An excellent blog on health and diet is https://www.lchaimtohealth.com/
I really believe in eating healthy. I am not macrobiotic or vegetarian or anything “special” like that. I just believe in eating as healthy as I can, under whatever circumstances I find myself. And I believe in making things simple. Many people do not have time to cook a lot so make life easy but healthy.
I also have come to realize that eating healthy varies according to one’s life style, to weather, to one’s constitution, one’s background, country of upbringing etc.
What may be healthy for one person, may not be beneficial for another.
So there is no such thing as wholewheat being good for everyone, or brown rice being good for everyone.
It depends what your body is used to and what you feel energetic and healthy with.
What energy matches your body, I suppose is another way of looking at it. You have to get to know your body and what foods go well with you, that are easy to digest, give energy, and make you feel healthy.
I am going to post several recipes which I have tried and found to be good. You can adjust ingredients and change things if you like. But here are recipes that our family uses and that we find good.
First of all I would like to post a few soup recipes. In the cold weather I think soup is a must.
SOUPS:
Syrian Red lentil soup:
2½ c red lentils
10 c water
2½ t salt
2 T oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
1 tsp coriander
◦1 lemon* (optional)
Directions Rinse the lentils thoroughly, and pick through to remove any pebbles or other detritus.
Place in pot with stock or water, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add salt and continue cooking until thick – another 10 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in the frying pan, add garlic and cumin, and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add garlic mixture to the lentils, and continue simmering, partly covered, for another 10 minutes.
Cut the lemon in half and add the juice from one half to the soup. Serve hot.
Lentil soup freezes beautifully, especially if you save it into 1 serving containers. To reheat, put a bit of water in a pot, add the frozen soup, and cook over medium heat, stirring and flipping the frozen block of soup frequently. The soup will melt into the water within minutes.
Mushroom noodle soup:
In oven toast half a package of very thin noodles such as tiny soup noodles or angel hair noodles, until lightly brown.
In a pot sauté half a leek, add about 15 sliced mushrooms, and a diced carrot. Add water (about 8 cups), 3 tbsps salt and cook for about fifteen minutes once the water boils (and you lower the flame to simmer). Add the toasted noodles towards the end of cooking. (you don’t have to toast the noodles, could just use them straight from package, the very thin tiny soup noodles). Cook only a few minutes more and turn off fire so noodles do not become soggy or too thick.
BEET SOUP (BORSCHT)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons oil
3-4 large beets (about 1-1/2 pounds) rinsed, peeled and cubed
4 cups water or vegetable stock
Lemon juice. to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Plain yogurt or sour cream, to garnish (optional)
Dill, to garnish (optional)
Making Beet Soup
1. In a heavy 4-quart pot over medium heat, saute onion in butter or oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add beets and saute for another 5 minutes.
3. Add water or stock. Bring to a boil and skim foam from the top. Simmer over medium-low heat until beets are soft, about 30 minutes.
4. Puree with a hand blender.
5. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. This makes all the difference and really ties everything together.
6. Serve hot or cold (I prefer it hot), topped with fresh or dried dill and a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream.
WHITE BEAN SOUP:
1 pound dried white navy beans
4 tablespoons oil
2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, washed well and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 carrot, scrubbed and diced
5 cups good-quality vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried (optional)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
1/3 cup grated parmesan (or cheddar) cheese (optional)
1. Soak beans in water overnight, then drain and rinse well.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and add leeks. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften. Add celery, garlic, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add stock, rinsed navy beans, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Puree 3 cups of soup in a blender (to make the beans creamy) and pour back into the pot. Add lemon juice (optional), and more self and pepper if needed.
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each portion with some of the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
POTATO LEEK SOUP:
Sauté half a large leek in pot. Add 5 potatoes, diced, and can add one sliced yam (if do not have yam can use carrot). Add water and bring to a boil. Lower flame and allow to cook until potatoes are soft. Add salt and pepper and other spices if you like. Serve hot.
VEG. SOUP with chic peas:
2 Tbsp. oil
string beans
chick-peas, pre cooked (i prefer not to use canned)
2 medium carrots
pumpkin or butternut squash chopped up into chunks
1/2-1 cup oatmeal
zucchini
water
salt
pepper
Saute onion in oil until transparent. Cut carrots and squash into chunks. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover, plus 3 cups. Season to taste. Cook soup for 1 hour. The oatmeal in this recipe disappears, leaving the soup nice and thick. Serves 6-8.
