Beef and Veal Recipes

This Sweet and Sour Brisket Recipe includes ordinary ingredients that come together to produce a tender, ‘fall-apart’ beef brisket filled with great flavor. The recipe comes from a cookbook entitled “Kosher Kravings”, Jewish Foundation School of Staten Island, New York. This recipe can be used all year long, including Passover. There is no reason why you cannot use a veal brisket in this recipe instead of beef.

Ingredients:

• Brisket (3-4 lbs)
• 2 tbsp. duck sauce
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce (for Passover, see note below*)
• 2-3 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 – 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• 2 cups ginger ale
• *Replace soy sauce with Passover Soy Sauce Substitute found in the Passover recipes on this blog.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except for the ginger ale and spread all over the meat. Place brisket in roaster, fat side up, and pour in the ginger ale.

Bake covered for 2 1/2 hours, turning down the temperature to 350 degrees after 30 minutes. Baste the brisket occasionally, adding a bit of water if necessary.

Refrigerate the brisket overnight before cutting into slices. Enjoy!

This Beef Short Ribs Recipe is relatively easy to prepare and make a fabulous main course for guests. You can easily increase the quantities listed in the recipe to accomodate a larger crowd. This is a one-pot recipe that can be made ahead of time and reheated, leaving your home with an appetizing aroma.

Ingredients:

• 10 beef short ribs (3-4 lbs.)
• Flour, to dredge ribs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic (use the same or a bit more powdered garlic, if desired)
• 2 cups chopped carrots and celery, combined
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 cup beef or chicken stock
• 1 cup red wine (substitute with more stock, if desired or if you want to be adventurous, beer!)

You will need a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven with a lid.

Lightly dredge the ribs in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat half of the oil in the skillet at medium-high and add the ribs. Brown the ribs on all sides, a few at a time, and set aside.

Heat remaining oil to medium and cook onions and garlic until onions are soft, not browned. After 4-5 minutes, stir in the carrots and celery. Heat for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Place the browned ribs on top of the vegetable mixture in the skillet. Add thyme, beef or chicken stock and wine. Bring to a light boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer on stove or in a 300 degree F oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Taste and add salt and pepper, as desired.

If you make this dish ahead of time, refrigerate overnight – remove fat that has risen, reheat and serve
.
Beef Short Ribs Recipe serves: 4-6

Karnatzel, a spicy dish consisting of cigar-shaped ground beef, can be grilled on the BBQ or broiled in the oven. Serve as an appetizer or main course. Tailor the amount of garlic and ‘heat’ to your own preferences. If you love certain spices that are not included on the list of ingredients below, add a pinch or two to suit your taste preferences.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. minced beef, lean (for added flavor, consider using medium ground beef if you are grilling on the BBQ )
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.) or ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper (freshly ground, if possible)
• Hot paprika or chili powder, to taste (start with 1/8 tsp.)
• ¼ cup ketchup (or Heinz Chili Sauce), beef or chicken broth (to keep the mixture moist and flavorful)
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion or dried minced onion
• Add a pinch of your favorite herbs or spices, as desired

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Moisten hands with cold water and shape meat into rolls that are cigar-shaped, about 3 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Cook on the grill or in your oven using the broiler. Rotate sausages as they cook, until crisp and browned on all sides. Note: if desired, roll meat into meatballs, cook (reduce time on BBQ or under broiler) and serve for easy appetizers.

