Category: Appetizer

Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce

Who can believe that Rosh Hashanah is just 1 week away??!! This year could not have gone any faster, which I guess is a good thing, right? Oy vey.

My husband and I have a yearly tradition to go to the Peikes’ for first night of yom tov. And if you caught his Braised Short Ribs post, you’ll notice that this year is an Asian-themed menu! Sort of a “Chinese New Year”-style. For Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Ah, see what we did there? 🙂  Okay, well technically, the Chinese New Year is in Feb 2021, the year of the Ox, but who knows, maybe Daniel will use that as inspo and make a braised oxtail recipe? #challenge

And so, it’s my turn now to present you with my easy-peasy Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce!

Symbolic Foods

Scallion Pancakes are the more traditional version of this dish, but in honor of the Jewish New Year, leeks carry major symbolism. Why are they symbolic on our Rosh Hashanah seder table you ask? Well, the ancient Aramaic word for leeks is “karsi” sounds like the word “yikarsu” which means to “destroy” or “cut”. It’s pretty simple – in the prayer we say right after eating leeks, we ask G-D for protection against our enemies, that they should be “cut off” in the upcoming year. Pretty deep stuff for a humble allium.

But by all means, you can make this dish on Rosh Hashanah, or all year round, either with leeks or scallions. I mean, they’re basically cousins, so why not?

Scallion Pancakes, also known as “Cong You Bing“, is a staple in Chinese cuisine, more so in the appetizer category. Specifically, a savory, unleavened flatbread or pancake with sliced scallions/green onions (or in our case, sliced leeks) and sesame oil folded in. Traditionally, it’s made using a dough instead of a batter and pan-fried to give the pancake crispy edges and a soft chewy bite.

A twist on a classic

Well, I’m going outside of tradition just a tad with my own spin on this Leek Pancake to make it as easy-as-possible. How did I do that? Well, we’re making pancakes after all, so I went with a batter instead of a dough. And hey, it’s okay to experiment with these recipes! I’m a big believer in playing with your food and coming up with interesting alternatives. So I say go for it!

I also went gluten-free and low carb with this too, but feel free to use all-purpose flour instead, you might just end up with a crispier pancake than mine, but it’s still tasty. I was really going for a super-simple recipe for these pancakes – no intimidating dough to make here.

And finally, don’t forget the spicy dipping sauce – with HONEY, perfect for Rosh Hashanah, for instilling a sweet new year. The sauce brings the sweet, tangy and spicy component to compliment the pancake.

From us here at Meat Your Vegetables, wishing you a Kesiva V’chasima Tova – here’s to a sweet, happy, healthy and SAFE New Year, 5781!!

 

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Leek Pancakes with Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6 medium-sized pancakes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Scallion Pancakes
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Sugar, or sugar substitute
  • 1 Leek, thoroughly cleaned and sliced into half-moon shape, or you use scallions/green onions Leeks are very sandy and dirty, so my trick is to cut off the dark green leafy end and cut off the root, then slice down the middle and into half-moon shapes. Fill a large bowl with water and soak the leeks for a few minutes. Using your hands to try and remove the grit. Then scoop the cleaned leeks into a colander to drain.
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
  • 1 tbsp. Sesame oil
Spicy Honey Dipping Sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. Coconut Aminos Or use soy sauce or Tamari
  • 1 tsp. Sambal Oelek Asian chili sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes Optional, in case you want more of a punch of heat
  • 1 tbsp. Honey You can use raw honey if you like, just make sure you dissolve it thoroughly into the sauce
Instructions

  1. To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk the egg, salt, sugar, leeks (or scallions) and almond flour

  2. Slowly add in water in 3 batches and keep whisking the batter, the add sesame oil

  3. Let the batter rest for 5-10 min until thick

  4. While the batter is resting, make the spicy honey dipping sauce

  5. Whisk vinegar, coconut aminos, sambal, honey and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Taste and adjust flavors if needed

  6. Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium heat and drizzle a teaspoon of oil (I like to use avocado oil because it has a high heat point and is neutral-tasting, but you can use sesame oil too)

  7. Add 1/4 cup of the batter to the pan so you get a evenly round pancake shape

  8. Cook until you see bubbles forming on the edge, about 3 minutes per side

  9. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown, but not burnt

  10. Repeat with the rest of the batter

  11. Once the pancakes are cooled, cut half and then into wedges, or cut into whatever shape you like to dip into that spicy dipping sauce!

  12. Serve the pancakes with the sauce and garnish with more sliced leeks or scallions and sesame seeds

 

Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil

It’s a BASIL challenge!

It’s been a hot (potato) minute since Daniel and I decided to do an ingredient challenge, since we’ve both been dabbling in the herb and veggie growing scene since the start of the pandemic. Truthfully, the basil challenge was my husband’s idea, since we’re both growing several types of basil, it just made sense for us to highlight this sweet, licorice-scented herb! So thanks Ellie!

