Recipes

All the recipes in this chapter are recipes from my wife's recipe files. We have eaten of these recipes many times in our long marriage. With her wonderful knack of cooking she has adopted many recipes that we would otherwise be unable to partake of to a dish we enjoy very much. I do wish every family could be blessed with a woman as great as my household has been blessed with.

If you have a recipe or two you would like to share with us on this page please send it to the Web Master or to: Secretary

A. CHALLAH

5 Pounds Flour
2 ounces fresh yeast and
1 package dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 sticks margarine
2 1/3 cups boiling water
2 tbsps. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs

GLAZE

1 egg, beaten
Poppy seeds

Dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water until it bubbles in a small bowl. In a large bowl, place margarine and pour boiling water over it and stir until margarine is melted. Add salt and sugar. Let cool for a few minutes and beat in eggs. Add the bubbling yeast. Gradually add flour. Knead in for 10 minutes. If dough is too moist add a little more flour.

When ready to rise, smear top of dough with oil, cover and let rise for 1 hour. Separate a small portion, about the size of your fist, ( say blessing) of dough known as "Challis" from the whole dough. Shape and let rise another hour. Brush with beaten egg to glaze. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour for large Challis, 1/2 hour for smaller Challis and rolls.

Blessing

Blessed are you Lord our Lord thy God, Creator of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to separate the Challis from the dough.

When you prepare a batch of dough that is at least 3 pounds 10.7 ounces, you must remove a *kazayis piece of dough and recite the above blessing. This piece is then burned. If the dough weights less than 3 pounds 10.7 ounces the Kazayis is removed but the blessing is not recited.

* kazayis is a piece of dough about the size of your fist.

B. Chicken and Dumplings.

1 2 1/2 to 3 pound chicken
4 chicken bullion cubes if a fryer is used
1/4 teaspoon Salt & Pepper
2 table spoons Season all
2 1/2 cups sifted flour

In a large pot put the whole chicken cover with water 3 inches above the chicken. Add seasoning. Bring to a boil let cook until chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. take chicken out of the broth and let cool in refrigerator or freezer. While chicken is cooling. Take out three cups of the broth and add two cups of cold water to it. add to flour mixture a little at a time until the dough becomes elastic textured. On a heavily floured board make a small well of flour in the middle add about four heaping tablespoons of the dough and knead until it can be rolled out. Roll out to pie crust thin. Cut into strips one inch wide, then cut across ways into two inch pieces. Make sure the Broth on the stove is in a slow boil add the dumplings a few at a time spreading them across the broth. Stir after each addition of dumplings. When all dumplings are in the pot turn the heat down stirring every so often let cook for fifteen minutes turn off heat. Then remove chicken from cooling place and debone the chicken add chicken to the dumplings. Check seasoning for taste stir one last time and serve and enjoy.

C. Smooth Potato Salad.

6 Boiled Eggs
8 Large Potatoes
1/2 cup Bell Peppers chopped fine
1/2 cup Celery chopped fine
1/2 cup Green Onions
1 two oz. jar chopped pametoes
1 1/2 cups Kraft Sandwich Spread
1 cup Kraft Salad Dressing
1/4 cup Yellow Mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (can use white)

Peal potatoes cut into 1 inch cubs. Wash and place in five quart sauce pan cover with water add salt, wash eggs and add to top of potatoes (to boil the eggs at the same time), cover and bring to a boil. Cook until Potatoes are tender and break a part easily with a fork. Remove and rinse eggs let cool. Drain the Potatoes take a potato masher and mash until smooth. In a small pot put Bell Peppers, Celery, Green Onions, bring to a boil cook for three minutes. Drain add to potatoes. Peal and dice the eggs. Add to potatoes add all other ingredients mix well serve and enjoy.

D. Corn Bread.

1 1/2 cups of Corn meal
1 cup sifted Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2 table spoons Baking Power
1/4 cup Sugar ( sugar may be omitted)
1 1/2 cups Butter Milk
1 cup Water

Mix in bowl all dry ingredients mix well add butter milk and water mix until smooth. In a nine inch baking pan melt three tablespoons of shortening add about half to mixture and stir in well. Leave the rest in the baking pan. Pour into the heated and greased pan, smooth out evenly. Bake at 375 about twenty five minutes until golden brown and will spring back when pushed in the middle. Cut or break and serve. Enjoy.

E. Potato Pancakes.

6 Medium size Potatoes
1 small onion (optional)
2 eggs slightly beaten
3 tablespoon Flour
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

Peel and grate Potatoes and onion. Let stand 15 minutes so that liquid will rise to top. Remove liquid. Stir in eggs. Add other ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls into a hot well-greased skillet. Brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper or towel. Serve hot with toppings or by it's self. Suggested toppings are Apple Sauce, Sugar, or sour cream.

