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I’ve been baking and serving these for all kinds of simchos for more than two decades and they have always been a hit. Now you can try them for yourself…

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Each recipe makes one 9×13 tray

Brownie Layer

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 & 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
Beat all the ingredients together. It should be a thick batter. Line your baking tray with baking parchment paper. Pour the batter out into the center of the tray. Hold onto the paper while you smooth the batter into all corners of the tray. Slide the tray into your hot oven and bake it for 20-22 minutes, until the center tests clean. Do NOT overbake or your brownies will burn and become too hard and dry. Remove them from the oven immediately and allow them to cool. Freeze slightly.

Mint Layer

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water or non dairy creamer
1/2 teaspoon mint extract

Method

Beat the mint layer ingredients together on high until it is creamy and fluffy. Using a flat spatula, spread this all over the top of the frozen or slightly frozen brownies. Place these into the freezer to set while you prepare the top layer.

Top Layer

Ingredients

200 grams (about 7-8 oz.) pareve chocolate
3 tablespoons oil

Method

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave. Add the oil and stir together. Immediately spread this all over the top of the mint layer. Allow it to cool off and harden. Cut into squares after it has cooled off and serve.
This freezes great; however, to slice them, do so when it is not frozen. Frozen chocolate layers tend to crack instead of slicing nicely.

Enjoy your simcha!

Crunchy Pumpkin Pie

This is the only part of the recipe that has margarine; but since it’s not a major part of the pie and it’s really only to hold it together, I kept it in. You can either use the recipe for pie crust that I’m going to write here, or one frozen pie crust.

Pie crust

Ingredients

3 cups flour, white or finely ground whole wheat
1 cup margarine
1 cup cold water
2 tablesoons sugar
A small dash of salt

Method

Crumble flour and margarine together until crumbly. Add all else and knead with a fork and/or your hands until it is a dough. Place in fridge in a plastic bag for an hour or more before use.

Pat this into the bottom of a 9-10 inch pie pan, being sure to build it up the sides as well. You may bake it for 10 minutes before filling it, or just fill it unbaked. I chose to bake it first.

Filling

Ingredients

1 can of pumpkin OR 2 & 1/4 cups fresh, drained well
3 eggs
1 cup white OR light brown sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whole wheat flour – BUT, if you are using the canned pumpkin, this is not necessary

Method

Mix this together by hand and pour it into the crust.

Another variation of this is to use a mix of the canned pumpkin and also the fresh, half/half…it just makes the texture a bit thicker.

Topping

Ingredients

1/3 cup flour, any kind
3-4 Tbls dark brown sugar
1 Tbls minced crystallized ginger, optional
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped – optional

There is a minhag to refrain from using nuts from Rosh HaShanah until after Succos; I am only including the nuts in this recipe for when you want to make this again, as I’m sure you will, at other times of the year.

Method

Toss these ingredients together with a fork in a small bowl until it resembles crumbs. If it is too dry, add a bit more oil until it is crumbly enough. Sprinkle all over the top of the pie and bake at 350° F (180°C) for about 45-55 minutes, until it is firm and golden on top.

These come out really sweet as a mini pie as well.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

4 eggs, separated
3 cups finely ground whole wheat flour
1 cup regular whole wheat flour or more of the finely ground
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp baking soda
2 cups light brown sugar OR white sugar
½-1 tsp nutmeg
1 & ½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (when you’re not making it for Rosh HaShanah)
1 cup any color raisins
1 cup canola oil
2 cups fresh pumpkin, mashed and drained
2/3 cup soy or rice milk (you can use water if you don’t have this on hand)
3-4 Tbls maple syrup

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Separate the eggs, placing the whites into the mixer. Beat the whites until they are snowy and white; DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR MIXER. You will NOT have to use two bowls, I guarantee it!
While the mixer is still running, turn it down a bit to medium. Add the yolks, oil, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Turn the mixer down a tad more, just a tad, and add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, soy milk/water and syrup. Turn off the mixer and raise the beater so it can drip off into your bowl. Quickly toss the raisins in a small bowl with another 2 Tbls of any kind of flour. This is a great tip to remember for yourself; tossing raisins into flour prevents it from sinking to the bottom of whatever muffin, cake or baked item you are making. Anyhow, after you’ve done this, add it to the batter in the bowl, along with the pumpkin and the optional nuts.

Topping

Put about ½ cup dark or light brown sugar in a bowl, along with 2-3 Tbls more cinnamon. Toss together with a spoon and sprinkle over muffin batter right before they go into the oven.

