main course

Fluke with Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes 2 servings. 

Easy, light, and delicious this fish is very much a summer dish when paired with corn and other seasonal vegetables.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 skinless, boneless fluke fillets, about 6 ounces each. 

LEMON VINAIGRETTE:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

  • Leaves from 3 tarragon sprigs, finely chopped

PREPARATION:

  1. Pat dry the fish with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.

  2. In a small bowl combine the vinaigrette ingredients.

  3. Place the fish in a Ziploc bag and pour the vinaigrette over the fish.

  4. Refrigerate for a few hours. Before broiling, bring the fish back to room temperature.

  5. Preheat the broiler.

  6. To save time cleaning up, I line the top of the broiler pan with heavy foil. Then I make a shallow basket with a piece of heavy foil, crimping at the corners so that the juices do not spill out.   

  7. Place the fish with the vinaigrette on the foil.

  8. Broil as close to the heat source as you can for 6 minutes, without turning.

  9. The top will be lightly brown.   

 
 

Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic+Chicken.jpg

Makes 4 servings. 

This family style, one pot all year around dish is quick, flavorful and nutritious.   

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 organic whole chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks (See Note)

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 5 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

  • 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 1¼pounds small Golden Yukon potatoes, about 12

  • ½ pound shiitake mushrooms

  • 8 shallots

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 6 rosemary sprigs

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450F. 

  2. Pat chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.  

  3. In a 13x9 ovenproof dish combine 2 tablespoons oil with 2 tablespoon vinegar. Place the chicken in the dish. Coat well and arrange the pieces skin side down.    

  4. In a large bowl combine the remaining 3 tablespoons oil with 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. 

  5. Scrub the potatoes. Discard mushroom stems, wipe the caps with a damp paper towel and cut in half. Peel the shallots and garlic. Toss all these vegetables in the bowl with the rosemary and scatter over the chicken.   

  6. Cover with heavy foil and bake for 45 minutes, uncover, turn the chicken over and bake for another 20 minutes.

  7. The chicken will be light brown and the potatoes should be soft.

  8. Remove the sprigs and serve with the accumulated juices.

NOTE:

These are 4 whole bone in chicken legs, drumsticks and thighs attached, about 3½ pounds total.

 

Veal with Herbs

Veal with Herbs.jpg

Makes 4 servings.

When there are so few ingredients called for and such a short roasting time, it is important to buy the best quality meat. I like to serve this dish at room temperature.  It’s easy to prepare and full of fresh herbs.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1½ pounds veal fillet, rack of veal boned and tied (See Note)
  • 2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

HERB COATING:

  • 3 garlic cloves, quartered
  • 3/4 cuploosely packed tarragon leaves
  • 1 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley   
  • Grated lemon rind from 1 lemon
  • 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Chop as finely as you can the coating ingredients. I use a food processor fitted with a steel blade, scraping the sides of the bowl. Set aside.
  3. Pat dry the fillet with paper towels.
  4. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and sauté the fillet over medium- high heat turning for 10 minutes.  The meat should be brown (tongs work very well for turning the fillet)
  5. Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
  6. Coat the meat with the HERB COATING and roast for 10 minutes. Turn over and roast for another 10 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and cover with foil to cool.

TO SERVE:

Remove the strings and cut the meat into medium-thin slices.  Serve with all the skillet drippings.

NOTE:

For 1½ pounds of boned veal fillet, the butcher removed 3 ribs.

 
 

Turkey Scallopini with Capers

Makes 2 servings.

This is a versatile dish which can be made with veal scallopini or chicken scallopini as well. Most butchers will be happy to prepare the breasts scallopini-style or you can pound it yourself. The meat sautés quickly and finishes cooking in a lemony sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

TURKEY

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon unbleached flour

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 turkey scaloppini, about 6 ounces each

SAUCE

  • 1 large shallot, very finely chopped

  • 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped

  • ½ cup dry white wine

  • 1-2 tablespoons capers

  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • ½ cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

PREPARATION:

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet.

  2. Pat scaloppini dry with paper towel.

  3. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess.

  4. Sauté until there is still a trace of pink on the inside (it will be very quick). Transfer to a dish and cut each piece into 3 sections.

  5. Season the scaloppini lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.

  6. In the same skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the shallot, garlic, wine, capers lemon juice and parsley.

  7. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.

  8. Return the scaloppini to the skillet and cook very quickly, turning the meat once, so that the meat does not overcook and become tough.