F. Chew Bread.

This stuff is the BEST! Be prepared to make more.

1 ( 16 oz) Package of light brown sugar.
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup chopped Pecans ( can use other nuts or none at all)

Combine sugar and eggs in a heavy sauce pan, stirring well:; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add remaining

ingredients, stirring mixture well.

Spoon mixture in to a greased and floured 15 X 10 X 1 inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 400 Degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool, and cut into squares.

Yield: about 3 dozen.

This recipe is well over a 100 years old.

G. Raised Doughnuts.

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast
1 egg, beaten
3 1/4 cups flour

Shortening for frying

Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. Measure warm water into warm, large mixing bowl. Sprinkle or crumble yeast; stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture, eggs and half the flour. Beat until smooth. stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Roll out about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Handle doughnuts as little as possible to prevent falling. Fry in deep fat (375 degrees) for 2 to 3 minutes or until brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper. While warm, dip in Doughnut Glaze or cinnamon-sugar.

Makes about 20 doughnuts.

Doughnut Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Dip warm doughnuts into glaze. Drain on rack set over waxed paper or platter to catch icing so it may be reused.

H. Fruit Cocktail Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (17 oz.) can fruit Cocktail, undrained

Topping ( recipe follows)

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl; mix well. Stir in fruit cocktail. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13" X 9" X 2" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and immediately spoon the topping over cake. Cool completely. Cut into squares to serve. Yield: 1 13" X 9" cake.

Topping

1 (5.33 -ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup chopped pecans

Combine milk, sugar, and butter in a medium sauce pan; mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in chopped pecans. Yield: enough for 1 13" X 9" cake.

I. Pumpkin Bread.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powers
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Sift together first 6 ingredients, Beat eggs slightly in a bowl; stir in pumpkin, sugar, milk, and melted butter, mixing well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Spread in a well-greased 9" X 5" X 3" loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 50 to 55 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and cool completely. Makes 1 loaf.

J. Bagels

Why buy store bought Bagels that you don't know when they were made when you can make your own bagels.

Makes 11:

3½ cups (500g) bread flour
1 envelope "fast action" dried yeast
1½ teaspoons salt
1½-2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, plus a drop more to grease the dough
About ½ cup lukewarm water
1 egg white to glaze

In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar well. Then mix in the egg and the oil and add the water gradually, working it in with your hand--enough to make a soft dough that holds together in a ball. Add more water if necessary, or more flour if it is too sticky.

Turn the dough out and knead on a floured board for 10-15 minutes, until it is very smooth and elastic. Grease the dough all over by putting a drop of oil in the bowl and rolling the dough around in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 1½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down and knead again briefly. An easy way of shaping the bagels into rings is to roll out the dough to a rectangle about 1 inch (2½ cm) thick and cut it into 11 equal strips with a pointed knife. Roll each strip between your palms into a rope about 7 inches (18 cm) long and ½ inch (1½ cm) thick and bring the ends together, pinching them to seal and form a bracelet. Place the rings on an oiled surface, and let them rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Bring plenty of water to a boil in a wide pan, then lower the heat to medium. Slip in 4 bagels at a time. Boil them for 1-2 minutes, turning them over once as they rise to the top. Then lift them out quickly with a slotted spoon and place them on a cloth to dry. Do the same with the rest of the bagels. Arrange on oiled baking sheets, brush with egg white, and bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, until nicely browned.

VARIATIONS

" Sprinkle the bagels lightly with poppy or sesame seeds, fried onion, or coarse salt before baking.

" Another way of shaping the bread is to roll it into small balls, make a hole in the middle, and widen it by pulling the ring from the center.

" If you want to make the bagels in the old way, without the egg, you will simply need to add a little more warm water to bind the flour.

K. Blintzes

Cream cheese pancakes

MAKES 12

Blintzes are of Hungarian origin. Pancakes of every kind with various fillings, called "palacsinta," are common in Hungary. This one was adopted as a specialty of Shavuot, when it is customary to eat dairy dishes. It is a magnificent sweet and one of my favorites.

For the Pancakes

1 cup (150 g) flour
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) milk
2/3 cup (150 ml) water
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil plus more for greasing the pan

For the Filling

1 lb (500 g) curd cheese
1/2 lb (250 g) cream cheese
1/2 cup (100 g) or more sugar, to taste
Zest of 1-1/2 lemons
3 egg yolks
A few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
3/4 cup (100 g) currants or raisins soaked in a little rum for 1/2 hour (optional)
2-3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Confectioners' sugar to sprinkle on (optional)
2 teaspoons cinnamon to sprinkle on (optional)

Sour cream to pass around

Add the milk and water to the flour gradually, beating vigorously. Add the egg, salt, and oil and beat the batter until smooth. Leave to rest for 1-2 hours.

