Search Cooking with Candi
Cooking with Candi Archives
Recipe categories
-
Join 2,757 other subscribers
Tag Archives: holiday recipes
Homemade Chicken Soup with Not-So-Homemade Matzo Balls
I always make my own chicken soup. It is delicious broth. I usually make a few batches and freeze them because it’s a great thing to have frozen in quart containers as stock and will last for up to six months frozen. When the holidays come—whether Rosh Hashanah or Passover—I always make my chicken soup with matzo balls. I make the soup a day ahead and skim whatever fat is on there before adding my matzo balls. Keep reading for my “secret matzo ball recipe”.
INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK:
1 5lb. organic roasting chicken (I throw away the insides)
1 package of chicken wings (this was suggested to me a long time ago by my BFF Karyn and she was oh so right. It adds some fat, which translates into a lot of flavor and you will skim off the fat the next day. Thanks, Karyn…yes, I remembered!)
1 large, yellow Spanish onion; unpeeled and quartered
A big bunch of dill
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
4 carrots, unpeeled and halved
Bunch of flat-leaf parsley (Use this only if you want. This time, I didn’t have it so I used only the dill.)
A bunch of thyme (if you wish)
1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise (skin and all)
2 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
DIRECTIONS FOR SOUP:
I place the chicken, chicken wings, onion, carrots, celery, whatever herbs I’m using, garlic, salt and pepper in as large a pot as I can find (usually about a 16-20 qt. stockpot.) Add cold water to cover chicken by at least 2 inches above the chicken but not to the top of the pot because it will boil over (very messy). Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours. I skim the soup skum (sounds lovely) off for the first half hour or so—after that, you shouldn’t have much more. I remove the chicken from the broth after an hour or so, because it is cooked and it will taste like a rubber chicken if you plan on eating it. Sometimes, I like to shred it and return it to the soup. If you are not using the chicken (what a waste of good chicken), just leave it in. It will fall apart in there. I leave the wings and discard them at the end of the 3 hours. Next, I strain all of the soup, discard all remnants, fill my containers and put in the fridge. The next day (or the day of the holiday), I usually skim off the fat that has risen to the top and make my matzo balls (recipe below).
MATZO BALLS:
This has always been my secret, but now it’s out. Okay, I own it. After years of making matzo balls from scratch, my mother (yes, my mother, the cook) turned me on to Manischewitz boxed matzo ball mix! It just wasn’t worth it. My balls weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, whereas these are always perfection! Light and fluffy and everyone always loves them. No sinkers here!
I follow the directions on the box carefully. They sell just the mix box. You will need vegetable oil and 2 eggs per box. I do add a little piece of dill inside each ball, but that’s it! Now my secret is out. Sometimes this is really the only way to go. It saves time and ingredients and is really good. No MSG or trans-fats either! So make the soup, cheat with the balls, and enjoy. There is no substitute for homemade chicken soup, though.
*You can also add thin soup noodles to this recipe, if you like. (obviously not on Passover)
Mushroom Barley (egg noodles)- Side Dish
this is an old recipe of mine that I’ve played around with and made last night for this evening. it came out delicious. it makes a perfect side dish anytime of the year. not too difficult to make , takes a little playing around but pretty easy . i used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape this time. you can use pearl barley which is available in almost every supermarket out there. i have to say this product worked very well. Not exactly Mushroom and Barley?? but barley shape egg noodles
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cup Pearl Barley or any kind you can find ( I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape) it doesn’t have to be toasted it can just be regular barley shape noodles. I love to use this product , it’s usually found in kosher section.
1 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 spanish onion chopped
2 – 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
i use a very little bit of vegetable oil ( maybe 1 tablespoon) and saute onions, then mushrooms till cooked down. i salt and pepper generously here. i remove the mushroom/onion mixture from saute pan, wipe the pan clean with a paper towel . melt butter or margarine in pan, brown the barley for about 4 – 5 minutes, move it around as you brown it. in the meantime transfer mushroom/ onion mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with pam) when barley is browned place in dish with mushrooms and onions and mix well. add 2 cups of chicken broth. cover with aluminum foil, and bake in oven covered at 350 degrees for app. 45 minutes. remove from oven, and add a little broth, depending on how dry it is, i would say i added about 1/2 cup , you may need to add more, add the 1/2 cup and mix well and see if you need more, not too watery, keep it dryer. cover, and i put it back in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. taste for salt and pepper. and there it is. very delicious.
