EAP 1620 Luna Wahnon Benayoun Israel: Sephardic and Ashkenazis Recipes

The heterogeneous nature of culture in Israel is also manifested in Israeli cuisine,a diverse combination of local ingredients and dishes, with immigrants dishes from around the world. Israeli cuisine is a mixture of various Jewish styles of cuisine including: Mizrahi, Sephardic,Yemeni,and Ashkenazi.
Morrocan Fish

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
4 olives, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons paprika
4 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
Salt to taste
5 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil, then cook and stir the onion and garlic, until slightly tender. Add the bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, olives, and garbanzo beans and continue to cook until the peppers are slightly tender.
Sprinkle the parsley, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and chicken bouillon over the vegetables. Season with salt to taste. Stir to incorporate. Place the fish on top of the vegetables and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 40 minutes.

Matzo Ball Soup

2 (10 ounce) packages matzo crackers
1/2 cup butter
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 onions, minced
5 ounces matzo meal
96 ounces chicken broth

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Break matzo crackers into small pieces, and place in a large bowl. Add water to cover; allow to soak for a few minutes, until soft. Drain off excess water.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in drained matzos; stir until mixture is dry and slightly brown. Remove from heat, and mix in eggs, salt and pepper to taste, parsley, and onions.
Mix in just enough matzo meal to make mixture hold together. Roll one golf ball-size matzo ball. Place matzo ball in the boiling water to test the mixture. The ball must rise to the top of the water and not break apart. If it does not rise, then too much matzo meal was added. In this case, add another beaten egg to the mixture and try again. When desired consistency is reached, roll all of mixture into golf ball size spheres.
In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a slow boil over medium heat; add balls to broth. Serve soup as the balls rise to the top of the broth.

Dafina(especially for Saturday)

6 to 8 servings

8 oz. (about 1-1/4 cups) dried chickpeas
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 whole cloves garlic
1 pound beef or veal marrow bones
3 pounds beef brisket, short ribs, or chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces
12 to 16 medium potatoes (4 to 5 pounds), peeled, *or* 1/2 cup bulgur
5 to 6 pitted dates *or* 3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric *or* 6 saffron threads, crumbled
About 2 teaspoons salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1 recipe kouclas (dumpling, 2 options below)
6 to 8 large eggs, in shell

1. Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. Drain.
2. Heat the oil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over medium eat. Add the onions and saute' until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add, without mixing, the chickpeas, garlic, bones, meat, potatoes or bulgur, dates or honey, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric or saffron, salt, and pepper. Place the _kouclas_ in the center of the _dafina_ and arrange the eggs around it. Add enough water to cover.
4. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, occasionally skimming the foam, for 1 hour.
5. Tightly cover the pot, place on a _blech_ (a thin sheet of metal placed over the stove top) over low heat or in a 225-degree oven, and cook overnight. Or transfer to a slow crock-type cooker set on low to cook overnight.
6. _Dafina_ is traditionally separated into different dishes before serving: the chickpeas and cooking liquid in one bowl, the eggs in a second, the potatoes in a third, the meat in a fourth, and the dumpling in a fifth.

Kouclas bi Khobz Moroccan Bread Dumpling

1 cup bread crumbs
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients.
Wrap loosely in a piece of cheesecloth or aluminum foil and tie securely.

Kouclas bi Ruz Moroccan Rice Dumpling

1 cup rice
4 ounces ground lamb or beef
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
About 1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients. Wrap loosely in a piece of cheesecloth and tie securely.

Gefilte Fish

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
1 pound black cod fillets
1 pound ling cod fillets
2 1/2 large onions
4 carrots
5 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons ground white pepper
3/4 cup matzo meal
3/4 cup ice water
2 onions
2 carrots
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions

Grind the fish, 2 1/2 onions and 4 carrots together. Place fish mixture in a wooden bowl. Using a hand chopper, add eggs one at a time. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons salt and white pepper and continue to chop until very well blended. Stir in the ice water a little at a time throughout this process. Add matzo meal and chop again. Check to see if mixture is thick enough to bind together to make an oval gefilte fish ball and if not add in more matzo meal.
Meanwhile, fill two large heavy stock pots half full of water . Into each pot slice one raw onion and one sliced carrot. Add fish skins, if desired. Sprinkle in paprika, salt, black pepper and two tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil for 10 minutes.
With wet hands shape the fish balls and carefully drop into boiling stock. Cover slightly and cook over medium-low heat for 2 hours. When done, let fish sit in the pot for 10 minutes, then remove pieces carefully to containers and strain remaining stock over fish balls, just barely covering them. Chill and serve. They will now keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.