Holiday time at The Canadian Jewish News is quite hectic, but we’re never too busy to talk about menu planning and share recipes with each other. A number of staff have been generous enough to share some favourite recipes they’ve served to guests in their sukkah.
Lisa Rosen creates delicious egg roll filling. [Jeff Rosen photo]
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 eggplant, peeled, cubed
3 tbsp. flour
1 10-oz can clear chicken soup
4 cups water
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and eggplant. Cook over low heat until veggies are tender, around 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Sprinkle flour over mixture. Stir in soup, water, zucchini, seasonings and lemon juice. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
This freezes well, and tastes even better when it has stood for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Serves 6, but recipe can be doubled.
People will swear this is made with apples! A delicious side dish.
Filling
8 cups peeled chopped zucchini
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp. nutmeg
Crust
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1⁄2 cups cold margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook zucchini and lemon juice, stirring, for 15 minutes until tender. Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and simmer 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir 1⁄2 cup of crust mixture into zucchini mixture.
Press half of remaining crust mixture onto a cookie sheet, or preferably, divide between two 9×13-in. pans. Spread zucchini mixture over the top. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture over the zucchini. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 375 for 35-50 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
The recipe can easily be halved. Simply halve all ingredients and use one 9×13-in. pan.
Submitted by Jeff Rosen for his wife, Lisa
3 onions
4 ribs celery
2 tbsp. oil
2 lb. ground beef
4 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup soy sauce
salt, garlic powder and pepper to taste
Chop and saute onions and celery in oil, until wilted. Add beef, salt, garlic powder and pepper to the pan and mix well. Add bean sprouts and soy sauce (you can use more or less, according to your taste). Cook for five minutes with lid on. Can be eaten without egg roll wrappers. Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish.
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 large head of cauliflower, separated into florets
2 cups frozen peas and corn – or you can use cut green beans instead for even lower carb
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups mushrooms pieces
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tbsp. lower fat margarine
3/4 can low fat pareve mushroom soup
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt (for meat)
1/2 tsp. salt (for cauliflower mixture)
1/2 tsp. pepper
sprinkle of paprika
Preheat oven to 350. Fry onions and garlic in olive oil. Set aside half the mixture for cauliflower and half for meat.
Meanwhile, steam cauliflower till soft, dry, set aside but keep it hot. Fry mushrooms.
Steam frozen veggies until just crisp. Drain well – they should not be wet.
Fry meat and drain any extra fat from cooked meat.
In a bowl, mix the cooked meat, half the onion and garlic mixture, fried mushrooms, peas and corn (or green beans), 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, cumin, chili pepper flakes, mushroom soup and ketchup. Mix well.
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Purée cauliflower in food processor until it’s the same consistency as mashed potatoes. Mix in the salt, margarine, fried onion and garlic mixture.
Now to put it together – Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the meat mixture evenly over the bottom of the dish. Spread the cauliflower mixture evenly on top of the meat. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 until top is golden.
Submitted by Bev Bergman for her daughter Andrea
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic bulbs, halved horizontally
4 mixed red and golden beets (about 1 lb. total with green), stems trimmed to about 1 inch
5 small onions, cut into wedges
1/2 tsp. coarse salt, divided
1/2 head cauliflower (1 lb.), cut into small clusters
1 bunch carrots, peeled and trimmed (halved lengthwise if large)
2 small winter squash, such as delicata or acorn, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds and seeded
2 dried figs (preferably Calimyrna)
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. water
pinch of freshly ground pepper
5 oz. mixed hearty greens, such as baby kale and escarole
fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Preheat oven to 425. Using 2 tsp. oil, drizzle cut sides of garlic. Wrap each half in foil. Wrap beets in foil. Roast until garlic is soft and beets are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Leave oven on.
Toss onions with 2 tsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Toss cauliflower with 2 tsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Transfer to same sheet. Using 1 tbsp. oil, brush or rub carrots and squash. Transfer to a separate rimmed baking sheet.
Roast vegetables, tossing once, until golden brown and tender: 15 to 20 minutes for onions and cauliflower, 20 to 25 minutes for carrots and squash.
Rub beets with paper towels to remove skins; cut flesh into wedges.
To make dressing, purée figs, vinegar, 2 tbsp. water, a pinch of salt and pepper, and remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a blender.
Arrange greens and roasted vegetables on a platter. Garnish with rosemary. Serve either warm or at room temperature with dressing. Serves 6.
Optional: You could include a cup of goat’s cheese in the centre of the platter and let people help themselves to a bit with the vegetables, or sprinkle a little bit on everyone’s plate.
Submitted by Carolan Halpern
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup matzah meal
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
cabbage leaves (about 14)
1 onion diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 10-oz. can tomato and mushroom sauce or plain tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Remove leaves from cabbage carefully. Place in large pot. Cover with boiling water. Simmer 5 minutes – drain and cool. Spread out leaves.
Combine meat, matzah meal, rice, egg and salt in a bowl. Place a heaping tbsp. of meat mixture in centre of each cabbage leaf. Fold in sides to cover meat and roll up.
Place rolls in large saucepan open side down, in one layer if possible.
In another bowl, mix together juice, brown sugar, tomato sauce and water. Pour over cabbage rolls. Cover and simmer at least 1-1/2 hours, basting occasionally, and adding a small amount of boiling water if needed to keep cabbage rolls almost covered.