In my outdoor patio garden, I’m growing sweet basil, purple basil and lemon basil so clearly I had enough to work with, though my plants are not as abundant as Mr. Peikes’, but he was kind enough to let me snag some of his sweet basil that was growing like crazy!

A Dish is Born

Any of you out there like me, that scour through cookbooks just to get inspired for my next dish? I could spend HOURS just reading 1 cookbook, thinking how I can re-invent this dish, or make it kosher, or spruce it up with different herbs or spices. And that’s exactly what I found with these Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil.

Reading through one of BuzzFeed’s Tasty cookbooks, I found a recipe for tornado potatoes and thought “what a fun spin on curly fries!” But their recipe called for melted butter and different spices. And then it hit me. Instead of drizzling melted butter, why not slather on some garlicky-basil oil?! It’s such a great way to get inspiration for a recipe but switch it up and make it your own! humble potato – an oh-so-perfect vessel to highlight basil.  Oh and I ended up using a mix of all of my different basil types, but featured the sweet basil more prominently.

Also, I learned something new today! Tornado potatoes, or “twist potatoes” or “tornado fries” are a common street food in South Korea. And I mean, talk about the perfect street food eaten on a stick. Crispy potatoes – check. Basil oil (or butter) – check. Fresh grated Parmesan cheese – check!

Recipe Notes

As always, here are my notes for this recipe.

  1. You can use either Yukon gold or russet potatoes (see the notes in the recipe block below for details)
  2. I had to practice the “tornado” spiral a few times to get it (even remotely) looking right. I suggest looking up some YouTube videos of how to get the right technique. The trick is to go slow so you get hopefully even layers. Mine aren’t perfect, but that’s okay – they came out great anyway!
  3. And if you don’t really want to both with this fancy-looking technique, use a spiralizer instead and you’ll end up with curly fries! Definitely nothing wrong with that.

Want to kick up this basil challenge even more? Try these Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil served alongside my Basil Garlic Dressing to dip! Just a word of caution, your significant other might ban you since you’ll stink of garlic, but it might just be worth it. 😛

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s basil post: Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Tacos

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Tornado Potatoes with Spicy Basil Oil
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
31 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 2 potatoes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Tornado Potatoes
  • 2 Medium-sized Yukon Gold Potatoes You can use russet potatoes either peeled or unpeeled, just be aware they will take longer to cook
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese I prefer to buy a block of Parm and keep it in the freezer, instead of buying expensive pre-shredded. Then I just shred it over a microplane when a recipe calls for it!
  • 1 handful Chopped Basil leaves, for garnishing I take my basil leaves and roll them up into a little cigar and slice into ribbons, or "chiffonade", which makes a beautiful presentation. You can also use chopped parsley if you prefer, or don't have enough basil for garnishing
Spicy Basil Oil
  • 1/4 cup Packed, fresh basil leaves, stemmed and washed
  • 1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Water
  • 1 Clove of Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes Feel free to omit but it really does bring a nice heat to the basil oil and works great with the potatoes. You can always add more if you're feeling like you need a spice kick!
  • 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika I happened to have smoked paprika on hand, but use what you got! Any type would work - Hungarian sweet, Spanish hot, or just your regular 'ole paprika!
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325F

  2. Add the potatoes to a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes to cool. If using russet potatoes, cook for 2 min in the microwave

  3. While the potatoes are cooking in the microwave, make the basil oil

  4. Add the basil, garlic, water, salt, red pepper flakes and paprika to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times

  5. Add the olive oil and blend until a smooth saucy basil oil comes together

  6. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, insert a wooden skewer into the bottom of each potato and gently push all the way through to the top

  7. Using a spiral motion, hold a sharp knife at an angle, turn the potato the opposite direction of cutting and cut all the way to the skewer. Make sure to go slow and cut thin, even layers all the way down

  8. Carefully fan out the potato slices until you have even spacing throughout the "tornado" and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

  9. Drizzle the basil oil all over the potatoes

  10. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the oiled potatoes - make sure the potatoes are covered evenly with the basil oil and cheese

  11. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. If using russet potatoes, bake in 425F oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown

  12. Garnish with additional basil oil and cheese and chopped fresh basil or parsley and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

“Bacon” Ranch Crack Dip

Superbowl Snacking

I know what you’re thinking. Bacon and Crack? Did Rachel fall off the deep end? Not so fast, ya’ll! Since the Superbowl is this Sunday, it seemed only fitting to make a party dip that was so addicting, it was like crack!  Seriously, look up “crack dip“, it’s a thing!

So let’s dive head-first into this (meatless) Bacon Ranch Crack Dip. Obviously we’re not talking about real bacon here. The “bacon” comes from the salty, earthy, umami flavors of… MUSHROOMS! It’s a great way to sneak some veggies into a dish for your kids (or in my case, my husband, who isn’t a big veggie eater, but sadly, he despises these delicious fungi – shhh, don’t tell him there are mushrooms in this dip)!

