Burger of the Week: Shawarma Burger

 

Shawarma Burger

Today being Yom Yerushalayim I am reminded of how much I love shawarma.  While the local Chicago based Israeli restaurants scratch the itch for it, nothing beats the greasy storefront joints of Jerusalem.  Brooklyn comes close, but there’s just something about being in the Holyland and loading a pita with spit roasted mystery meat and all the toppings you can handle. Although I have asked many times, my wife has repeatedly told me I am not allowed to buy a vertical shawarma spit. So instead, I have decided for this  installment of burger of the week to try and capture some of those flavors with the shawarma burger. 

Just like the last BOTW, I know this recipe looks intimidating.  You can buy premade shawarma seasoning, tahini, and schug . I was planning on adding amba, a fermented mango sauce, to this recipe but I could not find it anywhere locally.

What is Shawarma and where did it come from?

Shawarma is a dish made of some sort of protein seasoned heavily, thinly sliced, and cooked on a vertical spit. It is then stuffed into a pita or rolled burrito style into flat bread known as a laffa. It is served along with a myriad of sauces and vegetables. For the protein lamb is king, but you will often see beef, chicken, or turkey being used.  As for sauces hummus, tahini, schug (see below), and amba are traditional. When it comes to vegetables some of my favorites are chips (AKA French fries), Israeli pickles, sauteed onions, and occasionally sauerkraut.  Sumac onions and Israeli salad are also very traditional additions, but I am not a huge fan of tomatoes and raw onion. 

Where does Shawarma come from?  The word shawarma comes from the term çevirme in Ottoman Turkish that means turn, referencing the vertical spit it rotates on. I came  across a Wikipedia page that states shawarma descends from the döner kebab. The  döner kebab was brought to Israel by the Ottomans in the 19th century.  There is a great YouTube series by @FrenchGuyCooking all about the döner kebab that I highly recommend.

Schug, what’s that?

Schug, also known as charif (חָרִיף) in Hebrew, which literally translates to spicy, is a paste made from hot peppers. It comes from the Middle East and North Africa. The recipe varies depending on the area.  They type I prefer seems to hail for Yemen and uses red peppers.  It tends to be a bit hotter than the green varieties that uses pepper that are not quite so high on the Scoville scale and incorporates more herbs to tame the heat. 

For years I was never able to get the texture right on my schug.  I would always just use fresh peppers in my recipe. My schug was always much wetter than what I bought in stores or was served in restaurants. For this recipe I added some dried red pepper flakes to the mix. After that the texture was exactly what I was looking for.

Please check out some of our burger-related content. Let us know in the comments what type of burger I should make next.

 

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Shawarma Burger
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Shawarma Burger
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
15 mins
 

There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I want to try it-Tony Stark

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Sandwich
Cuisine: American, Israeli, Mediterranean
Keyword: Burger, Hamburger, Israeli, shawarma
Servings: 4 Burgers
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Shawarma Seasoning
Red Schug
  • 1 Cup Fresh Spicy Red Pepper (Jalapeno for Mild, Cayenne for Medium, Habanero for Hot
  • 1 Large Red Bell Pepper
  • ¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • ¼ Cup Dried Red Pepper Flakes
  • ¼ Cup Olive Oil
Schug BBQ Sauce
Sumac Onions
Za'atar Tahini Burger Sauce
Israelis Salad
Burger Components
  • 1 lb. Ground Beef Formed into 4 quarter pound patties
  • 4 tbsp Shawarma Spice
  • 2 Pitas Cut each one in half
  • 4 Israeli Pickles Sliced into thin rounds
  • 1/4 cup Sumac Pickled Onions
  • 1/4 cup Schug BBQ Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Tahini Burger Sauce
Instructions
Shawarma Seasoning

  1. Add the coriander, cumin, onion, garlic, sumac, cinnamon, ground black pepper, allspice into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Sumac Onions

  1. Slice the red onion in half and then into thin half moons. If you have a mandolin this is the time to use it but please be careful. Always use the hand guard.