Mushroom Barley – Side Dish
this is an old recipe of mine that I’ve played around with and made last night for this evening. it came out delicious. it makes a perfect side dish anytime of the year. not too difficult to make , takes a little playing around but pretty easy . i used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape this time. you can use pearl barley which is available in almost every supermarket out there. i have to say this product worked very well. Not exactly Mushroom and Barley?? but barley shape
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cup Pearl Barley or any kind you can find ( I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape) it doesn’t have to be toasted it can just be regular barley shape noodles. I love to use this product , it’s usually found in kosher section.
1 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 spanish onion chopped
2 – 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
i use a very little bit of vegetable oil ( maybe 1 tablespoon) and saute onions, then mushrooms till cooked down. i salt and pepper generously here. i remove the mushroom/onion mixture from saute pan, wipe the pan clean with a paper towel . melt butter or margarine in pan, brown the barley for about 4 – 5 minutes, move it around as you brown it. in the meantime transfer mushroom/ onion mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with pam) when barley is browned place in dish with mushrooms and onions and mix well. add 2 cups of chicken broth. cover with aluminum foil, and bake in oven covered at 350 degrees for app. 45 minutes. remove from oven, and add a little broth, depending on how dry it is, i would say i added about 1/2 cup , you may need to add more, add the 1/2 cup and mix well and see if you need more, not too watery, keep it dryer. cover, and i put it back in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. taste for salt and pepper. and there it is. very delicious.
Grandma Regina’s Farfel for Passover
I must preface this with the fact that anyone who’s ever had this farfel dish loves it. It is steeped in tradition, it was made absolutely the best by my Grandma Regina, and only seconded by my mother (G’ma Millie). It is a very tricky dish to make, and after many failed attempts,
I figured out that doubling it doesn’t work, and you must let it dry out!!! It should probably sit out to dry for at least 2 hours. I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true. Of course, G’ma Regina never wrote a single thing down, so you’ll be winging the spices and the oil, because I always do. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but it’s so delish and we only make it but once a year. When I was little I couldn’t wait to have it at my grandparents’ house. We looked forward to it every year at Seder. It’s no surprise that it’s Joel’s favorite. He remembers my grandmother’s and that’s a tough act to follow even after all these years. It’s tradition in our house to always have it on Passover, and what better way to remember Grandma Regina. There is no better legacy to a great cook than a well cooked farfel.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 canisters matzoh farfel
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (regular white mushrooms)
2 spanish onions, peeled and sliced thinly
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt (app. 1 tablespoon)
Freshly ground black pepper (app. 1/2 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon garlic powder (every year I guess this amount. If you’d like, you can also use fresh garlic, and then it would probably be approx. 2 minced cloves.)
Paprika (get some good paprika here and use a good dash for color)
6 eggs
Directions:
Beat eggs with spices (the paprika will add a red color). Coat the farfel with the egg mixture. Add oil to a large heavy skillet, about 1/4 inch deep, and heat over medium-high flame. Toss farfel in the hot oil, and coat well; farfel should brown a little bit. (Don’t burn.) Then add water to just cover the farfel, bring to a boil, then simmer until water dissolves. After the water is all gone I turn the flame off and just let it sit there and dry out. I cannot emphasize enough how important this step is. Go out and do something else, and come back to it.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute the mushrooms and onions with salt and pepper and a dash of paprika here as well. The farfel is very bland and you’ll need the salt and pepper. Put this in a container ’til you’re ready to use it. You will eventually add it to dried out farfel. When farfel is completely dried out (at least 2 hours), add the mushroom and onion mixture to it. Taste for salt and pepper. Mix well and bake in a Pyrex dish at 375 degrees for about 1 – 1/2 hours. You want it to get crispy. If it’s too dry, add a little more oil to baking dish. Stir it often–you’ll have to open oven a few times and stir. Your house will smell great while making this. My family likes this on the crispy side, so I let it cook for a long time, but you’ll be able to tell when it’s done–it will be bubbly and crispy! Enjoy and good luck!
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
Mushroom Barley – Side Dish
this is an old recipe of mine that I’ve played around with and have made over and over through the years. It is so very delicious and is so perfect for Rosh Hashana and it makes a perfect side dish anytime of the year. It is not too difficult to make , takes a little playing around but pretty easy . I use Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape (which is really a pasta) you can use pearl barley which is available in almost every supermarket out there. i have to say this product worked very well. Not exactly Mushroom and Barley?? but barley shape pasta is the way we roll in our house.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cup Pearl Barley or any kind you can find ( I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape) it doesn’t have to be toasted it can just be regular barley shape noodles. I love to use this product , it’s usually found in kosher section.
