Matzo Ball Soup

The majority of my best friends growing up were Jewish (and are still some of my best friends) and I was so lucky to be exposed to so many wonderful traditions, foods, and families.  One of my best memories is having holiday dinners at my friends and having brisket and my favorite, matzo ball soup at Passover!

Matzo ball soup is something I miss terribly living in Texas.  You can't find it anywhere.  I mean ANYWHERE in Austin.  Its not like bagels, where they are just not very good, but you can get them.  I seriously can not find a place to get Matzo Ball Soup here, but I have been pretty intimidated to make my own.  I never made it at home, my friend's moms always made it and they set the bar really high.

But Chanel was sick this week, allergies just giving her sinus problems and a sore throat, but she wanted soup and she had never had Matzo Ball Soup and it had been on my list of things to tackle for a while - so we did it!

I reached out to my friends and their moms before diving in to make sure I did the right things and used the right seasoning and correct process.  Boy, am I glad I did!  These were the best!  So light, so fluffy, the right size, and so flavorful!

I have to admit, I didn't make chicken soup.  I made a broth with vegetables and seasoning and chicken broth, but no chicken.  As I say about chicken and dumplings, "I eat the dumplings because I want to, I eat the chicken because I have to."  That rule applies even more to Matzo Ball Soup.  I only want the Matzo balls, who needs chicken?  None of my Jewish mamas put chicken in the finished product.  They made a broth from scratch with chicken feet and vegetables, but served a matzo ball with the just broth (no veggies or chicken) poured over it and garnished with dill.  We went that route more or less, but kept the veggies because they are so tasty too!

However, the Matzo balls are not cooked in the soup, they are boiled separately and then you pour the soup over them.  So you can use whatever chicken soup recipe makes you the happiest!  I will include how we made our broth, which I think was perfection, but there are lots of wonderful chicken soup variations, so go with what you love.

Matzo ball soup

Makes 6-8 Matzo Balls

For the Matzo balls:

• 5 oz (2, 2.5 oz packets) of Matzo Ball Mix (we used Manischewitz)
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tbs. dill
• 1 tbs. parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper

for the broth:

• 4 cups chicken broth (we used Swanson's)
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 4 carrots, sliced or diced
• 1 small/medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 purple top turnip (optional), diced into bite sized cubes
• 1 tsp. dill
• 1 tsp. basil
• Salt and Pepper

Prepare the Matzo Balls: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and the oil together.  Mix in the seasonings. Using a fork or a spatula, mix in the Matzo Ball mix, until just combined, but do not over-mix.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or until ready to boil. They taste best fresh, so don't boil them until before you are ready to serve the soup.

Make the broth: Over medium high heat, saute your vegetables in the olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot.  Sprinkle with the seasoning, add the broth and bring to a boil.  Boil until the vegetables are tender and cooked through.

Boil the Matzo Balls: Fill a medium or large pot with water and bring to a boil.  When the water is boiling, remove the dough from the fridge and form the balls.  Using a large spoon, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a smooth ball with your hands. 

I recommend a ball about the size of a golf ball (they will expand as they cook, nearly double in size).  This will yield balls about the size of a tennis ball; we served two in a bowl and it was plenty.  You can go larger or smaller depending on your preference.

Drop the formed balls into the boiling water.  We did four at a time, you don't want them to be too crowded since they will expand quite a bit.  We did two batches.

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a low boil (not a simmer, but you don't want the water boiling over).  Boil for 30 minutes and do not remove the cover until they are done.  Thankfully we have clear pot tops and I could peek with excitement without taking the lid off.

Remove the balls with a slotted spoon directly into soup bowls.  Pour broth over the balls and serve immediately.

White Russian Casserole

I don't know if this is a casserole as much as it is a family-sized sandwich.  You put it together like a sandwich but in a casserole dish and then you bake it to crispy, melty deliciousness. 

The Inspiration for this came from a sandwich I ate all the time in high school back home in New York.  There was a restaurant down the road from my mom's house, The Katonah Bar and Grill (which has since been renamed Oliver's and the menu is different), and they had a sandwich on the menu, the White Russian.  I'm not entirely sure why it was called that, but it was my favorite.

It was layers of turkey, ham, bacon, cheese and Russian dressing in between buttery-toasted rye bread.  They served it with beer battered french fries and a pickle.  I highly recommend the pairing - however, I didn't have any fries to go with this dinner.

This is honestly one of the easiest, cleanest meals I've ever put together.  With the exception of a bowl for melted butter and a cutting board, all you need is a knife and a casserole dish.  Woohoo! A meal that requires practically no clean-up!

This would also be a great dish for a winter potluck of sorts - a football party or something.  Its basically the epitome of a bar food casserole. 