  2. Add the onions, sumac, salt, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine and let sit for half an hour for the flavors to meld. Transfer to an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Schug

  1. Using a blender or a food processor, blend the hot peppers, bell pepper, garlic, and cilantro into a paste.

  2. Add the dried red pepper flake. The mixture should look a little dry.

  3. Add the olive oil a little bit at time until desired consistency is achieved.

  4. Transfer to an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Schug BBQ Sauce

  1. Add the ketchup, schug. honey, and vinegar to a small saucepan. Stir to combine.

  2. Place on the stove over low heat. Cook until it just starts to simmer. Allow to cool, transfer to an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Za'atar Tahini Sauce

  1. In a mixing bowl combine the tahini paste, water, lemon juice, dried parsley, granulated garlic, za'atar, and kosher salt. Stir until all ingredients incorporated and transfer to an air tight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Israeli Salad

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine the diced tomato, diced seedless cucumber, diced red pepper, diced red onion, Kosher salt, white pepper, and lemon juice and transfer to an air tight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Burger Assembly Instructions

  1. Season your burger patties with shawarma seasoning on both sides, cook on a charcoal grill (if you gave one) until desired doneness is achieved. If you don't have a charcoal grill, use a gas grill or cook on the stove in a cast iron skillet.

  2. Add the patty to your pita along with your Israeli salad an Israeli pickles. Drizzle on your tahini sauce and schug BBQ sauce and serve.

 

Burger Of The Week: Hawaiian Slider

 

Hawaiian Slider

And we’re back.  It’s been a while, so hopefully some of you are still here.  I am going to try something I’ve been toying around with for a while, a burger of the week.  In the past I have played around with this idea on other platforms but it is time to take it to the big show and put it here.  Let’s  kick it off with a fun one: The Hawaiian Slider*

Now I know this recipe looks intimidating.  This is something that I do a lot.  I come up with recipes that call for lots of steps as I like to make most parts of the recipe instead of buying the components. In this recipe I call for making (or at least modifying) all of your condiments.  You don’t need to do that. You can buy some of the more time consuming ingredients like pickled red onions and roasted red peppers in the store, or even buy your condiments already made like red pepper mayo and teriyaki BBQ sauce. I do call for store bought pickled jalapenos and canned pineapple, because they just hit differently than fresh or homemade.

Also, feel free to leave out one or two of the components if you don’t like them or if it is just too much. Let me know in the comments if like super complex recipes or if you prefer I simplify things

So what makes this a Hawaiian Slider?

I am not going to say this recipe is authentically Hawaiian. For an mainland version of “Hawaiian” i think teriyaki, pineapple, and Sweet Hawaiian rolls are a good start. The recipe also calls for red onions which look pretty and are often used in place of sweet Maui onions. Maui Onions would be a little more authentic, but are a lot harder to find. But what about Spam you ask? One thing they love in Hawaii is Spam, which is very much not kosher. I decided to use bologna as substitute for Spam, as it the closest thing (that I can imagine as I don’t actually know) I could think of from a flavor and texture standpoint.  Interesting fact: The IDF created a kosher Spam like canned meat product called Loof, but sadly it was retired in 2011.

Let me know in the comments what type of burger I should make next.

loof! – Marjorie Ingall

Check out some of our other burger related content.

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Hawaiian Slider
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Hawaiian Sliders
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
15 mins
 

Big Kahuna Burger. That's that Hawaiian burger joint. I heard they got some tasy burgers. I ain't never had one myself, how are they?-Jules Winnfield 

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine: American, Hawaiian
Keyword: Burger, hawaiian, slider
Servings: 12 Sliders
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Picked Red Onions
Teriyaki BBQ Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper Mayo
  • 1 Large Red Bell Pepper Cut into large peices, seeds and stem removed
  • 1 Medium Red Onion Peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Peeled
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt To taste
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper To taste
  • 2 tbsp Rice or Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Cup Mayo
Equipment
  • Immersion blender or mini food processor
  • Small sauce pot
  • Grill or cast iron skillet
  • Parchment Paper Lined Sheet Pan
Instructions
Pickled Red Onions

  1. Add the onions, salt, sugar, vinegar, water, and red pepper flake to a small saucepan and place on the stove over high heat.

  2. Once the mixture comes to a boil turn off the heat and let it cool. Transfer to a an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Teriyaki BBQ Sauce

  1. Add the ketchup, garlic, soy sauce, canned pineapple juice, hot honey, ginger, and vinegar to a small saucepan and place on the stove over low heat. Stir well to combine

  2. Once the mixture starts to bubble turn off the heat and let it cool. Transfer to a an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Roasted Red Pepper Mayo

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

  2. Put the red peppers, onion, and garlic on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive olive and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast until the the vegetables just begin to char.

  3. Allow the vegetable to cool to room temperature add them to a small mixing bowl if you are using an immersion blender or to the bowl of a small food processor witn an S" blade. Puree until a paste is formed.

  4. Add the mayo and vinegar and continue to puree until the desired consistency is achieved. Transfer to a an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Hawaiian Slider Assembly

  1. Cut your Sweet Hawaiian buns in half and lightly toast each side under the broiler, in a skillet, or on the grill.

  2. Place your skillet (or heat up your grill) so it is ripping hot. Sear the pineapple and bologna on each side until they just start to char.