  9. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

 
 

Red Snapper in Tomato Olive Sauce

Makes 4 servings.                                  

This red snapper dish is flavorful, easy to prepare and easy to serve-from oven to table.  The sauce can be prepared before the dish is assembled and cooked. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 ripe plum tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 6 halves of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into thin strips
  • 12 Kalamata olives, pitted, cut into quarters
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • ½ cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 skinless red snapper fillets, about 6 ounces each

PREPARATION:

  1. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, bring the water back to a boil and drain. Core the tomatoes and slip off the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half widthwise, squeeze gently to remove the seeds (some will remain), and chop coarsely.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté, over low heat, covered until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, olives and capers. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool.
  3. Preheat the oven to 450F
  4. Pat fish dry with paper towel and lightly season on both sides with salt and pepper.
  5. Grease, a glass or enameled lined baking dish large enough to fit the fillets in a single layer with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place the fillets (what would have been skin side down) in the dish.
  6. Spoon the sauce over the fish, cover the dish tightly with heavy foil, and bake in the center of the oven for 14 minutes, or until the inside of the fish is just cooked through, the fish will still continue cooking when out ofthe oven.
 
 

Crispy Tofu with Kale

Makes 2-3 servings.

I call this dish my feel good dish. I love the combination of the crisp tofu on the outside and the soft inside. It is a very easy dish to prepare and highly nutritious.

Chia seeds are full of protein, minerals and fiber.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 14 ounces firm tofu

  • 3 ounces baby kale, or other greens

DRESSING:

  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

  • 1 tablespoon Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 3/4 tablespoon low- sodium soy sauce

COATING:

  • 2 tablespoons white chia seeds

  • ¼ cup quinoa flakes

  • ¼ cup panko

  • 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 large egg white

  • 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

PREPARATION:

  1. Discard kale stems, place the leaves in a bowl and refrigerate uncovered (See Note)

  2. Combine the dressing ingredients and set aside.

  3. Cut the tofu into pieces of your choice.  Dry very thoroughly with paper towels. Even when you think the tofu is dry, leave it to rest on paper towels until you are ready to sauté.

  4. Combine very well the coating ingredients in a bowl.

  5. Whisk the egg white in a dish.

  6. Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large non-stick skillet.

  7. Dip the tofu into the egg white, then press into the chia mixture to coat well. Do it on the sides as well.

  8. Sauté the tofu, on each side until golden about 3 minutes.

  9. To serve, toss the kale, or other greens with the dressing and top with the tofu.

NOTE:

When refrigerating greens it is best to leave them uncovered.

You can easily sauté the tofu before serving. It will remain crisp.

 
 

Chicken with Porcini Mushrooms

Makes 4 servings.                                                         

The dried porcini mushrooms and the rosemary give this simple and easy dish an unexpected complexity. I bake it in an attractive dish that can go from oven to table. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
  • ½ cup boiling water
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Petals from 3 rosemary sprigs, coarsely chopped plus some for garnish
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Place the porcini mushrooms into a small bowl and pour boiling water over the mushrooms. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove reconstituted mushrooms and squeeze dry all the liquid back into the bowl. Chop coarsely. Strain the mushroom liquid through a fine mesh sieve (if you do not have a fine mesh sieve, line what you have with a paper towel). 
  2. Preheat the oven to 400F
  3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper.
  4. Place chicken in an ovenproof dish in a single layer (what would have been skin side). 
  5. Combine porcini liquid, mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and rosemary. Spoon over the chicken and bake for 15 minutes, turn breasts over and bake for another 3 minutes, or until chicken is pale pink inside.
  6. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let rest for a minute – the chicken will continue cooking.
  7. Serve with the accumulated juices.
 
 

Braised Duck

Makes 3-4 servings.

This is a well-seasoned versatile winter dish. Marinating the meat and then slowly braising it at a very low temperature brings out its robust flavor. As a salad, I serve it with dressed baby spinach. As a main course, with brown rice, steamed sugar snaps or steamed snow peas. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 boned duck legs and attached thighs
  • Baby Spinach

MARINADE

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons five -spice powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 7 star anise

DRESSING FOR BABY SPINACH

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1½ teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Rinse the duck and dry with paper towels.
  2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Coat each piece of duck well with the marinade and place in a zip lock bag.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days.  
  4. Preheat the oven to 275F.
  5. Place the duck in a roasting pan, in a single layer skin side up with any leftover marinade.    
  6. Roast for 3 hours, the meat should be tender. 
  7. Discard the cinnamon stick and the star anise. Pour off the accumulated fat.
  8. Remove the skin and discard.
  9. Cut the duck into small pieces.   
 
