Ethnic Recipes
Fruited Noodle Kugel
Servings: 16
4 cups flat, wide egg noodles
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups Plain Yogurt
8 oz. cottage cheese, beaten until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar, not packed
Preheat oven to 375mF. Boil noodles until barely tender. Beat or process eggs, yogurt, cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey until smooth. Add apples and drained noodles; mix until combined. Turn into a well-buttered casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs, cinnamon, and brown sugar and spread on top. Dot with butter and bake for 35 minutes.
Meringue Shells
Servings: 14
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons warm water
1 cup flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar
Beat eggs well. Add baking powder, salt, sugar, vinegar, oil, and water. Mix well. Add flour; mix until flour is moistened. Preheat oil to 375mF. Knead very lightly on a floured surface, adding more flour if necessary, until dough is workable. Cut off small pieces; roll into thin rectangular shapes. Fry until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Makes about 5 to 6 dozen.
Creme Patissiere
Jewish Bagels
Servings: 12
1-1/2 cups warm water
1 package dry active yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
4 - 6 cups flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon cool water
Poppy or sesame seeds, optional
Mix warm water with yeast, sugar, and salt; let stand 5 minutes. Gradually add the flour until you have a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until elastic and smooth, adding more flour as necessary. Place in a greased bowl, rotating dough to grease underside. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and knead lightly. Shape into bagels by rolling approximately 1/2 cup dough into a 7-inch long strand and then pinching the ends firmly together. Place on greased cookie sheets with ample space between bagels. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Boil 5 inches of water in a large pot. Reduce the heat and let simmer. Gently lift bagels one at a time and drop into the water. Turn them immediately and let simmer 2 minutes until puffy, but not disintegrating. Do not crowd too many into the pot at once. Remove bagels and set on a towel to drain and cool.
Preheat oven to 375oF. Place cooled bagels on a greased baking sheet. Brush with egg that has been beaten with cool water. Sprinkle with seeds if desired. Bake 30-40 minutes.
Kneidlach (Matzoh Balls)
Servings: 20
3/4 cup matzoh flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 small onion, chopped and sauted in 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cold water
Soup
Mix the ingredients in the order listed. Form the mixture into small balls and drop into boiling soup. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Latkes
1 onion
1 pound baking potatoes
1 egg
3 tablespoons flour
Oil
Grate onion. Peel potatoes and grate them. Combine onion and potatoes; rinse and drain in a sieve. Squeeze out excess liquid. Put in a bowl and stir in egg and flour. Heat about 1/4-inch of oil in a large frying pan. Drop about 2 tablespoons batter for each latke into hot oil, making several latkes at a time. Cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes a side. Drain on paper towels.
Variation
Eliminate 1 tablespoon flour from the recipe. Substitute one apple for the onion. Peel and chop the apple. Proceed as above.
Passover Apple Fritters
Servings: 4
1 cup matzoh meal
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
3 medium apples, peeled and diced
Oil for deep frying
Sugar and cinnamon
Mix matzoh meal, eggs, oil, and water. Add apples; blend well. Drop by spoonfuls into deep hot oil; fry until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Server hot or cold.
Passover Brownies
Servings: 16
"Necessity is the mother of invention," so they say. I created this recipe during Passover 1996. I did not have the ingredients which were required for any of the recipes in my Jewish cookbooks. I combined two recipes to create this recipe.
1/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 bitter-sweet chocolate, kosher candy bars
1/2 cup matzoh cake meal
Preheat oven to 350mF. Break chocolate bars into small pieces. Melt chocolate in a small mixing bowl placed in 1-inch deep hot water. Set chocolate aside. Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at time, mixing well. Add cake meal and mix well. Spread in a greased, 8-inch square pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
Kitchen Tips
Matzoh cake meal, which may be purchased in either bulk food stores or in specialty food stores, gives this recipe its "nutty" flavour
To combine recipes, first, compare a number of similar recipes. Essential ingredients will be common to all of the recipes. Even essential ingredients can be altered, such as decreasing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar. Change non-essential ingredients freely. Practice makes perfect and eventually you'll get the hang of it.
Vegetable "Meatballs"
Vegetable "Meatballs"
Servings: 8
14 oz. (397 g) falafel mix (about 2-1/2 cups)
2 cups water
Vegetable oil for frying
In medium mixing bowl, add two cups water to falafel mix. Stir until mix is moist. Set mixture aside for 1 hour. Heat oil 1/2-inch deep to 400mF in an electric deep fryer. Wet hands with water. Form mixture into balls 1/2-inch in diameter. Gently place balls in oil. Place as many balls in oil as you wish, as long as balls do not touch. When undersides are golden brown, turn balls over. Fry until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted metal spoon and drain on paper towels. Makes about 40 balls.