Thick vegetable soup:
Chicken or vegetable stock (homemade or use stock cubes) 2½ pints 1.5 litres
Pearl barley 3½ ounces 100 grams
½ Leek, trimmed, top and bottom
Celery sticks 2
Carrots, peeled 2 large
Parsnip, peeled 2 medium
Tomato puree or paste, 2 tablespoons
1 bay leaf
Chopped parsley 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Black pepper taste
First, make the chicken (or vegetable) stock either using stock cubes (follow packet instructions for how many cubes to make 2.5 pints) or canned chicken / vegetable stock. Use a medium sized-pan. If do not use stock, use water and bring to a boil.
Add the pearl barley and simmer the mixture whilst continuing on with the steps below. Stir occasionally.
Chop up the carrots, leek, parsnip and celery into small cubes. Add the leeks to the soup first.
Simmer this mixture for about five minutes with the pan covered. Add the remaining chopped vegetables to the soup.
Add the tomato puree and bay leaves to complete the soup. Cook for about 25 (or even 45) minutes stirring occasionally.
SQUASH SOUP:
Peel and cut into chunks one butternut squash (could also use pumpkin instead).
Peel one carrot and cut into rounds.
In a pot sauté one onion until browned. Add the squash and carrot and salt and pepper to taste. Add 5 cups of water, bring to a boil, lower heat and cook covered until vegetables are soft. Can then puree the soup. Serve hot.
SALAD SECTION:
Everyone loves salads. Here are some very good , healthy ones, which do not require too much work to put together….
AVOCADO MANGO SALSA
1 mango – peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and diced
2 medium firm tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (if do not like cilantro can omit this)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
JUST MIX ALL THE INGREDIENTS.
EUROPEAN Salad:
European Cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
-ripe mango, thinly sliced
-Hard tomatoes, slice into thin wedges
-Green or red pepper strips for crunch
-Mint, chopped thin (or a little dry mint)
-Cilantro, chopped (optional)
-orange, peeled and thinly sliced (no pits)
-2 cups Rice wine vinegar
-1/2 c. granulated sugar (recipe calls for 1 cup but i cut it down; you can do as you prefer the taste)
Combine the vinegar & sugar and bring to a boil. Set aside.
Combine all the salad ingredients and pour the warm dressing over the salad and place in the fridge. Before you serve, garnish with cilantro & mint.
Serve chilled.
AVOCADO SALAD:
Cut in half and scoop out insides of 2 avocados. Cut into pieces.
Add sliced green olives (about 10).
Add feta or panela type cheese (cut into small cubes).
Can add one sliced cucumber.
Can add a little chopped scallion.
Serve with olive oil drizzled on top and a little salt. Some people may like to squeeze on some lemon.
GREEK SALAD:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and extra for garnish
3 tomatoes—cut into wedges (optional)
¼ red onion—sliced into rings
½ cucumber—sliced into thick half-moons
4 oz (120g) feta or panela cheese—cut into small cubes
16 olives (can use black or green olives)
PLACE the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper in a small jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine. PLACE the salad ingredients in a large bowl. POUR the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving. GARNISH the Greek salad with a little freshly ground black pepper
BEAN SALAD:
3. c white beans, soaked over night and cooked until tender (do not overcook; should not be mushy)
◦1 T chopped oregano (optional) or can use dry herbs
◦4 oz fresh mozzarella or cheddar cheese or even panella cheese, cubed
◦1 chopped tomato
◦¼ c chopped red onion or scallions
◦1 T balsamic vinegar
◦2 T olive oil
◦salt and pepper
◦2 T chopped basil (optional)
Directions In the large bowl, mix the beans, oregano, mozzarella, tomato, and onion.
Whisk the vinegar and oil in the small bowl, then stir into the salad.
Season with salt and pepper and chill.
Serve topped with basil.
Beet Salad:
Steam or cook whole beets. Peel. Chop into pieces when cool (or can grate if you prefer). Add salt, a little mustard, a little sugar mixed with a spoon of water and can add a little fresh lemon juice if you like.
