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Archive for the ‘Meat’ Category

Savory Meat Pie Hamantaschen

Posted in Appetizers, Holiday, Meat, purim, Sides, Traditional, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 12, 2013 | 17 Comments »

savory meat pie hamantaschen on overtimecook

It’s 1:30 am and I am sitting at my computer thinking about hamantashen. But it isn’t my fault, really. Blame it on…

Oh forget it. It’s totally my fault. I can’t help myself. Not only do I imagine myself to have hoards of anxious fans waiting for my brilliant purim ideas yeah right but I also need to impress people at my own purim seudah (feast/party).

It’s hard, let me tell you. No matter how much pressure you might feel at parties, think about what it’s like when you are a food writer. Exactly. Well I kinda wish I could invite each and every one of you to my purim party, because I am serving these meat pie hamantaschen as the appetizer and they are seriously delicious.

But sadly I can’t invite you all. Luckily I can share this awesome and gorgeous recipe with you. Make this!

savory meat pie hamantaschen

Savory Meat Pie Hamantaschen:

Ingredients:

for the crust: 

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) margarine, frozen or very cold

about 9 Tablespoons ice water

for the filling:

oil for frying

2 small onions, finely diced

2 lb ground meat

2 small cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

beaten egg, optional, for brushing

Instructions:

for the dough: (for tips on making pie dough, see my step by step tutorial here.)

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse quickly to combine.

Cut the frozen margarine into cubes and sprinkle over the flour mixture. Pulse in sort on-off bursts until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the ice water, starting with 6 Tablespoons, and pulse until the dough comes together. Add additional ice water until dough just comes together. Do not overwork the dough. 

Remove the dough from the bowl and place in a bag in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.

for the filling:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the diced onions and sautee for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add the meat and stir to break it up as the meat cooks. You don’t want to leave any large pieces of meat. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and sautee for about a half an hour, until cooked through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

to assemble:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8th of an inch. Cut out rounds about 4-5 inches in diameter (you can use a smaller circle if you want to make this smaller, but watch the baking time.) and set aside. Re-roll the scraps and repeat until all dough has been shaped into circles.

Place a mound of the filling in the center of the dough (about 1-2 tablespoons, depending on the size of the circle. Fold up the sides of the circles, meeting at the corners to create the hamantaschen shape. (For hamantaschen shaping tips, see my article here.)

If making this for an occasion other than purim, place the filling in the center and fold over for a half moon shape.

Brush the beaten egg over the tops of the hamantaschen, if desired. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until just turning golden on the outside.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

savory meat pie hamantaschen 3

Thanks for stopping by! And don’t forget to check out my Chocolate Covered Hamantashen Pops that I posted on Cook Kosher yesterday! And come back soon for some more fun purim ideas! – Miriam

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Mushroom Beef Sliders and a Review and Giveaway of CHIC Made Simple

Posted in Appetizers, Cookbook Reviews, Giveaways, Healthy, Main Courses, Meat, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 2, 2012 | 161 Comments »

Giveaway Closed!

mushroom beef sliders

I’m super excited to be reviewing another fabulous and hot new kosher cookbook, CHIC Made Simple. The author, Esther Deutch, actually writes for the same magazine as me, Ami Living’s Whisk magazine. Oddly enough, I didn’t meet her until Kosher Fest, when we practically bumped into each-other. “You’re Overtime Cook?!” She exclaimed. “I am such a fan.” Well. After an introduction like that, I couldn’t wait to see her beautiful cookbook and try some of the recipes.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41lCGFECi8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

At a First Glance:

CHIC Made Simple is beautiful. And I am not talking simply about the pictures (which are really nice!). This book is big, hard covered, and really nice all around. Every page has a recipe and a full page picture. Every picture is beautiful, the lighting, the coloring, and most importantly, the styling.

Some Features I liked:

This book isn’t just a book of recipes, it’s a book of fabulous food ideas. Say you don’t feel like making the Mushroom and Bell Pepper Lettuce Salad, you see a beautiful picture of salad arranged in a row of martini glasses, and the inspiration is there for your next party, whichever salad you want to make!

