Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

Chicken Vindaloo comes from Goa, the former Portuguese trading outpost on the West Indian coast. It is a unique fusion of Indian and Portuguese cooking that is now popular in one form or another throughout most of India. It is both sweet and spicy with a hearty chicken based sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
food processor
mortar and pestle or spice grinder
cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven with lid

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
3 tbsp fresh ginger, diced
4 red chilis
2 tspn brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

for spice mix:
1/2 tspn cardamom, ground
1 tspn cinnamon, ground
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn turmeric powder
1/2 tspn peppercorns
1/2 tspn toasted fenugreek seeds
1 tspn cloves
1 tbsp cumin
4 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tspn mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Cilantro

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in the vinegar. Add the chilis, diced garlic, and ginger to the vinegar mixture and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.
2. Add the vinegar mixture to a food processor. Pulse the mixture to form a paste.
3. Pour the paste into an air-tight container and then add the pieces of chicken to the paste. Stir the chicken so that all of the pieces are well coated with the paste. Seal the container and then refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. While the chicken marinates, construct the dry spice mix. Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, cloves, and cumin into powder. Pour this powder into a small bowl along with the cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and turmeric. Mix well and set aside.
5. In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and mustard seeds over medium heat.
6. When the seeds begin to pop, add the diced onion and cook until the onion begins to turn golden brown.
7. Add the chicken and the paste/marinade to the skillet and cook until the chicken begins to brown.
8. Add the dry spice mixture to the chicken and place a lid on the skillet. Reduce heat to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the mixture becomes thick. Stir the mixture occasionally.
9. Serve hot over steamed Basmati rice with cilantro garnish.

India [ print this recipe for chicken vindaloo ]

Watermelon with Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar

In the past, I've mostly used balsamic vinegar in marinades and salad dressing. However, I recently received a sample of Aceto Balsamico di Modena from The Artisanal Kitchen and I wanted to use it in a dish in which the vinegar's taste stayed intact and was not diluted by other overpowering flavors. I decided to try a simple combination of watermelon cubes with a turn of fresh ground pepper topped off with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. This turned out to be an interesting and amazingly complex tasting dish for such a simple recipe.

Ingredients:
watermelon cit into 1 inch cubes
1 turn of fresh ground black pepper
1 tspn balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

1. Slice the watermelon into 1 inch cubes.
2. Lightly sprinkle 1 turn of fresh ground black pepper.
3. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar evenly over the cubes of watermelon.

Italy [ print this recipe ]

Book Review: The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook

The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook, by June Hersh, is an extensive collection of recipes using kosher meats. Additional recipes for soups, side dishes, sauces and chutneys are also included that use creative substitutions in order to keep kosher. Hersh has conferred with a cast of expert butchers from across the United States to create an insightful guide for all things involving the selection, preparation, and seasoning of kosher meats. Recipes range from traditional kosher dishes such as Matzo Ball Soup and Chicken with Prunes Tsimmes to more contemporary recipes like Korean Kalbi Ribs and Beer Basted Chicken.

We decided to try two Romanian dishes from the Kosher Carnivore, the Spicy Grilled Mititei and the Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad along with the traditional Martha’s Excellent Matzo Ball Soup Recipe. The Mititei reminded me of simple street food that you might find served late night on the streets of Bucharest. The seasoned pieces of skewered ground beef, grilled over charcoal flame and served with a tangy dipping sauce were delicious. Many of the recipes in this book include ”Behind the Counter” sections where Hersh provides vital information about buying the cut of meat in the recipe as well as how to make comparable substitutions if it is not available. “Side Notes” is another useful section included in many of the recipes where the author makes other helpful suggestions. In fact, the side note to the Mititei recipe suggested that we serve it with the Eggplant and Tomato Salad so that is exactly what we did. This recipe also turned out great and was indeed a perfect paring with the Mititei. The tomato, eggplant, olive oil, and fresh basil in this salad, together made a great tasting, healthy Mediterranean style dish.

