Jewish Recipes
165 recipes found
Microwave Gefilte Fish
Honeyed Carrots
Honeyed Challah and Apple Pudding
Marian Burros's Onion Confit
Rosh ha-Shanah Pot Roast
Montreal Bagels
As with most ethnic foods, bagels are prepared differently from city to city, community to community. But the special appeal of Montreal bagels draws even those accustomed to the New York variety. Montreal bagels are a different breed, chewy and tinged with a tantalizing sweetness. The real thing is still baked in wood ovens, which give the bagels an irregularly charred outer surface. These bagels shine, too, with a gloss that only a short swim in a bath of honey- or malt-sweetened water can impart. With no chemical additives or dough conditioners, these bagels stand out in taste and looks.
Trout Roulades With Whitefish Mousse
Wolfgang Puck's Gefilte Fish
Gefilte Fish Terrine
Mimi Sheraton's Potato Pancakes
Plenty of onion, salt and white pepper are essential to the character of potato pancakes, and I have also adopted the custom of stirring in some minced parsley for a fresh and verdant accent. Occasionally, and especially if I am serving sauerbraten, I grate in two or three tablespoons of peeled apple, the drier varieties, such as Golden Delicious, being best suited to this purpose. These should be prepared and fried as close to serving time as possible.
Garlicky, Buttered Carrots
This is one of the few occasions when overcrowding the skillet is a good thing. These carrots are cooked in fat (schmaltz, olive oil, butter), with a pinch of something spicy (red-pepper flakes, cayenne, even hot paprika), sort of half-steaming on top of each other until just tender (no mushy carrots here, please). At the end, they are seasoned with a bit of finely grated or chopped garlic off the heat, which quiets the garlicky punchiness without extinguishing it entirely. Like a sandwich cut into triangles, the fact that the carrots are sliced into rounds makes them taste above-average delicious.
Shakshuka With Feta
Shakshuka may be at the apex of eggs-for-dinner recipes, though in Israel it is breakfast food, a bright, spicy start to the day with a pile of pita or challah served on the side. (It also makes excellent brunch or lunch food.) It’s a one-skillet recipe of eggs baked in a tomato-red pepper sauce spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne. First you make that sauce, which comes together fairly quickly on top of the stove, then you gently crack each of the eggs into the pan, nestling them into the sauce. The pan is moved into the oven to finish. Shakshuka originated in North Africa, and like many great dishes there are as many versions as there are cooks who have embraced it. This one strays from more traditional renditions by adding crumbled feta cheese, which softens into creamy nuggets in the oven’s heat.
Matzo Frittata
This savory matzo brei, loaded with caramelized onions and mushrooms, is made like a frittata that you cut into wedges. While commonly eaten for breakfast during Passover, this one serves as a substantial side dish. Leftovers make a nice brunch or lunch, especially with a green salad. The key to a good matzo brei is soaking the matzo just enough to retain a little bit of chew, but not so much that it becomes soggy. Here, the matzo is submerged in boiling water for one minute to soften. If keeping kosher and making this for a dairy meal, use a tablespoon of butter instead of oil for extra flavor.
Sweet Potatoes With Tsimmes Glaze
Traditional tsimmes is a stew of sorts that includes sweet potatoes, carrots, one or two kinds of dried fruits, and spices. It’s usually served as a side dish at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, but it also makes frequent appearances on the Passover Seder table. The word “tsimmes” sometimes means a fuss or commotion, or even a muddle. This version is anything but fussy and definitely not muddled. Here, halved sweet potatoes are simply roasted and served with a scrumptious glaze that includes prunes, orange juice, fresh ginger and a hit of lemon.
Cinnamon Babka
This dairy-free babka, enriched with olive oil and flavored with a ribbon of almond flour, brown sugar and cinnamon, starts with a classic challah bread dough. In the oven, the oil and sugar mingle to create a chewy, caramelized coating. You can omit the almond flour to make this nut-free, but the cinnamon ribbon will not be as pronounced. Be sure to let the babkas proof fully before baking, which will ensure a light, supple texture. (Watch Claire make this recipe on YouTube.)
Sweet Potato and Apple Latkes With Ginger and Sweet Spices
I found that the best way to make these so they cook through without burning is to make small latkes, using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each one. You can also finish them in the oven.