 

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom

Makes 4 servings.

This is an attractive, nutritious Winter luncheon dish in which the mushroom tops become a saucer-like container for the tasty filling.  You can assemble the whole dish earlier in the day, refrigerate it and bake it when needed.  This is a simplified version of the recipe that I have in my last cookbook, Helen Nash's New Kosher Cuisine.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/3 cup brown rice (See Note)
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 poblano peppers
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 5 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped (See Note)
  • 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
  • 4 large Portobello mushrooms, about 5 inches in diameter
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Bibb lettuce or frisee, lightly tossed with olive oil

PREPARATION:

  1. Bring the rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.  Lower the heat and cook, covered, until the rice is almost tender, about 30 minutes.  Transfer to a medium bowl.
  2. Preheat the broiler.
  3. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, core and seed them. Place them, skin-side up, on a broiler pan lined with foil.
  4. Broil them close to the heat source until the skin is blistered and charred.  Cover with foil and let rest for a minute.  The heat will loosen the skin.  Peel and chop finely and add to the rice.
  5. Preheat over to 350F.
  6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok.  Add the onion, cover and sauté, over low heat, until the onion is soft.  Add to the rice.
  7. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and all of the spinach.  Sauté over high heat until spinach is just beginning to wilt.
  8. Add to the rice along with the cheese and cilantro.  Combine well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  9. Cut off and discard the mushroom stems, if any.  Wipe the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and rub them with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.  Sprinkle the mushroom caps with salt and pepper.
  10. Spoon the filling equally in the center of each cap.  Place in a baking pan covered with foil (you can make the recipe ahead of time up to this point.  Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate).
  11. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is very hot and the mushroom caps seem a bit wilted (if you have refrigerated the mushrooms before they may require a little longer to bake).
  12. Serve the mushrooms with dressed greens.

Note:

I prefer to use premium Japanese brown rice, medium grain, as it is much creamier than other kinds of brown rice.

I coarsely chop all of the spinach, in batches, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

 
 

Pot Roast

Makes 12 servings.

Pot roast is a method of cooking and brisket is a cut of meat, and yet the words have become interchangeable and incorrectly used.

Pot roast is a comfort dish, which is convenient to make for large crowds. It freezes very well and leftovers are good reheated.

I braise the meat flat, as it is. Midway, I stop the braising, I cool the meat and slice it (this method allows me to better control slicing the meat). Then I continue cooking the meat until it is fork tender.

If you use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, you will be able to refrigerate the meat in the same pan in which it cooks.

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ ounce imported dried Italian mushrooms
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • 5 pounds boned first cut brisket of beef, bottom part, trimmed of all fat (See Note)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • One 14.5 can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 bunch thyme, tied with a string.
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Place mushrooms in a small dish and pour over boiling water. Cover and let stand for ½ an hour.
  2. Strain mushroom liquid through a fine mesh sieve, squeezing mushrooms over strainer to extract all liquid; set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 325F.
  4. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven until hot. Sear meat on both sides over high heat. Transfer the meat to a platter and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Sauté the onions and garlic in the pan drippings. Return the meat to the pan with the reserved mushroom liquid, mushrooms, tomatoes, wine and thyme.  Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a sheet of heavy foil and then the lid. This method retains the heat better.  Braise the meat for 1hour, turn over and braise for another hour (the meat shrinks quite a bit).
  6. Cool.  Slice the meat across the grain into thin slices, I like mine 1/8 to ¼ inches thick.
  7. You may have to rotate the meat in order not to lose the grain.
  8. Return the slices to the pan and bring to a boil. Return to the oven to braise for about 3 more hours. The meat should be fork tender.
  9. Discard the thyme.
  10. To degrease the sauce. You can either skim off the fat, or I prefer to pour the cooled sauce into a dish and leave it in the freezer for a short while. The fat will rise to the top, making it easy to discard. 
  11. Season the sauce to taste.  If you like a thick gravy you may want to boil the sauce over high heat, uncovered.  You decide the consistency that you like. 

NOTE:

It is difficult for me to recommend the right cut of meat because everyone has a preference. By that I mean, some people like the top part and others like the bottom part.  I cook it with the bottom part.

If you chop the onions and the garlic in a food processor be sure to quarter the vegetables first.

 I prefer to defrost the frozen meat in the refrigerator. 

If you do not have a fine mesh sieve to strain the mushroom liquid, line the sieve with a paper towel and then strain it. 