1 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 spanish onion chopped
2 – 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
i use a very little bit of vegetable oil ( maybe 1 tablespoon) and saute onions, then mushrooms till cooked down. i salt and pepper generously here. i remove the mushroom/onion mixture from saute pan, wipe the pan clean with a paper towel . melt butter or margarine in pan, brown the barley for about 4 – 5 minutes, move it around as you brown it. in the meantime transfer mushroom/ onion mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with pam) when barley is browned place in dish with mushrooms and onions and mix well. add 2 cups of chicken broth. cover with aluminum foil, and bake in oven covered at 350 degrees for app. 45 minutes. remove from oven, and add a little broth, depending on how dry it is, i would say i added about 1/2 cup , you may need to add more, add the 1/2 cup and mix well and see if you need more, not too watery, keep it dryer. cover, and i put it back in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. taste for salt and pepper. and there it is. very delicious.
Homemade Chicken Soup with Not-So-Homemade Matzo Balls
I always make my own chicken soup. It is delicious broth. I usually make a few batches and freeze them because it’s a great thing to have frozen in quart containers as stock and will last for up to six months frozen. When the holidays come—whether Rosh Hashanah or Passover—I always make my chicken soup with matzo balls. I make the soup a day ahead and skim whatever fat is on there before adding my matzo balls. Keep reading for my “secret matzo ball recipe”.
INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK:
1 5lb. organic roasting chicken (I throw away the insides)
1 package of chicken wings (this was suggested to me a long time ago by my BFF Karyn and she was oh so right. It adds some fat, which translates into a lot of flavor and you will skim off the fat the next day. Thanks, Karyn…yes, I remembered!)
1 large, yellow Spanish onion; unpeeled and quartered
A big bunch of dill
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
4 carrots, unpeeled and halved
Bunch of flat-leaf parsley (Use this only if you want. This time, I didn’t have it so I used only the dill.)
A bunch of thyme (if you wish)
1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise (skin and all)
2 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
DIRECTIONS FOR SOUP:
I place the chicken, chicken wings, onion, carrots, celery, whatever herbs I’m using, garlic, salt and pepper in as large a pot as I can find (usually about a 16-20 qt. stockpot.) Add cold water to cover chicken by at least 2 inches above the chicken but not to the top of the pot because it will boil over (very messy). Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours. I skim the soup skum (sounds lovely) off for the first half hour or so—after that, you shouldn’t have much more. I remove the chicken from the broth after an hour or so, because it is cooked and it will taste like a rubber chicken if you plan on eating it. Sometimes, I like to shred it and return it to the soup. If you are not using the chicken (what a waste of good chicken), just leave it in. It will fall apart in there. I leave the wings and discard them at the end of the 3 hours. Next, I strain all of the soup, discard all remnants, fill my containers and put in the fridge. The next day (or the day of the holiday), I usually skim off the fat that has risen to the top and make my matzo balls (recipe below).
MATZO BALLS:
This has always been my secret, but now it’s out. Okay, I own it. After years of making matzo balls from scratch, my mother (yes, my mother, the cook) turned me on to Manischewitz boxed matzo ball mix! It just wasn’t worth it. My balls weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, whereas these are always perfection! Light and fluffy and everyone always loves them. No sinkers here!
I follow the directions on the box carefully. They sell just the mix box. You will need vegetable oil and 2 eggs per box. I do add a little piece of dill inside each ball, but that’s it! Now my secret is out. Sometimes this is really the only way to go. It saves time and ingredients and is really good. No MSG or trans-fats either! So make the soup, cheat with the balls, and enjoy. There is no substitute for homemade chicken soup, though.
*You can also add thin soup noodles to this recipe, if you like. (obviously not on Passover)
Passover ’15
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost Passover and Easter!! Crazy how time just flies. The good news is that it must mean that Spring is on the way. I have so very many wonderful recipes for Passover on my site but am always on the lookout for some new ones. If you are on my website just put Passover Recipes into the search box and you should be able to pull up all of my tried and true recipes from my life. I’ve been trying to make sure that all of my recipes are tagged properly so this should work.
I have a few new ones that I am going to attempt to post in the next few weeks. So be on the lookout.
There are so very many wonderful recipes that have been in our family for years and am certain that you would enjoy making them a part of your family’s tradition as well. Some of these recipes contain dairy and some do not , clearly the ones containing dairy would not work for those who keep kosher. I think there are enough of both on here. I am always open to new recipes if you’d like to send them to me. I may not get to post them till next Passover but please feel free to email them to me.
