Iraqi Fish with Eris

I made this recipe in my cooking class, with Chef Eris Avihod on May 4th. Bitay Avon! 

Iraqi Fish

2 Red peppers- chopped

1 bunch of cilantro-chopped

3 tomatoes-sliced

8 Garlic cloves-sliced

2 Lemons

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

½ teaspoon of tumeric

8 cloves of garlic-chopped

8 medium sized pieces of tilapia

Fry all vegetables, except the onions, together.

Fry the onions.

After finishing frying the vegetables, add cilantro (do not fry cilantro!). Mix up all the vegetables and add seasoning.

Roast fish separately until it is flaky, and then put the vegetables on top of the fish. 

Jamie Geller's Fresh Mint Lemonade

Fresh Mint Lemonde
From "Quick & Kosher" by Jamie Geller
pg. 75

1 cup sugar
4 cups cold water, divided
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-3 sprigs of fresh mint

In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix sugar with 1 cup water. Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring continually, for 3-5 minutes.

Pour sugar syrup, lemon juice, and remaining 3 cups of water into a pitcher; add mint and stir well.

Serve in a glass over ice. 

Jamie Geller's Pan-Seared Tuna with Lemon, Capers, and Olives

From Jamie Geller’s “Quick and Kosher”

Pg. 55

Pan Seared Tuna with with Lemon, Capers, and Olives

2 cloves of garlic

¼ cup of capers, drained

½ cup assorted pitted olives, drained

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon of black pepper

2 lemons, halved and seeded

2 (8-oz) tuna stakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, place garlic, capers, olives, salt, and pepper. Blend until it becomes a paste.

Squeeze lemons over tuna. Smear the garlic paste on both sides of each tuna steak. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, place tuna in the pan; reduce heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, so that tuna is medium doneness. Keep an eye on the garlic paste to make sure it doesn’t burn. 

A Recipe that I Want to Make this Week!

This recipe is from "Dinner in Venice." Most of the recipes on this website are not GF (even the Pesach recipes) but ALL of them are kosher. I happen to seriously love Italian food, and haven't been had meatballs in a while--which aren't normally gf anyways. I've had a spaghetti shortage since coming back to Israel, where there is NO quinoa pasta here. The nice thing about this recipe is that most things are available in Israel.


"Beef Scaloppine "Pizza-Style"
Very quick and easy, and kids love it!
Serves 4

2 lb tender beef cut and beaten into very thin cutlets
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 lb crushed tomatoes (canned)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup black olives (optional)


Heat the oil in a skillet and when it's warm add the garlic. Cook the garlic till it's golden then add the crushed tomatoes, the herbs, olives if using, and salt.

Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes (about 8 to 10), then add the meat and cover it well with the sauce. Cover the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes.

Flip the cutlets, cover again and cook the other side for another 5 minutes. If your cutlets were beaten thin, this should be enough: if you cook for too long the meat will harden. Serve the meat in its sauce. This dish re-heats well, and can also be made with turkey cutlets if you do not eat red meat."

Link: http://www.dinnerinvenice.com/main-courses-meat.html

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

A Critique of Joy of Kosher's 'Roasted  Carrots  and  Parsnips' Recipe

 

 

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced lengthwise 500g
• 1 lb parsnips, peeled and sliced lengthwise 500g **(According to my sources, AND after scouring the shuk for 2+ hours, I can safely say that parsnips are not so available in Israel. So, I used 2 pounds of carrots) 
• 2 Tbsp honey 30 mL
• 3 Tbsp canola oil 45 mL (I used olive oil--which smells amazing!) 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 1
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 15 mL (Again, I scoured the Machane Yehuda shuk for hours and didn't find any rosemary. There is a spice store near the entrance to the shuk on Agripas where I bought dried spices.) 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preparation