Serves: 4-6 as entrée, 8-10 as an appetizer (cut into small slices, serve with mustard, ketchup or your favorite bbq sauce)

Cabbage Roll Casserole is a convenient, easy meat recipe for any occasion – no rolling up and stuffing of cabbage leaves. This is one of those dishes that tastes better once it sits in the fridge for a day or two. Great sweet and sour flavor combined with easy prep make this one of my favorite dinner recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 1/2 -2 lbs. ground lean beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid for later basting, if necessary
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Dried basil, oregano and/or thyme, to taste (about 1/2 tsp. of each)
• Optional: 1/8 tsp. hot paprika
• 1-28 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or honey
• 1/2 cup raisins, golden
• If desired, add pinch of chili powder, cayenne powder or your favorite hot sauce

Note: If the casserole requires extra liquid while it is baking, use the reserved liquid as suggested above or a cup of chicken or beef stock.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. You will need a 9 x 13″ baking dish with a cover, or tin foil.
In a skillet, brown beef and onions in oil over medium high heat until meat is no longer red. Drain off the fat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cabbage, diced tomatoes, rice, salt, pepper, garlic powder and if desired, hot paprika. Add the meat and onion mixture to the bowl and blend all ingredients. Add the tomato sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and raisins. Once all ingredients are blended, transfer them into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncover and mix casserole around gently. Baste with reserved liquid from canned tomatoes if moisture is needed. Replace cover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Cabbage Roll Casserole serves 6-8

Serve this special Holiday Beef Roast the next time you have company or at the holidays, including Passover. The original recipe comes from ‘Simply in Season: 12 Months of Wine Country Cooking, by Tony de Luca, (Whitecap Books Ltd., 2010) and was published on the Edible Toronto website in Fall 2010 (Gail Gordon Oliver’s wonderful publication). The recipe below is close to the original, with minor changes.

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds) (shoulder or ribeye roast and other Kosher cuts can be used in this recipe)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced red onions
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 4 cups fresh orange juice
• 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (or your favorite Kosher for Passover wine)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup dried apple slices
• 1 cup dried figs or pitted prunes
• 3 tbsp. minced fresh ginger, if desired
• 2 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1 tsp. ground allspice or nutmeg, if desired
• 1 cinnamon stick

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.

In a heavy flameproof casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat and sear the beef for 2 minutes on each side or until well browned. Remove the meat from the casserole and set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in the casserole over medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently until lightly coloured. Return the meat to the casserole and add the orange juice, wine, stock, dried apples, figs, ginger, orange zest, allspice and cinnamon stick. Cover and bring to a simmer. Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake for 2½ to 3 hours, covered, or until the beef is very tender.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef to a cutting board and the fruit to a warm bowl. Discard the cinnamon stick from the cooking juices. Put the casserole over high heat and simmer the cooking juices until they are reduced by half. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, slice the meat and arrange on a warm serving platter. Mound the fruit around the edge. Spoon the sauce over the beef and fruit.

Source: www.ediblecommunities.com

Stuffed Peppers are delicious in the autumn when bell peppers are in season. This easy Stuffed Pepper recipe qualifies as comfort food because it is heartwarming, flavorful and brings a mouthwatering aroma to the household. It is worth noting that there are no eggs in this recipe or any other added fats – the fat in the meat stands alone. This relatively lowfat recipe can be adapted to suit your own tastes – the amounts are merely a guide. It is also worth noting that it is OK to include your favorite seasonal vegetables and fruits – if you don’t like raisins, add some fresh or dried cranberries. You can also choose to grate in another vegetable to the stuffing instead of carrots.

Ingredients in Stuffed Peppers Recipe:

• 4 large bell peppers (I like the red ones) (sometimes I use 5 or 6 medium peppers and increase meat to 1/5 lbs.)
• 1 lb. lean ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 2 medium peeled and finely grated carrots
• 1/3 cup uncooked rice
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 tsp. salt (plus a bit more for sauce)
• 1/4 tsp. pepper (plus a bit more for sauce)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (plus a bit more for sauce)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano, basil or thyme (plus a bit more for sauce)
• 3 1/2-4 cups of stewed tomatoes, with liquid (if desired, ground tomatoes are also OK)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup raisins, if desired
• Optional: 2 tsp. sugar (I like to use sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
• Optional: a bit of red wine, beef or chicken stock can be added to the tomato sauce for added flavor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. A 9 x 9″ or 10 x 10″ baking dish – something that would allow peppers to sit beside each other snugly, plus the considerable amount of sauce, would be fine. You will also need a cover for the baking dish or aluminum foil.