BEET SALAD:
6 roasted beets
1 cup finely sliced red onion
1 tbs chopped fresh mint
2 tbs chopped fresh chives or scallion
1/2 cup sliced radish
1 cup black kalamata olives or green olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tbs whole grain mustard
1 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Place the red beets in a 2 inch deep baking dish with 1/4 inch of water and cover with foil or top of pan, roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, set aside and cool completely. In a large bowl combine sliced endive, red onion, radish, mint, chives. Peel the radish and cut into cubes, add to the bowl. In another bowl prepare the dressing by combining the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper add to the salad and toss lightly. Top salad with olives and feta.
MAYONNAISE DIP:
Wash and chop into tiny pieces one piece of celery.
Cut into slices several few olives.
Mix with mayonnaise and serve.
Add chopped scallions and a bit of sugar and salt to taste.
Good with bread or with vegetables such as cut up celery, carrots, peppers.
LETTUCE SALAD:
Wash and check romaine (or regular ice berg but romaine is healthier) lettuce. Chop into pieces (shred by hand is best).
Add a little chopped scallions and a sliced cucumber and a chopped tomato.
Dress with olive oil, salt and lemon and sprinkle on bread croutons.
VEGETABLE DISHES:
GREEK PIE:
This is a typical Greek summer pie, filled with fragrant herbs and grated zucchini. I like to make it with phyllo dough, but it’s also delicious in a yeasted olive oil crust.
2 lbs. zucchini (probably can use about 4 large zucchinis or 8 small)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the phyllo dough
1 large onion, finely chopped (or can use leek: about half a leek)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, or a combination of mint and parsley
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or panela cheese
2 or 3 eggs, beaten
Freshly ground pepper
12 sheets phyllo dough or 1 recipe whole wheat yeasted olive oil pie pastry
1. Grate the zucchini using a food processor or a hand grater. Place in a large colander, salt generously, and let drain for 1 hour, pressing down on it occasionally to squeeze out liquid. After an hour, take up handfuls and squeeze out moisture (or wrap in a kitchen towel and twist the towel to squeeze out the moisture). Place in a bowl.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, then add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Transfer to the bowl with the zucchini. Stir in the herbs, feta, eggs and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-inch pie or cake pan. If using phyllo, line the pie dish with seven pieces of phyllo, lightly brushing each piece with oil and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan. Fill with the zucchini mixture. Fold the draped edges in over the filling, lightly brushing the folded in sheets of phyllo, then layer the remaining five pieces on top, brushing each piece with olive oil. Stuff the edges into the sides of the pan.
If using the olive oil pastry, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Roll out the first ball to a circle 2 inches wider than the pan. Line the pan with the pastry, and brush with olive oil. Top with the filling. Roll out the remaining dough. Place over the filling. Press the edges of the top and bottom layers of dough together, and pinch to form an attractive lip around the edge.
4. Make a few slashes in the top crust so that steam can escape as the pie bakes. Score in a few places with the tip of a knife, and brush with olive oil. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool 15 to 30 minutes or to room temperature. Slice in wedges and serve.
TOSTADOS:
8 corn tortillas or can make your own dough like a boreka dough
2½ c black or pinto beans, soaked and cooked
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tsps cumin
1½ tsps coriander
1 medium tomato, chopped
salt
guacamole (mashed up avocado)
lettuce, shredded
cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
salsa (optional)
Directions Heat vegetable oil in small frying pan until very hot. Add a tortilla and fry for one minute, turn, and fry another minute, until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain and repeat with the other tortillas. (or just make boreka dough and roll out thin borekas and bake until they are a bit crunchy)
Heat a little oil in large pan, add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, and sauté 5-10 minutes, until onion is done. Add cooked beans and mash, then stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and simmer, stirring frequently, 5-10 minutes. Add salt.
Make the tostadas (either by yourself or with everyone at the table): place a tortilla or boreka on a plate, cover with lettuce, then beans, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and (optional) yogurt or sour cream. Eat immediately.
