Kiddush with a Southern Flair

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The kiddush luncheon for MLK Shabbat (1/13/2024) was sponsored by participants from the November Civil Rights trip. In keeping with that experience, kiddush coordinator Dale Russakoff (who herself grew up in Alabama) planned a Southern-themed menu. The kiddush crew prepared these recipes: Southern Cajun Salmon, Soul Food Mac & Cheese, Southern-style BBQ Tofu (for a vegan option) and Sweet Potato Pie. There was also a chopped salad, “Sweet Cole Slaw” from Shoprite with bagged cole slaw and shredded carrots mixed in, and cornbread from a mix.

Thank you to Dale and to these other volunteers for preparing the kiddush luncheon: Lou Hammerman, Lynne Tapper, Gerry Blume, Linda Blume, Vicki Compter, Risa Bernstein, Fern Hening, Alex Kent, and Aileen Grossberg. 

Here are the recipes:

Southern Cajun Salmon

Ingredients

1 Fresh Alaska center cut Salmon
3 Tbsp Olive or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp Real Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Creole spicy mustard
pinch dried oregano
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place parchment paper in the bottom of a heavy cast iron skillet or baking dish. Add 2 Tbsp oil on top of parchment paper.
  3. Prepare the Creole Sauce: In a small mixing bowl, mix creole mustard and mayonnaise until well blended. Add Italian seasoning and mix well.
  4. Coat Salmon filet with 1 Tbsp of oil. Add the sauce mixture on top of the salmon covering top and sides. Sprinkle a dash of dried oregano on top as garnish
  5. Place Salmon in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the sauce is slightly brown. (The internal temperature of the salmon should be at least 165 degrees.)

Soul Food Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

1½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni
4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon mustard
Salt to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
3 cups cold whole milk
1 ¼ cup mild or sharp cheddar cheese cubes I have used mild
⅓ cup mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoon chopped onion

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Grease a 9-inch pan with oil or butter and keep aside.
  3. Cook the macaroni as per the package instructions. Drain and keep aside.
  4. In a saucepan, add the butter and when it melts add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the flour and stir for two minutes on medium-low until the raw smell of flour disappears. Add the salt and black pepper, stir for few seconds.
  5. Pour the milk and keep stirring to avoid forming lumps. When the sauce is thick, add the mustard and stir for one minute. Turn off the heat and add all the cheeses, cover the pan and let it set for two minutes.
  6. Uncover the pan and stir the sauce. Add in the macaroni and mix and then pour in the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Southern-style BBQ Tofu 

Ingredients

2 blocks firm or extra-firm tofu (14 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
18 ounces (about 2 cups) of Trader Joe’s brand BBQ sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease a large sheet pan.
  3. Press the tofu by wrapping the blocks in paper towels or a clean tea towel. Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put something heavy (such as a cast iron pan) on top of that. Let the tofu press for about 30 minutes.
  4. Cut the tofu into cubes. Add the tofu pieces to a large ziplock bag. Add the olive oil, cornstarch and salt; close the bag and very gently shake to coat the tofu.
  5. Arrange the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until golden on top. Remove from the oven briefly, pour on the bbq sauce, give it a little stir so the bbq sauce coats the tofu pieces and bake for another 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients

2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups evaporated milk
⅜ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons rum
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Into food processor, put sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, eggs and butter or margarine. Blend until smooth. Pour into pie shell.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Bake for about 50 minutes more, or until the filling is firm.
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