Easy as…mushroom bacon

This recipe is so easy to whip up for your Superbowl party or any time of year. Yes it’s a lot of fat (and very Keto-friendly), but it’s a fun spin on a typical onion dip. And maybe you get a little tired of guacamole at every party, so this is a great alternative to introduce to your party guests.

Of course if you’re not into mushrooms, you can omit them. You won’t get as much of that umami flavor bomb, but you could always add in some fake bacon bits instead. And for the record, the mushroom bacon came out insanely delicious – crispy, smoky (the shiitakes are known for their smoky flavor), and a little salty – the PERFECT addition to this creamy, cheesy dip!

I like how versatile this dip is (well, aren’t all of my recipes pretty versatile?). You can add in some caramelized onions, to add a hint of sweetness to balance out the earthy mushroom flavors. But how can you go wrong when you mix cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing? I mean, now you can understand the meaning behind “crack” dip, right?

True, the traditional recipes call for real bacon but I put my own twist on it! Adding the meatless mushroom “bacon”, and some freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright pop of acidity to round out all the flavors. And for this recipe, I used Walden Farm’s Bacon Ranch Dressing. Most of the time I have my own homemade salad dressings in the fridge, but I wanted an extra kick of that salty bacon flavor so I went with it for this go-around. But if you want to add in some homemade ranch – go for it!

So whoever you’re rooting for (Go CHIEFS!!!!) and wherever you’ll be during the Superbowl this year (or not even watching it because you’ll forget about it, or just don’t care, ha), go ahead and whip up a batch of this super creamy, salty, sweet and undeniably addicting Bacon Ranch Crack Dip!

And after you made it, feel free to comment below with your thoughts! What did you add to make it more fun? Maybe a squeeze of sriracha or hot sauce? We’d love to know how you liked it!

Enjoy – and Happy Superbowl Snacking!

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Meatless "Bacon" Ranch Crack Dip
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
 
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15 servings (1/4 cup per serving)
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Shiitake Mushrooms Caps only - use the stems for making veggie stock! Also, shiitakes specifically have kind of a smoky flavor compared to other types of mushrooms, so they work best in this recipe
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Bacon Seasoning, optional I love the brand, Flavor God, the "bacon lover's seasoning" - their spices mixes are awesome, AND Kosher!
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese 8 oz = 1 cup
  • 3/4 cup Ranch Dressing I used the Bacon Ranch dressing from Walden Farms, but use whatever you like - store bought, or homemade!
  • 1/3 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
  • 1/3 cup Green Onions, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 Lemon, halved and juiced
Instructions

  1. Make the mushroom bacon: Pre-heat the oven to 375F and line with parchment paper

  2. Remove the mushroom stems and slice the mushroom caps into thin slices

  3. Add the sliced mushrooms to the baking sheet, and drizzle the olive oil, salt and bacon seasoning (if using). Make sure the mushrooms are coated evenly, then arrange in a single layer, making sure they don't overlap

  4. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, then flip each slice over. Return to the oven for 7 more minutes, until the mushroom caps are browned, but not burnt. They'll get crispy around the edges but even if the centers are soft, don't worry, they'll crisp up as they cool

  5. Cool the mushroom bacon for at least 15 minutes. Remove any excess oil with a towel and chop into small pieces, to use for the dip later

  6. And now, make the dip! Pre-heat the oven again but this time at 350F



  7. Heat the cream cheese slowly in the microwave until it's warmed (NOT hot) and stirs easily. I popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirred, the 30 more seconds until warm and melty

  8. Pour the ranch dressing into the cream cheese, and mix until smooth, then add in the sour cream. Once mixed thoroughly, add in the cheddar, mushroom bacon, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice (but NOT the green onions)

  9. Add the dip into a 1/2 quart baking dish (or similar size) and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly

  10. Garnish with the green onions and serve hot or warm with cut up veggies, tortilla chips or low carb chips or crackers!

Tomato Pomegranate Salad

The Jewish New Year

I can’t believe we’re here. Rosh Hashanah, is just ONE WEEK AWAY! Surely that means your ovens are fired up, tablecloths are freshly laundered and you’re ready to cook up a storm for the Jewish New Year. Oh, and don’t call me Shirley. 🙂

As the tradition goes on Rosh Hashanah to eat a “new fruit”, pomegranates are a common one at many holiday tables. So why not incorporate this tart, sweet fruit into this light and refreshing tomato salad with fresh herbs? It’s the perfect counterpart for some end-of-summer-ripe tomatoes and freshly picked herbs.

A little Inspiration First…

I didn’t necessarily just dream up this recipe in the middle of the night.  I first got the inspiration from flipping through Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi and WOW!  My mouth waters instantly as I read through all of the glorious ways he prepares vegetables. Roasted, steamed, raw, grilled, braised. If you think veggies are only good for salads, well think again!