Cut tops off bell peppers making a little ‘hat’ or cap to fit over the top of the empty pepper. Remove all seeds and membrane.

1. Prepare peppers: Many recipes require you to boil peppers before stuffing. I have had more success with simply baking them in the oven, uncovered, in the baking dish with a dab of water on the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, remove from oven, let them cool for a few minutes and then they can be stuffed.
2. Prepare filling: In a bowl, combine meat, onion, carrots, rice, ketchup, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano, blending until mixed.
3. Stuff the peppers: Spoon mixture into each pepper, in equal amounts.
4. In a bowl, combine stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, raisins, dash of salt, pepper, oregano and sugar. Pour over top of peppers to hydrate them and fill up baking dish with sauce.
5. Cover baking dish tightly with lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and baste peppers with sauce. Return to oven and bake for addition 20-25 minutes at reduced temperature of 325 degrees F.

Remove from oven, baste and cool down a bit before serving or cool, refrigerate and serve the next day for best results.

This quick and simple Meatball Recipe is made with basic ingredients and if you use very lean beef, veal or ground turkey, the recipe will be quite low in fat – no eggs are added. Adjust the recipe adding more or less sugar, salt, pepper and your favorite seasonings, to taste. Like most meatball recipes, this one freezes well.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef or veal
• 2 tsp. water
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 can (28 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes, reserve liquid
• 1 cup beef or chicken broth or water
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice (I replaced the lemon juice with 2 tsp. white vinegar and it came out good)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt

In a bowl, mix together meat, water, sugar, salt and pepper. Form into meatballs, about 3/4″ – 1 inch diameter.

In a large saucepan or French oven (like round Creuset French oven), brown onion in hot oil at medium heat. Add tomatoes (plus liquid) together with the cup of broth or water. Slowly, bring to a boil.
Once the tomato mixture is boiling, slowly add the meatballs and reduce heat to low right away. Simmer covered for 25 minutes.

Add lemon juice, sugar and salt, stir and simmer for another 35 minutes. Serve immediately, refrigerate or freeze. This meatballs recipe can be doubled.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs are an easy party recipe, appetizer or main course – this is a convenient ‘make ahead’ dish and freezes very well. There are many recipes that use grape jelly instead of ketchup (or Heinz 57 or chili sauce) to flavor the meatball sauce – personally, I find the jelly a bit too sweet. This recipe relies on ginger ale instead of jelly for added sweetness.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. minced beef (ground veal, chicken or turkey can also be used)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 medium clove of garlic, minced or ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. Matzo meal or soft bread crumbs
• 2 cups of either: ketchup, Heinz 57 sauce or Heinz Chili sauce
• 1/2 of a 3 oz. package of Kosher dry onion soup mix
• 2 ½ cups ginger ale
• Extra dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder or sugar, to taste
• Note: I add an additional cup of ketchup (or sauce) and ginger ale to make extra sauce – adjust amounts keeping the proportions intact, as desired.

Mix together the meat, salt, pepper, garlic, egg and matzo meal, blending until ingredients are incorporated. If the meat seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water or oil. Form into small meatballs. In a large saucepan, combine ketchup or Heinz 57 or chili sauce plus onion soup mix and ginger ale. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat, cooking partially covered for 10 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer on low, covered, for 90 minutes.

Sweet And Sour Meatballs serves: 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course – recipe can be doubled.

A Beef Pot Roast Recipe is a must for lovers of comfort food. It is one of those dishes that tastes great out of the oven and even better once it sits in the fridge for a day or two. This easy dinner recipe will fill your home with the aroma that begs the question: when do we eat?