On each page, next to the recipe, there’s a box with some information about the recipe. On some pages, there’s an interesting tidbit about the ingredients (did you know delmonico steak isn’t a specific cut of meat, rather the name for the most prized cut on hand?). On some pages there’s a personal story about the author’s son and how much he enjoyed that particular cookie recipe. On other pages, there’s some advice about working with the ingredients in the recipes, and some have humorous anecdotes, such as the author’s friend texting her that she was dreaming about the salad recipe. In some cookbooks, I feel like the introductions to the recipes are very contrived, but in the case of CHIC I actually enjoyed reading all of them.

I also enjoyed the creativity of this books. While there are some old standbys like Penne a la Vodka and Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies, there were a lot of recipes that made me mutter that’s a really good idea to myself. Some were even good enough that I chided myself with a why didn’t I think of that? Esther uses a lot of interesting a new ingredients, and combines lots of others in way I wouldn’t have imagined, and the results of mouthwatering and beautiful.

Some Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try:

Although I don’t usually do this, I took pictures of the recipe’s photo in the book, to give you a taste of the beautiful styling!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Cajun or Garlic Basil Mayo:

sweet potatoes

I love sweet potatoes, and am beyond excited to try the amazing looking dipping sauces! Also, how amazing is that way of serving fries for a party? Suddenly they look elegant!

Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip:

dip

I love dips of all sorts. Also, I love eggplant dip, and I love red pepper dip. This is totally happening soon.

Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Butter Barbecue Sauce:

grilled chicken

It’s no secret that I am a total grilled chicken fan. Also I love peanut butter, so that barbecue sauce sounds completely out of this world. Also, I feel like a broken record but how amazing is that for serving simple grilled chicken at a party?!

Creamy Tomato Vodka Soup:

vodka soup

This recipe is super clever. It’s a favorite pasta dish turned soup. I might just make this one for my family’s Hanukka party!

Apple Rose Custard Turnovers:

apple rose custard

Ok, you all know that I am a sucker for beautiful desserts. Well how pretty is this one? PS: it uses pre-made puff pastry, so it’s not too hard to make!

Who This Cookbook Is For:

CHIC Made Simple is a great option for any cook, specifically a Kosher cook, who enjoys to create delicious food that also looks great. It is particularly a good option for anyone who frequently hosts parties, and wants to really take things to the next level.

CHIC Made Simple is also a good option for anyone who feels bored with their recipes, and wants to spice things up with lots of creative ideas.

Who This Cookbook Isn’t For:

This book has a lot of recipes that are more elaborate than your average dinner time quick and simple favorite, so it’s not the greatest option for people who are simply looking for that type of recipe.

The book doesn’t really cater to any special diets, so if you are gluten-free, sugar-free, carb-free, etc, this book will have a lot of recipes that you won’t be making.

Also, the book is a Kosher cookbook, and some of the recipes are more traditional Kosher recipes (or cool takes on it, like Gefilte Fish Sushi) and might not be of interest to a non Kosher Cook.

What I Didn’t Like About This Cookbook:

The book is called CHIC made simple, but I think it delivers a lot more on the chic promise than the simple promise. Some recipes are indeed simple, but lots of recipes are more complicated recipes.

The other main issue I had with this cookbook is the photography. While the majority of the pictures are beautiful, they weren’t all taken by the same photographer, so there was a slightly disjointed feel to the book. To be fair, this is something that I, as a (novice) food photographer, notice much more than most readers would, but still, it’s an issue I had.

And lastly, as I often mention in cookbook reviews, there weren’t many dietetic recipes in this book. Again, this is a personal preference coming from a perpetual dieter, but it’s something to be aware of.

Conclusion:

CHIC made simple is a gorgeous cookbook with beautiful pictures and creative ideas, both in ingredients and serving.

