Two Heads of Lettuce

Vegetarian chili

2010-02-17T14:38:00.000-05:00

(a super easy recipe)

2 cans pinto beans

1 can kidney beans

2 cans black beans

(or you can do 1 pinto, 2 kidney)

1 can corn, or about 1- 1.5 cups frozen corn (I prefer the frozen)

1 small can tomato paste

1 16 oz can diced or chopped tomatoes

olive oil

garlic (jarred is fine)

tumeric

cumin

chili pepper flakes

add about 4 tbs olive oil to a large pot.

Add in about 4 tsp crushed garlic

Let garlic brown. Add about 1.5 tsp chili pepper flakes. This wont make it too spicy and its important to let the pepper sauté at this point

Add about 1 tbs cumin and 2 tsp tumeric.

Quickly stir in all the beans. If cant stir them all in make sure to stir in at least one can so that the spices don’t burn.

Let simmer for about 5 min.

Then add in all the tomato products

Let simmer.

Will be done in 5 min, but gets tastier if you let it simmer on low for closer to 20 min.

If you want to make it spicier- put in more pepper flakes at the beginning and then add some ground cayenne pepper while its simmering.

whole wheat carrot bread

2009-02-09T16:25:00.004-05:00

You can grate the carrots by hand or in a food processor, or buy grated carrots, but I like it best when you make a "carrot smoothie" in the blender as described below.

INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar ( i used white, it was great)
3 cups shredded carrots (about 3-4 carrots)

DIRECTIONS.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
put carrots, oil, eggs and applesauce into a blender. blend into a "carrot smoothie."
in a separate mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.
add the "carrot smoothie" to the dry ingredients
pour into a greased baking pan or greased muffin tins.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool

sesame purple cabbage

2009-02-03T00:24:00.003-05:00

a great quick and easy dish that serves many people

1/3 cup raw sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 head purple cabbage chopped
3 tbsp teriyaki or soy sauce
2 pinches brown or white sugar- only if using soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh or ground ginger- optional
1 pkg defrosted frozen spinach- optional

the key is toasting the sesame seeds properly. Have your cabbage washed and chopped and on hand.

In a chicken fryer or in a large pot place the oil and the sesame seeds. Turn the flame on medium to low. stir the sesame seedsconstantly till they SLIGHTLY turn beige. the difference between burnt sesame and toasted sesame is very slight- so better err on the side of underdone. Basically, as soon as you hear about 2 seeds pop IMMEDIATELY add the cabbage and stir. add the rest of the ingredients. stir till cabbage is soft but not mushy/limp.

enjoy hot, room temperature or cold.

tastes great on top of quinoa

Nancy's vegetarian chopped liver

2009-02-03T00:21:00.000-05:00

Vegetarian Chopped Liver

(food processor chopper blade)
1) enough walnuts to cover the bottom of processor bowl 2 walnut
layers thick, chop first.
2) then add all at once:
4 hard boiled eggs
1 can green beans, drained
1 can green peas, drained
1 large onion, sauteed
salt, optional

Tastes better if left overnight.

Sarah's persian cucumber salad

2009-02-03T00:17:00.002-05:00

drain 2 cups yogurt overnight (if you have time, I often skipped this step - it just makes the salad less watery)

peel, seed, and dice 1 cucumber (you can keep the seeds- but again its waterier)
salt lightly and let drain of excess juice in a colander (this step too can be skipped or shortened, but again will make the salad more watery)

Combine along with
juice of 1/2 a lemon
handful of golden raisins (dried cherries are awesome too, if you have them on hand)
dash of rose water (you might want to measure out a teaspoon til you get a feel for it - too much is strange!)
small handful of chopped walnuts
small bunch (a tablespoon or so) of chopped mint
salt and pepper (preferably white) to taste

You can experiment with different additions and subtractions - this salad is closely related to the Greek tzatziki, which is also yogurt and cucumber but doesn't have rose water or fruit and uses dill instead of mint and has crushed garlic in it. I sometimes use crushed garlic but that is kind of a weird combination with the fruit. Just depends on what you are in the mood for and what's on hand!

chana masala

2009-02-03T00:09:00.004-05:00

2 tomatoes
3-4 medium onions
1 small can tomato paste
5 tsp cumin
3 tsp turmeric
5 tsp corriander powder
1.5 tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick (the stick is best)
sea salt
black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ginger powder
1/4 -1/2 cup heavy cream OR 1/3-1/2 cup of sour cream, yogurt or labne
3-4 cans chick peas
1 large bunch cilantro- chopped (or 2 bunches if you're a big cilantro fan)

Directions:
saute onions in olive oil till translucent in a large pot. add the spices.

add 3 -4 cans of chick peas. let simmer for a while.
add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste. let simmer. if its drying out add small amounts of water. when it looks well steeped and flavored, add the cream. Let simmer for about 5-8 more minutes. add the chopped cilantro. stir till it wilts.

vegan spinach mac n cheese

2009-02-03T00:00:00.005-05:00

Cheese:
3 cups milk (i use 1-2%. soy milk also works wonderfully)
1 tbps paprika
1 tbsp garlic or 3 cloves minced (generous w the garlic is fine)
1/3 c. braggs liquid aminos (or 1/4 c. soy or tamari sauce)
3/4 c. nutritional yeast
1/2 block of firm tofu ( i sometimes put in 3/4)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 package frozen chopped sminach- defrosted
1 tbsp mustard (optional)

Casserole:
1 box macaroni noodles
2 tbsp dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Blend cheese ingredients in blender. make sure
the spinach really gets pureed.

Cook noodles according to package directions, place in casserole dish. mix in mustard.
Pour soy cheese over the noodles until they're just covered. Mixture
should be pretty liquidy. Make sure the cheese isn't too dry because
it will thicken in the oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese darkens slightly and begins to
bubble on top.

Quinoa Salad

2008-07-17T20:12:00.002-04:00

By popular request, the recipe for my quinoa salad, which some folks supped on at Kol Zimrah earlier this summer.

½ cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 orange, peeled and chopped coarsley

In a strainer rinse the quinoa under running water and drain. Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all the of the water is absorbed.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the quinoa and mix well.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

easy as apple pie

2007-11-13T14:11:00.000-05:00

This pie is insanely good and very easy to assemble. Prepping the apples is time consuming, but the rest is quick. The vinegar really brings out a sweet, intense, apple flavor. MMmmm!!

5 granny smith apples
juice of a lemon
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
kosher pie crust (or 2 - see below)

Core and peel apples and cut into thin slices. Put apples in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to keep from turning brown.

Meanwhile, sift sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Add vinegar and mix well. Drain apples and add to sugar mixture, making sure all apples get coated well.

Pour apples into pie crust. Cover edges of crust with aluminum foil to keep from burning (remove 10 minutes before pie is finished baking). Bake for 45-55 minutes or until apples are soft (easily pierced with a knife/toothpick/fork).

Instead of adding a top layer of crust to the pie, I cut long, narrow strips of dough from a second pre-made pie crust and arranged it in a lattice over the top of the apples.

chickpeas romesco

2007-11-07T06:26:00.000-05:00

This is a great potluck recipe, from Veganomicon-The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

1/2 cup sliced almonds
28oz can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted are especially good)
2 roasted red bell peppers
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 shallots, minced finely
1 red serrano chile, seeded and minced finely
1/4 cup white wine or vegetable broth
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper

Using a food processor, grind the almonds into very fine almost powdery crumbs. Place in small bowl and set aside.

Puree the tomatoes and roasted peppers until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

Preheat medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Sautee garlic, shallots and chile in oil until shallots turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine to dissolve any browned bits of garlic stuck to the bottom of the pan. After a minute, add the tomato/pepper mixture, vinegar, sugar, thyme and rosemary. Cover, bring to a near boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the ground almonds and stir the mixture until they are completely combined. Fold in the chickpeas and simmer uncovered for 20-25 mins, until the sauce is slightly reduced and the chickpeas are very tender. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool for 5-10 mins before serving.

I might prefer this without the almonds, but then it's no longer romesco...

Cold Carrot Soup

2007-10-01T05:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I realise that autumn is setting in much of North America, but in Israel it's still warm, making it the perfect season to enjoy this soup. This soup is great for summer - it's served cold (you'll want to chill it in the fridge for several hours, so make it the night before), but it's somewhat spicy, and the combination makes it really refreshing.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 lb carrots, peeledand chopped
2 lrg leeks , chopped (white and pale green parts only)
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
3½ teasp ground cumin
½ teasp dried crushed red pepper
6½ cups veg stock
8 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 teasp lime rind

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots and leeks; sauté until leeks begin to soften but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add cumin and crushed red pepper; sauté 30 seconds longer. Add 6 1/2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until vegetables are very tender, about 35 minutes.

Working in batches if needed, purée soup in blender until smooth. Transfer soup to large bowl. Cool in the fridge.

Whisk in 6 tablespoons sour cream. Cover soup and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Stir lime juice into soup. Thin soup with more broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. (Optional: spoon 1/2 tablespoon sour cream atop each serving.) Sprinkle with cilantro and lime peel.

EAR's Mom's Yummy Dairy Kugel (savory, not sweet!)

2007-09-25T05:12:00.002-04:00

Just in time for Sukkot, but also good for Shavuot and other dairy meals, here's a great kugel recipe. The quantity of ingredients is very flexible. Warning, though: this is NOT a sweet kugel, since my family doesn't believe in that kind of thing. And it's not low-fat. But it's not meant to be eaten all the time.