One of the first recipes in his cookbook is a tomato pomegranate salad with fresh oregano, pomegranate molasses and a kitchen-sink-load of spices. Okay, so no molasses on-hand.  But not to fret! We have some kosher Trader Joe’s pomegranate vinegar to do the trick! All I did for this salad dressing was mix that with some olive oil, salt, and pepper (sumac would be good in this too, with that bright, lemony flavor to accentuate the flavors). And that’s it!  Just let the fresh ingredients do the talking.

Final touches

Another new spin on this recipe? Adding fresh mint and basil! Mostly because I already had some growing on my porch but because I love these 2 herbs mixed together. And tomato and basil?  Well that’s just a match made in heaven.

This recipe also calls for bell peppers, but I thought “oh, the Thai chilies from my porch will be a great addition!”

Um, no.

I LOVE spicy food, but these were STRONG and I was breathing fire in no time. So too potent for this raw salad.  Bottom line, I highly recommend to use bell peppers instead or use a bit more heat like a serrano pepper or even a jalapeno.

So there you have it, dear readers. A perfect start to your Rosh Hashanah seder meal to bring in the new fruits.  And from your team here at Meat Your Vegetables, we want to wish you a K’siva V’Chasima Tova – may you be written and inscribed for a happy and healthy sweet new year! Chag Sameach!

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Tomato Pomegranate Salad
Prep Time
20 mins
 
Course: Salad
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 3 Tomatoes, chopped I used a variety of fresh heirloom tomatoes - yellow, red and a mix of colors, but use whatever looks fresh at the market
  • 1 1/4 cup Pomegranate arils A great trick to get the arils out of the pomegranate: Fill a large bowl with water and place in your sink. Cut the pomegranate in half and in the bowl, under water, use your hands to pop out the seeds/arils. The white pith will float to the top and you'll have the seeds in the bottom of the bowl!
  • 1 Bell pepper, diced Or use a Serrano or Jalapeno pepper (ribs and seeds removed - or keep 'em in for extra heat!)
  • 1 Handful Basil - torn, or chopped
  • 1 Handful Mint - torn, or chopped
  • 1 Drizzle Pomegranate Vinegar If you can't find this at Trader Joe's or anywhere, just substitute apple cider and add a splash of lemon juice
  • 1 Drizzle Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Squeeze Fresh Lemon
Instructions

  1. Add the tomatoes, pomegranate, pepper, mint and basil into a big bowl.

  2. Drizzle the vinegar and oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper

  3. Mix gently so you don't bruise the herbs too much. Garnish with extra herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you prefer

Mini Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes (Happy Shavuos!)

Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes!

Happy almost-Shavuos!  The holiday of WAY too much dairy, lol!  Since the holiday starts in just a few days, why not go all-out with a savory cheesecake challenge!  And yet again, I’m channeling inspiration from my mother, and making mini savory crust-less smoked salmon cheesecakes!  These are the perfect little appetizer to serve at your Shavuos meal!

Of course you can make this into a giant cheesecake pie, but I prefer to make these mini versions since I’m not sure how many people would eat a whole slice filled with smoked salmon, capers, dill and green onion?  But hey, maybe you’re into that sorta thing! The mini versions are great served with crackers (bagel chips would be perfect), carrot sticks, celery or cucumbers.  It’s having a bagel with lox and cream cheese but in a fancier, party-spread kind of way!

Originally, I made this version with a crust, just to play around with it, but in the end I decided it didn’t need it! Since the whole point was to spread this on a bagel or cracker, or cucumber slice, the crust just didn’t add anything to the dish, and plus, it’s one less step in this recipe! And by all means, you can definitely make this a no-bake dish too by omitting the eggs.

Want to make this dairy-free?  Substitute the cream cheese for a dairy-free cheese, like using Tofutti, or my favorite brand, Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese spread (they have a jalapeno flavor that is so good – pick it up at Whole Foods).

So have fun playing around with this new version of a cheesecake and Chag Sameach to all of our faithful followers!

Like the content on #MYV?  Make sure to comment below and of course, share this post on social media!

