Winner Winner, Easy Dinner

With the house going on the market any day now, it's been a challenge to keep things 'open house worthy' all the time.  One of the biggest challenges is making dinner.  While I wouldn't invite someone into my home during/around dinnertime, using the stovetop sure can make a mess.  And I'm totally not in the mood to scrub my stovetop every single night in order to make it look tip top for buyers.

Enter the Crockpot.

While I usually use my crockpot at least once a week, I've been turning to it more regularly than ever.  It's a one-pot meal.  No worries about much food prep/cooking.  You throw everything in, turn it on, and let it go.

I've still been doing it during the day, but just as easily I could fill it up and turn it on overnight while we're all asleep.  Then I just need to reheat whatever I've cooked.  And since crockpot meals are already sort of cooked to death, there's no problem in reheating them...

So, here's my latest Crockpot meal:

Sweet Potato Quinoa Chicken chili

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup quinoa (I used multicolored)
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp (approximately) freshly ground pepper
• 5 cups chicken broth

Instructions

1. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray. This seems unnecessary, but I really recommend it, since this is a tomato based recipe.
2. Put chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker, top with diced onions, and chopped sweet potatoes
3. Rinse and drain quinoa, then add to slow cooker
4. Drain and rinse the black beans and add those in. Add in the undrained petite diced tomatoes, minced garlic, chili seasoning mix, and chicken broth.
5. Place on high for 3-5 hours (It took 4 hours on high for my crockpot.)
6. Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir all the ingredients together.
7. Add salt and pepper and if desired fresh parsley.
8. Serve immediately.

This recipe is so great for everyone.  It's easy to make vegetarian by using veggie broth and omitting the chicken.  I served this to a vegetarian friend who doesn't mind things cooked with chicken by serving her portion before I shredded the chicken.

It's great for babies, and Ocho really enjoyed it.  Quinoa is good for babies at about 8 months old, but it's also a very non-allergenic food, so there aren't to many worries. Black beans and sweet potatoes are great for babies too.  Lots of people worry about the spices, but there's a difference between highly spiced food and spicy food. This is highly spiced, but not spicy (unless you up the cayenne!).

EG loved it too, and requested seconds and thirds!

Here's to an easy peasy meal that takes no more than a chopped sweet potato and a chopped onion!

Mishloach Manot- The Toddler Edition with the Mishloach Manot Wars

Yesterday we talked about the Mitzvot of Purim, but I want to delve deeper into what you can do to keep your toddler involved in the Mishloach Manot.

I was reading through my daily edition of Tablet magazine, and what should be on the forefront of my pages- the Mishloach Manot Wars.  I can't even believe that someone wrote that.

Because I don't have enough to worry about, that I need to think about outdoing someone with my basket of nice treats.  Because giving the treat isn't enough, it has to be better than yours?

Maybe I'm just not the in the right circles, but the idea of anxiety related to making these baskets and gift bags seems a bit ridiculous to me.  Then again, I think about all the time I can spent on Pinterest, looking at the cute and adorable things that other people make.

There are four mitzvot of Purim, and I think that this one is probably the least of all the four.  Hearing the megillah is certainly of more importance.  So is giving charity to the poor.  

So, when I think about doing these baskets, I think about ways that I can have my children participate.  It might be a little more difficult for Ocho, but EG, she can help in so many ways.   Now, they might not turn out like Martha Stewart.  But they will be fun for us to make, and, I hope, enjoyable for our friends and neighbors to take part in.  So here's to having the family participate, and to lessening any crazy expectations we have on ourselves.  

When I think about putting together my gifts, the first thing that I think about is allowing EG to decorate the bags for me.  Some crayon, pencils, maybe even a handprint.  Want to make them even nicer after the kiddos handiwork?  Print this lovely Shalom onto them courtesy of Chai and Home.

Next I think it's a great opportunity to help your kids count.  I usually try to put in two Hamentaschen per person in the family.  This might seem like a lot (here's looking at you sister-in-law) but no one wants to be the person who only gets one cookie.  In addition to cookies I like to put in something more healthy.   

There is a tradition to put in wine or grape juice, since wine is so important to Jewish joy. However, with most of my gifts going to those with kiddos, I prefer to send raisins.  I usually throw in a few cuties, and a few apples too, so everyone can get something.  Have them count out how many cookies, cuties and apples into each bag- learning and doing!

It's traditional, and some opinions hold part of the mitzvah, to have the packages delivered by someone else.  This is a great way for your toddler to participate.  Since they have to be delivered during the day it's a great opportunity for your child to practice front door etiquette- ringing the bell or knocking on the door, giving something away, and saying goodbye.  Also a nice opportunity to loosen the reins a bit and let them walk to the neighbors house alone (observed by you from the front door)

How do you involve the kiddos in the mitzvot?  Or are you stressing about theming your baskets appropriately?  Don't even get me started on whether it's okay for me to give away cookies my toddler helps me bake...