  3. Press the balls of meat into small patties and cook on each side on the grill or the in the skillet, just until a nice sear is achieved. As these are small the should not need to cook more once they are seared.

  4. Build your slider in this order from the bottom up:

    Bottom Bun

    Red Pepper Mayo

    Pickled Jalapeno

    Beef Patty

    Bologna strip

    Pineapple

    Pickled Red Onion

    Teriyaki BBQ Sauce

    Top Bun

*Please excuse the mediocore photography.  I am reorganizing my office and my photo studio is not setup.

Carne Asada Tacos With Mango Pinnaple Pico de Gallo and Chimichuri

 

Carne Asada Tacos

I love skirt steak, but the price has gotten out of hand in the past few years. That is why I was very excited other day when I came across some skirt steak on sale at the grocery store. Carne asada is a term that translates to “grilled meat” in Spanish, and is a marinated meat dish that is often made with skirt steak. Carne asada makes a great taco filling, and I love tacos.

Of course you can’t just have meat in your tacos, you need toppings. Chimichurri is an herb based sauce that originates from Argentina that goes great with steak.  It adds earthiness and a touch of heat to cut the richness of the beef.  It is super easy to make, you just finely chop the ingredients and mix. No cooking necessary.  I made it even easier, using the mini food processor attachment that came with my immersion blender.

I also wanted something fresh and bright with a touch of sweetness in my tacos.  Pineapples and mangos just happened to be a good price at the produce store, so I decided to use them to make a pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is a fresh salsa, that is way better than anything you get from the grocery store in a jar. Again, super easy, just chop and mix! No cooking necessary!

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Carne Asada Tacos
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Carne Assada Tacos
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Argentine, Mexican, South American, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Taco, Tacos
Servings: 2 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • Juice of 1 Orange
  • Juice of 1 Grapefruit
  • 5 Cloves Garlic Roughly Chopped
  • 1 Small Onion Roughly Chopped
  • 1 Handfull Cilantro Roughly Chopped
  • 1 lb Skirt Steak
  • 12 Small Corn Torillas Street style size
  • Chimichuri See recipe below
  • Pineapple Mango Pico de Gallo See recipe below
Instructions

  1. Combine the orange juice, grapefruit juice, garic, onion, and cilantro in a large ziplock bag. Cut the steak in manageable pieces and add to the bag.

  2. Place the bag with steak and marinade into the fridge for 3 hours to overnight.

  3. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.

  4. Fire up your grill or place a cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat. Cook the steaks on each side until you get a good sear. Do not cook skirt steak past medium or it will be tough.

  5. Let yout steak rest for 5 minutes. While the steak rests lightly grill or broil your torillias, until they just start to get some color.

  6. Cut your steak into 3 inch long pieces. Then slice thinly against the grain.

  7. Construct your tacos with two tortillas each so they don't fall apart. Add your meat and top with the pico and chimichuri. Serve immediately.

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Mango Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

A fresh salsa that is quick and easy to make.  It is great for brightening up a dish by bringing a pop of acid.

Course: Dip
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Mango Diced
  • 1/4 Pineapple Diced
  • 3 Plum Tomatoes Diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Small Red Onion Diced
  • 1 Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro Substitute with parsley if you don't like cilantro
  • 1 Jalapeno Diced, optional
  • 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Let chill in the refrigerator for an hour for the flavors to come together before serving. 

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Chimichurri
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Chimichurri Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Chimichurri is a great sauce from Argentina usually served on grilled meat. It consists of earthy flavors of herbs combined with sharp flavors of chili, garlic, onions, and vinegar and is great for taming rich and heavy dishes.

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Argentine, Latin, South American
Keyword: Chimichurri
Servings: 2 Cups
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Cilantro or Parsley Chopped finely
  • 5 cloves Garlic Chopped finely
  • 1 Scallion Chopped finely
  • 1 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes
  • 3/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Kosher Salt To taste
Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. 

Bubby’s Passover Braised Brisket

 

For my next Passover/Pesach recipe we are going with a classic red wine braised brisket with apples.  This recipe borrows from the first step of the seder, Kadeish (קדש). In the step of Kadeish, which roughly translates to “sanctification”, we make a blessing on and drink the first of four cups of wine. The apples are also a call back to Charoset that I have have been leaning heavily on in my recipes this holiday season.

The goal here is keep it simple and used ingredients that you should already have in the house to enhance the humble brisket, just like Bubby used to make. Also, this recipe is meant to accommodate the fact that many people have the custom to only eat meat at the Seder if it is cooked in a lot of liquid.

