Matzah Better Than Pizza?

Edward Schneider’s take on shmurah matzah.

Savory Spinach & Artichoke Bread Pudding

This IS as good as it sounds. Some notes: I used 2 bags (1 lb. each) of frozen spinach, I roughly chopped the artichoke hearts, I used Trader Joe’s Italian Panne in place of baguettes, and good God I left out the brie. Although I’m sure it would be divine with the brie. This is a recipe from Emeril and the Food Network. I used this as a vegetarian main dish along with butternut squash soup and a salad. This could easily be a side dish to a larger dairy meal. You can also reduce the heavy cream to milk ratio, but with 6 eggs and all that cheese, why bother? :-)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds spinach, washed (3 cups cooked and roughly chopped)
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 (8 1/2-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, tough outer leaves removed
6 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 to 14 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old French bread (about 1 loaf)
1 pound Brie, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, optional
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible then roughly chop and reserve.Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Combine the eggs, cream, milk, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the bread, spinach, artichoke mixture, brie, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and parsley and stir to combine. If bread does not absorb all of liquid immediately then let rest until this happens, about 20 minutes.

 

Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

Mushroom Pate

This is a fantastic vegetarian pate. My good friends Stacycake and Jeremypie made this for me and Mr. EK, along with a Fish Chowder (recipe coming soon) and an Apple Crisp for dinner one night. Not lowfat, but really wonderful for a special occasion.  Excellent for a dairy Shabbat.

1 stick of butter, room temperature

1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped

18-24oz cremini mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

2/3 cup vegetable broth, or Imagine brand No-Chicken Stock

8oz. cream cheese, room temperature

Melt half the butter in a pan, add mushrooms – sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and scallions (white portion) – sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add broth, cook high to reduce the liquid. Cool mixture. In the bowl of a food processer, lightly pulse the cream cheese with the remaining butter, add in the mushroom mixture and the remaining scallions (green portion). Pour into decorative bowl and refridgerate until set. Serve with crackers, toast points, or fresh baguette.

Quinoa

Is this grain allowed on the list of things people on Atkins or South Beach can eat?  If so, I have a great vegan recipe to post.  Would love hear from those of you on those diets as to whether they are allowed.  Email at ezerknegdo@gmail.com   TQjanks – well that is “THanks” after one too many tequilla sunrises ;-P

Vegetarian Chili that Rocks

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. Cross posted at THoL.

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!

Uncle Bob’s Best Ever Lukshen Kugel

This is so good, it should be illegal, and served with a side of Lipitor:

Bob’s Lukshen Kugel (dairy)

16 0z. cream cheese, softened
16 oz. sour cream
5 large eggs (you can probably get away with 3 or 4)
1 cup sugar
1 stick of butter, melted (I personally did not add this, I mean my God who needs this with the sour cream and the cream cheese?!)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 16 oz. pkg. wide egg noodles
brown sugar
chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles according to package. while noodles are cooking, combine cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl, and mix until smooth. Drain noodles and cool slightly. Combine noodles and dairy mixture, and mix well. Pour into greased 9×13 pan, sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans, and bake 45-60 minutes depending on your oven. Serves 10-12 (or one really lucky marathon runner, or maybe, a Sumo wrestler :-))

Make 2, because it goes quickly!

Browned Onion Lukshen Kugel

This is courtesy of Gloria Kaufer Greene’s cookbook The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook.

Browned Onion Lukshen Kugel
5 medium onions (or more smaller ones))
¼ cup canola or olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 12oz. package medium-wide egg noodles
salt & pepper to taste
4 large eggs, beaten or 1 cup parve egg substitute

Preheat oven to 350°. Peel onions, cut them in half through the root end, and cut them crosswise into ½ inch semicircular slices. Heat the oil into a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, and sauté them, separating the “rings,” for about 20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Sprinkle the sugar on top; then continue cooking and stirring the onions until they are greatly reduced in volume and are richly browned (do not let them burn). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Cook noodles according to package instructions, using the shorter time listed. While the noodles are cooking, grease a 10” square (or similar) baking dish. Drain noodles. Stir in reserved onions and mix in well. Season with salt & pepper. Add the eggs and mix well. Put noodle mixture into prepared pan, and smooth with the back of a spoon. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for about 20 minutes longer, or until it is lightly browned and cooked through. Serve hot or at room temp.

Yum yum!! Enjoy!