A super easy soup (and please vote for me!)

Visit Joy of Kosher to vote for me!

I know. I haven't exactly been posting regularly. I haven't been keeping you well fed or well read. See, I accepted a promotion at work (read more here) and I just haven't been able to find a balance that takes care of my readers (that would be you) and my eaters. That would be these guys:

But the balance is evolving. Think crock pot dishes and make ahead meals. Think photos taken on the fly with my always handy smartphone. Think award-winning and life-changing iPad photo apps.

Yes, it's been quite a shift from those days of food photography using a fancy DSLR, light kit, and tripod. But the point I'm trying to make here is that I think I'm on to something. I think I've found a way to cook, photograph, and blog once again.

Show me you believe in me! Cast your vote on Joy of Kosher today. It'll give me the push I need to keep going.

And just to show you I'm really back in business, here's a super easy soup recipe that's a weekday dinner staple in my household.

Super Easy Crock Pot Soup
This recipe serves a large brood of hungry people (at least 10 bowls). I tend to make super easy dinners during the week and I feel a lot less guilty serving scrambled eggs or mac-n-cheese if there's a big old pot of  soup to go along with my quickly thrown together meals. This pot goes up in the morning and cooks all day. And here's a great secret to make morning prep even easier: I prep all the veggies the night before and leave them in the fridge in a container or bag overnight. It takes less than five minutes to throw everything in the pot in the morning, and it sure is nice to come home to a fresh hot pot of soup. 


3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
5-10 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the back of a knife (leave these out if you're too rushed; or throw in a whole unpeeled head of garlic instead; yes, I do mean a whole unpeeled head)
1/4 cup barley
1/2 cup white or brown rice
1/4 cup red lentils (you can substitute green split peas or brown lentils)
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
black pepper, to taste
grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese for garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the cheese in a large crock pot. (Read the recipe header for my quick prep-ahead tip.) Cover generously with water.

Turn the crock pot to high and cook all day (at least 8 hours).

Ladle into bowls, garnish with cheese, and serve.

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Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant Salad (Guest Post)

Today, I'm delighted to be a guest on Kosher on a Budget. Mara Strom, the super talented blogger who authors and runs this wonderful site, is my hero. She saves me money, entertains me, and makes me very happy.

This recipe makes the most of an ingredient that isn't particularly glamorous but is seasonal and fresh in New Jersey now. Roasting zucchini - along with eggplant, tomatoes, and aromatics - brings out wonderful flavors that I never knew were there.

Please visit Kosher on a Budget for the complete recipe and some more photos!

Linking this up to Fit and Fabulous Fridays and Ultimate Recipe Swap. 

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Pizzadillas (or Dinner in a Pinch)

It's official. I have over-extended myself. Between my family, my (very) full time job, and my passion for cooking and blogging, I sometimes feel like a rubber-band being pulled in a million directions.

One of my missions this summer is to simplify. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners, but also food shopping, laundry and wardrobes. We don't need fresh meat every week, and we can make do without a complete stock of tomatoes. A sandwich or slice of toast is just fine for breakfast, and an omelette makes a perfectly respectable dinner.

This dish (if you can call it that) was tonight's inspiration. The kids wolfed it up, and - served with a platter of fresh cut veggies - it made for a satisfying and nutritious meal.

Pizzadillas (my creation, named by 11-year-old Sarah)
Serves 2-4, depending how hungry you are!


4 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup tomato sauce
shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 400*. Put the tortillas on a baking sheet and spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce onto each tortilla. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the tortillas and bake for about 10 minutes, till the cheese is bubbling.

Serve immediately.

Linking this up to Pennywise Platter Thursday.

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Weekday Baguettes (Guest Post)

I was honored when Leah Schapira over at Cook Kosher invited me to guest post. I knew this recipe was the perfect one to share. It's super easy, and the timing is flexible enough for a weeknight dinner.