Brisket Buying Basics

Brisket is always a crowd pleaser in my house and is pretty forgiving, especially if you braise it. Briskets are generally a larger cut so they are great for feeding a large crowd. Look for a one with a good amount of intermuscular fat and a thin layer of fat on top.  I recommend going with  domestic grain fed beef for this recipe.  It will help ensure a much more tender final product.  It will be more expensive than an imported grass fed brisket, but it is worth it for the Passover seder in my opinion.  Also, don’t be afraid to buy a whole packer brisket that includes the first and second cut.  It should be a little cheaper and you can have the butcher split it for you.  You can use the first cut for sededr as it slices nicely, and freeze the second cut for future use.

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Pesach Brisket
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Passover Braised Brisket
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
 

A classic brisket recipe with red wine and apples making it great for Passover, just like Bubby used to make.

Course: Main Course, Meat
Cuisine: Holiday, Jewish, Kosher, Passover
Keyword: brisket, Passover
Servings: 10 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 5 lb First Cut Brisket
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • 4 Large Apples Peeled, cored, and sliced in to to ¼" slices
  • 4 Large Onions Peeled and sliced
  • 4 Cups Sweet Red Wine Use something you would drink. Do NOT use cooking wine.
Instructions

  1. Place your skillet on the stove over high heat. Season your brisket with salt and pepper on all sides to taste and lightly coat it in olive oil.

  2. Once your skillet is ripping hot, use it to brown the brisket on all sides.

  3. While the brisket browns preheat your oven to 250°F.

  4. Add a layer of apples and onions to the bottom of your roasting pan.

  5. Add your brisket to the roasting pan and cover with another layer of apples and onions,

  6. Slowly add wine until the liquid comes 3/4 the way up the brisket. You may not need all of the wine.

  7. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the oven. Cook for three hours, then carefully flip the brisket, recover with foil, and cook for another two hours or until desired tenderness is reached.

  8. Allow to cool and slice in to ¼ inch slices.

Don’t forget to check out our other Passover recipes:

Passover Potatoes

Seder Salad With Charoset Clusters

Passover Basics: Honey Roasted Chicken

Seder Salad With Charoset Clusters

 

For my second Passover (Pesach) Seder recipe I wanted to make a salad that borrows from the ninth step in the Seder, Maror (מָרוֹר).  The term maror literally translates to bitter.  In  this step we eat a bitter herb or vegetable dipped in a paste of fruits and nuts mixed with sweet red wine called Charoset to temper the bitterness. (Or is it haroset,  charoises, or חֲרֽוֹסֶת(

Maror Seder Salad

We eat maror at the Seder to remind us of the bitterness of the slavery in Egypt. In Ashkenazic circles the most common things to use for maror are romaine lettuce and horseradish.  Others have the custom to use other bitter greens such as dandelions, endive, or radicchio. Using onion is not unheard of either.  The great thing about all of these, is they make excellent salad greens.  If you can’t (or don’t feel like) finding all these greens, bagged spring mix will do in a pinch. I also borrowed from the Karpas step of the Seder (where we eat vegetables dipped in salt water) for this recipe, by including celery and radishes.

Charoset Clusters

The charoset reminds us of the bricks and mortar we were forced to make and build with when we toiled in the hot Egyptian sun. As standard croutons are prohibited for those of us who don’t eat  leavened bread on Passover, I needed to find a suitable substitution.  The crunchy nuts of the charoset was a great option. Also, the sweetness of the apples do a great job balancing out all the bitterness in the salad.

Dressing

For the dressing I call for red wine vinegar, as a play on the four cups of wine traditionally drunk at the seder, but apple cider vinegar will work as a substitute. I mixed that with a little bit of horseradish and parsley to bring everything back to maror and karpas.

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Seder Salad
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Seder Salad With Charoset Clusters
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
 

A salad for your seder that borrows from marror, charoset, and karpas. The bitter greens are balanced by the crunchy apple and nut clusters.

Course: Salad, Side
Cuisine: Jewish, Kosher, Passover, Pesach, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword: Passover, pesach, salad, seder
Servings: 10
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Salad
  • 2 Cups Romain Lettuce Roughly Chopped
  • 2 Cups Endive Roughly Chopped
  • 2 Cups Dandelion Greens Roughly Chopped
  • 2 Cups Radicchio Roughly Chopped
  • 3 Radishes Sliced into rounds
  • 3 Stalks Celery with their Leaves Slice the stalks thinly on a bias and reserve the leaves to add to the salad
  • 1 Small Red Onion Sliced thin
Candied Charoset Clusters
  • 1 Small Apple Pealed, cored, and diced small
  • 1 Cup Walnuts Roughly copped
  • 1 Cup Sugar
Dressing
  • ⅓ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • ⅔ Cup Olive Oil
  • ¼ tsp Grated Horseradish
  • 1 tsp Chopped Garlic Garlic powder will work in a pinch
  • 1 tsp Chopped Parsley
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions
Apple and Walnut Clusters

