Edamame and Corn Dumplings

My work is never done. After a Thanksgivukkah recipe hangover and starting a new job at the county library here in Texas, I’ve had a busy December. Before we ring out the new year I thought I’d share my new favorite recipe.

Asian edamame and corn dumplings. Yep.

If you still need a recipe for Christmas Eve or maybe a New Year’s party, these are definitely a crowd-pleaser. The below substitutions are also great if you have guests with special dietary restrictions. If you know a Gluten-free vegan who is also allergic to soy and corn, you can substitute the corn for delightfully crunchy canned water chestnuts and just omit the soy sauce, simply using salt or even ketchup for the tang.

Aaron’s new favorite meal is Asian lettuce wraps, first made with ground turkey and later beef for him and tofu for me. As good as the lettuce wraps are, you need something else to feel hungry. That’s where the dumplings come in.

I found those pre-made won-ton wrappers at the Commissary, which I have used before but haven’t been as creative as I could be. These dumplings were perfect. I also recommend there eggroll wrappers.

I love edamame and with all the fabulous Asian flavors in the dumplings, these babies don’t even need dipping sauce. Frozen corn added a little sweetness and the cream cheese held it all together. If you are a strict vegetarian or vegan, you can easily omit the cream cheese and fish sauce to make this recipe. The mixture will be a bit more crumbly though, so just be aware when assembling your dumplings.

Though previously stated these babies do not need a dipping sauce, they would be lovely with hoisin or terayaki.

Asian Edamame and Corn Dumplings

Makes about 16-18 dumplings

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled edamame

1/4 cup corn kernels

1-2 scallions chopped

1 " ginger root, minced

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sugar

Garlic powder

3 oz. cream cheese

Dash of chili powder

Pinch of Red pepper flakes

Black pepper

Dash of Sriracha

16-18 wonton wrappers

Vegan or vegetarian recipe: omit fish sauce and cream cheese, add additional soy sauce if needed.

Gluten-free? Try this great recipe for homemade GF wonton wrappers and use GF soy sauce instead.

Directions:

Microwave edamame and corn in separate bowls according to package instructions.

Allow corn and edamame to slightly cool, then transfer to food processer or blender.

Blend until edamame is slightly chunky, but well mashed.

In a small bowl or cup microwave cream cheese for 10 seconds until soft, not melted. Add cream cheese and remaining ingredients to the food processor except wonton wrappers, cooking oil and water. Blend until mixture is creamy and mixed well. The edamame should still be noticeably chunky.

Lay wonton wrappers out on a clean, dry cutting board or plate, working in batches if necessary. On each square wrapper, scoop about ½ tbsp. of mixture onto the enter of each wrapper, making sure it doesn’t spill over to the sides.

With a small pastry brush or paper towel, gently brush the edges of the wrapper with small amount warm water.  Immediately fold wrapper over making a triangle and pinching closed with your fingers.

In a large flat frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add 4-5 dumplings at a time and fry on each side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Once all dumplings in the pan are crispy, pour ¼ cup of water into the pan and immediately cover for 1-3 minutes until water is evaporated and dumplings are soft and cooked.

Remove dumplings from the pan and cover to stay warm while cooking remaining dumplings in the same fashion. Serve while still warm with or without sauce.

Enjoy!

The Cuisiner

Pumpkin Pie Muhallabieh (Israeli Milk Pudding) #6thdaythanksgivukkah

When I started this series I knew I needed to have at least one recipe using pumpkin. Pumpkin has been the en vogue flavor the past few autumns with everything from candles to ravioli to lattes.  With that I knew pumpkin needed a place in these updated Jewish recipes.

I took me awhile to find the perfect fit with pumpkin. But eventually I went back to a somewhat classic interpretation…. with a twist.

I read about Muhallabieh, the classic Israeli milk dessert in none other than Jerusalem: A Cookbook. (I promise I read a lot more books for this series and more to come!) According to the recipe's description, this is a childhood favorite for many and a standard dessert at every restaurant, fancy or not.

For the average person the original recipe might seem a little strange. Crudely described, it is cold milk pudding. But I saw this as an opportunity to turn the panna cotta-like dessert into the perfect platform the pumpkin spice.

