Braised Vegetables

My kids really did eat these! I was amazed. Even Neil tried a few.  Braises benefit from being made ahead even if you have the inclination and the time. I've made the first recipe but would like to try the other one as well.  I've enjoyed looking through this website and look forward to trying out some of the other tasty dishes to be found, especially for Rosh Hashanah which is approaching rather rapidly!

Winter Vegetable Braise
2-4 pounds root vegetables such as

parsnips, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, fennel, celery root, rutabaga, peeled, trimmed and cut in 1/2 inch cubes

1 medium onion or 3 medium shallots, thickly sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups orange juice
½ cup water
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat oil in a medium sized Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add all vegetables and salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes, until slightly browned.
3. Add orange juice, water and thyme. Cover pot and place in preheated oven. Lower heat to 350 and bake for 25-35 minutes, until vegetables are very tender.
4. May be served warm or at room temperature.
Makes: 6-8 servings ~ Can make ahead
Active time: 15 minutes ~ Cooking time: 1 hour
a kosher for Passover Recipe

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Mustard & Lemon Braised Vegetables 1 1/2 pounds mixed vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, leeks, carrots, red or yellow bell pepper, trimmed and cut similar in shape and size
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1. In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil and margarine over medium high heat until margarine is melted and sizzling. Add vegetables and salt. Toss to coat. Cook, stirring only to prevent burning, 5-8 minutes until vegetables are browned, but not charred.
2. Pour in broth and cover pan with the lid. Simmer 3-5 minutes until liquid is almost absorbed. Remove from heat and quickly add remaining ingredients and toss well, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Makes: 4-6 servings ~ Can make ahead
Active time: minutes ~ Cooking time: 15 minutes

Guatemalan Charoset

My friend Leslie steered me to this recipe last year for Passover.  It was very yummy! When we were in Guatemala to get the girly, I actually saw the synagogue there, but never got a chance to go there.  I was excited to be able to incorporate some traditional Guatemalan cooking into our holiday and this will be a tradition in our family from now on!

Charoset ingredients

• 3 green apples, peeled, chopped, with a splash of
• lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cashews, chopped
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 ounce sweet passover wine
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Sauce

• 1 ounce green chilies, and
• red chile, chopped, they are locally called chiltepe
• 2 teaspoons onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• cinnamon

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 16 mins

1. Toss all charoset ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2.  Liquify all ingredients for the sauce in a blender and season with salt to taste,.
3.  Add 1 tablespoons of the sauce to the charoset and blend. [I added more than one tbs of the sauce, use your own discretion, but I felt it needed more than one.]
4.  Add cinnamon to taste.

Potato and Cheese Mina - A Passover Matzo Pie

I made this recipe for Passover last year and my family loved it.  Mina is a traditional Sephardic Passover pie.

Ingredients:

• 1 idaho potato
• 6 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 ounces grated parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups of freshly grated cheese)

[I used three potatoes vs. just the one called for in this recipe since one seemed too stingy for me.  I also upped the nutmeg a bit as well, but the cheese & eggs I kept the same.]

Matzo crust

• 3 matzos
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• warm water, salted
Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 40 mins

1. Peel and dice potato. Place in a medium pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to boil and cook until soft. Strain and pass potato through a food mill. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl mix mashed potato with 6 eggs, seasonings, and 4 ounces cheese.
3. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat two eggs in a large bowl with milk and 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Place warm salted water in a container large enough to fit whole matzo board. Briefly soak each matzo in water. Dry each matzo and then dip into egg mixture. Heat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Sauté both sides of one matzo until golden brown. Repeat with remaining matzo. Leaving one piece of sautéed matzo in hot pan, place half of potato and cheese mixture on top, then place second piece of matzo over filling. Cover with remaining half of mixture. Place last matzo on top and sprinkle with 2 ounces of cheese. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or just until set. Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.

This dish can be prepared a day in advance and kept refrigerated.  Reheat in a 325F oven for 10-15 minutes.  We had no leftovers of this dish & the next time, I will make two.