  1. Add the sugar to the sauce pan and place on the stove over medium heat.

  2. Cook sugar stirring constantly. Once the sugar melts add the walnuts and apples. Stir thoroughly to coat.

  3. Cook the apple, nut, and sugar mixture until the sugar begins to caramelize.

  4. Once the sugar is a light brown spread the mixture in a thin layer on to the parchment lined sheet pan to cool.

  5. Once the mixture is cool, cover it with another sheet of parchment paper and break it up into small pieces with a heavy pan or a meat mallet.

Dressing

  1. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, horseradish, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Note you may not need to use all the dressing.

Salad Assembly

  1. Lightly dress the greens and vegetables, and top with the charoset clusters.

Don’t forget to check out some of our other Passover recipes:

Passover Potatoes

Passover Basics: Honey Roasted Chicken

Kumquat Mango Chutney Charoset Chicken

Passover Potatoes

 

It’s been a while, so in order to get things moving again I am going to try and get four posts out for Passover (AKA Pesach) with a single theme, starting with my Grandmother’s roasted Passover Potatoes.  All four recipes will feature ingredients that are used elsewhere in the Seder. The Seder, which literally translates to “order”  is a 15 part ritual performed on the first two nights of Passover (or just just the first night if your reside in Israel). Several steps of the Seder include eating symbolic foods. The Seder also includes as a full meal towards the end known as Shulchan Oreich (שלחן עורך‎).  Reusing some of the symbolic foods eaten earlier in the Seder at Shulchan Oreich, is a great way to cut down on work for a holiday that is usually very labor intensive.

Many people use boiled potatoes for the part of the Seder know as Karpas (כרפס‎). Karpas is the part of the Seder where a vegetable dipped in salt water is eaten. This is to remind us of the tears shed when our ancestors were slaves in Egypt.  This is my custom and great excuse to make my grandmother’s roasted Passover potatoes. This recipe also calls for boiling the potatoes before roasting them.

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Potatoes
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Passover Potatoes
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 

My grandmother's roasted potato recipe with a fluffy interior and crispy exterior, great for the Passover (Pesach) Seder.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Jewsih, Kosher, Passover
Keyword: Passover, Sweet Potatoes
Servings: 5
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 5 Large Russet Potatoes Peeled and cut into 8ths
  • ½ Cup Olive Oil
  • 3 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 3 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 3 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 3 tbsp Paprika
Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot about 1/2 way with water and add the salt along with the potatoes.

  2. Place the pot over high heat until and bring it to a boil. Let the potatoes boil until they just begin to soften, roughly 10 minutes.

  3. Drain the potatoes with a colander and try and shake off as much moister as possible.

  4. Add the oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

  5. Preheat you over to 450°F. Then spread the potatoes out on a parchment paper lined sheet pan (or 2), making sure that none of the potatoes are touching.

  6. Roast the potatoes until they begin to brown on the top, about 25 minute. Turn the potatoes over and repeat on the other side. Keep and eye on them as this is more about getting a golden brown color and a crispy exterior (without burning the potatoes) then cooking for a specific amount of time.

Look out for more new Passover recipes coming soon. In the mean time don’t forget to check out some of our past Passover recipes:

Passover Basics: Quick Carrots With a Little Something Extra

Passover Basics: Honey Roasted Chicken

Mini Passover Bagels

Apple Cider Donuts Filled With Apple Filling and Apple Glaze

 

As fall approaches apple cider donuts (or is it doughnut) seem to be all the rage (and I personally believe apple always beats pumpkin spice) and they make a great Rosh Hashana dessert. One of the major complaints I have about your average apple cider donut is they don’t really taste like apples. I wanted to find a way to infuse as much apple flavor into the recipe.  I decided to go with an apple glazed apple filled yeast donut made with apple cider instead of the more traditional cake donut usually used for apple cider donuts.

