This month’s link up is cold soups. I racked my brain for days trying to think of a fun, different, and original cold soup idea. And I thought of a bunch, mostly dessert ones. But then I thought to myself that summer is coming and a lot of my family members like the original cold soup, gaspacho, and I realized we don’t have a recipe for it on this blog. So why not just stay simple and make that?

It wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be, because I needed to find the perfect recipe for gazpacho. Turns out none of my friends had recipes they recommended. And my cookbooks weren’t so helpful either. The internet has tons of recipes, but I wasn’t in love with any of them.

Then I consulted my How to Cook Everything app and found a simple recipe from Mark Bittman. You really can’t go wrong with his recipes, so I settled on the recipe and went shopping. The verdict? Easy ingredients, easy preparation, and delicious cold soup!

Well, everyone else liked it. I happen to not like raw tomatoes. But if I did, I’m sure I would like this soup. Leave out the garlic clove (or replace it with a roasted one) if you don’t like the spicy flavor that it imparts or are feeding it to a 2-year old, like I wanted to (the kid just loves tomatoes).

Gazpacho, adapted from Mark Bittman:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2  slices day old bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, diced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, bread, oil, vinegar, and garlic with 1 cup water in a blender; process until smooth. If the gazpacho seems too thick, thin with additional water.
2. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Serve immediately (or refrigerate and serve within a couple of hours), garnished with a drizzle of olive oil.

Sometimes, the idea of cooking a big shabbat dinner can be pretty daunting. I mean, meat, roasts, sides, veggies, but then you come across super simple recipes for the main dish that taste so great and are pretty impressive, and you think to yourself, “hey, I can do this every week!”

That’s what this roast was to me. Not that I don’t love making crazy complicated dishes, especially fancy main ones, but when you come across an easy roast recipe, it’s great to try and simplify the rest of the day, especially when you’re feeding a dozen people, all with different taste buds.

This recipe is adapted (loosely) from a friend of mine, who made it on the same day. Both our recipes were a hit.

Shabbat Roast

Ingredients:

• 1 split minute roast 
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cover the roast with salt, pepper, and garlic.

3. In a large pan, brown the roast for 4-5 minutes on each side in the olive oil.

4. Place the sliced onions in an oven proof dish and top with the roast.

5. Make the sauce: combine the brown sugar, tomato sauce, vinegar, and water. Mix well.

6. Pour the sauce over the roast and cover.

7. Cook for one hour.

8. Uncover the roast and cook for another hour.

9. Remove roast from pan and cover, to rest, at least 15 minutes.

10. Slice the roast into thin slices.

11. If your sauce is thin, reduce in a small pot over high heat for 10 minutes. Pour over the roast.

I love baking babka. And I don’t use my challah dough when baking a giant batch. Nope, instead I make a buttery (or fake buttery) dough that’s soft, fluffy, and all around delicious, ready for the filling of chocolate, cinnamon, or in this case cheese! I’ve made this recipe a whole bunch of times until I perfected it. And I found that this dough is just perfect for babka. It’s sweet, soft, and delicate, and everyone just loves it. If you’re making a brunch (like we did here) it’s the perfect addition to the meal. The plus side is that there are so many different ways to serve this. As individual rolls, in a big bundt pan, or rolled like a regular babka. Plus, it freezes well, so you can always bake one for tomorrow and save the other for your next party. 

The filling is a danish filling. Which is what makes it so delicious! And the dough, while not the easiest thing in the world to make, is a whole lot easier than all those folds and rolls of making danishes. Not that I don’t love doing that, too. But look how pretty these are! No one will miss the danish dough. And I know from experience that people love these babkas (I made about 4 batches in a month, so I shared with all my colleagues, family, and friends. Yeah, everyone loved them).

