1,000 Jewish Recipes (92 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
This meal-in-one pot is a delicious dish to serve for Shavuot or Sukkot. Subtly scented with fresh tarragon in the French style, the rice is mixed lightly with poached sea bass and asparagus. It gains additional flavor from cooking in the herbed fish poaching liquid. The only accompaniment you need is a colorful salad, such as
Israeli Salad, California Style
.
3 cups
Fish Stock
, vegetable stock, or broth
6 fresh tarragon stems (without leaves)
5 fresh parsley stems (without leaves)
1 large sprig fresh thyme or
1
â
4
teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1
1
â
4
to 1
1
â
2
pounds sea bass steaks or fillets, rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
3
â
4
cup minced onion
1
1
â
2
cups long grain white rice
3
â
4
pound thin asparagus, trimmed, spears cut into 3 pieces
1
â
4
to
1
â
3
cup heavy cream, whipping cream, or sour cream, at room temperature
3 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1.
Combine stock, tarragon stems, parsley stems, thyme, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add sea bass, salt, and pepper and return to simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes or until color of fish turns opaque.
2.
With slotted spatula transfer fish to a plate. Discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Measure liquid and add enough water to make 3 cups. Return liquid to saucepan, cover, and keep warm.
3.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons butter or oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan or deep skillet. Add onion and cook over low heat, stirring, about 7 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add rice and sauté over medium heat, stirring, about 4 minutes or until grains begin to turn milky white.
4.
Bring fish poaching liquid to boil over high heat. Pour over rice and stir once.
5.
Add salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and cover tightly. Bake in oven, without stirring, 18 to 20 minutes. Taste rice; if it is too chewy or if liquid is not absorbed, bake 3 to 5 minutes more and taste again. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
6.
Meanwhile, dice sea bass, discarding any liquid. Put asparagus in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water. Return to boil. Boil uncovered about 3 minutes or until asparagus is just tender. Drain well again. Return to dry saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter and reserve.
7.
When rice is cooked, pour cream quickly and evenly over it; do not stir. Top with diced sea bass. Cover pan, return to oven, and bake for 5 minutes or until cream is absorbed and fish is hot. Heat asparagus with its butter and a pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat, tossing.
8.
Use fork to fluff rice and to gently stir in diced fish, chopped tarragon, and half of asparagus. Adjust seasoning. Serve topped with remaining asparagus and sprinkled with parsley.
This beautiful vegetable loaf à la française makes a wonderful dish for a Shavuot buffet. The terrine is made of alternating layers of carrot and spinach purees baked as a loaf, then served sliced to show the striped pattern. Be sure to season each layer well so the terrine will not be bland. Serve it French style with a rich sauce such as
Basil Cream with Diced Tomatoes
or, for a lighter option, with a vinaigrette such as
Tomato Dressing
.
3 pounds fresh spinach in bunches (or two 10-ounce bags spinach leaves), stemmed and rinsed
2 pounds carrots, cut into
1
â
2
-inch slices
1
2
â
3
cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
6 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1.
Cook spinach in large saucepan of boiling salted water uncovered over high heat, pushing leaves down into water often, about 3 minutes or until very tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well again. Squeeze out liquid by handfuls. Puree in a food processor until very smooth.
2.
Put carrots in a large saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 35 minutes or until very tender. Drain thoroughly. Puree in a food processor until very smooth.
3.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter an 8 · 4-inch loaf pan. Line base and sides of pan with parchment paper, letting paper extend slightly above edge of pan, and butter liner. Butter a sheet of foil to cover pan.
4.
Cook spinach puree in a medium, heavy, wide saucepan over low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes, to evaporate excess moisture. Stir in
2
â
3
cup cream. Bring to boil over high heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cream is absorbed and mixture is reduced to 2 cups. (Precise measuring is important.) Transfer to a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5.
Cook carrot puree in a large, heavy, wide saucepan over low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes, to evaporate excess moisture. Stir in remaining 1 cup cream. Bring to boil over high heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cream is absorbed and mixture is reduced to 3
1
â
3
cups. Transfer to a second bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
6.
For spinach layers: Whisk 2 eggs with 1 yolk in a large bowl until blended. Gradually whisk in spinach mixture. For carrot layers: Whisk 4 eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in carrot mixture.
7.
Bring a small kettle of water to boil. Spread half of carrot mixture evenly in loaf pan. Tap on counter to pack mixture down. Spoon all of spinach mixture over carrot layer and spread smooth. Spoon remaining carrot mixture evenly on top. Smooth gently. Set the loaf pan in a roasting pan and transfer to oven. Add enough boiling water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of loaf pan. Set sheet of buttered foil atop pan.
8.
Bake about 2
1
â
2
hours or until terrine is firm to the touch when pressed gently and cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. During baking, add hot water to roasting pan occasionally so that it does not become dry. If water comes close to a boil, add a few tablespoons cold water.
9.
Carefully remove loaf pan from water bath. Cool terrine in the loaf pan on a rack at least 1 hour. Carefully run a metal spatula around edge of loaf. Set oval or rectangular platter atop loaf pan and invert both. Gently lift off pan and peel off paper. Slice very gently with the point of a thin, sharp knife in
3
â
4
-inch slices. With aid of a spatula, set each slice on a plate. Serve cool or cold.
Shavuot dishes tend to be delicate in flavor because they're often rich in dairy products. Here is a lively and lean vegetarian main course seasoned in the Yemenite tradition that is a perfect foil for the holiday's creamy dishes. It's great accompanied by couscous or brown rice or in a menu that includes a kugel or blintzes.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced, or 2 teaspoons diced canned roasted jalapeño peppers
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1
â
4
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and cut into small dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced, or one 14
1
â
2
-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
One 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, or 1
1
â
2
to 2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1.
Heat oil in a heavy, wide stew pan, add onion, and sauté over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin, turmeric, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2.
Add eggplant, sprinkle with salt, and stir over low heat until eggplant is coated with spices. Add tomatoes and bring to boil over high heat. Mix tomato paste with
1
â
2
cup water and stir into mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring often, 20 minutes. Add chickpeas and zucchini and simmer 10 to 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender and stew is thick. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, sprinkled with cilantro.
On the day before the Israelites in the desert received the Torah, they abstained from eating any meat. This is why meatless meals are a custom for the holiday. Here is a light and easy vegetarian entree that is welcome on a rich Shavuot menu. For a dairy meal, you can serve it accompanied by feta cheese or yogurt. Since it's pareve on its own, it can also be good for other meals as a partner for chicken or meat.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2
â
3
cup long-grain rice
3
1
â
2
cups vegetable stock
Two 10-ounce packages frozen lima beans
10 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy saucepan, add onion, and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring often, 7 minutes or until golden. Add rice, then 3 cups stock, and bring to simmer. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add beans and
1
â
2
cup stock, shake pan and bring to boil. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until rice and beans are barely tender.
2.
Heat remaining oil in a medium, heavy skillet. Add garlic and sauté 15 seconds. Add spinach and sauté over medium heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in dill. Puree spinach mixture in food processor.
3.
Add spinach mixture to beans and stir gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered over medium heat 2 minutes or until beans and rice are tender. Serve hot, in bowls.