Anyway, back to making it.  You butter the bottom of your dish, then layer like a sandwich: rye bread (topped with a little butter), provolone cheese, ham, turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, rye bread (a just a bit more butter).  Cover it with some foil so it doesn't burn while the cheese melts, bake it for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Uncover it and bake for 5 more minutes to toast up the bread on top. It's that easy! Enjoy!

White Russian Casserole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6 tbs. butter, melted
• 10 slices of Rye bread, cut in 1-inch squares
• 4-6 slices of Provolone Cheese, cut in 1-inch squares
• 8 oz. deli sliced ham, cut in 1-inch squares
• 8 oz. deli sliced turkey, cut in 1-inch squares
• 1 lb. bacon, cooked, and diced
• 4-6 slices of Swiss Cheese, cut in 1-inch squares
• Russian dressing

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Brush the bottom of a 12x9 casserole dish with the melted butter.  Layer half the bread on the bottom of the dish, brush with butter.

Layer the Provolone cheese on top of the bread, followed by the ham, then turkey, bacon, and Swiss cheese. 

Drizzle Russian dressing over the entire casserole (amount to your preference).

Top with the remaining rye bread, brush with butter.  Cover the casserole with aluminum foil.

Bake, covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, until top layer of bread is toasted golden.

Picnic Sandwiches

Its the end of summer, beginning of fall: the perfect time to get outside.  You still have enough light to enjoy summer activities like BBQ, and picnics, and events at the park.  Certainly here in Austin, I feel like we are finally getting back outside as the heat of summer eases up.  With that in mind its the perfect time of year to have a few people over for casual get-togethers over the weekend.  Easy, simple, but tasty foods are great to have in your back pocket for things like this.

The pulled pork sandwiches and chicken salad I made for Katie's Shower are exactly those type of things.  It was a cinch to put them together for a crowd without breaking my back and slaving in the kitchen.  You can prep both meats in the crock pot, or do the pork in the smoker (like Aaron likes to).

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The pulled pork sandwiches are probably some of my favorite.  It's a really simple flavor concept that I think is always a win: sweet, spicy and savory.  Aaron does the pulled pork in the smoker (a 8-10 lb pork shoulder or butt), he puts a brown sugar rub on it.  Or you can put the pork in the slow cooker with your favorite BBQ sauce, a sprinkle of brown sugar, salt and pepper, and a splash of root beer and soda.  As long as the pork gets cooked so tender it falls apart - you are good to go.

Put your pork in a bowl and shred it with two forks, your hands, or Chanel's secret weapon (the hand mixer!).  Then prepare the sauce: I like to simmer Stubb's BBQ sauce with 2/3 cup of pineapple juice, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and a 1/2 cup of hot sauce.  Its a tangy, sweet Hawaiian flavor with a bite.  Simmer it until its thick then pour it into your pork, a little at a time, until its the right consistency for you.  Some people love LOTS of sauce, others less - do you.  I like to serve them on King's Hawaiian slider rolls with coleslaw. 

Classic Coleslaw

The slaw is pretty easy to make also.  Chop 3/4 head of red cabbage, 1/2 head of green cabbage, and 1 1/2 cups grated or shredded carrots.  Whisk together 1 cup of mayo, 1 tbs. white wine vinegar, 1 tbs. apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp celery salt, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, salt and pepper. Taste and re-season as needed - pour the dressing over the cabbage and carrots and combine well, make sure its evenly coated.  I like to make sure it sets in the refrigerator for at least 2 or 3 hours before serving - it lets all the flavors blend and grow.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

The chicken salad is seriously one of the easiest and most flavorful I have ever had.  You put four or six chicken breasts into the crock pot, cover with chicken broth, season with salt, pepper, sage, poultry seasoning, basil, garlic and dill.  Cook until falling apart with a fork.  Then Chanel used her secret trick (which I will totally tell you), which is to use the hand mixer to shred the chicken.  Its practically magical.

Once its shredded, you add mayo until its the moistness you like, add diced celery and re-season with the original seasonings. For the shower, I served the chicken salad on sliced croissants (thanks, Pillsbury) and it was great.  One of the best things about shredding the chicken (instead of dicing it) is that it tends to hold together better, so when you have lots of little sandwiches, it doesn't fall out the sides and into people's hands when they pick them up.

Roasted-Banana Zucchini Muffins

These muffins are a huge favorite of mine this time of year for a couple reasons: 1) anyone who has a garden has tons of zucchini, 2) they taste a bit like fall and 3) they are a super easy breakfast to hand my kids when we are inevitably running late to school drop-off.  They also make great lunch "desserts" that have fruit and vegetables in them.

