Shabbat Gathering: Our recipes.

• Challah
• Matzah ball soup
• Homemade Toffee-Chocolate Matzah
• Chicken Marbella
• My Mother's Pot Roast
• Stuffed Onions With Meat and Carrots
• Chicken With Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice
• Passover Popovers

From Maria, Challah, via The New York Times.

Brian:  Maria is famous with our Shabbat Gathering for her Challah. Abraham made some following his Mom's recipe and sent me a loaf and it was so good! I was farklempt. Here, she reveals her "secret" recipe from The New York Times. As my grandmother-in-law would say, Nu ess.

Ingredients
1½ packages active dry yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil, more for greasing bowl

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon salt

8 to 8½ cups all-purpose flour

Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method
Step 1
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.

Step 2
Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)

Step 3
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.

Step 4
To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands.

Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with what is now the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.

Step 5
Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour in refrigerator if preferred.

Step 6
To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. (If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.) Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.

Step 7
Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.

From Lisi Schrimpf, Matzah Ball Soup.

I start with Streits matzah ball mix, using the highest quality olive oil I can find & adding 1/2 tsp cumin to the mix. Make according to package and form balls.

I then cook the balls in Better Than Boullion's roasted vegetable flavor stock (you need ~1 cup per matzah ball), with 3 coarsely chopped scallions and a few tablespoons of chopped parsley.

It's easy, semi-homemade and great for Passover but also good anytime you want a warm, cozy pick-me-up!!!

From Suzanne Swift, Homemade Toffee-Chocolate Matzah via Martha Stewart.

This lovely dessert, homemade toffee-chocolate matzah, offers a sweet take on the usual recipe and is a crowd-pleaser at Passover seders. Recipe is courtesy of Phillip Guttmann.

Ingredients

4 sheets unsalted non-egg matzah

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Coarse sea salt

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Step 2
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Place matzah in an even layer on baking sheet and set aside.

Step 3
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and immediately reduce temperature to low. Cook, stirring, adjusting heat as necessary, until sugar has completely dissolved and begins to bubble. Drizzle toffee over matzah and spread to cover using a spatula.

Step 4
Transfer toffee-covered matzah to oven and bake until toffee has a rich, shiny sheen, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Tent matzah with aluminum foil and let stand 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 5
Remove foil tent and spread melted chocolate over matzah to cover; sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer matzah to refrigerator and let chill at least 2 hours.

Step 6
Break chilled matzah into pieces. Matzah will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature

From Suzanne Swift, Chicken Marbella, from the Silver Palate Cookbook.

Ingredients

2 chickens, 2 1/2 pounds each, quartered, bone-in, skin-on (or 5 pounds of chicken pieces)

Cloves from 1/2 head garlic, finely puréed

2 tablespoons dried oregano

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pitted prunes

8 large pitted Spanish green olives, cut in half

1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Method

Marinate the chicken:
In a large bowl combine garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves. Add the chicken pieces and coat completely with the marinade. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare the chicken in one or two baking pans:
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over the pieces evenly. Sprinkle brown sugar over the chicken and pour white wine around them.

Bake until done:
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, basting frequently with the pan juices. Chicken is done when a sharp knife inserted into the thigh pieces at their thickest point run with clear yellow juices (not pink).

Serve with pan juices:
With a slotted spoon, move the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Pour some of the pan juices over the chicken and sprinkle generously with parsley.

Serve the remaining juices in a gravy boat on the side.

From Brian Johnson, My Mother's Pot Roast.

My mother was a working woman. She taught public school for years and years. After she retired, Mom was a governess for a family for years and years more. In other words, she had neither the time nor the inclination to cook after a hard day at work. What she wanted was something easy and when the crock pot came came on the market, she considered it a big blessing.

Not everything she fished out of the crock pot was good. In particular, I remember an incident with barbequed hot dogs. Vividly. But there was one meal that was our favorite and, when I had a family, it was their favorite too: Pot roast. It's easy and absolutely foolproof. And this is how it goes.

Ingredients

One pot roast

Two packages of Lipton Onion Soup mix

Miniature potatoes

Large carrots

Pitted prunes (This was my addition after I was introduced to tzimmes.)

Method

After you've had your first cup of coffee in the morning...

