Jerusalem : Compass of the Diaspora Jew
4 min read
4 min read
11 min read
9 min read
5 min read
Visit the cuisines of India, Thailand, and Italy all in under 30 minutes.
I love to travel because I enjoy experiencing others cultures; how they live, what their history is all about and what they eat. This can often be a problem when you keep kosher. So I soak up the aromas and colors of spices from all cuisines around the world, study their recipes, and try and recreate those dishes at home. At this point, I’m not traveling much, so I travel to other countries in my own kitchen in a snap. Imagine visiting the cuisines of India, Thailand, and Italy all in under 30 minutes.
India Inspired…
Serves 8
Heat a 5-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add garlic and onions and stir to cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over chicken and onion mixture and stir. Mix in curry powder and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour in chicken broth. Stir to combine and cook for a minute to thicken. Add soymilk and coconut milk, sugar and some salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Add apples and cook for 5 minutes.
To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with a drizzle of crushed red pepper, cinnamon, tofutti sour cream and parsley.
Thailand inspired….
Serves 4
Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, red wine, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, s’rirachi, garlic and the juice of half the lime. Pour 1/3 of the marinade into a bowl with the sliced beef and toss to coat. Reserve the rest of the marinade for later.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add bell peppers and jalapenos. Cook for another minute, tossing until peppers are softened but still firm. Remove vegetables to a plate.
Into the hot skillet, add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add meat mixture, reserving the remaining soaking juices, and evenly distributing it over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 45 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then add onions and peppers back into skillet. Reduce heat to low. Pour in remaining marinade and soaking juices and stir. Simmer on low for 4 minutes; the sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off the heat.
Drain the noodles, then add half of them to the stir-fry. Toss and add more noodles as desired. Stir in some very hot water if needed to thin the sauce.
Garnish with basil and cilantro and serve with a squeeze of remaining.
Italy inspired…
Serves 6
Chicken:
Lemon Infused Noodles:
For the chicken: Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in the flour.
Heat the margarine and oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken breasts until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes each side. Remove chicken to a plate.
Add garlic to skillet and soften for 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and wine, and squeeze in juice of the lemon. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the skillet. Allow sauce to cook and thicken until reduced by about half. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low and whisk in pareve cream. Add capers, and cook for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
For Lemon Noodles: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Melt margarine in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cooked pasta and most of the parsley. Cook so that a few of the noodles get a little bit of a pan-fried texture to them. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Place noodles on a plate. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.