 
 

Roast Chicken

Makes 4 servings.

I like to roast the chicken with nothing more than a few herbs and a lot of lemon. The chicken is moist enough that if you wish you can serve it with or without the pan drippings. 

INGREDIENTS

  • One 3 pound organic chicken (broiler)
  • Small bunch thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, quartered
  • 1½ lemons
  • 3 tablespoons extra –virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Rinse and dry the chicken inside and out. Discard any fat or hanging skin.  
  3. Place the thyme, garlic and half of a cut up lemon into the cavity. 
  4. Grease a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place the chicken in it.
  5. Grease the chicken with the remaining olive oil and brush with the juice of 1 lemon. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Tie the chicken legs together, tuck the wing tips up and under the back of the neck.
  7. Roast the chicken breast side up for 20 minutes (if you find that the bottom of the roasting pan is beginning to burn add ¼ cup of water). Turn the chicken over and roast breast side down for 20 minutes.
  8. Turn the chicken over again, breast side up and roast for the final 20 minutes.
  9. To test for doneness, pierce the leg joint with the tip of a knife, the juices, should run clear, not pink.
  10. Remove the chicken to a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
  11. While the chicken is resting, prepare the pan drippings.  Discard all of the particles from the cavity. Tilt the chicken so that all the juices will pour into a small pan. Also when carving the chicken, collect all of the juices released from the bird and add to the pan juices. Place the juices in the freezer for a short while to allow the fat to rise to the top. Discard the fat. Heat the juices and pour over the chicken if you like. 
 
 

Marinated Spanish Mackerel

Makes 6 main course servings.

12 first course servings.

Spanish mackerel is only available in the summer, and I created this easy to make dish which I refrigerate for at least 2 days to allow for the flavors to blend. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 Spanish mackerel fillets, about 5 ounces each
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

MARINADE

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 shallots, peeled, very thinly sliced (See Note)
  • 3 leeks including some green part, very thinly sliced, rinsed
  • 3 garlic clove, very thinly sliced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, rinsed, cored, seeded, cut in half and very thinly sliced
  • ½ cup tightly packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ¼ cup lime juice approx
  • 2 tablespoons light balsamic vinegar, approx
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots, leeks, garlic and pepper. Cover and sweat the vegetables, over low heat, until they are very soft, about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.  Cool. Add parsley, capers, lime juice and vinegar.  Season well, the marinade should be piquant.
  2. Preheat the broiler. 
  3. Rinse the fillets, pat dry with paper towels and cut on a diagonal into half.  
  4. Cover the whole broiling pan, which comes with most ovens, with heavy foil. Then I like to form a large shallow basket with a piece of heavy foil, crimping it at the corners so that the juices do not spill out. Set the basket on the broiling pan. Grease the foil with olive oil. Place the fillets in the basket, skin side up, and season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.
  5. Broil very close to the heat source for 5-6 minutes (without turning), or until the inside is opaque.
  6. While the fish is still hot, remove, and discard the skin. Season again where the skin was.
  7. Place the fish in a non-reactive dish and spoon the marinade over. Refrigerate for at least 2 days, but be sure to serve it at room temperature. 

NOTE:

I like to slice all the vegetables on the mandolin.

 
 

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tuna

Makes 4 servings as a main course, 6 servings as a first course.

This dish is extremely convenient to put together at the last-minute because all of the ingredients are generally in everyone’s pantry.  Except for boiling the pasta, there is no cooking required.  A slightly different version of this recipe first appeared in my cookbook, Helen Nash’s New Kosher Cuisine.  

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound imported whole wheat spaghetti

SAUCE

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 12 ounce can tuna packed in water, drained, separated into chunks
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, approx
  • 1 cup tightly packed flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Coarsely chop the garlic cloves on a cutting board. Sprinkle over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and using the blade of a knife crush them into a paste. Place in a large bowl adding tuna, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley.  
  2. Bring 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large covered pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt and all the pasta at once and stir. Boil briskly, uncovered for 7-8 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Drain well in a colander and toss with the sauce.
  3. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

NOTE:

Leftover pasta will require extra seasoning. The lemon juice gets absorbed very quickly into the pasta.

 
 

Braised Short Ribs

Makes 6 servings.

This is a perfect dish for a cold winter’s day.  It also reheats and freezes beautifully.  It takes a while to cook but it is well worth it. The meat shrinks quite a bit, and the portions are small, so keep in mind when you plan your full menu.

