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Category Archives: Holiday Recipes
Happy New Year Brisket
Brisket can definitely be an intimidating thing to make. I once made it as a young cook, and it was perfectly inedible. Back then, I couldn’t believe how long it took to cook, but it does take very long. Now I usually make it in the slow cooker, which is an awesome way to go but this time I used my trusty Le Creuset, which worked out beautifully. A lot of people have some pretty awesome brisket recipes and I welcome you to send me yours. This really couldn’t be any easier and it’s super tasty. This original recipe came from my friend, Michele (with a few comments from Karyn too.) I did change a few things to the original recipe, but not a lot and I thank Michele for the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
4 lb. brisket (I didn’t need larger but you can adjust this recipe for whatever size brisket you use)
Lawry’s seasoned salt available in the spice aisle
2 large Spanish onions (Karyn uses Vidalia, which is also good), sliced thickly
2 cans of tomato sauce , I used the 16 oz. size. You can also use the 1 can of 28 oz. size. It depends on you and how much sauce you like.
2 tbsp. brown sugar (this is my addition. It doesn’t really change the flavor so much as cut the salt a bit)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
I sprinkled Lawry’s seasoned salt on both sides of the brisket (generously) then seared it in the Le Creuset pot with a little vegetable oil–probably about a tablespoon. (After the meat was seared, it shrunk to fit perfectly in my pot but I don’t think that a larger brisket would have fit.) Next, I added the tomato sauce and onions, covered the pot and put it in the oven. I cooked it for a total of 3 hours. I checked on it after each hour, which probably wasn’t even necessary. I then let it cool, off of the heat, for about an hour. Next, I sliced it with an electric knife, which came out beautifully. The meat was soft, but not falling apart at all. I then added the brown sugar to the gravy, put the brisket in a container with the gravy and froze it. I’ll take it out the night before I serve. Karyn pulses her gravy with an immersion blender. I didn’t do this but I think it makes for a good suggestion. In fact, I might still do it next time I make this recipe. I’ll let you know. Thanks again Michele and Karyn!
Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, meat
Tagged brisket, Brisket in the oven Happy New Year, jewish cooking, jewish new year, Rosh Hashana
Honey Roasted Chicken – Holiday Chicken
this recipe was actually given to me by my daughter, jennifer. she has made it numerous times. always to raves from the family. i am going to make it this year for rosh hashana and it is so perfect for Passover. it is a delicious chicken dish made with honey so it so appropriate for the jewish new year! sweet and savory as our new year should be! enjoy it. if anyone out there has some holiday ideas i’d love to hear about them. pay attention to cooking directions as you will not be preheating oven!!!!!!
Ingredients:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup mild honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
a rounded teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons peach or mango chutney ( available in most supermarkets)
small handful of dried currants or chopped dark raisins
2 roasting chickens cut up in 8’s
Directions:
you will need 2 shallow baking sheets with 1 inch rims ( you may be able to get it on 1 large sheet)Spray baking sheets well with cooking spray.
to make sauce:
Melt butter/margarine in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. while it is bubbling, saute onion and garlic until softened, about 3 – 5 minutes. add remaining ingredients except for chicken and stir until well combined. heat until warm throughout and set aside to cool slightly.
to prepeare chicken:
I would spray each baking sheet with pam cooking spray first
Rinse and pat chicken dry . (each piece) dip each piece in honey mixture, coating chicken completely. lay chicken pieces ( skin side up) on baking sheets. spoon any remaining sauce over chicken.
To Bake Chicken:
place chicken in a cold oven, turn heat to 400 degrees and bake for one hour. if you are using 2 baking sheets , roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and switch shelf positions 1/2 way through the cooking time.
to serve:
Transfer chicken to a warmed serving platter and serve . this chicken is good hot, at room temp. and cold out of fridge the next day.
*if you cannot find peach or mango chutney ( I found it at Whole Foods) Stonewall Kitchen Brand , you can use Peach Jam, Apricot Jam, etc. Probably Saucy Susan would work. Use your imagination and don’t kill yourself trying to find the chutney. I think the chutney would give it a bit more kick, and cut the sweet, but either one will be fine.