I don’t think this is a book I’ll pull out when I need a quick and easy supper idea, but you can bet I will turn to this book every time I make a party, cook for a holiday, or even need to impress a guest.

Want to win a copy of CHIC Made Simple? Scroll down past the recipe for your chance!

mushroom beef sliders 2

Let’s talk a bit about this recipe. I chose it because it looked delicious, and also because it so perfectly illustrates the cool ideas in this book. When I first saw the picture, I was like, ok, a slider. Yawn. But then I looked closer. And noticed that the “bun” wasn’t a bun at all, but a mushroom. Brilliant, right? Also a great option for an appetizer when you have gluten free folks around!

Mushroom Beef Sliders:

Adapted from CHIC Made Simple.

Ingredients:

for the mushroom “buns:”

34-40 mushrooms

1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

kosher salt

black pepper

for the sliders:

1 pound ground beef (I used lean ground beef)

1 teaspoon ground dries rosemary

1 teaspoon dried basil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)

15 mushroom stems, from mushroom buns, finely minced

optional garnishes to assemble:

barbecue sauce

fresh basil leaves

2-3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

fresh rosemary sprigs, to garnish

Instructions:

For mushroom buns:

Preheat oven to 350. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, set aside about 15 of them, and discard the rest.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place the mushrooms on the pan. Drizzle them with Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

While the buns are baking, prepare the sliders.

Heat a grill or grill pan, or oil in a frying pan to medium-low heat.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the sliders until combined. Form small patties, about the size of the mushrooms. Grill or fry until cooked through at the level of done-ness you prefer. Remove from pan.

When the sliders and mushrooms are done, assemble them. Spread barbecue sauce on the inside of each mushroom. Place a slice of tomato on top of a mushroom. Layer it with a slider and a basil leaf if using. Top with another mushroom. Stick a rosemary sprig through the entire thing, both for decoration and to keep it together.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

mushroom beef sliders

And now…for the giveaway! Please read the directions carefully. All entries must be made through a comment on the blog in order to be counted. Multiple entries in one comment will only count once!

To enter the giveaway for a copy of CHIC Made Simple:

Please note: Each entry requires its own comment! Multiple entries in one comment will only be counted once!

Entry #1 – Leave a comment on this post telling me about a dish you have made/served at a party or event that was very popular.

Entry #2 – Follow @OvertimeCook on twitter and leave a comment on this post telling me that you did.

Entry # 3- Like Tales of an Overtime Cook on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling me that you did.

Entry # 4 – Follow @OvertimeCook on Pinterest and leave a comment on this post telling me that you did.

Entry # 5 – Subscribe to OvertimeCook via email (link is on the right sidebar of the blog). and leave a comment on this post telling me that you did.

Note: if you already like/follow etc, that’s fine. Just leave a comment letting me know that!

Giveaway Details:

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on Saturday, December 8th. A valid email address or twitter profile must be provided.

Giveaway is open to residents of North America.

Giveaway is sponsored by the author.

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: The author sent me a copy of this book to review, free of charge, and is also sponsoring the giveaway. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. There are affiliate links within this post.

Thanks folks for stopping by! Come back soon for a Chanukah dessert! PS- did you check out my dessert recipes in Ami magazine yet? No? Well don’t miss this issue…I made funnel cakes. And peanut butter fudge! -Miriam

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Yemenite Beef Soup and a Review and Giveaway of Kosher By Design Cooking Coach

Posted in Cookbook Reviews, Meat, Snacks, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 21, 2012 | 136 Comments »

Giveaway Closed!

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about my thoughts on the new cookbook by Susie Fishbein, Kosher By Design Cooking Coach, and I am excited to finally share my thoughts on this fabulous cookbook with you. I should start by mentioning that if you aren’t a kosher cook, don’t stop reading. Susie’s ideas are amazing, and you don’t have to keep kosher to appreciate them!

