Monthly Archives: June 2012

Upcoming Demo

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Exciting News!!! I will be doing a summer menu demonstration at the Chabad House in East Hampton on July 1, Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned for details. We will be doing a meat/pareve menu that will include:

ChickSatay 1 Upcoming Demo

  • Newly Minted Pea Soup
  • Mango Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
  • Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
  • Rib Steak with Herb Wash -2 ways
  • Almond Crescents

This is a very versatile menu. The demo will include tastings as well as all of my kitchen tips for maximum output with minimal input, meal timing and organization, menu construction , do ahead strategies, as well as tips for substitutions. Please contact: goldiebaumgarten@gmail.com for all the details.

Tell your friends.

Looking forward to seeing one and all

Geila

Roasted Portobellos with Goat Cheese and Asian Vinaigrette

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© 2011 Kosher Revolution. All Rights Reserved

Everyone loves the special earthiness of roasted mushrooms. My version pairs portobellos with goat cheese, now available in many kosher-certified types and a spritely salad. My secret is the Asian Vinaigrette, a real flavor that’s both hot and sweet enough. This gets any meal off to an elegant start.

GeilRoastPorto Roasted Portobellos with Goat Cheese and Asian VinaigretteServes 6

Convert It – To make this into a parve dish omit the cheese

Geila’s Tip – You can plate and refrigerate the greens and mushrooms and prepare the vinaigrette ahead. Bring the salad to roo temperature and dress it just before serving.

  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed, wiped with damp paper towels

Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/8 cup cup soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 drops hot chilli oil
  • 3/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
  • 6 cups mesclun or other mixed greens
  • One five-ounce goat-cheese log, crumbled
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cover a baking sheet with foil.
  2. In a small food processor, combine the garlic, olive oil, and salt, and process until roughly puréed.. Alternatively, mince the garlic and combine in a small bowl with the olive oil and salt, and whisk to blend.
  3. Brush both sides of the mushroom caps with the mixture and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake the mushrooms until golden and most of their liquid has evaporated, turning once, about 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature and slice 1/2 inch thick. Set aside.
  4. To make this vinaigrette, place all of the ingredients except the grapeseed oil in a blender and blend. With the motor still running, drizzle in the grapeseed oil until the mixture has thickened. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a large measuring cup and use a hand blender. Adjust the seasoning.
  5. Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette, and toss until the leaves are evenly coated. If the salad seems dry, add more vinaigrette and toss again.
  6. Divide the greens among 6 serving plates. Surround one side with portobello slices and add crumbles of goat cheese on the other side. Serve.

Geila

Peshwari Challah

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© 2011 Kosher Revolution. All Rights Reserved

This savory Challah variation is based on pashwari naan – an Indian bread that’s filled with nuts and raisins. To those good things I’ve added pistachios, coconuts and a touch of honey. This easily done loaf, partnered with Coconut Ginger Squash Soup (page 61), also makes a wonderful accompaniment to Indian dishes like Cauliflower Paneer Masala (page 120). It’s great as a savory snack, too.

Peshwari Challah Peshwari Challah

Makes two 1-pound loaves

Dough Spices

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed

Filling

  • ½ cup chopped shelled unsalted pistachios, skinless sliced almonds or raw cashews
  • ½ cup flaked coconut
  • ½ cup golden raisins, chopped fine
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 large egg
  1. Prepare the challah as the Classic Challah recipe, up to Step 4*, adding the dough spices to the dry ingredients.
  2. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the pistachios in a strainer and pour the water over them. Transfer the nuts to a dish towel and roll in the towel to remove their skins.
  3. Make the filling: In a minifood processor combine the pistachios, coconut, golden raisins, cumin, coriander, salt and fennel, and pulse until finely chopped.
  4. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Halve the dough and roll into an 18 x 9-inch rectangle, making the dough thinner at the short ends. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture evenly over the dough and drizzle with the honey. Starting with the nearest long side, roll the dough jellyroll-style, apply pressure to the ends to taper them slightly. Wind the dough into a spiral, tucking the outmost end underneath the loaf. Place on the cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining halves of dough and nut mixture and transfer to the cookie sheet. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty cookie sheet in the bottom of the oven and allow to heat.
  6. In a small bowl, combine the egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush the risen loaves with the egg wash and place in the oven. Pour about 1 cup of hot water onto the heated cookie sheet to create steam, and immediately close the oven door. Bake until the challah is golden and sounds hollow when tapped, 25 to 35 minutes. Turn out and cool on rack.

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* First Four Steps for Classic Challah (page 188)

  1. In a 1-cup measuring cup, combine the yeast with the 1 tablespoon sugar and 3/4 cup warm (about 105 degrees) water. Stir and let sit until about 1 inch of foam has formed, about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 3 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar and salt, and stir on low speed. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
  3. In a small bowl, combine 2 of the eggs, and the oil, mix, and pour into the well. Expand the well, then pour in the yeast mixture. Mix briefly on low speed to combine. Remove the paddle, insert the dough hook, sprinkle the mixture with 1/4 cup flour, and knead on low speed for 1 minute. If the dough is still sticky, add more flour by 1/4 cups to achieve a soft, unsticky dough. Continue to knead for a total of 5 minutes. Alternatively, to form the dough by hand, put the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in it, fill with the egg and yeast mixtures, and, with clean hands, gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until thoroughly combined. Add 1/4 cup more of flour and knead, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough is formed. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for 5 minutes.
  4. Oil a medium bowl with canola oil. Form a ball with the dough and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours. Punch the dough down, cover, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Oil two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans.

Geila