Ingredients:

• 1 beef chuck roast, approximately 4 pounds
• Flour, to dredge roast
• 2 tbsp. oil
• salt and pepper, to season roast
• 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. to season roast, 1/2 tsp. to add to pot
• 1/2 tsp. thyme or your favorite herb
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1″ pieces
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp. sugar, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place roast in a large bowl or plastic container. Dredge it in flour, a light coating will do. Heat oil in Dutch oven or roaster. Brown the roast on all sides – this should take only a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.
Season roast all over with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add garlic powder. chicken broth, ketchup, herbs and sugar, if desired, to the pot. Place the vegetables* in the pot, around the meat. Cover and bake in the oven for 2 1/2 – 3 hours. For the first 1/2 hour, bake at 375 degrees. For the remaining cooking time, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Baste occasionally.

*Note: if you prefer the vegetables to be crisp and crunchy, add them to the pot after an hour of cooking time.

Beef Pot Roast serves 4-6.

Moussaka is a classic Greek recipe that blends eggplant, ground beef and tomatoes together with a pareve cream sauce in a casserole dish. Prepare the recipe a day or two ahead of serving – a fabulous option for entertaining! The Pareve Bechamel Sauce is a terrific, versatile recipe – keep it handy.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 lbs. ground beef (veal, chicken or turkey can also be used)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• Salt (1/4 – 1/2 tsp., to taste)
• Black Pepper (a few grinds or 1/4 tsp., to taste)
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• Optional: 1/4 cup wine or sherry
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (plain or combined with a bit of margarine)

Slice eggplants into 1/2″ pieces. Heat oil in a large frypan and saute slices of eggplant, a few at a time, until browned on both sides. Layer eggplant slices in a lightly oiled large casserole dish or 9 x 13″ baking dish that has been sprinkled with half of the breadcrumbs (about 1/4 cup).

Prepare the meat sauce by combining ground meat with onion, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in the frypan used to prepare the eggplant. Add tomato sauce and wine/sherry, if desired. Stir gently as mixture simmers at medium heat. Once meat is cooked through, spoon meat sauce over eggplant in baking dish. Note: if meat mixture seems too watery, add 1-2 tsp. tomato paste to thicken it up.

Pour Bechamel Sauce (see recipe below) over top of Moussaka. Top with remaining bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes until bubbling.

Pareve Bechamel Sauce:

• 3 tbsp. melted margarine
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup nondairy creamer or water
• Dash of salt
• Dash of black pepper
• Dash of nutmeg

At medium-low heat on stove, melt margarine in small saucepan and slowly stir in flour, using a whisk or spoon. Keep stirring gently and add creamer or water, cooking until mixture has thickened. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Keep mixture on low heat and do not let it boil – once thickened, remove sauce from heat.

Serves: 4-6

Adapted from recipe in ‘Spice and Spirit’ – The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook, Lubavitch Women’s Cookbook Pulbications (I love this book!)

Pizzaiola Sauce is a well known Italian recipe often associated with the delectable dish ‘Steak Pizzaiola’ – one of Marie’s favorite recipes on ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’! This scrumptious sauce can be used to coat beef steak, veal chops or even thicker, meaty cuts of fish like tuna and halibut. The inclusion of tomato paste helps thicken up the sauce and brown sugar enhances the flavor of the tomatoes while reducing acidity. Serve with your favorite pasta or rice and a good bottle of wine.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

• One 14 oz. can of tomatoes, reserve juice (use the best quality that you can find)
• 3-4 tsp. tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 2 tsp. dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley or torn basil leaves
• Optional: 1/2 cup white or red wine

Prepare the tomato sauce as follows: in a saucepan, add all ingredients except for fresh parsley/basil and wine. Simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the meat while the sauce simmers or set it aside to use later on.

Cook the lightly salted beef, veal or fish in a large frypan (coated with a couple of tsp. of olive oil) on the stove. Once cooked through to desired doneness and browned on both sides, (do not overcook until tough), add the sauce over the meat and stir around; if using wine, pour it into the sauce mixture and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Add fresh parsley or basil leaves in last minute and serve immediately.