The next day, we tried Martha’s Excellent Matzo Ball Soup. This recipe called for us to first make the broth from scratch, add the garnish of carrots and fresh dill, followed by hand-made matzo balls. We used the excess chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches (not kosher but they did go really well with the soup). Anyway, this matzo ball soup was a good base recipe and the matzo balls turned out perfect. However, the broth was little light on flavor so I added some celery and some poultry seasoning along with the recommended kosher salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.

We believe that the Kosher Carnivore will appeal to most cooks, regardless of their faith. The kosher methods used for selecting, preparing, and seasoning meats and avoiding the mixture of meat and dairy products are consistent with safer, healthier cooking in general. The book’s chapters on cooking methods for meats and building flavor were very informative. The discussion of which types of animals and which cuts of meat are kosher was also very interesting. Until reading this book, we had no idea that wine could be kosher or non-kosher, but it can. Hersh provides a useful reference in the Kosher Wine Society's website where you can pair wine with food or vice versa. The Kosher Carnivore’s collection of recipes is its main strength, however. The book includes many upgrades of classic dishes as well as a wealth of contemporary favorites to explore. June Hersh was very inventive in her creation of healthier, kosher versions of entrees and side dishes alike. For example, her recipe for creamed spinach uses olive oil instead of cream and butter to deliver the same great tasting dish without all of the fat. Indeed, wholesome, healthy ingredients are a prevailing theme throughout most of Hersh’s recipes. Any cook will find some favorite recipes in this book. We give the Kosher Carnivore four out of five stars.

Related Article:
12 Kosher Wines Besides Manischewitz

Martha’s Excellent Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

There might not be a more iconic use of chicken than in “Jewish penicillin,” homemade chicken soup. There’s actually some scientific explanation of why chicken soup has medicinal powers, but for me, it’s all about the taste. One of the best bowls of chicken soup you can find in New York is served nightly at Blue Ribbon, Eric and Bruce Bromberg’s wonderful restaurant. Their Grandma Martha’s soup is a mainstay on their menu, and her ethereal matzo balls are legendary. The Bromberg brothers write that her soup and matzo balls are “a return to simpler things, simple things that if done just so can transform life and lead to so much more.” With that introduction, we present Grandma Martha’s Excellent Soup and Matzo Ball recipe.

Ingredients:
For the broth
1 whole 3 to 4 pound) hen
1 tbsp kosher salt
4 celery stalks with leaves, cleaned and chopped
3 carrots, cleaned and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
3 whole unpeeled garlic cloves
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs dill
1/2 tspn whole black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves

For the garnish
Carrot rounds (blanched until soft)
Chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Matzo balls
1 cup matzo meal
4 eggs
1 oz. rendered chicken fat (schmaltz)
1/2 oz. kosher salt
1/2 tspn double-acting baking powder
2 oz. seltzer

Preparation:

1. For the broth: Rub chicken with kosher salt, inside and out. Let stand 15 minutes. Rinse well under cold water. Pat dry with paper towel. Put chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil. Impurities will rise to the top; skim them off and discard. Add the rest of the broth ingredients. Bring back to a boil, skim again, then reduce to simmer. After simmering for 45 minutes (or until chicken is cooked) remove chicken from the pot. Take the meat off of the bone (save meat for another meal) and put the bones back in pot and cook for 1 hour more. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth. Cool in the refrigerator. When cool, the fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to remove.
2. For the matzo balls: In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the seltzer and mix well. Add seltzer and set the mixture aside, covered, in the refrigerator, for 1 hour. Fill a large-diameter pot three quarters full with water and bring to a simmer. With wet hands roll the matzo mixture into 1-ounce balls. Lower balls into water on a slotted spoon. Cook until the matzo balls are tender, 45 to 60 minutes (test with toothpick or do what Eric Bromberg does and cut in half). The balls should be light and fluffy in the center. Let the matzo balls cool.
3. For soup: Bring the broth to a boil with the carrot rounds, the dill, and the matzo balls. Season to taste. The soup is ready to serve when the matzo balls are warm in the center.

Serves 8 to 10

Start to Finish: Under 2 1/2 hours

Recipe courtesy of The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Book by June Hersh

Israel [ print this recipe ]

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad Recipe

Every Romanian household serves a version of this classic dish. Some insist you chop the eggplant with the side of a ceramic plate, others argue that only wood can come in contact with the temperamental vegetable. Truth is, chop as you please and add garlic and herbs to your taste.