Happy Holiday and Have a Very Sweet New Year
Posted in chicken, Holiday, Holiday Recipes
Recipes for Jewish New Year–Rosh Hashana 2018
Finished Product Apple Cake
Un-Stuffed Cabbage
Summer is the most easy-going time of the year and then along comes the Jewish holidays right on the heels of Labor Day and just like that it is over. Kids are back to school and we’re cooking dinner again and preparing meals. Before you know it, it’s Thanksgiving! Oh well here we go again, for those of you who have been reading my blog you may have made a lot of these recipes and welcome aboard to the new readers. I am sort of a traditionalist when it comes to holidays and my family always looks forward to the same things. If I introduce a new recipe it’s always hold your breath time and what was wrong with the old one looks on everyone’s face. Final decisions haven’t been made but I know that there are some things I’d never leave out. Here is a list of suggestions and by all means cruise through my blog and see if there is anything else to your liking. These are just a list of suggestions. I will be posting a few new ones this week, so be on the lookout. Rosh Hashana recipes are tagged Rosh Hashana if you are trying to look them up on my blog. I may sneak in a recipe or two this week if I can get in the time. So sad summer is over but it’s time to move on .
For those who celebrate have a very Happy Healthy New Year! Shanah Tovah!!
Homemade Chicken Soup with not so Homemade Matzo Balls ( even though this is for Passover we eat it a lot on Rosh Hashana)
Happy New Year Brisket
Unstuffed Cabbage–a great alternative to meatballs
Chicken Marbella
Honey Roasted Chicken
Old School Meatballs
A Noodle Pudding from Ellen
Another Noodle Pudding from Marcy *kosher non dairy
Noodle Pudding with Apricot Nectar–probably one of the all time best kugels ever
Noodle Pudding from Julie
Mushroom Barley
Kasha Varnishkes
Grandma Millie’s Cauliflower
Applesauce and Raisin Cake
Don’t let the Apples go Bad Cake
Julie’s Honey Cake
Plum Torte
My farewell to Norah Ephron- her Tzimmes
Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, Uncategorized
Tagged Happy New Year Rosh Hashana 2013, Rosh Hashana, Rosh Hashana 2014
Baked French Toast — all time best
I posted this originally back in October 2011 for Yom Kippur break fast. It is truly one of the best French toast recipes I’ve ever made. I include it every year since my friend Ilene Stern gave it to me. I never have a single piece left. Delicious and decadent, perfect brunch and breakfast food. I almost always include it in my Mother’s Day Brunch as well. Once you’ve made this recipe there is no turning back, your whole family will love it and you’ll have to make it every time.
The only downside is that you must prepare and refrigerate the night before without cooking it, you cannot cook this dish till you’re ready to eat it, the bottom will get hard like a caramel candy would. So cook right before you’re going to serve. Enjoy!
*recipe as is should serve 6- 8 if you have more people make 2 trays!
Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tbsp. corn syrup ( I use Karo Original light corn syrup)
5 eggs (room temperature please)
1 1/2 cups milk ( you can use low-fat, I use Skim Plus)
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 package of sliced cinnamon bread. ( Pepperidge Farm is fine) if you can get thick slices it’s great , but the thin kind will work just double stack them it will be fine) You probably will use 12 slices of bread per tray. You will have 6 stacks of 2 slices each, 12 slices total, or 6 thick slices of cinnamon bread. If you can’t find just cinnamon bread use raisin cinnamon bread it’s easier to find .
Directions:
Melt butter, add brown sugar and corn syrup and combine well. Spray a 9×13 baking dish, Pyrex works well here. Pour butter mixture into baking dish and arrange bread slices flat in the mixture ( you will double stack the thin sliced bread) Unless the bread is 1″thick you will be doubling the standard sliced bread. Squeeze the bread to fit–it should hold 12 slices ( 6 double stacks), 3 on each side of a 9×13 baking dish.
In a blender mix the eggs, milk and vanilla and pour over the bread slices, covering them completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The bread will absorb all the liquid by the morning, so if you need to travel with it will be fine.
Uncover and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Once it’s out of the oven you can dust with powdered sugar, but not necessary. Serve right from the baking dish.
*if you let this sit out too long before serving, the bottom may get hard like a praline candy. It never ever lasts long enough for this to happen at my table.
Look at my original recipe post on October 5 2011. More Break Fast: the all-time best Baked French Toast, I swear.