Veal Roast is an easy dinner recipe that is very simple to prepare. It can be made a day or two ahead of serving – reheat and serve in less than 30 minutes. Serve Veal Roast with potatoes, noodles or grains and your favorite vegetables. Adjust amounts of ingredients depending on the size of the roast. This recipe will work with most types of veal: brisket, roll, blade roast… I find that long and slow cooking in a heavy roaster, with a bit of moisture in the roaster, produces tender, flavorful meat.

Ingredients for Veal Roast:

• Veal shoulder roast
• Dijon mustard, whole grain/old-fashioned
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 1/4 cup oil
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Thyme (or your favorite fresh or dried herb)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red or white wine, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (turn down temperature to 325 degrees after one hour).

Cover the meat with a layer of mustard. Place half of the onions over the bottom surface of your roasting pan. Place veal on top of onions. Sprinkle onion soup mix all over the meat, allowing some to fall to bottom of pan. Do the same thing with the garlic powder, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper – allow a bit to fall to bottom of pan. Drizzle oil over top of roast. Add some water or wine, if desired, to bottom of roasting pan, only enough to make it 1/2″ deep.

Note: you may also choose to add vegetable, chicken or beef stock to the pan instead of water or wine. A combination of liquids can also work – it depends on your taste preferences.
Cover the roasting pan and place in the oven, cooking for about 1 hour per kilo (2.2 lbs.) basting every 30-40 minutes. If pan becomes too dry, add some water (or wine) to allow for moist cooking and the creation of a flavorful sauce.

After one hour, turn heat down to 325 degrees.

Remove from oven and once cooled, refrigerate for 4-5 hours or overnight. You may slice the meat the next day or reheat as a one large piece.

Holiday Stuffed Veal Brisket is a delectable main course served at the High Holidays and throughout the year. This traditional veal recipe is not difficult to make – just follow the instructions and cook slowly for best results.

Prepare the stuffing:

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 cup carrots or zucchini, grated
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1-2 tsp. minced garlic (or approx. 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)
• 2 cups cornflake crumbs or small pieces of stale challah
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• Pinch of paprika
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley or chives, or a couple of tsp. of your favorite dried herbs
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, or a bit more as needed

Heat oil to medium high and saute carrots, celery, onions and garlic for about 3 minutes until onions are softened. Add mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Pour off any liquid. Set mixture aside.

In a medium sized bowl, combine cornflake crumbs or bread with the egg. Sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika. Add cooled vegetable mixture and stir until ingredients are blended. Add fresh parsley and other herbs, to taste and blend in only enough chicken broth to make mixture moist, not wet and soggy.

Ingredients for Holiday Stuffed Veal Brisket:

• 5-6 lb. veal brisket – ask butcher to remove any bones and to make a ‘pocket’
• Skewers, to close pocket that has been stuffed
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp. soya sauce
• Water, enough to help form a paste
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Olive oil, optional
• 1 cup red or white wine, beef or chicken broth or water

Using a long spoon, place stuffing in brisket pocket. Close the pocket with skewers, ‘sewing’ or going in and out to keep pocket closed.

Sprinkle the outside of the brisket with garlic powder, paprika plus a dash of salt and pepper. Make a paste of the onion soup mix, ketchup, soya sauce and a bit of water. Rub this mixture all over the veal brisket.
Line the bottom of a heavy roaster with sliced onions. Place the prepared brisket on top of the onions. At this point, you can drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top of the brisket. Pour wine, broth or water over onions at bottom of roasting pan.

Cover the roaster with a tight lid or with a layer of heavy duty tin foil. Cook at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and continue cooking for another 2 hours. Baste occasionally.

Cool the meat before slicing.

Holiday Stuffed Veal Brisket serves: 8-10

Deli Roll is a delicious appetizer recipe, snack or light meal that is always a hit. It is a cinch to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 package puff pastry
• Regular or Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 lb. sliced turkey
• 1/4 lb. smoked meat or pastrami
• 1/4 lb. salami, stuffed chicken, mock chicken or your favorite deli meats
• One egg, beaten (to brush over pastry)
• Sesame seeds, to sprinkle over top of pastry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Defrost the puff pastry dough. Use a rolling pin to roll pastry into a rectangle, not too thick or thin. Spread a thin layer of mustard all over rectangle, leaving a small border all around edges. Add a layer of meat to cover rectangle, leaving enough meat for two more layers. Spread mustard over top of meat. Add a second layer of meat and cover with mustard. Repeat with third layer of meat and mustard.