At a first glance:

As is the case with all of Susie’s previous books, this is a visually beautiful book. I opened it up and marveled at the absolute wealth of information. The book promises to be more than just a list of recipes, and it certainly delivered. Each chapter starts with a “game plan” section which includes a whole ton of information on things that will be useful to the chapter. The book starts with information such as how to hold a knife, the correct way to dice an onion, and useful things to always keep in your pantry. As you get to each section, the game plan gives you information on how to plate an appetizer nicely, how to score a duck breast to sear it, information on cleaning and storing lettuce, and a pictorial guide to pretty much every cut of meat in the world. You would think that a more experienced cook wouldn’t have much to learn from this, but the information is comprehensive enough that there’s something for everyone to learn.

Some Features I Liked:

Firstly, I love the “playbook” section. The idea is simple. Rather than serve leftovers of the same dish, use a component in a creative way to create a new dish. For example, if you have leftover glaze from making Miso Glazed Eggplant, use it as a marinade for fish. Or, make extra dipping sauce when you cook up the amazing looking Grean Bean and Asparagus Fries, and dip chicken fingers into it. Cook once, eat twice…it’s something every cook can appreciate!

Next, I love Susie’s creativity. Those who own some of her previous cookbooks know what I am talking about. This isn’t “just another cookbook,” rather, it’s a book full of fabulous ideas, interesting flavor combinations, and lots of new ways to spice up your standard fare.

As mentioned above, I love the section before each chapter with full color illustrations of all the practical advice you could want when cooking. Think of it as a master cooking instructor at your side while you prepare Hot and Crispy Chicken with Mango Slaw. Less daunting with all that info there for you, is what I’m saying!

Some Recipes I Can’t Wait To Try:

Whew. This list is seriously long!

Orange Teriyaki Steak Salad: Seriously making this soon. Maybe tonight. I love asian flavors, especially in salad, and this one looks fabulous!

Cornish Hen in Port and Chocolate Sauce: How fabulous does that sound? Cornish hens are so elegant, and the sauce sounds divine. Totally making this next time I need to impress people.

Crustless Meat and Onion Pie: I think this recipe is more up my alley than anything else in the book. It’s delicious and comfort-food(ish) but it’s pretty and a beautiful presentation. And it sounds just plain dee-lish-us!

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Bisque: I actually want to make pretty much every soup in this book (have I mentioned how I love soup??) but this one looks so hearty and comforting. Imagine having that when you come home from a long day of work on a cold winter night?

Cajun Quinoa: This was going to be the recipe I wound up posting. But then I made soup, so I have this on my to-make-very-soon list. Aside from how delicious it sounds, it’s molded into a bundt pan for a gorgeous presentation! Well, hello favorite type of cake turned healthy side dish!

And lastly…chocolate. peanut. butter. molten. cakes. Excuse me while I wipe this drool off my keyboard.

Who This Cookbook is For:

This is a great all-around cookbook for both kosher and non-kosher cooks. Anyone who enjoys cooking, enjoys new flavors, and enjoys getting creative in the kitchen would really enjoy the book.

Who This Cookbook Isn’t For:

Anyone who has a pretty limited palate, or is cooking for people with limited palates (read: kids) will find that there are a lot of unusual ingredients, which might stop you from making some of the recipes. I’m not saying you should write the book off completely, but it’s something to take into account.

Another bunch of people who might not find this book quite as useful are those with special dietary needs. For example, while some of the recipes happen to be gluten-free, there are lots of recipes that do contain glutinous ingredients. I found, when looking for a recipe to try out, that many of them have sugar, something I try to stay clear of when dieting.

What I Didn’t Like About This Cookbook:

It’s a case of both good and bad- the innovative recipes and unusual ingredients mean that there are recipes that are a little too far out of my comfort zone. Also, some of the recipes require ingredients may be hard to get, or at very least, not something you have on hand.

This is more of a personal thing, because I am trying hard to diet now, but a lot of the recipes use ingredients that aren’t very healthy. A lot of recipes have thus been bookmarked for holidays and special occasions. Again, it’s a personal thing, and this isn’t sold as a diet cookbook, so there wasn’t much of an expectation of super healthy recipes here.