Egg-less Challah

This week I've invited over a friend who has a son with a bunch of allergies.  As allergies are nothing new in my household (shout-out to my sister-in-law and oldest nephew) I knew that I wanted to make a meal that everyone could enjoy.

Her son has an allergy to dairy and egg, and she has an allergy to wheat.  Well, I did try to look up a celiac's recipe for challah, but didn't find anything that looked good.  I was given some new flour thats supposed to be not only delicous buy is certified Kosher and wheat-free, so I'm looking forward to using that sometime soon.

But I did find a great egg-less challah recipe that I'm excited to take a gander at.  It's from this blog called the Challah Blog, which isn't really still up, but it's got a great archive of recipes and braiding techniques for those who are into it. 

Recipe:
3 C flour
1/4 cup plus 1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 C natural oil (vegetable or canola)
1 1/4 C Water
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) to 1 Tbsp dry yeast
Optional: Maple Syrup for an egg-free shine

As usual, proof your yeast in warm water with a bit of sugar.  Add oil, then water, salt and sugar.  Mix it all up.  If it's too wet add flour, too sticky add water or oil.

Let it rise at least an hour.

Punch down and braid.  Let rise again for an hour

Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

It didn't really turn out that delicious, but in a pinch it would totally do for an egg-less friend.

Shabbat Dinner- Easy Peasy

Tonight I'm going to recommend the easiest Shabbat dinner you might ever make.  So incredibly simple, you won't believe how good it tastes.

The Menu:
Roast Chicken
Roasted Vegetables
Challah
Pears & Cranberries for dessert

Let's start with the Roast Chicken.  Roasting a whole chicken can seem daunting, and while I've been able to cook one since college, it can be quite a process. That was until I got wind of the Buzzfeed Roast chicken contest.

If you haven't' checked this out, you are missing out on some of the best roast chicken knowledge that the Internets have to offer.  They compare the best of the best recipes, including Glamour chicken's engagement chicken, Julia Child's chicken and the Pioneer woman.  They follow the recipe exactly, and then compare the results.  And not only is the recipe that won the easiest, its obviously the best because it won.

So, let's break down Thomas Keller's roast chicken recipe.  Twine, a roasting rack, salt and pepper. 

Step 1: Dry the chicken inside and out

Step 2: Cover it with salt and pepper inside and out

Step 3: Truss your chicken.  It's easier than it sounds.  Click the link above to follow the photos- so easy.

Step 4: Put it on the rack and in the oven at 400degrees.

That's his recipe.  It's really that simple.  I hope you've been following along, but not that closely.  Because for our Shabbat dinner we're going to make a quick twist.  We're going to throw some potatoes, onions and brussel sprouts in the bottom of the roasting rack.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil and a bit of salt on top, then put the whole thing in the oven for about an hour.  You'll know it's done when the juices run clear and a thermometer reads 165.

On to dessert: Oven Pears in Simple Syrup.  The best part about this is that you prep it on the stove, then stick it into the oven when you start dinner.  You can't overcook it, you can't really screw it up.  Half it, double it, totally easy.  Also, totally parve, so it's easy with a dairy meal too.

PEARS: 

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries (I prefer fresh)

4 firm-ripe pears such as d'Anjou or Bose (about 2.5 lbs total)

1/2 rinsed lemon thinly sliced (ends discarded)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

 

Step 1: Sort cranberries and discard stems and any bruised or decayed fruit. Rinse and drain berries. Peel pears: cut in half and core. In a 2- 2 1/2 quart baking dish, combine cranberries, pears and lemon slices.

 

 

I arrange the pears intermittent with the lemon slices and the cranberries, so it makes a pretty presentation when it comes out of the oven. It is also best to serve in the same dish that you bake it in. If you have a lot of people, you might have to double the recipe.

 

Step 2: In a 1-2 quart pan over medium high heat, stir sugar, vinegar, ginger,cinnamon,cloves and 1/2 cup water until mixture boils and sugar is dissolved. (You can make this syrup the day ahead if need be). Pour over fruit. Cover dish tightly with foil. 

 

I often bring this to someone's house.  Put the pears in a dish ready to go and bring the liquid in a different container. Pour on top and put in the oven when dinner starts.

 

Step 3: Bake in a 350 degrees regular or convection oven until pears are tender when pierced, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Make it look pretty by arranging the lemons and the pears intermittent, along with the cranberries dotting the top.  If you make it in a nice dish, then you just serve it straight to the table.

So, there's your easy peasy dinner...

Why Google sometimes stinks

I love my Google account.  I love Gmail, and all that it does for me with organization, it's almost unlimited storage and of course, the fact that it's free.  But sometimes it pisses me off.  Especially when bad things happen.

Take, for instance, me mourning my mom.  I'm writing what should be a happy, inconsequential e-mail about exchanging recipes with friends.  And what does google do?  It asks me if I want to add my mom.  As if I didn't know who I was e-mailing...  Thanks Google. why yes, I would LOVE to e-mail my mom.

