Ever been to Momofuku Milk Bar? Well I have. And while I didn’t like the coffee milk, I loved the different kinds of cookies they offered! My favorite? The corn cookie…but I couldn’t find that recipe. So these will have to do.

These compost cookies, which were featured on Regis and Kelly, are awesome. You cream the butter and sugar together for TEN minutes. That’s right, ten whole minutes, until the sugar dissolves into the butter and the entire mixture becomes white and thin. It makes for an awesome texture. And very spready and thin cookies (which is why it’s important to cool them before baking. Don’t skip that step). What a creative idea! The best part is that you can put whatever you have on hand into the batter to make them your own! I, of course, don’t have much in the way of junk food in my pantry. Candies? Nope. Chips? Nope. Pretzels? Nope! So I put an assortment of nuts and chocolate, which a handful of cereal added in. They turned out pretty awesome regardless of the fact that I don’t have snacks.

Of course I had to make this recipe a little bit healthier than posted. So I swapped some of the flour for whole wheat and got rid of the corn syrup – I used brown rice syrup instead. You don’t have to do these same substitutions, just use what you have on hand. That’s the beauty of a compost cookie, anyway.

Oh, and Zeke said these were the best cookies he’s had in a long time. And he ate the last of the batch, so it hardly had any of the add-ins in it. I’m going to make them pareve next time I want to impress my shabbat or holiday hosts.

Compost Cookies, adapted from Momofufu Milk Bar:

Makes about 25 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark brown)
• 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite baking ingredients + 1 1/2 cups your favorite snack foods (that’s 3 cups total of add-ins. I used 1/2 cup pistachios, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, 1/2 cup peanuts, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup Cinnamon Life cereal. Be creative here if you can – some people put pretzels, potato chips, Oreos, Doritos, candy bars, etc. I made mine nutty and delicious – I like to think they’re more healthy because of it.)

Directions:

1. Add sugars, brown rice syrup, and butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium for about 2-3 minutes, until combined and creamy.

2. Add eggs and vanilla and scrape down the bowl.

3. Turn the mixer up to medium high and mix for 10 minutes. Set a timer. The batter will become thin, silky, and light.

4. While this is mixing, combine the dry ingredients and prepare your add-ins.

5. Turn off the mixer and add the dry ingredients, mix on low for about a minute (or less) until just combined.

6. Fold in the add-ins with a rubber spatula.

7. Scoop the batter onto parchment lined baking sheets, making sure to leave about 2-inches of space between the cookies. These will SPREAD a lot while baking.

8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (but will keep in the fridge for a week and the freezer even longer).

9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

10. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies spread and the tops are browned.

11. Cool completely before removing from baking sheet.

Oh, and the last cookie without lots of add-ins definitely spread too much. So make sure you mix well and really have stuff in that batter, or else you’ll end up with one giant cookie.

Compost Cookies is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Now with an updated picture! Don’t hesitate to make this delicious meal for Shabbat.

Kibbe cherry is a traditional Friday night dish. Usually we serve it in a pretty bowl, but we couldn’t take the picture on Shabbat, so this is the picture you’re stuck with! Don’t worry, it tastes a lot better than it looks in this picture, we promise!

Not only is it one of our favorite ways to prepare kibbe, it’s also ridiculously easy. Unless you don’t have kibbe in your freezer, then you’re in trouble, or just stuck in the kitchen rolling the balls for a while. Besides the onion, there’s no slicing (and no pitting, ’cause we’re using canned cherries here). Plus, it’s a one-pot dish! Just make some rice and a salad, and you have an easy weeknight meal. Make about 10 other dishes, and you have a perfect dish for Shabbat dinner! Many people make one giant kibbe roll instead of the little balls, but we like this way better.

Kibbe Cherry, adapted from Deal Delights 2:

Ingredients:

• A few glugs of olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• About 20 kibbes
• 1 15-ounce can cherries
• 3 tablespoons oot
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup prunes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil on medium heat and add onions and kibbe until onions are soft and kibbes are browned, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until all the flavors mix together and the cherries and prunes are soft.

3. Serve over rice.

Kibbe Cherry is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

AKA Jeffrey’s Roast Chicken.

Apparently we’ve been on a chicken kick lately! But all of these recipes serve different purposes, and really, you can never have enough chicken recipes! Here’s our latest obsession from our favorite Ina Garten:

There aren’t many recipes that are this easy and yield so much flavor like this roast chicken. Ina definitely knows how to take simple ingredients and add that wow factor! This chicken was moist and juicy, with just the right amount of aromatics to make bring the flavor of this chicken to the next level. Next time you’re having company, impress them with this roasted chicken. You won’t be sorry.