Ingredients:

1. one 16 oz. package of broad egg noodles
2. 16 oz. cottage cheese
3. 8-16 oz. sour cream, depending on your taste/calorie/fat preferences (just don't use light or nonfat. If you don't want to use sour cream at all, just up the number of eggs to 4 or 5)
4. 2 onions chopped small
5. 2-3 eggs (use more if using less or no sour cream)
6. butter for sauteeing
7. salt
8. pepper

Chop the onions in a substantial amount of butter until they're soft and sweet, but try not to brown them. While you're doing this, boil the noodles as usual. When they're just a little firmer than you would normally cook them for immediate eating, drain them and throw them back into the pot. Mix in the onions, cottage cheese, and sour cream, then season with salt and lots of pepper to taste. Then add in the (lightly pre-whisked) eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour the noodle mixture into a lasagne pan (Pyrex, foil, or otherwise) and bake at 375 until the top is golden brown and crunchy, about 45 minutes.

Lentil Salad

2007-09-11T03:28:00.000-04:00

This recipe is a family favorite and has recently been my most frequent potluck contribution. Although it looks a bit daunting at first, it scales very easily. I usually mix enough of all the spices for 12 batches and keep them in a big jar (think peanut butter or pickles) in the spice cabinet. When I need to make some salad, I can just cook the lentils (~ 20 min), chop the onions while they're cooking, and toss in the lentils. Voila!

Like many dishes, this one tastes even better after sitting for a day, so you can make it a couple days before your potluck. From The Frog Commissary Cookbook by Steven Poses, et. al.

Rinse 1 lb. green or brown lentils in a siv, removing bad lentils and stones. Put them in pot with water to cover, plus another knuckles-width above. Boil the water and then bring it down to a simmer and cook until all the water is gone or until the lentils are soft enough to chew while still holding their shape. Drain any leftover water.

While they're cooking, make the dressing:
¾ cup canola oil
½ cup wine (or cider) vinegar
5 Tbsp. spice mixture

What is this spice mixture, you ask? For a single recipe, use this*:
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. mace
½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cinnamon

Finally, add these tasty finishing touches (the original recipe recommends adding them after everything else sits overnight, but we always add them right away):
1 cup currants
1/3 cup capers
1½ cups chopped red onion

*Alternatively, mix enough for 12 batches in advance and keep it handy in a jar (you can also use it for spicing other salads and dishes along the way):
1½ cups sugar
½ cup salt
½ cup pepper
¼ cup cumin
¼ cup dry mustard
2 Tbsp turmeric
2 Tbsp mace
2 Tbsp coriander
2 Tbsp cardamom
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp cinnamon

black bean burgers

2007-09-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

1 medium onion, sauteed until soft
1 can black beans
1 ear of corn, cooked with kernels removed
1 or 2 eggs
flour (~1/2 to 1 cup)
bread crumbs
salt
1-2 cloves minced garlic
shredded cheddar

Mash beans and corn together. Add everything else, mix well, form patties, and pan fry. I don't have exact quantities of ingredients but it is a very forgiving recipe.. a little of this and a little of that, until the consistency of the mixture seems as if the burgers won't fall apart.

Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Tofu

2007-07-15T14:10:00.000-04:00

I haven't tested this recipe yet, but it looks delicious. It's adapted from a chicken recipe that appeared this week in the New York Times food section. The original recipe called for three pounds of chicken, so you can do the tofu calculations accordingly. (I'd do 1-2 packages for a potluck and save any remaining marinade). If you try this recipe let us know how it is.

1 cup roasted, salted cashew nuts
6 tablespoons chopped cilantro, with some stems
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1-2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
1-3 (use your judgment) packages of extra firm tofu

1. In a blender or food processor, combine nuts, 2 tablespoons cilantro, oil, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, jalapeno, lime juice and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

2. Cut tofu into slabs or fingers or bite-sized pieces and coat with the marinade. If you want, you can let it marinate at room temperature or in the fridge for a bit.

3. Preheat broiler or grill (or if you don't have a broiler or grill, turn your oven on reasonably high). Cook the tofu until the marinade is brown/bubbling and/or the tofu is firm and/or however long you like.

4. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve with any remaining cashew mixture.

Japanese Cole Slaw

2007-06-25T18:24:00.000-04:00

The recipe below comes via Nancy Fuchs Kreimer who in addition to being a brilliant and charismatic rabbi makes some great vegetarian food.

---

Bring dressing in a jar and the other ingredients in a bowl, or(if
extra hurried) still in their packages from the store.

2 lbs dry cole slaw in plastic bags from the supermarket(it is sold like this)
2 packages worth of Ramen noodles, broken into little pieces
cashews, sesame seeds,sunflower seeds, peanuts, almonds(any combo that
is available to you)
8 scallions chopped(required) along with
carrots and/or green or red bell peppers chopped(optional)

Dressing:

4 tsp sugar
6 Tbl vinegar
1 cup oil (peanut if possible)
2 flavor packets from the Ramen packages

Mix non dressing ingredients in a bowl
Mix dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid
Assemble and serve.
If this sits out for many hours already mixed, that is also good.
Noodles will be soft instead of crunchy but people seem to like this
dish either way.

Two Heads of Awards

2007-05-27T01:13:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone who voted in the JIB Awards! Two Heads of Lettuce has won Best Kosher Food Post for The twoheadsoflettuce Guide to Delicious, Sustainable, Efficient, and Pluralistic Potlucks, and third place for Best Kosher Food/Recipe Blog.

AMAZING Passover Mandelbot

2007-04-02T13:16:00.000-04:00

My family makes this recipe (courtesy of Beit HaChatulim, an old-school website dedicated in part to vegetarian Pesach recipes) every year. The mandlebrot are delicious in their own right and not just by Pesach-dessert standards. In fact, they're pretty indistinguishable from non-Pesach mandlebrot. They're also easy to make and highly recommended for a Passover potluck.

In an effort not to violate either ethics or copyright law, I'm not going to post the recipe here. But do check it out here.

חג שמח

Tahini Bok Choy Sweet and Tangy Salad

2007-03-13T20:40:00.000-04:00

This recipe is based on advice and experience from a few different people and lunches. It's a perfect substitute for a salad or a vegetable side dish. Below is the best of the best. Feel free to experiment and let us know what works.

Stalk of bok choy (regular cabbage can be substituted)
4 cups sugar snap peas
1/4 cup green onion
1 cup tahini
1 lemon or 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic crushed/chopped
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries

Wash and chop bok choy, peas, and onion. In a separate container (food processor if you have it), combine tahini, lemon/vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, sesame and olive oil. If your tahini is chunky, add water as necessary to smooth it out. Add dressing, walnuts, and cranberries and mix right before serving.

fruit compote

2007-02-15T15:53:00.001-05:00

As my last, absurdly long, post seems to have killed the conversation, I'll try a super-short post as an antidote:

this easy stewed fruit is good with sponge cake, warm over ice cream, or on french toast. Also good on its own. *Also* it lasts for a few weeks, covered and refrigerated, so make a big batch while you're at it.

Ingredients:

approximately 3 pounds of dried fruit (my mom uses peaches, apricots, and plums when she makes this for passover)
juice and rind of half a lemon
two cinnamon sticks

Procedure:

put all fruit in a pot, and just barely cover with water
squeeze in lemon juice and toss the (whole) rind into the pot
add the cinnamon sticks
bring to a boil, then turn the heat way down and simmer for five minutes. Take the pot off the heat and allow the compote to sit for awhile, either refrigerated or at room temperature, until the water mixes with sugar released from the fruit to create a syrup
remove lemon rind and cinnamon sticks before serving
voila.

marvelous mezze

2007-01-23T10:17:00.000-05:00

A mezze platter is one of the most amazingly versatile things you can make - and impressive-looking too, but all of the parts are suprisingly simple. A mezze is a mix of various first-course items that can be eaten together or separately. Below are easy recipes for a few of my favorites. I happen to think that these four, served with a simple green salad, a bowl of olives, and some pita, make a perfect (and extremely colorful) meal. The various components of a mezze are also good individually, on sandwiches, in omelets, as leftovers over rice, as potluck contributions in their own right... etc.

Part 1: Roasted Peppers (smoky and delicious - and only *one* ingredient)

Ingredient: 2-3 sweet bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or - best of all - a combination of colors)

Procedure:

If you have a gas stove: turn on as many burners as you have peppers to a high setting. Place peppers directly on the burner, in the flame. As peppers char, turn them with tongs or an oven mitt so that they blacken evenly on all sides. When skin in black and blistered and peppers are tender, remove from the heat and put peppers in a tightly covered bowl for ten minutes. When you take them out, you will be able to peel off the skins. Once peeled, slice the peppers lengthwise, removing the seeds, and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Serve at room temperature.
If you don't have a gas stove: place peppers under the broiler, turning periodically so they blacken evenly on all sides. Once peppers are cooked, follow the instructions above for cooling, peeling, and slicing.

Part 2: Labneh (Lebanese yogurt cheese - *also* only one ingredient)

Ingredient: a carton of yogurt (full-fat works best; nonfat probably won't work at all)

Special equipment: cheesecloth

Procedure: Line a bowl with 5-6 layers of cheesecloth. Pour the yogurt into the bowl, on top of the cheesecloth. Gather the edges of the cloth, twist tightly, and secure with string, a twist-tie, or a rubber band - you should now have a tight bundle of yogurt. Place this bundle in a colander in the sink, and put something heavy (tuna cans, bags of beans, etc) on top of it to compress it. Leave the bundle in the sink for several hours, periodically tying the cheesecloth tighter (as the yogurt condenses), turning the bundle (to press it evenly on all sides) and re-positioning the heavy objects (ditto). The labneh is ready when it acquires a spreadable consistency (similar to a log of soft goat cheese) - but you can experiement in making it drier or less dry by adjusting the draining time. To serve, you can make a well in the top and fill it with olive oil... or sprinkle with zaatar... or garnish with olives...

Part 3: Hummus

You very likely already have a recipe for this staple, but if you don't - try the one that was posted here in December (not by me) or my recipe, which is posted here.