Soft Guanaco
250 ml fresh cream
500 g semi-sweet chocolate
Melt diced bits of semi-sweet chocolate. Boil with cream.
Coffee Chicken
Servings: 8
Try serving this recipe with Orange Vegetable Rice (see page ; the colours and tastes contrast beautifully.
8 pieces of chicken
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350mF. Place the chicken in a shallow oven-proof dish. Mix the other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until the chicken is tender. Baste and turn chicken occasionally.
Kitchen Tip
This sauce is also very good with lamb chops.
Leeks
Jeremy's father introduced me to leeks. He grows them in his garden. They are easy to grow (even I have grown them), and they are very hardy: perfect for our northern climate. Leeks are a dietary staple of Turkey, his birthplace. I had heard of but had never tasted leeks before I met Jeremy's father. He tried to convince me that they are "good value for the money", they taste wonderful, and they are very versatile. I was not convinced at the time. Since then, I have begun to cook with leeks to introduce Jeremy to his father's culture. Try leeks in the late spring, summer, and fall when they are abundant and affordable. Prepare leek by removing green tops of leeks (to within 2 inches of white part), and bottom 1/4 of the bulb. Prepared leeks may be frozen to be used throughout the year.
Leek Patties
Servings: 3
1 leek, medium or large
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
Oil for frying
Dice leek. Clean leek thoroughly by placing diced leek in a colander and running water over it. Cook leek, in enough water to cover, until tender; drain well. Mix leek, egg, and flour. Heat oil. Drop a few tablespoons of batter in a mound into the oil. Flatten with a spatula. Several patties may be cooked at once. Fry patties on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Passover Leek Patties
Servings: 3
1 leek, medium or large
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup matzoh meal
Oil for frying
Dice leek. Clean leek thoroughly by placing diced leek in a colander and running water over it. Cook leek, in enough water to cover, until tender. Drain well. Mix leek, egg, and matzoh meal. Chill mixture. Form mixture into patties. Fry patties on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Leek and Potato Soup
Servings: 4
2 leeks, 1-1/2 to 2-inches in diameter
3 tablespoons margarine
2 potatoes, medium-large, diced
3 cups water
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Remove green tops from leeks, to within 2 inches of white part, and bottom 1/4 inch of bulb. Coarsely chop leeks. Rinse chopped leeks thoroughly in a colander to remove soil. Melt butter in a large cooking pot. Saute leeks in butter for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup of water; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add potato and 2 cups of water; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add milk; cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Do not boil.
Nutritional Tip
Leave skins on potatoes whenever possible and dice entire potatoes.
Variation
Dissolve 4 chicken bouillon cubes in 1 cup water and add to leeks and margarine.
Leek au Gratin
Source: Jeremy's paternal family, adapted from a published variation of the same recipe.
Servings: 6
Jeremy's father gave me this recipe orally a number of years ago. It is an old family recipe. Later, I found a more detailed version of the recipe in a recipe book published by a foundation as a fundraiser. It had been submitted by a member of Jeremy's paternal family.
3 leeks, 1-inch diameter (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup matzoh meal or bread crumbs
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
Pepper to taste
Topping:
1/4 cup parmesan or mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup matzoh meal or bread crumbs
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 350mF. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Dice leeks. Clean leeks thoroughly by placing diced leeks in a colander and running water over them. Cook leeks, in enough boiling water to cover, until tender. Drain; set aside to cool slightly. Mix with cheddar cheese, matzoh meal, margarine, and pepper. Spread mixture evenly on bottom of pan. Combine ingredients for topping. Sprinkle mixture in pan with topping. Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Variations
Dice 2 pounds of fresh spinach; wash thoroughly. Do not cook spinach before mixing it with the other ingredients.
Try different varieties of cheddar cheese or other cooking cheeses, such as feta, romano, and swiss. Let your budget and tastes dictate your choices. I dislike sharp cheeses and, consequently, I do not bake with old cheddar cheese.
Kitchen Tip
Let your tastes and the season of the year dictate whether you make this recipe with leeks or spinach. Leeks can be outrageously expensive throughout the winter and early spring but they are affordable in the summer and in late fall whereas fresh spinach is generally affordable throughout the year. Leeks will contrast in taste with sharp cheeses, whereas spinach will contrast in taste with mild cheeses.