The recipe says it serves three. I’ve never met three people who can eat an entire chicken, but I’ve also never only served a chicken for a Friday night. Usually that’s one of four main dishes. Maybe one weeknight I’ll make an entire chicken for dinner and see how much we actually eat. I made this for Shabbat dinner and ate the leftovers for lunch the next day. I didn’t have much chicken leftover after that.

Jeffrey’s Roast Chicken, adapted from Ina Garten’s How Easy is That?:

Ingredients:

• 1 4-5 pound roasting chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lemons
• 1 whole head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 3 sprigs thyme
• Good olive oil
• 2 Spanish onions, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (I make my own)
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 Idaho potatoes, scrubbed and diced (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken (remember that kosher chicken is already salted, so don’t go too overboard on the salt).

3. Cut the lemons in quarters and place two quarters in the cavity of the chicken.

4. Place the garlic and thyme in the cavity, too.

5. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

7. Place the chicken in a SMALL roasting pan (when I don’t use potatoes I use my Le Creuset. When I do, I actually use a 9×13 Pyrex. I don’t have a roasting pan!).

8. Combine the rest of the lemons and onion slices and toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add to roasting pan.

9. Roast the chicken for an hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh (or you can use a thermometer, but this method actually works really well).

10. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to rest, leaving the onions and lemons in the pan (or, if using something that’s not stove-proof, move it to a large pan to make the sauce).

11. Place the pan over medium-high heat and add the wine. Stir up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens.  Add the juices that dripped from the chicken to the sauce.

12. Carve the chicken and spoon the sauce with the onions and lemons (and potatoes) over it. I didn’t eat the lemons. Try it if you’re brave. Serve hot or warm. Mmmm….

Engagement Chicken is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Well, it’s actually Eggplant Parmigiana. But the cheese I bought was spelled Parmesan, so that’s how I’m spelling the title of this dish.

This only took me 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. And that’s including washing all the dishes (by hand – I don’t have a dishwasher), the stove, and the counter top. Now don’t get scared off by the amount of time this dish took. It wasn’t all active prep time, a lot of it was sitting and waiting, or just periodically stirring. I was able to unpack a lot of groceries, sit down and eat dinner, and even chat with a friend during this time. My point? You should make this when you find you have a 2 1/2 hour chunk of time. I did this on a Sunday. I often make Monday night dinner on Sunday, actually. This way Monday after work is super relaxing. I made two portions, too. One for Monday night dinner and the other I froze for a rainy day (I just LOVE having a freezer in the basement).

Eggplant Parmesan, adapted from Alex Guarnaschelli:

Just a note: look ahead, it takes an hour to salt and drain the eggplant, so you might want to start with that before making the sauce.

For the sauce:

• Olive oil, to cover the bottom of a pan (I used my purple Le Creuset)
• 4 small yellow onions, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 1 scant tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes. I used two plain and one with basil

Directions:

1. In a giant pot (mine was 5 1/2 quarts and didn’t have that much room at the top, but Alex says to just use a large skillet) heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the onions and garlic. Stir. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.

2. Add the sugar and canned tomatoes. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-high heat until the tomatoes soften. If necessary, cut small slits in them to help them break apart.

3. Allow to simmer while you make the rest of the dish.

For the eggplant:

• 2 medium eggplants, washed and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 5 cups homemade bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups grated muenster cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 handfuls fresh basil, leaves only, torn or cut

Directions:

1. Place the eggplant on either 2 baking sheets or cooling racks in a single layer. Sprinkle both sides with salt and let sit for one hour.

2. Rinse thoroughly with water and drain on a kitchen towel or paper towel.

3. Set up your breading station: Mix the flour with some salt in one plate. Combine the eggs with the milk, salt, and pepper in another. Mix the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in another.

4. Coat each slice in the flour, then egg, then bread crumb mixture, making sure to shake off any excess. Place rounds on baking sheets in individual layer (I needed two).

5. Broil the eggplant slices for 4 minutes on each side, until the breadcrumbs begin to turn brown. Watch closely so they don’t burn.

6. Assemble: Use either one 9×13 dish or two smaller. Place sauce on the bottom, then top with eggplant slices in a single layer. Place some basil slices on top. Top with about 1/2 cup of muenster cheese and a few tablespoons Parmesan. Repeat two more times – it will probably come past the top of the dish, but that’s okay. It’ll shrink a bit in the oven. Put lots of cheese on the top layer.

7. Place on baking sheet in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is bubbly. If you want some extra browning on top, place under broiler for 2 minutes after baking.