Heat a preferably nonstick frying pan--with a bottom not wider than 8 inches (20 cm)--and grease very slightly with oil. Pour about half the pan around until its entire surface is covered with batter. The batter and the resulting pancake should be thin. As soon as the pancake is slightly browned and detached, turn it over with a spatula and cook a moment only on the other side. Continue until all the batter is used and put the pancakes in a pile.

For the filling, blend the curd and cream cheese with the sugar, lemon zest, egg yolks, and vanilla, if you like, in a food processor. Then stir in the raisins, if using.

Take each pancake, 1 at a time, put 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on the bottom half, fold the edge of the pancake over the filling, tuck in the sides so that it is trapped, and roll up into a slim roll. Place the rolls side by side in a greased oven dish. Sprinkle with butter and bake in a preheated 375 F (190 C) oven for 20 minutes.

Serve hot, dusted with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon, if you like, and pass the sour cream for people to help themselves if they want to.

Variations

For an apple filling: Peel and core 2 lbs (1 kg) apples. Steam in a pan with the lid on and only a drop of water. Then puree and sweeten with sugar to taste, and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a few gratings of nutmeg.

For a cherry filling: Pit 2 lbs (1 kg) cherries and steam them in a pan with the lid on. Some mix this with 1/2 cup (75 g) ground almonds and 2 or 3 drops of almond extract.

L. Borscht

A recipe for traditional cold beet soup

SERVES 6
2 lbs (1 kg) raw beets
A little salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
6 peeled boiled potatoes (optional)
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream to pass around

Peel the beets and dice them. If they are young, that is easy to do. If they are old and too hard to dice, simply cut them in half and, when they have softened with boiling, lift them out, cut them up, and put them back in the pan. Put the beets in a pan with 9 cups (2 liters) of water and salt and pepper and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.

Let the soup cool, then chill, covered, in the refrigerator. Add the lemon and sugar to taste before serving (these could be added when the soup is hot, but it is more difficult to determine the intensity of the flavoring). Remove some of the beet pieces with a slotted spoon if it seems like there are too many of them and keep them for a salad.

Serve, if you like, with a boiled potato, putting one in each plate. Pass around the sour cream for all to help themselves.

VARIATIONS

When the soup is served with meat to follow, and the sour cream cannot be added, it is usual to thicken it with two egg yolks. Beat them in a bowl, add a little of the boiling soup, beat well, and pour into the pan, beating all the time. Take off the heat at once, before the soup curdles.

There are dozens of different Russian and Ukrainian borschts. These are rich hot soups made with a number of ingredients, including meat, cabbage and potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and parsnips, sometimes spinach or sorrel, tomatoes or mushrooms, leeks, dried beans, apples, and dried fruit. The common ingredient, which gives them their name and their color, is beets.

M. Cheesecake

A favorite dessert for Shavuot or year-round

SERVES 8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
6 eggs, separated
1 pound cream cheese
1 pound sour cream
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 300. Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Melt the butter and combine with the graham cracker crumbs. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Save some crumbs.

Combine the egg yolks, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and flour. Beat very well until light and fluffy.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker crumbs.

Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave cake in the oven 1 additional hour. Then leave the oven door ajar 30 minutes more.

N. Chick Peas for Purim

A recipe for a vegetarian hors d'oeuvre or side dish

Makes about 2 cups
One 20-ounce can chick peas or garbanzo beans
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place the chick peas with the liquid from the can in a saucepan. Simmer a few minutes, until heated through.

2. Drain the water. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve in a dish with toothpicks, or eat the chick peas as you would sunflower seeds or peanuts.

O. Compote

A recipe for a Passover fruit dessert, side dish, or topping

Compote: The sweet antidote to too much matzah! Here's a mix that makes a delicious liquid as well.

1/2 cup dried prunes
1/4 cup dark raisins
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots (cut in half if they're large)
1/2 cup dried figs (cut in half)

Wash all ingredients well to remove the sulfites, and place in a saucepan. Add water to cover the fruit, at least 2 cups (fruit will swell when rehydrated).

Bring to a boil uncovered, reduce heat and simmer just around 10 minutes. Do not overcook!

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour fruit and liquid into jars and refrigerate before serving. Delicious for breakfast or poured over sponge cake!

TIPS AND VARIATIONS: I prefer using prunes that have not been pitted (still have pits) because they hold their shape better, but then you have to warn guests that there are pits. Other dried fruits may also be used, and you can vary the proportions to your liking.

P. Felafel Recipe

YIELD: ABOUT 20 BALLS

1 cup dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon cumin
Half a large onion, roughly chopped (about 1cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying parsley
Chopped tomato for garnish
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Diced onion for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
Tahina sauce
4 cloves garlic

Pita bread

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a felafel scoop, available in Middle Eastern markets.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with felafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.

