Couscous with Sauteed Greens and Tomatoes

May 7, 2013 by Jessica | 18 Comments

I really like couscous, but it can get very boring. So I decided to layer it with some healthy stuff and make it sorta like a lasagna. I thought it was a hit! And so did Richie, who ate two bowls of it for dinner.

I was inspired to make this dish when my friend Danielle told me about a great couscous dish her mother made. Her ingredients were pretty much the same, but she used canned tomatoes and mixed everything together, more like a traditional couscous. When Danielle called it a couscous lasagna, I knew I had to try it. Plus, I’m on a healthy greens kick, so I was excited to use kale and spinach in the same dish. Continue reading …

Grilled Lamb Chops

May 6, 2013 by Jessica | 16 Comments

Lamb chops are not something you can make very often. They’re very expensive for a very little bit of meat (maybe you’re paying for the bone, so save it! Make stock!). That being said, they are a perfect “special occasion” food. Is it someone you love’s birthday? Add a couple of lamb chops to make it extra special. Or, maybe you’re celebrating your graduation after five years of graduate school? Whatever your reason for celebrating, these lamb chops are easy and amazing. Make sure to buy good lamb, too. Don’t want to spend all that money just to have an okay treat. Continue reading …

BLTs

May 2, 2013 by Jessica | 15 Comments

Aha – I got you! you’re wondering why a kosher blog is featuring a sandwich with the main ingredient as bacon! Well, Jack’s Gourmet has an awesome new-ish product on the market called facon, which is dry cured beef! I’m not sure how it compares to the real stuff, but I do know it’s awesome. We baked it up to make it crispy and put it on a fresh, toasted sourdough bread with some lettuce and thick slices of tomato – voila! an easy, delicious, and filling dinner! Continue reading …

Asparagus Custard Tart

April 29, 2013 by Jessica | 16 Comments

Spring is here! And spring means asparagus is in season. No more boring roasted or grilled asparagus, we’re going gourmet here. Now, gourmet doesn’t mean hard. Actually, while there are a few steps in this recipe (you should read it over once before actually attempting it – you’ll need to do a bit of juggling), it’s quite easy! and impressive looking. Feel free to use store-bought pie crust or even puff pastry, as in the original recipe. Continue reading …

Kibbe bil Sanieh/Ground Meat Pie

April 18, 2013February 14, 2015 by Jessica | 22 Comments

Okay, so have you ever had kibbe? No, not the meat stuffed meatballs that we made a little while back. The kind with a bulgur shell that you fry and eat with lemon or tahine. Well, they’re hard to make. But they’re amazing. I’ve made them before, but never blogged them for you (aren’t I mean? One day I will). Well this has the flavors of kibbe, but is much easier to make.

Raspberry Crumble Bars

April 4, 2013 by Jessica | 13 Comments

This is such a simple dessert, and definitely look harder than they were to make. And they’re amazingly delicious.

I actually baked these for a shabbat dessert, but I can imagine them for a breakfast or brunch party. Of course, because I made them pareve, they weren’t as good as they would be with real butter. But everyone still loved them, they were a hit, and I would make them pareve again! They really are a cross between a breakfast and a dessert, especially with the granola crumble on top. Use good granola (homemade, if possible). It really makes a difference in the final flavor! Also, use good jam. I didn’t use homemade jam on this, only because I didn’t want to think about wasting more than a jar of it! Continue reading …

Temp Tee Cream Cheese Spreads

March 25, 2013 by Jessica | 3 Comments

Matzah and cream cheese is THE quintessential Passover dish. Yes, anyone can spend hours making delicious meals (meat or dairy), but sometimes all you want is some matzah and cream cheese! Continue reading …

Corned Beef Hash

March 12, 2013 by Jessica | 11 Comments

Sometimes I get into a dinner rut…okay, more than sometimes. It happens all the time. You would think I have an awesome archive of recipes that I can just fall back on, and I do. But some nights I just want to make something weird, different, or completely unusual for me. When that happens, I flip through my seemingly endless supply of cookbooks, scanning through the pages with post-its, or skipping those for something that I wouldn’t normally bookmark. Or, I look through blogs or Pinterest. Last time that happened, I searched through my Second Avenue Deli cookbook. The recipe that jumped out at me? Corned beef hash. Maybe it was because the directions called for a meat grinder and I have one? Or maybe just because it was so weird it has to be good? Either way, I had to make it. Continue reading …

Caesar Dressing

February 28, 2013 by Jessica | 8 Comments

Caesar salad is one of my husband’s favorite dishes to order in restaurants. It’s pretty simple, and seems like kind of a waste to pay $11 for romaine lettuce and croutons (usually they don’t offer anchovies on top. Even if they did, he wouldn’t want them). So, I searched through cookbooks, asked some friends, and finally found a recipe for the dressing that was simple, but had good layers of flavors, and included anchovies in it.

Pierogis

February 25, 2013 by Jessica | 11 Comments

A few weeks ago, I just got into my head that I should make pierogis. Not the Mrs. T’s kind, either. Real from scratch ones with sour cream in the dough and shallots in the potato stuffing. Now, I’ve never made pierogis before. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted some. And all I can say is that, if I can do these, you can, too! I pretty much made them on a whim and they turned out awesome. Continue reading …