Part 4: Eggplant Salad (because if you want a rainbow on your table - red-and-yellow peppers, bright white labneh, blue-black olives, hummus that's... whatever color hummus is, a dark green salad - you'll need some purple.)

You can go anywhere with this - I've got a good recipe for sesame eggplant salad, but I've also made a mezze with Indian-inspired eggplant, and you can always go mediterranean. My preference is to *not* go the babaganoush route, since you've already got a couple of spreads and the eggplant is a good place to add some texture. For inspiration, I just found a massive website that includes over 3,000 - I kid you not - eggplant recipes, many of which sound very good. I am awed by Ashbury's Aubergines.

And if anyone has a good recipe for the roasted eggplant salad - slightly sweet, eggplant in strips, with skin still on - that's often served on top of falafel - please post it somewhere! I've been in search of it for months...

(If you're overwhelmed: Sesame Eggplant Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound eggplant
salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Procedure:

Trim eggplant; peel and dice into 3/4-inch cubes. Salt, allow to drain for 30 minutes, and pat dry.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet; add eggplant and saute 3-4 minutes, until eggplant is barely tender. Drain in a colander to press out liquid and excess oil.
In a bowl, combine all other ingredients. Add eggplant, toss to coat. Serve warm or chilled.)

Put everything - peppers, labneh, hummus, eggplant - in small bowls. Arrange a bowl of olives, and a plate of warm pita, and a green salad - spinach perhaps? Serve to your delighted friends as:

lunch
the first course of an elegant dinner
a potluck contribution

Indian Rice Pilaf with Green Peas (and optional cashews)

2007-01-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

A yummy recipe, courtesy of my kitchen fabulous mom:

2 cups brown basmati rice
2 large onions, chopped
2-3 Tb oil
1 tsp ginger root, minced
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
salt
10 oz. box of frozen peas
water or veggie broth (or a combination of both) - amount per directions on package of rice (generally, 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of liquid)

Optional: 1/2 cup roasted cashews

1. Wash basmati rice in a strainer, drain, and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, saute onions until translucent (+/-10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

3. Add to saucepan: ginger, cumin, tumeric and garam masala and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir fry until each grain of rice is coated with oil/onion/spice mixture, +/- 2 minutes [this makes the rice fluffy and not clumpy].

4. Stir liquid into saucepan. Cover. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a low simmer. Cook as directed on the package of rice (typically, 40 minutes).

5. About 10-15 minutes before rice is done, stir in the green peas. Cover pot again and let finish cooking.

6. Let rice stand for 5 minutes with the cover on; then stir with a fork to fluff, adding cashews if you wish. Serves 12.

Farmers' Market Quinoa

2007-01-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

Below is a recipe from my new favorite website, Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. These recipies are especially fabulous if you're usually a meat or dairy eater, but aren't familiar with vegan cooking, and happen to live somewhere that kosher dairy and meat are scarce. I often find that for potlucks I want to keep things simple, and cooking vegan is often cheaper than cooking with dairy and eggs. Additionally, for potlucks, vegan dishes often taste better cold and can be left out for many hours without spoiling. Personally, I keep items like canned tomatoes, dried chickpeas, and frozen spinach in the house at all times (in addition to quinoa and pasta), so that I can always whip up a quick main dish for a potluck without having to go to the store.

Enjoy this one and the others on the site! There are always new ones being posted. (and if you're eating at table 1 at Kol Zimrah this Friday, you can taste it yourself!)

********************
I love this recipe because it's full of vegetables. It started life as a pasta recipe in Robin Robertson's book 366 Simply Delicious Dairy-Free Recipes. I've kept her technique of adding soy milk to the sauce, but in addition to substituting the very healthy quinoa for pasta, I've increased the amount of eggplant and herbs used and added some chickpeas. It's still a very mild-tasting dish, but that's perfect for letting the flavors of the veggies shine.

The directions below are for cooking the quinoa in a pressure cooker, but if you don't have one, you can use a stove-top method. Just use 3 cups of water to cook the quinoa in a covered saucepan for about 15 minutes, or until it's tender and shows little white "tails."

Farmers' Market Quinoa

For the quinoa:

1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 1/4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt (omit for low-sodium)
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium yellow squash or zucchini -- cut into 1/4-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic -- minced
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen fire-roasted)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup minced fresh basil -- or 2 tablespoons dried basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
soy parmesan (optional)

Rinse the quinoa well by placing it in a fine-mesh strainer and stirring it under running water for at least 2 minutes. This removes the coating of saponin (a natural insecticide) that can give quinoa a bitter taste.

Bring the water to boil in the pressure cooker and then add the quinoa and seasonings. Lock the lid in place, and bring to high pressure. Cook for one minute at high pressure; then remove from the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally while you prepare the vegetables.

Spray or wipe a large, covered Dutch oven or wok with a tiny bit of olive oil; heat it over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add the eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently but keeping it covered between stirrings. Add the tomatoes to the pan with their liquid, along with the chickpeas.

Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook 5 more minutes. Slowly stir in the soy milk. Blend well and season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cooked quinoa to the vegetables and mix together thoroughly. Sprinkle with the soy parmesan, if desired. Serve immediately.

The bag, the block, and the can, a.k.a. vegan chocolate pudding

2006-12-25T13:59:00.000-05:00

Submitted by reader Alix Davidson:

*********

Ingredients:
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 block (1lb) of extra firm tofu, washed and drained
1 can of coconut milk, works fine with the low fat
kind

optional extras: cinnamon, pinch of cayenne, fruit
chopped small, nuts, chocolate or coconut shavings,
pureed berries

Melt the chocolate chips in the coconut milk, on the
lowest setting your burner will go- let it take 5-10
minutes since burning the chocolate means you'll have
to start over and the melting chocolate creates a nice
smell.

When the chocolate- coconut mixture has cooled a bit,
crumble the tofu into a food processor and pour the
melted mixture over it and pulse until it's creamy.
It will stay a little grainy.

Pour into a pie plate with or without a crust,
individual glasses, over berries in a casserole
dish.... whatever you do, either refrigerate for 3+
hours or freeze for at least an hour to firm. If
frozen, prepare to battle it a bit when serving, but
it's oddly fancy when poured into a prebaked pie crust
and refrigerated.

lentil-bulgur salad

2006-12-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first post, it's kind of fitting that this is my default potluck recipe - I probably bring this to half the potlucks I attend. Reasons: it's delicious, meant to be served cold, and a good source of protein among all the salad and pasta that inevitably turns up. It's also easily doubled - or tripled - for a crowd, and it actually improves with age, so go ahead and make it the night before. I just discovered french lentils, which are a slightly more three-dimensional version of your run-of-the-mill greens and browns, and which hold their shape better after cooking - I've never tried them in this recipe, but I think they'd be a good substition. All credit for this recipe goes to Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook, my first and best source for all things delicious.

Ingredients:
(A note about these ingredients: in all of the many times I've made this recipe, I have *never* included everything. I always leave out the onion - I don't like raw onion - and at any given time, I'm missing mint, or tomatoes, or celery, or walnuts... This is okay. As long as you've got lentils, bulgur, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and some combination of other stuff, you're good to go.)

1 cup of dry brown lentils, rinsed and sorted.
1 cup of raw bulgur wheat.
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 stalk of celery, minced
1 small red onion, minced
2 tbs fresh dill, chopped (or 2 tsp dry dill)
2 tbs fresh mint, chopped (or 2 tsp dry mint)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:
Cover dry lentils with water in a small pot and bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer until tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes (slightly longer for French lentils). Drain.
Place bulgur in a bowl and pour in 1 cup boiling water. Cover tightly and allow to sit for 15 minutes, until water is absorbed and bulgur is soft.
Mix all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add cooked bulgur and lentils. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate. Serve either cold or at room temperature.

Home-made Hummus

2006-12-18T14:31:00.000-05:00

I acquired this recipe from a friend I met recently at Kavod House. To our surprise, it turns out that we went to the same high school (she's two years older than I am). We were even in concert band together for a year. It's a small small world.

3 cups garbanzo beans/chickpeas
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Water (to consistency)
3 Garlic Cloves (use less if tahini has garlic)
1/2 cup tahini
4-5 Tbsp. lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
Cumin
1/4 Parsley (optional)
Tobasco or any other hot sauce (optional)

Drain and rinse beans.
Put chickpeas, tahini and garlic gloves in food processor. Pulse until coarse and scrape down sides.
Slowly add olive oil/water until light and fluffy.
Season with black papper, cumin, lemon juice, and tobasco.
Add handful of parsley and pulse until blended.
Serve with some paprika, za'atar (hyssop), and pita or carrots.

Eco-Kashrut in Newsweek

2006-12-14T17:38:00.000-05:00

I'm sure some of you have seen this already, but for those that didn't get a chance to read it, check it out:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15674991/site/newsweek/

Fresh Spinach-Artichoke Baked Dip

2006-12-08T13:49:00.000-05:00

In one word: Yum! This recipe also comes from Delicious Living (Nov. 06). Anyone see a pattern to my posts? I promise my next recipe will not be from the same source. In any case, my girlfriend made this a few weeks ago and it was absolutely decilious. It's packed with flavor (garlic cloves are nature's flavor crystals after all), quite easy to make, has plenty of protein, and unlike many spinach-artichoke dips, it doesn't have heavy cream or lots of mayo. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
9 oz baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp canola mayo (substituting normal light mayo works well too)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (regular salt will do just fine)
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
1 14-oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Makes about 3 cups. Serve with whole wheat crackers or pita.