Meatless Monday: Eggplant Parmesan is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Chicken and spaghetti was always a Friday night staple in our home. Though Poopa Dweck’s book states that it’s a Syrian custom to not eat this dish for Shabbat dinner because it’s a sign of bad luck, my family’s been eating it for years, and I don’t think we’re any less lucky than other people out there. So If you’re superstitious, make it on a weeknight. It’s a good meal with just a small side salad or vegetable. If you’re not superstitious, or just want to make a main course that consists of a carb and a protein (does the tomato sauce count as a vegetable?), then make this for Shabbat dinner. Your guests and family will fight over the crispy burnt edges.

When my mother makes this, she always leaves the chicken pieces whole. This way, it’s easier to eat just the spaghetti, which I often like to do (especially when there’s chili on the table – chicken and spaghetti chopped with some chili is awesome). I sometimes shred the chicken into the spaghetti, so that every bite has a little bit of chicken and a little bit of spaghetti. I find that the chicken also stays more moist this way and soaks up the flavor of the sauce more. Try it both ways and let me know which you prefer. Remember if you’re shredding to be careful to remove all the bones and stuff. No one wants a mouthful of spaghetti and chicken bones!

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 chicken, cut into eighths (bone in, skin on)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Place chicken on baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes, until cooked. Then let cool and shred, cut, or leave whole. Save the chickeny oil and juice!

3. While chicken is roasting, boil spaghetti in very salty water for one minute less than stated on the package.

4. Drain the spaghetti.

5. Place spaghetti in roasting pan and add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, spices, salt, and some pepper. Mix well.

— Now you have what we like to call “And Spaghetti” which is the BEST Friday afternoon snack ever.

6. Add the chicken (pieces, shreds, whatever you decided) and the chicken juice and mix well.

7. Cover and roast in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour, until the edges are crusty and the middle is soft.

Chicken and Spaghetti is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Summer corn is here! That means that we eat lots of corn and get it stuck in our teeth. Yuck! This corn salad is a better way to eat that same corn without getting anything stuck in your teeth!

This recipe has quite a few steps, but ones that you can skip and have the store do for you, like roasting peppers and shucking corn. I did it all myself, but no one will know if you buy roasted peppers and use canned or frozen corn that you just roast in the oven for a while. Actually, what a great way to make this recipe in the winter when fresh corn isn’t available. As long as you don’t skimp on the fresh cilantro, I won’t tell anyone.

The flavors just get better when this sits, so make this ahead of time. Having company? Make it the day before and let it sit in the fridge. It’ll make your life much easier and it will make the salad taste better. I was going to add some black beans to this, but didn’t have any in the pantry. Turns out, I think it was perfect this way, but add the beans if you want to (a great Meatless Monday way to get some protein). Then let me know how it is. Maybe I’ll add those next time.

Ingredients:

• 3 ears white corn
• 1 red pepper
• 1 shallot, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Chili powder
• About 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.

Directions:

1. Season the corn with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Roast or grill the corn for about 15 minutes. Let cool.

2. Roast the red pepper over an open fire, rotating when the skin is black. When blackened, place in plastic bag and let steam for about ten minutes. Remove from bag, peel the black skin off, and cut into strips. Cut the strips into small pieces (about the same size as the shallots).

3. Combine the shallots, roasted peppers, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cilantro in a bowl.

4. Remove the corn kernels from the cob – using a sharp knife, hold the corn so that it is standing, and cut downwards. Don’t worry about all the kernels separating from each other, that’s part of the fun of homemade corn salad!

5. Add the corn to the bowl, and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like cilantro as much as I do, add more!

See the bowl I used? It’s my favorite! I have it in three sizes. They make it in red, too, but I haven’t seen it since Adelaide’s closed.

Meatless Monday: Roasted Corn Salad is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Like Lori said, this recipe makes way too much dill sauce! So here’s my not-as-fancy version of eggs benedict. Okay, so it’s nothing like eggs benedict: no hollandaise, no canadian bacon, and a sunny side up egg instead of a poached one. At least there’s a toasted English muffin involved.
I made it for breakfast today. You can make it the day after you eat your baked eggs, too. Or you can just make the dill sauce and eat it over eggs, potatoes, or whatever you like.

Ingredients:
- One English muffin per person
- One egg per person
- Leftover cheddar dill sauce
- Butter

Directions:
1. Toast the English muffins
2. Heat butter in a skillet until little bubbles form.
3. Crack eggs into a small bowl and transfer to hot pan carefully. Fry until the white is set and not jiggly and the yolk is still runny.
4. Assemble: place the English muffin on a plate. Slide the egg on the bottom half and pour about a tablespoon of the sauce over the egg. Put the top on.

Leftovers – Dill Sauce is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

*

It is customary to eat lentils in a time of mourning, based on the food that Yaakov cooked when Avraham died. (Another customary mourning meal is a hardboiled egg with a loaf of bread, which symbolizes the circle of life.)