Chocolate Bark Surprise
Chocolate Bark Surprise
chocolate bark surprise before breaking it all up
One of the most wonderful surprises to come out of my blog is the constant sharing of recipes, ideas, thoughts and sometimes even a little criticism. I love it all. Sharing has got to be the part I enjoy the most. I love sharing my family recipes with all of you. I especially love when you send me a recipe and I love it and I make it part of Cooking with Candi. As those of you who have gotten to know me and my blog you know this to be true. I try to always give credit where credit is due, sometimes I name the recipe after the person who passed it on to me. I rarely get to know the origin or provenance of these recipes but they’re way to good to keep “under wraps”. Thanks again to all my friends for their recipes and inspiration not to mention support with this “labor of love”. I write this blog so that you can all share the recipes that I have had come to know. Why keep it to myself? I love the feedback you all give me and nothing makes me happier than when I meet someone who started cooking and now enjoys it because of my recipes.
It’s hard to know the provenance of most recipes and I am doing this for fun not profit!
Speaking of sharing I got this wonderful recipe from At Home with Joy , thanks for sharing with us Joy. This recipe was so easy and so delicious, for those of you who love Candy and who doesn’t? Give it a try, please check out Joy’s blog you’ll be happy you did.
And this would be perfect on your Passover Table. It’s a really nice dessert served anytime but really perfect now.
Chocolate Bark Surprise
Ingredients:
1 9 oz. bag chocolate chips ( I used semi-sweet) this would have to be amazing with white chocolate chips as well
1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts ( I used no salt but a little salt would probably be fine)
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon shredded coconut
Directions:
Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper
Place chips in microwave safe bowl and heat for app. 2 1/2 minutes. Check frequently as microwaves can vary. 2 – 2 1/2 minutes was sufficient. Once the chocolate is smooth and creamy, add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and stir until combined. Make certain your bowl is large enough to accommodate the chocolate and dry ingredients.
Stir until well combined, and immediately pour mixture onto parchment paper and using a spatula evenly smooth it around, it should be about 1/4″ thick.
Place pan in fridge and allow it to harden for at least an hour or until hardened.
Using your hands, break bark into pieces. The pieces will be uneven.
Store extra bark in freezer in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
Posted in Candy, Holiday, Holiday Recipes, Passover Recipes
Tagged at home with joy, Candy, chocolate bark surprise, sharing
Judy’s Apple Matzoh Kugel for Passover
If you ask me, kugels are the best part of Passover. Put together in a casserole dish these sweet and savory dishes are my absolute favorite dish on the Seder table. It was always about the kugel with me from the time I was a kid. This is an awesome recipe from a family friend which came to me via Karyn, so thanks Judy and thanks again Karyn. I used to make this recipe all the time and over the years I replaced it with something else and completely forgot about till another friend asked me for the recipe. Karyn came to the rescue. This is a delicious sweet addition to the table and if I remember correctly everyone loved it. It is easy and not too many ingredients and hardly any steps at all. Enjoy!
Plan ahead:
Kugels can be made a day or two ahead. On the day of the serving, allow the dish to come to room temperature. Then heat it, covered in a preheated 350 degree oven until warm, 30 – 40 minutes. My experience has always been that the kugels hold together better when they are pre-made.
Ingredients:
12 sheets matzoh
9 eggs beaten, use eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large apples, peeled and sliced (any kind will do)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups white raisins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Break matzoh into colander and run warm water over it, just to soften, then drain and put in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs, add salt , sugar , apples, oil, cinnamon and raisins and pour into a pre-greased ( or cooking sprayed) baking dish . Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes. Enjoy!
*first time baking it keep it uncovered, when you re-heat you will cover it so it doesn’t dry out.
Posted in fruit, Holiday, Holiday Recipes
Tagged Kugel, Matzoh Kugel with apples, Matzoh Pudding with apples, Passover, passover kugel
Honey Roasted Chicken – Holiday Chicken
This recipe was actually given to me by my daughter, jennifer. she has made it numerous times. always to raves from the family. i am going to make it this year for rosh hashana and it is so perfect for Passover. it is a delicious chicken dish made with honey so it so appropriate for the jewish new year! sweet and savory as our new year should be! enjoy it. if anyone out there has some holiday ideas i’d love to hear about them. pay attention to cooking directions as you will not be preheating oven!!!!!!