Instructions:

Place yogurt in a fine sieve over a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Let drain for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Fit a steamer basket in a large pot with 1-2 inches water and add spinach. Bring to a boil and steam spinach until lightly wilted. Transfer to a colander and let cool. Wring out excess water.
Place spinach in a food processor. Add drained yogurt, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, mayo, garlic, pepper, salt, and hot sauce. Process until coarsely blended. Add artichoke hearts and pulse until a chunky mixture forms.
Place mixture in a 1-quart baking dish and sprinkle with 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

Viewer mail, viewer mail, party time, excellent

2006-12-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

Two Heads of Lettuce has received these submissions from our readers!

The Last Trumpet writes:

Holy friends -
I have a great resource for vegan (pareve) dishes for pot-lucks.
The Post-Punk Kitchen is a treasure trove of tasty goodness.
I've made vegan cornbread, Tempeh chili con frijoles, and the Sweet & Spicy BBQ Tempeh with Peppers, all of which have been tremendous (and are perfectly sized for a pot-luck submission).
Check it out for yourself.

Betsy Teutsch writes:

Hello fellow Sustainable mayvens-
I attended the GreenFest in DC and one of the things I got a lead on was compostables, as opposed to disposables. In quantity, the price is not prohibitive. They have 3 advantages:
1) they are not made of petroleum, so no fossil fuels consumed in their direct creation (though of course in their manufacture and transit)
2) they are compostable, and don't add to the landfill
3) composting is easier than washing and obviously ethically superior to trashing.

http://www.biodegradablestore.com/pp/accessories/pp_portion_cups_C_S.html

the caveat of course is THAT SOMEONE HAS TO ACTUALLY COMPOST THEM.

Thanks! Keep the letters coming!

Gas-free Beans

2006-12-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

Before I dive into my inaugural post, I would like to thank the creators of this blog for a) creating this blog b) accepting my request to blog on this site (though they may come to regret it in the future).

Though I am not currently a vegetarian (I hope to be one someday), I frequent many a Shabbat vegetarian potluck around Beantown (no pun intended). The food is generally delicious and nourishing, but the barrage of legumes amounts to torture on my digestive system. I recently came across an article in Delicious Living November 2006 p.20 that just might help cure my ills and thought that it was worthy of sharing on this blog...

(N.B. I'm not that hip; I don't actually subscribe to this magazine. I think it belongs to one of my girlfriend's roommates.)

"...Venezuelan researchers report that the key to making gas-free beans is fermenting the beans before cooking them (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2006, vol. 86, no. 8). The secret lies in two strains of bacteria, Lacto bacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum. You can encourage these helpful bacteria to grow either by adding them to a batch of beans before cooking, or (as savvy cooks will tell you) by cooking beans in the juices from a previous batch. Bonus: Once these fermented beans are cooked, the amount of nutrients that can be digested and absorbed increases significantly."

I guess there's hope for those of us with legumaphobic digestive systems. On a related note, can someone please let me know which aisle in the grocery store generally stocks bacteria?

Tasty Protein

2006-11-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

One of my favourite ways to add protein to a vegetarian/vegan meal is by hiding it in the dessert.

I devised this recipe after being challenged last year to make a chocolate banana vegan mousse that was as tasty as the one at a local vegan restaurant. My recipe is vegan with the right margarine, otherwise it's vegetarian-friendly.

crust:
1.5 cups Graham Cracker crumbs (made by putting GC in a bag and *thwacking* it repeatedly)
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup margarine, melted

filling:
1 pack of silken tofu
2 ripe bananas
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract

Making your own crust is really simple. (Though, you could just buy one at the store.) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Filling: Put the tofu, bananas and vanilla in a blender. Blend. Put aside for a moment. On the stove, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If you don't have one, you can replicate it by bringing a small saucepan of water to a boil, then putting a metal bowl over the top of the pot and putting the chocolate in the bowl. (Make sure the boiling water doesn't come in contact with the metal bowl.) Stir the chocolate to help it melt... Once it's melted, add to the blender contents, and blend away. You'll probably need to use a spatula to scrape the chocolate from the sides. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Put it in the fridge to cool. (The cooled chocolate will harden, holding the pie filling together.)

ta da!

This recipe is also really good with berries mixed in with bananas (mix in by hand after all the blendering is done). Also, I've tried it with a bit of liqueur (I've tried cointreau and Bailey's) and both are super tasty in the mousse, just don't add to much or the filling won't harden.

Enjoy!

Red Lentil Soup

2006-11-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

The shabbat-after-next we will read the torah portion Toledot. It has many well-known stories including, perhaps the best known food related story in torah: the perhaps unequal exchange of Esau's birthright for Jacob's red lentil soup. My mother suggests that this may be the only time that a man is described cooking in the bible.
You can read the story in context here, but i've included the most relevant line (apologies for the bad hebrew formating):

30 And Esau said to Jacob: 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, some of this red, red pottage; for I am faint.' Therefore was his name called Edom.

וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא מִן-הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה--כִּי עָיֵף,
ָנֹכִי; עַל-כֵּן קָרָא-שְׁמוֹ, אֱדוֹם

With this story as an inspiration i am including my favorite red lentil soup recipe. It made a prominent appearance at least once at JITW and dozens of other places. You can vary the water level to switch from soup-->stew-->sauce.

Red Lentil Stew

Onion
Olive Oil
6 cup Veggie Broth
2 cups Red Lentils
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 16oz can Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tofu hot-dogs finely sliced
salt, pepper, seasonings to taste

In a large pot, heat oil and sauté the garlic and onions. Add broth, lentils, tomatoes, spices, and lemon juice. Bring to boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Simmer for roughly 40 minutes. Add tofu hot-dogs, brown sugar, and seasonings; cook a few more minutes. Add water if it is thicker than desired.

As usual, i recommend grinding your own cumin and coriander. This can be done easily with a spice grinder (think pepper canister) or an electric coffee bean grinder.

This soup freezes and reheats particularly well.

The recipe appears in the Five Books of Miriam (by Dr. Ellen Frankel) and was adapted by my ima from Gloria Greene's Jewish Holiday Cookbook.

For those interested in authentic biblical cooking all ingredients would have been in use in the ancient near east, except tomatoes which are a new world food and didn't make it to Eurasia until the 17th century. Tofu's history is unclear so i am not sure whether it is contemporaneous with the story.

Roasted Vegetables

2006-11-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

An easy, hearty and yummy recipe for potlucks is Roasted Vegetables.
My favorite vegetables to roast are brussel sprouts and beets, but you can also use zucchini, squash, eggplant, asparagus and others.

Ingredients:
Your chosen vegetables
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
Set your oven to 400 degrees and pre-heat for 10 minutes
Wash, cut and peel your veggies.
Place them in a covered dish, or in a makeshift tin foil dish in the oven
Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour
Check on them at the halfway point, to stir and season.

That's it!

Zucchini Pie

2006-10-26T19:56:00.000-04:00

Sounds healthy, no?
Well, it's not. But it tastes amazing and is fun and easy to make.
This is adapted from my beloved college choir director, David Connell (but it's definitely adapted, so if you don't like it, don't blame him).

4 cups zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
8 oz. grated mozzarella or muenster cheese
1 premade pie crust (plain pastry to be conventional, graham cracker to be adventurous)
mustard (spicy if you like that kind of thing; I recommend Guilden's spicy)
parsley
fresh garlic
basil
oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread the mustard in a thin layer over the pie crust.
Saute the onions and zucchini in a large pan over medium heat until they are mostly done.
Combine the herbs and spices, then stir them into the vegetables.
Combine the eggs and cheese in a separate bowl first and then stir them slowly into the vegetables.
If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, pour off some of the liquid so it's not too watery.
Pour the vegetable/cheese/egg mixture into the crust.
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes (until it gets a nice golden crust on top).

Yum!!

Vegetarian Chili that Rocks

2006-10-19T18:56:00.000-04:00

Everyone has their version of veggie chili that they like; this is mine. Road-tested and approved by my good friends over at the Pizza Place.

1 medium onion, medium or small dice
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (whatever amount you like)
1 pkg. YVES brand soy ground round (brand makes a difference, I think. I don't care for Morningstar)
1 can kidney beans
1 can navy beans
1 can black beans
1 bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 box POMI chopped tomatoes (or 1 28 oz. can plain, chopped tomatoes) DO NOT DRAIN
1-2 tbsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder, or to taste.

Saute onions and garlic until soft, but not brown. Add soy ground round, season with salt & pepper, and saute a few more minutes. Add beans, chili sauce, tomatoes w/all their juices and spices. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Done!

This is one of those dishes that is best made a day or two in advance - it just tastes better the next day, but feel free to serve it right away. Also good wrapped in a whole grain tortilla or in a taco shell with cheese and other acoutrements. Works perfectly in a crock pot (for 6 qt. crock pots, double the recipe) & great for vegans or vegetarians on Shabbes. Enjoy!

butternut squash soup

2006-10-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

Soups aren't always the best to bring to potlucks, but should you find yourself wanting to make one, this is scrumptious and easy (~ an hour for prep/cooking time).

1 onion
2 tbsp butter
1 butternut squash
4ish cups of vegetable broth
nutmeg, salt, and pepper

Melt butter and saute onions until translucent.
Meanwhile, peel squash and cut into chunks.
Add broth and squash to onions. Bring to a boil, then simmer until chunks are tender (easily pierced w/ a fork). Puree squash, and add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Voila! An excellent addition to a fall potluck.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

2006-10-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

This is a great no-bake recipe; the catch is that you have to make it the night before or the morning of your dinner. I made it at 7:30am on a Friday morning and it wasn't quite frozen in time for dinner, but it was perfect for lunch the next day. That being said, my freezer isn't great, so that could have been the problem.

The best part about this cake is that it lasts for WEEKS.