Conclusion:

Any cook who enjoys cooking, wants to learn more about both technique and flavors, and is looking for creative new recipes will enjoy this book.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: it’s Giveaway Time!

To enter the giveaway for Kosher By Design Cooking Coach

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment on this post telling me new flavor, ingredient or recipe you have recently discovered.

For Additional Entries:

Please note: Each entry requires its own comment! Multiple entries in one comment will only be counted once!

Follow @OvertimeCook on twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Leave a comment telling me that you did this.

Like Tales of an Overtime Cook on Facebook and post about this giveaway. Leave a comment telling me that you did this.

Follow @OvertimeCook on Pinterest and pin an image from this post. Leave a comment telling me that you did this.

Giveaway Details:

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, November 29th. A valid email address or twitter profile must be provided.

Giveaway is open to residents of the US.

Giveaway is sponsored by Artscroll

Disclaimer: Artscroll hosted me at a launch party for this book, provided me with a review copy, and is sponsoring the giveaway. My opinions, as well as my complete awe at meeting the author are completely my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you are going to buy it, consider buying it through me and giving me a few pennies. ;)

————————————————-

And now, who wants a recipe?

Let’s talk about Yemenite Beef Soup. It’s something I frequently ate at a neighborhood restaurant when growing up, so the second I saw it in this book, I knew I would be making a batch. This didn’t disappoint the childhood memories. It was even better, more delicious and richer than the soup I remember. Plus, it’s totally a meal in one pot, which is always a plus for me. Make this.

Yemenite Beef Soup

Adapted slightly from Kosher By Design Cooking Coach

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 – 2 pounds beef marrow bones

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat cubes

1 onion, peeled and diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly

2 teaspoons hawaij spice mixture (see here for more information)

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 carrots, peeled and cut in rounds

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the marrow bones and stir to brown them. Add the beef cubes, stir, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the meat and bones are somewhat browned.

Uncover the pot and add the diced onions, garlic, hawaij and tomato paste. Stir to distribute evenly and cook for about 5 minutes to deepen the tomato flavor. Add the carrots and stock.

Cover the pot and simmer on a low flame for one hour.

Add the potatoes, cover the soup again and cook for an additional hour.

Discard the bones and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Hope y’all try this soup- it’s too delicious not to! Good luck with the giveaway! Oh, and happy Thanksgiving! -Miriam

PS: I totally forgot to announce the winner of my last giveaway!

The lucky winner was Shaindy, who won for following me on twitter! An awesome cookbook is on the way to your house Shaindy.

;

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Sukkos Recipe Roundup

Posted in Appetizers, Bread, Chicken, Dessert, Holiday, Main Courses, Meat, Salads, Seasonal, Sides, Soups, Traditional, Vegetables, tagged , , on September 24, 2012 | 4 Comments »

Here’s what I was supposed to do yesterday. I was supposed to photograph this amazing appetizer recipe and post it for you folks. But then I got home from work at 7:30. You read that right. Work. On a Sunday. I don’t recommend it. I got cooking right away, and at 2 in the morning I was wise enough to realize that posting the recipe at that point would have been a really bad idea. So I went to sleep for like, four whole hours.

Anyhoo. Here’s a handy dandy list of stuff you should totally be making for Sukkot. They are a sampling of recipes from the archives, so feel free to dig around for even more! New recipes are a’comin, I promise. Wait, I don’t. I have so much left to do! But I really do hope they come, so stay tuned!

Challah:

Estee’s Famous Whole Wheat Challah

Appetizers:

Mini Shepherd’s Pies

Homemade Potato Knishes (also great as a side)

Puff Pastry Pastrami Pockets

Salads and Dips:

Pomegranate and Apple Salad

Citrus Carrot Salad

Raspberry Zinger Vinaigrette Salad

Creamy Basil Dip (works great as a salad dressing too!)