Q. Hamantaschen

A recipe for Purim cookies Makes about 36

2/3 cup pareve margarine or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2-3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt

1. Cream the shortening with sugar. Add egg and continue creaming until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla. Stir in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt until a ball of dough is formed (a food processor is excellent for this).
3. Chill for 2-3 hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Taking 1/4 of the dough, roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut circles of dough with a drinking glass or round cookie-cutter. With your finger put water around the rim of the circle. Fill with 1 teaspoon poppy-seed or nut filling and fold into three-cornered cookies. (Press two sides together, and then fold the third side over and press the ends together.)
6. Bake on a well-greased cookie sheet 10-16 minutes, until the tops are golden.

R. Haroset
Ashkenazi Haroset

On the Passover seder plate, haroset symbolizes the mortar used by slaves in Egypt..

2 medium-sized tart apples
1/2 cup (50 g) walnuts, chopped
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 - 3 tablespoons sweet red wine
1 tablespoon sugar or honey or to taste
Peel, core, and finely chop or grate the apples. Mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Haroset from Turkey
2 sweet apples weighing 1/2 lb (250 g), peeled and cut into small pieces
1/2 lb (250 g) dates, pitted
1 cup (150 g) raisins
Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
1 cup (250 ml) sweet red Passover wine
2 - 4 tablespoons sugar or to taste (optional)
2 oz (60 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped

Put all the ingredients except the sugar and the walnuts together in a saucepan and cook on very low heat until the mixture is soft and mushy and the liquid is reduced, stirring occasionally. Add sugar to taste. The amount will depend on the sweetness of the other ingredients. Blend to a paste in the food processor. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with walnuts.

S. Matzah /Unleavened Bread

Why buy your matzot/unleaven bread in boxes in the store when you can make your own matzot at home!
Here's how.
NOTICE This recipes call for the use of a stove and chopping or cutting instruments. If you are young before beginning to cook, get either help from a responsible adult.

What You Need:

2 cups flour
2/3 cup water
mixing bowl
rolling pin
pot holder
sheet of wax paper, 12" x 18" to roll the matzah on
large, flat cookie sheet
chopping knife
fork to make holes in the matzah

18 minutes (no more!) for making each matzah.

What You Do:

1 Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2 Measure the flour and the water into the mixing bowl, and stir with a fork.
3 Form a small amount of dough into a ball and then use the rolling pin to roll the ball out into a thin, flat circle on the wax paper.
4 Poke holes in the dough with a fork to keep it from rising.
5 Bake the matzah for 3-4 minutes, until it is brown.
Use a mitt or potholder to remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
Let cool.
Store in a dry place until ready to use.
Makes about 20 small matzot
Oh, by the way don't forget to turn off the oven when you're done.

Charoses

What You Need:

" 2 red apples
" 1 cup of sweet red wine or grape juice
" 1 cup chopped walnuts (you can buy them already shelled and chopped into pieces)
" paring knife for peeling apples
" wooden bowl
" metal chopping blade
" measuring cup
" large spoon for stirring

What You Do:

1. Carefully peel the apples (ask an adult to help you) and cut them length-wise in half and then in half again. Discard the peels and cores.
2. Put the peeled and cored apples into a wooden bowl. Ask an adult to show you how to use the chopping blade to chop the apples into pieces the size of your thumbnail.
3. Add the chopped nuts to the bowl with the chopped apples.
4. Measure one cup of red wine or grape juice and pour it into the apple and nut mixture.
5. Stir the mixture until it becomes the color of the wine or juice. Now the charoses is ready to eat-or you can sprinkle it with cinnamon before serving.

T. Apple Cake

5 or 6 large apples
1/4 c of granulated white sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 c unbleached white flour
2 c granulated white sugar
1 tbs. baking powder
4 eggs (graded large)
1 c mild-tasting vegetable oil
1/4 c orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a 9-inch tube pan
3. Peel, core and slice enough apples to make 4 cups. Immediately mix the sliced apples with the sugar and cinnamon mixture to prevent darkening.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, the 2 cups of sugar and the baking powder. Add the eggs, oil and orange juice all at once. Using an electric mixer or large wooden spoon, beat well until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes with the mixer or 3 minutes by hand. This heavy batter will be a little difficult to mix.
5. Fold in the apples - mix by hand only at this point.
6. Spoon the batter into the tube pan, leveling with a spatula. Bake for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry.
7. Remove from oven and let cake cool completely in pan before removing.

U. Brown's Bar-B-Q Sauce

Chose well developed and helthey tomato plants, plant in row 24 inches apart water in well. Oooops. Sorry About that Folks. I can't give you my Bar-B-Q Sauce Recipe. That is TOP SECRET ! ! Not even the C.I.A. is allowed to have that Recipe.