Challah, Challah, Challah

Now that Passover is over, it's time for challah once again. When it comes to cooking, I'm all about quick and easy, but I've got to say, challah is an exception to the rule. There is nothing that makes a home smell more luscious and heavenly than the smell of challah baking in the oven. 

People always ask: "Is it easy? Does it take all day?"

Yes, it's easy. And yes, it does take all day. 

But so worth it. (At least once in a while!)

And, for those of you who are superstitious, it's been said that baking challah brings good luck, and answers your prayers...

Also, I can't write this post without giving full credit to my friend Jeanne (who got the recipe from her friend Ayelet) full credit for teaching me how to make the best challah. Week after week, she'd come over to my apartment at 8am and show me how to make it- her hands are magical. And no matter what, her challah always comes out better than mine! 

Challah Recipe

5-7 Challahs, depending on size and shape

5 pound bag of bread flour

4 packets active dry yeast

2 cups of sugar

4 cups warm water

3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/3 cup honey

3/4 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. When your oven reaches that temperature, turn it off. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar and water. Place that mixture into the warm oven. In a few minutes, the yeast will start bubbling, and form a frothy mixture. In the meantime, place the oil, eggs, honey, and salt in a very large bowl, and mix together. Remove the yeast mixture from the oven, and stir into the egg mixture. Pour half of the bag of flour into the large bowl, and mix using you hands. Add the remaining half, and combine well, using you hands. Once all the flour and liquid are combined, you should form a thick dough that is somewhat sticky and even a little lumpy. Leave the dough in the bowl, and cover with a clean dish towel. Let the dough rest for for 4-6 hours. Once the dough has risen, seperate it evenly into tennis ball sized balls. 

For braided challahs, roll 3 of the dough balls into 10-inch long "snakes". Braid, (just the way you'd braid hair) and secure the ends by pinching. Continue, using up all the dough balls. Place the braided challahs on parchment-lined baking sheets, and cover with dish towel. Let rise for 2-4 hours. 

For "pull-apart"challahs, lightly grease a 9 or 10-inch cake pan. Place one dough ball in the center of the pan, and surrounded with more dough balls, filling the pan as needed. Dough balls should be close, but not touching (they will rise and eventually touch). Cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 2-4 hours.

Preheat oven 350. In a small bowl, mix together 2 eggs and a teaspoon of honey. Brush over the challahs. Sprinkle with whatever it is that you like best: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic powder, cinnamon, za'atar... Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, rotating midway, until golden. The amazing smell will convince you to do it all over again next week! 

"Pull-apart" challah sprinkled with za'atar seasoning

(a Middle Eastern blend of sesame seeds, sumac, basil, thyme, oregano)

 My helper

What do Easter and Passover have in Common???

 

This Recipe!

"Sauteed Cabbage with a Basil Chiffonade" 

The perfect side dish to serve on Easter, Passover, or all year round. Every time I make this dish, I have to refill 2 or 3 times- people just can't get enough of it! I found this recipe in an old-school Martha Stewart cookbook titled, "Martha Stewart's Menu for Entertaining", circa 1994. It's an oldie but a goodie. It may sound fancy, but its really not. The recipe uses 5 ingredients, takes just minutes to prepare, and people react to it as though you are serving them caviar. It goes great with any roasted meats or fish, and also a perfect pairing with mashed potatoes. I love finding these types of recipes, because they take a basic ingredient like cabbage, (which we often neglect), and turn it into something really memorable. I'm all about "less is more", and in this recipe, it certainly is. I wish they all could be this easy. 

Here's what you will need:
1 bunch basil, washed, dried and stemmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or 4 tablespoons safflower oil if you want to keep it non-dairy)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds green cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 pound bok choy, finely shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chiffonade basically means cuttting the leaves into long, thin strips. To do this, stack 4-6 leaves in the same direction. Tightly roll them lengthwise, and with a sharp knife, slice thinly to create long, thin strips.

In a really big saute pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. 

Combine the cabbage and the bok choy and saute until just soft. Season with lots of salt and pepper to taste. 
Stir in the basil chiffonade. Toss until evenly mixed. Serve hot or warm.
Too easy.
Wishing all those who celebrate a happy Easter!

Baby Lamb Chops for Passover

Growing up, my mom always made lamb on Passover. It was a special treat- something we'd look forward to all year round. My siblings and I always knew that lamb was a special dish, and we felt lucky and proud to have it...It's funny because I never gave it much thought, but I always find myself making a big deal out of serving lamb to my family. My mom serves her lamb in a traditional Jewish Moroccan style- with canned truffles...
My recipe is a little more modern- but I can't say that its better than my mom's!
The baby lamb chops are marinated in wine vinegar,  red wine, crushed garlic, fresh mint leaves, and cilantro...the result is honestly unreal.

