Indian Chicken with Apricots

I once had a fight with a stranger on a New Jersey Transit train because I insisted I wasn’t Punjabi, and he thought I must have been. “I am from Punjab and all of the ladies there look like you!” He yelled at me. Well, sorry. He was quite adamant that we converse in Punjabi, too, a language that I do not speak. And we were getting along in English just fine (well, maybe not getting along, but communicating.)! Continue reading

Lamb and Leek Hotpot

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Hope all of you in Sandy’s path (like us!) are staying safe and have enough projects to entertain you on this second day at home! If you happen to have lamb, leeks and potatoes at home, I have a dinner idea for you:

This is becoming one of my favorite dishes. It takes too long to cook be a regular weeknight meal, but it’s all made in one pot (my Dutch oven), it can be made ahead and it’s definitely a special enough for a celebration. Don’t worry, it’s mostly waiting around in the oven time, so you can watch a movie while it cooks, you don’t have to sit in the kitchen all night.

Lamb is usually a treat for us, but it’s not expensive to buy shoulder chops or stew meat, and the long cooking time makes the meat super soft. Leeks are totally underrated. I don’t use them enough, even though they play a part in many of my favorite dishes, including this ginger fried rice. It’s called a lamb and leek hotpot, but potatoes also play a key role in it; they soak up all of the delicious lamb flavor and all of the leek juices. Mm, amazing!

I’ve actually never had or even heard of a hotpot before, but it’s basically lamb and vegetables, surrounded by potatoes. Thanks, Greedy Gourmet for introducing me to this delicious Lancashire pub grub!

Now, the first time I made this, I was smart and bought boneless meat. That’s what I thought I bought the second time around, until I got home and realized there were bones in my stew meat. Oops! Just as delicious, but a little more annoying to eat. Also, I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes, I was too lazy. And if you’re feeling lazy, you’re better off skipping the potato-peeling than the leek-frying! This is a crucial step. Do not skip it.

Your kitchen is about to smell so good!

Lamb and Leek (and Potato) Hotpot from Greedy Gourmet
Serves 6ish

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 leeks, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 to 2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 medium “waxy” potatoes (about 1 3/4 lbs) (I used yukon golds)
  • chopped thyme
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or another pot that can go on the stove and in the oven. Add the leeks and onions, coat with oil, cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Uncover, salt, remove the leeks and onions to a bowl and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, lightly coat the lamb with the flour. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot and brown the meat on all sides (in batches, if necessary) with the garlic, salt and pepper. Remove from pot and set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350.
  4. Layer half the potatoes on the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Add half the leeks on top. Then add all of the meat, the rest of the leeks, and finally, arrange the rest of the potatoes nicely on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme, then pour in the broth and the wine.
  5. Turn the fire on, bring to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven to cook for about an hour and 50 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

Apple Cake

This recipe is for a Rosh Hashana apple cake, but I made it a little too late for the holiday. Still, it’s fall, so we’re going to be eating a lot of apples. I have been using Food52 a lot for finding recipes, and I liked how this one was already parevified for me! I mean, it would be delicious with melted butter in place of the vegetable oil, don’t get me wrong, but I served it after a meat Shabbat dinner.

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Salmon and Israeli Couscous with Herbs and Tomatoes

I don’t think we share enough fish recipes around here. Sure, we recently gave you a sweet and crunchy fish, and a while back posted some salmon, but this recipe is an entire meal in one. And it’s a very different way of cooking salmon (at least I’ve never cooked salmon this way before, have you). I don’t even like tomatoes, and I loved the couscous in this. Continue reading

Asian Style Short Ribs

I know I own a barbecue and use it all the time. But sometimes, you just want to stay in your kitchen. And I know some of you don’t have barbecues, so I had to use a recipe that you guys can make, too. Oh, and you should make these. Zeke said it’s the best meat he’s ever eaten, and he loves meat, especially ribs. Continue reading

Blueberry Pie

I told you I like baking pies! While I usually stick with whatever fruit has been on the counter a little too long, or my go-to recipe of peach pie with a few blueberries thrown in, there’s always something special about blueberry pie. Yes, it takes a little longer to make, since you have to cook the blueberries separately, but since there’s no cutting or chopping involved, it probably evens out.

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Rolled Brisket With Spinach + Winner!!

I told you I’d have something a little bit more fancy from the Bais Yaakov Cookbook! This recipe popped out at me the first time I leafed through the Bais Yaakov Cookbook. I love brisket, and this recipe was so different than anything I’ve made before, I just had to try it.

And the winner is…

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Ever since I bought a new cupcake carrier, I have been wanting to bake cupcakes every chance  I get. I mean, why not, now that I have a handy way to transport them. Invited out for Shabbat dinner? Instead of making cookies or cakes, I bring cupcakes.  These are a hit just because who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookie dough?  Continue reading

Rib Roast with Onions in Red Wine Sauce

This was my first time making a rib roast! So, if you’re a newbie, I’m here to tell you that this isn’t a hard recipe, and you should definitely try it! Okay, so I know these things look intimidating, and you might just glance right by them at the butcher. OR, you might love them, but not want to risk wasting all that money on something that might come out kind of tough. Well, it’s not as hard as you think, and I even made mine without my handy thermometer! So try it.

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Passover Lemon Meringue Pie

What? A normal dessert just for Passover? Yup, that’s right. There’s nothing chametz about lemon meringue pie, except the crust, and that’s easily changeable! It’s also inherently pareve, so you can bring it to your seder and impress everyone. It’s definitely a refreshing citrus-y bite to such a heavy seder meal. Trust me, I made this last year for the first seder and everyone was shocked! there were two other cakes on that table, and they didn’t get touched. People only ate this one, and at the end of the night, only two slices remained. So yeah, it’s delicious.

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