This dessert couldn’t be simpler and since it’s “no-bake” it makes it a lot easier to incorporate to your Thanksgiving dinner when oven-real estate is a little crowded. This dessert is also great to make a day or even two days ahead of time, as it needs to set in the fridge at least 3 hours. It’s also the perfect way to give the pumpkin pie flavor to your gluten-free guests.

The only problem you may run into is transporting the individual desserts if you aren’t hosting Thanksgiving yourself. When I was recipe testing I brought these over to a couples dinner and they were easily transported in a box in the back seat of the car.

I love the lightly sweet, spiced flavor of this pumpkin pie recipe. It is a light yet filling dessert. I was so happy when the boys liked it as much as I did. But I wanted to take it one step further. Instead of the traditional syrup, pistachios and dried coconut on top I choose the more seasonally appropriate toppings of fresh nutmeg, chopped walnuts, dried apple rings and homemade crystallized ginger for a little spiciness.

You can easily find dried apple rings or chips in your grocery store, but it is just as easy to make a home along with the crystallized ginger chips. It’s a little harder to find good crystallized ginger everywhere, but a lot easier and fresher tasting than you think to make at home. You can simple pop both in the oven or a toaster-oven while making the pudding or something else; with little fuss.

This recipe is such a fresh, crowd-pleasing twist on the classic pumpkin pie. Even those who don’t like “fancy food” (every family has at least one) will like these. Just tell them its jello….

Pumpkin Spice Muhallabieh 

(Israeli Milk Pudding)

(Adapted to Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi

 and Sami Tamimi)

Makes 4-5 or 6-7 individual desserts

Ingredients:

1 cup and 2 tbsp. Libby’s canned pumpkin puree

2 cups 2% or whole milk

¼ cup water

6 tbsp. cornstarch (Clabber girl’s is a good GF variety)

61/2 tbsp. superfine sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. good-quality cinnamon

½-1 tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

Optional: ½ tsp. all spice

Toppings:

Cinnamon

Freshly ground nutmeg

½ jonagold or Fuji apple, horizontally sliced into thin rings (7-8 rings)

1-2 tbsp. fresh ginger root, thinly sliced and chopped into small pieces the size of a tic-tac

2-3 tbsp. refined coconut oil or just enough canola oil to coat pieces

2-3 tbsp. sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

optional: honey for drizzling

You will need:

4-5 dessert cups for larger desserts or 6-7 wine glasses or smaller glass cups for smaller portions.

Note: There are two ways to make this: one with regular canned or pureed plain pumpkin or the pre-spiced and sugared canned “pumpkin pie mix,” both available widely from Libby’s. If you choose regular pumpkin, you may needed to play with the mix of spices, while the pumpkin pie mix will only need 3-4 tbsp. of sugar instead of 6½ tbsp and only half of the spices. It’s up to you which you prefer.

Also, using 2% milk will give you a lighter flavor, while whole milk will make it much creamier and you may want to make divide the mixture into more cups-equally 6-7 instead of 4-5.

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and 61/2 tbsp. of the milk together to make a paste. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, add remaining milk (about 1 ¾ cup) with water, pumpkin puree, and sugar over medium-low heat. Whisk often until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to steam.

Once milk begins steaming, gently whisk in cornstarch mixture. The mixture will thicken quickly. Continue to whisk until mixture begins to boil and resembles a thick custard.

Remove mixture from heat and scoop into glass bowls or wineglasses, gently smoothing out the tops with the back of a spoon. Do this quickly as mixture will begin to congeal and harder to smooth. Cover each pudding with plastic wrap right on the surface of the pudding so a film does not form.

Refrigerate the puddings for at least 3 hours until puddings are set (hardens and no longer jiggles; up to two days before serving.

Once ready to serve, remove plastic. (Optional) drizzle a very small amount of honey on the top of the pudding. Next sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon and fresh nutmeg. Top with chopped walnuts, crystallized ginger pieces. Finally top with crispy apple rings.

Serve with homemade whipped cream or by itself.