Spoon batter into muffin trays lined with muffin liners (in Israel I used size 4 for large muffins, size 2 for mini ones) about ¾ of the way full, a bit more if you like large tops on them. Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes to see if a sharp knife or toothpick inserted into one muffin’s center comes out clean. Remove from oven immediately after it tests clean so they will not dry out. Cool in the tray for five minutes, then on wire racks until cold. These are so good straight out of the oven. If you don’t ruin your secret of whole wheat, none of your kids, or even your teenagers, will ever know the difference. These freeze great as well.

Spinach Noodle Kugel

Ingredients

This makes enough for a 9×13 pan.

1 bag (400 grams) of wide noodles, white or whole wheat
4 eggs, or 5 egg whites
3 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 large onion, diced
½ bag of Bodek frozen spinach, defrosted and drained (about 400 grams of spinach total)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbls olive oil

Method

Spray the baking tray with oil spray or line it with baking parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Sautee the diced onion in the olive oil until just starting to turn golden. Set aside.
Boil the noodles until just about done, as they are anyways going to be baked in the oven again. Drain and wash off well.
After you have defrosted the spinach for about 20 minutes, simply squeeze it by handfuls before putting it into the noodle mixture. This will keep some of the vitamins they have still intact, as well as retaining more flavor and texture than if it is steamed first.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, as well as the onion you set aside earlier. Pour into the waiting pan.

To create the “buttered breadcrumb” topping effect seen here:
Pour about 1 cup of breadcrumbs (mine were made from leftover challah that was toasted and then ground in the food processor) together with ¼ cup or so of oil into a pan.
Turn on the flame and toss then several times while they are toasting together. Remove from heat when they are lightly browned and toasted. Sprinkle this generously all over the top of the kugel. Bake for 30-40 minutes until done and the crumbs on top are golden brown but not burned.
Delicous!

Spinach Kugelettes

Ingredients

3 cups finely ground whole wheat flour OR a mix of different flours
¼ cup white sugar or light brown
¾ cup olive or canola oil
3 eggs
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbls baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 & ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp. pepper, optional
10 oz (315 grams) frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed by hand
1 medium onion, diced
2 scallions, chopped
1-2 Tbls additional olive oil for sautéing
1/2 cup corn meal (NOT cornflour, this is a thickening agent. Cornmeal is coarse and resembles yellow grains.)

Method

Sautee the onion until clear, add the scallion on top of it and sautee only two more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the eggs and the liquid ingredients into the mixer bowl. Mix together for about two or three minutes. Add in all else EXCEPT the corn meal and mix until just blended.
Sprinkle a bit of the corn meal into the bottom of each muffin liner. Then pour kugelette mixture into each one until close to the top.

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into one center comes out clean. These are really different but quite tasty.

Pumpkin Lentil Soup

Serves: 8-10
Large 12-14 quart pot with lid

Ingredients

1-2 Tbls olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
2 medium zucchinis, unpeeled, washed well, and chunked
1 lb (½ kilo) fresh pumpkin (only! It won’t work with canned), peeled and cubed
1 large white potato, cubed
1 cup dried red lentils (they appear orange in the bag)
2-3 scallions, diced
1 Tbls salt
1/3 tsp pepper
¼ tsp dried mustard powder
8 cups water

Method

Sautee the diced onion in the olive oil until clear; add the chunked zucchini on top of it and continue to sautee for 2 more minutes.

Add all the water, and while it is coming to a boil, add in all the rest of the ingredients. If you do not have mustard powder, you can use one heaping tablespoon of regular mustard in its place; it won’t be exactly the same but will still be quite good. After the soup has started boiling, turn down the flame and simmer for 2 & ½ hours. Freezes well, just make sure to reheat completely before serving.

Meat ‘n Barley Soup

This is a great soup, that even my kids like, and it’s almost a full meal unto itself.

The smell it emits while simmering is out of this world and will fill your home with the inviting aromas of a really good meal on its way. I especially enjoy this soup for a cool Succos evening meal…

Serves 6-8 people, depending on how hungry they all are…

Ingredients

½ pound / 1 kilo flanken meat, cut into large cubes
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 stalks celery, diced
1 standard box of fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
10 cups water
3/4 cup barley
3 tablespoons of onion soup mix, without the msg in it
1 tablespoon mushroom soup mix, optional
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Method

Cut off as much of the fat on the meat pieces as possible without ruining the meat.

Place the onion in a large soup pot. Add the olive oil to it and start to sautee it on a medium heat. Add the meat pieces and brown them well on all sides.

