Pranks in Blankets

I’ve had several requests for this recipe. I posted it on FB but, rather than reposting over and over, I’m sending it out on my blog.

One of the hors d’oeuvre from our 2021 Mother’s Day Cookoff — remember these for break-the-fast or whenever you need a nice little nibble with cocktails.

Pranks in Blankets

• 6 slim carrots (about 1/2-inch diameter)

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon zatar

• kosher salt

• one sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed, but cold

• Lemon-Tahini Sauce, optional

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1-1/2” long pieces. Place them in a bowl, pour the olive oil over them and toss to coat all the surfaces. Sprinkle with zatar and salt to taste. Place the carrot pieces on one of the cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Roll the puff pastry slightly thinner, then cut into strips about 1-1/4-inches wide and 2-inches long. roll each coated carrot in the dough pieces, pressing the edges to seal completely. Place them, seam side down, on the remaining cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until the puff pastry feels cold. Lower the oven heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve plain or with Lemon-Tahini Sauce.

Makes 24-30

Lemon-Tahini Sauce (from Hip Kosher)

• 1/2 cup sesame tahini

• 1/3 cup lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped

• salt to taste

• water

Place the tahini, lemon juice, parsley, garlic and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. with the motor still running, add enough water to make a smooth, but thick sauce.

Make about 1/2 cup

Marinated Mushrooms

Before the pandemic I would sometimes buy nibbles from the salad bar at the supermarket — stuff I could serve with drinks before dinner when we had people over.

I no longer feel comfortable doing that, especially after seeing a video my daughter sent me of a guy in a store using a ladle to taste some soup and then putting the ladle back into the container!

Aaaaaaarrgh!!!

I can make my own marinated mushrooms, et. al. In fact the ones I make using this recipe are better than anything similar I ever bought anywhere.

There’s no going back for me. These take 15 minutes tops to prepare.

Marinated Mushrooms

• 8 ounces common white mushrooms

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• pinch or two of Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper, optional

Clean the mushrooms and cut them into bite size pieces. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the mushrooms, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and place them in a bowl. Add the red onion, garlic and parsley and toss the ingredients. Pour in the olive oil, wine vinegar and season with oregano, salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients and let them marinate for at least 2 hours before serving. Best served at room temperature.

Makes 6-8 hors d’oeuvre servings

Farro and Roasted Chick Pea Salad

I’m a salad lover year ‘round, but somehow even for me, warm weather is salad season for real.

So, here we are, it’s almost summer. It’s already hot as blazes where I am and I am in even more of a salad mood.

This one is so easy and you can make it ahead — don’t add the dressing until 15-20 minutes before serving time. Also — I love farro but you could substitute any whole grain or even couscous.

Remember this one for July 4th — you can tote it to a picnic — and even for Labor Day.

Happy summer!

Farro and Roasted Chick Pea Salad

• 1 can chick peas (15 ounces)

• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, approximately

• Salt to taste

• 1 cup farro

• 2 cups water

• 3-4 scallions, chopped

• 1 avocado, peeled and diced

• 2-3 tablespoons wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• salt to taste

• Aleppo pepper, optional

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drain the chick peas and place them on a baking sheet. Pour 2 teaspoons olive oil over them and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 20 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool. While the vegetables are roasting, place the farro and water in a saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 25-30 or until the grain is tender, but still chewy. Let cool slightly and place in a mixing bowl. Add the chick peas, scallions and avocado and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss the ingredients. Pour in the wine vinegar, add the parsley, mint and cumin and toss the ingredients again. Season to taste with salt and Aleppo pepper. Stir in more olive oil and/or wine vinegar if you wish.

Makes 6-8 servings 

Banana Chocolate Muffins

Before my cousins came for a long visit over the Memorial Day weekend I stocked up on all the foods they loved. We ate most of it, but Leslie told me that Neil also needed foods with potassium so I bought several bananas.

He ate a few.

Still. I bought too many. As usual. There were 3 left over.

So, banana muffins. These, with chocolate because, why not?

banana chocolate Muffins

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup water

• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 muffin tins. Melt the chocolate and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and vegetable oil together in an electric mixer at medium speed for a minute or so or until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to blend ingredients thoroughly. Add the bananas and mix them in. Add the dry ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes to blend them in thoroughly. Combine the water and cider vinegar, pour into the batter and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fill muffin tins with equal amounts of the batter. Spoon equal amounts of chocolate on top of each and use a knife to swirl some chocolate into each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes before removing them.