For apple rings and crystallized ginger:

Preheat a toaster oven or large oven to 200 degrees F.  In a small bowl, gently coat ginger with 1 tbsp. of sugar and 1 tbsp. of coconut oil. On a lined baking sheet, evenly spread ginger mixture into a single layer on one half of the sheet. Other the other half, place apple rings. On each ring, smear enough coconut oil just to coat and sprinkle with sugar. (sprinkle with cinnamon if you’d like as well) Bake in oven for about 30 minutes-1 hour until golden brown beginning to harden. Once cooled, ginger will crack into small pieces. If apples do not crisp, increase heat to 250 degrees and flip, continuing to cook until golden brown. (This may happen if slices are thicker.) Once cooled apples, will become crispy.

Enjoy!

What’s you favorite pumpkin recipe?

Jewish Apple Cupcakes: #3rddayThanksgivukkah

Traditionally, when you see apples and honey they are the flavors of Rosh Hashanah instead of Hanukkah, for their mention and significance in Jewish scripture. But due to the amazing occurrence of Thanksgiving and the first full day of Hanukkah happening on the same day, all most bets are off. Thanksgiving was meant for apples, and likewise Jewish Apple Cake has become one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes over the past two years.

This year, my Jewish Apple Cake recipe, based on that of the Smitten Kitchen's, became an often found search result for "Thanksgiving Hanukkah recipes." That was the first time it occurred to me that people were looking for recipes that brought both traditions together for one special day. Since Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are much better matched together than say Hanukkah and Christmas, as happens for frequently, I knew a need wasn’t being met in search results.

Out of this came the Eight Days of Thanksgivukkah.

You may be asking, if you’ve already made this cake and posted it, why do it again?

Well, I wanted to do something a little different this time in the form of cupcakes so I more or less stuck with the original recipe, adding some fresh nutmeg, honey, and the optional limoncello for a “Cuisiner” flavor, but also took cupcake tips from the Shiksa in the Kitchen. Because these were cupcakes instead of a very large cake, I shredded the apples in a food processor instead of large chunks of apples. This way, the cupcakes not only stay together, but also incorporate the apple flavor throughout each bite.

I also wanted to go back and understand what making a recipe parve means, like this one. Before I didn't know why Jewish Apple Cake was "Jewish." Well being parve definitely helps. Because there is no dairy in this recipe, in can be eaten with meat at the same meal. Meaning, if you are celebrating a Kosher Thanksgivukkah, you can have your turkey and eat your dessert too.

If this is the first time you are celebrating or invited to a Jewish or Kosher Thanksgiving, these cupcakes are a perfect thing to bring to incorporate both holidays in a special way.

These cupcakes have a similar consistency to that of a muffin, so if you have any leftover on the Third day of Hanukkah (Black Friday,) they would make a great partner to leftover latkes and Turkey. As if you needed an excuse….

Parve Jewish Apple Cupcakes

(Adapted from the recipe of Smitten Kitchen 

and the Shiksa in the Kitchen)

Ingredients:

4 large apples, peeled (use a mix of Fuji, Jonagold, and/or Granny Smith)

1 tbsp. roasted cinnamon

3 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. honey

2 3/4 cup sifted flour

1 tbsp. baking powder, sifted

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. roasted cinnamon

1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp. honey

1/4 cup orange juice

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

4 eggs

Optional:

1 tsp. Kosher Limoncello liqueur

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 12-cup cup cake pans or muffin pans with vegetable oil and dust bottoms with flour. (you can also use muffin liners instead)

Cut apples into thin slices and then into matchsticks. Working in batches, add apples to a food processor until just chopped, allow some bigger pieces for texture.  Add apples to a bowl and mix in cinnamon, sugar, and honey. Set aside. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate apples over a box grater, just be aware that this will add more moisture to the mixture.)

In a large bowl or stand mixer add sifted flour, baking powder and salt.

In a separate small bowl, combine oil, orange juice, sugar, honey, vanilla, and limoncello.

Working gradually, combine wet and dry ingredients until just blended. Add eggs to mixture one egg at a time until mixture is just blended. Scrape bowl.

Gently fold apple mixture, 1/2 tsp, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each cup of the cupcake pan, filling to the top. (This will create the pretty tops.) Sprinkle each cupcake with 1 tsp, or so of walnuts.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean. Put on wire rack. Cool before serving, or my favorite-eat while still warm!

Because the apples add quite a bit of moisture when added before baking, beware of cooking time. Check cupcakes after 25 minutes, and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes only if necessary.

