various types of dough:
strudel dough (thin leaves), rising dough, or with types of
prepared dough found in the market.
It is widely sold on Israeli
street corners and bakery shops.
To be tasty, it must be served hot
and fresh.

Dough
1/2 pound margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups self-rising flour
Warm water

Stuffing
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 cup cooked spinach
3 egg yolks

Garnish
1 egg yolk
4 cups sesame seeds

Dough: Melt the margarine and mix with flour and salt.
Add warm
water until able to roll dough.
Roll it, cut a leaf, and cut
circles with a cup or cut into square and make triangles.

Stuffing: Mix all the ingredients.
Put one teaspoon of stuffing
on each dough circle.
Fold in half.
On top, spread yolk and
sprinkle sesame seeds.
Place on a well-greased cookie tray and bake
at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until golden (approximately 15 to
20 minutes).

Serve hot.

Kebabs (Jewish)

1 pound (450 gr) each ground beef and veal, mixed together
6 spring onions, chopped finely
5 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 hot red peppers, chopped finely
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon each turmeric, dill seed and flour

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead well
by hand.
Form into 3-inch (8 cm.) sausages and impale these on long
wooden skewers..
Grill over open charcoals or under a hot broiler,
turning occasionally so that cooking is uniform.
Cook just until
the meat is done.

Serve hot.

Chopped Liver

Source: Old and New Israeli Jewish Cuisine

Use only chicken liver to make this dish.
Use schmaltz (chicken
fat) .
Do not substitute oil or any other fat.
If you are concerned
about cholesterol, eat chopped liver less often.
Chop all the
ingredients by hand rather than by machine.
Eat it in small
portions — it is very rich
— and make it only for special occasions.

1 pound chicken livers (fresh, not previously frozen)
2 cups finely chopped onions
3 hard-boiled eggs
6 tablespoons schmaltz
Salt and black pepper to taste
A few gribenes (optional)

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees F.

Broil livers on broiler rack 4 inches from the heat source for 3
minutes on each side.
Remove from the oven and finely chop
livers.

Melt 6 tablespoons schmaltz in skillet and sauté
onions over medium/low heat until soft and just beginning to brown.
Add chopped liver pieces and sauté 1 minute more.
Remove from heat.
Pour contents of skillet into a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, chop the eggs and add them to the liver
mixture.
Mix in the salt, pepper, and gribenes (if using).
Mix
everything together until well blended.
Chill at least 3 hours in
the refrigerator before serving.

Matzo

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
If you have a pizza stone,
place it in the oven while it’s preheating.

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of
water.
Add one-half teaspoon of salt, if desired.

Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for about a minute, until
the flour is incorporated and the dough is elastic.
Add more flour
if needed; the dough should be a little sticky.
Pull off a scant
fist-sized portion of dough and make a ball.
On a floured surface,
roll the ball with a rolling pin until it’s 1/8-inch thick.
Or use
your hands to pat and stretch the dough.
Prick the entire surface
with a fork, or use a matzo roller (available at cooking stores).
Perforating the surface airs out the dough and prevents it from
rising while baking.

Place the dough on a pizza paddle and slide the dough onto a
preheated pizza stone if you’re using one.
Otherwise, put the dough
on foil or parchment paper and place directly on the oven rack.
Parchment paper is preferred, as it produces a crisper product.

Bake the matzos for approximately 5 minutes, or until browned.
When done, remove the matzo and place on a cooling rack.

Serve cooled matzo with butter, cream cheese, peanut butter and
jelly or your favorite shmeer.
Matzo is best when fresh, so eat it
the day it’s baked, if possible.

Hamantaschen

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs Prune, Apricot or Plum, or Poppy Seed Filling

Prune Filling
1 (12 ounce) package pitted prunes
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Apricot or Plum Filling
1 1/2 cups apricot or plum jam
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or walnuts
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (about)

Poppy Seed Filling
1 cup poppy seed
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg white

Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in large bowl.
Cut in butter,
using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture
resembles fine crumbs.
Mix lemon peel, vanilla extract and eggs.
Stir into flour mixture until dough forms a ball.
(Use hands to mix
all ingredients if necessary; add up to 1/4 cup additional flour if
dough is too sticky to handle.) Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours
or until firm.

Prepare desired filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll half of dough at a time 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured
cloth-covered surface.
Cut into 3-inch rounds.
Spoon 1 level
teaspoon filling onto each round.
Bring up 3 sides, using metal
spatula to lift, to form triangle around filling.
Pinch edges
together firmly.
Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie
sheet.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown.
Immediately
remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Yield: 48 cookies (1 per serving)

Prune Filling: Heat prunes and enough water to cover to boiling
in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 10 minutes;
drain well.
Mash prunes.
Stir in remaining ingredients.

Apricot or Plum Filling: Mix jam, almonds, lemon peel and lemon
juice.
Stir in just enough bread crumbs until thickened.

Poppy Seed Filling: Place all ingredients in blender or food
processor.
Cover and blend until smooth.

NOTE: To speed up the making of these cookies, use canned
apricot or poppy seed filling.

Per Serving: 96 Calories; 5g Fat (41.8% calories from fat);
2g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol;
46mg Sodium

Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat;
0 Other Carbohydrates

Almond Macaroon and Raspberry Ganache Tart

Source: Lior’s Kitchen Talk

For Crust
Matzo cake meal
1 cup whole almonds (about 5 ounce), toasted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For Filling
1 (12 ounce) package frozen unsweetened
raspberries, thawed, juices reserved
3 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted margarine
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 pint baskets (about) fresh raspberries

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a 9-inch tart pan
with removable bottom with heavy-duty foil, pressing foil into
scalloped sides of pan.
Grease foil and dust with matzo cake
meal.