Ingredients:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup mild honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
a rounded teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons peach or mango chutney ( available in most supermarkets)
small handful of dried currants or chopped dark raisins
2 roasting chickens cut up in 8’s
Directions:
you will need 2 shallow baking sheets with 1 inch rims ( you may be able to get it on 1 large sheet)Spray baking sheets well with cooking spray.
to make sauce:
Melt butter/margarine in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. while it is bubbling, saute onion and garlic until softened, about 3 – 5 minutes. add remaining ingredients except for chicken and stir until well combined. heat until warm throughout and set aside to cool slightly.
to prepeare chicken:
I would spray each baking sheet with pam cooking spray first
Rinse and pat chicken dry . (each piece) dip each piece in honey mixture, coating chicken completely. lay chicken pieces ( skin side up) on baking sheets. spoon any remaining sauce over chicken.
To Bake Chicken:
place chicken in a cold oven, turn heat to 400 degrees and bake for one hour. if you are using 2 baking sheets , roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and switch shelf positions 1/2 way through the cooking time.
to serve:
Transfer chicken to a warmed serving platter and serve . this chicken is good hot, at room temp. and cold out of fridge the next day.
*if you cannot find peach or mango chutney ( I found it at Whole Foods) Stonewall Kitchen Brand , you can use Peach Jam, Apricot Jam, etc. Probably Saucy Susan would work. Use your imagination and don’t kill yourself trying to find the chutney. I think the chutney would give it a bit more kick, and cut the sweet, but either one will be fine.
Happy Holiday and Have a Very Sweet New Year
Posted in chicken, Holiday, Holiday Recipes
Tagged Happy New Year Chicken, holiday recipes, Passover Recipe
Passover Popovers
Super easy , super light and delicious. Give this one a try. These are delicious during Passover with some preserves for Breakfast as well as with your Seder Meal. Enjoy and Happy Passover Cooking from my kitchen to yours. I used a muffin tin and it worked out perfectly. Bake these light airy treats for your Seder to rave reviews. One per person is perfect , this recipe yielded 9 popovers. 
Ingredients:
1 cup cake meal
4 eggs — always work with room temperature eggs unless otherwise stated for best results
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup peanut oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the cake meal, salt and sugar in a bowl.
Bring oil and water to a boil, add cake meal mixture and remove from stove.
Beat in one egg at a time and mix a lot. It will be thick.
Allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Drop into a well-greased muffin or popover tin using a tablespoon to 3/4 full. I spray with cooking spray . I used a Canola Oil baking spray, or lightly grease pan with canola oil.
Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes till medium golden brown. I placed pan in the center of the oven .
Warm before serving if desired.
Posted in Baked Goods, bread, Holiday, Holiday Recipes, muffins, Passover Recipes
Tagged Passover, Passover Popovers, Popovers, Popovers for Passover
Traditional Ashkenazi Charoset–Apple/Walnut
This is my easiest Charoset. It’s traditional in the sense that it’s an Ashkenazi (Eastern European) recipe. I add a little brown sugar instead of white sugar and it gives it just a bit more character. This makes about 4 cups, but you can easily double it. My family loves it, so I always make a double batch. Remember, while a reminder of the mortar used in making bricks for Pharaoh, charoset is really just a sweet condiment of apples and wine!
Ingredients:
3 medium Fuji apples (or any other kind you like), peeled, cored and finely diced (use processor to make your life simpler) I usually use whatever is in the house, but on Passover I go through so many apples, so buy what you like (I always like Granny Smith because they are nice and tart)
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (buy them pre-chopped)
1/2 cup sweet red wine such as Manischewitz Extra Heavy Malaga or just Concord Grape is fine
*20 pitted dates, chopped; or 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
*for a bit of extra added flavor you can add 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger (optional)
Directions:
After chopping apples, stir all ingredients in a large bowl. Keep in refrigerator ’til ready to serve. Serve at room temperature. You can also pulse everything together in processor, just be very careful not to over-process. I often do this to save time. You don’t want it too fine, so just go gently with the processor if you go that route. I do it in the processor, and I know exactly how I like it to come out, so go easy with the chopping. If it’s a little dry or too thick, you can always add more wine. I find this always tastes better after it sits and allows the wine to really soak and ripen for 24 hours. Before serving, check for consistency and add a little more wine, if necessary.
Cooking with Candi 