Marinated Tri-Color Pepper Salad

Soups:

Creamy Orange Vegetable Soup (this is a must have at every Yomtov meal in my family. Add bones in a net bag while cooking for extra flavor, and remove before blending.)

Zucchini and Broccoli Soup

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Sides and Kugels:

Homemade Potato Knishes

Sweet Lemon Noodle Kugel

Broccoli Kugel Muffins

Apple Cherry Crumb Kugel

Garlic and Shallot topped Smashed Potatoes

Basil Potato Salad

Grilled Vegetable Rice Salad

Spicy Baked Zucchini Sticks

Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower

Mains:

Mustard Marinated Grilled Chicken

Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Pastrami Wrapped Caesar Chicken

Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken 

Barbecue Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Desserts:

Strawberry Chocolate Cream Cups

Mini Double Chocolate Trifles

Mocha Cheesecake (works great with non-dairy cream cheese)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake (works great with non-dairy cream cheese)

Homemade Cherry Pie (works well with frozen cherries)

Cakes and Cupcakes:

Zebra Cake

Zebra Bundt Cake

Cream Cheese Swirled Chocolate Fudge Cake (works well with non-dairy cream cheese)

Mini Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Mini Chocolate Pomegranate Bundt Cakes (can be made full sized as well)

Cookies and Bars: 

Mocha Bars

Chocolate Covered Oatmeal Bars

Maple Sandwich Cookies

Pretzel Coated Chocolate Cookies

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cookies and Cream Biscotti

Oreo Chunk Chocolate Cookies

Glazed Raspberry Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Looking for loads more? Check out the (non very recently updated :( ) recipe index. Or try a category (such as cookies).

Hope you all got some good ideas here! I know I did (funny how it takes posting this to remind me of my own recipes, huh?). Gemar Chasima tova to all of my Jewish friends and readers, and I will be back after Yom Kippur with some new recipes. (Or maybe before. Who knows?) Thanks for stopping by! -Miriam

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Puff Pastry Pastrami Pockets

Posted in Appetizers, Holiday, Meat, Sides, Super-Easy, Traditional, tagged , , , on September 2, 2012 | 6 Comments »

You know those foods that are so quintessentially Jewish that everybody associates them with New York and the Jews? I’m talking about foods like K’nishes (remember how I posted a recipe to make those at home?) and a big ‘ol pastrami sandwich on rye bread. With a pickle. And sushi. Okay, that last one isn’t necessarily a Jewish food, but we definitely support Japanese cuisine as much as we do Chinese cuisine, in recent years.

Well, here’s a food that is Jewish through and through: deli roll. Honestly, I’m often surprised that this hasn’t made it out of the Jewish world much, because deli roll is just plain delicious.

But it’s also kinda boring. At least if you’re a Jewish gal from New York who’s grown up on deli roll every week for Shabbat lunch. So at some point I felt a need to update things a bit, and came up with this. It’s not healthy…at all. But it’s super easy, can be made and even frozen in advance, and it’s super delicious. It’s a perfect little appetizer, especially for the coming holidays.

Puff Pastry Pastrami Pockets

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 6-oz package pastrami
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
24 small puff pastry squares

Optional:
Egg
Sesame seeds, for topping

Instructions
Heat oil in a large frying pan over a low flame. Add the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and pastrami and continue to sauté on a low flame for 20-30 minutes, until reduced and smells great.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.

Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Spoon a small spoonful of the mixture into the center of a small puff pastry square. Fold it over and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining squares and filling. Place on prepared cookie sheet. If desired, brush the tops with beaten egg and sesame seeds.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by folks! Make sure to come back soon, because I’ve got a great surprise coming up for you! -Miriam

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Barbecue Beef Ribs with Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Posted in Appetizers, Condiments/Sauces/Dips, Main Courses, Meat, tagged , , , , on March 11, 2012 | 8 Comments »

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to share this recipe with y’all. Partly because it’s every bit as mouthwatering, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth, and delightfully messy as a good rib should be. And partly because I made these for my Purim Seudah (party) and they were an absolutely smashing success. There were heaps of good food at this party, courtesy of various family friends and neighbors, but somehow nobody could stop talking about -or eating- these ribs.