SPAGHETTI IN A NO COK TOMATO SAUCE(serves 4)
4-5 large red tomatoes cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 fresh garlic clove
6 leaves of fresh basil (or a little dry basil)
6 tbs or more. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. of spaghetti or noodles (can be spelt or whole wheat or regular noodles)
Salt and pepper to taste
cheese to sprinkle on top according to person’s taste (can use mozarella cheese, cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese)
While the salted water for your spaghetti is boiling, put cubed tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Cut basil pieces into slivers and add to bowl. Crush garlic cloves into bowl and add olive oil. Then add salt to taste. Let the mixture sit and macerate so that all of the flavors can come together. Once the water is boiling add the spaghetti and cook until ‘al dente’ or cooked on the outside and firm on the inside (to the tooth). You don’t want the spaghetti to taste like glue. Once you’ve drained the spaghetti add it directly to the bowl where the tomatoes are; and mix. Serve and sprinkle some cheese over the plate of spaghetti and enjoy!
TOMATO BRUSCHETTA RECIPE:
Toast whole grain bread.
In a bowl mix chopped tomatoes, a little pressed garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and some fresh or dry basil. Mix well. Spoon on top of bread and can sprinkle cheese on top.
LEEK PIE:
Wash and chop ½ leek. Saute in olive oil (or regular oil). Mix sautéed leek with 3 or 4 eggs, a little salt and sugar, and add a little matza meal (or flour), about 2 spoons. Bake until well done. Very delicious.
ISRAELI FALAFEL:
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water (cover if leave overnight)
1/2 onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper (or paprika)
1 to 2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour (optional) or bulgur (optional)
vegetable oil for frying
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
Tahina sauce
Pita bread
Grind all ingredients in food processor. Put in a bowl in fridge for several hours. Then form balls and fry in hot oil. (can buy a falafel maker to form the balls)
VEGETABLE KUGEL:
½ leek chopped thin and sautéed until a bit browned
2 large zucchinis or 5 small grated
2 carrots grated
4 small potatoes or 3 larger ones
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps oil
Matzo meal (optional) (add about 1/4 c.)
Combine all ingredients and bake until browned and done.
POTATO KUGEL:
Grate 5 large potatoes or 8-10 small ones. Saute ¼ to 1/3 of a leek. Add sautéed leek to grated potatoes, then add 4 eggs, about ¼ c. oil, salt to taste. Pour into greased pan and bake until crunchy on bottom and well cooked. If you make kugel thicker (in a smaller pan so it is higher) rather than thin and flat it is even better.
RICE WITH FAVA BEANS AND DILL:
Cook fava beans and take off shells. (or use frozen fava beans or peas if you do not have fava beans)
Boil water, add well rinsed rice. Let boil until rice is tender but not mushy; should be a little bit firm still. Strain in a strainer. Put oil into a pot, sprinkle some salt, add salt to rice along with dried dill (about 1 tbsp for 2 cups rice) and fava beans. Put back into the pot and add more oil to rice. Cover and steam until done.
FISH RECIPES:
Maahi Kabab (Fish)
Ingredients: (4 servings)
• Whole fish (such as salmon or cod)
• Fresh lime juice, 1/2 cup
• Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup
• Coriander, 50 grams
• Parsley, 50 grams
• Mint, 50 grams
• Saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt
• Black pepper
Directions:
Note that fresh fish should have raised eyes and should be bright red under the ears.
Cut fish into fillets and wash well.
Prepare sauce as following: wash and finely chop coriander, parsley and mint. Add lime juice, olive oil, saffron, salt, and black pepper, and mix well.
Place fish into a baking pan. Add the sauce on both sides as well as inside. Cover with a top (if have no top can use aluminum paper but it is not so healthy to cook with tin foil) and cook in oven at medium temperature for 45 minutes to one hour. Note however that exact cooking time depends on the type and size of fish. Take care not to over-cook. Add more sauce 2 or 3 times during cooking. When cooked, decorate fish with slices of lime or lemon and some parsley. Serve with rice.
SHABBOS FISH:
6 fillets of white fish
2 cloves garlic peeled
1 big red pepper (or green)
2 tomatoes cut into rounds
1 spoon paprika
1/4 c. oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt
Pepper
(optional: cilantro chino)
Mix salt with lemon juice and put on fish: leave one hour to marinate.
In a pot put oil with paprika on low flame. Add garlic, tomatoe and pepper. (Can add a little hot pepper too).
Put fish on top of vegs and let cook on low heat for ½ hr. covered.