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 short ribs cut into 4 inches long and 2 inches wide pieces
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 8 oregano sprigs, plus some leaves for garnish
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 14.5 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Place the ribs bone side down in a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.  
  3. Scatter the garlic, onions and oregano over the meat.
  4. Combine the vinegar, water, tomatoes and sugar and pour over the meat. Cover the pan with heavy foil and roast for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The ribs should be soft.  
  5. Uncover the ribs and discard the bones. Return the meat to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until the meat is very tender.
  6. Remove the ribs from the pan and trim any remaining fat.
  7. Strain the pan juices through a medium mesh sieve over a small saucepan, pushing on the solids with the back of a ladle.   
  8. Cool a bit and place in the freezer for about ½ an hour so that the grease can quickly rise to the top; it makes it easier to remove all of the fat.
  9. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
  10. Serve with sauce spooned over the ribs and garnish with oregano leaves. If you like a thicker sauce, almost like a glaze, you can boil it down over high heat.

NOTE:

The meat is easy to reheat. Place it in a pan with the sauce, cover with foil and heat in a preheated 350F oven for about ½ an hour until hot.

 
 

Hake with Miso

Makes 4 servings. 

Hake is a deep sea member of the cod family. It is a mild fish with a white flaky texture and a more subtle flavor than cod. When cooked, it is firm and meaty. It takes robust flavors well, which is why I am preparing it with a strong marinade in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:

  • 2¼ tablespoons white miso (fermented soy-bean paste)

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 4 skinless hake filets, about 6 ounces each

PREPARATION

  1. In a small dish, mix well the marinade ingredients.

  2. Pat fish dry with paper towels and place in a nonreactive dish. Coat with the marinade on all sides.

  3. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for a few hours, turning the fish once.

  4. Bring the fish back to room temperature.

  5. Preheat the broiler.

  6. Cover the whole broiling pan, which comes with most ovens, with heavy foil.

  7. Then I like to form a “shallow basket” with a piece of foil, crimping it at the corners so that the juices do not spill out. Set the basket on the broiler pan. Place the fish in the basket and spoon the marinade over the fish.

  8. Broil the fillets for about 8 minutes, (without turning), until the top is brown and the inside of the fish has just turned opaque.

NOTE:

If in doubt whether the fish is cooked sufficiently to your taste, cover it with foil right away and the fish will continue cooking. 

 
 

Veal Stew in Olive Sauce

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

I love to serve stews on cold, wintry days, especially this one, in which tomatoes, onions and olives blend into a wonderful piquant sauce.  Make it a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend. It also freezes very well.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 pounds boned shoulder of veal, cut into 2 inch cubes, all gristle and fat removed
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 28 ounce can imported crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 full rosemary sprigs

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Spread flour on a sheet of wax paper and dip a few pieces of meat, at a time, into the flour, shaking off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet.  Sauté the meat over medium-high heat, turning with tongs, until just seared. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil as you are continuing to sauté the meat.
  3. Transfer the finished pieces to a heavy enameled lined saucepan with a cover. Season the meat lightly with salt and pepper.
  4. Heat the remaining 1tablespoon olive oil and sauté onions and garlic over low heat for a few minutes.  Add to meat along with wine, olives, tomatoes, mustard and rosemary.
  5. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook in the center of the oven for about 2 hours.  The meat should be tender. Discard the rosemary sprigs. 

NOTE:

Sometimes veal shrinks a bit and exudes too much liquid. If there is too much sauce, boil it down.

If you are cooking the meat in a Le Creuset like pot, you can refrigerate it in the pot. Be sure to place a sheet of wax paper under the lid.

 
 

Roast Turkey

Makes 10-12 Servings.

You do not have to wait for Thanksgiving to serve this dish, as it is surprisingly easy to make and always very tasty. I often serve it when I have a large group of people to feed. It is a favorite, and leftovers are always welcome.  A slightly different version of this recipe first appeared in my cookbook, Helen Nash’s New Kosher Cuisine.  