Ingredients:
8 oz vegan chocolate chocolate chip cookies (grahm crackers are fine too, but aren't always vegan)
1 stick of earth balance margarine
1 lb chocolate chips
1 half gallon of chocolate soy delicious (or other frozen chocolate dessert)
1 jar peanut butter
4 cups chocolate soy milk

How to prepare:
Grind down the chocolate cookies with a food processor (or by smashing). Melt margarine and mix with grinded cookies. Spread on the bottom of on large casserole dish or two pie plates.
Melt half of the chocolate chips and spread on top of cookie crumbs.
In a new bowl, stir together soy delicious, peanut butter and soy milk until smooth. Pour into dish with cookie mixture. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
Freeze.
Serve immediately. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).

Traditional Yom Kippur Stew

2006-10-01T16:45:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, enjoy!

stores and travels well

From Latkes to Lattes

2006-09-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

Twoheadsoflettuce is very excited about this conference on Jews and food, and we encourage you to check it out! If you wind up attending, please drop us a line (or a recipe) about it and maybe we'll post it here.

From Latkes to Lattes: Hazon’s Conference on Jews, Food, and Contemporary Life

December 14-17, 2006 at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center (Falls Village, CT)

Jewish food traditions are rich and ancient. And today, growing numbers of people are also beginning to think about contemporary food issues. Hazon is at the forefront of the emerging movement at the intersection of Jewish life and contemporary food issues. Our conference will examine questions such as:

· How do we add a distinctly Jewish flavor to today’s healthier food?

· How do we eat sustainably while maintaining Jewish food traditions?

· What would it take to bring shleimut (wholeness) into eating, both at home and at Jewish institutions?

· How can we gain a more direct connection to where our food comes from?

Please join us for a rich and varied program with family-friendly activities, a diverse and inclusive Shabbat and Chanukah celebration and wonderful food. For more info, a list of confirmed presenters, or to REGISTER, go to www.hazon.org/foodconference and contact leah@hazon.org with questions.

Polenta Casserole

2006-09-26T19:25:00.000-04:00

This is a delicious and super speedy recipe. I use premade, hechshered polenta to cut down on time, and it tastes great! The recipe feeds a ton of people and it's
relatively inexpensive.

2 TB olive oil
2 16-oz. rolls of polenta, sliced ¼" thick
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 jars pasta sauce (better with veggies)
½ lb. shredded mozzarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 450*
2. Oil casserole
3. Line pan with ½ of the polenta slices; ok to overlap
4. Stir basil into pasta sauce; reserve some sauce to heat and serve on the side; pour half the remaining sauce over the polenta
5. Sprinkle with ½ the mozzarella
6. Make another layer of polenta slices; cover with remaining reserved sauce
7. Sprinkle with parmesan and then remaining mozzarella.
8. Bake until hot and bubbly
9. Heat remaining sauce and serve on the side.

Two Heads of Apikorsus

2006-09-17T21:49:00.000-04:00

Elf from Apikorsus Online has sent us a number of links to potluck-friendly recipes:

Thanks!

Sukkot Potatoes!

2006-09-15T00:46:00.000-04:00

This recipe was known in a former incarnation in the New York Times as "Autumn Mashed Potatoes." Nine years ago I decided that they would be the perfect thing to bring to a Sukkot potluck, and voila-- Sukkot Potatoes were born. Sukkot Potatoes have since obtained near-legendary status in many households across the East Coast (thanks to the recipe, not to anything I did) and there are a number of people who would never think of hosting a Sukkot yom tov meal without them (unless they're carnivores). They are unbelievably good, and definitely a once-a-year kind of thing from a nutritional perspective...

Double the recipe for a large meal because this only (only?!) makes eight large servings (though you don't have to completely double the butter).

2 pounds small red potatoes, skins on, quartered
1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut
into small cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream (though milk or half milk and half cream works just as well)
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened a little
2+ teaspoons kosher salt, to taste

1. Place the potatoes in a pot with water to cover by at least one inch and turn heat to high. Five minutes after beginning to heat the potatoes, add the squash. Bring both to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft (about 15 minutes for the potatoes and 10 minutes for the squash).

2. Warm the heavy cream (or whatever you're substituting) in a small saucepan. Drain the potatoes and squash and return them to their pot. Over very low heat, coarsely mash the vegetables (you can leave large chunks of potato if you want, or make them smoother), gradually adding the cream and the butter. Stir in the salt.

Yield: 8 large servings

Zucchini, Feta, and Tomato Couscous

2006-09-15T00:29:00.000-04:00

This recipe is my partial recreation of a dish I was served at a dinner party hosted by one of AE's friends in Toronto a number of years ago. It's way more delicious than its ho-hum ingredients might suggest, and it tastes great either hot or room temperature.

3 medium zucchinis, diced
1 box grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
2 large onions, diced
1 bunch scallions, white parts and small amount of the greens cut into rings
8 ounces (approximately, or one Israeli box) of feta, Bulgarian, or other salty/tangy hard-ish cheese, crumbled or diced
1 cup couscous
oregano, salt, and pepper
olive oil for sauteeing

Cook couscous according to package directions. The recipe probably works best if you can time it so the couscous is still warm when you combine it with the other ingredients, but it's not a big deal if you can't.

In a large skillet, saute the onions in olive oil until soft. Add the zucchini and cook until tender but still firm. Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to soften and wilt. Add the scallions and cook until they soften a little.

Season the vegetable mixture with salt, pepper, and lots of oregano.

Combine the vegetables and the couscous over low heat and add the cheese. Stir gently and cook for another minute or two until the cheese softens/melts just a little.

The recipe can easily be doubled, but just make sure to use a very big pan.

Easiest, Yummiest, Quickest (and Most Homemade) Brownies in the Universe

2006-09-15T00:16:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of Mark Bitman, these brownies take about 7 minutes to assemble and 20 minutes to bake (i.e., they're just as fast and easy to make as brownies from a box, but they don't have any hydrogenated oils or other nasty things in them). And people swoon over them.

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter (plus more for greasing the pan)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional, and I usually leave it out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and 8-inch square pan.

Heat butter and chocolate together in the microwave until almost completely melted. Stir to blend them together completely. (Remember to cover your bowl so the contents don't splatter your microwave! You can, of course, also do this on the stove, but it gets another pot dirty.)

Stir in the sugar.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add flour, salt, and vanilla (if using). Stir until there's no trace left of the flour.

Bake 20-30 minutes or until the brownies are set and barely firm in the middle.

One recipe makes about 12-ish medium brownies, or more smaller ones. The recipe can easily be doubled.

Great Dressing - NO MAYO!

2006-09-06T22:42:00.000-04:00

This is seriously the best dressing EVER. Really. And picnic and potluck friendly, as it has no mayo. It is my SIL's mother's friend's recipe. Dor l'dor :-)

SILMF's Dressing:

4 cloves garlic
2 tsp pepper
4 tsp ground mustard
4 tsp salt
4 tsp honey
½ cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or less, depending on your taste)

Crush the garlic with a knife or use a garlic press, and put in a bowl. Add the pepper, mustard, salt, honey, and vinegar. Whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the EVOO, whisking as you go to emulsify the dressing. You can also do this in a food processor for a more mayonaise like consistancy. Whisking in the bowl gives the dressing a more vinegrette like consistancy.

Use with basically everything, but here is a corn salad that I make to take to Shabbat potlucks, as it tastes BETTER if you make it Friday morning and let it sit in the fridge until the evening or the next day (it is also parve and friendly to other more complicated main dishes):

EK's Corn Salad:

1 bag of frozen corn, defrosted (10-16 oz depending on how many you want to serve)
1 can of sliced black olives
1 quart container of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 scallion, chopped on the bias (makes it prettier :-))
salt and pepper to taste
SILMF's Dressing to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Pour about 1/8 of a cup of dressing over the salad to start with. Taste, and adjust seasoning and dressing to your liking. Let sit for a couple of hours in the fridge before serving to let everything blend.

Enjoy!

challah and wine

2006-09-06T16:23:00.000-04:00

I had another question about the two table system. What do people do with challah and wine? At first we thought it would be nice to put bottles of wine on each table along with two covered unwrapped challahs. But that puts people who don't want to use unhechshered wine for kiddush or unhechshered challah for hamotzie in an uncomfortable situation of having to go to another table for these preliminary rituals-- or worse it steers people towards sitting at a table with the wine/challah of their preference, such that people who prefer hechshers will cluster together, and people who prefer not hechshers will cluster together. Then we thought that we would put each wine bottle on the proper table and ask everyone to fill their cup (at whatever table they prefer) before we start. With challah we thought that we would leave the wrappers under each challah-- so that they will be identifiable-- and make sure to have two hechshered whole bread things (which can include pita or whatever) at each table. This solution has so far been workable but clunky. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

The Onion on potlucks

2006-09-05T07:18:00.000-04:00

Grapes 'Big Hit' At Area Picnic

Said Polonski: "If people hadn’t started cutting back as the party wound down, we certainly would have run out. It just goes to show you that people generally gravitate towards simple, good-tasting food."

Tahini Sauce

2006-09-03T16:36:00.001-04:00

to accompany bgp's mujadera.

1/2 cup yoghurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste

just mix it all together. If you want to give it a bite you can add raw garlic or even a little cayenne. To make it pretty and green add some chopped flatleaf parsley.
This recipe easily multiplies and if you dont want to make a big lentil rice thing goes very well with this rice salad:

3 cups brown rice
2 tomatoes
2 carrots
2 sticks celery
1 can chick peas

Put the rice in a pot with 5-6 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn the burner to low. Cook until the rice has absorbed the water.
Meanwhile chop up the vegetables.

It's meant to be eaten by putting the vegtables and chick peas over the rice and topping it with the tahini sauce.
If you have a wealth of containers you can bring the vegetables in all separately so people can pick and choose, If not just mix it all together and people will still be happy. Keep the tahini sauce on the side so people can add their own.

