How many cookbooks have you seen with a dedicated mushroom section?
That’s the kind of innovative thinking Amy Stopnicki put into Kosher Taste, the new cookbook from Feldheim Publishers. (Hardcover, 300 pages – $29.99 on Amazon)
With over 100 recipes and color photos, sample menus and more, you’ll find plenty to satisfy any palate.
Enjoy these sample recipes:
Baby Arugula and Sweet Potato Salad
Status: pareve
Yield: serves 6-8
Plan
If you don’t have sweet potatoes you can replace them with sautéed red peppers.
Salad
2 cups cubed and roasted sweet potato
2 Belgian endives, cleaned and checked, sliced thinly
6 cups baby arugula, cleaned and checked
1⁄3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup chopped roastedcashews
Dressing
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugarsalt and pepper to taste
For a sweeter salad add another 2 teaspoons of sugar to the salad dressing.
Prepare
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the salad ingredients except cashews.
2. In a small jar or cruet, combine all the dressing ingredients.
3. Pour dressing over salad and toss well.
4. Add cashews and serve.
Plate
This is a perfect salad to eat for lunch on a weekday or as a first course for a brunch or even an elegant dinnerparty. It’s especially nice when served plated individually, topped with the sweet potatoes and cashews.
Elephant Garlic Soup
Status: dairy or pareve
Yield: serves 6-8
Plan
Elephant garlic falls somewhere between a leek and an onion. While not actually garlic it gives a light, mild flavor that makes this soup perfect every time. This soup is delicious and creamy and may be made pareve by using soy milk or pareve cream. Freezes well.
Soup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
12 cups water
3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
8-10 cloves elephant garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
green onions, cleaned and checked, chopped (for garnish)
sour cream (for garnish)
Prepare
1. In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and cook until soft.
3. Add water, potatoes and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour, partially covered.
4. Blend soup with an immersion blender.
5. Combine flour and milk in a separate bowl and blend until smooth. Add to soup.
6. Season and continue cooking, partially covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
Plate
This soup is great served with chopped green onions or a dollop of sour cream. I like to serve it as a first course for Shavuos
Mushroom Chicken
Status: meat
Yield: serves 6-8
Plan
The sauce for this chicken can be made and stored for later use. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week, or frozen for up to three months. The chicken can be grilled, if you prefer.
Chicken
8 chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally
2 tablespoons canola oil
salt and pepper to season chicken
Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, sliced
16 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and checked, sliced
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup cold water
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Coat chicken with oil, salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 10 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through.
4. To prepare mushroom sauce, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
5. Sauté onions until translucent.
6. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
7. Add soy sauce and wine, and let reduce for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Mix in flour and cold water, adding slowly to mushroom mixture in stages.
9. Mix continuously until sauce thickens. Pour over chicken.
Plate
Serve this for a weekday or Friday night dinner. Always add sauce directly before serving. It can also be served over your favorite steak or salmon
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.