Cheese Babka, makes 2:

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 3/4 cup warm whole milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons active dry yeast (or two 1/4-oz packages)
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
• 2 whole large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) butter, cut into pieces and softened

For the filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the dough: First mix the milk with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, or until it foams.
2. Combine 1/2 cup of flour to the yeast in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat at medium speed until combined.
4. Reduce speed to low and slowly mix in the remaining 2 3/4 cups of flour.
5. Increase speed to medium and beat in butter, a few pieces at a time. Let it beat until the dough is shiny and stringy, about 4 minutes.
6. Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled.
7. Make the filling: Combine all filling ingredients in a stand mixer and beat until smooth.
8. Assemble babkas: Grease and flour two loaf pans, or line them with parchment paper.
9. Punch down the dough and cut it in half.
10. Roll out one half onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a 10 x 18-inch rectangle, with a long side facing you.
11. Spread half the filling over the dough.
12. Roll the babka: Starting from the long side farthest from you, roll the dough into a tight log. Make sure to pinch the edges to seal.
13. Now you can either shape the babka into logs (as seen here) or following these directions for individual babka rolls, or put them all together for an interesting looking swirly babka cake.
14. Cut the roll into 12 pieces.
15. Place into individual muffin tins – or – spread each slice individually around a bundt pan.
16.  Cover babkas loosely with greased plastic wrap.
17. Let rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough reaches the top of the pan. You can also let them rise in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, but make sure to bring to room temperature for 3-4 hours before baking.
18. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes for the big cake and 20-25 minutes for the individuals.

This granola is different than my usual kind because it sticks together. Kind of like those Nature’s Valley bars. But there’s always leftover stuff that you can eat as cereal. I got the recipe from my sister-in-law Claudette. But changed it up just a little bit. She uses whole wheat flour and a little bit more maple syrup in her. Since I wanted to make my kid-friendly (it’s a great snack for Richie!) and gluten free (you never know when a celiac will walk in), I dialed back the syrup and made my own oat flour. Play around with the flavors here…like any granola recipe, it’s just a template that you can change a lot. Of course, add whatever your favorite nuts and dried fruits are. I usually add dried fruit at the end, but with this recipe add it right in so it’ll stick when you break it into chunks.

This recipe is easy to multiply. It freezes well, and also has a long life on the counter or in the pantry (I store mine in OXO pop top containers), so make a giant batch!

Claudette’s Granola

Ingredients:

• 4 cups + 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup flavorless oil (coconut, grapeseed, peanut, canola)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)
• 3/4 cups maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• Dried fruit, optional (cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place 3/4 cups of rolled oats in the food processor and process until finely ground and looks like flour.

3. Add all ingredients to a large glass bowl.

4. Mix well, making sure to coat all the dry ingredients.

5. Spread onto baking sheet evenly, trying to cover the entire sheet.

6. Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through baking, until mixture is lightly toasted on top.

7. Let cool completely.

8. Break into chunks. Eat!

I love fruit crisps. I love fruit in general, but something about cooking fruit and bringing out the natural sugars just makes it extra delicious. Usually we make crisps and pies all summer, but with peaches, apples, cherries, and blueberries. So when I saw this recipe for strawberries and apricots, two of my favorite fruits, I knew I had to try it. The only problem? Pine nuts! They are just way too expensive and I didn’t have any in my kitchen, so I changed up the recipe a little bit and came up with my own variation. The result? A shabbat dessert that we finished that night! Next time, I’m doubling the recipe.

See a trend lately? I’ve been getting a subscription of Martha Stewart Living, and every month I cut out tons of recipes…that I test and share with you! So if you see a lot of her recipes lately (like this asparagus tart and this salmon recipe), it’s because I love her magazine.

 This is the perfect summer afternoon dessert if you make it dairy. And you can serve it at room temperature with some of your favorite ice cream!

Strawberry and Apricot Crisp, adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

For the topping:

• 4 tablespoon cold Earth Balance or coconut oil (+ more to grease baking dish)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour (I used a combo)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of kosher salt

For the fruit filling:

• 5 apricots, pitted and cut into sixths (about 2 cups)
• 2 1/2 cups (about 15) strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Make the crumble: combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and massage together with your fingers until the mixture forms small clumps.

2. Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Grease a shallow round pie plate or baking dish.

5. Combine apricots, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well.

6. Transfer to baking dish.

7. Top with coconut flakes, spreading them evenly over the top.

8. Top with crumble.

9. Bake about 40 minutes, until the crumble is browned and the middle is bubbling.

10. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

I love pouch cooking. Why? Because it’s easily prep-able in the morning, and you can just pop it in the fridge till you get home after a long day of school/work/errands and put it in the oven right before dinner. It makes cooking dinner a breeze! Also, it’s a everything you need for dinner…protein from the fish, veggies mixed in, and usually I add some kind of carb or grain. This time I didn’t, but served it with couscous (takes only 5 minutes to cook), so dinner was ready in no time. Also, individual portions make it harder to eat too much for all those people on diets or doing P90X. 