In fact, since I shared the recipe with Leah a few weeks ago, I've made these baguettes at least once a week, sometimes more. They are a new family favorite.

Please visit Cook Kosher for the recipe.

Do you bake bread? What's your favorite formula?


Linking this up to Let's Do Brunch. 

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Corned Beef and Rice Stir Fry

One of the basic tenets of motherhood is this: Serve Baby Corn. When all else fails and your kids refuse to look a vegetable in the eye, let them eat baby corn.  

So when I don't feel like fighting with them to eat their dinner, I serve baby corn. (Usually with some protein. I'm not a complete failure as a mother.) 

This dish is nice because it puts leftover cold cuts to good use. Of course you can buy them fresh too, but it sure feels good to use leftovers! 

Corned Beef and Rice Stir Fry

20 minutes prep, assuming you have the rice cooked ahead of time

Serves 6

Cook the rice well ahead of time. You want it very comfortably settled at room temperature for this dish. If it's warm, it'll clump. (Leftover rice from last night's dinner is fine too. Just let it come to room temperature for an hour or so, if you have the time.) 

4 tablespoons canola oil, divided

4 scallions

1 red bell pepper, julienned

3 stalks celery, sliced about 1/2 inch thick

1 can of baby corn

about 1/2 pound of deli sliced corned beef, cut in strips

3 cups cooked brown rice, at room temperature (this is important!)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine (use sake if you have it)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and saute for a minute or two, till fragrant. 

Add the pepper, celery and baby corn, and cook for a few minutes till heated through. Add the corned beef and cook for another few minutes, stirring, till heated. 

Remove the vegetables and meat from the pan and set aside. 

Heat the remaining oil. When the oil is nice and hot, add the rice and cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Let it start browning and warm through thoroughly, but take care not to burn it. 

When the rice is nice and hot and beginning to brown, add the soy sauce and wine, along with the vegetables. Cook for another few minutes till heated through. 

Serve immediately. 

Linking this up to Frugal Follies and Let's Do Brunch.

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Sweet Cooked Latkes (a.k.a. Chremslach)

If there is one food that is off limits in our home during the week, it's Latkes (Jewish potato pancakes). Don't get me wrong, I like them just as much as the next person, but they're just completely out of the question for an ordinary weeknight.   

The potatoes have to be grated fresh. Whether I grate them by hand or use the food processor, I get exhausted just thinking about doing that after a day of work. 

They have to be fried fresh, on the spot, immediately before eating. (At least in my opinion. Otherwise I just don't think they're worth the effort or calories.)

But these Latkes (known in some families as Chremslach) are different. They require no grating or washing of the food processor. You can make the batter ahead of time (!). You can even fry them in advance and serve them rewarmed or cold. They make for a special treat for my kids, and are manageable even on a non-Chanukah weeknight.

Sweet Cooked Latkes

These are very different than typical latkes, which are made with raw grated potatoes and onions. They are sweet and mild, but very delicious. And manageable on a weeknight because so much of the work can be done ahead of time!

3 large Idaho potatoes

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

about 1/2 cup canola oil, for frying

Peel the potatoes, cut them in chunks and put them in a saucepan covered with water. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 1/2 hour, till they are nice and soft. You want them to mash easily. 

Drain the potatoes and mash them well. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. (This part can be done up to a day ahead of time. Just refrigerate the batter till you're ready to use it. Bring to room temperature, if possible, before proceeding.)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil's good and hot, spoon the potato batter in to form about eight roundish pancakes. Each one should be about an inch thick. 

Cook the pancakes for about 10 minutes on the first side. When you spot some nice brown crispiness underneath, it's time to flip them. (This part's easy - they are not at all runny and should flip nicely!) Flip them and then let them cook on the second side for another five minutes or so, till nicely browned. 

Serve immediately, or put aside for later. If you're going to serve them later, you can eat them cold, at room temperature, or rewarmed in the oven. 

