Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Yummy Salads and a Dessert....................

בס''ד

THANK-YOU ALL! I had great feedback to the first posting.
 
I love walking through my yishuv on Friday. The wonderful aromas that are emerging from each house are mouth watering.  The smell of pickled meat, roast chicken, cakes, challah, kugels and all other Shabbat goodies makes me very hungry.

For many years, since we have been in Israel, I make several different types of salads to serve at the Shabbat meal with the entrée, usually gefilta fish. The salads go great with challah or large Iraqi pita and humus. I like to make my salads on Thursday, so that the flavors have time to marinate.

Colorful salads really dress up the Shabbat table. I love to make a fresh veggie salad using cucumbers, tomatoes, different color sweet peppers, thin slices of kohlrabi and sliced red radishes placed on a bed of lettuce.

For dressing we use either techina or an oil, vinegar and lemon juice mixture spiced with salt, pepper, garlic and zatar.

Eggplants and colorful peppers both hot and sweet are very popular vegetables used when preparing salads. Grated kohlrabi and carrots make a tasty coleslaw. Beets and red radishes also make great salads.

Preparing cooked salads can be time consuming, but when you are preparing food for Shabbat, it becomes a pleasure.

I would like to share some of our favorite salad recipes.


Eggplant and Tomato Salad
Preheat oven broiler

1 medium tomato
1 large or 2 small eggplants
1 large onion
1 small red or yellow pepper
2 garlic teeth pressed or 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar [I leave out the sugar]
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup hot water
salt to taste

Slice eggplants and onions in circles
Slice tomato and peppers
Line baking pan with baking paper and paint a thin layer of oil
Spread out veggies and dab with oil
Broil both sides until brown.
Put veggies in a large bowl
Add sugar, garlic, tomato paste, salt
Mix well
Add vinegar and hot water and mix.
Serve cold!


Imitation Chop Liver Salad
1 large eggplant cut in small pieces
2 large onions
2 eggs
salt to taste


Fry eggplant and onions until they are golden brown.
Add beaten eggs seasoned with salt
On a low heat, stir constantly so that the mixture dries but does not stick  to the bottom of the pan.
When cooled, grind to look like chopped liver.
Serve cold!


Sweet Pepper Salad
preheat oven broiler 

Red, yellow, orange, green peppers [5 or 6 in total]
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Salt to taste

Recipe can be doubled.
Slice peppers into strips
Make a mixture of 1/4 cup oil and 1 teaspoon garlic and salt
Pour over peppers and mix well
Line baking pan with baking paper and spread peppers evenly
Broil until brown.
Remove and combine peppers and lemon juice.
Mix well.
Serve cold!

Kohlrabi and Carrot Salad
1 large kohlrabi
1 large carrot
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt to taste
Grate veggies 
Add the other ingredients
Mix well
Serve cold!
 
There are many delicious salad recipes and if you would like any additional recipes, please contact me.
 
One of the features of this blog is for readers input. My friend Fayge W. from Georgia shared a wonderful dessert.
 
Chocolate Espresso Mousse Recipe
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or grated semisweet chocolate        
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup pure cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoon brandy or rum (unflavored please)
1 pound silken tofu, drained
 
In a small saucepan, on a very low flame, place all but last ingredient, and cook, stirring, until melted. This will take about 2-3 minutes (Or microwave 2 minutes). Transfer the mixture to a food processor, with the tofu, and process one full minute, until perfectly smooth. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 dessert glasses or cups, and refrigerate until firm, 2-3 hours.
 
Enjoy all the recipes and please feel free to comment and share your favorite recipes with us.

Until next time
Miriam