Fold over the dough in half lengthwise and pinch the edges closed.

Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Note: If you do not like mustard, use ketchup or pizza sauce instead.

Fig Stuffed Moroccan Meatballs can be served as an appetizer or main course. The blend of flavorful spices and the addition of fresh figs make this dish both exotic and memorable, a little more enticing than the usual weeknight fare.

Ingredients for 4-5 dozen meatballs (about 1″ each):

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 cup fresh figs, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs (not toasted)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder

Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, combine beef, figs, onion, bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon each of garlic, coriander and cumin and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well to blend. Form into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter and place in single layer on greased baking pan. Bake, shaking pan once or twice, until meatballs are browned and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine ketchup, remaining 1 teaspoon each of garlic, coriander, and cumin; add wine, water, cinnamon, and cayenne. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently stir in cooked meatballs and serve.

Source: http://www.valleyfig.com/

Teriyaki Steak is a flavorful dish that you can cook in minutes using a grill pan or indoor electric grill. Marinate the meat for at least 6 hours or overnight — all that is left to do is grill the meat — less than 15 minutes! Slice the cooked meat and serve over salad, with rice or pasta or prepare as beef brochettes, threading cubes of marinated meat and coarsely cut peppers and onions on skewers.

Ingredients for Teriyaki Steak:

• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp. mirin (a sweet Japanese rice wine – substitute sherry or white wine, sweetened if necessary)
• 4 sirloin steaks, trimmed (if desired, substitute your favorite lean cut of beef)
• Oil, for brushing the steaks

Combine cornstarch and soy sauce in a bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in honey, vinegar and mirin. Place steaks in shallow, nonmetallic pan and pour marinade over them. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

For best results, let steaks come to room temperature before cooking. Brush your indoor grill or grill pan with oil. Once it is hot, add the steaks and cook until done to your liking. A steak that is 3/4″ thick should cook for 4-6 minutes per side for ‘medium-rare’ and 6-8 minutes per side for ‘medium’. Check steaks and continue to cook for additional minute or two if too rare.

If serving the steaks ‘whole’, you can serve them right away. If you are slicing the meat, let steaks ‘rest’ for a few minutes with loose covering of tin foil on a serving plate. Juices will redistribute before slicing – meat will stay tender.

Chuck Roast is prepared with a flavorful assortment of fruits and spices that make this a unique meat recipe. The addition of cinnamon and carrots give the roast the added ‘tsimmes’ quality that you may appreciate at holidays or special occasions.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pitted prunes
• 2 cups dried apricots
• 5-6 lbs. chuck eye roast or brisket
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (use 1/8 tsp. powdered ginger)
• Pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg, optional

Place prunes and apricots in a large bowl and soak in 4 cups of boiling water for 15 minutes. Reserve the water.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp. oil to a large Dutch oven and on the stove, cook the onions for about 4-5 minutes until they are soft. Place the meat on top of the onions.

Turn on the oven to 325 degrees F. Add the prunes, apricots and water to the meat and onion mixture. Add all remaining ingredients, lightly stirring to combine.

Cover the pot and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove cover, add one cup of water and continue to bake for additional 20-25 minutes.

Serves: 8-10

Pot Roast (or ‘Tangy Meat Roast’) is a sensational beef or veal recipe from the cookbook A Taste of Tradition: Pesach — Anything’s Possible! Over 350 non-gebrochts, gluten-free & wheat-free recipes by Tamar Ansh. In addition to numerous ‘exciting’ Passover recipes, the cookbook contains superb salad recipes and dressing ideas for Pesach and all year long.
Note: Follow the instructions carefully – the roast is prepared over two days.