Create a layer on the bottom of the crockpot with the potatos with their skins on, large chunks of unpeeled carrots, and some prunes. Fill until there's just enough room on top for the pot roast.

Put about an inch of water into the crock pot.

Sprinkle one package of onion soup mix on top of this layer.

Put the pot roast on top of this layer.

Sprinkle the second package of onion soup mix on top of the pot roast.

Add more prunes around the edges.

Different crockpots run at different temperatures, but I set mine on medium heat.

Let time pass and the aroma of your creation will fill the house.

Check the roast around 3p. If done, reduce the heat to warm until dinner. If it isn't done, just let it cook some more until it is.

Don't overcook. The roast is best if there's still some pink in the middle.

And don't worry about carving the roast because it is already falling apart and very moist. No knives are needed.

If you want au jus, it's waiting for you in the crock pot.

As my grandmother-in-law z”l would say, "Nu ess." Now eat.

Note regarding the tzimmes thing: Leave the prunes in or take them out. Put sweet potatoes in or leave them out. Make it more like tzimmes or not. Parsnips? Why not. It's your creation. Make it your own!

From Brian Johnson, Stuffed Onions With Meat and Carrots, via Chabbad.

Usually, I try to avoid recipes that involve a lot of preparation, but this one is an exception. Mom and I love onions.

Ingredients

4 large Spanish onions

1 lb. ground beef

2 large loose carrots (or 4-5 bagged ones)

1 large parsnip

2 small yellow onions.

¼ cup olive oil

Salt

Method

1. Peel the Spanish onions and keep whole. Make one slit in each onion from the outside to the center. Place the onions in a pot and cover with water. Cook until onions are soft enough to separate the layers without tearing. Drain and place the onions in cold water.
2. Peel and grate the parsnip, carrots, and yellow onions. Saute in the olive oil, in a wide skillet, until soft. Salt to taste.
3. Pre-heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
4. Place the ground beef in a bowl and add a generous scoop of the sauteed vegetable mixture and a pinch or two of salt. Mix through so that it is evenly distributed. (Save the rest of the vegetable mixture for serving.)
5. Gently separate the layers of onions and start filling them. Place a spoonful of filling in each, and roll up. Continue until the layers get too small to fill.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan, and place the stuffed onions in the pan in a single layer. Cook on each side until golden, then transfer to the oven for 10-12 minutes to make sure the filling is cooked through. (Cut one open to check.)
7. Spread the remaining sauteed carrot and parsnips on a platter, and top with the cooked stuffed onions. Serve hot. Goes well with mashed potatoes.

Yields: Approximately 20.

From Valerie Hickman, Chicken With Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice an adaptation by Julia Moskin in the New York Times of a recipe from Ottolenghi/Tamimi's Jerusalem

This is delicious for Rosh Hashanah dinner. Serves 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 ¼ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs or legs and quarters

salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 cardamom pods

Rounded 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

2 long cinnamon sticks, broken in two

¼ cup currants

1 cup basmati rice

1 ½ cups boiling water

1 ½ tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method

Heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.

Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper. Add the remaining olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well. Heat the frying pan again and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear chicken for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan (this is important as it part-cooks the chicken). The spices can stay in the pan, but don’t worry if they stick to the chicken. Remove most of the remaining oil as well, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Add the rice, caramelized onion, currants, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.

Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the parsley and use a fork to stir it in and fluff up the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve hot or warm.

From Jess Clayton, Passover Popovers via My Jewish Learning.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups matzah meal
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 7 large eggs

Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.

- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with oil or cooking spray.

- Add oil, water, sugar, and salt to a large pot and bring the liquids to a boil. Simmer for a minute until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove the pot from the heat and use a wooden spoon to quickly mix in the matzah meal and turmeric.

- Allow the matzah meal mixture to cool until it is warm to the touch. If the mixture is too hot it can scramble your eggs!

- Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in each egg with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.

- Fill each muffin tin ¾ full. You will have enough for about 16-18 popovers, more if you use a smaller-sized muffin tin. Cook the popovers in batches, one tray at a time.

- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

- Bake for 35 minutes or until crisped and golden brown. If you prefer to use a smaller-sized muffin tin, bake for 25 minutes. Can be served warm or at room temperature.