Recipe: Mini Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes

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Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
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Mini Savory Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Filling
  • 2 Bricks Cream Cheese, softened
  • 2 Egg, large
  • 4 oz. Smoked Salmon, chopped I used 1 package of the Trader Joe's Everything but the bagel seasoning smoked salmon (yum!)
  • 3 Green onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Dried dill I happen to LOVE dill, so feel free to adjust to your taste - if you use fresh, just grab a handful and chop it up!
  • 2 tbsp Capers (optional) I like that salty, briny kick that capers bring to this creamy spread!
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325F, line a muffin tin with paper or silicon liners

  2. Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat until mixed together, about 30 seconds. Add in 1 egg at a time until fully mixed

  3. Add in the rest of the ingredients and spoon the filling in the pan

  4. Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer jiggly in the middle

  5. Cool for 10-15 minutes, peel the liner and enjoy! Serve with crackers or raw veggies

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s savory take on cheesecakes: Personal Spanakopita Cheesecake Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks

Looking for a light Shavuot menu check this out: Light and Easy Shavuot Menu

Charcuterie Board on a Budget

Charcuterie BoardCharcuterie boards are all the rage today. They can make a beautiful centerpiece on your buffet or a great appetizer.  Charcuterie boards are made with high end meats, cheeses, smoked fish or even vegetables. Usually all the items are served cold. Chanie Apfelbaum the amazing blogger at Busy in Brooklyn makes some beautiful ones. You should definitely check some of them out:

httpss://www.busyinbrooklyn.com/falafeltaschen-board/

httpss://www.busyinbrooklyn.com/how-to-build-a-fish-board/

I recently was put in charge of the food for a fundraiser for my synagogue. One of the other committee members had seen some of Chanie’s boards and had asked if I could do something similar for the event.  I had done some small charcuterie boards before at home, but this was first time I had done one this large. Charcuterie boards can be daunting at first, but all you need to remember is they are really just high end deli trays.  In my past life I did plenty of catering and cold cut trays for large crowds are something I have a lot of experience with. With that persepctive, it was simply a matter of taking it up a notch.

That being said, since this was for a fundraiser, I needed to be budget conscious.  If you are not careful you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on a small board. I ended up doing a board with roughly 50 pounds of meat for a little less than $600.  This was plenty for our crowd of 100, along with the hot hors devours, and 2 soups we served. We probably could have fed 150 easily.

I’ll break down the whole process and costs:

The Board

You can buy some magnificent boards made out of all sorts of fancy materials. Being on a budget I decided to make my board myself. I started with a 1’X4′ piece of scrap ply wood that I got for free from Home Depot. Make sure whatever wood you use, is untreated.  You don’t want to use anything treated with chemicals in a food application. I sanded down the sharp edges, charred both the top and bottom surfaces with a torch for some aesthetic interest. I then treated it with mineral oil to provide a protective finish. Total cost about $5 in supplies because the wood was free.

Protein

Charcuterie Close UpHere is where things get interesting and potentially very expensive. I spent around $500 on protein for this project. We decided early on that we were going with fleishigs for this event, so high end cured meats were where it was at. When it comes to meat based charcuterie, there are two broad categories, ground or sausage products like salami and whole muscle products like pastrami and jerky.

Whole muscle products tend to be more expensive so I concentrated on ground products like sausages and salamis. It is always fun to give people something they can’t normally get, so I often look outside of Chicago for something special. I ordered about 30 pounds of meat from Wasserman and Lemberger in Baltimore which my brother-in-law was nice enough to fly back for me.

How Many Types of Salami Are There?

You want a good variety of items. I ordered four types of salami: super hot (red pepper flake), black pepper, Italian, and garlic. Alongside the salami I order two other types of sausages: chorizo, a spicy smoked sausage from Spain , and landejager, a German sausage made with red wine and spices. Lastly but certainly not least from Wasserman and Lemberger, I procured four types of their beef jerky: regular, spicy, teriyaki, and barbecue to use as accents on my board.  Jerky is fairly expensive so I didn’t buy a lot. It was received and and the first thing to be gobbled up. The Wasserman and Lemberger items were ordered a few weeks in advance so they some time to dry to point where it developed a nice chew, but didn’t get too hard.

Buying a little early also meant I needed to guess-timate at how much meat I would need. Being in Chicago I have access to some excellent products from Romanian Kosher Sausage Company  that I used to purchase the additional meat I need once I had a better picture of the number of people I was feeding. From there I bought some of their standard dried salami, beef sticks, and some smokey snacks (a sort of salami jerky of sorts)

Other Proteins

You can get really fancy with your protein choices and include things like (beef or lamb) bacon, (beef, veal, or lamb) pancetta, or coppa, but your costs will start to get much higher. Of course you could go with smoked fish such as different types of lox, whitefish, and sable.

If dairy is your thing, the types of cheeses out there are endless. Don’t be afraid to try something a little funky or runny. A baked brie is great, a little blue cheese is nothing to be afraid of, and a fresh mozzarella can be divine. I really love The Cheese Guy products, they have high quality products that are a little more interesting (in a good way) than what you see from most kosher cheese companies. The owner, Brent Delman, is also a super nice guy. Of course if you don’t need your board to be kosher you can do a combination of meats, fish, and cheeses.

Sides

While the meat is the star of the show, the sides are supporting actors that help bring the whole thing together. The bread and butter (pun intended) of charcuterie board sides are pickles. I used some dill chips and and some gherkins for what I would call your standard cucumber based pickles, but the possibilities are endless. I also included in this category some spicy giardiniera (a relish made of assorted vegetables) and olives. Again, you can get super fancy with olives if you have the budget, but I just used some fairly standard jarred pimento stuffed green olives that you can find in any major grocery store to keep costs down.