1 Prepare carrots and parsnips. Place in large plastic bag.
2 Combine honey, canola oil, garlic and rosemary in a small bowl. Mix well. **(I decided since my honey was too cold, so I microwaved the ingredients together. It smeleld amazing.) Pour into plastic bag and shake to coat vegetables. **(This is where I would change the recipe--which tasted more like roasted garlic than roasted garlic carrots. I could barely taste the garlic and honey flavors. Next time, I'm going to let this marinate overnight OR pour some of the ingredients on top of the carrots while they're roasting.)
3 Empty carrots and parsnips on a foil-lined roasting pan. Roast at 350F (180 C) for 45-60 minutes, turning once or twice, until vegetables are tender and nicely browned. (This took me approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.)

Source: canolainfo.org

http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/roasted-carrots-and-parsnips/

Kyoto Express

After the Pizza Hut debacle, we took a bus to the center of town hoping to get some meat. We trudged along Hillel and Shammai Streets trying to find another pizza place that, according to rumor, makes gf pizza. Sadly, we didn't find it--and opted for sushi instead. I was going to eat it plain, until the waitress offered me spicy mayo. When I asked her if it had gluten, she said yes, but then offered to get gluten-free soya. It was no extra charge, there was no bs, and no excessive explaining. I really appreciated that!

The branch that we went to is at 12 Hillel Street, Jerusalem. This is smack-dab in the center of town! Please check out their website and facebook page. I can't even begin to say how nice it is that there are sushi places where you don't have to tote around your own soy sauce and where the staff is competent enough to know what gluten is!

To find locations other locations in Beit HaKerem (Jerusalem) and Ranaana, check their website. If anyone would like me to translate for them, please just shoot me an e-mail at gfkosherchef@gmail.com or facebook me!
http://www.kyotoexpress.co.il/branch.php?act=cat

Kashrut: Rabbinate of Jerusalem. Closed on Shabbat!

Black 'n' Burger Bar -- Jerusalem, Israel

Wow, we had a great night out at Black 'n' Burger Bar on Shlomtzion haMalka Street! When we first walked up the stairs to B 'n' B, it looked a bit like a club. The inside was dark, and has black tables and a long bar, with a patio for smokers. I felt as though I should be pulsing to the beat... I had to remind myself that B 'n' B is just a burger joint, that just happens to be the cousin of a trendy club. This is probably not the type of place that I'd like to hang out on a Saturday night, as it would probably be crawling with bold and beautiful American teenagers, but for a nice, quiet dinner for a couple in their 20's on a Tuesday, it worked really well!

B 'n' B is located at 18 Shlomtzion haMalka Street. We had French fries, a small salad with (gf) thousand island dressing, and a burger on a GF bun. There was a waitress who was an Anglo, and was able to answer my more in-depth questions about the food (such as, "are the hamburgers made with bread crumbs?"). They have a special English-language menu (like many restaurants in Jerusalem) which makes things easier, especially if there is no Anglo waiter or waitress around. 

Best of all, they had SOUFFLE that was gluten-free (I almost couldn't believe it, it was deliciously ridiculous, warm with flowing, hot, dark chocolate pulsing through the center.) It felt like a completely normal night, where my gluten allergy didn't hamper me from enjoying a normal dinner.

I'd like to personally thank B 'n' B for doing a huge mitzvah in providing food to those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Now come to America, already!

Any questions, call their number: 02-624-6767
Gluten-Note: B 'n' B doesn't take responsibility for food being completely gf, as many things are prepared in the same oven/environment. However, for those who can tolerate traces of gluten, this is a great option.


Kashrut: B 'n' B is certified by the Jerusalem Rabbinate, which is generally a strict kashering agency. The only problem is that B 'n' B is NOT halak (glatt), which poses a problem for most Sephardim and some Ashkenazim. I was so hungry, and starved for a good burger, that I used the Ashkenazi koola and ate non-glatt meat. The other options: since there is no such things as a glatt chicken, this is a fine option for those who won't compromise on halak and are willing to eat rabbinute chicken. There is also a veggie burger option!