Finely grind almonds, sugar , cinnamon and salt in processor.
Add half of beaten egg (about 1 1/2 tablespoons; reserve remaining
egg for another use) and extract and blend until dough holds
together.
Using moistened fingertips, press dough over bottom and
up sides of prepared pan.
Bake crust 10 minutes.

Wrap fingertips with paper towels and gently, but quickly, press
puffed crust to original shape.
Continue to bake crust until pale
golden, about 3 minutes longer.
Again, gently press crust to
original shape.
Cool crust completely (crust will crisp as it
cools).
Turn crust out of pan and carefully peel off foil.
Return
crust to pan.

Filling: Brush bottom of crust with 1 tablespoon preserves.

Melt margarine in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
Remove pan from
heat; whisk in 2/3 cup raspberry puree and honey.

Pour chocolate filling into crust; smooth top.
Refrigerate tart
until filling is firm, at least 3 hours.

Brush filling with 1 tablespoon preserves.
Arrange enough
berries, side by side, atop filling to cover completely, pressing
berries lightly into preserves to anchor.
If desired, stir
remaining 1 tablespoon preserves in small saucepan over low heat
until melted.
Brush tops of berries with warm preserves to glaze.
Refrigerate tart uncovered up to 8 hours before serving.

Tart can be prepared 3 days ahead before decorated with fresh
raspberries.
Cover and keep refrigerated.

Jewish Medicine (Chicken Soup)

Source: Lior’s Kitchen Talk

1 stewing chicken or portion thereof
1 tablespoon salt
1 onion
4 celery tops
2 carrots
2 bunches parsley leaves

For variety try some of the following additions:

1 beef bone or turkey giblet
1 garlic clove
1 parsnip
1 small potato
Half a kohlrabi
A cluster of cauliflower

Clean the chicken.
Cover the chicken in a pot (4-5 quarts) with
water.
Add salt and bring this to the boil.
Simmer for an hour.
Add
the vegetables and simmer for another hour.
Let the soup stand
until it gets cold and skim off the top.

Classic Chicken Soup with Mini Matzo Balls

Source: Passover Cookery: In the Kitchen With Joan
Kekst

Classic Chicken Soup
1 pullet (young hen), about 6 pound, skin and all fat removed
3 pounds extra breast bones, necks, wings or turkey necks
1 clove garlic, cracked
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
4 whole carrots, peeled
3 celery stalks
10 to 12 parsley stems
1 parsnip, peeled
3 bay leaves
5 or 6 white peppercorns
2 inches lemon peel (optional)
9 quarts cold water
6 to 8 fresh carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch sticks
Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

Mini Matzo Balls
2 large eggs plus 3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 1/4 cups matzo meal
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons club soda
2 tablespoons chicken broth
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
8 quarts water

Garnish
2 tablespoons minced parsley or
1/4 teaspoon saffron (optional)

For the soup: Cut up chicken and break extra chicken bones;
place in large stockpot over medium heat.
Toss until meat on bones
whitens, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, onion, 4 whole carrots,
celery, parsley, parsnip, bay leaves, peppercorns, lemon peel (if
using) and water.
Slowly bring to a boil, skimming occasionally.
Simmer partially covered about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken when tender; reserve for another use.
Strain soup
into clean pot.
Chill to remove all fat.

Return soup to a simmer.
Add fresh carrots.
Reduce liquid
slightly.
Heat thoroughly.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the mini matzo balls: Beat eggs and egg whites in a medium
bowl with a pinch of salt.
Stir in matzo meal.
Add 2 1/4 teaspoons
salt, club soda, chicken broth and vegetable oil.
Mix well.
Chill
45 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon salt to 8 quarts of water; boil.
Moisten hands.
Shape chilled matzo mixture into balls the size of walnuts.
Drop
the balls into the boiling water and immediately cover.
Keep at a
rolling boil for 30 minutes.
Do not uncover because losing the
steam will deflate the matzo balls.

To serve: Pour the chicken soup into individual bowls.
Use a
slotted spoon to transfer the matzo balls from the boiling water to
the warm soup.
Garnish with fresh parsley or saffron, if
desired.

Makes about 32 servings of 1 cup each.

Per serving: 93 calories; 4 g fat (0.3 g saturated fat; 39
percent calories from fat); 6 g carbohydrates; 38 mg cholesterol;
483 mg sodium; 9 g protein; 1 g fiber

Israeli Cottage Cheese Levivot (Pancakes)

2 large eggs
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Whisk eggs until fluffy.
Add cottage cheese, flour, baking
powder, salt and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and mix well.

Heat griddle or nonstick skillet.
Place 1 tablespoon of the
butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil in skillet and heat until butter
is melted.
Pour heaping tablespoon of batter onto skillet,
flattening slightly with back of spoon and cook in batches until
golden brown, turning and browning on other side, 2 to 3 minutes.
Repeat with remaining batter, butter and oil, draining pancakes on
paper towels.

Mix remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in small
bowl.

Serve pancakes sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Makes about 20 pancakes.

Per serving: 69 calories; 4 g fat (1.6 g saturated fat; 52
percent calories from fat); 4 g carbohydrates; 28 mg cholesterol;
218 mg sodium; 4 g protein; 0.1 g fiber