If you aren't kosher, these cupcakes are delicious with ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or caramel sauce such as this one.

Enjoy!

Black Cherries Jubilee Cocktail: #2ndDayofThanksgivukkah

Ever since I was a kid I loved Dr. Brown’s black cherry soda. Every time we went to the one Jewish deli in our area I would get a Dr. Brown’s along with my sandwich.  My sister loved their cream soda, and it wasn’t until moving to Philadelphia that I discover Cel-Ray. That’s right, celery soda.  You may think it’s crazy, but Cel-ray is similar to Ginger-ale and isn’t super sweet so it’s the ideal companion for a sandwich on rye.

If you've never tried this soda, you need to track it down immediately. Try the Kosher/Jewish section of your local grocery store. Many online retailers sell it in quantities of 24 cans or higher.

No matter the flavor, Dr. Brown’s soda is THE beverage of the East Coast Jewish deli. Nothing is more perfect or refreshing with your pastrami than Dr. Browns, period.

So when I started the Thanksgivukkah series, I knew I needed to have a Dr. Brown’s cocktail.

My first thought was to pair Cel-ray with Bluecoat Gin, fresh cucumbers, lime, and mint. How refreshing! Unfortunately, now living in West Texas, I was lucky enough to find six-packs of Dr. Brown’s black cherry and cream soda in the very small kosher section of the grocery store. I came to the conclusion that a black cherry cocktail might fit the season better and I didn’t want to pay $35 + shipping to get Cel-ray.

So instead, I bring you an incredibly season-appropriate cocktail that your guests will love from Thanksgivukkah to New Year’s Eve.

I wanted to capture the spiciness Fall flavors often bring, so I added Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Champagne Cognac. But I also wanted this to be refreshing, so with a splash of triple sec, and fresh orange, these drink tastes like Festivity. Topped off with the attractiveness of freshly grated nutmeg for an added spice, this drink is as pretty as your table’s centerpiece, while being a lot tastier.

I think I’ve put together one great Thanksgivukkah cocktail if I do say myself….

As the drink suggests, it’s a party in a glass. Ba da bump.

Black Cherries Jubilee

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

5 oz. Dr. Browns black cherry soda

1 oz. Remy Martin V.S.O.P. champagne cognac

1/2 oz. triple sec

1 orange twist, long

1 tbsp. fresh orange juice

Fresh nutmeg

Ice

You will need:

Tall highball glass

Spice or fine cheese grater

Directions:

In a tall highball glass, add 3 ice cubes and pour cognac and triple sec into the glass. Drop in orange peel and squeeze juice. Top with Black cherry soda.

With a zester or fine grater, grate fresh nutmeg over the entire top of the drink and serve.

Tip: If you like a spicier, more potent cocktail, add a splash more cognac.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I was not paid,compensated, nor contacted to endorse Dr. Brown's Sodas. This post was done solely out of my love for this soda.

What's your favorite seasonal cocktail?

#8DaysThanksgivukkah: Everything Encrusted Smoked Salmon with Jerusalem Salad

As some of you may know, this year Thanksgiving and the first full day of Hanukkah intercept for the first time since 1888 and won’t happen again for an estimated 77,000 years. Gotta strike the iron while it’s hot! 

Thanksgivukkah as it is now dubbed is a rare event that gives foodies like me an opportunity to play homage to some of my favorite cuisine on the ultimate food holiday. Two Thanksgivings ago I made a Jewish Apple Cake instead of say apple or pumpkin pie. It was a huge hit and I’ve been making it even since. When the blog started getting search hits for “Thanksgiving Hanukkah recipes” it occurred to me this series would work not only for those celebrating both holidays, but also for us gentiles as well.

No, I’m not Jewish. My only claim to the heritage is my Great Grandfather and a deep love for the food from Eastern European Jews to the more Mediterranean flavors of Israel and Morocco. Each cuisine is so different, yet for me they all have a place at the table. Moving from Philadelphia where I lived for four years to Texas, I miss my favorite Jewish delis, and ability to find Dr. Brown’s soda, matzo, challah, lox, and apple cake whenever I needed it. I’m the first person to reach for "Jewish penicillin" (matzo ball soup) when a cold comes along. So with a big stack of cookbooks for inspiration I thought I’d mix it up this year and include some Jewish inspired meals for your Thanksgiving table.