Baby Lamb Chops with Red Wine Vinegar, Mint & Garlic
Serves 4-6

10 baby lamb chops, Frenched
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
splash of red wine (plus a glass for yourself to enjoy while your cooking, optional but recommended!)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 handful of fresh mint leaves, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 handful of fresh cilantro, stemmed and roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk together the vinegar, red wine, olive oil, garlic, mint, cilantro, salt and pepper. Place the lamb chops in a Ziploc bag, pour the marinade over, and marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Prepare a grill over medium-high heat. Remove the lamb chops from the marinade, and grill 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. (I like them a little more cooked, about 4 minutes per side.) Pour the leftover marinade into a small sauce pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, and cook for a few minutes longer. Pour into a serving dish to serve as a sauce alongside your lamb chops. Enjoy!

Wishing those of you who celebrate a happy Passover!
I'm working hard on my cookbook and will keep you all posted.
I love the feedback, so thanks!

Passover Chicken Soup!

My most popular soup! I make this chicken & veggie soup all year round, and everyone loves it- especially the kids. One serving is really a hearty meal filled with delicious veggies, chicken, and sometimes I throw in some noodles or matzo balls. It's easy to prepare, and I always make a huge batch and then freeze it in smaller portions, so I have an all-in-one meal to serve whenever I need it.

Here's how to do it:

Peel 3 small onions, peel 5 carrots, peel and cube 1 butternut squash, clean 1 cup of dill.

Tighlty wrap the dill in cheesecloth (I do this so that the dill peices don't float in the soup, but its optional).

Place 6-10 clean chicken legs in a large stock pot.

Add the veggies and dill into the pot.

Cover with cold water.

Place the pot, uncovered, on a burner over high heat.

Bring to a boil, cover the pot and cook for 1 hour.

After an hour or so, ( a little more or less won't matter)

uncover the pot, and use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pot; let the chicken cool.

 Meanwhile, use a potato masher to mash up all the veggies in the soup pot (if you prefer the veggies chunky, then just mash a couple of times, if you prefer the veggies pureed, then mash a little more!)

Once the chicken is cool, remove the skin and bones, and return the chicken meat to the pot.

Bring the soup to boil once again, and boil over medium heat, uncovered for about 30 minutes to thicken. 

Season with lots of salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Makes about 10-12 servings.

Grilled Vegetables- Kosher for Passover

Everyone is buzzing now that Passover is a little more than one week away. "What should I cook?" "Any great Kosher for Passover recipes?" The way I look at it is that Passover is the best time to whip out your classic, tried and true simple Kosher recipes (obviously the ones that have no bread or flour in them). Grilled meats, fish and chicken, and when it comes to side-dishes, forget about the starch. Focus on vegetables. Seasonal, easy to find, delicious vegetables. Prepare a big batch of vegetables, grilled to perfection, mouth-watering, and perfectly seasoned. Plate them on a beautiful tray, and they are sure to steal the show. Often times, less is more, and simple is simply the best.

Grilled Vegetables

Serves 10

If you don’t already own an indoor “grill pan”, get one asap. You will thank me, I promise. Grill pans have a raised, grooved surface that char your food in the same way an outdoor grill would.  I sear all my steaks, chops and chicken on a grill pan to lock in the flavor and for the striking grill marks, then complete the cooking in the oven. And I love grilling vegetables on the grill pan first before finishing them off in the oven.

1 bunch asparagus

3 red onions

2 red peppers, or color of your choice

2 zucchinis, sliced thin lengthwise, (about ¼ inch)

1 large eggplant, sliced thin lengthwise, (about ¼ inch)

2 cups white mushrooms, whole

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

zest from 1 lemon

To serve:

Juice from 1 lemon

3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar

Place all of the vegetables in a large ziplock bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, basil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Pour over the vegetables, and seal the bag. Marinate the vegetables in the ziplock for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Turn the bag over once or twice to make sure the vegetables are marinating evenly.

Preheat oven 400. Prepare grill pan over medium-high heat. Using tongs, remove the vegetables from the marinade and place on the grill pan in a single layer (this may take a few batches). RESERVE the remaining marinade. Grill the vegetables for 3 minutes on each side, place in a large baking tray in a single layer. When all the vegetables are grilled, pout the remaining marinade over, and place in oven for 10 minutes. Before serving, squeeze lemon juice over and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Do not refrigerate. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.