It’s a good thing, too. I stressed over these ribs for ages. Starting with the sauce. Of course, I couldn’t be content buying a bottle of sauce and pouring it over these ribs. No, I had to make my own. And naturally, after reading (what felt like) millions of recipes, I still hadn’t found one I liked. So I basically made up my own. Once I made the sauce, I read (again, what felt like millions of) recipes for ribs until I decided how I would cook these.

I like to think all of this work paid off. The ribs were perfect. I would change absolutely nothing.

The dieting half of me wants to leave this recipe deep in the depths of my brain, not to be called up until a miracle weightl-loss product is introduced into the world. The good-food-loving half of me wants to eat these every day, for breakfast lunch and supper.* Yeah, they are that good. *The part of me that gets heartburn would like to amend that statement. Lunch and supper would be nice enough, thanks.

Oh and the barbecue sauce? It’s the stuff dreams are made of. No kidding. It’s not meant to be used as a dipping sauce, but use this at your next barbecue and everyone present will love you forever. Seriously.

Barbecue Ribs with Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce:

Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce:

Loosely based on a recipe from FoodNetwork.Com

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

3/4 cup bourbon

1 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 Tablespoons molasses

1 Tablespoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Process for a minute or two, then turn off food processor and scrape down the sides. Repeat once or twice until all ingredients are completely smooth.

Barbecue Beef Ribs:

Ingredients:

2 – 2 1/2 pounds beef ribs

oil, for browning

salt and black pepper, to taste

one batch bourbon barbecue sauce (above)

Instructions:

Preheat over to 250.

Heat oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of ribs. When oil is hot, place ribs in pan over high flame. Turn ribs after a minute or two to brown on the other side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches, if needed. Ribs should be browned, but still raw inside.

Spread about 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place browned ribs in a single layer in the pan. Pour the remaining barbecue sauce over the ribs. Cover pan tightly with silver foil and bake at 250 for 5-7 hours (not a typo!). Keep the pan covered the whole time. (I baked them overnight.)

 

Absorb the amazing aroma that permeates the air as they come out, dig in, and of course, enjoy!

I hope you love these as much as we did! I have some awesome healthy recipes coming up, so stay tuned! -Miriam

 

 

 

 

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Hamantashen Shaped Beef Wontons

Posted in Appetizers, Meat, Sides, Traditional, tagged , , on March 5, 2012 | 10 Comments »

I know this blog has been non-stop purim treats recently. And I know that Purim is this week and most of you already have your Purim planned out, if not done. And I know that there should be some kind of witty introduction written here. Some kind of story, or a clever joke. Or maybe something to get everyone into the Purim spirit. But I must admit, I am exhausted. Too exhausted to write. Because every time I try to think of something to write by way of introduction to this post, I think about the crazy day I had at work today. I think about the million emails I didn’t answer (or so it feels. In reality it was probably more like 50) and the 29 orders I haven’t finished. (Not that I counted or anything.) And I am thinking about how I probably shouldn’t be writing this now that I’ve introduced my coworkers and possibly my manager to this blog.

So just for today, we are going to skip a coherant introduction. I’ll sum it all up real simple for you: these are delicious. These are easy. These are perfect for your Purim Seudah (Feast). So if you need one more delicious dish? Make this one.

Hamantashen Shaped Beef Wontons:

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons dried, minced onion

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

(about) 45 round wonton wrappers

Oil, for frying

Instructions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine meat, salt, onions and pepper and stir to distribute evenly.

