In times like these, staying healthy is imperative. I make time for meditation and Pilates, but tasty, nutritious food is paramount.
This Shabbat, I have chosen three recipes that will evoke a sense of tranquility and make you and your family feel warm and cozy at home.
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The first recipe is for pargiyot with vegetables and two-color quinoa, which is actually an entire meal all in one pan. Pargiyot are spring chickens, and this recipe uses the thighs. If you prefer, you can use regular chicken thighs and legs, or any other meat of your choice, even fish fillets. You can also cut the vegetables into any shape you want, and use other vegetables of your choice, such as sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, and turnips. The rich and flavorful sauce that the chicken and vegetables are cooked in helps bring these ingredients together and turns the dish into a complete meal all on its own.
The second recipe is for simple oven-roasted potato wedges that are perfect as a side dish, as a snack, or even as a light evening meal. Whichever way you look at it, there’s almost no work involved in preparing these potatoes, and they always come out fabulously. If you want the potatoes to be extra crispy, you can leave them in the oven a few extra minutes.
The third recipe is for jam and crumble cake. I use prune jam, but you can use whichever flavor jam you like. The cake calls for orange zest and juice, which give it a nice citrus taste. I love sitting down with a slice of this cake and a piping hot cup of tea.
PARGIYOT (SPRING CHICKEN) WITH VEGETABLES AND TWO-COLOR QUINOA
Makes 6-8 servings.
Vegetable layer:
- 3 carrots
- 1 large onion
- 2 spicy red peppers, fresh or dried
- 3 or 4 bell peppers, of varying colors
- ½ cauliflower
- ½ cabbage
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ¾ cup white quinoa
- ¾ cup red quinoa
- 4 or 5 thyme sprigs
- 10 pargiyot (thighs of spring chickens)
Gravy:
- 2 Tbsp. sweet and spicy chili sauce
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1 tsp. chicken seasoning, optional
- 2 cups cold water
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Peel the carrots and slice them diagonally, or in any shape you want.
Peel the onion, and cut it into large pieces.
Cut off the tops of the spicy peppers and bell peppers, and cut out the seeds and pith. Rinse them, and slice them into thick strips or any shape you want.
Separate the cauliflower into florets. Cut the cabbage into quarters or smaller sections. In short, you can chop all the vegetables into whichever shape and size you desire.
Peel the garlic cloves, and chop them in half.
Spread both types of quinoa seeds on a baking pan, then arrange the vegetables on top of the quinoa. Add the garlic and the thyme.
Next, press the pargiyot pieces down among the vegetable pieces.
In a separate bowl, add all the gravy ingredients, and mix well. Pour the gravy over the vegetables and pargiyot, then shake the pan gently so that the gravy covers everything evenly. Cover the pan with baking paper, then a layer of aluminum foil.
Roast the pargiyot in an oven that has been preheated to 200° for 45 minutes. Check if the vegetables and quinoa are fully cooked. If they are too dry, you can add another ¼ cup water, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and paper, and baste the pargiyot and vegetables with the gravy. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes until everything turns golden brown.
- Level of difficulty: Easy
- Time: 1.5 to 2 hours
- Status: Meat
OVEN-ROASTED POTATO WEDGES
Makes 6-8 servings.
- 6 medium potatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 Tbsp. sweet or spicy paprika (or ½ tsp. ground chili pepper)
- 1 tsp. crushed garlic or sliced dried garlic
- 2 or 3 sprigs oregano or thyme
- ¼ cup dried parsley, optional
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat your oven to 250°.
Cut the potatoes lengthwise into quarters or eighths. Arrange them in a greased baking pan with the skin facing down. Alternatively, peel the potatoes, or cook the uncut potatoes for 7 minutes, and only then slice them into wedges.
Drizzle the olive oil and canola oil on the potatoes, then sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper, and paprika. Rub the oregano, thyme, and parsley into the potatoes.
Cover the potatoes with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for another 25-30 minutes until the potatoes turn golden brown.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
- Level of difficulty: Easy
- Time: 1.5 hours
- Status: Parve
JAM AND CRUMBLE CAKE
Use a 28 cm-diameter springform pan that has been greased and floured.
Dough:
- 200 gr. margarine
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 3 cups flour, sifted
- 1 packet baking powder
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice, strained
- ¼ cup soda water
- 3 Tbsp. plum jam or any other jam
Crumble:
- 4 Tbsp. flour, sifted
- 3 Tbsp. white or brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 50 gr. cold margarine
Serving suggestion:
- Silan (date honey)
To prepare the dough: Place the margarine and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, and mix on medium speed until the mixture becomes light and airy. While mixing, gradually add the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest. Mix on high speed for another 2-3 minutes.
Lower the speed, and gradually add the flour, baking powder, orange juice, and soda water.
Transfer the dough to a pan, and flatten. Spread the jam on top of the dough, gently pressing the jam down into the dough.
To prepare the crumble: Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and margarine to a bowl and mix with your fingers. Add the crumble on top of the jam.
Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180° for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely, then drizzle a little silan on top before serving.
- Level of difficulty: Easy
- Time: 1 hour
- Status: Parve
Translated by Hannah Hochner.