I don't think roasting the bananas is absolutely mandatory, but highly recommended.  They blend in so smooth and the roasting brings out all the goodness of the banana flavor.  The sour cream can also be substituted with plain or vanilla yogurt if you have to - vanilla yogurt will yield a little bit sweeter muffin, but each time I have had to just use what I've got they have come out just fine.

Aaron has also suggested that I add a crumble topping or toss in some chocolate chips.  I do make a crumble topping for my banana bread and its wonderful, so I will include that recipe too in case you want to sweeten these up.  I have yet to add chocolate chips though, but I'm sure it would be wonderful!

Roasted-Banana Zucchini Muffins

Yields 12 standard muffins or 6 jumbo

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, about 1 medium/small zucchini
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. each of ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger (you can also use 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Butter a baking sheet and slice your bananas length-wise and place them on the baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until bubbly and fragrant.  Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheet.  Set aside.

Lower the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, baking soda and salt.  Mix and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add the roasted bananas, include as much of the syrupy juice from the baking sheet as you can.  Mix until well combined.

Whip in the eggs and vanilla, until smooth.

Add the sour cream mixture and combine. The sour cream mixture will have puffed up a little from the reaction between the baking soda, salt and cream.

Stir in the zucchini.  Finally, mix in the flour and spices until you have an even batter. 

Distribute the batter evenly among a lined 12-cup cupcake pan.  I use two cupcake liners per cup because I feel like it prevents the bottoms of the muffins from browning too quickly.  If you are topping with crumble, put the topping on now.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown (add five minutes or so if you are baking jumbo muffins, a toothpick should come out clean).

Crumble Topping

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs. butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup of flour

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.  When the butter is cool enough to touch, use your fingers to crumble it into pea-sized pieces.  Top the muffins with equal amounts before baking.

Back to School Time: Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

It is completely crazy that summer is already over! Well, its not, we are still going to suffer through weeks more of insane heat, long days, and sad, dry lawns.  Yet, back to school the kiddos go next week.  I can't believe it.  Townes has been in school for a year now, so for him, I'm so excited to get him back and just let him have a great time and watch him grow.  For Hondo though, I am struggling a little bit with my sweet baby leaving me already.  

I'm being a little dramatic.  They don't even go to school for a full day.  Or a full week.  They go twice a week for four hours.  But still, he's my sweet little baby and I just can't believe its already been a year since he was born and he is going off to school.  He, on the other hand, is probably super excited (if he had any idea what was going on) because he loves other kids.

While I am stressing out a little that in just seven days my babies will be leaving me, the silver lining is that I got to go pick out a cute new backpack for Hondo to tote his lunch in, Townes gets a new lunch box (because one year was enough for the last one), and I will be more motivated to actually make dinner every night.  Why?  Because last night's dinner is almost always what my kids eat for lunch.

I have a pretty simple formula for packing lunch: 1) a protein, a.k.a. last nights chicken, 2) a fruit, 3) a little something crunchy, like pretzels or granola.  Sometimes I get crazy and toss in a cheese stick.  I almost always include a vegetable, but thats often encased in the category of last night's dinner too.

However, there are a couple of staples that I try to keep on hand in case we did something like actually finish the entire meal I cooked the night before, or went out to eat.  It's always great to have the fixings for a simple PB&J or grilled cheese, a carton of yogurt, and our family favorite: pimento cheese.

Aaron has always made the Pimento cheese around here and its so simple and easy.  The recipe makes a lot and it keeps very well.  I often make it on a Sunday during the school year, and just keep it in the fridge all week.  Townes will eat it on bread, out of bowl with pretzels for dipping (his favorite), or even fancied up in a grilled cheese.  I even have used it for entertaining and whipped some up with hard-boiled egg yolks and a little mayo and made Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs, like I did for Alice's Baby Shower last July.  They were a HUGE hit.

It doesn't take many ingredients: cream cheese, cheddar cheese, pimentos, jalapenos, and a little cayenne.  Literally, just throw them into the bowl of stand mixer and whip it up.  Spread some onto some home-made sandwich bread, put mayo on the outside, grill, and enjoy!

Aaron's pimento Cheese

Yields about 3 cups

ingredients:

• 16 oz (2, 8-oz blocks) of cream cheese, room temp
• 16 oz block of cheddar cheese, freshly grated*
• 4 oz diced pimentos, drained
• 4 oz diced jalapenos, drained (or more, to taste)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

*I think its important for a recipe like this to use freshly grated cheese rather than a bag of pre-shredded if you can.  Pre-shredded cheese has a coating of powder that prevents the shreds from sticking together and clumping in the bag and it helps the shreds keep their shape.  This makes the cheese rather dry, in comparison to a freshly shredded block.  This moisture is important because it helps the cheese blend into the cream cheese well and makes for a smoother final product.*

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the cream cheese and cheddar cheese.  Mix on medium speed until well blended.  Add the remaining ingredients, mix until combined.