If I could pick two things to remove from kosher kitchens, they would be margarine and non-dairy creamer. We would all be a lot healthier. Just read the ingredient label. Does it sound like food? The hard-to-pronounce ingredients are mainly sugar (in non-dairy creamer) and a concoction of chemicals added to partially-hydrogenated fat.
Fortunately there are tasty and healthy alternatives. Canola oil is good for baking. Olive oil is delicious in cooking and for salads. And soy, rice or almond "milk" work well for parve dishes and desserts.
Enjoy these delicious recipes for Thanksgiving and all year round!
Pumpkin Pie (Parve)
If canned pumpkin isn't available, use winter squash. It won't taste like pumpkin, but will still be delicious. Bake or microwave the squash, drain off the liquid and puree it in a food processor. Measure a scant two cups for this recipe. If your soy milk is sweet, decrease the sugar in the recipe to ½ cup.
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 ounces/400 gm) pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups soy milk
2 large eggs
Pastry for a single-crust 9" (23cm) pie crust (Recipe Below)
Prepare the pie crust and set it aside.
Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
Mix together the sugar, salt and spices in a large bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin, soy milk and eggs until the mixture is smooth. Pour it into the pie crust.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F (180C) and continue baking for about 45 minutes, until the center of the pie is set. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
Let it cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves 8
Mix-in-the-Pan Pie Crust (Parve)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons soy milk + more if needed
9" (23cm) pie plate
Combine the dry ingredients right in the pie pan. Mix together the oil and milk and then stir it into the flour mixture with a fork or your fingers. Add more soy milk, if necessary, until the dough holds together.
Press the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan.
Olive Oil Glazed Green Beans or Zucchini
I often use frozen French-cut green beans in this recipe. Substitute them for the fresh vegetables, without defrosting them first, and use just 1/4 cup of water.
1 pound (1/2 kilo) green beans or zucchini squash
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
Trim the green beans and cut them into 1/2-inch (1 1/4 cm) pieces. (Cut the zucchini into thin sticks) Heat a pan over medium heat, add the oil. When it's warm, add the onion. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the vegetables, salt, sugar and pepper and stir to mix everything together. Add the water and cook over medium heat, until the water is absorbed and the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
Serves 4
Curry Mustard Dressing
This zippy dressing is wonderful on grain salads, such as quinoa or a mix of brown and wild rice. Add chopped green onions, dried cranberries, cherries or golden raisins and toasted chopped almonds or pistachios to finish the salad. This dressing also takes well to greens mixed with apples or beets.
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 of a lime or small lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Whisk the mustard, curry powder, salt, pepper, citrus juice and honey in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking until the mixture is thick.
Makes 1/2 cup
For more recipes and tips on eating well, visit Chana's blog at http://www.healthyjewisheating.com/
(13) elki, December 23, 2008 9:10 PM
soy is genetically manipulated
soy is really not that good for you. In addition, soy, canola and corn are GMO, genetically manipulated and some not very positive results are coming in. We can enjoy the many other beans and enjoy the food Hashem gave us as it was meant to be eaten.
(12) Lirit, November 26, 2008 6:55 PM
Regarding soy milk...
Overdoing the soy milk isn't much healthier than overdoing margarine and non-dairy creamer given all the estrogen in it. Besides, cooking with it often gives it a vaguely unpleasant taste. My favorite pareve substitute for baking is coconut milk. It's creamier than almond milk and has a subtle sweet flavor, and a very rich texture. (Nothing beats almond milk for hot cocoa, though!)
(11) Anonymous, November 26, 2008 2:38 PM
coconut milk
Here in Brasil coconut milk is largely used. But one should use it carefully, since coconut is the only vegetable which contains cholesterol. What is MSG? Thank you very much
(10) avigail, November 25, 2008 5:38 PM
Have you try coconut milk? It does taste delicious.
(9) elisheva, November 25, 2008 7:15 AM
on soy
recent research shows that soy is not that healthy after all -- too much plant estrogens contained in it. especially unhealthy for men, who should not have too much estrogen. as a result, I agree with the person who suggested using rice milk or almond milk. rice milk and almond milk don't have the estrogens, and are a great pareve cooking ingredient.
(8) Debby, November 24, 2008 8:01 PM
winter squash can be baked whole
Winter squash (acorn, butternut, sweet pumpkin) can be baked whole at 425 degrees (f)on foil or a cookie sheet for about 45 minutes. It is easily peeled and seeded after it cools.
(7) judy, November 24, 2008 12:41 PM
Try almond milk
Soy milk has a distinctive and sometimes unpleasant taste. Unflavored almond milk has almost no taste. As for the canned pumpkin, try a "real" pumpkin, and you'll see how much work it is. For nutrition, and for time invested, the canned is more than worth it.
(6) cassia, November 23, 2008 4:40 PM
thanks!
Thank you for the idea- of using soy or rice milk instead of non-dairy creamer. I read this, and I thought "duh"- becasue it is so obvious- and a better option- but I never thought of it , until reading this.
(5) Rochele Faust, November 23, 2008 12:26 PM
Thank You!!
First, thanks for enlightening people about margarine and non-dairy creamer which seem to be stables in kosher homes and cookbooks and are so unhealthy and unnecessary. Second, I have been using this crust recipe for 20 years and it is the best! People always rave about my pies which are the easiest and healthiest dessert ...I add a tablespoon of flaxseed to this recipe- no one notices and it helps to make the pie healthier!
(4) DB, November 23, 2008 11:55 AM
I never cooked with anything you could buy with a coupon (that is, things that have the words "new" "lite" or "artificial" written on their packaging), and held to this approach after we started eating kosher. As a BT in discovery mode, I actually found artificial butter and milk and sour cream and chicken soup, etc. not just objectionable because of their chemical content, but jarring. If I have accepted the mitzvah of keeping meat and dairy apart, does parve margarine on the table next to the beef not violate the spirit of the law though not the letter of the law? FFBs of my acquaintance found nothing odd in juxtaposing margarine with beef. But I still can't do it - not just for dietary reasons.
(3) Manuela, November 23, 2008 10:40 AM
fresh pumpkin
Thank you for these recipes which, for once, avoid the unhealthy hydrogenated fats. But why use canned pumpkin? I'm not familiar with American supermarkets, since I live in France, but wouldn't it be a lot healthier to use fresh pumpkin (which you have to peel, cook and puree)instead of the canned variety. But maybe it's not widely available in the U.S. I for one shall try the above recipe with some pumpkin from my local market.
(2) Anonymous, November 23, 2008 6:53 AM
Thanksgiving recipes.
Theses recipes are easy & delicious. Many thanks to you.
(1) Kerry, November 23, 2008 6:49 AM
Thank you for confronting this issue which has frustrated me for years. It is really ironic that we are so conscious of what we consume yet so undiscerning when it is presented to us with a hechsher. And to add to the margarine/non-dairy creamer list may I contribute MSG. In the UK it is all but impossible to buy any stock without MSG - all the major manufacturers of 'convenience' foods use MSG. Why?