Beans and Rice

2006-09-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

1 onion
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of black beans
2 cups of brown rice

Chop up the onion. Heat oil in a pan and when it's hot add the onion. Open the tomatoes and the beans, drain the beans. When the onion is soft add them both with the rice and add water to cover the rice (2 or 3 cups). Cover the pan and cook until the rice is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cumin is also very good.

Four table system!?

2006-08-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

Dear two heads readers,
A friend of mine and I have started running nondenominational community potlucks in Philadelphia. We started in June and they have been growing very large (>100 ppl.). Of course, it was a no-brainer to use the two table system. But soon, Shabbat will be starting earlier, and for logistical reasons our potlucks will have to start after Shabbat starts. Philadelphia doesn't have an eruv. So, we're concerned about what to do with food that has been carried to the potluck after Shabbat has started. We'd like to make it so that people who feel that it's unhalachik to eat Shabbat carried food know what food they can eat. Dividing the food into four tables (carried veg, carried hechshered, un-carried veg, un-carried hechshered) seems overly complex. We were originally considering lumping hechshered with un-carried, but feel that this unnecessarily limits two of the four categories. We've recently started considering post-it noting everything that arrives before Shabbat. Do you think this is a good solution? Do you think there is another better solution?
Thank you for your help.
Sarah Chaya

Chili Burgers

2006-08-31T08:53:00.000-04:00

Thanks to BZ for including me in this fun blog! Here is a fabulous recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook, and it is easy to take to picnics or potlucks (you can also make it into a 'meatloaf' by baking it in a pan):

Chili Burgers:

1 cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup peeled and grated carrots
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans (2 15-oz cans, drained)
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. ketchup or 1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften.
Add carrots, chili powder and cumin and gook on low heat for 5 min. Set aside.
Mash the beans in a large bowl.
Add mustard, soy sauce, ketchup or tomato paste, and the sauteed vegetables.
Mix in the oats. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Form the burger mixture into 6 3-4 inch patties.
Lightly spray or oil a pan (we use cast-iron) and cook the burgers on medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes on each side.

I like whole wheat buns and fresh corn on the cob in the summer, and butternut squash risotto in the winter. These are easy to re-heat at a pot-luck! Enjoy, and thanks again for the opportunity to post!

Mujadera, anyone?

2006-08-30T13:24:00.000-04:00

Mujadera (also just jadra) is a rice and lentils dish popular throughout the Middle East. I never make it the same way twice, so here's how I did it for last week's Kol Zimrah and Tikkun Leil Shabbat minyan exchange in NYC with notes about good places to make changes. I like mine with about equal lentils and rice, but many people prefer to have a lot more of one or the other. Experiment!

Use a LARGE pot.

Saute over medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil:
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large onions, diced
2 red peppers, cut into 1 cm squares (This is for color and variety; you can substitute almost anything here)

Add some spices (I admit that I'm an under-spicer, and I'm working on it. In keeping with our potluck guide, I recommend using many more spices. I'll update this entry after I make this recipe again):
3 tsp salt
4 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 bay leaves

(For sweeter mujadera, use these spices instead, and don't use tumeric below:
2 tsp salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves

EXPERIMENT!)

Rinse 1 package (~2.5 cups) green or brown lentils, and remove any stones that snuck their way in. When the onions are soft (takes about 10 min), add the lentils and enough water to just barely cover them. With savory mujadera, I add 2 tsp tumeric which doesn't change the taste but turns it yellow, which is pretty.

Bring the pot to a boil, then leave it uncovered at a low boil for about 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Fill your empty lentil container with long-grain white rice as a measure, then add the rice to the pot. There should be enough water left that it still just covers all the ingredients -- if not, add some.

Continue cooking the mujadera, stirring regularly, for another 20-30 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone and the lentils are fully cooked. If necessarily, add a little more water to finish them off.

Adjust your spicing to taste, and then pack into into a rubbermaid and grab a serving spoon to bring along.

ps. Mujadera is especially good with yoghurt sauces on top. If you have a favorite, leave it in a comment!

No Fail Oil Piecrust (Sherry Israel)

2006-08-29T17:40:00.000-04:00

Sent with love to be prepared with love:

Place directly into 9” pie pan and mix together:
1 ½ cups flour*
½ tsp salt

Pour together in measuring cup:
½ cup oil
2 Tbsp liquid (milk, water, juice, soymilk)

Pour liquids into center of flour mixture; stir with fork until very well blended.

With fingers, spread evenly in pan and up sides.

- For one crust pie, flute top edges. Put in filling. Bake at temperature/time recommended for filling.

-For prebaked crust, into which fillings are poured, prick thoroughly with fork, bake at 375degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

-For two crust pie, double measurements. Mix in pan. Remove a bit less than half for top crust. On plastic wrap, press with fingers into a circle.

*Use white flour for dessert pie (I prefer unbleached). For quiche crust, substitute whole wheat for ½ cup of the white flour.

At Last: The twoheadsoflettuce Guide to Delicious, Sustainable, Efficient, and Pluralistic Potlucks

2006-08-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

An Introduction:

I love potlucks.

In potlucks, I see the potential expression of all sorts of Jewish and progressive values, including those of living in community, hachnasat orechim (hospitality), and—done thoughtfully—bal tashchit (preventing waste). Potlucks can enable a widely diverse group of people to eat and celebrate together, and in the process to build strong communal and personal ties. Potlucks also allow those of us with busy lives to celebrate Shabbat, holidays, and lifecycle events in community without having to cook and host full meals all by ourselves. In addition, potlucks keep Jewish life affordable. Rather than paying $25 a person for a bad catered meal, as so many organizations and synagogues request of us, we can provide our own delicious and healthy food for a fraction of the price.

Over the last ten years, I’ve organized potlucks for four people and potlucks for 100. I’ve organized potlucks to celebrate Shabbat, New Years, Passover, my birthday, my friends’ birthdays, and nothing in particular. I’ve also attended just about every kind of potluck imaginable. I’ve experienced spectacular potlucks overflowing with abundant, healthy, and, most importantly, delectable food. But I’ve also experienced disastrous potlucks: those without enough food, those that turned into all-bean dinners, and those where some contributors were shamed or embarrassed because their contributions did not meet the organizers’ standards of kashrut and where others could not eat because their personal standards of kashrut differed from those of the organizers. I’ve also just eaten a lot of bad potluck food.

The following is a distilled version of everything I’ve learned from my experiences, my friends, and my colleagues. The end result is ten tips for making your potluck meals delicious, ample, diverse, environmentally sustainable, efficient, and inclusive of a wide range of Jewish practices. This guide assumes that potlucks will be vegetarian and is geared toward potlucks held in a Jewish setting, but is applicable to virtually any context. (FYI, the term hechshered means that a product is marked with a recognized kosher symbol and not just the letter “K”. Kashrut is the Hebrew word for kosher-ness.).

Without further ado:

1) Season, season, season! And season again: The vast majority of potluck food is under-salted and under-spiced. Be generous with your seasonings! There's nothing worse than a potluck full of straight-out-of-the-refrigerator, cold, starchy, bland dishes (which, unfortunately, describes many of the potlucks I attend). Dressings and seasonings that taste strong on their own get diluted when mixed with a large amount of pasta or salad. When in doubt, add more salt, pepper, spices, and vinegar than you think you need. Also, make sure to take your food out of the fridge in enough time for it to warm up to room temperature before it’s eaten. Cold masks the flavor and aroma of food.

2) Think broadly: Potluck dishes don't have to consist of couscous or pasta. Think beautiful salads with dark leafy greens, colorful veggies, cheese, nuts, olives, and/or fruit. (And for the love of all things good and holy, please chop your salad veggies—and your ingredients for other dishes-- into small pieces. Those little plastic potluck knives can’t cut a stick of butter, much less a big ring of red pepper or an enormous spear of broccoli. Veggies also taste better when they’re cut smaller.) Think tofu: sauteed, baked, stir fried, grilled, with veggies, with peanut sauce, with barbeque sauce, with bottled Asian-type sauces. (Soy Vay and Iron Chef brand sauces are recommended as both certified kosher and containing all good ingredients and no nasty additives or chemicals). Think yummy vegetable or cheese frittatas (large puffy omelets that are finished in the oven). Think worldly: Indian curries, Thai stir fries, Middle Eastern salads, and African stews and soups. Use smaller amounts of flavorful, high-quality ingredients (like fresh vegetables and first cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil) rather than larger amounts of lower-quality ingredients (anything packaged with MSG, lots of additives, or partially-hydrogenated oils).

Keep checking twoheadsoflettuce for new and updated recipes. Consider buying a cookbook or two. Our favorite cookbook, hands down, is Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison. The Moosewood cookbooks also have lots of interesting recipes, although they’re sometimes on the bland side and need further spicing (are you sensing a trend?)

3) Consider making a main dish: Have you ever been to a potluck where there's not quite enough food? Or where dinner consists mainly of pita and hummus and dessert? Not such a fabulous gastronomical experience, right? Potlucks operate on the philosophy that each person attending feels a sense of responsibility to the group and contributes according to that sense of responsibility. If you want the group to eat well and for the potluck to be a success, please consider contributing a main dish rather than a side dish. In most cases, the time, effort, and money spent on cooking a main dish is only marginally greater than making a side dish.

4) Bring an appropriate amount of food: You are not allowed to RSVP to the potluck organizer(s) and say "I'm coming with three friends and we're bringing a bottle of grape juice." (True story.) As a general rule, your potluck contribution should be enough to feed at least 8-10 people.