Don’t forget to check out some of our  other Rosh Hashanah recipes:

Spaghetti Squash Apple Date Kugel

Slow Braised Brisket With Apples For Rosh Hashanah

Braised Short Ribs with Apples and Pomegranate Honey Glaze

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Apple Cider Doughnuts
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Apple Glazed and Apple Filled Apple Cider Donuts
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Rise Times
4 hrs
 

A fall classic that is perfect for Rosh Hashanah

Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Fall, Holiday, Jewish, Kosher, Rosh Hashanah
Keyword: Apple, Apple Cider, Apple Cider Donut, Apple Cider Doughnut, Donut, Doughnut, Fall, Holiday, kosher, rosh hashanah
Servings: 12 Donuts
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Apple Filling
  • 2.5 Cups Apple Cider Divided
  • 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 6 Large Apples Peeled, cored, and diced small
  • 2 Cups Apple Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup Apple Butter
  • 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
Apple Glaze
  • 8 Cups Apple Cider
  • 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Butter
Apple Cider Donuts
  • 1-1/2 Cups Apple Cider Divided
  • 1 Envelope Instant Yeast
  • 1/4 Cup Shortening Melted and cooled
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
  • 24 Ounces All Purpose Flour About 5 cups
  • Vegetable or Canola Oil for Frying
  • Apple Glaze See recipe above
  • Apple Filling See recipe above
Instructions
Apple Cider Donuts

  1. Pour 1/2 a cup of apple cider into a microwave bowl and heat in the microwave to about 100°F. Alternatively you could do this in a small pot on the stove. Add in the packet of yeast, stir to combine, and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

  3. In the bowl of your mixer, add the 2 eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, the remaining 1 cup of apple cider and melted shortening and beat with the whisk attachment until lighter in color and volume doubles. Then slowly add the yeast and apple cider mixture.

  4. Switch to the paddle attachment on your mixer and add a ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated, then slowly add in the remaining dry ingredients until a dough forms. If the there are still dry pockets of flour add a little bit more apple cider.

  5. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size.

  6. Roll the dough into pieces slightly larger than a golf ball. You should get about 12 pieces. Place on parchment lined baking sheet dusted with flour and allow to rise until doubled in size.

  7. Place 3 inches of oil in your Dutch oven or pot, place over medium heat, and bring up to 350°F

  8. Fry your donuts until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Allow to cool.

  9. Using a large piping bag with a wide filling nozzle fill with the apple filling (see recipe below). Sometime it help to use the handle of a large wooden mixing spoon to create a pocket first.

  10. Dip the top of each donut in to the apple glaze (see recipe below) and top with a little more of the apple filling.

Apple Filling/Topping

  1. Pour two cups of the apple cider in a large sauce pot, reserving a 1/2 cup for later use.

  2. Add the apples, apple sauce, apple butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pot and place on the stove over medium heat. Stir to combine.

  3. Continue stirring the apple mixture and once it begins to thicken, in a bowl combine the remaining 1/2 cup of apple cider and corn starch and stir to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the apple mixture to and continue to cook until until the filling starts to gel.

  4. Allow the filling to cool and and use to fill and top your donuts.

Apple Glaze

  1. Combine 8 cups apple cider, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in a medium sauce pan. Place over medium heat and reduce by ¾.

  2. Set the glaze aside to cool to room temperature and stir in the the apple butter. Alternatively make this in advance and store in the fridge and bring back to room temperature before using.

Korean BBQ Rice Bowls

 

Korean BBQ has been on my list to make for a while.  I was looking for something to grill for Father’s day that I could do hot and fast, as I did not have the patience for a long cook. I figured it would be a great time to give it a shot. Korean BBQ is traditionally cooked at the table by the diners on a small table top grill designed specifically for that purpose. You can use standard charcoal grill or even a gas grill in a pinch.  I used a Weber 22″ kettle (I have 5) with some Jealous Devil Max Xl Charcoal Briquets, and it worked great.

Meat For Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ includes several marinated meats including bulgogi (thinly sliced steak), kalbi or galbi (short ribs), and samgyeopsal (pork belly). For the samgyeopsal obviously I didn’t use pork, but I did have some beef bacon in the fridge I need to use up so it seemed like a good opportunity.  Ideally you would use fresh beef navel, but that can be hard to find, so I went with what I had. For the kalbi or galbi I used a thinly sliced mock tender from the chuck.  It is a poor man’s tenderloin, and if you slice it thin enough it works well for this application.

Garnishes

Traditional accompaniments eaten with Korean BBQ include several salads especially kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage.  I wasn’t able to find kosher kimchi, and I wanted to make a quick version of my own.  For an approximation of kimchi I was able to find gochujang, a Korean fermented hot sauce, which I mixed with sauerkraut. If you can’t find gochujang, you can use sriracha as a substitute.

A sprinkle of scallions and toasted sesame seeds would also be appropriate here for some color, crunch, and to cut the richness and sweetness of the meat. While not traditional, I added some edamame (soy beans) still in the shell for a little freshness and a pop of color. I often eat  edamame straight from their pods as a snack, dipped in some spicy duck sauce. When you plate up, use a wide bowl.  Mine was too small, because that is what I had.