But I can't.  Especially about recipes.  One of the things I will never forgive myself for is how many of my mom's recipes are lost to the wind.  Her tzimmus... gone.  She had this great oven potato dish...gone.  Apparently my sister and I had the exact same tasts, since the only recipes we have are ones my mom shent to both of us- her soup, her leftover beef. 

She was an amazing cook, and because I can't call her, I'm writing this e-mail.  Yup, Google, you've hit it on the head exactly.  I did mean my mom.  I really did.

Dinner Disasters- and then some...

Sometimes in life things just don't go your way.  Despite your best efforts the meal you are trying to make doesn't go your way.  It turns out that you've taken a delightful piece of fish and covered it in a sauce that just doesn't taste great.  Or maybe, it's worse than that, and it makes other's at the table gag with disgust.

And because you're emotional, have postpartum depression and anxiety, and that dinner was the only thing you accomplished all day- maybe you get a little upset about people not liking your dinner.  And it takes all the energy you have to walk away from the table without screaming and throwing the dinner plates.  Or maybe you do throw something...who knows?

Of course you defend your dinner.  You put time, energy, effort, thought and sweat into the meal.  Maybe you even have some skin in the game, literally, because you burned yourself.

And then, maybe it gets worse.  Maybe your precious little angel is up every hour, practically on the hour- just wanting to nibble at you. Not wanting to eat, just nibble.  And maybe the one hour that she doesn't wake you up, your own body does, because despite your defense of your dinner- it wasn't very good and your body didn't like it either.  But we'll keep that a secret just to ourselves.

And, just to throw some icing on the cake, perhaps you have nightmares about a specific conversation you had with your own mom- you know the one I'm talking about.  Where you told her that her dinner was disgusting, and that you didn't want to eat it.  Of course, you didn't have any idea how that made her feel...now you do.


At the end of it all- the sun still comes up in the morning.  The days still continue to move forward.  Your little girl tells you thank you for buying her shoes.  Your tiny girl giggles and smiles, and coos at the sound of her name.  Your husband says thank you for making this, and then cleans up after you.  And at the end of it all- the sun still comes up in the morning.  The days still continue to move forward.

So it is today, so it will be tomorrow.

Challah Challenge: Month 1

I decided to start out a bit easy with my Challah challenge- using a recipe I already have at home, as well as one that's incredibly simple.

Except when I actually started working on it this morning, turns out it's a little more complicated than I thought:

Jewish Recipe Book (Greatest-Ever)

This is the book I used to get the recipe. It's a great book, was a Chanukah gift a few years ago.  I don't use it very often, as it's really a book full of Jewish ethnic recipes, less so Jewish holiday recipes, but it's a great book to have in the kitchen.

The usual Challah ingredients. A few eggs, sugar, yeast, oil, and flour.  This one also called for salt (not pictured) and some water (not pictured).

The first step in almost every challah recipe, proofing the dough.  Making sure it bubbles up and shows that the yeast is alive.  This is a step I never really understood when I was younger.  Why is it called proofing?  How is yeast 'alive?' but it's an important step never the less.

Here is my ball of dough, ready to rise.  And here's where I ran into problems.

The recipe, which I'll transcribe below, asks you to put the dough in the fridge overnight to let it rise.  Guess I should have made the dough on Thursday.  But I didn't.  Today is Shabbat, and if we want to have this challah, I'll have to forgo the overnight rising, and just bake it after it rises a bit.  So, below you'll find the original recipe, with my adaptations noted in italics.  I'll report back on Sunday to tell you how they are.


Challah 
Adapted from the Greatest Ever Jewish Recipe Book
Marlena Spieler

Makes 2 Loaves:

1 tbsp dried yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
4.5 cups flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 egg for glazing
pinch of sugar
salt

1. Mix together yeast, sugar, and 1/2 cup lukewarm water.  Sprinkle with flour, cover and let proof for 10-12 minutes

2. Beat in 1tsp salt, oil, and eggs into mixture.  Add in additional 1/2 cup water.  Add flour slowly at first, then more quickly.  Knead for 5-10minutes until mixture forms a dough that leaves the side of the bowl.  If it's sticky, add more flour.  Place in an oiled bowl and let rise for 1.5-2 hours

3. Turn dough onto floured surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Knead then roll out into braids.  Form 3 long pieces, then braid together to form Challah.

4.  Cover and leave to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

5. Pre-heat oven to 375degree.  Combine remaining egg, pinch of sugar, pinch of salt and brush over the loaves.  Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until well browned.  Cool on wire rack.



In hindsight, I think that it's best to use the same method to compare all the recipes.  I like to make my challah on Fridays, so I think I'm going to do this as my traditional method- 2 hours regular rising, then 1 hour rising formed as a challah.  That way all the yeast has the same amount of time to make good dough.

What do you think?  I'll report back on how it tasted/turned out on Sunday.  Also, I'm going to try to find an answer for why we braid challah.  Any thoughts on that?