Recommended Equipment:
hak-messer (mezzaluna)

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, cut in half lengthwise, stems and ends removed.
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 cup drained diced canned tomatoes
1 tspn sweet or hot Hungarian paprika
1/4 tspn ground cumin
1/4 tspn dried oregano
1 tspn kosher salt
1/4 tspn freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation:

1. Preheat the broiler and lightly oil a small rimmed baking sheet. Place the eggplant halves, skin side up, on the baking sheet and broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source until the skin begins to crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Remove the eggplant from the baking sheet and place in a colander to drain. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove any large seeds, pull out the eggplant meat, and discard the skin; set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, paprika, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat, until everything is heated through and fully incorporated, about 5 minutes.
5. Toss in the eggplant and stir to combine. Set aside to cool. When the mixture is cool, chop by hand using a hak-messer (mezzaluna), or pulse in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. You don’t want to over process and lose the texture or cause the mixture to become thin and runny.
6. Stir in the parsley, basil, and lemon juice. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 4 to 6

Start to Finish: Under 45 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Book by June Hersh

Romania [ print this recipe ]

Spicy Grilled Mititei Recipe

These garlicky little bites of ground meat are Romania’s answer to trendy street food. They are crowd-pleasers hot off the grill and served on long bamboo skewers with dipping sauce or simple grainy mustard. The texture of these little sausages can vary from dense and meatball-like to authentic and spongy when seltzer and baking soda are added.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
4 to 5 garlic cloves
1 tspn kosher salt
1 tspn sweet or hot Hungarian paprika
1/2 tspn freshly ground black pepper
Generous splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp seltzer or club soda, optional
2 tspn baking soda, optional

For the dipping sauce
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tspn ground cumin
Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

1. Put the ground beef in a medium bowl.
2. Grate the garlic using a Microplane over the meat so the garlic juice is included; you want about 2 tablespoons total.
3. Add the salt, paprika, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and parsley. For a more authentic spongy texture add the seltzer and baking soda. Use your hands to thoroughly blend the spices into the meat.
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
5. Combine the dipping sauce ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. When ready to cook, light the grill or preheat the broiler and take the meat out of the fridge.
7. Wet your hands and form the meat into rounds the size of a golf ball, then elongate them into 3-inch thumb-like shapes.
8. Grill or broil for 4 to 5 minutes, turn them over, and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer. Serve with the dipping sauce or mustard on the side.
   

Makes 12 pieces.

Start to Finish: 15 minutes to prepare the meat; at least 4 or up to 24 hours to rest in the fridge; under 15 minutes to grill.

Recipe courtesy of The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Book by June Hersh

Romania [ print this recipe ]

Shoo-Fly Pie Recipe

Shoo-fly Pie is extremely popular in Pennsylvania however this rustic, mildly sweet molasses treat originated in Canada. Apparently, this pie was named "shoo-fly" because flies would be so attracted to the sweet molasses filling that they had to be constantly "shooooo-ed" away.

Regardless of how this Shoo-Fly Pie got its name, you should give it a try this Autumn. It has an unusually mild, almost-licorice taste with the texture similar to pecan pie. Try a slice with a cup of cafe noir or Indian Coffee.

Ingredients:
All-Purpose Pie Crust

For the filling:
1 cup molasses
1 tspn baking soda
1 cup warm water
For the crumbs on top:
2 cups flour
1 tspn cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

1. Prepare an all-purpose pie crust. (You will only need to use one of the two crusts).
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar.
4. Add the butter to the flour mixture and mash the pieces of butter into the flour using a wooden spoon so that the butter forms fine crumbs.
5. In another mixing bowl, dissolve the baking soda into the warm water. Add the molasses. Whisk the mixture until foamy.
6. Pour molasses mixture into the chilled pie crust.
7. Sprinkle the flour/crumb mixture over the top.
8. Place the pie in the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until crust is browned and the filling is set, about 25 to 30 minutes.
   

Canada [ print this recipe for Shoo-Fly Pie ]