Don’t forget to check out some of our other Asian or BBQ recipes (great for the 4th of July)

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Kosher Korean BBQ Rice Bowl
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Kosher Korean BBQ Rice Bowl
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
30 mins
 

A kosher version of a classic Korean meal, great for a twist on a summer BBQ.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, BBQ, Korean, Kosher
Keyword: BBQ, Korean, Korean BBQ, kosher
Servings: 2 People
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Bulgogi (Thinly Sliced Steak) or Kalbi (Short Ribs)
  • 1 Pear (Use an Asian pear if you can find it, otherwise any pear will do) Peeled, cored, chopped, and blended smooth
  • 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp White Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Ground Ginger
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Honey
  • 2 tbsp Mirin or Sherry
  • 2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 lb Thinly Sliced Steak (Bulgogi)or Thinly Sliced Short Rib (Kalbi) Cut Across the Bones
Kosher Samgyeopsal (Beef Navel)
  • 1/2 lb Thick Cut Beef Bacon Raw beef navel would be more traditional but can be harder to come by
  • 2 Scallions Sliced Thin
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 1 tsp Gochujang (Sriracha will do in a pinch)
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
Accompaniments and Garnishes
  • Black and White Toasted Sesame Seeds
  • Chopped Scallions
  • Frozen Edamame Still in the pod, steamed in the microwave
  • 2 Cups Cooked White Rice
Quick Kosher Kimchi
  • 1/2 Cup Sauerkraut
  • 1 Tbsp Gochujang (Sriracha will do in a pinch)
Instructions
Bulgogi (Thinly Sliced Steak) or Kalbi (Short Ribs)

  1. You can use the same marinade for bulgogi or kalbi. If you are making both you may want to double the recipe.

  2. In a large bowl combine the pear, brown sugar, white pepper, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, mirin or sherry, honey, and toasted sesame oil. Add the steak or short ribs and allow to marinate for 1-4 hours

  3. Cook on a grill or on grill pan over high heat until nicely seared on each side,

Kosher Samgyeopsal (Beef Navel)

  1. In a large bowl combine the gochujang, scallion, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. Add the beef bacon and allow to marinate for 1-4 hours

  2. Cook on a grill or on grill pan over high heat until nicely seared on each side,

Quick Kosher Kimchi

  1. In a small bowl combine the sauerkraut and gochujang. Mix thoroughly.

Assembly

  1. Place you rice in a mound in a bowl. Top with your meat and garnish with kimchi, edamame, scallions, and black and white toasted sesame seeds.

Gluten-Free Mango Bread

 

Hi friends! It’s been a while since I worked on some new stuff for the blog but I’m back at it! After finding out I was pregnant in November, truthfully, writing new recipes for the blog wasn’t top of mind. But, this Gluten-Free Mango Bread has been a hit in my book, so I wanted to share! And since I’m focused on foods that are beneficial to both baby and me, turns out mangoes are extremely beneficial during pregnancy.

Benefits of eating mango

Here are some of the benefits of eating mangoes during pregnancy!

  1. Prevents anemia. Mangoes are a great source of Vitamin C (one cup alone gives you 100% of your daily allowance)! They’re also high in Vitamin A and studies have shown that low vitamin A levels at birth are associated with lower immunity. Plus, they’re delicious and refreshing! Even though I’ve relaxed on the low-carb train for a bit, I’ve been adding lots of mangoes to my eating habits (buying the frozen chunks is SO much easier).
  2. Promotes Fetal Development. Folic acid is crucial for healthy development of the fetus, particularly the brain and spinal cord. Eating mangoes can help prevent neurological defects. Mangoes also contain vitamin B6 which is also essential for healthy development of the nervous system!
  3. Loaded with antioxidants. Full of vitamin C, mangoes help combat free radicals that can affect normal fetal development. And vitamin C helps reduce the risk of premature birth.
  4. Helps development of bones and teeth. Again, with that awesome vitamin A benefit! Plus, vitamin A is also necessary for healthy organ development such as the eyes, kidneys, heart and lungs.
  5. Maintains fluid balance. Your blood count increase during pregnancy (boy, did I notice that pretty early on!) so your body needs extra minerals to balance body fluids. Mangoes are filled with electrolytes including magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium.
  6. Prevents Preeclampsia. Magnesium is also critical during pregnancy as it’s a natural cure for preeclampsia (been using magnesium pretty much every night and it tremendously helps me sleep). Eating mangoes along with taking magnesium supplement (or lotion as I’ve been doing, since it’s better absorbed through the skin) helps build fetal muscles and prevents preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a common condition identified with high blood pressure and symptoms of damage to lungs and kidneys.

