Carrot Salad with Mint and Dates
Moroccan carrot salads flavored with cumin and coriander have become a staple of the Jewish table, says Leah Koenig in “Modern Jewish Cooking,” but she prefers this alternative. Grated carrots get paired with Mediterranean ingredients like dates, fresh mint and hazelnuts for a sweet, crunchy, lemon-kissed salad. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
½ cup raw hazelnuts (skins on)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, peeled
⅓
cup finely chopped pitted Deglet Noor dates
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
3 cups baby arugula
Directions
Place the hazelnuts in a small pan set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool completely, then peel off the skins with your fingers and roughly chop.
Whisk together the lemon juice, shallot and olive oil in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater or with a food processor fit with a shredding blade. Combine the grated carrots, toasted hazelnuts, dates, mint and arugula in a large bowl.
Drizzle with the dressing and gently toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice, if desired. Divide the salad among plates and serve immediately. (If not serving right away, keep the dressing and salad in separate containers; combine and toss just before serving.)
Tomato-Chickpea Soup with Spinach
This recipe from “Modern Jewish Cooking” adds a new dimension to the classic, spiking it with herbs and spices, and enriching it with chickpeas and fresh spinach. The smoky, spicy soup is equally delicious swirled with labneh or yogurt or served dairy-free. Serves 6.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoons dried basil
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cans (15½ ounce) chickpeas, drained
1 can (14½ ounces) diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
labneh or yogurt for serving
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, basil, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add one can of chickpeas, the tomatoes with their juice, broth and sugar. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Purée the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or working in batches in a standard blender. Return the soup to the pot, set over low heat, and stir in the remaining one can of chickpeas and the spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with more salt, if desired. Divide into bowls and dollop with labneh (strained yogurt). Serve hot.
Red Wine and Honey Brisket
For many people, brisket is the Proustian madeleine of Jewish cooking, says Leah Koenig in “Modern Jewish Cooking.” No question that the brisket your bubbe made was the best ever, and you cannot compete with the layers of memories that flavor her version in your mind. But this version slow-cooks the meat in a sweet, tangy mixture of honey and red wine until it falls apart at the touch of a fork. Serves 8 to 10.
Note: This recipe calls for second-cut brisket, which is sometimes referred to as deckle. It can be difficult to find second-cut brisket packaged in the grocery store, so ask your butcher about it. While you’re asking for things, see if the butcher will trim off any excess fat, too. If you have first-cut brisket on hand, go ahead and use it—the dish will still be delicious.
Brisket’s flavor and texture improve with age, so while you can certainly serve it right away, itwill taste best if you make it a day in advance. Once the brisket has chilled in the refrigerator overnight, spoon off and discard any excess fat congealed at the top and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Thinly slice the brisket against the grain (meat is easier to slice when it’s cold), then place the slices back into the Dutch oven or roasting pan, spooning some of the saucy onion mixture over the top. Warm in a 300 degree oven until hot and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.
Ingredients
4- to 5-pound brisket, preferably second cut
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 large yellow onions, halved through the root and thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
1½ cups dry red wine
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup chicken broth
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously sprinkle both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the brisket and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. (If the brisket does not fit all at once, cut it in half and sear it in batches.)
Remove the brisket from the pot and set aside on a cutting board. Add the onions, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves to the pot, followed by ½ cup of the wine and the vinegar. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften slightly and the mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Whisk together the remaining 1 cup wine, honey, onion powder, garlic powder, broth, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until fully combined. If you used a Dutch oven, lay the brisket on top of the onions and pour the wine mixture over the top. Cover and transfer to the oven. If you used a pot, transfer the onion mixture to a roasting pan and top with the brisket. Pour the wine mixture over the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven.
Cook the brisket for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, uncover, and carefully turn the meat to the other side. Re-cover and continue cooking until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 21/2 hours more.
Remove from the oven and transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Locate the thin lines running in one direction along the brisket and use a sharp knife to cut thin slices perpendicular to those lines. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the cooking liquid. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions and arrange around the brisket. Spoon the desired amount of pan juices over the brisket. Serve hot.