Let’s Add Some Crunch

Nuts are also a great item to add to a charcuterie board. They add some texture to the whole experience. A large container of mixed nuts from Sam’s Club or Costco works well. You can find flavored nuts but I think that can distract from the overall experience.

The final item I would place in this category are crackers.  Crackers are kind of the setting of a story. It’s not there to stand out but it’s needed to give the story structure. I used some basic generic snacker (AKA Ritz) style crackers along with some flavored Triscuits. Obviously there are countless varieties of crackers at all sorts of price points, but if you are trying to stay on a budget this is one place you can go with the cheaper options. Crostinis, thin slices of toasted baguette are often used instead of crackers, but I just didn’t have the time to make them for this event.

Other options that work nicely as sides are dried fruit that go well on a cheese board, or capers that compliment smoked fish.

Overall, I spent about $50 on sides.

Condiments

If you are going with a meat based board, different types of mustard are your go to condiments.  You can easily find yellow, Dijon, spicy brown, and honey in most major grocery stores.  Skip the fancy brands and even the large national brands and go with the generic or store brands. They will be cheaper and no one will know the difference. Save your money for the proteins.

Ketchup is a classic, although in Chicago it can be considered a crime. BBQ sauces can be fun and come in all varieties. If you like a some heat there are countless hot sauces that you can add to your charcuterie board.  Alternatively, for a cheese board, fruit jams are nice. Finally for fish, tartar sauce works well.

Things I would have done differently

Based on the number of people we had I could have definitely gone with less meat and saved a few bucks. We had plenty of meat left over.  I also should have gone with a larger board. In the future I may cover the whole table in butcher paper instead of using a board.  The board was piled super high with my meat. I had to put my condiments and sides next to it instead of on it.  While I love jerky, it was a bit too expensive for this application. Due to it’s price I didn’t have enough of it for it really make an impression.

If you like this post you might like: Mr. Peikes Goes to Seattle, Washington or the Time I Flew With 100 lbs of Meat

Super Bowl Snack – behold the “Nacho Jalapeno Cheese Crisp”!

If you’ve taken a look at your calendar lately, you might be shocked to realize that January is almost over and that could only mean one thing (well, besides the fact that winter just seems to never end and the bitter cold is here to stay). It means the SUPER BOWL is almost here!

What a great day to watch football with friends and eat an endless amount of food from the all the Super Bowl food groups – chicken wings, nachos, assorted chips and dips and don’t forget the 3 different types of cookies and brownies.  So here’s an idea.  What about combining nachos AND chips all in one?  Sort of a nacho-in-a-bite kind of deal, so basically, the perfect chip.

Here’s the kicker – nachos are my jam.  If I could eat one snack food for the rest of my life, I’d have to go with nachos.  There are endless possibilities here – fake meat, no fake meat, different types of cheeses, green onions, salsa, guac (duh), sour cream, cilantro (an absolute must-have in my book), pickled jalapenos, maybe some chopped onion, tomato – a little pico de gallo action? You could get creative and do a Korean BBQ style nacho, or “sweet” nachos (not my thing truthfully) – it’s just a great baseline for showing off your creativity!

The Perfect Nacho Bite

My mission?  Create the perfect “nacho bite” in one chip, and then of course, feel free to dunk in giant bowls of guacamole and salsa (or just eat them plain, because you know, they’re THAT good). Oh and in case you’re thinking this is going to be super complicated, like rolling out a dough to create the chips – oh please!

All you need is a muffin pan, shredded cheese, jalapeno slices (you can use plain, or pickled or use whatever hot peppers you like), green onion and spices.  And maybe some fresh cilantro to top it off.  But that’s it.  The muffin tin basically does all of the work for you.  And depending on the size of your muffin pan, you may have to make more batches (my dairy muffin tin is only 6 individual cups, so I had to make 4 batches to make 24 chips, but it’s so worth it)!

Happy Super Bowling!

Recipe: Nacho Jalapeño Cheese Crisps

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Nacho Jalapeño Cheese Crisps
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
Servings: 12 chips
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (or any type of pepper to the heat level of your liking) You can use pickled jalapenos, but it'll make the "chips" a bit soggy, so you may have to bake them for a bit longer to crisp up
  • 1 Green Onion, sliced thin
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin
  • 1/4 tsp Trader Joe's onion salt Optional, but I like the extra onion flavor!
  • 1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.

