Orzo Salad With Peppers and Feta

  Link from NYTimes.

1pound orzo

Kosher salt and pepper

¼cup extra-virgin olive oil

1medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)

3large or 4 medium red, yellow or orange bell peppers (about 1¼ pounds), cored, seeded and chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1fresh thyme sprig

1tablespoon minced garlic

1medium tomato, diced into ½-inch pieces

1tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

4ounces feta cheese, thinly sliced or crumbled

 

Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, pressing out excess liquid. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.

 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell peppers and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and juices release, about 8 minutes.

 

Add the reserved pasta water and stir to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process. Discard thyme sprig.

 

Add cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Garnish with more basil.

 

Broccoli Salad

 

link.

For the Dressing

½cup golden or black raisins (or dried cranberries)

½red onion, finely sliced

¼cup apple cider vinegar

4teaspoons granulated sugar

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1tablespoon sesame oil

For the Salad

1½pounds broccoli (about 2 heads)

1apple (any variety), cored and cut into ½-inch cubes

2scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

½cup toasted sliced almonds, pepitas or sunflower seeds (see Tip)

1cup red or green grapes (optional), halved crosswise

 

Make the dressing: Place raisins and red onion in a small bowl. Add vinegar, sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of water, and toss to combine. Leave to pickle for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Peel the woody exterior from the broccoli stalks and discard. Chop the stalks into ½-inch pieces. Chop the broccoli florets into ½-inch pieces. (The pieces do not have to be uniform or the same shape.) Place all the broccoli into a large mixing bowl.

After 10 minutes, finish the dressing by adding the olive oil and sesame oil to the bowl with the pickling raisins and red onion, and stir well to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed. It should be tangy, slightly sweet and a little salty.

Add the raisin-and-onion dressing to the broccoli along with the apple and scallions. Using two large spoons, toss well so that everything is well coated. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Taste to make sure you are happy with the seasonings, adding more if needed. When you are ready to eat, add the almonds and grapes (if using), and gently toss. Serve at room temperature.

 

 

 

 

 

Spice-Rubbed Braised Brisket

from the NYTimes. A Passover hit.

FOR THE BRISKET:

2 tablespoons finely ground coffee

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 (4- to 5-pound) first-cut brisket

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

6 garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup dry red wine

1 ½ cups pomegranate juice

1 cup chicken stock or water

1 ½ pounds cipollini onions or small shallots, peeled

FOR SERVING:

1 cup lightly packed Italian parsley leaves with tender stems

1 teaspoon lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

½ cup pomegranate seeds

Make the brisket: Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the coffee, smoked paprika, coriander, garlic powder, cinnamon, pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well and rub all over the brisket.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium. Add the oil and brown the brisket, taking care not to burn the spices, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add sliced onion, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the red wine, scrape up any brown bits and reduce the liquid by half. Add the pomegranate juice and stock. Bring to a simmer and return the brisket to the pot with the fatty-side up. Cover with the lid, place in the center of the oven, and braise until fork-tender, about 3 1/2 hours, basting every hour or so. Uncover and nestle the cipollini onions in the liquid. Cover and braise in the oven for another 45 minutes. The meat should be very tender. Uncover and carefully transfer the meat to a cutting board. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, scoop the cipollini onions into a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour the sauce into a fat separator or a tall container and remove as much fat as you can. Pour the sauce back into the pot, slice the meat and return it to the pot along with the onions, using a brush or spoon to encourage the sauce between the slices. Heat the broiler with the rack 8 inches from the heat source. Partly cover the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer until the meat is completely warmed through. Remove the lid and transfer the Dutch oven to the broiler. Broil, basting a few times, until the sauce thickens and the top is glazed, about 8 minutes.

To serve, dress the parsley with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and sprinkle over top along with the pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes.

Tip: You can make the brisket up to three days before serving. After it braises, let cool to room temperature in the Dutch oven. If you have the space, refrigerate the Dutch oven. Otherwise, remove the meat and onions to one container and the sauce to another. When ready to serve, slice the meat across the grain. Remove the hardened fat from the sauce and discard. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven. Place the sliced meat and onions in the sauce, using a brush or spoon to encourage the sauce between the slices. Proceed as above from Step 6.

Matzo Brei

A favorite breakfast. LINK.

INGREDIENTS

2 sheets matzo

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

 Large pinch fine sea salt, more to taste

SAVORY: Large pinch black pepper. Or, chopped chives, for serving

SWEET: 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar, more to taste. Or, honey or maple syrup, for serving

1. Under cool running water, rinse matzo sheets until they are quite wet. Set it aside and let sit to soften while you prepare the pan.

2. Place a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. Once it melts and the foam subsides, break matzo sheets into bite-size pieces and add to pan. Sauté matzo in butter until it browns all over, about 2 minutes.

3. Add eggs, salt and pepper (if you’re making the dish savory) to pan and scramble the mixture until it is just set but still light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with sugar (if you’re making it sweet) and toss well.

4. Serve matzo brei sprinkled with salt and topped with chives (savory), or with salt, additional sugar and maple syrup (sweet).