Easy, Tasty Pasta Salad

 

I'm one of those who doesn't like complicated, multi-pot/bowl recipes. In addition I can eat the same basic meals routinely...

...but I'm not the only one at the table... This past Shabbat a neighbor, who probably has eaten by us more than anyone else, was invited and I felt that the time had come to tweak my usual menu. It seemed that the easiest part of the meal to change would be the carbohydrate. 

After wracking my brain for easy ideas, suddenly... Pasta Salad came to mind. There was a problem. As far I know, it's made with mayonnaise, and I don't buy/use/eat mayonnaise.

It didn't take long to come to a solution... olive oil, though I had no idea how it would taste. Thank Gd it was a great success!

Ingredients

cooked pasta
diced onion
diced tomato or any other salad vegetable-- the more the merrier
dehydrated or fresh parsley, dill, or basil
a bit of olive oil

Directions

mix, cover and refrigerate

Give it a try, and I'd love to hear how yours turned out.

PS of course this is kosher and parve...

Endives, Recipes Raw and Cooked

I recently blogged that I had volunteered packing mushrooms and cauliflower for sale at Chavat Tekoa, the Tekoa Farm. As a thank you gift, we had been given a bag of endives. Now, to be completely honest, I hadn't a clue as to what endives are or how to serve/prepare them.

From the photo you can't see the size, so I must tell you they're relatively small, about the size of a skinny hand. While working with them, it occurred to me that they're similar to Chinese cabbage, which I haven't seen for decades. There's even a similar texture and taste.

Back to business...

I googled endives and found a variety of recipes, cooked and raw, plus some warnings. I even asked friends, who also warned... that they're bitter. Honestly, I didn't find them bitter at all. 

I used the recipes I saw as "inspiration." I almost never follow recipes exactly. 

Ingredients:

sliced onion

cut the endives lengthwise

apple sliced

olive oil and dehydrated dill

Bake 150c until it "looks cooked."

Our guests all enjoyed eating the endives, so I consider it a success. The reason for the apple was that I thought it would be nice contrast to the sharp/bitter endives.

You can use the same ingredients raw with less onion, or just add it to a salad. Actually, that's what I did. It was delicious.

Nice Healthy Lunch, Vegetables with Eggs

 

A half of a gorgeous orange squash had been staring at me for days from the top shelf of the refrigerator door. I felt inspiration. Did it really want to be the "nest" for an egg? 

I decided to give it a try. 

I cut up onion, squash and tomato and put it in a deep frying pan. Then on top I put two "rings" of the squash, added some oil, covered and cooked it until soft.

Finally, I put an egg in the hole, covered and cooked some more.

The rest is history.

Give it a try making it your own, different vegetables, some cheese on top.

Tell be how yours came out, your variations etc.

Enjoy

First Time Baking Simple Rye Bread

Yesterday I planned on buying plain whole wheat pittot to use for sandwiches when I travel very early in the morning to Jerusalem for classes in Matan. I've discovered that I function better (meaning stay more alert and awake) if I eat a "good breakfast" before classes. 

Although not my usual menu, I've discovered that a sandwich on whole grain bread seems to do the trick best. That's why I wanted to buy some sort of whole-wheat bread/pitta. They would take up less room in my fridge's limited freezer than rolls. I found a bag, but then for some inexplicable reason, I read the ingredients. Hmmm, there were all sorts of additives, and I lost my appetite for them. 

So the intrepid baker, yours truly, went to the flour section and searched for whole-wheat flour. I couldn't find any. All they had were the 70% and 80% whole-wheat, but there was 100% rye flour. So, I decided to give it a try. 

Just two problems. 

1-Although I've been baking challah for decades, I've never baked simple bread.

2- I've never used rye flour, which I understand reacts differently from wheat.

I began googling, and most recipes had too many ingredients and seemed too complicated. Then I found Easy recipe for 100% rye bread from Virtuous Bread. Nothing could be easier. It doesn't need a mixer, and it includes only four ingredients including a pinch of salt. Following is what I used.

300gram flour, 250gram water (from the faucet,) tablespoon of brown sugar, pinch plus of coarse salt, Tablespoon of dehydrated yeast.

The only equipment you need:

a large bowl, two big mixing spoons, measuring cups and a "loaf" pan for baking

Directions:

In the large bow mix yeast in the water. Leave it a few minutes, until the yeast liquifies.

Add the flour and salt to the water, mix. I had to add more water. You'll get a sticky gob, but don't worry. You don't have to knead the dough.  Keep mixing with the spoons.

When the mush is mixed, pour (using the two spoons) it into the loaf pan. Instead of greasing the pan I used baking paper. 

Then let it sit at least two hours, covered loosely by a plastic bag. Don't bake until it fills the pan and seems to have a least doubled.

Bake at 200C for about 40 minutes. I think that next time I'll lower it to about 170 once it looks crusty and then keep baking an baking.

When it's ready, have it cool on a rack. After I made my sandwiches I sliced the remaining. 

I made my 

Here's the rye bread, recipe note on top

This must be the world's easiest bread recipe. I mixed it with a spoon. I didn't have to knead it, just poured the gop into the pan and let it sit, covered, for a few hours. Then I baked it in a hot oven. 

avocado and tomato in between slices of the rye bread

Super Easy One Step "Eggplant Parmigiana"

 

OK I must admit that I'm a lazy cook. I prefer one-pot, one-step recipes. I once watched someone make "real Eggplant Parmigiana," and I was shocked. First she soaked the slices of eggplant, then she coated them in beaten egg, and then bread crumbs and then fried them. Only after that complicated ritual did she do anything like my recipe.

So if you're anything like me you're not interested in the long complicated procedure. Nobody who has eaten my "Eggplant Parmigiana" has spit it out claiming it's "fake." So, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• sliced onion
• sliced eggplant (thin)
• sliced tomato
• sliced pepper optional
• cheese that melts well either slices or grated
• garlic, oil, any spices you think will be good

Instructions:

1. layer onion, then, eggplant, tomato then cheese, then onion, eggplant, pepper, tomato and top with cheese.
2. add spices and some oil
3. bake in medium oven 160 centigrade until bubbly

Yes, that's it. You can add some squash or zucchini if you want.

Cooking With Canned Pineapple, "Apple-Pineapple Compote," Corona Lock-down Recipe #2

This is the second in the series of recipes I've been making with the goodies we've received in "care cartons" for senior citizens here in Shiloh during the Corona Lock-down. See, sample and share:

Cooking With Canned Beans, Corona Lock-down Recipe #1



Corona Lock-down Recipe #2:

The box of goodies/staples sic, we received as senior citizens included a few cans of lightly sweetened pineapple. I decided that with the addition of a few apples and a teaspoon of cinnamon, we'd have Apple-Pineapple Compote.

Yes, that's the recipe plus a bit more water than was in the can. I cooked it all up until the apples were soft, and we ate it for dessert on Shabbat.  There's still some leftover. My husband, who's not much of a fruit eater even liked the compote.

The Apple-Pineapple Compote was very easy to make. The most difficult part of the preparation was opening the can. Thank Gd I have an old simple can-opener.

Corona Lock-down Recipe
Apple-Pineapple Compote