JCC Community Recipe Box

Recipes of the Month

Passover Recipes

Purim Recipes

Recipes of the Month

Pine Nut Chicken
1 chicken, in eighths

Marinade:
½ - ¾ cup white wine
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. rosemary
¼ tsp. savory
2 garlic cloves chopped 

Topping:

4 oz. Pine nuts ground
½ cup bread crumbs
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. paprika 

Marinade chicken overnight. Roll chicken into topping. Place in greased pan. Drizzle olive oil on top. Bake at 350° covered 1½ hours. Baste twice. Uncover and add a second marinade mixture on top of chicken. Bake for an additional half hour uncovered.

Caesar Salad 
Dressing:

1 can anchovies with capers (mashed up)
4 cloves fresh garlic (crushed)
1 tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp. romano cheese
6 Tbsp. salad oil (Use olive oil to make this South Beach Diet friendly)
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Whisk or blend together ingredients. Add to romaine lettuce leaves. Can be topped with shaved Parmesan cheese slices, croutons, and black pepper to taste.

Best-Ever Banana Bread 
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup canola oil
2 eggs
5 Tbsp. milk or non-dairy creamer
1¾ cup flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla
3 large bananas (mashed)
½ cup nuts or chocolate chips (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix sugar with oil. Add 1 egg at a time. Add creamer. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add vanilla and then bananas. Add nuts or chocolate chips (optional). Mix together. Pour in loaf pan or bundt pan. Bake for one hour.

Maple Walnut Cake 
2 cups sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1½  cup sugar
½ cup shortening (or 1 stick margarine)
1 cup milk or non-dairy creamer
½ tsp. maple flavoring
2 eggs
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Frosting:

½ cup margarine, softened
1 egg (or add additional creamer)
½ tsp. maple flavoring
pinch of salt
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. non-dairy creamer

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add shortening, milk and flavoring. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs and beat 2 minutes more. Stir nuts in by hand. Bake in two 8” round pans for 30 minutes or a 2-pan for 45-60 minutes. Mix together frosting with a spoon and drizzle on top of cake.

Passover Recipes  It's never too early to start planning your Passover menu! This year, tickle
their palates with dishes that run from the traditional to the exotic!

Traditional Matzoh Balls
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. chicken fat
½ cup matzoh meal
1 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
1 Tbsp. Club soda
2 Tbsp. Chopped parsley 

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight. In a very large pot, boil at least 3 quarts of salted water. Moisten hands with water. Lightly form matzah balls. Add a few at a time to the boiling water, which must continue to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking about 25 minutes. Matzah balls will rise to the top. Yields 8-12 matzah balls.

Unsinkable Matzoh Ball Fluffs
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup safflower oil
1 tsp kosher salt
dash of black pepper
½ cup seltzer
1 cup matzoh meal 

Combine eggs, oil, salt, pepper and seltzer in a large bowl and mix. Add matzoh meal. Mix again and refrigerate, covered, for 1-3 hours. Shape into golf balls and drop into boiling water. Dip hands in hot water before sculpting for smoother, fluffier results. Cook partially covered for about 30 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Reheat balls in gently simmering chicken soup.

Gefilte Fish
Step1
2 lbs. white fish
2 lbs. pike
2 lbs. winter carp
2 onions, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 tsp. Salt
¾ tsp. Pepper 

Have fish filleted and ground. Set aside. Keep heads and bones. In a very large pot, place bones and heads, onions, carrots, salt and pepper. Add 1½ quarts of water. Bring this to a boil and cook not more than 10 minutes. Remove and discard heads and bones.

Step2
1 onion, grated
1 carrot, grated
3 eggs
3 Tbsp. matzoh meal
2 tsp. salt
¾ tsp. pepper
¾ cup cold water
1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)

To ground fish, add the above ingredients and mix well. Form quenelles and drop into broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1½ hours with pot covered. Remove cover and simmer ½ hour longer. Yields 12-18 servings.

Matzoh Apple Kugel
4 sheets matzoh
4 beaten eggs
2/3 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup raisins
½ cup walnuts, chopped
2 large apples, grated
2 Tbsp. margarine or butter
½ cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350°. Break matzoh into pieces. Cover with cold water. Add all ingredients. Pour into a 2-quart greased baking dish. Bake for one hour.

Matzoh Foo Young courtesy of Building Jewish Life: Passover by Joel Grishaver
½ cup each chopped mushroom, onion, celery and grated carrot
1 pkg. Frozen spinach, cooked
3 eggs
¾ cup matzoh meal
salt and pepper to taste
oil or margarine for frying

Saute vegetables, add spinach, eggs, matzoh meal, and seasoning. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Form into pancakes and fry in hot oil until brown on both sides.

Carrot Ring Submitted by Linda Schneider from Partnership 2000 Cook Your Story cookbook
Yields 6 Servings
1 pound raw carrots (about 7 medium)
1/4 cup melted margarine
3 tablespoons potato starch
1/2 cup matzo meal
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a ring-mold (or bundtpan) with oil. You can also use a square dish, or any ovenproof serving dish.
Scrape and grate the carrots.
Cream the oil and matzo meal together.
Dissolve the potato starch in wine and add the oil, carrots, and other ingredients.
Turn into the ring-mold and bake for one hour.

