As I write this, spring can’t decide if it should stay or let winter come back for a final good-bye. So this selection of recipes straddles the seasons with a hearty, nutritious, comforting soup for winter and a light spring vegetable soup as a nod to spring. Either soup could be a light entree. A Taste of Shabbat side dish is also featured along with two dishes made by our preschool children and served to our MESH guests. Put everything together and you’ll have a not too labor intensive meal from soup to dessert.
Happy cooking!
Easy, Semi-Homemade Red Pepper & Tomato Vegetable Soup (25-30 servings) from Lynne Kurzweil
Ingredients:
6 quarts of Pacific Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup (Costco)
1 giant bag of frozen mixed vegetables (Costco)
1 1/2 cups small macaroni, like elbows or shells
Directions:
1. Heat soup in a large pot until simmering.
2. Add frozen vegetables and cook until veggies are soft and soup is still simmering.
3. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
NOTE: Adjust the amounts for a family sized pot of soup.
Spring Vegetable Soup (4-6 servings) from Aileen Grossberg
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large leek, thinly sliced, white and tender green part only
8 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 lb. dry pasta like orecchiette or tubettini
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas, cut in half on the diagonal
2 cup broccoli rabe, coarsely chopped
6 spring carrots, washed and trimmed, cut on the diagonal
Directions:
1.Preheat a 10-inch frying pan on medium heat until the rim is hot to the touch.
2. Add the oil and butter and let the butter melt. Swirl the butter in the oil.
3. When the foam from the butter subsides, add the leeks. Sauté the leeks until tender and transparent, about 3 minutes.
4. In a 6.5- quart sauce pot, heat the vegetable broth on medium high heat. When broth reaches a gentle boil, add all other ingredients.
5. Continue to heat at a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
6. Serve with crusty bread.
NOTES: 1. Replace butter with margarine or all oil for a parve meal.
2. A bit of soy sauce or lemon juice, gives the broth extra flavor.
3. For al dente pasta add the pasta about 10 minutes into the cooking or cook separately and add at the end of the cooking.
4. Try to choose a pasta size and shape that complements the vegetables. The soup will cook more evenly and look more attractive.
5. To adjust for Passover, omit the snap peas and substitute celery sliced on the diagonal or other appropriate vegetable. Use matzah farfel or tiny matzah balls to replace the pasta.
6. If the soup seems too thick, add a bit more broth, even powdered will do.
Lentil Salad with Dill and Tomatoes (4-6 servings) from Pete Hoffman via Epicurious
Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils (preferably small French lentils)
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 lb. tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
4 large scallions, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Buy all at FreshDirect
Directions:
1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan with lentils, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes.
3. Drain in a large sieve, then transfer to a large bowl.
4. Toss hot lentils with tomatoes, scallions, dill, basil, vinegar, oil, pepper, and remaining salt.
NOTES: 1. Pete leaves out the tomatoes and dill and adds Dijon mustard to dressing.
2. Don’t have green onion? Use shallots or red onion instead.
Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette (yields 1 1/2 cups) from Chef Ashley Ricart
Ingredients:
3 limes or about 1/2 cup juice
3 tablespoons vinegar (white or champagne work best)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup olive oil
1 handful cilantro
salt to taste
Directions:
1. If using a blender put all ingredients in the blender, process and add salt to taste.
2. If whisking by hand, add the first 3 ingredients and which until honey is well incorporated.
3. Slowly drizzle the oil while whisking. Add chopped cilantro and salt to taste.
4. Drizzle over your favorite salad or over fresh veggies.
NOTES: 1. Chef Ashley says: Using the blender helps to emulsify the ingredients and break down the cilantro. Don’t get too fussy picking off each cilantro leaf. Just rip off the head of the bunch and let the blender or knife do the work.
2. This technique works well for parsley, too.
Apple Crisp (4-6 servings) from Chef Ashley Ricard
Ingredients:
4-6 apples of your choice, peeled cored and diced to any shape or size if you have little hands helping, ideally about ½ inch cube
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon divided
½ teaspoon salt divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup light or dark brown sugar
2 cups rolled uncooked oats
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1/2-3/4 cup of vegetable/coconut oil OR 1 stick of unsalted butter cubed
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8X8 baking dish, 6 ramekins or any baking dish that can fit the apples almost to the top.
2. Mix the apples with granulated sugar, cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, and vanilla.
3. Pour into prepared baking dish.
4. Mix brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
5. Add oil and mix until well combined. If using butter or coconut oil use a fork or pastry cutter to combine.
6. Pour flour mixture on top of apples. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples juices start to bubble.
NOTES:1.Chef Ashley says: This recipe is really flexible. Feel free to use any apples you have on hand or any apples your kids enjoy. During the class with the 3 year-olds, we used a combo of Gala and Red Delicious. You could easily swap out half of the apples for pears as well. The sugars can also be substituted for any alternative sugar you may use at home, i.e., maple sugar or coconut sugar. You can also substitute cold coconut oil or butter in place of vegetable oil.
2. If you are not concerned about nut allergies, add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the topping.
- Is It Passover Yet? - Thu, Apr 18, 2024
- MESH Report April 9, 2024 - Thu, Apr 11, 2024
- Guess Who? - Wed, Mar 13, 2024