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Creating delicious food for the life you live.
Choice recipes from Real Life Kosher Cooking: Family-friendly recipes for every day and special occasions
Meat
Yield 8 servings
Talk about a crowd pleaser! I served this corned beef at a large family gathering, and I was surprised – and definitely pleased – to see that everyone, even the pickiest kids, were enjoying this meat – and for good reason! The sweet Asian flavors in the glaze are a fantastic pairing for the tangy pickled flavors of the beef, making a dish that had everyone reaching for seconds.
Glaze
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place meat in its bag of pickling liquid into a 9x13-inch (or larger, if needed) pan. Add water to the pan until the meat is covered. Cover pan tightly with foil; bake for 3 hours, until meat is tender. Drain water from the pan and set meat aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Add glaze ingredients to a small bowl; whisk to combine.
Remove meat from bag; drain all liquid. Return to pan; pour half the glaze over meat. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; pour remaining glaze over meat. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
To serve, slice meat and spoon glaze/sauce over it.
Variation The method of baking the corned beef in its liquid was taught to me by Mr. David Asovski, a master butcher and meat expert, as a way of preserving the pickled flavor of the meat. If you prefer a less-pickled flavor, remove meat from the pickling liquid; place meat into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook for about three hours, until tender, then continue with Step 3.
Plan Ahead: Meat can be frozen in an airtight container. Reheat, covered, until heated through. For best results, freeze after Step 2. Defrost, glaze, and bake fresh.
Pareve
Yield 6-8 servings
The tomato coating gives these potatoes a ton of flavor and a really unique caramelization on the outside. As a bonus, they’re easy to make and kid friendly!
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together tomato paste, salt, oregano, pepper, garlic, and olive oil until smooth. Add potato wedges; toss to coat in the tomato mixture.
Arrange potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the insides are soft and the outsides are crispy and caramelized.
Plan Ahead: These potatoes can be prepared up to two days ahead of time. Reheat, uncovered, in a single layer, until warmed through.
Dairy
Yield 18 pancakes
While I generally think of cheese pancakes being a sweet treat, I decided to turn them savory for a low-carb dinner. You can serve these as an appetizer for a dairy meal, on Chanukah as an alternative to potatoes, or simply for a dairy weeknight dinner when you don’t want to serve pasta.
Place spinach, cheese, eggs, garlic, flour, salt, pepper, basil, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Mix well until combined and smooth.
Heat about ¼-inch oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Drop about ¼ cups of mixture into hot oil, pressing down to flatten into patties. Fry for 2-4 minutes per side, until the outside is browned and crispy.
Serve hot, with marinara sauce.
Note: You can use store-bought marinara sauce or prepare the homemade version on page 295.
Plan Ahead: Pancakes can be made a day or two ahead of time. Rewarm, uncovered, in a single layer in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
Dairy or Pareve
Yield 20 small funnel cakes
Funnel cakes are traditionally carnival or amusement park food, but with some pretty garnishes, you can elevate these tasty treats into a party-worthy dish. They get their name from the authentic way of making them: dropping the batter into hot oil using a funnel. This chocolate variety is somewhere between chocolate cake and funnel cake, with each little strand giving you an incredible crunch.
Optional Garnishes
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugars, and salt until combined.
Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Stir until combined and smooth. Place batter into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a corner snipped off.
Heat about ½-inch oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Test if oil is hot enough by squeezing in a small amount of batter. When oil hot enough, the batter should rise right to the top.
Squeeze the batter into the hot oil, squeezing back and forth, making a freeform web-like pattern (see photo). Fry for about ½-1 minute, until bubbles form on the top. Flip; fry for an additional 30 seconds, then remove to paper towel to drain.
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the funnel cakes, then top with desired garnishes, optional. Serve hot.
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