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Chicken Marbella–perfect Holiday Chicken
This recipe is my “go to” chicken. I’ve made it almost every Passover since I found it, it is also a wonderful dinner party recipe and perfect for Rosh Hashana. The original recipe is from the”Silver Palate” cookbook. It was many winters ago that I first had it at my friend Susan’s house. It has been a staple on my holiday table ever since. Not to say that it is not a recipe for every other day of the year and week, because it’s perfect for anytime. There is also the Brisket recipe that I posted during Rosh Hashana which is on the website, as well as the Honey Roasted Chicken, and Meatballs which all work well for this holiday. I usually make the Chicken Marbella and the Meatballs as another main dish.
*I recently read that if you make this whole recipe and put it in a large plastic bag un-cooked, just raw chicken in the marinade into the freezer you can then make it ahead of time. Just take it out and de-frost the night before, I would probably take it out of freezer and into the fridge the day before and the next morning if it’s not defrosted fully let it completely de-frost out of fridge in the plastic bag. Then follow cooking directions. I just want to say that I haven’t tried this method but most certainly would to save time. The reviews of the freezing method said that the chicken had more flavor than the usual way, so give it a try and it’s always good to be able to cut down on the prep.
Enjoy!
*The key to this recipe is the overnight marination, which is essential to the moistness of the chicken.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives (no pimentos)( if you can’t find, just pick out pimentos)
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed(chopped well)
1/4 cup dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I start with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.)
4 chickens, cut into eighths (original recipe calls for chickens to be quartered but I find that you get more per person if you do it in eighths.) the chickens are about 2 1/2 lbs. apiece , so it’s about 10 lbs. of chicken . Sometimes I ask the butcher to cut the breasts in 1/2, if they are very large.
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
Directions:
Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and their juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. ( You can combine in a large bowl, but I use a very large (jumbo) Ziploc bag.) Add the chicken, then stir or mix around to coat well. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take a large shallow baking pan (you may need 2), arrange the chicken in a single layer and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Then sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them.
Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices until the thigh pieces yield a clear yellow juice (don’t want it pink). It takes anywhere between 50 to 60 minutes to cook. (Test thigh with a fork.)
When you are ready to serve, transfer the chicken with a slotted spoon to serving platter. Moisten with some of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley. You can pass the remaining juices in a gravy boat.
*should serve 10 or more
* this chicken is delicious cold or at room temperature. If you make ahead and it is in fridge, just remove from fridge, reheat it in the juices, then allow to come to room temperature.
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 anytime. 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. 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
Noodle Pudding with Apricot Nectar
I’ve tried so many noodle puddings, but keep coming back to the same old , same old. they’ve been passed down in so many different incarnations. i don’t even know what the original one is anymore. this is my most favorite. also a perfect break fast food for Yom Kippur. It can and should be made ahead of time, it will hold together better.
Ingredients:
1 lb. noodles ( i use extra wide egg noodles, you’ll need a bag and 1/4 app. just eyeball it)
1 cup sugar
6 eggs ( I use extra large and at room temp. just make sure they are not right out of fridge) they work much better when they are not right out of fridge in baking.
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 stick unsalted sweet butter(melted)
6 oz. cream cheese (softened at room temp)
1 1/2 cups milk ( I use skim plus) would not use regular skim milk
2 cups apricot nectar (available in most supermarkets)
Topping:
1/2 jar of apricot preserves –approximately
1 1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter melted
Directions:
Cook noodles and drain very well. Mix 6 beaten eggs with the tablespoon of vanilla in one bowl. in another bowl melt 1 stick sweet butter(unsalted)softened cream cheese, and milk. add the apricot nectar . mix all ingredients together and put in large pyrex type baking dish. mix topping ingredients together, put on top of noodle pudding. cook at 350 degrees for one hour. i usually cook this ahead of time, cook for 1/2 hour and then freeze it till i am ready to use, take out of fridge bring to room temperature and bake it for another hour till brown on top and cooked through. noodle puddings are best if you let it sit a while (at least 15 minutes before serving) they hold together better that way. can be served at room temperature.