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Homemade Pizza

You know you've been reading way too many fancy French cookbooks when you start splitting your garlic cloves in half to remove the germ. I mean, who does that in real life?

Apparently Dorie Greenspan does. Almost every recipe in Around my French Table, one of my favorite new cookbooks, states that you should.

So I have been, recently, and I am not quite sure how to confirm that it's worthwhile. Does my food taste good? Well, yeah, but I thought it was just fine before I started picking apart garlic cloves and obsessing over the bits of green in the center.

Anyway, this pizza was a winner. So maybe picking out the garlic germ is a good thing. I'll never know for sure if it's worth the effort, but please feel free not to do it yourself when you try this recipe. You have my permission. (Thanks, Annie's Eats for the great pizza recipe. I made some changes but based it on your original. Thanks!)

Thin Crust Cheese Pizza (adapted from Annie's Eats)

Makes 2 pies; 1 hour prep plus lots of waiting 

CRUST

2 cups white flour 

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/3 cups ice water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ teaspoon salt

SAUCE
1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, thoroughly drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, split in half, germ removed, and then minced
1 teaspoon salt
some fresh basil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

TOPPING 

Olive oil, for brushing
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella
canned mushrooms, sauteed onions, olives, or any other favorite pizza veggies 

First, make the dough. Combine the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse to combine and then, with the machine running, add the water. Process just till combined and then add the oil and salt. Process until it forms a smooth ball, about a minute. Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.

Now, make the sauce. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor (no need to even wash it from the dough prep! Yay.). Blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook on medium-low heat for about 1/2 hour, to reduce and thicken. Refrigerate until ready to use.

One hour before baking the pizza, remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature on the counter.

About 15 minutes before baking time, adjust an oven rack to the second highest position and place a baking stone on the rack to preheat. Preheat the oven to 500*. 

Assemble the pizza. Divide the dough in half. Transfer one of the balls of dough to a VERY well floured work surface. Flatten into an 8-inch disk, leaving a slightly thicker edge around the rim. Gently stretch the dough to a 12-inch circle. Lightly brush the thicker edge of the disk with olive oil. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the crust and then spread ½ cup of the pizza sauce over it. Sprinkle evenly with the shredded mozzarella and any desired toppings. 

Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, 12-14 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Linking this up to My Meatless Mondays. 

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Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

The finished dish: Roast Chicken and Root Veggies

During the winter, Wednesday is roast chicken night.  I look forward to Wednesdays because I know the kids will eat well (and even ask for doubles) and that none of them will whine or request peanut butter sandwiches.

The chicken is good quality protein, and the vegetables are full of flavor and vitamins. And, extra credit: it's a great Pesach dish!

A wide range of root vegetables

I love how our entire meal fits neatly into one large roasting pan. It feels efficient and orderly, somehow.

I spread the vegetables across the bottom of the pan and leave space

for the chicken in the center.

Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables (serves about 6)

Serves 4-6 people; 2 hours prep time

Feel free to vary the vegetables to suit your liking. Celery root and onion make good additions. 

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes

3 carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks

1 parsnip, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks

2 white potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes

10 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1 teaspoon olive oil

8-10 chicken thighs

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Preheat the oven to 425*.

Toss the vegetables with the oil and then layer them along the bottom of a large roasting pan.

Layer the chicken on top of the veggies and sprinkle the spices evenly over all.

Roast (uncovered) for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350* and roast for another hour or so, until done to your liking (we like ours nice and crispy).

Serve immediately.

Linking this up to Ultimate Recipe Swap. 

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Potato Cheese Gratin

A friend of mine has this cooking rule that never made much sense to me: don't spend more time preparing a dish than you do eating it. Uh. If I followed that rule, we'd pretty much never have any food.

I'm pretty fast in the kitchen. I can peel and slice a potato - almost as well as a mandoline can - in a minute or three. When I get home from work late and have four whining hungry kids begging for food, I can get dinner on the table pretty quickly.