Rice and lentils is a popular Syrian dish. It’s often served as a weeknight meal along with jibben or a light fish, but that’s not why we’re posting it now; it is a one-pot meal and is it’s our custom to eat this on the night before Tisha b’Av (which is tomorrow!). Serve it with some plain yogurt and you have a pretty balanced (and simple) one-pot meal. Serve it alongside a million other dishes, like pizza, jibben, salad, knishes, sambusak, etc, and you have yourself a typical Syrian dairy meal.

This recipe is made differently, depending on whom you ask. Most families have slightly different recipes, and I often hear people saying that their family does it right…well, really, there’s no correct way to do it. Actually, I recently learned that Zeke puts sour cream on his, not plain yogurt. Weird!

One important factor in this dish is the onions. Sauteing them until they are soft, sweet, and almost brown really just makes the dish. I grew up eating it without onions. Most people chop the onions. I have a mandolin and like to use it as much as I can, so I slice them really thin. it Doesn’t matter which way you decide, just remember that a lot of the flavor in the dish comes from the slow-cooked onions, so don’t skimp out on this part!

Find the recipe in Aromas of Aleppo

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup brown lentils (or whatever you have on hand)
• 1 cup water + more
• 2-4 white onions, sliced, diced, chopped, etc.
• Oil (enough to fit the bottom of the pan)
• 1 cup brown rice (white is traditionally used, but I like to be healthy)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine the lentils with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils soften slightly.

2. Cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil. Turn the heat to medium-low and wait until it is hot.

3. Add the onions to the skillet, stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized. This will take a long time, so be patient. With sliced onions, count on 45 minutes. With chopped ones, it will be shorter. Keep an eye on them and remember to keep the heat low to really get the sweet onion flavor.

4. Drain the lentil liquid into a measuring cup and add enough liquid to measure 1 1/2 cups. Return to saucepan and add the rice, salt, and half the onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for the amount of time stated on your rice package (20-50 minutes).

5. If you prefer, add butter during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

6. Top the rice and lentils with the remaining onions and serve with plain yogurt on the side.

*Oh, they make great leftovers. I always make sure to pack rice and lentils for lunch the next day.

HAVE AN EASY FAST!

Mejadra, or Rice and Lentils is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Lentils are boring. I think the only way I’ve ever even eaten lentils is in soup (and that’s the red variety, the kind that Esav traded his birthright for) and in rice and lentils. But when Ina made her salmon with lentils and everyone about the lentils on the bottom, I knew I should try it.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces lentils
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• a few leaves of fresh thyme and/or oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Some red pepper flakes
• 4 carrots
• 4 celery stalks
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I used mushroom because that’s what I had on hand)

Directions:

1. Measure lentils.

2. Cover the lentils with boiling water. Let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, and thyme/oregano. Heat on high till fragrant.

4. Chop the carrots and celery into really small pieces. Try to make them as even as possible so that they cook evenly. Add to pot. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

5. Add lentils and stir. Let cook for 5 minutes, add broth and cover pot. Cook for 1/2 hour, or until lentils are soft.

6. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Lentils is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

My favorite thing to make in the dutch oven is short ribs. They’re so good! They get soft and flavorful from the braising and are easy enough to cook while busy with other things in the kitchen. The more you cook them, the more flavorful they become, so make them on Sunday and eat them on Monday. Plus, people love to eat short ribs on Monday nights. Better yet, make them tonight and eat them for Shabbat dinner!

This recipe is a little easier than the last one I made, and everything went! (Probably because there were no tomatoes this time.) The meat is great plain, and the sauce delicious over rice. If you want a short rib sandwich, make this recipe, as well. What about a slow cooker meal? Try it, let us know how it goes.

I used short ribs this time, instead of the attached baby back ones…it’s what they had at the butcher, but use whatever you can find. I also just used the herbs that I had on hand. Braising in wine is VERY forgiving (maybe that’s why I do it all the time) so feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of red wine minus one glass
• A handful of peppercorns
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 3 sage leaves
• 8 short ribs, more or less depending on how many people you’re serving
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 10 mushrooms, quartered
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Reduce wine over high heat with peppercorn, garlic, thyme, and sage. Let reduce until halved in volume. Strain.

2. Season ribs with salt and pepper. In dutch oven, brown short ribs on all sides over high heat, remove and put aside.

3. Saute shallots in dutch oven, till brown. Add reduced wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

4. Put the ribs back in the pot. Add the mushrooms. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let simmer, about 3 hours, until the meat falls off the bone.

5. Serve!

Another Short Ribs Recipe is a post from: The Kosher Foodies