  2. Spray a non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray (I like to use avocado oil spray for a mild flavor)

  3. Mix the cheese, green onion, garlic powder, cumin, and onion salt (if using) in a large bowl.

  4. Measure about 1-2 tbsp. of the cheese mixture and place in each muffin cavity. You don't want to overflow it, just really cover the bottom. The trick to making thin, crispy chips is to just cover the bottom of each muffin tin with a thin layer of cheese, otherwise it won't crisp up, it'll just be a blob.  You can, however, use the cheese to place up the sides of the muffin pan to create a "nacho chip cup" that you can fill with toppings, so feel free to experiment with that. 

  5. Take a thinly sliced piece of jalapeno (or whatever pepper you want to use, Serrano would be good too, and remove the seeds and ribs for less heat), and place on the top of the cheese.  Depending on the size of your muffin tin, you may have to make this in double batches.  My toaster is my dairy "oven" so I can only make 6 at a time.

  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bubbling and crispy golden brown, but not burnt.

  7. Let the chips cool for about 10-15 minutes until you can easily "pop" them out of the muffin tin and they're nice and crispy!

  8. Serve on a platter sprinkled with chopped cilantro and enjoy with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, OR make a big pile of nachos using these as the chips!!

Don’t forget to check out Daniel’s Super Bowl Nachos dish: Steak and Eggs Tot-Chos (Tater Tot Nachos)  or check out some of our other great Super Bowl recipes:

Cheddar Stuffed Jalapeno Hush Puppies

Almond Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

And hey, thank you for reading this post!  We’d love to hear from you, so feel free to comment below or even write us a testimonial here!

Super Bowl Snack Challenge: Steak and Eggs Tot-Chos (Tater Tot Nachos)

Tater Tot NachosA while back I was at a non-kosher restaurant with some co-workers. While I sat there and ate the sandwich I snuck in from the kosher deli down the street, they chowed done on some tasty looking food.  One of the appetizers that was ordered for the table was Tot-Chos, a nacho dish with all the fixings, including a fried egg, where tater tots replace the chips. Everyone at the table really seemed to enjoy it and I knew I had to make my own version of it.

I decided to go with a steak and eggs version version, one of my favorite breakfasts, and I love anything with with a fried egg on it. I left out any sort of dairy to keep it kosher, but if you wanted to you could swap out the the steak for a cheese sauce or salsa verde sour cream, or if you don’t need it be kosher you could do both. The toppings I list are just suggestions. I have also included a recipe for guacamole and Pico de gallo to get you started but if you don’t have the ingredients for one of them or simply don’t like it, feel free to leave it out.  If you have some other ideas for toppings let us know in the the comments. This a great party recipe and scales well. I made it for the Super Bowl last year and people devoured it. Try it for your for your Super Bowl party next week and let us know how people enjoyed it.

 

 

 

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s version of Super Bowl nachos, Nacho Jalapeno Cheese Crisps  or some of our other Super Bowl Recipes:

Cheddar Stuffed Jalapeno Hush Puppies

Almond Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

 

Recipe: Steak and Eggs Tot-Chos (Tater Tot Nachos)

0 from 0 votes
Tater Tot Nachos
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Tot-chos AKA Tater Tot Nachos
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

That's right, it's tater tot nachos.  Makes a great party snack, appetizer, or side dish. 

Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: nachos, party, super bowl
Servings: 8 People
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 32 oz Bag Frozen Tater Tots
Suggested Toppings
  • Sour Cream
  • Pico de Gallo Recipe below
  • Cheese Sauce
  • Guacamole Recipe below
  • Fried Egg
  • Sliced Steak
  • Giardiniera
  • Salsa
Instructions

  1. Bake the tater tots on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.  I like to bake them a little hotter and a little longer than the package recommends so they are a crispier. This will also help prevent them from getting soggy when you top them.

  2. Layer on your choice of toppings and enjoy.

Recipe: Guacamole

0 from 0 votes
Italian Beef Tacos
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Guacamole
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

A party dip classic with a little kick.

Course: Dip
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Medium Ripe Avocados Pitted, peeled, and roughly chopped
  • 1 Small Red Onion Diced
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes Optional
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork until desired texture is achieved. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Pico de Gallo

5 from 1 vote
Mojo Chicken Tacos
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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
  • 3 Plum Tomatoes Diced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Yellow Bell Pepper Diced
  • 1 Small Red Onion Diced
  • 1 Small White Onion Diced
  • 1 Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro Substitute with parsley if you don't like cilantro
  • 1 Jalapeno Diced, optional
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
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. 

Tu BiShvat Challenge: Mergez Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Beef Bacon

Bacon Wrapped DatesThis coming Monday is Tu BiShvat, the Rosh Hashanah (New Years) for trees. Sort of an Abrahamic Arbor Day. Rachel has challenged me to come up with a date based recipe in honor of  Tu BiShvat.There is a custom to eat fruits from the Shiv’at HaMinim, the seven special species that Israel is known for growing. Dates are one of these seven species and are super versatile.  I have been in to quick and easy appetizers lately, and I thought a stuffed date would be a great follow up to my Ruben Flat Bread recipe.