Ingredients:

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed or minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup (wine) vinegar
• 2 tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 4–5 lbs. / 2–2½ kilo roast, washed and dried
• 1 cup semi-dry white wine

Next-Day Marinade and Vegetables:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup (wine) vinegar
• 1 tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 cup tomato sauce, optional
• 6–8 garlic cloves, pressed
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 2 large onions, sliced

Squeeze the garlic cloves into a bowl using a garlic press. Add the olive oil, vinegar, parsley and oregano to the bowl, mixing it well with the garlic. Place the meat into a large glass or plastic container and pour the garlic mixture over it. Marinate the roast for 6 hours or overnight, basting periodically. Then place the meat in a pot that fits its size as closely as possible. Add the wine to the meat, put the pot over a medium low flame and simmer it for 3 hours. Cool and refrigerate the pot overnight.

The next day, remove the meat from the pot and discard the juices. Slice the roast and lay it flat into a 9×13-inch (or a bit larger) baking pan. Mix the ingredients for the ‘Next-Day Marinade’ and pour it over the meat slices. Arrange the celery, carrots, and onions over the meat and cover the roast well with foil or a tight lid.

Bake at 350°F/180°C for another 2 hours, basting the roast once an hour or so to prevent it from drying out.

Serves: 8-10

Cholent recipes vary from family to family – new ideas for Jewish recipes never hurt.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups dry kidney beans
• 3/4 cups dry lima beans
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup pot barley
• 6 potatoes, chopped
• 2 lbs. beef flanken (with bones)
• 1/2 package of dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• Boiling water

Rinse beans well. Saute onion and garlic in oil until golden brown.

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Add boiling water, enough just to cover ingredients. Cover pot.
Bring water to boil and reduce heat – simmer at low heat for at least three hours.

Place pot in oven overnight at 150-200 degrees F. Add water occasionally and mix ingredients.

Beef Brisket is a traditional oven baked brisket recipe that stands the test of time. The ingredients blend beautifully to produce a flavorful, tender roast that seems to fall apart in the tangy gravy. This recipe is known as Ruby’s Cranberry Brisket and was given to me by Rose Strohl, a terrific cook.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 lb. beef or veal brisket
• 1 package of regular or Passover onion soup mix
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste (you can also use 1-2 tsp. fresh minced garlic)
• 1 can of cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly
• 1 cup red wine or water

In a small bowl, combine the onion soup mix with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread the dry rub all over the brisket and let it marinate for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Before you cook the marinated brisket, add the cranberry sauce and wine or water to the roaster. Place brisket in roaster and bake covered at 400°F for 30 minutes.

After a half hour, reduce the temperature to 325°F for the remaining cooking time, approximately 2 hours. Baste occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of water (wine, chicken or beef broth) if liquid becomes too thick.
Once the brisket has cooled down, refrigerate for 5-6 hours or overnight. Slice meat and when reheating, you can add 1/2 cup of red wine and fresh garlic to the gravy, if desired.

Reheat slices at moderate temperature and serve with the delicious gravy poured over the top or on the side in a gravy boat. Enjoy!

Pad See Ew or ‘Pad Sew’ is a Thai noodle dish served at the popular restaurant chain ‘Thai Express’. Can you make it at home? Yes. You should read over the entire recipe before getting involved. Is this recipe suitable for the Jewish kitchen? Absolutely – strictly kosher cooks should make sure that sauce ingredients are kosher and of course, pay attention to fish sauce as suggested below.

The key ingredient for great flavor is ‘thick’ soy sauce – available at some supermarkets and many Asian groceries. Check the Asian section of your local supermarket for Dark Soy Sauces that are thick, made with soy sauce and sugar as the second ingredient. When you turn the bottle upside down, it should run slowly; not loose and watery like conventional soy sauce.  