“Quick” Bread

This Gluten-Free Mango Bread recipe comes together in just a few minutes in the blender (and it’s Passover-friendly)! And the mangos add a great deal of moisture (I know, the “M” word) and I love adding cardamon, such a warming spice that pairs so perfectly. I topped the bread with crushed pecans to give it some texture but feel free to omit too. It’s a great breakfast option, toasted and shmeared with ghee, butter or cream cheese, or just a delicious snack on its own!

The bread will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, or you can keep it in the freezer.

L’chaim to the mango!

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Gluten-Free Mango Bread
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
 
Course: bread
Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Almond Flour
  • 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. Ground Cardamom
  • 2 tsp. Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 cup Sugar Or sugar substitute
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Oil Olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil all work
  • 2 Mangos, peeled, pitted, roughly chopped You can use frozen (makes it MUCH easier)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 cup Pecans, crushed Optional, for topping
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and parchment paper

  2. Combine almond flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl

  3. Add sugar, eggs, oil, mango chunks and lemon juice to a blender container and blend until smooth

  4. Pour mango mixture in the almond flour mixture and fold until evenly combined

  5. Pour into loaf pan

  6. Mix the crushed pecans in a small bowl and sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon (just eyeball it), if using and top the loaf with the mixture

  7. Bake for 50 minutes or until clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean

Stuffing Waffles With Caramelized Onions and (Beef) Bacon

 

Stuffing WafflesAs I was trying to come up with a recipe for the Thanksgiving season, I was listening one of the Thanksgiving episodes of one of my new favorite podcasts BBQ Radio Network, when one of the hosts, Andy Groneman mentioned two magical words: “stuffing waffles”. Andy Groneman is a second generation pitmaster who won hundreds of awards including 25 grand champions and was named the reserve grand champion at 2008 American Royal, which is considered by many to be the World Series of BBQ.

As many of you know, I am the pitmaster of the kosher BBQ team 5 Dudes and A Vegetarian. I had the privilege of cooking next to Andy at the KC Kosher BBQ Festival. Not only is he a great cook, but he is an all around good guy. Once I heard Andy mention stuffing waffles, I knew I needed to make them so I reached out to Andy to make sure he was OK with me borrowing his idea. I highly recommend his podcast if you are interested in anything BBQ related.  Please check it out, subscribe via your favorite podcast player, and leave them a nice review.

This may reach you a little too late for Thanksgiving. That being said, there is no rule that says you can’t have stuffing the rest of the year.  Also, making your stuffing into waffles is a great way to use up leftover stuffing that maybe didn’t sell so well at your dinner table.  Stuffing waffles can also be used as bread for leftover turkey sandwiches. Finally, if you don’t have a waffle iron, you can form these into patties and fry them. Sort of like a Thanksgiving latke.

Don’t forget to check out some of out other Thanksgiving recipes:

Maple Pecan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread

Peking Duck For Thanksgiving

Ginger Lime Cranberry Sauce

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Stuffing Waffles
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 Stuffing Waffles With Caramelized Onions and (Beef) Bacon
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Hydration time
2 hrs
 

A crispy take on a holiday classic

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Holiday, Thanksgiving
Keyword: Bacon, mushroom, Stuffing, Thanksgiving
Servings: 12 Mini Waffles
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 6 Slices (Beef) Bacon
  • 6 Large Onions Diced
  • 3 Ribs Celery Sliced
  • 8 oz Sliced Mushrooms Washed and Stems Removed
  • 3 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 3 Cups 1" Bread Cubes Left out to stale for a day and lightly toasted in the oven
  • 3 Large Eggs Beaten
  • 2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  • 2 tbsp Dried Sage
  • Vegetable Oil For sauteing
  • Cooking Spray To stop your waffles from sticking to the waffle iron
Instructions

  1. Place your (beef) bacon on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 400°F. The bacon should be crispy roughly when the oven reaches temperature. Allow the bacon to cool and chop in to small pieces and put to the side.

  2. In a large sauté pan add about a ½ inch of vegetable oil and add your onions. Sauté the onions over low heat until they are dark brown.

  3. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and celery to the pan with the onions and continue to cook until the celery and mushrooms begin to brown.

  4. In a large mixing bowl add the bread, vegetables, bacon, eggs, stock and sage. Stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit covered in the refrigerator to hydrate for two hours to overnight.

  5. Place enough stuffing to fill your waffle iron to fill it up and cook until crispy. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200°F oven. Top with your favorite gravy and enjoy.