Easy Recipes
The recipes this issue are particularly easy ones. When you're in the mood for something quick and delicious, a simple sauce of burst cherry tomatoes and pasta fits the bill perfectly with fresh winter veggies on the side for crunch. And, on an optimistic note, I've included a favorite chocolatey cake with a meringue-like frosting - children of all ages adore it. Hopefully there will be birthday parties in schools and nurseries soon so that you can bake and share it.
Fennel, Kohlrabi and Celery with Lemon
Israeli farmers grow a wide variety of delicious winter vegetables - perfect in soups and salads. These three vegetables are delicious with a lemony dressing as a snack or with a meal. I like them cut into matchstick-like pieces but they also work well sliced thin with a mandolin.
Ingredients
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 medium fennel bulbs
2 medium kohlrabi
3 stalks celery
Method
- 1. Whisk the lemon juice with salt; keep whisking and slowly add the olive oil.
- 2. Remove the tough outer leaf from the fennel bulbs and slice them lengthwise and then into thick matchsticks.
- 3. Peel the kohlrabi and slice them the same way.
- 4. Slice the celery stalks into 4 lengthwise pieces and then into matchsticks.
- 5..Stand up the vegetable sticks in a shallow bowl or cup and drizzle them with the lemon juice mixture.
- 6..Allow the vegetables to absorb the dressing for about 15 minutes before serving.
Photo by Maja Petric on Unsplash
Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce
Once you try this very easy-to-make cherry tomato sauce you won't be able to go back to cans and jars of sauce. Cherry tomatoes are plentiful year round in Israel and they're especially sweet in winter. The sauce is also delicious on pizza and focaccia.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 500g package dry pasta
Salt
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons (60ml) olive oil
750g cherry tomatoes
Dash red pepper flakes or sliced hot pepper (optional)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- 1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta BUT reserve a cupful of the pasta water.
- 2. Heat the olive oil into a large skillet, add the garlic and cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, careful not to let the garlic burn. If you're using sliced hot peppers add them now.
- 3. Raise the heat to medium and add the whole cherry tomatoes. Cook them until they begin to burst, 3-4 minutes. With the back of a wooden spoon, smash some of them.
- 4. Cook for 5 minutes longer, until tomatoes burst and the sauce is creamy and thick. (If it's too thick add some of the reserved pasta water.)
- 5. Stir in the basil and season with salt and fresh pepper. Add pepper flakes if desired.
- 6. Serving Options:
Italian style: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir
American Style: Spoon the sauce over the pasta.
Optional: Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.
Easiest Chocolate Cake
This chocolatey cake is easy to make and yummy.It's perfect for little ones who want to help out in the kitchen and it makes a very popular cake, when doubled, for school birthdays.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups (180g) unsifted flour
1 cup (120g) sugar
¼ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) water
6 tablespoons (90 ml) cooking oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 packet vanilla sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).Line an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) baking pan with baking paper.
- In a mixer bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and vanilla sugar.
- Add the water, cooking oil and vinegar* and stir for about 4 minutes until smooth and well blended.
- Pour the batter into the lined baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
*Kids love to help make this easy cake, especially when you add the vinegar…it reacts with the baking soda and causes a gentle bubbling.
** The recipe is easy to double.
Seven-Minute Frosting
Seven-Minute Frosting is a light and fluffy meringue-type frosting that has been topping cakes for years. Although it requires a double boiler, it's easy to make, uses inexpensive ingredients, looks and tastes delicious and is pareve.
Makes about 3 cups.
Ingredients2 egg whites (at room temperature)
1 ½ cups (350 ml) sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
Dash of salt
1/3 cup (80 ml) cold water
Method
- In a large 4-6 liter stainless steel bowl, whisk together egg whites, cold water, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt.
- Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until the frosting is smooth and stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use right away.
The frosting works well on cupcakes too. You can tint the frosting with a few drops of food coloring and create a rainbow of cupcakes. Kids love them
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