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Greek Quiche Tart

Serves six comfortably.

This idea comes from my friend, Leah Fink, who shared it with me. It’s a Greek style quiche and in honor the miracle of Chanukah and G-d helping the Jews to win the war against the Greeks against all natural odds, and seeing fit to keep His Nation, Am Yisroel alive to this day, we will celebrate by eating the food of our enemies, who have long ago ceased to exist. And may Our Protector and Father in Heaven see fit to soon do the same to all the rest of our enemies, speedily in our days…

Pie dough:

Ingredients

1 cup (200 grams) margarine (I used the trans-fat free kind)
3 cups flour
1 T. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 cup water
1 T. vinegar

Method

Crumble together all the ingredients except the liquids. Add the liquids and knead it together by hand until it becomes a dough. Wrap this pie dough in a plastic bag and place in the fridge for an hour before using.

Press this down into the 9 inch pan or casserole dish of your choice, extending it a bit over the edges. Pierce it all over with the tines of a fork so it will not puff up when baking.

Quiche filling:

Ingredients

In a separate bowl, mix together the following:
5 eggs
1 & ¼ cups milk
2 medium red onions, diced
½ cup sliced black olives
½ cup sliced green olives
4-5 medium sized ripe tomatoes, chopped
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. oregano

After this is mixed, crumble into it ½ cup feta cheese by hand.

Method

Pour this into your ready pie shell. It will be very liquidy but that is okay. Bake at 350°F / 180°C for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If it starts to burn on top, cover it loosely with foil, leaving the edges open so that steam can escape and allow it to finish baking. For an added touch, sprinkle a bit of shredded yellow cheese, any type, around the edges of the quiche five minutes before removing it from the oven. It will be somewhat wet when serving it straight from the oven, but it firms up a bit more as it cools off.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Latkes

Here’s a sweet idea that the kids are sure to love…

Ingredients

2 eggs
¾ cup soft white cheese or cottage cheese (OR a 250 gram container of 5% Israeli white cheese, ‘gveena levana’)
1 cup milk
3 Tbls. light brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
3 T. canola oil
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
¼ cup chocolate chips

This recipe also works great as whole wheat or spelt. For whole wheat, substitute the same amount of flour with a light whole wheat flour.
For spelt use the same amount of flour plus an additional 2 tablespoons; I’ve done it with whole grain spelt, which is darker and heavier, as well as white spelt, which makes it come out whiter and lighter. Spelt is a bit lighter in general than wheat so if the batter looks too loose to you, either cut down slightly on the milk or add another ¼ cup of spelt flour. When spelt is baked or fried into patties it can sometimes come out tinted a bit green. This is normal.
Of course this recipe works just fine with ordinary white flour!

Method

Put the ingredients, in the order listed, into a large bowl. Mix well with a fork, or for added smoothness, use a hand beater. One it is smooth, sprinkle in about ¼ cup mini or regular chocolate chips. If you have access to them, you can even get creative and add peanut butter or caramel chips instead…

Lightly spray a large frying pan (a.k.a. ‘griddle’) with baking spray and heat it over a medium sized flame. When hot, pour out small amounts of batter all over the pan for smaller latkes, such as the ones featured here, or larger amounts for full sized ‘pancakes’. Serve with syrup or cream cheese of your choice and enjoy!

Zucchini Cheese Potato Latkes

This makes enough for about four hungry people or six regular people, all depending on how long ago they ate before you started to fry these up…

Ingredients

1 medium sized onion
2 eggs
2 medium zucchinis, scrubbed and washed well
4 medium potatoes, peeled
¼ cup breadcrumbs (if you don’t have, you can use matzo meal)
½ cup yellow cheese such as parmesan or mozzarella, shredded
2 stalks fresh parsley, chopped, optional
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 T. mustard, Dijon or Spicy Yellow
2 T. – 4 T. oil
Oil baking spray

Method

In a food processor fitted with the sharp “S” blade, puree the onions completely.
Add the eggs and puree one more minute.
Change the blade to the shredding device.
Shred the zucchinis and potatoes onto the onion mixture.

Pour this vegetable mixture out into a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, cheese, and fresh parsley. (Adding it in really adds to the nice look and taste of this recipe. I only wrote it’s optional in case you have fussy little people who won’t eat them if they see ‘those green things’ coming out of their latkes…) Add in the salt, pepper and mustard. Mix well by hand.

Take out a large frying pan and spray it well with a thin coating of baking spray.
Add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil to this and start to heat it on a medium to high flame. You will use the other tablespoons of oil when frying up the second batch.

Form small patties out of the cheese/vegetable mixture with the help of a tablespoon and place them by spoonfuls onto the hot pan.

Using your spoon, shape them a bit more to make them look nice while they are on the pan. Flatten slightly with a spatula.

Let them sizzle until browned on the first side, then flip and do the same to the other side.
You’ll be nicely surprised to see that this small amount of oil is sufficient to do the trick of ‘frying’ your latkes to a nice crunchiness. When they are done, lay them out on a flat plate that is lined with one or two paper towels, to drain them of the outside oil a bit more.

Some of you wrote me asking how to use your esrogim to make esrog jelly.

I have to admit that I only tried it once in my life and was not terribly successful at it so I haven’t done it again. This recipe is from Hamodia Newspaper (Oct. 30th, 2014 issue), there is an entire page all about how to use the esrog now that Succos is over, together with all the sources for the minhag of doing this and several recipes.

This is how the author says to make the jelly:

Soak the esrog for a week, changing the water daily.
Then slice the esrog thinly and remove the seeds.
Boil the slices three times, changing the water after each boiling.

Don’t skip or shorten the soaking or boiling processes. This is the key to getting rid of its bitterness.

After you’ve finished with all the soaking and boiling processes, add in two pounds (1 kilo) of sugar and some thin lemon slices.
Fill the pot you’ve put them in with water until it covers the mixture completely.
Cook this together for two hours until it looks like clear syrup.
Cool and refrigerate.

Sweet Challah Toppings

Sweet crumble topping

100 grams marg
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Crumble it together until it’s, well, crumbs. If too mushy, add more sugar another 2 Tablespoons and a bit more flour.
Recrumble. If it is too dry, add a bit more margarine.

I try not to use margarine so I often substitute oil in these things. It works pretty well. For a once a year crumble, though, I probably would yes use the margarine this once.

Let the challahs rise, covered loosely with a plastic bag over its top for 30 minutes. Then wash with egg wash (one beaten egg in a cup) sprinkle on your crumbs and bake for 25-35 minutes until done.

Cinnamon sugar topping

Sprinkle the top of the challahs, after they are brushed with egg wash, with a cinnamon/sugar mix. This is really delicious!

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.