Of course, everyone has last-minute guests, kitchen emergencies, and stressful lives. If you're not going to be able to cook for a potluck, go out and buy some real food, not another box of Entenmann's cookies or a bottle of wine. If the rules of the potluck allow vegetarian food that isn't necessarily hechshered, stop by your favorite Indian or Asian restaurant and buy a takeout dish or two. (If you live on Manhattan's Upper West Side, you can get certified kosher dairy takeout from Café Viva, Café Roma, Bagel Basket, Bagels & Co., and Pizza Cave. A big pizza, cut up into little squares, is a fun potluck contribution.)

5) RSVP in a timely manner: If the organizer asks you to RSVP in advance with your contribution, just do it. Knowing in advance what people are bringing allows the organizer to make, buy, or assign others to bring essential dishes that aren't yet covered (salads, wine for kiddush, challah, enough main dishes, etc.). The courtesy of a prompt reply to the organizer makes everyone's life easier-- and more delicious.

6) Bring a serving utensil: Although some potluck groups have their own serving pieces, many do not. And many hosts don't own enough serving utensils to go around. Bringing a serving utensil for your dish helps cut down on the number of disposable plastic forks and spoons that are wasted at a potluck. It's also strongly in your interest. The lines for food increase in proportion to how many of those tiny, breakage-prone, disposable plastic spoons and forks are used to dish out the food. You'll eat much sooner if you bring normal-sized utensils for serving your food. You can also encourage the potluck organizers to buy a set of serving pieces that are reserved solely for use at your potlucks. (When kashrut is a concern, see tip #10 about the two table system.)

7) Label your serving dishes and utensils with your name: It's a rare potluck where there isn't at least one piece of Tupperware or a serving spoon left behind, never to be identified. It's annoying for the organizer who has to cart the dishes home and track down the owners, and wasteful if the organizer winds up throwing out the mystery dishes. (Remember that some organizers may not be able to keep wayward dishes in their kitchens if they don't know whether they came from a household that uses all-hechshered products).

8) Think sustainably: If the rules of your potluck allow it, strongly consider bringing your own plate, cup, and/or fork to avoid needlessly wasting disposable paper and plastic. If your potluck does use disposables, encourage the community to purchase biodegradable disposables made out of sugarcane, corn, and other interesting materials. (In some cases, the biodegradable plates and utensils cost the same, or only a bit more, than regular good-quality disposables. For one example, see Treecycle). If your potluck meets in a building with storage space and a dishwasher and/or a large sink(s), you might also consider buying real dishes and silverware for the whole group and then washing them after the potluck. (If you're interested in learning more about how to make this kind of arrangement work, you can email Tikkun Leil Shabbat, a DC group, at tikkunleilshabbat@yahoo.com).

9) Tell the world what you made: Some potluck superstars have taken to listing the ingredients in their dish on a post-it or a piece of paper near their dish. This is tremendously appreciated by those with milk/wheat/nut/fish/other allergies and by folks looking to cut down on things like oil and sugar. Plus, it's just cool to have the recipe in front of you for dishes you like. If your recipe is a success, email it to us and we'll post it here on twoheadsoflettuce!

10) Finally (for Jewish potlucks), strongly consider using a two table system*: Potlucks can be a relaxed opportunity for people with a wide variety of opinions and Jewish practices to hang out and get to know one another. A two table system is a simple way to enable this to happen. In order to respect the variety of kashrut practices in your community and make sure that everyone can contribute and eat at your potluck, you can require that all food adhere to one of the following two standards:

1. Vegetarian, with only vegetarian ingredients. (You can decide whether fish with fins and scales is also permitted as long as it is labeled or self-evident.) OR

2. Still vegetarian (plus fish, as above), with all ingredients marked by a recognized kosher symbol (meaning more than just a "K") and cooked (if applicable) in a kosher kitchen that uses only hechshered products.

Then set up and label a separate buffet table for each category so that everyone is fully informed. And voila-- pluralism at its best.

* This description of the two table system is adapted, with permission, from Kol Zimrah. See also Mah Rabu.

Happy eating! (And remember your spices!)

Potluck Tips From the Washington Post

2006-07-26T23:49:00.000-04:00

This week's Washington Post features an article about how pervasive potlucks have become in (maintream adult) people's lives. I mostly disagree with the author's opinion that potlucks are all the rage not because people are interested in community building, but simply because they don't have time to cook full meals. Time is definitely a factor, but I also think that most of us who live the potluck life are committed to potlucks for a whole host of reasons that have to do with community.

That said, the Post also ran a good selection of potluck tips from DC-area chefs and catering professionals. They're not all practical (I challenge you to use an upside-down watermelon as a grilled-vegetable holder at your next potluck!), but some are great. Enjoy, and keep cooking!

Green Salad
Hardy greens -- such as romaine lettuce, radicchio, endive and frisee -- hold up well.
Instead of creamy dressings, use a vinaigrette -- it's safer for warm weather.
Place the dressing in the bottom of the bowl, place the greens on top, toss when you get to the party. (Thanks to Steve Dunn, Well Dunn Catering)
Pasta Salad
Make the salad vegetarian-friendly by adding garbanzo beans and French white beans.
For added flavor, toss in some sliced black olives, whole Spanish caper berries and lemon zest. (Anita Ellis, Avalon Caterers)
For the potluck meal-in-one: Use a sesame noodle salad as a base, add grilled shrimp or grilled boneless chicken breast (Editor's note: tofu, seitan, or chicken-flavored wheat gluten would make lovely kosher vegetarian substitutes) as well as shredded raw carrots and broccoli, julienne snow peas and blanched asparagus tips. (Deborah Allen, Federal City Caterers)
Potato Salad
For deep potato flavor, roast the spuds instead of boiling them and proceed with your regular recipe. Or, for a change, use sweet potatoes with diced yellow bell pepper, red onion and either cilantro or parsley. Mix with a simple peanut dressing made with peanut butter thinned with a little vegetable oil and vegetable broth. (O'Rourke)
Vegetable Casserole
Don't use canned soup; instead, bind ingredients together with cheese, eggs or a simple white sauce. (Maria O'Rourke, RSVP Catering)
Fruit Salad
Think round. Round shapes are more attractive and tend to hold up better. (Ellis)
If the fruit isn't perfectly ripe, toss the cut pieces in a little orange liqueur.
For a refreshing summer salad: Mix orange and grapefruit sections with chopped candied ginger. (Dunn)
Fruit kebabs eliminate the need for a fork and are a good way to control portion size. (Henry Dinardo, Catering by Windows)
Beverages
Frozen cubes of watermelon are just the thing for chilling lemonade, in the glass or in the punch bowl. (Susan Gage, Susan Gage Caterers)
For spritzers, freeze a cherry, grape, lemon or lime wedge in ice cubes. (Dinardo)
Presentation
Instead of Tupperware and aluminum pans, bring a gift in a gift. Colorful, inexpensive bowls and platters, for less than $12, are available at stores such as Ikea and Target. (Susan Lacz, Ridgewells)
For a disposable, natural container: Hollow out a sourdough boule and fill it with seasoned flatbread crisps, breadsticks and cheese straws. A giant papaya is a perfect container for salsa. Use a small watermelon half, rind up, as a holder for small skewers of grilled vegetables. (Bill Homan, Design Cuisine)
Present your Asian seafood or sesame noodle salad in disposable, clear plastic Chinese takeout boxes, available at many paper/party stores. Don't forget the chopsticks and fortune cookies. (Lauren Levine, Festive Foods Catering)
Using a mandoline, cut paper-thin slices of vegetables such as carrots and zucchini. Alternating colors, line the inside of a glass salad bowl with the slices. (Eric Michael, Occasions Caterers)
It's the perfect time of year for a quick and easy gazpacho. Serve it in clear votive-candle holders, available for about 25 cents each at Ikea. (Philippe Demol, 3Citron)

Versatile Moroccan Vinaigrette

2006-07-09T01:44:00.000-04:00

This is a yummy, savory, spice-ful vinaigrette to pour over any kind of grain or vegetable salad you can dream up. It's particularly good over sliced steamed or blanched carrots.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup olive oil
2+ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1.5 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 small clove garlic, minced (or a large roasted garlic clove)
generous pinch of cayenne
1/3 cup tightly packed parsley or cilantro, minced
1 tsp salt, or to taste
lots of freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. (Putting them in an old glass jar and shaking works well.) Pour over carrots, other vegetables, grains, or grain salads. Keeps in the refrigerator for two weeks. Refresh with additional fresh lemon juice and herbs if you use it more than a day or so after making it.

Patty's Apple Cake

2006-07-09T01:38:00.000-04:00

This is a crunchy, moist, sweet/tart cake, especially delicious for Sukkot or Rosh Hashanah meals.

Ingredients:
3 tart baking apples (I use Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and cut in chunks or 1/8th inch thick slices (should be about 3 cups)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9 inch pie pan.
Cream the butter and sugar (you can use your hands for this if you don't have a mixer), add the egg, and beat until light and fluffy.
Mix together the dry ingredients.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
Gently stir the apples into the batter. It will seem hard to do, given how stiff the batter is! Just make sure to coat all the apples with the batter.
Put batter in pan and smooth out the top.
Bake approximately one hour, or until done.

Deb's Quiche with EAR's adaptations

2006-07-09T01:18:00.000-04:00

This is an easy, particularly flavorful quiche. It's also easily adaptable-- you can substitute any kind of cheeses you like for the hard cheeses listed below, and other veggies for the spinach as long as you make sure you have enough. One caveat: I haven't made this in a while and can't remember if the recipe makes one or two quiches, though I think it's two. Pie crusts usually come packaged in twos or threes anyway, so if there's more filling than will fit in one crust, make another quiche and either save it for next time or be a potluck superstar by bringing two wherever you're going.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
a little olive oil or butter for sauteeing the onions
10 ounces (or whatever your standard package size is) chopped frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (or another cheese of your choice)*
1/2 cup parmesan (or another cheese of your choice)
4 eggs
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 tsp salt (use sparingly and to taste if you're using the feta, which is already salty)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/ tsp nutmeg
1-2 pie crusts (see introduction)**

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Saute the onions in olive oil or butter. When onions are soft and translucent, add the spinach and stir until the spinach is dry.
Sprinkle a mixture of both hard cheeses over the bottom of the crusts.
Top the cheese mixture with the spinach/onion mixture.
Beat together all remaining ingredients (eggs, cottage cheese, spices) and pour into the crusts.
Bake for 50 minutes or until filling is set.