*serves about 12 – 15 people doubled
Posted in breakfast, Holiday, Holiday Recipes
Tagged Kugel, noodle pudding with apricot nectar, rosh hashana recipes
Recipes for Jewish New Year–Rosh Hashana
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
Un-Stuffed Cabbage
I love stuffed cabbage and my Grandmother made the most amazing stuffed cabbage ever . I love stuffed cabbage but do not feel like dealing with the actual stuffing of the cabbage, it is way too labor intensive for me. I have made several variations of this and found this one to my liking the best. You can play with the ingredients which is what I did . Original recipe is from Kosher by Design and it is perfect for Passover by just leaving out the rice and substituting matzoh meal in its place. Basically this is meatballs in a sweet and sour sauce with cabbage . I doubt very much that Joel would ever eat real “stuffed cabbage” but he liked this. The cabbage cooks down so much that you don’t even realize you’re eating cabbage. I also used 1/2 chicken ground meat and 1/2 beef ground meat , this is entirely up to you. I wouldn’t do all chicken because it might be a bit dry, you can definitely make this with turkey but use dark meat turkey or the balls will also be very dry. You can also make this ahead for the holidays which is always a very good thing and feel free to freeze it. This is the original recipe , adjust amounts for how much you’re making. I made 2 lbs. of meat but made full sauce as I was testing it out. You’ll want to use a large pot for this recipe. Enjoy!
This will be on our Rosh Hashana menu this year with raisins and meat , sweet and sour, oh so perfect!
Ingredients:
Meat
3 lbs. ground meat– I used chicken and beef (dark meat turkey is best here) white meat turkey tends to be very dry. Mixed with beef it’s fine but if using alone you’ll need to use dark meat ground turkey.
2 large eggs, lightly beaten. Use room temperature eggs they work best.*see my post about eggs–a little note on my blog.
3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice, for Passover use matzoh meal and omit the rice
1/4 cup water
1 onion finely chopped
Kosher Salt to taste–app. 1/2 to 1 tablespoon
Pepper to taste–app. 10 grinds on a pepper mill, or app. 1/4 of a tablespoon
*garlic powder if you like
Sauce:
2 packages of shredded cabbage, probably about 1 head of cabbage finely shredded, no need to do it when you can buy it pre-shredded (not red cabbage)
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Kosher Salt to taste ( app. 1/2 tablespoon)
1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
4 8 ounce cans tomato sauce ( or 32 ounces)
1/2 cup brown sugar ( use whichever brown sugar you have in house , it won’t make a difference. Light or Dark, I actually used dark.
1 cup sugar
3 lemons squeezed , I got about 1/2 cup , they were smallish lemons
1/2 cup raisins
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl combine the meat, eggs, water, rice and onions. Season with Salt and Pepper , and if you like garlic powder. Gently mix by hand, and I do mean gently, if you over do it the meat will be like concrete. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shredded cabbage and about 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tomato juice, tomato sauce, brown sugar, sugar, lemon juice and the raisins. Stir till well combined and continue cooking sauce at simmer setting.
Gently form meatballs out of the meat mixture, I made a rather nice size meatball, not too large and not too small. Make whatever size you’d like. Just do not over-handle the meat because it will cause meat to toughen. Add to cabbage mixture, just drop into the hot sauce and do not stir, you can pile them on top of one another because they will cook down.
I left it to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours . I didn’t touch the meat balls for at least the first 1/2 hour, you’ll want them to cook through and form into nice balls before you stir, so just leave them to cook. After the first 1/2 hour or so you can gently stir and move the meatballs around. They don’t require a lot of stirring around .
This dish brought back memories of my childhood and was a most satisfying main dish.
Posted in meat, Passover Recipes
Tagged Meatballs and Cabbage, Passover Recipe, Rosh Hashana Menu, unstuffed cabbage
Plum Torte
My friend Ellen sent me this recipe in the spring of last year and I couldn’t find these plums anywhere. She re-sent it to me and I think it’s a most perfect dessert, and I was thinking it would be so perfect for Jewish Holidays but the plums will no longer be available soon. You can make two and freeze one or freeze both of them for the holidays. Ellen is an awesome cook so I totally trust her on this. So here you go. It’s best made with the small italian plums that are out end of August and early September and you know how much I love using seasonal fruits and veggies. Thanks Ellen.