When fish juices come out and it forms a sauce, put fire up to medium and spoon sauce over fish. Let cook ½ hr. more on medium flame.
(optional: can add cooked chic peas as well).
Gefilte Fish from Argentina:
Grind fish. Saute onion. Add to fish along with eggs, salt and pepper and a little sugar if you want. Make balls and cook in boiling water, or bake in oven.
CHICKEN RECIPES:
CHICKEN EXOTICA:
Chop and fry one onion. Add 3 baked tomatoes (or just grated tomatoes) or can use 1 tbsp tomato paste dissolved in water. Add 1 cup water to onions. Simmer for 5 mins. Add 1 tbsp soya sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar. Add a little salt, oregano etc. Simmer for 10 mins. Pour sauce over chicken and bake covered for an hour.
APRICOT CHICKEN;
Slice thinly half an onion and put on bottom of baking pan. Add 2 cloves whole garlic. Put salted chicken slices over onions. In a bowl put 3 large tbsps apricot jam mixed with half a cup of water and pour over chicken. Add a bit more water to barely reach top of chicken. Cover and bake for an hour or so.
IRANIAN GHONDI SOUP
10 cups water
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional )
¹/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 pounds chicken parts-legs, thighs, breast – loose skin and fat discarded
1 cup dried chick-peas, soaked in water overnight, drained
Can also add one or two dried lemons to the soup.
Put together in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower flame and cook as a soup.
DUMPLINGS
1/2 c. ground, dried toasted chick-peas (or chic pea flour)
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
¼ teaspoon pepper
¹/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
½ medium onion, grated
2-3 tablespoons water as needed
Mix all the dumpling ingredients together preferably by hand, to make a moist dough Prepare dumpling balls 2 inches in diameter. This makes 10 balls. Add these one at a time to the simmering chicken soup and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 20 minutes. Serve the warm hot with chicken and dumplings can be served in the soup or separately out of soup. Serve with rice on the side.
CHICKEN AND RICE:
In a large baking pan with a cover put 2 cups of brown rice (or basmati rice, pre washed) and 2 tbsps of salt. Place pieces of chicken on top of rice (can season with whatever spices you like, or even with some type of sauce). Add about 3 or 4 cups of water to the rice. Cover pan and bake in oven until chicken is done and rice is soft. You can use white rice as well but brown rice comes out very delicious and healthier.Is great for serving a lot of guests. Can add more rice if you need, but you also need to add more water, about one cup or one and a half cups of water per cup of rice.
Chicken cholent (or “hamin” for sephardim): In a pot, saute half an onion in a bit of olive oil. add 2 cloves garlic. Add cumin seeds (or ground cumin), turmeric, a bit of curry powder. Then add a few pieces of chicken (can be legs or a mixture of legs and breast, as you prefer). Add salt. saute together a few mins. Add two stalks of celery chopped finely. If you like, you can add half a can of chic peas pre rinsed. Add water to cover the chicken and vegs. Start cooking. When it boils turn to low. After cooking for about half an hour to an hour, add 1/2 c. washed basmati rice . Add a bit more boiling water to make sure rice is well covered. You may need some more salt to compensate for the rice. add 3 eggs in the shell so they will cook in the juice. you can add the white part of a leek also to the pot for more flavor. Cook until rice is soft and everything is cooked but not over cooked. Put pot in the fridge until just before shabbat. then 10 mins before shabbat put it on the blech and you can add a bit of hot water to cover the rice to make sure it wont dry out by the next day. Serve the next day, for lunchtime meal. When serving, put out the eggs separately. then put out the chicken pieces. Then put out the rice . It is a light, easily digestible cholent. MEAT RECIPES:
MEAT KABOB:
Marinate meat in a combination of a little oil (olive oil is good), 1 grated onion, and possibly a little wine.
Let it sit several hours preferably. Season with salt and black pepper (and a little coriander if you like).
Put on kabob sticks and in between pieces of meat, put pieces of onion, tomato and pepper (optional). Grill until well done. Serve with fluffy white rice (basmati is best).
To make chopped meat kabob, take chopped meat, mix with half an onion well grated, a little salt and pepper, and form patties. Grill on the fire until well done. Can also grill tomatoes cut in half until they are well done and all acidity drips out. Serve with rice.