Turkish Coffee
Servings: 1
1 teaspoon finely ground coffee
1 teaspoon sugar
Water
Place the coffee and sugar in a feenjan and mix them together well. Add water (the measure of a serving cup plus a little more), stir well. Bring the coffee to a boil. When the foam on the top begins to rise high, remove the coffee from the heat until it settles and repeat the process once. Pour into a demi-tasse, spooning in some of the foam. The coffee dregs will sink to the bottom of the cup; do not stir them up. Serve immediately. Multiply this recipe by whatever number is required for more than one cup and proceed as above.
CAUTION: This mixture boils over easily.
Kitchen Tip
A feejan is perfect as a potpourri burner.
Turkish Delight
Servings: 64
3 envelopes plain gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Few drops vegetable colouring
Flavouring, as desired
1/4 cup icing sugar
Soften gelatine in cold water 5 minutes. Bring sugar and hot water to boiling point. Add salt and gelatine and stir until gelatine has dissolved. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Add lemon juice, colouring, and flavouring. Allow mixture to stand until it begins to thicken. Stir again and then pour about 1-inch deep into shallow baking dish that has been rinsed with cold water. Let stand overnight in cool place. Moisten sharp knife in boiling water. Cut into squares. Roll each piece in icing sugar.
CAUTION: This mixture boils over very easily.
Uclu Yumurta (Peaked Pie)
Servings: 4
If Mother Hubbard's cupboard is getting bare, regard it as an opportunity. Make an inventory of the ingredients in your cupboards and refrigerator. Go through your recipes and discover what you can make with the ingredients that you have on hand. It was during one such time in my life that I discovered Peaked Pie.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon margarine
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-2/3 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup Plain Yogurt
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 350mF. Heat oil and margarine in a small frying pan. Add onion and saute until translucent. In a mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes, onion, half of the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Spread the potato mixture in an even layer in a buttered, shallow baking dish. Make four, evenly-spaced hollows in the potato mixture. Separate the eggs. Drop a yolk into each of the hollows, reserving the whites. If you prefer eggs yolks which are set, bake potato mixture and egg yolks until the eggs are partially set, about 7 minutes. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until stiff but not dry; add remaining Parmesan cheese. Set aside four tablespoons of the egg white mixture. Spread the rest of the egg whites over the potato mixture and egg yolks. Drop 1 tablespoon of egg whites on top of each egg yolk, forming a peak. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Divide into 4 sections, each one including an egg yolk.
Marikli Torte
spatzlein (little sparrows)
I recall very little about my high school graduation; however, I do remember dinner at Leo's Supper Club in Saint John, New Brunswick. Meals with an European flair are served there, in an intimate atmosphere, before a roaring fire in a stone fireplace. Appointments for dinner should be made well in advance; the Club is not open every evening, and menu items are expensive, but the quality, quantity and presentation of the food makes for a memorable evening. This particular dish stands out in my mind. You can find packaged, instant spatzlein in delicatessens and specialty food stores.
Servings: 6
Adapted from a recipe in Favorite Family Recipes from the Mennonite Community Cookbook by Mary Emma Showalter.
1 egg
1 cup water
2-1/2 cups flour
2 quarts boiling water
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
Pulse egg in food processor until thoroughly beaten. Add water and pulse until well blended. Add flour and process until smooth. Boil water and salt and drop spatzlein into water by tilting bowl in a position that it can be cut as it pours over edge of bowl. The spatzlein should be an inch long and 1/4-inch in diameter. Cook for 3 minutes after batter is all in the water. Drain in colander. Saute in butter, if desired.
LAMBBURGERS
Servings: 4
Many types of meat and pultry are commonly available as ground-up meat.
0.210 kg ground lamb ($1.85)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon relish
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 slice of bread, finely torn apart
1 egg, beaten
Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Using your left hand, scoop up enough of the mixture to fit in the palm of your hand. Using your right hand, flatten mound slightly and slightly rotate mixture. Round side of pattie using your right thumb. Continue to rotate pattie and round side of pattie until you have a round and uniform pattie. Push right thumb in centre of pattie half-way through, forming a well. Fill well with a dab of margarine. Cover margarine with a little of the remaining mixture. Seal edges of well. Heat small skillet on medium-high heat. Gently place patties in pan. Fry on each side until brown, turning only once.
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Copyright Rexanna M. Keats 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. All Rights Reserved.
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