* If you want to use hechshered feta but think the usual domestic kosher brands are from hell and the Israeli brands are too expensive, go for the Millers. I know it sounds crazy, since in general Millers' cheese tastes like plastic, but their feta is great. Rumor has it that they import it from abroad.)

** There are two things to be careful of with pie crusts, one kashrut-related and one health-related. 1) Pie crusts are often made with lard or animal fat. If kashrut or vegetarianism are important to you, you probably want to make sure you buy crusts with a hechsher. 2) Many pie crusts are also made with partially hydrogenated oils. Pie crusts without these oils can generally be found in health food stores.

Szechuan Cabbage Salad

2006-07-07T00:49:00.000-04:00

This is a fabulous salad recipe from my mom. (Hi, Mom!) It's always a big hit at parties and potlucks, and couldn't be easier to be prepare.

Salad:
1 head crinkly Chinese cabbage, sliced thin
1 head purple cabbage, sliced thin
2 cups bean sprouts (optional, and I usually leave them out)

Dressing:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste (plenty)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil (or mixture of sesame and other oil)
1 tablespoon hot sesame oil (optional)

Prepare veggies. Combine all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over veggies and mix very well. It's best to let this salad stand for a half hour or so before serving.

Sesame Noodles

2006-07-03T16:56:00.000-04:00

This is a recipe i tried out at a recent shabbat dinner at our house after adapting it from cooks.com. It was quite well received. I hope y'all have similar experiences.

Sauce ingredients:

8Tbsp Chunky Peanut Butter
4Tbsp Veggie broth (follow instructions for your veggie broth powder)
9Tbsp Soy Sauce
6Tbsp Sesame Oil
2Tbsp Cider Vinegar
3Tbsp Honey
3 cloves minced garlic
4Tbsp vegetable oil

Other Ingredients:

1 lb cooked cold spaghetti
3 Tbsp sesame seeds.
4-5 Scallions
1 cucumber (in strips)

Process:

Put the Peanut Butter, Veggie Broth, and Soy Sauce in covered bowl (leave some space for air to escape. Microwave for 30 second. Stir until the PB is no longer stuck together and the texture is consistent. You may need to put it in the microwave for another 20 seconds to get the texture consistent. this step take some elbow grease.
add all the sauce ingredients. stir well.
add the cold pasta. mix thoroughly. (I like to do it by hand. Make sure the bowl is large enough.)
dice the scallions and cut the cucumbers into strips.
add the scallions, cucumbers, and sesame seeds.
serve chilled if convenient.

A Quick and Easy Salad

2006-06-25T20:15:00.000-04:00

Mozzarella & Tomato Salad
(from Time To Cook: Great Meals in 10, 20 and 30 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 lb 5 oz tomatoes
10 1/2 oz mozzarella cheese
16 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Directions:
1) Cut the tomatoes into even slices about 1/4 inch thick. Drain the mozzarella cheese and discard the whey.
Slice the mozzarella cheese evenly.

2) Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella slices, overlapping slightly in concentric circles on a large plate

3) Sprinkle the basil over the salad and serve with the olive oil for drizzling.

If you want to spice it up a bit, use spiced olive oil, or drizzle some balsamic vinegar.
Bon appetit!

Beautiful Bean Salad

2006-06-19T19:50:00.000-04:00

1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can chickpeas
1 can corn
1 large purple onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper (or a yellow pepper if you like yellow better)
2 medium-sized tomatoes
fresh cilantro
olive oil
vinegar or lemon juice (whichever you like)
cumin
garlic powder or fresh garlic

Chop the veggies into bite-sized pieces. Combine all of the ingredients. Dress with chopped cilantro, olive oil, vinegar/ lemon juice, cumin, and garlic.

Beautiful, delicious, and filling. Obviously, you can vary any of these ingredients to your heart's content, but this is how MY bean salad rolls.

Tomato Kale Yumminess

2006-06-10T23:57:00.000-04:00

2 bunches of dinosaur kale
6 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 lb pasta or 4 cups quinoa
1 large jar tomato sauce or two large cans diced tomatoes
1 chili pepper, crushed or 1 tsp chili powder
olive oil to taste (optional)
chevre goat, feta or parmesean cheese (optional)

Clean the kale and chop into pieces small enough to bite. Steam with garlic (and 1 tsp olive oil, optional) until it cooks down. In other pot, make the pasta or quiona (according to the direcitons on their package). Add diced tomatoes or sauce to kale. Add chili pepper. Stir on a low heat. Add pasta or quinoa. Stir. This dish can be made 1 or 2 days in advance, be refrigerated, and served hot or cold. I put the cheese on the side a special optional add-in. It is a delicious healthy meal - and virtually fat-free without the olive oil or goat cheese. Also, all ingredients are easily available as organic. Enjoy!

Sustainable potlucks

2006-06-08T21:49:00.000-04:00

We got this email from a reader:

If you have suggestions for sustainable potlucks, put them up. The waste generated by so many disposables really bothers me. I'm sure the paper plates, plastic "silver"ware, and plastic cups I've used and tossed at potlucks over the years adds up to a shamefully large number.

I have been to some eco-potlucks where people bring their own reusable utensils, and just tote them home to wash. It's a great idea. It takes a lot of promoting and reminding for people to adopt this habit, but it's defnitely an eco-mitzvah.

Suggestions?

A Simple Chana Masala

2006-06-04T11:38:00.000-04:00

Americanized Chana Masala (Dairy)

I learned this recipe from my friend Rajiv Kumar when we were college housemates. It is quick to prepare, healthy, and highly scalable. I generally serve it with rice which can be revived by microwaving with water. Below are my spice choices but depending on tastes there is room for liberal adaptation. It is similar to traditional chana masala though this recipe is easier to prepare and perhaps slightly less authentic. You can double/triple/quadruple the recipe as you wish, just make sure you have enough room in your pots.

2 medium onions, cut into long slivers

oil for sauteing

1 30 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed

1 30 oz can diced tomatoes, or use fresh tomatoes

2 oz. heavy cream (if unavailable you can substitute unsweetened whipping cream)

pepper

1/2 t salt

1 t coriander

1/4 tumeric

1 t cumin

4 dashes dried chili pepper

1 t garam masala seasoning

Slice onions into long slivers. In large fry pan,
saute onions in oil.
Add 1 rinsed can of chick peas (30oz +/-) and 1 can of diced tomatoes (30oz +/-) or use fresh tomatoes.
Add roughly two oz of heavy cream.

Season with pepper, salt, corriander, tumeric, cumin, dried chili pepper and garam masala powder to taste.

Serve with rice.

Old Faithful

2006-05-28T17:31:00.000-04:00

This feeds many people and is extremely easy (but can be customized). I have brought this to several dozen potlucks over the course of the past few years. It's actually sort of embarrassing how easy this is, but like I said, it's yummy and it feeds a crowd.

Baked Ziti
1 bottle of pasta sauce
1 box of ziti
1 carton of ricotta cheese (the larger size)

Cook and drain the ziti. Put the ziti, the pasta sauce, and the cheese in a large pan and mix them well. Cook at 350 for about 30 minutes. Voila.

Possible modifications/additions:
parmesan (or other grated) cheese sprinkled on top
add veggies to the store-bought pasta sauce (mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, etc.)
make your own sauce with cans of crushed tomatoes and onions, garlic, and other veggies

Hello, world!

2006-05-28T10:44:00.000-04:00

When The Jewish Catalog was written in 1973, it was a revolutionary repository of do-it-yourself Judaism. Parts of it retain their utility to this day, while other parts are useful primarily as (often hilarious) historical records of the '70s. Updating the Jewish content is a project beyond the scope of this blog. This blog will focus on food.

On page 33, the Catalog says:

In the last few years it has become very important to some people to "retreat" every now and then for a Shabbat or a few days. Basically a retreat involves a small group of people who go away to the country (although sometimes they're held in the city at someone's house) to pray, eat, play, talk, and relax together. If planned in advance--and that means both program and food--it can be a wonderfully relaxing, learning, living kind of experience.

It then goes on to list simple food items, as well as sample menus, to feed large numbers of people without difficulty.

The following recipe deserves special mention, and has inspired the title of this blog:

SALAD (for 25 people)
2 heads lettuce
5 or 6 tomatoes
3 cucumbers
3 peppers

We, the spiritual and intellectual descendants of the Jewish Catalog authors, continue to convene large and laid-back Shabbat meals, whether formally (such as it is) through our independent minyanim or casually on the roof or in the park. We continue to make salad for 25 people. But we have changed in certain key ways. Just as we laugh and grimace when The Jewish Catalog (in some cases) unselfconsciously uses "he" as the default pronoun for teachers of Torah and "she" as the default pronoun in connection with domestic tasks, we laugh and grimace at the thought of salads with an iceberg lettuce base.

Therefore, we have created this blog, to post recipes and tips for today's vegetarian potluck meals. These recipes should be some or all of the following:

simple -- not requiring extensive preparation time or unusual cooking equipment
scalable -- possible to double the inputs and feed twice as many people
portable -- something that can be put in Tupperware and carried out to the park
durable -- something that can be prepared on Thursday night or Friday afternoon, placed in the fridge/freezer/oven/blech, and still good for Shabbat dinner or lunch

B'teiavon!