I use wild salmon for this, but you can use your favorite kind of salmon or whatever your store recommends.

Have you ever sliced asparagus in half lengthwise? I haven’t, until I made this recipe. When I read it, I was skeptical, but I just followed Martha’s recommendation because she knows what she’s talking about and I really loved how they came out! Soft, easy to eat, cooked through, just delicious altogether. It was a little time consuming, but again, I didn’t do it right before dinner time, it was prepped in advanced and I felt calm in the evening before dinner. Calm enough to set the table, at least.

This asparagus and shiitake combo is just everywhere lately! I’ve been seeing it in all different magazines, blogs, on Pinterest. The flavors really do go well together, which is why the combination is so popular right now and why this recipe is so good! Really, try it.

This salmon was definitely a hit. We ate till we were full and then took a few more bites. Even my husband, who does not eat leftover fish, ate the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Wild Salmon with Asparagus and Shiitakes, adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves 2, but can be divided/multiplied to serve 1, 4, 8, etc.

Ingredients:

• 3.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 bunch asparagus (about 8 ounces), trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 3 scallions, sliced into thin rounds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Zest of one lemon
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 filets wild salmon, about 6 ounces each, with the skin off
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (unless cooking later. Then, skip this step)

2. Cut 2 12×17 pieces of parchment paper (about the size of a baking sheet) and fold in half crosswise to crease. Unfold and lay flat.

3. In a medium bowl, toss mushrooms, asparagus, scallions, and oil in a large bowl.

4. Sprinkle with lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

5. Remove asparagus from mixture and divide evenly among pieces of parchment on one side of the crease (creating a bed for the salmon).

6. Top each with 1 piece of fish.

7. Top the fish with the mushroom and scallion mixture.

8. Drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon water.

9. Fold the parchment by making overlapping pleats to seal (kind of like sealing a sambusak) or by folding sides over and folding the edges.

10. Bake packets on baking sheets for 9-15 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. (I give such a long cooking time because it really varies. You might have to crack open a piece of parchment and check on the salmon. I know I did.)

11. Remove from oven and carefully cut packets open, being careful of the steam.

12. Serve with lemon wedges on top of brown rice, couscous, wheat berries, or your favorite grain. Or just eat as is. Enjoy!

Hamud is a delicious lemony vegetable broth or sour sauce flavored with mint and filled with kibbe (haven’t heard of kibbe yet? Look at all the things you can do with it!). It’s a traditional Shabbat dish that we love eating on Friday night over rice. You see different families make it with different twists. Some people use citric acid, or sour salt to make theirs tart. I use fresh lemon juice.

This is really a simple recipe that comes together quickly on the stove. Just chop your celery, carrots, and potatoes, cover with water, and let simmer until the vegetables are soft and the water is fragrant. Add lemon juice, garlic, and mint, and you’re done! Now all you have to do is add the kibbe and make sure they’re cooked through. For years, my aunt used to deliver her hamud to us on Friday afternoons, since she made the best hamud, but now everyone in the family knows how to make it.

Another great thing about hamud? The broth with the veggies freezes well. Just defrost, simmer on the stove, and add fresh kibbe. Easy dinner!

Hamud

Ingredients:

• 1 quart water
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried mint leaves

Directions:

1. Fill a medium pot with water and diced vegetables.

2. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Add the crush garlic and salt to the vegetables.

4. Add lemon and mint leaves.

5. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Add kibbe (I usually put around 12, but depends on how many people you’re serving and how much other food you made. Figure 2-3 per person) and simmer for 10 minutes longer, this time uncovered.

7. Serve hot over rice, as a sauce or even as a soup (yum!)

I’d like to introduce to you my new obsession: braised leeks!

We already know that I love leeks. Like in this lamb and leek hotpot, or this leek-fried rice. But those have other ingredients, in this recipe, the leek really is the star of the show!

And it’s so simple to make, too. I’d say the hardest part is washing the leeks. You don’t want to crunch on any sand!

While the leeks are braising, you toast up a yummy topping to serve with them, which gives a nice crunchy contrast to the soft, sweet leeks.