Tsimmes (Beef, Carrot and Sweet Potato Stew)
Tsimmes is a medieval German Jewish holiday beef stew that spread with the Jews to Eastern Europe. It was originally made with carrots and turnips, then when potatoes came to the Old World, they were added. When the dish came to the New World, sweet potatoes often replaces the white potatoes. Now I’ve tweaked it to my taste: I substitute the yellow yams or sweet potatoes with the white Japanese sweet potatoes that I love. I use flanken, a cut of short ribs found at kosher butchers, but any cut of short ribs will do, as will beef stew meat. I keep the bones in for flavor — and add a bay leaf for the same reason — and, rather than skimming the fat as it cooks, I simply put the stew pot in the refrigerator overnight so I can easily remove the hardened fat the next day. (A generation or two before me, cooks would have saved that fat for cooking and baking.) Instead of adding a little matzo meal to thicken the broth, I find no need for that, especially if I reduce the sauce a little before serving. I add pitted prunes, which are sweet enough to eliminate the need for brown sugar or honey and, at the end, I add parsley for color.
Quinoa and Cauliflower Kugel With Cumin
Cauliflower, steamed until tender then finely chopped, combines beautifully here with quinoa and cumin. Millet would also be a good grain choice.
Quinoa and Carrot Kugel
A request from a reader for a quinoa and carrot kugel inspired this week of recipes. I have no idea if this caraway-scented version resembles the kugel she enjoyed at a reception (see the variation below for one that might resemble it more), but it was a big hit in my household
Couscous With Tomatoes, White Beans, Squash and Peppers
This hearty vegetarian dish, served with couscous, can be made ahead and uses the bounty of vegetables from late summer and early fall. And when the weather turns cold and winter rolls in, canned tomatoes are a fine substitute. The hot and the sweet peppers contribute great contrasting flavors.
Classic Noodle Kugel
With its wide ribbons of egg noodles bound by cottage cheese, sour cream and eggs, this classic dairy kugel recipe celebrates the sweeter, richer side of noodle puddings. You can make it the day before, store it in the fridge, then reheat it in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes just before serving. But it’s also great at room temperature. Blending the cottage cheese gives this version a smooth, almost cheesecakelike interior. For a more nubby texture with bits of cottage cheese peeking through the noodles, don’t use a blender; just whisk everything together in a big bowl.
Tangy Braised Short Ribs
This bright, sweet and salty recipe for braised short ribs will work with bone-in or boneless meat, as long as the short ribs are thick (at least 1 1/2 inch), and not the thinly sliced Korean style. Seasoning your meat with salt and pepper at least 24 hours in advance will greatly improve the flavor of the finished product. And, if you can spare an extra 24, making them a day ahead of serving will make them even better, with all that braising liquid flavoring the meat as it sits. Finishing with herbs and lemon are hardly a revelation in the braised meat department, but they are especially welcome here. The fresh lemon juice at the end transforms the braising liquid into a bright, brothy, spoonable sauce good enough to drink.
Matzo Ball Soup a la Mexicana
The chef Fany Gerson’s spicy, dynamic take on a classic matzo ball soup is a staple of her Rosh Hashana table. The broth gets a bright kick from green chiles, cilantro and garlic; the matzo balls are blended with onions and fresh herbs (use an extra-large pot to prevent the balls from overcrowding); and the finished soup is garnished with even more onions, chiles and cilantro, plus avocado and lime for freshness and color. The broth calls for two chickens, even though you use the meat from only one of the chickens shredded in the soup. Ms. Gerson says using two chickens boosts the flavor of the broth, and you can use the meat from the second one the following day for enchiladas or tacos.
Chopped Liver on Matzo
I’m just guessing here, but I feel like “chopped liver” will never be my most popular recipe. I do love to eat it, and for those who feel the same way, "Hello, nice to meet you!" It’s not much to look at, but at least one of you will become a fan after spreading this funky, savory mixture onto a salted matzo with a sprinkle of parsley and lemon juice. (I’m hoping that person is you.) It won’t keep very long (it’s best within 24 hours), but that’s why this version makes the perfect snackable amount.