Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1
â
3
cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan. Add black-eyed peas and return to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat. When 7 minutes are left of their cooking time, add green beans and carrots and return to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 7 minutes. Leave vegetables in broth if you will be serving them with grains or pasta, or drain if you like; broth liquid can be saved for soups.
2.
Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Add red onion, parsley, and olive oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Raisins and carrots lend a touch of sweetness to this savory stew, the perfect accompaniment for a steaming bowl of couscous. It's reminiscent of the vegetable sauce served in some North African Jewish homes with the Friday night couscous dinner. Usually the dinner includes meat also, but I love this sauce with the couscous as a vegetarian entree.
1 cup vegetable stock or water
2 medium carrots, cut into thick diagonal slices
4 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
One 14
1
â
2
-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1
1
â
2
teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1
â
3
cup raisins
1
â
2
teaspoon bottled hot sauce, or more to taste
1.
Combine stock and carrots in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes Add zucchini and cook 3 minutes or until barely tender. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables; save broth for adding to soups.
2.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan, add garlic and sauté 10 seconds over medium heat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to boil over high heat. Simmer uncovered over medium heat 3 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and raisins. Bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat 3 minutes. Add hot sauce, zucchini, and carrots and simmer 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
The Sephardic standard, beans in tomato sauce, gains a new summertime twist in this recipe. The sauce turns into an easy, uncooked salsa for the beans so that the season's sun-ripened tomatoes retain all their fresh, luscious flavor. Use a mixture of fresh green or yellow beans and shell beans such as lima or fava beans if you find them. If you're serving them for a festive meal, for example for Shabbat or Shavuot, serve the bean medley with
Saffron Basmati Rice
. Rice pilaf or risotto are other good choices.
1
â
2
jalapeño pepper, very finely minced
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1
â
3
cup chopped sweet onion
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice (optional)
3
â
4
pound ripe tomatoes, cut into small dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds fresh fava or lima beans, shelled, or 2 cups frozen lima beans (about 10 ounces)
1 pound green beans, wax (yellow) beans, or a mixture, ends removed, broken into 2 or 3 pieces
1
â
4
cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
In a bowl combine jalapeño, garlic, onion, oil, and lemon juice, if using. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Let stand while preparing beans.
2.
If using fresh fava beans, cook, drain, and peel them (see
Fava Beans with Carrots and Zucchini
). Or, add lima beans to a large saucepan of enough boiling salted water to cover them generously and cook uncovered over medium-high heat until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes for fresh beans or about 10 minutes for frozen. Add green beans and wax beans the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain well.
3.
Put beans in a serving bowl and add salsa. Toss to combine. Add parsley. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.
Sephardic cooks like to pair dill with vegetables as it enlivens their flavor. Serve this summery dish as a meatless main course with rice or bulgur wheat or as a partner for grilled chicken or lamb.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or two 28-ounce cans tomatoes, drained and chopped
1
â
2
teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
1
â
2
teaspoons paprika
1 pound yellow crookneck squash or yellow pattypan squash
1 pound medium zucchini or other green summer squash
1
â
3
cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried
1
â
2
cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Two 15-ounce cans white beans, drained
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 or 3 teaspoons strained fresh lemon juice (optional)
1.
Heat oil in a deep skillet or stew pan. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat about 7 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika. Cook, stirring often, over medium-high heat 7 minutes or until thick.
2.
Add yellow squash and zucchini to tomato sauce and sprinkle with salt and remaining paprika. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until tender. If pan becomes dry, add a few tablespoons water during cooking. Reserve 1 tablespoon dill and parsley. Add remaining dill and parsley, white beans, and cayenne and heat through. Taste, adjust seasoning, and add lemon juice, if using. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold, sprinkled with reserved herbs.
Beans and rice are a popular pair in many lands, including India, the Middle East, Mediterranean countries, the American South, Latin America, and the Caribbean islands. They are also enjoyed by Sephardic Jews. This garlicky version is a specialty of the Jews of Bukhara, in Uzbekistan. They are very fond of rice casseroles, both vegetarian and with meat.
3
â
4
pound dried white beans (about 1
2
â
3
cups)
7 cups water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1
1
â
2
cups long-grain rice
4 large carrots, diced
8 large cloves garlic, minced
3
1
â
2
cups boiling water
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
1
â
2
teaspoons paprika
1
â
4
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1
â
4
cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)
1.
Pick over dried beans, discarding pebbles and broken or discolored beans. Rinse well. Put beans in a large saucepan and add water. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until nearly tender. Drain beans; you can reserve their cooking liquid for making soups.
2.
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add rice and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add carrots, garlic, cooked beans, boiling water, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Adjust seasoning, then stir in parsley, if using.
If you have cooked white beans or chickpeas on hand or if you use canned ones, this is a quick and easy dish to make. Seasoned in the style of the region called Maghreb, or the northwest African areas of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, it's good for Purim or for any vegetarian meal.
Israeli Rice Pilaf
or
Basic Quick Couscous
are perfect accompaniments. If you like, garnish each serving with chopped cilantro or Italian parsley.
2
â
3
cup dried or 1
1
â
2
cups cooked white beans or chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or one 15-ounce can, drained
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2
1
â
2
cups bean cooking liquid or vegetable broth
3 medium carrots, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 ribs celery, cut into thin slices (optional)