Buttery Braised Leeks from Food52

Ingredients:

• 2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and halved lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped, leaves only
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and olive oil over a medium-high flame in a large sauté pan. Once the oil and butter are hot, place the leeks cut side down into the pan. Let the leeks brown in the pan for 4-5 minutes.
2. Carefully flip the leeks over and turn the heat on low. Cover and let the leeks braise for about 25-30 minutes or until the leeks are soft all the way through.
3. Meanwhile, combine panko with parsley, Parmesan, and salt and pepper in a small dish.
4. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the panko mixture until golden brown.
5. Take the leeks off the heat and squirt the lemon juice over the braised leeks and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Sprinkle the leeks with the panko topping and serve.

Now, this isn’t really a recipe for mustard jibben! It’s a recipe for a tart, but I didn’t feel like making dough! (Even though it’s super easy to make.) Baked egg dishes without buttery doughs are still delicious! And what are they called? Well, we call them jibben. Plus, Jess just made a tart, so we’re mixing things up a bit here.

Just like Adele, I bookmarked this recipe long ago, but never got around to making it. When I was brainstorming what to make for our company, I found this way up in my recipes folder, and saw that it had leeks. I LOVE leeks!! And I also had some Grey Poupon in my fridge from when I made that mustard chicken. And of course I had eggs.

I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. I mean, I don’t really love mustard. It’s good as an ingredient, but I’m not a fan of it as a spread on sandwiches. I was afraid the flavor would overpower everything else. But really, the mustard and rosemary combo was subtle and delicious!

Mustard Jibben adapted from the New York Times

Ingredients

• 3 carrots (not too fat), trimmed and peeled
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut lengthwise in half and washed
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Grease a tart pan or pie dish and set aside.
2. Cut the carrots and leeks into slender bâtons or sticks: First cut the carrots lengthwise in half, then place the halves cut side down on the cutting board and cut crosswise in half or cut into chunks about 3 inches long. Cut the pieces into 1/ 8- to 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks. If your carrots were fat and you think your matchsticks don’t look svelte enough, cut them lengthwise in half. Cut the leeks in the same way.
3. Fit a steamer basket into a saucepan. Pour in enough water to come almost up to the steamer, cover, and bring to a boil. Drop the carrots, leeks, and 1 rosemary sprig into the basket, cover, and steam until the vegetables are tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the vegetables and pat them dry; discard the rosemary sprig.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with ricotta. Add the mustards, season with salt and pepper — mustard has a tendency to be salty, so proceed accordingly — and whisk to blend. Taste and see if you want to add a little more of one or the other mustards.
5. Put the tart pan on the lined baking sheet and pour the filling into it. Arrange the vegetables over the filling — they can go in any which way, but they’re attractive arranged in spokes coming out from the center of the tart. Top with the remaining rosemary sprig and give the vegetables a sprinkling of salt and a couple of turns of the pepper mill.
6. Bake the tart for about 30 minutes, or until it is uniformly puffed and lightly browned here and there and a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and let it rest for 5 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.
7. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature (or lightly chilled).

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.

This dish did not disappoint. Some of the best things about it were that it could be assembled on the weekend and then baked for dinner one night. Serve it with a flaky white fish for a full meal. And a salad if you’re having company. Easiest dinner ever!

Couscous can be boring, which is why cooking it in veggie broth is a must. It would just taste too bland otherwise. Good thing I always have homemade vegetable broth in my freezer. I use my vegetable scraps and peels to do it, one day I’ll show you how I do it.

Couscous with Sauteed Greens and Tomatoes, inspired by my friend Danielle:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons+ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1-2 large tomatoes, sliced thickly
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and washed
• 1 bunch spinach, rinsed
• Black pepper
• 1 cup shredded muenster cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the couscous: in a medium pot, boil the vegetable broth with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the couscous, turn off the fire, cover, and let steam for 5 minutes.

2. Fluff the couscous and set aside.

3. Saute the greens: in a large pan, add the olive oil and place over medium heat.

4. When the pan is hot, add the kale and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover, checking and mixing every 2 minutes.

5. When wilted, add the spinach and the other 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pepper, if using. Check periodically and mix until both greens are wilted.

6. Assemble: in a rectangular casserole or dish, layer 1/2 the couscous and top with 1/2 the greens. Top with slices of tomato until the top is covered. Sprinkle 1/2 the cheese over the top. Repeat.

7. Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When hot, add the dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and the tomatoes are soft.