ROAST:
In a pot put sliced onions, some garlic and put the roast (string around is the best) on top. Add water to cover the roast, salt and pepper. Grate 3 tomatoes and put on top of roast, rub all over. Into the water add some sweet red wine. Cook a long time until soft, adding water as needed. It should have some juice left to spoon over roast when you serve. After it is done, cool and put in fridge. Later can slice the roast thin and warm it up in the sauce. Serve with rice or potatoes.
POTATO AND MEAT BALLS:
Slice up 8 potatoes and put in a pot. Add 2 tbsps tomato paste mixed with water. Add 2 persian dry lemons and some salt and pepper. Start cooking.
Make meatballs (one pound of meat) with chopped meat, salt, pepper (and is more delicious with onion grated inside). Or can first sauté onion, add meatballs to pan and then add tomato paste, potatoes and dry lemon. Cook until done. Should be a bit juicy but not too much water left at the end.
MEAT WITH WINE SAUCE:
Bake thin pieces of meat in oven until tender but not overly hard. Before cooking season with salt, pepper (or steak seasoning) and garlic salt if you like. Add a little water and cook preferably covered until done. (you can actually prepare any meat, even cooked meat on top of the stove, or roast thinly sliced etc. ) to serve with this wine sauce.
In a pan sauté ½ a sliced leek (or half an onion), then add ½ cup of sweet red wine mixed with ½ cup water,a bay leaf, salt, pepper and one spoon of flour. Stir the flour constantly, breaking apart any lumps that form, until the sauce thickens. If too thick add a bit of water. (you can also add sliced mushrooms to this and sauté the mushrooms with the leek).
Serve the sauce over the meat. Delicious with rice or potatoes as a side dish.
CAKES, COOKIES AND OTHER BAKED GOODIES:
DOUGHNUT RECIPE: for chanukah
6 cups flour
6 to 10 grams yeast (1 pkg basically)
6tbsps sugar
1tbsp vanilla (optional)
3eggs
2tsp salt
1¼ c. warm water (or 1 and a half cups)
6 tbsps oil
In a bowl put flour and yeast. Mix and make hole in middle. Put rest of ingredients in hole except for water. Mix on low speed. Slowly add water until it forms a dough. Let rise until doubled in size. Roll out 1 cm thick and cut rounds. Grease a board and put rounds on them and let rise another 20 mins. Heat oil in a pan and fry doughnuts turning over to cook on both sides. Remove and drain oil. Dry with napkins to absorb excess oil. Fill with custard and cover with melted chocolate. Or fill with jelly and dust with icing sugar.
ROSH HASHANAH HONEY CAKE
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 lemon (juice and rind)
1 orange (juice and rind)
5 cups flour (can be spelt flour or any type of flour you prefer)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
BRING TO A BOIL AND COOL:
1 cup strong, black coffee or tea
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
Beat eggs well, add melted and cooled shortening or oil, add fruit rind and juices. Add presifted dry ingredients alternately with coffee-honey mixture. Bake in a 9X12 inch loaf pan in a moderate oven (350 degrees) about 1 1/4 hours.
BAKLAVA (easy to make and very delicious and filling)
Take some sheets of filo dough (can cut in half lengthwise if too big).
In a blender grind up ½ cup almonds. Grind 1 cup walnuts. Add some cinnamon and 2 tsps of sugar. Can add a dash of nutmeg if you like, or perhaps cardamom.
Spread a couple of filo sheets in a pan and brush with oil (usually use margarine or butter but I prefer oil).
Add another few sheets and brush with oil. Then sprinkle on part of the nut mixture. Put another couple of filo sheets, brush with a little oil, add more sheets and brush with oil. Sprinkle on remaining nut mixture. Cover with more filo sheets brushed with oil. Cut without cutting through into diamond shaped pieces. Bake in oven until a little browned. Bakes quite fast so watch it does not burn.
Finish cutting and allow baklava to cool.
In a separate pot boil ¼ cup sugar with ½ cup water, half a lemon (squeeze the juice), and can add a drop or two of rose water if you like. Boil until it thickens. Remove from heat, add 2 spoons of honey and let cool a bit. When warm pour syrup over the baklava. Very delicious warm or cold.