Ziva’s Chicken Soup

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Submitted by Debbie Tenzer

  • 6 chicken legs or thighs
  • 2 peeled onions, whole
  • 1 peeled parsnip, whole
  • 6 celery stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 bunch of fresh dill
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube

Toss everything into a big pot. Cover with 10 quarts of cold water and heat. Bring to a boil; then simmer for an hour. Strain vegetables and chicken, and cool the broth overnight in the refrigerator. Skim off the fat. Add carrots, celery and cut-up chicken to the broth. You may add other vegetables, noodles, rice or dumplings. Heat thoroughly and adjust the seasoning.

From Do One Nice Thing: Little things You Can Do to Make the World a Lot Nicer, by Debbie Tenzer, published by Crown Publishers.

Cloggers’ Salad

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Submitted by Peggy and Mark Griffin

  • 2 packages beef or chicken Ramen Noodles
  • 1 (16 ounce) package of cole slaw vegetable mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
  • 7 ounces slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (without shells)
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped
Dressing:
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles

Break up noodles (do not cook).   In a large bowl, combine noodles, cole slaw vegetables, almonds, sunflower seeds and scallions. In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad just before serving. Serves 10-12

Denise’s Brisket

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Submitted by Denise Levenson

  • 1 Flat-cut Beef Brisket (2-5lbs.)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Ketchup
  • 3 heaping Tablespoons of Red Horseradish
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce or Maggis’s
  • Granulated Garlic
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Onion
  • 1/3 cup water

Option 2:

Mix in a large measuring cup: Ketchup, red horse radish, soy sauce stir or mix with a fork

Prep Brisket: Season Brisket with granulated garlic, sea salt or kosher salt, pepper.

Put ketchup mixture on brisket and spread to cover whole brisket, cut up onion and spread around brisket add 1/3 cup of water

Cover with foil, place in 350° oven for 2 to 3.5 hrs… depend on size of the brisket.

Slice brisket on an angle place back in pan or serving dish (Pyrex) and pour gravy over top of meat and serve.

You can do this ahead of time and reheat when dinner is served. Cover with foil

Option 1:

Prepare Brisket as above

Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 4 hrs before cooking, I like this method better for myself.

Cook as instructed. When cook time is done slice brisket,place it in serving dish cover with the gravy. Put foil back on and leave 1 hr in oven prior to serving. This give the juice time to meld into the meat..Yummy

Blueberry Cake

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Submitted by Sharon Newman, who says:  “This recipe is from my father’s mother, Mollie Muskovitz. Everyone always loves it.”

  • 4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 cups flour
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt

Crumb Topping

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine

Cream sugar and butter.  Add eggs.  Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with the milk.  Stir in the blueberries by hand.  Put in a greased 9×13 pan.
Mix the Crumb Topping ingredients together by hand and sprinkle on top of the cake before baking.  Bake at 375 degrees.  The recipe says 45 minutes but it takes longer than that in my oven.  Check with a toothpick.

Asparagus and Manchego Cheese paella

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Adapted from a recipe on www.spain-recipes.com

  • 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz.) olive oil
  • 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) rice
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 3 1/4 cups (26 fl. oz.) chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron or a pinch of saffron threads
  • 8 oz. uncooked shrimp
  • 14 oz. canned asparagus tips or one generous handful of fresh ones
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup grated Manchego cheese

Heat the oil in a paella pan, or very large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the chicken until browned on all sides.  Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a dish. (This step can easily be done ahead.)

Add the onion and garlic to the paella pan and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the rice, broccoli, broth, saffron, shrimp and cooked chicken.

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for another 20 minutes.

Mix in the asparagus tips and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken and rice are tender and the broth as been absorbed.

Remove teh pan from the heat, sprinkle with the Manchego cheese, and serve.

Serves at least 6.

Honey-Spice Pecans

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Submitted by LeeAnn Pantalone

These are super yummy!!!  Great by themselves or on salads…

  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 4 cups of pecan halves

Mix the first 6 ingredients, then stir in the pecans.

Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Mr. Carl’s Strawberry Short Torte

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Submitted by Carl LaFrance

  • 2 1/2 cups whipped cream (ingredients below)
  • 2 lbs. fresh strawberries, quartered
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 pound cakes (traditional, chocolate or strawberry[or equivalent amounts of all three!)
  • Ouzo (Sambuca) to taste
  • Small bar of dark chocolate
Whipped cream:
  • 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract.

In a large bowl toss strawberries in 2 tbsp. sugar and place in refrigerator to mingle at least 30 minutes(Overnight is best.).

When ready to assemble:

Cut cakes into 1″ cubes

Prepare whipped cream (In a cold bowl combine and then whip all three ingredients with a cold whisk or mixer on low until it forms peaks.)

In a torte glass or other deep container with clear sides:

Beginning with the cake, make a small, loose layer and drizzle the cake with ouzo to taste, then follow with layers of the cream and strawberries, drizzling ouzo onto each successive layer of cake. Shave dark chocolate on the top for garnish.

Tips: Small layers and placing the cubes on the outside solidly against the sides of the container then pouring the cream in the center before spreading it will achieve a more finished look from the outside of the glass/container.

Whole Wheat Challah

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From Sarah Chisholm

  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 2 eggs (+ yolk for egg wash)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbs. oil
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 4+ cups flour (I use 1/3 whole wheat flour +the rest unbleached white)
  • ½ cup raisins
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm (approx. 110 degrees) water.  Put in a pinch of sugar to proof the yeast.  Let it sit about 10 min.  If the yeasty water isn’t foamy, pitch it and start over with a fresh/new pack.
  2. Beat eggs with salt, oil and honey, then mix in yeast water.  Set aside.
  3. Put flour in large bowl (kitchenaid mixers work great for this).  Make a well in center and add liquid.  Stir until it’s almost all worked in.  Knead dough for several minutes.  You can use the dough hook on a mixer too.  You may need to add more flour.  Dough should be elastic and not too sticky.  Be careful not to add too much flour.
  4. Add raisins if you’re making for Rosh Hashanah (or if you just like raisins!!)
  5. Place dough in a large, oiled bowl covered with a clean dish cloth.  Let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.  It should double in size.
  6. Punch dough down (kids LOVE to do this) and knead it some more.
  7. Braiding:
  • Option 1 Fancy Braiding: divide dough in half.  Set one half aside and divide the other half into 2 pieces.  One piece will be about 1/3 of the dough and the other will be about 2/3s.  Take the larger piece and divide it into 3 pieces and make ropes.  Braid the ropes and pinch the ends to seal.  Set the braid on the greased baking sheet.  Take the smaller piece and divide it into 3 pieces and make ropes.  Braid them and pinch the ends.  Place the smaller braid on top of the center of the larger one.  Repeat with second piece.  You will have 2 beautiful large challot.
  • Option 2 Braiding: divide dough into 3 even pieces.  Set 2 aside.  Divide one piece into 3 even pieces and make ropes.  Braid the ropes, pinch ends together and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Repeat with other 2 pieces.  You will have 3 braided challot.
  • Option 3 Rosh Hashanah Challah: Instead of braiding divide dough into 3 even pieces.  Set 2 aside and make a rope about a foot long.  Hold 1 end and wrap the other around it and slightly up to make a spiral round loaf.  Repeat with the other 2 pieces.  You will have 3 loaves for the high holy days.

8.  Let loaves rise in a warm spot, uncovered until doubled in size (1-2 hours).

9.  Brush with egg wash (egg yolk + 1 tsp. of water) to make it shiny and pretty.  You can add poppy or sesame seeds at this point if you like them.

10.  Bake in 375 oven for 20-25 min. depending on size.  They should be a nice golden dark brown on the outside to make sure they are cooked through.  Allow to cool and enjoy!

Note: This really is easier then it looks.  My kids LOVE to help.  They dump in the ingredients, punch down the dough and they are great at making ropes.

Note 2: Dough can rise in fridge over night if you want to start on Thursday.  It will rise MUCH slower in a cold fridge but it will be fine.