Turn the flame down and add the carrots and celery. Let this cook for five minutes together with the meat, and then add the mushrooms, water and all else. Turn up the flame again until the soup starts to bubble. Turn down the flame and simmer for 2-3 hours. Serve immediately. If you happen to have anything left over, this freezes well also, but chances are, you won’t have to worry about that!

Secret Italian Crispy Chicken

This recipe makes enough for two whole chickens, cut into quarters or eighths. If you want to do only one chicken at a time, just use less marinade.

Ingredients

Crispy Chicken

2 chickens, skinned, cleaned and cut into the size pieces you prefer
1 cup Italian dressing (recipe to follow)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 cups of breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
8-10 green pitted olives, sliced
8 black pitted olives, sliced

Italian Dressing

1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar (either regular vinegar or white wine or apple cider vinegar)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder, optional
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Method

Crispy Chicken

Lay the chicken pieces down in a pan in a single layer. Pour the Italian dressing over all the chicken pieces. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it marinade in the fridge for several hours or even overnight. After if has marinated about two hours, turn over the chicken pieces in the pan.

Here’s a good homemade Italian dressing recipe for those who either don’t want to use the store bought versions or prefer a healthier alternative:

Italian Dressing

Mix this up or even better, blend it with a hand blender for a few minutes. It tends to separate, but blending it with the hand blender helps alleviate this problem. Pour off one cup of this dressing and pour it over the chicken pieces. The rest, you can use over a fresh salad that goes great as an accompaniment to this chicken recipe!

Preheat the oven to 375° F / 190° C.

Spray a large roasting pan with a bit of cooking spray. Layer the onions and garlic on the bottom of the pan.

Discard the marinade that the raw chicken sat in! Never reuse marinade that sat on raw chicken, meat or fish!

Put the breadcrumbs into a plastic bag, together with the rest of the parsley flakes. Using a fork, place each chicken piece into the breadcrumb bag, shake to coat it well, then lay it down on top of the onions and garlic in the pan, right side up. Do this to each piece. Layer on the olive slices on top of the chicken pieces. If you don’t have both kinds of olives, it will still come out fine to use only one or the other kind.

Cover the chicken pieces with a piece of baking parchment paper and then with foil, leaving one side of the foil very slightly open so some steam can escape. (I put baking parchment paper on top of the food so that the foil won’t touch the food and cook into it.) Slide it into the oven and bake for 65 minutes. Uncover the chicken and bake for 10 more minutes uncovered, to crisp it up a bit more. Serve alone or along with some rice.

Sweet Zucchini Bread

This recipe makes two standard loaf pans’ worth, or three small ones. It’s blessing is mezonos, even though it is called a ‘bread’. It’s really more like a cake consistency.
This “bread” has no yeast and is more the consistency of cake.

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup canola oil
1¾ cup white or light brown sugar
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups shredded zucchini, washed and unpeeled
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1–2 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Method

Beat eggs, vanilla, oil, and sugar together until thick. Add in the pineapple, zucchini, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Then add in the flour, and on top of that, the raisins and walnuts.

Tip for side of page:
It’s always best to add the raisins on top of the flour as once the raisins are coated with flour, they will not sink down to the bottom of whatever cake or muffin they are in, where they may burn.

Mix until this just until it is completely blended together and resembles a thick batter.

Pour into loaf pans that have been lined with parchment baking paper and bake at 350°F / 180°C for 45 minutes to an hour. They are done when a cake tester or knife inserted into the middle comes out clean and only very slightly sticky. These loaves stay moist and slightly sticky inside. Slice and serve, or freeze for later use.

Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream

Ingredients

Crunch

300 grams OR 10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
½ cup peanut butter
Melt these two items together. While it is still warm, stir in 1 and 1/2 cups
cornflakes or rice krispies. Mix this well.

Ice Cream Base

6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
2 packets of vanilla sugar (2 Tablespoons of vanilla sugar)
2 Rich’s whip, whipped

Method

Crunch:

Line a flat baking tray with baking parchment paper and spread the chocolate peanut butter mix on it. After it has hardened, break the chocolate into small bits and then it is ready for use in your ice cream. Small bits are important or else it will be hard to bite into when it’s frozen!!.

Ice cream base:

Separate the eggs. Beat the whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar until it turns thick and yellow. Pour this out into the whites. Using the yolks’ bowl, beat up the Rich’s whips. Fold all mixtures together and then add in the pieces of hardened chocolate/ peanut butter crunch and fold this in as well. Pour the ice cream mix into 9×13 pan or large plastic container and freeze until solid.