Makes 10

Roasted Potato Salad with Red Onions and Rosemary

If you’re getting out the grill to celebrate Lag BaOmer or because the warm weather is finally here or just because grilled food is so so good — have you decided about a side dish to go with those chicken legs or salmon steaks or hot dogs.

How about potato salad?

I make all sorts of potato salad, but because roasted potatoes are a classic food for Lag BaOmer, I went the extra step and roasted the potatoes for this version. The crispy edge added a really satisfying texture and the flavor was extra rich because the high heat caramelized the onions. I used a cast iron pan and suggest that for best results. Your oven is fine (instructions below) but if you have room for the pan on the grill — go for it and cook the entire feast outdoors.

This dish tastes best at room temperature, although my husband likes it hot, so, either way.

Roasted Potato Salad with Red Onions and Rosemary

• 2 pounds “new” waxy potatoes (such as Red Bliss or baby Yukon Golds)

• 1 small red onion, sliced

• 5 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If you have a cast iron grill pan or frying pan, preheat it in the oven. Wash the potatoes and cook them in simmering water for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Peel the potatoes when they are cool enough to handle; cut them into bite size pieces and place them in a bowl with the onion slices. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the vegetables, toss them to coat all sides and place them in the preheated pan (or use an ovenproof pan or baking sheet). Roast for 25-30 minutes, mixing 2-3 times, or until lightly browned and crispy. While the potatoes are cooking, mix the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard in a large bowl. Add the roasted potatoes and onions when they are done. Add the parsley and rosemary. Toss the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve still warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4-6 servings

Banana Applesauce Muffins

Banana Applesauce Muffins

We were thrilled, LUCKY, this year to be able to have a real Seder with most (9) of our immediate family (and Elijah for a moment or two of course).

The adults were all vaccinated and the kids had quarantined, so we felt safe. It was glorious. Our youngest grandchild was reluctant to ask the four questions so we all asked because, why not!

I tried out a new charoset which my family declared was “the one!”

I actually ran out of fresh horseradish for the first time ever!

As usual I had bought a ton of fruit because my grandkids are huge fans. But as usual, there were leftover bananas — but only two! And this year there was also some leftover homemade applesauce.

So, after the holiday I revised one of my banana muffin recipes to accommodate what I had. The result: moist, tender, not too sweet Banana-Applesauce Muffins. These are plain but you could add blueberries, chocolate chips, a swirl of melted chocolate, chopped nuts and so on.

Banana Applesauce Muffins

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 large egg

• 2 bananas, mashed

• 1/2 cup applesauce

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand mixer) beat the vegetable oil and sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until well combined. Add the egg and beat it in until thoroughly combined. Add the mashed bananas, applesauce and vanilla extract and beat for another minute or until the ingredients are well blended. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

Makes 10

Passover Carrot Cake

One Passover, decades ago, we decided to forego Aunt Rozzie’s sponge cake, the dessert we had eaten year after year after year at our Seders for as long as I remembered.

We switched to the newer, modern, au courant flourless chocolate cake.

But after years of that we got bored again with the same old same old.

So I began to bake other stuff. Orange-Almond Cake. A Passover version of our family’s treasured recipe for butter cookies. Toasted Almond Napoleon with Balsamic-glazed Bananas. Chocolate Jelly Roll.

Then I experimented with carrot cake.

Winner!

As far as I’m concerned carrot cake is always a winner. You can add a cream-cheese frosting or top it with whipped cream, ice cream or sorbet, but it really doesn’t need any of those. It’s just wonderfully moist and delicious as is. Even this version, suitable for Passover.

Passover Carrot Cake

• 8 large eggs, separated

• 1-1/4 cups sugar

• 6 tablespoons orange juice (or use mango or apple juice)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup finely chopped almonds

• 1 cup very finely chopped carrots

• 1 cup matzo cake meal

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer set on medium-high, for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in the juice, vanilla, almonds, carrots, cake meal, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and blend ingredients thoroughly. In a second mixer bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Continue beating, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until the whites are glossy and stand in peaks. Stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Fold the remaining whites into the yolk mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a rack.

Makes 10 servings

Tomato Eggplant Mushroom Sauce

This recipe was born of my desire to use whatever is left in my pantry and fridge, my need to not waste food, my love of inventing new recipes.