If you are strictly Kosher, you may be out of luck at the store so make your own: for each cup of soy sauce, add 1 tbsp. brown sugar and heat on low in a pot on the stove. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat once you have achieved a syrupy consistency. Make 4 cups or so and keep extra stored in the fridge. Another alternative is to buy one of the VH stir fry sauces – they are thick, sweet and quite tasty. I like Garlic Hoisin and Teriyaki stirfry sauces – each bottle has a ‘K’ on the side.


Pad See Ew (like Pad Thai), requires that you prepare and assemble all ingredients ahead of time. Make sure to have a large wok or fry pan on hand and a slotted spoon to remove cooked ingredients, a step at a time.

Ingredients for Pad See Ew:

• Wide, flat rice sticks found in Thai section of supermarket or from Kosher section, use wheat or egg noodles – I like the the brand “Crown”, sold in a 7 oz.-200 g package (I made rice sticks once and found the noodles difficult to deal with – they became mushy very fast)
• 8 oz. chicken or lean beef, cut into uniform, thin, bite-sized pieces that will cook quickly (ingredients for marinade are further down)*
• one egg, optional
• 8 oz. (it’s OK to use more or less) Chinese broccoli, bok choy, head of broccoli or broccolini
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced (1-2 tsp.)
• 3-4 tbsp. oil (you add oil to the wok each time to prepare a new element of the dish and it keeps the noodles from sticking)
• 1 tbsp. thick soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• If desired, add heat to sauce by adding a dash of chili powder, chili paste or hot sauce, to taste
• Optional: fish sauce (if you are kosher, make your own by combining a dab of anchovy paste with regular soy sauce, mix together – a little goes a long way)
• Toasted sesame seeds, as garnish, if desired

In a small bowl, combine chicken or beef with Marinade: 2 tsp. fish sauce or regular soy sauce, a few drops of rice vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil – mix well. Refrigerate for 15-20 before you begin to cook the dish.

Prepare noodles, whether rice or wheat, according to package directions and set aside – do not overcook or they will become mushy.

Prepare the Pad See Ew sauce and keep it on hand, ready to use while you cook. For convenience, made a lot of it, using the above noted proportions. (I make at least a cup at a time and refrigerate leftover sauce).
Use a vegetable peeler to get rid of tough outer skin on stems of Chinese broccoli. Cut stems on the bias to a 1″length, not too thick; cut up and use leafy parts as well. Whatever vegetable you are using, keep pieces uniform so that they cook at the same pace and of course, quickly.

Heat the wok to medium high and then add a 2 tsp. of oil. (Note: experts recommend that the wok be heated to High and smoking hot – personally, I find it too difficult to control the dish at that heat – it’s up to you).

1. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add leafy parts and continue to stir fry, adding a dash (tsp.) of sauce. Once leaves begin to wilt, remove broccoli from wok and set aside.

2. Heat up wok again and add 1 tbsp. and a bit of oil. Coat whole pan and add noodles. Experienced chefs can flip pan around to cook noodles – cooks with less expertise, like me, can use a spatula or good tongs to move the noodles around. Add 1 tbsp. sauce and move mixture around so that all noodles become coated. Add a bit more sauce, if necessary. If there is any sticking problem, add more oil. Use tongs to turn noodles over if you are finding it difficult to get them coated in sauce. After a minute or so, remove noodles to a bowl – set aside.

3. Reheat wok, add more oil (1 tbsp.) and place meat, in a single layer, in pan. Add garlic and 1-2 tsp. of sauce and stir-fry until chicken or beef brown on each side; if desired, move cooked meat to side of wok and in centre, crack an egg, let it set for a few seconds, and then scramble it in with the meat, mixing ingredients together. Keep meat and egg in pan.

4. Return broccoli to wok and stir for a few seconds, then add noodles back to pan. Combine all ingredients, turning over noodles once or twice, season with more sauce, if desired, or to thin out sauce, add a few drops of soy sauce or rice vinegar. If desired, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds as Pad See Ew garnish.

Serve Pad See Ew immediately and enjoy.

Serves: 2-4 (feel free to double the recipe)

Adapted from the fabulous recipe published at: www.chezpim.com