Matzo Ball Soup

I’ve missed you! Sorry I’ve been away for over a month—I was busy getting hitched! Now that I have solidified the deal with the love of my life, I return happily and nesting in my lil urban kitchen. Since I married a nice Jewish boy, I thought it only fitting to post my first recipe back as a married woman, his favorite, Matzo Ball Soup. It is so easy to make, and anyone can do it.

There are two kinds of matzo ball soup lovers, I’ve come to realize. The first kind is the “purist.” They like their soup simple and refined: a clear, fragrant chicken broth ladled lovingly over 2 or 3 light and fluffy matzo balls. The second group likes heavy, hockey puck-style matzo balls with lots of veggies in the soup. Just by the description I think you can see I am of the former camp (delicate broth, fluffy matzo balls).

Just between us, you can make this soup any night of the week in just a few minutes, but it is the same quality soup of the old-school grandma variety. Honest. For real. There is a secret...All you have to do is make a big old batch of stock (you can even make your stock in a crock pot) and keep it in the freezer in quart-sized bags. When you are ready for your soup, you heat up a bag o' broth, throw in the balls, and simmer. Voila, in just a half hour, your kitchen has been transported back in time to a grandma’s kitchen on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, circa 1923. Flapper Food. :)

And flu season? Not a chance with this all-powerful defense in the house!

Matzo Balls
1/2 cup matzo meal
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chicken stock or seltzer

For soup
2 to 3 quarts prepared chicken stock (recipe below)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
A few sprigs of dill (optional)
[If you are in a time pinch, you can also use 2-3 quarts of stock in a box. I like Manischevitz brand low-sodium chicken broth]

With a fork, mix all matzo ball ingredients in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Bring 1 1/2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil in a medium sized pot.
Reduce the flame. Wet your hands. Roll 1-inch-balls of matzo dough in the palm of your hands loosely. Drop the balls into the simmering salt water one at a time. Lower the heat, cover the pot and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

Meaniwhile, bring chicken stock and sliced carrot to a simmer in a separate pot.* When matzos are done cooking, you can spoon them into the stock.

With a slotted spoon, place 2-3 matzo balls into a serving bowl, and gently ladle the soup over that. Garnish with dill if you like. Eat it up and have then seconds!

*If you are fighting a cold or flu, throw in 2-3 whole, peeled garlic cloves along with the carrot slices. Feel free to eat the garlic cloves if you are particularly brave or particularly sick, or if you are a garlic lover like my husband. 

Chicken Stock

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken necks, backs and wings
3 celery ribs, cut into big chunks
3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into big chunks
2 parsnips, scrubbed and cut into big chunks
2 onions, unpeeled and quartered
1 head garlic, cut horizontally in half
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
4 quarts cold water

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large soup pot. Skim the top of any foam. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer peacefully for 2-3 hours.

Pour stock through a pasta strainer into a large bowl. Allow to cool, and fill quart-sized freezer bags and freeze for up to 6 months, or store the stock in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

Chickie’s Linguini & Clam Sauce

My mom makes the best clam sauce in the whole wide world. (See for yourself--these are the mouthwatering pics of the actual dinner she made when I was visiting her this past week!) I love this sauce because it isn't white, and it isn't red. It's in between. She makes a basic white clam sauce but adds some chopped tomatoes to the sauce.

This is a slightly sweet sauce because of her secret ingredient: Marsala wine. A lot of white clam sauce recipes call for dry white wine, but she insists on Marsala and Marsala only, which gives the sauce a slight sweetness that offsets the garlic and clams. The chopped tomatoes (rather than puree) complement the Marsala, and when the alcohol reduces, thickens, and the basil works its magic, well, you've got yourself a bit of snack heaven on your hands. Crusty bread and a glass of your house red is a must!

CHICKIE’S LINGUINI & CLAM SAUCE

1 pound of linguini
¾-1 cup exrta-virgin olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Marsala wine
2 cans of 6.5-ounce chopped clams, 1 drained, 1 juice reserved
1 Tbs. dried basil
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper
½ a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
Locatelli Romano cheese, grated

Boil water for pasta, and cook al dente, according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepot, heat olive oil over medium low. Add garlic, and cook gently for about 5 minutes, being sure garlic doesn’t burn.

Stir in wine, clams, basil, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce to a very soft simmer, and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes. Toss sauce with hot pasta, and serve, passing grated cheese at the table.

Quinoa Crunch

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!!

Let me count the ways...

Cheap? Check. (Verrry cheap. As in, pennies, cheap. Check the bulk grains section in the healthfood store. You're covered.)

Quick? Check. (As in, I threw this in the oven while my coffee brewed and I showered for work.)

Easy? Check. (As in mix, spread, bake. Done!)