So the next eight posts on the Cuisiner will:

Eight Days of Thanksgivukkah!

See what I did there? I’ll be post everything from cocktails, side dishes, salads, to main alternatives, and of course dessert.

This series is a long time in the making with a lot of trial and error, and a lot of research!  I’ve been so excited to share it with you.

These are recipes for entertaining, so I plan on making most of the serving sizes accordingly. While these are simply Jewish “inspired” and lay no claim of knowing everything about the Jewish food tradition, I also highly respect it. If you adhere to kosher guidelines, you may not be able to eat all the recipes I featured, but if it is, I hope you’ll give it a try. I plan on using some familiar and symbolic ingredients such as olive oil for Hanukkah, and apples and honey-normally associated with Rosh Hashanah.

The first on the list is inspired by two spectrums of Jewish cuisine: that of American Ashkenazi heritage and that of Israel's Mediterranean influences.

 I first got this idea after the first completely Glatt Kosher fine dining restaurant in the Philadelphia- area. opened up a stones throw from me in Bala Cynwyd, PA. While stalking the menu of Citron + Rose, I stumbled across the idea of an everything bagel encrusted salmon lox starter. 

I thought it was brilliant: take the best of bagel and lox and combine it into one bite. So I started by gently coating pieces of salmon lox first in olive oil, and then in a mixture of seasonings you normally find on a traditional NYC everything bagel. This coated lox would be delicious as a starter on garlic challah crostini with a schmear of Greek yogurt or cream cheese mixed with truffle oil and cherry tomatoes.  If you do that, let me know!

For my recipe I added that beautifully encrusted salmon on a mixed green salad, with crunchy cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, and a simple balsamic and truffle olive oil vinaigrette with a side of carrot salad. One American classic with a play on an Israeli salad.

After reading the fabulous Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, I was inspired to create a salad from popular Israeli ingredients such as cucumbers, greens, and tomatoes. According to the book, many Israelis see it as “unhealthy” not to have a salad with every meal. 

The carrot salad is a play on another symbolic food and mezze classic from Israel and Jerusalem--Moroccan Carrot Salad. The version I found in both Jerusalem, and Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook, first cook the carrots in boiling water. I prefer them raw and crunchy, but either version is delicious.

Put it altogether and you have an amazing starter for your Thanksgiving meal.

 Everything Encrusted Smoked Salmon  
with "Jerusalem Salad"

Makes 4-6 salads

(Inspired by Citron + Rose, Jerusalem: A Cookbook, and Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 4oz. package of quality smoked salmon lox, pieces, carefully separated

5oz. of mixed greens salad or arugula mix

15-20 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1 medium cucumber, cut into slices and halved

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp. Black Truffle infused olive oil

Extra olive oil for coating

1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. honey

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Everything Spice Blend (double if necessary)

1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp. black poppy seeds

1 tbsp. minced dried onions

1 tsp.  minced dried garlic

2 tsp. kosher salt

Optional: 1 tbsp. black sesame seeds and 1 tbsp. caraway seeds if you want to be NYC authentic

Carrot Salad (Adapted from Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook)

4 large carrots, grated over a boxed grater

2 tbsp. truffle oil

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 

¼ cup, chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced

kosher salt and pepper to taste

The recipe is parve

Directions:

For carrot salad, mix all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for up to two days before serving. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix together olive oil, truffle oil, balsamic, honey, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add salt to taste if necessary. Set aside.

Arrange lettuce in the middle of the salad plates, while making a ring around the plate with opposite cucumbers and cherry tomato halves.  Drizzle dressing over greens, a tablespoon at a time, until light coated. You may have dressing leftover.

On a flat plate, gently mix all spices for Everything blend, and spread across plate making spices a single layer. With a spoon and your fingers, smear a small amount of olive oil on the edge of each piece of salmon. With oiled side down, carefully coat the salmon edge in the seasoning and arrange 2-3 coated pieces on top of each salad, depending on amount.

Add portion of carrot salad to each plate and serve.

Happy Thanksgivukkah!

The Cuisiner

What's your favorite Thanksgiving starter?