These plums can be called Italian Prunes as well, and try and use them because they are beyond delish!
Perfect for freezing.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet butter softened (room temp. or I soften for a few seconds in microwave , but don’t melt)
1 cup flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs ( always bake with room temp. eggs unless otherwise stated)
12 pitted purple italian plums, halved* ( often called Italian Prunes) If you can’t find the Italian Prune type you can use regular plums, but try and make this now while they are in the store and freeze this.
lemon juice and sugar for topping
Directions:
cream sugar and butter, add flour , baking powder, salt and eggs, beat well. Cut a round piece of parchment paper and line a 9 inch springform pan. Spoon the batter into pan ( it will be thick so you’ll need to spread it a bit). Place plum halves skin side up. Sprinkle plums lightly with lemon juice and then sprinkle sugar all over. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool, invert and gently peel off paper then invert again – plum side up.
This is a keeper.
Posted in Baked Goods, Holiday Recipes
Tagged jewish food, jewish holiday food, Plum Torte, Rosh Hashana
Don’t Let the Apples Go Bad Cake
Apples are the kind of fruit we eat all year round. They are always in the fridge and if they don’t get eaten, I feel guilty that they’re just sitting there and going to go bad. I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and decided to make it. I would make it and freeze it, so if you’re interested in doing so this cake freezes well. You’ll need a tube pan. You don’t need an electric mixer, so it’s pretty easy on the special equipment. Use those leftover apples–don’t let them go bad. No butter in this recipe, lots of sugar though. My house smelled divine.
I also love this recipe for the Jewish Holidays which are just around the corner…..just saying.
*you can see in photos that I use a melon baller to get the pits out of the middle of the apple. I prefer this technique over the corer thing which never really works for me. The melon baller works perfectly: first cut apple in half, then scoop out just the pits.
Thanks to Smitten Kitchen again for a wonderful recipe.
www.smittenkitchen
Ingredients:
6 apples (I used what I had in the house: a combo of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp. Good old Macintosh will work, too.)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice (try to use fresh but if not, Tropicana will do)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (this is optional; I didn’t use them this time out)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core, and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside (I sprayed with a baking spray. There’s no need to add any butter here.)
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. This mixture will be rather thick. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to get it all out of the bowl.
Pour 1/2 the batter into prepared tube pan. Spread 1/2 the apples over this. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Use your eye to halve batter and apples (don’t worry if it’s not perfectly halved.) Bake for about 90 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean. I would check cake after 1 hour 20 minutes. I baked for the full 90 minutes; it’s a rather thick cake.
Posted in Baked Goods, dessert, Holiday, Holiday Recipes
Tagged bake a cake, Don't let the apples go bad, What to do with Apples
BBQ Baked Beans
Perfect for a side dish for BBQ or indoor dining! I made these baked beans for a dinner party this summer and completely forgot to post the recipe . It’s not vegetarian friendly since I did use bacon and am afraid if you leave it out you would be leaving out an integral layer of flavor. These are sweet and delicious and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. I love a well stocked pantry and always have canned beans, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, dark and light brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. I used dark brown sugar but if you have light you can use. You’ll need thick-cut bacon and a medium yellow onion. I love when I use ingredients that I have in my house.
I saw this recipe on Valerie’s Home Cooking on The Food Network.
Ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 15 ounce cans Cannellini or Great Northern white beans
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the bacon in a large cold skillet and cook over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is almost cooked to a crisp. About 10 minutes.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally , until the onion is softened, another 10 minutes or so. Add 1 can of the beans with their liquid. Drain and rinse the second can of beans, then add them to the skillet.
Add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill. You’ll taste for salt and pepper again at the end of cooking.
Bring to a low simmer, then transfer to a small baking dish. Bake uncovered until thick and bubbly, about an hour.Taste for salt and pepper.
I cooked in my small Le Creuset from start to finish and served in my pot right to the table. Either way is fine.
Serve Warm.
Posted in Uncategorized
Cooking with Candi 