Oh and there are so many wonderful ways this is the perfect snack:

Quinoa is the highest and only complete-protein grain out there.
It's versatile; tasty in savory and sweet recipes. You can use this quinoa crunch anyway you would granola - on yogurt, baked into Blueberry Crunch Muffins, or mixed into Fig Scones, or poured into a bowl with cold milk.

This would be a fab grain to add to my old stand-by, Mix & Match Granola. Remember this one?(CLICK HERE, if you don't remember.) ;)
Quinoa Crunch is close to perfection in a snack.
Snack heaven. Snack love.
Perfect to eat while watching cute people on the old cable TV. And also for watching version two of cute people on the old cable TV. (Indulge me for a moment. Thanks.)

QUINOA CRUNCH
adapted from Body & Soul Magazine

1 cup quinoa
1 Tbs. agave or organic maple syrup
1 Tbs. safflower oil

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients and spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or so, till golden brown. Cool completely on the sheet and store leftovers in an airtight container.

Cranberry & Blood Orange Bread

Fear! Fear! Fear! Swine flu! War! Danger! Apocalypse! Terror! Lewd dudes on the Subway!

Sigh...I've decided I will not be terrorized by my television, and have decided NO MORE NEWS! Even the cooks on the cooking shows seem strung out. So I've made a hard and fast decision: I have chosen to allow from my TV and into my home ONLY fiction, fantasy, animals running around in the woods, and cute people. Lots of cute people. Especially cute people.

It's time to take back my TV. Thousands of digital channels at my fingertips, and somehow the *real terrorists* (newscasters) sneak their way in, spreading the disease of fear within seconds (while wearing a cute satin blouse and a smile). No more swine swiggity swak for me, thank you very much.

My dad used to always say "Why fret about something you can't control?"

Well, Dad, I heard what you said. I can and will control my TV, and filter what comes into my home. And I choose to filter out the blood and fear and filter in only cute people.

Well, let me be a little clearer...The only blood or fear I will see on my TV will involve really cute Vampires in the deep south with great haircuts. (Yeah, you know what I'm sayin'. :))

In honor of those sexy, bloody cutie pies on HBO, I give you something I'd love to bring over to their next uh, community...meeting...
Blood Orange & Cranberry Bread
(adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (I used a combo of millet and spelt)
3/4 cups to 1 cup sugar (I used 6 packets of Stevia sweetener)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 t salt
zest from 3 oranges
3/4 cups blood orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 c cranberries, coarsely chopped (I used 2/3 cup of dried organic cranberries)
2 Tbs. flax seeds (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a loaf tin (I used two mini loaf pans).

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest.

In another bowl, combine the orange juice, egg and melted butter together.

Add in the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Add cranberries and stir just until blended. Pour batter into tin(s), sprinkle with optional flax seeds, and bake for about 1 hour (30 minutes for mini loaves) or until cake tester comes out clean. Just check with a toothpick at 30 minutes to be safe. Let cool on a wire rack.

Summertime Picnic Feast

I love snacks. I love them more than elaborate meals with huge portions. The Spanish have it spot on with tapas.

Over the weekend, we had a hankering for a snack smorgasbord. It was the perfect meal for a hot summer afternoon. I also think these dishes would be great for a summer eve cocktail party with sangria. You can make all of the dishes ahead of time, and are all delicious served at room temperature. Don't forget to scatter the platter with lots of fresh, raw vegetables and crusty bread sticks or crackers for dipping.
BABA GHANOUSH
(Eggplant & Tahini Dip):
Courtesy of Karen Srour of Food Network

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:
Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and put upside down on a greased foil lined pan. Put under a broiler until the outside skin is charred black and the pulp inside is soft (15 to 30 minutes). Scrape out eggplant and put in bowl to cool, preferably in refrigerator for several hours. Pour off extra liquid before using.

In a food processor, mince garlic, and scrape down sides. Add eggplant, salt, and 1/4 cup tahini. Pulse the food processor to mix. Slowly add lemon juice. Taste. Adjust salt and lemon or tahini.

Serve on a shallow platter and garnish with chopped parsley, miniature eggplant, tomato or radish roses. Serve with warm pita bread or crackers.

TUSCAN TUNA BOATS:
Ingredients:
2 or 3 celery stalks, halved
1 can of good Italian tuna, packed in olive oil
½ a lemon, juiced (and zested, optional)
Handful of fresh basil or mint leaves, coarsely chopped (or combo of both)
¼ cup fresh fennel, chopped
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Directions:
To a mixing bowl, add drained tuna, basil (or mint), fennel, olive oil, lemon juice (and optional zest). Stir, breaking up the tuna. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill/marinate in the fridge for an hour.

When ready to serve, pack tuna into celery stalks and place on a pretty platter.