Gefilte Fish Mousse
1 can gefilte fish, sweet, 8 pieces
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup liquid from fish
4 Tbsp. oil
3 eggs
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar 

Preheat oven to 350°. Mash fish. Blend onion, carrots and liquid. Add gefilte fish and mix with ingredients. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1½ hours. Refrigerate. Slice and serve.

Vegetable Farfel Kugel 
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced green pepper
1 cup diced celery
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can condensed chicken soup
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 1/2 cups matzoh farfel

Saute vegetables in oil. Mix with other ingredients. Pour into greased 9x9 inch pan and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until firm. Freezes well. May be doubled, using a 9x13 inch pan.

Roasted Potatoes  
8 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain, peel and cut each one into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece in ketchup until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until a hard, golden brown crust forms on the potatoes.

Zucchini Kugel  
4 zucchini
1 pkg. matzoh ball mix
1/3 cup matzoh meal
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate zucchini. Mix with remaining ingredients. Bake in greased 2 quart dish for approximately 40 minutes.

Passover Freezer Cake 
13 egg whites
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 lb. ground almonds
Beat the whites until stiff, gradually adding sugar. When finished, fold in ground almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a 14x11 inch pan. Set aside.

13 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup sugar
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. instant coffee, dissolved in small amount of water
1/2 lb. margarine
Melt chocolate in double boiler. Mix well all ingredients with mixer. Pour evenly on first baked layer and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut in squares. Freezes well.

Passover Fruit Kugel 
1 box matzoh farfel
1 small jar strawberry or apricot jam
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
2 handfuls raisins
1 large can fruit cocktail
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 stick margarine
Pour boiling water over matzoh farfel to cover. Let stand until matzoh farfel is limp. Drain well. Mix well with all other ingredients. Cook at 350 degrees for approximately one hour.

Purim Recipes 

Eating hamantashen is part of the joy of Purim. This three-cornered pastry is said to remind us of the hat, pockets or ears of the evil court advisor, Haman. Traditionally, hamantashen were filled with a poppyseed mixture. Nowadays, you can find hamantashen filled with everything from strawberry, apricot, chocolate, peanut butter, chocolate chips, nuts, fruits, cream cheese, prunes and and other preserves. Surprise your friends and family this Purim with fabulous Hamantashen baked in your very own kitchen! Try one or all of these great Hamantashen recipes and add your own personal flair with a filling of your creation!

Hamantashan I 
For the dough, you will need….

4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

3 large eggs, beaten

4 Tbsp. orange juice
1 cup margarine or butter, softened to room temperature

For the filling, you will need….

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. jam (any flavor)
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two cookie sheets.  Using an electric mixer, cream the margarine and sugar together in a large bowl.  Add the eggs and orange juice. Mix well.  In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar and egg mixture. Mix together with a large spoon. If this mixture is too sticky, add a little more flour. Refrigerate dough for one hour or more. Sprinkle flour on the rolling pin and on a piece of waxed paper so that you can roll out the dough, so it doesn't stick. Roll out the dough to 1/8 - 1/4 inch thickness.  Using a round glass, mug or cookie cutter with a rim of about 2 1/2 - 3 inches across, flour the rim and cut the dough into circles.  Mix together the filling ingredients. put about 3/4 tsp. of filling in the center of each circle. Shape into triangles by bringing two sides of the circle up to the center  and pinching them together. Be sure to pinch the dough firmly so the pastry will not open during baking. Do not close the tops completely so some filling shows in the center.  Place the hamantashen on the greased cookie sheets, about an inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned along the edges. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen.

Hamantashan II 
1 pkg. Dunca Hines Yellow Cake Mix
1 cup flour
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. water
prune, apricot, or poppy seed filling

Combine cake mix, flour, eggs and water. Blend well. Refrigerate for one hour. Roll on lightly floured surface one quarter of the dough at a time, to 1/8" thickness. Cut into circles. Fill with filling. Pinch sides to make triangles. Bake at 350° until done.

Hamantashan III 
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
prune, apricot, or poppy seed filling

Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Add vanilla. Roll out to 1/4" thickness. Cut into 2" rounds. Fill and draw up sides to form a triangle. Bake in oven at 375° until lightly browned.

Hamantashan IV 
1/4 lb. butter  and
1/4 lb. margarine
3 eggs
4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
prune, apricot, or poppy seed filling

Mix butter and margarine with dry ingredients. Add eggs, vanilla, orange juice. Roll to approximately 1/8" thickness. Cut into 3" rounds. Fill with prune, apricot, or poppy seed filling. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes on a lightly greased pan.

Hamantashan V 
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
juice of one orange
4 tsp. baking powder
4 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
prune, apricot, or poppy seed filling

Beat eggs, adding sugar gradually. Add oil and beat well. Sift flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture alternately with orange juice. Mix well.  Roll dough thinly and cut into 2" rounds. Place 1 Tbsp. of filling on center of each round. Fold into triangles, pinching edges together. Brush with beaten egg and bake on greased cookie sheets until brown in a 375°oven.