Dates can be cloyingly sweet, so I wanted to go in a more savory direction. With me you can never get enough meat, so I both stuffed and wrapped my dates in it.  Mergez, a lamb sausage from North Africa , brings some nice spice to the dish, while the the bacon adds crispiness, salinity, and smoke. Together the two balance out intense sweetness of the dates nicely.

0 from 0 votes
Bacon Wrapped Dates
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Mergez Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Beef Bacon
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Cooling
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

A great quick appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.  The spice from the mergez, and the crispiness, salinity, and smoke from the bacon balance out the intense sweetness of the dates nicely.

Course: Appetizer, Hors d'oeuvre, Snack
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: dates
Servings: 12 Dates
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 24 Large Dried Dates Pitted
  • 24 Slices Bacon I use beef bacon to keep it kosher, but any type will work
  • 1 lb Uncooked mergez removed from the casing or ground lamb If using ground lamb see the mergez seasoning below
Mergez Seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 tbsp Ground Coriander
  • 1 tbsp Ground Fennel Seed
  • 1 tbsp Paprika Smoked if you have it
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Crushed Green Peppercorn Regular black pepper will work in a pinch
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 5 Cloves Fresh Garlic Finely chopped
Special Equipment
  • Parchment Paper
  • Sheet Pan
  • Toothpicks
Instructions

  1. If using ground lamb instead of premade mergez, add all of the seasonings to the ground beef.  Combine thoroughly.  Your hands are the best tool for this job!

  2. In a frying pan or skillet brown the sausage or ground lamb, and allow to cool.

  3. The pitted dates should already have a slit in them.  Stuff each date with as much of the sausage or ground lamb that will easily fit, being careful not to split the date

  4. Wrap each date with a slice of bacon.  Feel free to trim the bacon to length if it goes around the date more then twice. Stick a toothpick through the date to prevent the bacon from coming loose.

  5. Place the dates on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Place in a cold oven and then set the oven to 350°F. Bake until the bacon begins to crisp.  Serve immediately.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s Tu BiShvat date challenge recipe: Coffee Coconut Date Balls

Ruben Flat Bread

Ruben Flat BreadsRuben Flat Bread

Rachel recently posted a recipe for Smoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks. That motivated me to come up with an easy appetizer recipe of my own.  I have always loved making fun appetizers. On a Shabbat morning when I am expecting guests for lunch, I can often be found spending hours meticulously plating my appetizers. This drives my wife crazy.  She is always concerned that a guest may not like the appetizer, and often insists that appetizers be served family style on a large platter with any adornments such as sauces and garnishes on the side.

Flat breads seem to be all the rage today, and the meat pizza seems to be the king of it all. I wanted to take that concept and create something that was quick, approachable, and familiar. The Ruben sandwich is probably one of the most quintessential Jewish dishes. I decided to take those flavors and make a flat bread out of it.  This recipe is super quick and easy, with the exception of caramelizing the onions which can be done in advance.

I know caramelized onions are not traditional in a Ruben, but they add a richness that one often gets from the Swiss cheese used in many “kosher style” delis.  In a strictly kosher kitchen, mixing meat and dairy products is forbidden. The caramelized onions also act as an edible adhesive to help the other ingredients stick to the flat bread.

I was looking for a quick and easy recipe and therefore used a store bought flatbread or more specifically I used *Bistro Buns By Brooklyn Bred. They are nice and thin with a good texture and not too big.

2.5 from 4 votes
Ruben Flat Breads
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Ruben Flat Breads
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Slow cooker time
12 hrs
Total Time
10 mins
 

 A quick, approachable, and familiar dish that works well as an hors d'oeuvre, appetizer, or even a small meal. This recipe takes the flavors of a Ruben sandwich, one of the most quintessential Jewish dishes, and makes a flat bread out of it. 

Course: Appetizer, Hor d'oeuvres
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: flat bread, ruben
Servings: 4 people
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Flat Breads
  • 1 Cup Corned Beef Sliced and roughly chopped
  • 2 Flat Breads I used store bought, but you could make your own
  • 1/2 Cup Sauerkraut Thoroughly drained
Russian Dressing
Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Large Onions Chopped
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
  • Giardiniera Optional if you like some heat
Special Equipment
  • Small Slow Cooker AKA Crock-Pot
Instructions
Caramelized Onions

  1. Add the onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker and cook on high for 12 hours.

Russian Dressing

  1. Combine the mayo and ketchup in a mixing bowl.  Stir until thoroughly combined.

Flat Bread

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F

  2. Top the flatbread with the onions and then a layer of corned beef.  Bake until the corned beef begins to crisp up.

  3. Remove the flatbread from the oven and top with the sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and giardiniera. Slice in to strips or triangles and serve immediately.

Check out some of our other appetizers:
Deviled Eggs
Fried Pickles
Barbecue Chicken Hamantaschen

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