During this awful pandemic, I have not shopped. I use a shopping service, so I am more mindful when I order because I can’t just hop in the car and go to the store for a tomato.

A few months ago I was at the tail end of what was left of an order, the list I keep almost ready for the next shop. I had some tomatoes and mushrooms, a few scallions and some pasta. I always have Parmesan cheese in the fridge. I chopped the vegetables (including a clove of garlic), added some fresh oregano (it was still summer so I had some fresh from the garden) and stewed the sauce until everything was soft and fragrant. We had it for dinner over spaghetti and Ed declared it a miracle.

I have made a variation of this dish several times since then. Once, I had an eggplant, so I added that. Another time I threw in some chopped zucchini. I sometimes replaced the scallion with onion. And of course, with no fresh herbs from the garden (and none left in the fridge) I have seasoned the sauce with dried oregano.

That’s how versatile this recipe is. It’s so easy. We load it with freshly grated Parmesan, but it’s also delicious without the cheese, served as a kind of saucy side dish for beef — steak, meatballs, and so on.

Here’s one version but feel free to change this and that.

Chunky Tomato-eggplant-Mushroom Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 4-5 tomatoes, chopped or two cups cut up cherry or grape tomatoes

• 1 cup diced eggplant

• 6 ounces mushrooms, cut into chunks

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or basil

• salt and pepper

• cooked pasta

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or wok/pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, herb and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and sauce-like. Serve over pasta (or use as a side dish for grilled steak or chicken).

Makes enough for one pound of pasta

Mixed Fruit Jam

When people talk about Thanksgiving leftovers, it usually means the turkey, maybe stuffing and cranberries. And there are the inevitable conversations about pot pie and sandwiches, salad, soup and so on.

But this year was a strange one; we were only four for dinner, instead of the usual 20 or so. And while we did have a big turkey (plenty of leftovers days!) I scaled back on the other stuff, so only one meal of leftover stuffing, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

On the other hand, I had bought loads of fruit and we ate a lot of it and yet we had too much leftover. I had my fill of grapes and apples. I already had a couple of extra bags of cranberries in my freezer.

So I made it into jam, which was perfect on the leftover challah. I also have some in my fridge to use in our family Fanny cookies. It’s also delicious inside blintzes (topped with sour cream or whipped cream) or on top of ice cream for a Hanukkah dairy meal.

It also makes a lovely, edible gift for the holidays.

I made a whole recipe, but this is easily halved.

Mixed Fruit Jam

• 6 cups seedless grapes

• 2 cups fresh cranberries

• 2 apples, peeled and chopped

• 1/4 cup crushed crystallized ginger

• 3 cups sugar

• 1 cup orange juice

• 6 whole cloves

• 2” piece cinnamon stick

Place the grapes, cranberries, apples and crystallized ginger in a deep saucepan. Add the sugar and briefly stir the ingredients. Pour in the orange juice. Add the cloves and cinnamon (place in cheesecloth or a small muslin bag if desired). Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture has thickened. Discard the cloves and cinnamon stick. Puree with a hand blender or in a food processor. Let cool, place in storage containers and refrigerate.

Makes about 4 cups

Turkey Pot Pie

Our Thanksgiving celebration this year won’t be like any other. No kids or grandkids. No extended family. Just my brother and sister-in-law, who have committed to stay more or less quarantined so the four of us can have as safe a Thanksgiving dinner as possible, distanced even in my house.

Nevertheless, I am still thankful. So far everyone is okay. And although we are sad we won’t all get together, we are all in accord that we remain dug in until it’s safe to do otherwise. We look forward to — maybe Passover?

Still — I will make a more or less classic Thanksgiving dinner. Including roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, baked cranberries, stuffing, Brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie.

And of course there will be more leftovers than usual this year.

So: turkey pot pie is likely to be in the menu soon after the holiday.

Turkey Pot Pie

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 1 cup cut up broccoli (bite-size)

• 1 cup zucchini chunks (bite-size)

• 4 cups chopped cooked turkey

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• pie dough or thawed frozen puff pastry sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, celery and broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and turkey and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and stir to mix it in completely. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the stock gradually, stirring constantly. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the ingredients, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into a baking dish. Cover with the pie dough or puff pastry. Seal the edges to the dish. Cut 2-3 slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 35 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Makes 4 servings