I thought it is time to recommend light dishes that require minimum toil in the kitchen, while still constituting a wonderful meal in honor of the week’s end.
By PASCALE PEREZ-RUBINPEPPERS AND ZUCCHINI IN HONEY(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
It’s summer, the hot season, and the air conditioners are on high. It’s time for the vacation with the children, the vacation from work. That’s why I thought it is time to recommend light dishes that require minimum toil in the kitchen, while still constituting a wonderful meal in honor of the week’s end.This is light meal time, meals usually based on a variety of light salad recipes, containing chicken and carbs, cold pasta salads with vegetables and cheese, which are satisfying dishes, fun to eat at any time of the day – a perfect solution for this season. And if you go out to the pool and garden, it is important to have rich sandwiches that will constitute in themselves a complete meal.But when the weekend comes, and with the Sabbath dinner ahead of us, that has to be prepared as well. But what to do? It’s a little difficult to make complex and heavy stews. So this week I chose to offer you several dishes that do not require complex preparation and are not heavy, taking into account that it is hot outside.But I couldn’t give up on homemade bread. Even though it is hot outside, the Sabbath has arrived and we need to prepare for it accordingly. Besides, homemade bread has no substitute – its aroma fills the home and welcomes the family members warmly and lovingly. And it is so simple to make and so delicious.After vigorous kneading, rising and shaping – into the oven goes the dough. Its aroma fills the house.Alongside the bread, prepare a peppered vegetable stew with eggplant, chickpeas and tilapia. The homemade bread will help you soak up the delicious sauce, alongside a dish of chicken legs with red onion and date honey or honey.Mix everything together and put in the oven, where the chicken parts are browned and get a wonderful caramelized coating and a perfect flavor.It is worth accompanying the dish with white rice decorated with almonds and raisins.Prepare a side dish of mashed potatoes, seasoned with spices, and cook in the oven for crispy crust and an attractive browned look.Another side dish to make is peppers and zucchini in honey. Choose peppers of different colors. A fresh green salad will crown all this goodness.FLAVORED HOMEMADE BREAD (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)FLAVORED HOMEMADE BREADMakes 3-4 medium-sized bread loaves.500 gr. (3½ cups) flour25 gr. fresh yeast1 tsp. salt1 Tbsp. sugar3 Tbsp. oil1-1½ cups waterFor brushing:1 egg1 Tbsp. waterSpreading:¼ cup sesame seedsMix in a mixer bowl with a dough hook flour and yeast. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and oil.Knead and gradually add water until you get a solid dough that separates from the sides of the bowl.The amount of water can vary, depending on the types of flour used and the percentage of gluten used. Therefore, the water should be added gradually, and if needed add more and knead until smooth and an even dough is obtained. Cover and place in a warm place for swelling for about an hour and a half or until the dough doubles in volume.Divide the dough into 3-4 parts. Knead and roll into a roll; shape however you like (elongated, spiral, oval, round) and space in a tray lined with baking paper.Beat an egg and water and brush the dough with the mixture. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds, cover, and let sit for another 20 minutes for further swelling.Bake for about 25 minutes in an oven preheated to 180° Celsius, until a toothpick stuck into the bread comes out clean and dry.SPICY FISH AND CHICKPEAS STEW (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)SPICY FISH AND CHICKPEAS STEWMakes 6-8 portions.8 red elongated peppers (shoshka)2 eggplants5 Tbsp. frying oil6 whole peeled garlic cloves2 shata peppers2 dried peppers6-7 ripe tomatoes, diced or quartered. (You can squeeze out the juice and chop the tomato heart.)1 pack canned, filtered chickpeas or 1 box frozen chickpeasSalt and crushed pepper½ tsp. sweet paprika½-¾ tsp. cinnamon½ tsp. sugar¾ cup water6-8 slices tilapia½ bundle coarsely chopped coriander1 small, sliced lemonRoast the peppers and remove the peel and the kernels. Roast the eggplant and remove the peel, and cut the peppers and eggplant into 1-cm. strips.Heat the oil in a wide, flat pot, add the garlic cloves, the shata peppers, the dried peppers and the tomatoes, stir and cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the peppers, the eggplants and chickpeas, stir, season with salt, pepper, sweet paprika, cumin and sugar. Pour the water, stir and bring to a boil.Arrange the chunks of fish in the boiling sauce, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the fish with cilantro and lemon slices. Cook for another 10 minutes and turn off the stove. Serve warm alongside fresh homemade bread.WHOLE CHICKEN LEGS WITH RED ONION AND DATE HONEY (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)WHOLE CHICKEN LEGS WITH RED ONIONAND DATE HONEYMakes 6-8 portions.2 sliced red onions4 whole chicken legs, cleaned3 Tbsp. onion soup powder (see note)2 Tbsp. olive oil½-¾ cup date honeySalt and pepper, to tasteOptional:5 crushed cloves garlic½ grated lemon zestArrange the onion slices in a baking pan. Place over the chicken legs and sprinkle soup powder and olive oil.Pour around the date honey, salt and pepper (if desired, add garlic and lemon zest) and cover with baking paper and on top of that aluminum foil.Roast for about 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 180° Celsius.Remove the cover, raise the temperature to 200° Celsius, turn the chicken legs over and roast for another 10 minutes. Turn the chicken legs over again and roast for 10-15 minutes for browning.Note: There are ready-made powders available without monosodium glutamate, salt and preservativesTipascaleYou don’t want date syrup? Substitute the date syrup with a jar of ready-made sauce to your liking, and add to the chicken legs with a selection of vegetables seasoned with the same sauce.You can enrich the dish by adding about 12 plums, a handful of walnuts and a handful of light raisins.MASHED POTATOES (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)MASHED POTATOESMakes 6-8 portions.6-8 potatoes1 Tbsp. salt¼-½ cup olive oilSalt and crushed pepper, to tasteLeaves from 5 thyme stemsFor serving:A sprinkle of kosher saltCook the potatoes with their peels in a pot with water and salt for about 40 minutes until softened. Drain and crush them lightly with the palm of your hand.Line a try with baking paper or use a heatproof mold and put in the potatoes. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and sprinkle with thyme leaves.Bake in oven preheated to high heat (200° Celsius) for about 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are slightly browned and have a crispy layer. Remove and serve hot. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on top.PEPPERS AND ZUCCHINI IN HONEYMakes 6-8 portions.½ cup olive oil2 large, finely chopped red onions6 peppers, cut into strips2 zucchini, cut to strips8 chopped cloves of garlic3 Tbsp. honey½ cup dry white wine3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar½ tsp. fresh, grated gingerKosher salt and pepper, to tasteHeat oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until golden brown.Add peppers, zucchini and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.Reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Let cool.TipascaleIf the honey becomes solid, place the jar in a vessel with warm water for a few minutes. The honey will loosen and become liquid.Add some honey to the seasoning mixture or to the chicken sauce before roasting in the oven, so the parts will brown nicely.Honey neutralizes the acidity of cooked tomatoes, so you should add a teaspoon of honey to stews containing tomatoes instead of sugar.Translated by Alon Einhorn.www.pascalpr.co.il
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