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 pound organic turkey
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup orange juice
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • 3 onions
  • 5 sprigs rosemary, plus leaves from 2 sprigs, chopped for pan juices
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted margarine, melted
  • Kosher salt

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. Discard any excess fat from the turkey. Rinse it inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
  3. Combine lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper.
  4. Combine the orange juice and wine in a measuring cup with a spout (to make basting easier).
  5. Peel and chop 2 onions coarsely and scatter in the roasting pan.
  6. Cut the other onion in quarters and place in the cavity along with the rosemary sprigs.
  7. Place the turkey in the roasting pan and season with lemon juice mixture (use your hands to smear the bird.
  8. Brush the turkey with the melted margarine and place it on its side.
  9. Roast the turkey for 1 hour, basting with the orange juice/wine mixture.
  10. Turn the turkey over on the other side and roast for another 1 hour, continuing to baste.
  11. Turn the breast side up and roast for 20 minutes, continuing to baste.
  12. For the final 20 minutes, place the turkey breast-side down (if the drumsticks begin to get too brown, cover the ends with foil).
  13. The turkey is ready when the drumsticks move easily in their sockets and the juices run clear. If you use a meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 160º F.
  14. Remove the turkey from the oven and cover tightly with heavy foil and let rest for 30   minutes. This allows the juices to flow back into the meat.
  15. Place the turkey on a cutting board, discard the onion and rosemary and carve. Pour the pan juices into a saucepan and put in the freezer so that the fat can quickly rise to the top (this makes it easier to remove).
  16. When ready to serve, heat the pan juices, add the chopped rosemary and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve this sauce with the turkey.

NOTE

I allow 12 minutes per pound for roasting time.

 
 

Chicken With Kale And Warm Vinaigrette

4 servings.

Kale is one of the healthiest and most nutritious vegetables.

The dressing can be made in advance and the entire dish takes no time to prepare.  

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 5 ounces baby kale, stems discarded

VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:

  • 4 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

  • 2 small shallots, finely chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

  • 3 tablespoons dry white wine

  • 1 inch ginger-peeled, grated

  • 1 tablespoon capers

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat the Broiler.  

  2. To save cleaning time, I line the top of the broiler pan with heavy foil. Then I make a shallow basket with another piece of heavy foil, crimping the corners so that the juices do not spill out. 

  3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, place in the foil basket, brush with the oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  

  4. Place the chicken skin side down (where the skin would have been) in the foil basket and broil as close as possible to the heat source for about 6 minutes. Turn over, and broil for another 3 minutes. The chicken will be slightly pink on the inside.

  5. Remove from the oven and cover with foil.  Let rest for a minute. 

  6. While the chicken is broiling, heat the oil in a small saucepan.  Add the shallots and garlic. Simmer until shallots are soft. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Keep warm.

TO SERVE:

Cut 3 partial incisions on the diagonal in the chicken.

Divide the kale among the 4 plates, top with the chicken and spoon the warm vinaigrette over the kale and chicken.

 
 

Chicken Loaf

Makes 4-6 servings.

This chicken loaf is easy to make and easy to pair with salads and vegetables. It also keeps well refrigerated. The number of servings will depend on your side dishes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing the pan.
  • 1 onion, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 1½ pounds blend of ground chicken; half white meat and half dark meat
  • 1 baking potato, peeled and cut into large pieces
  • 2 tablespoons, low sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup tightly packed flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F
  2. Line a 9 x 5-inch Pyrex loaf pan with heavy foil and brush the foil generously with oil.
  3. In a medium skillet heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and sauté, over medium heat, stirring from time to time until lightly golden and soft.
  4. Place the onion, garlic and potato in a food processor. Pulse until very smooth.
  5. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the chicken, soy sauce and parsley.
  6. Mix very well with your hands until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
  8. Bake in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes. The meat should be lightly brown on top.
 
 

Salmon with Pepper

Makes 2 servings.                                      

Wild salmon is at its peak from May through September.  Since the season is quite short, you should take advantage of it. 

Here is a simple salmon recipe with a wonderful bite of coarsely ground pepper.  I prefer using wild salmon for this recipe, but of course any salmon will be fine.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 center-cut, skinless wild salmon fillets, 6 ounces each (See Note)

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled, coarsely chopped and crushed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Pat the fish dry with paper towels.

  2. Place the fillets in a nonreactive dish. Season lightly with salt.

  3. Combine the garlic paste with the olive oil. Brush over the fish, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

  4. Bring fish to room temperature.

  5. Preheat the broiler.

  6. Make a “shallow basket” with a piece of heavy foil, crimping it at the corners so that the juices do not spill out. Place on a cookie sheet.

  7. Place the fish in the basket and sprinkle the top with the pepper.  Broil as close as possible to the heat source (without turning) for about 6 minutes, until the inside is opaque.                                                   

  8. Serve with the accumulated juices.

NOTE:

If in doubt whether the fish is cooked sufficiently to your taste, cover it with foil right away and the fish will continue cooking.