Place a small amount of the filling (about a teaspoon, no need to measure!) in the center of a circle. Dip your finger in water and rub a bit of water around the sides to help the wonton wrapper stick. Raise two arcs on the side of the circle to meet in the middle, then bring the third side up to meet the other two. See here for Hamantashen shaping tips. Press together well to seal, leaving a small opening in the center.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Once the oil is hot (wontons should sizzle as soon as they hit the oil) fry the wontons on medium heat for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Flip and fry on the other side until golden brown. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Serve hot, preferably with a soy-sauce dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

***By the way- I think this goes without saying, but these work as a delicious appetizer in any other shape for non-purim occasions. Duh.

Too much of a Purim overload? Not to worry, I am pretty much done with Purim recipes for this year. Stay tuned because I am going to share my latest addiction with you soon! As always, thanks for stopping by, and please let me know what you think! -Miriam

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Mini Shepherd’s Pies

Posted in Appetizers, Meat, Sides, tagged , , , on October 7, 2011 | 35 Comments »

What a week. I don’t even know where to start.

I guess with Sunday, when I worked a full day to make up for the days we were closed last week. Then came Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, all of which felt like a day later than they actually were. I got home on average 7:30 each night, and got straight to work in the kitchen. I went to bed after 2 am every night. Now it’s Thursday, well after 2 and I am not nearly done in the kitchen.

Did I mention that my company will be closed next week, so it’s about doubly busy this week? Yeah, I did drink loads of coffee. Why do you ask?

Enough complaining about me. Let’s talk global issues. I honestly couldn’t believe how saddened I was at the death of Steve Jobs. Sure I discovered the news on my iPhone, which frankly I am in love with. But still, I never met the man, I never interacted with him, yet my stomach dropped when I heard the news, and I felt like I was going to cry. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because I am a gadget freak, and he changed the technology world forever. Maybe because I use one of his products on a daily (who am I kidding? Minutely) basis. Maybe it’s selfish and I simply worry that the company won’t go on to produce the same kind of quality products without his guidance. All I know right now is…iSad.

Now lets talk yankees. They were blown out of the playoffs tonight. Y’know what? I changed my mind. Let’s talk about something more pleasant.

Let’s talk Mini Shepherd’s Pies. I don’t know when and how this idea came to me, but frankly I am in awe of myself. I know, I know, I need to work on my humility, but that’s for another time. The great thing about these is how absolutely impressive they look. Nobody has to know how simple they are to make. Next time you have a party, or you have guests you want to impress, go ahead and serve this as an appetizer. It’s a true comfort-food-turned-elegant starter.

Mini Shepherd’s Pies:

Ingredients:

24 mini (3″) frozen pie shells

oil, for frying

1 large onion

1-2 cloves garlic

1 large carrot

1 lb chopped meat (I used beef)

1/2 Tbsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 broth or stock (I used vegetable)

4 potatoes, boiled.

1 stick margarine

salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Finely dice onions and sautee on medium flame in  oil until translucent. Mince garlic and add to onions. Dice carrot finely and add to skillet. Add salt, pepper and thyme. Continue to cook vegetables until they are tender.

Remove vegetables from pan. Add more oil. Increase the heat and brown meat, stirring frequently with a fork to break meat into small pieces. When meat is browned, turn the hear down and add back in the vegetables. Stir to combine. Add flour and stir well, cooking until completely mixed in. (You shouldn’t be able to see the flour at this point.) Add the tomato paste and stir until mixture is thick. Add broth and simmer until broth is mostly evaporated.

At this point, the meat mixture is fully cooked, so taste it and adjust seasoning as needed.

Fill pie crusts right to the top with meat mixture and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt the margarine (either in a microwave or in a small pot). Pour melted margarine over potatoes and mash until potatoes are creamy. Add salt and pepper, seasoning to taste.

At this point you can spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat, but if you want to go for the “wow” presentation with surprisingly little additional work, place the mashed potatoes in a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip (I used a 1M tip) and pipe rosettes over the meat.

Place the pies on a baking sheet in the oven and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until the pie crust edges appear brown and the mashed potatoes are just turning light brown on the top.

Enjoy!

 

Linking this to This Chick Cooks.

 

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