SPICY BACK BEANS ON EGGPLANT WHEELS
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized eggplant
Salt & pepper
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil for cooking, plus olive oil for brushing eggplants
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ a roasted red pepper (pimiento), chopped
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
¼ teaspoon dried cayenne pepper or hot sauce
½ lime, squeezed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a medium-sized eggplant into thick rounds. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place rounds on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until eggplant is lightly browned. Flip the rounds and bake another 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized sauce pan, heat the 1/8-1/4 cup oilive oil. When pan is hot, sautee the onion till transluscent, about 4 minutes or so. Add garlic and spices and sauté for a couple minutes. Add red pepper, beans and lime juice. Cook until beans are heated through. Stir in cilantro.

Scoop the bean mix onto the eggplant rounds with an ice cream scooper (about ¼ cup). Return the baking sheet to the oven for about 10 minutes, so the beans become a little browned on top.

Crunchy Carrot Pineapple Snack Cake

A cake with no butter? No dairy? No sugar? No refined flour? Only organic fruits, grains and nuts? That tastes good?

Did I just hear a "get the heck outta here?" Yeah, that’s what I said too...

Who wants to hear the words "cake" and "sugar-free" in the same sentence? But trust me on this one. It is delightfully and truly delicious, thanks to my favorite nutritionist in the whole wide world, Ann Louise Gittleman.

Believe me, I'm no anti-dessert, anti-fun, crotchety Miss Gulch of Food...As we all probably know by now, I've been known to get DOWN with a red velvet cake or some real-deal milk chocolate chip cookies. I admit I've a killer sweet tooth and I loooove to bake. But for every day eating, I really do try to limit my sugar and flour consumption. And hey, I honestly appreciate what comes out of Mother Nature's "oven" just the way it is, without it being transformed by complex cooking techniques. (A crunchy, cold apple is just so under-rated!) :)

This carrot cake tastes amazing spread with Stevia-sweetened cream cheese (soy for me) or a bit of honey drizzled on top, but it's also really delicious as is.

ALG'S CRUNCHY CARROT PINEAPPLE SNACK CAKE
Recipe courtesy of Ann Louise Gittleman
(serves 8 to 10 people)

3 large carrots
1 large egg
3/8 cup oil (like coconut or macadamia nut)
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple in own juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (I used spelt & millet flours)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (or cloves)
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Scrub and grate the carrots on the small side of the grater. Measure 1 cup and set aside. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray (I don't have a square pan, so I used a Bundt cake pan and it worked out beautifully).

In blender, combine egg, oil, pineapple and juice, raisins, walnuts and vanilla. Process until raisins are finely chopped. (I don’t have a blender yet, so I just chopped the heck out of all of this on a cutting board, and it worked fine.)

Measure flour, spices, salt, and baking powder into large mixing bowl. Stir well. Add blended mixture and grated carrots to dry ingredients, mixing until batter is uniform.

Spread batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until toothpick comes out clean. [Test the cake at 30 MINUTES because that is all mine took to bake.] Cool and enjoy!

Roast Beef with Wine Sauce

Oh hello CROCK POT baby, you loyal, dependable, always-on-my-side Friend-O-Mine. Yeah.

I love that I can put you in the back of my cabinet, forget about you for months, but then when we see each other again, it’s like we were hanging out just yesterday. Nothing’s changed. I can count on you to always be the same. You never let me down. You are always there to help. You make my life easier. You don’t care if I have on make-up or not. You love to sit in my kitchen all darn day long, and you never make a mess. And I can call on you in any hour of need.

Crock pot, would you like to come to my wedding? What? You don’t know anyone? Ah, not to worry, dear old Crocky, I am going to seat you next to my other BFF, Mr. Cast Iron Skillet.


HERE'S THE BEFORE SHOT AT 9AM BEFORE WORK:

AND HERE IS THE AFTER SHOT, 8 HOURS LATER:

ROAST BEEF WITH WINE SAUCE

3 pounds (or so) organic beef roast
5-8 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 or 2 onions, sliced
2-3 carrots, cut into chunks
3-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
5-10 new potatoes
Sea salt & cracked black pepper
A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
A teaspoon of horseradish powder or a tablespoon horseradish in a jar
2-3 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. onion granules
2 cups broth (beef or vegetable)
Olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine

1. Place onions, carrots, garlic, mushrooms and potatoes in the crock pot.

2. Generously salt & pepper the roast on all sides. Heat a large skillet with olive oil, and when it’s hot, add the seasoned roast. Brown the heck out of it on all sides (because, as Chef Anne Burrell says, "brown food tastes good!"). Add the roast to the crock pot.

3. Turn the frying pan burner down to medium. Add wine, and stir and scrape up all the browned bits. When wine is reduced by half, add the stock and all the remaining seasonings. Stir it up. Pour all of this into the crock pot. Cover and turn on low. Fuggedabodit for 6-10 hours. Come home to a delightfully aromatic home and begin salivating.