Cooking by the book gets easier

‘Real Life Kosher Cooking’ has recipes you’ll use over and over

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Several new Kosher cookbooks have been published in the last few months. These are lovely books with beautiful photographs and recipes that sound delicious. And you don’t have to keep a Kosher home to enjoy these cookbooks. With a wide range of milk, meat and pareve recipes, there’s something for everyone and every family. In the next few issues of The Voice, we are going to write about new cookbooks that are generating buzz. If you have a new favorite, let us know!

Internet sensation Miriam Pascal published her second cookbook, “Real Life Kosher Cooking” (Artscroll, 2017), in November. If you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy, make sure you do. It’s billed as “family friendly recipes for every day and special occasions.” And it is.

Pascal, who has thousands of followers on her website Overtime Cook (overtimecook.com), has filled her new cookbook with recipes for everything from appetizers to sweets. According to her description of the book on her blog, it has more than 160 recipes, which are almost all never-before published. That’s a pretty amazing feat since Pascal also writes for Mishpacha Magazine’s Family Table and has authored another book, “Something Sweet.”

All of the recipes were tested by Pascal and one other person, and the photo are real food, according to her posts. So, your recipes should look similar to the photos in the book.

I especially like that every recipe in “Real Life Kosher Cooking” has a “Plan Ahead” note. And, in the back of the book, there is a list of recipes with adjustments for Passover,

along with a separate section with recipes for year-round sauces and staples.

Here are two recipes to try.

Roasted Butternut Squash

and Quinoa Salad

Pareve

Yield 6-8 servings

I originally created this salad for Rosh Hashanah and filled it with symbolic Rosh Hashanah foods. It’s been a fan favorite ever since then – not just for Rosh Hashanah, but all year long.

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups raw quinoa, cooked according to package directions

3 scallions finely sliced

Seeds of 1 large pomegranate

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Directions

Prepare butternut squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss butternut squash with oil, honey, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.

Roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

 Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Assemble salad: Combine quinoa with prepared butternut squash, scallions and pomegranate seeds.

Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.

 Pour dressing over salad; stir until all components are evenly coated.

VARIATION If you can’t get fresh pomegranate seeds, use dried cranberries instead. You can also use sweet potato instead of butternut squash, and orzo instead of quinoa.

PLAN AHEAD Salad can be stored in the fridge for up to two days. This salad actually tastes best after marinating for a day, when its flavors have had a chance to develop.

 

Baked Honey Barbecue Popcorn Chicken

Meat

Yield 4-6 servings

I often say that popcorn is my favorite food, so it’s no wonder that I enjoy this chicken dish inspired by that treat – tiny nuggets of crispy breaded chicken – that you’ll want to keep popping … like popcorn!

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken cutlets, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

1 egg white

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs

Honey Barbecue Sauce

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2  teaspoon garlic powder

1/2  teaspoon ground ginger

1/2  teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

Combine chicken, egg white and cornstarch in a bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, coat with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.

Add flour to bowl with the chicken mixture; stir until all pieces are coated.

 Add eggs to chicken mixture; stir until all pieces are coated and sticky.

 Add 1-1/2 cups breadcrumbs to the bowl; toss to coat all chicken pieces. If needed, add up to 1/2 cup more breadcrumbs to coat all chicken well.

 Place chicken in a single layer on prepared baking sheets, leaving room between pieces so they become crispy. If necessary, use a third baking sheet to avoid overcrowding. Spray the tops of the chicken with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare the honey barbecue sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a small pot over medium heat. Cook until it starts to bubble around the edges.

 Pour hot sauce over hot chicken immediately before serving.

VARIATION Instead of the Honey Barbecue Sauce, you can use your favorite bottled sauce, such as barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, sweet chili sauce, or duck sauce. Heat sauce prior to tossing with chicken.

PLAN AHEAD Chicken and sauce can be prepared individually and frozen separately. Reheat chicken, uncovered, at 350 degrees F; then toss with reheated sauce.

Cookbook, Kosher