Kosher and Traditional Jewish Cooking: Authentic Recipes From a Classic Culinary Heritage: 130 Delicious Dishes Shown in 220 Stunning Photographs (5 page)

3
Stir the dill into the soup, then ladle into bowls and serve garnished with egg, lemon, sour cream and a sprinkling of parsley and dill.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 49kcal/207kJ; Protein 2.1g; Carbohydrate 9.4g, of which sugars 5.1g; Fat 0.7g, of which saturates 0.1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Calcium 83mg; Fibre 2.8g; Sodium 58mg.

This soup is sometimes known as Esau’s soup and may be served as part of a meal for Shabbat or as a meze the next day. Red lentils and vegetables are cooked and puréed, then sharpened with lots of lemon juice.

SERVES 4

45ml/3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

1–2 carrots, sliced

8 garlic cloves, chopped

1 potato, peeled and diced

250g/9oz/generous 1 cup red lentils

1 litre/1
3
/
4
pints/4 cups vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

1–2 lemons, halved

2.5ml/
1
/
2
tsp ground cumin, or to taste

cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, to taste

salt and ground black pepper

lemon slices and chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, to serve

1
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the celery, carrots, half the garlic and all the potato. Cook for a few minutes until beginning to soften.

2
Add the lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potato and lentils are tender.

3
Add the bay leaves, remaining garlic and half the lemons to the pan and cook the soup for a further 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemons, then stir into the soup, to taste.

4
Pour the soup into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. (You may need to do this in batches.) Pour the soup back into the pan, stir in the cumin, cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

5
Ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with lemon slices and a sprinkling of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 308kcal/1297kJ; Protein 14.8g; Carbohydrate 44g, of which sugars 4.9g; Fat 9.3g, of which saturates 1.4g; Cholesterol 0mg; Calcium 48mg; Fibre 4.3g; Sodium 42mg.

This classic Middle Eastern dish is made from cooked chickpeas, ground to a paste and flavoured with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and cumin. It is delicious served with wedges of toasted pitta bread or crudités.

SERVES 4–6

400g/14oz can chickpeas, drained

60ml/4 tbsp tahini

2–3 garlic cloves, chopped

juice of
1
/
2
–1 lemon

cayenne pepper

small pinch to 1.5ml/
1
/
4
tsp ground cumin, or more to taste

salt and ground black pepper

1
Using a potato masher or food processor, coarsely mash the chickpeas. If you prefer a smoother purée, process them in a food processor or blender until smooth.

2
Mix the tahini into the chickpeas, then stir in the garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add a little water. Serve at room temperature.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 140kcal/586kJ; Protein 6.9g; Carbohydrate 11.2g, of which sugars 0.4g; Fat 7.8g, of which saturates 1.1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Calcium 97mg; Fibre 3.6g; Sodium 149mg.

The quantities in this richly flavoured Middle Eastern aubergine dip can be varied according to taste. Adjust the amount of aubergine, garlic and lemon juice depending on how creamy, garlicky or tart you want the dip to be.

SERVES 2–4

1 large or 2 medium aubergines (eggplants)

2–4 garlic cloves, chopped, to taste

90–150ml/6–10 tbsp tahini

juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

1.5ml/
1
/
4
tsp ground cumin, or to taste

salt

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

coriander (cilantro) leaves, hot pepper sauce and a few olives and/or pickled cucumbers and (bell) peppers, to garnish

pitta bread or chunks of crusty French bread, to serve

1
Place the aubergine(s) directly over the flame of a gas stove or on the coals of a barbecue. Turn fairly frequently until deflated and the skin is evenly charred. Remove from the heat with a pair of tongs.

2
Put the aubergine(s) in a plastic bag or in a bowl and seal tightly. Leave to cool for 30–60 minutes.

3
Peel off the blackened skin from the aubergine(s), reserving the juices. Chop the flesh, either by hand for a textured result or in a food processor for a smooth purée. Put in a bowl and stir in the reserved juices.

4
Add the garlic and tahini to the aubergine and stir until smooth and well combined.

5
Stir in the lemon juice, which will thicken the mixture. If the mixture becomes too thick, add 15–30ml/1–2 tbsp water or more lemon juice. Season with cumin and salt to taste.

6
Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with coriander leaves, hot pepper sauce and olives and/or pickled cucumbers and peppers. Serve at room temperature with pitta bread or crusty French bread.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 91kcal/375kJ; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 2.2g, of which sugars 1.5g; Fat 8.8g, of which saturates 1.4g; Cholesterol 8mg; Calcium 8mg; Fibre 1.4g; Sodium 52mg.

This thick, roasted red pepper and walnut purée is beloved on the Sephardi table, especially in Syria. Serve it as a dip with spears of cos or romaine lettuce, wedges of pitta bread, chunks of tomato and slices of mozzarella cheese.

SERVES 4

1
1
/
2
slices Granary (whole-wheat) bread, day-old or toasted

3 red (bell) peppers, roasted, skinned and chopped

2 very mild chillies, roasted, skinned and chopped

115g/4oz/1 cup walnut pieces

3–4 garlic cloves, chopped

15–30ml/1–2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses

juice of
1
/
2
lemon

2.5–5ml/
1
/
2
–1 tsp ground cumin

2.5ml/
1
/
2
tsp sugar, or to taste

105ml/7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt

1
Break the Granary bread into small pieces and place in a food processor or blender with all the remaining ingredients except the extra virgin olive oil. Blend together until all the ingredients are finely chopped.

2
With the motor running, slowly drizzle the extra virgin olive oil into the food processor or blender and process until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Spoon the muhammara into a serving dish and serve at room temperature.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 444kcal/1833kJ; Protein 6.8g; Carbohydrate 15.5g, of which sugars 9.9g; Fat 39.8g, of which saturates 4.6g; Cholesterol 0mg; Calcium 62mg; Fibre 3.7g; Sodium 69mg.