But it still takes me longer to prepare the food than it does to eat it. So I'm thinking. Maybe the problem is that I eat too fast. Maybe I need to chew more. Relax and enjoy the flavors and tastes of the fruits of my labor. Put my feet up while I savor the taste of my home cooked food.

I'll have to try that sometime. Maybe when my kids are married off. In the meantime, though, I'm resigned to spending more time cooking than I do eating. The good news is that I enjoy my time in the kitchen. I like peeling, chopping, and sauteing.

Now, my disclaimer. This recipe isn't super speedy. You've got to peel a few potatoes and then slice them super thin. But it's brainless work. Good for when you just need a relaxed 20 minutes in the kitchen. And it makes a super rich, elegant, classy dish that will be a hit with adults and kids alike. Oh, and a bonus - it's Kosher for Passover! (I plan to make this for one of our dairy lunch meals.)

Potato Cheese Gratin
Serves 4-6; about 1 hour 15 minutes prep
Vary the cheese to your liking. This would be amazing and more adult with Swiss cheese. I used half mozzarella and half cheddar and it was perfect. 


1 tablespoon butter
3 lb. Idaho potatoes, peeled
1 cup heavy cream (the real, dairy stuff, please)
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese, like cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, parmesan or a combination
salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 375*. Put the butter into a large glass baking dish and let it melt - but not brown - in the oven.

Meanwhile, heat the cream and milk on the stove or in the microwave. Get it nice and hot but try not to let it come to a boil.

Slice the potatoes as thin as you can. Sure, you can use a mandoline if you have one. (Hey, no need to rub it in!)

When the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and spread the butter all around the bottom. Create a nice cozy layer of potatoes along the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and with about half the cheese. Add another layer of potatoes, season, and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Add a third layer of potatoes. Now, pour the hot cream over the potatoes.

Bake the gratin, uncovered for about 50 minutes, until the potatoes are nice and cooked and everything is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately or allow to come to room temperature before refrigerating and putting away for later. (If you put it away, you should rewarm it before serving.)

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Coconut Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Getting ready to write this post, I noticed a trend. My blogs seem to bring out a lot of guilty secrets. I've used this safe place as a stage to confess to an aversion to meatballs, a love for rich breakfasts, a nasty habit of picking topping off of fruit crisp, and a failure to buy onions at the grocery.

I have a theory about it. (Like I do about most things.) There are few places where I can share my foibles and inadequacies without being judged. If I tell my real live friends that I am addicted to chocolate, hate meatballs, or never make a grocery list, they would likely drop me like hotcakes. But you, my dear reader, will probably come back in spite of it all.

You'll stand by me as I rant about my chocolate cravings. You'll read my fried rice recipe even though it doesn't have a single photo of the actual dish. You will come back for more. Because you are loyal. Or kind. Or a little bit of both.

Thank you, readers. On to my confession. I have been a frequent user of Coconut Oil for years, even before Melissa Clark (New York Times food writer) announced that it is no longer on the banned-foods list. There you have it. It's out, and I'm not ashamed. Here's my latest recipe, courtesy of Melissa Clark and the New York Times. If you like coconut, this is the thing. If you like sweet potatoes and nutmeg, this is really the thing. It's delicately coconut-y with an almost elusive hint of nutmeg (I reduced the amount of nutmeg from the original). The sweet potatoes get soft from the long roasting time. And, best of all, no guilt. Coconut oil is BACK!

Coconut Roasted Sweet Potatoes, adapted from the New York Times

1 1/2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
a generous grating of fresh nutmeg
toasted coconut, optional, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350*. Melt the coconut oil by putting it in the microwave or on the stovetop for a minute or so.

In a nice large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, melted coconut oil, sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Spread the potatoes in an even layer on a large aluminum  baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to develop a brown crust. This will take about an hour, depending how done you like them.

Garnish with optional toasted coconut and serve warm, hot, or at room temperature.

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