Some of the Passover recipes you may want to look at:
Peach Farfel Recipe — an absolute winner, it’s never Passover without it.
Grandma Regina’s Farfel Recipe–obviously a part of my life since I was a young girl
Julie’s Brownie Recipe–a recent addition but wonderful one. Who doesn’t want chocolate? even on Passover with no flour?
Homemade Chicken Soup with not so Homemade Matzoh Balls–what would Passover be without matzoh balls?
Honey Roasted Chicken–good for anytime and perfect addition to the holiday table
Chicken Marbella–one of our favorite chicken dishes for Passover
Old School Meatballs–sweet and sour meatballs
Karyn’s Cranberry -Apple Crisp for Passover–Best Ever
Sweet Matzoh Pudding–wonderful
Judy’s Apple Matzoh Kugel for Passover–an awesome addition to any table
Cathy’s Popovers–perfect served with gefilte fish and matzoh ball soup , just leave them on the table and watch them disappear. Light and Delicious.
Spinach Souffle for Passover–a delicious vegetable side dish
Happy New Year Brisket–originally added for Rosh Hashana but why not for Passover?
Meringue Cookies–easy and great for dessert
Macaroons–my all time favorite
Charoset–gotta have it
Ellen’s Passover Apple Cake–another wonderful addition to any Passover Dessert Table
Matzoh Brei–what to do with all that leftover matzoh during Passover
Macaroons — freshly dipped
Peach Farfel
Spinach Souffle for Passover *dairy
Julie’s Brownie for Passover
Grandma Regina’s Farfel
Macaroons fresh out of the oven
Posted in Holiday Recipes, Passover Recipes, Uncategorized
Tagged holiday recipes, Passover, Passover '15
Old School Meatballs (sweet and sour)
Here is a last minute addition for Rosh Hashana. They are “old school” but still hold up. If you’re looking for an easy addition to your menu this could be it. L’Shana Tova from our house to yours. Enjoy!
- Sweet and Sour MBalls with Turkey
I have been making this recipe since I got married in 1975. It is really a perfect recipe for holidays or any time. You can use these meatballs with rice or anything like that. They are good for a big crowd when you have poultry and want another main. A lot of you are probably very familiar with this one and have different versions of it. Believe it or not, I still have the very original recipe. I’ve made a few changes to it: I now add my own bread crumbs, which I always make from whole wheat bread but feel free to use store-bought seasoned bread crumbs; If you want you can make these for* Passover by substituting matzo meal for bread crumbs. I also grate in a little onion (spanish); and my mother taught me to grate in a little potato so I always do that, as well. Now and then I’ll use turkey in this recipe too. Otherwise, this is the original and it’s super easy. I used turkey this time out, and they came out perfectly.
INGREDIENTS: (This is for one pound but you can definitely double and these freeze beautifully.)
1 lb. ground beef (Whatever kind you like. I sometimes use ground turkey. In 1975, we all ate beef, but today you might want to use ground turkey or ground chicken.
1 egg (room temp. works best)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (if you’re using from the can) I use 3 slices of whole wheat bread crusts removed. (when I doubled I used 5 slices and it was enough)
*For Passover – omit the bread crumbs and replace with matzo meal
Kosher Salt, app. 1 teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (1/4 teaspoon)
1 clove garlic, minced (the original calls for garlic powder but I’ve changed this as well. If you prefer, try 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon)
1/8 cup warm water (just to moisten it) when you double just add up to 1/4 , I don’t usually use the whole 1/4 cup.
1/4 spanish onion, grated
1/4 potato, grated
1 bottle (12 oz.) Heinz chili sauce
6 oz. grape jelly
Directions:
Mix meat, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, and water all together. I then grate in the onion and potato too. Next, shape into small balls about 3/4 inches in diameter. Heat the chili sauce and grape jelly until they blend and bring to a low boil. Then drop the raw meatballs into the sauce and simmer, covered, for approx. 45 minutes. Again, these can be made ahead and frozen. They are quick, easy, and so good. The larger the pot the more balls you’re able to get in, so a large dutch oven works out best for this.
* serves about 8 – 10
*Some people have been known to throw a can of sauerkraut in the sauce, which is also delicious, but you hafta like that flavor. (Just saying…)
Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, meat
Tagged holiday recipes, old school meatballs, Passover Recipe, Rosh Hashana
Cooking with Candi 
