Jerusalemite Hamin – Overnight Chicken and Pasta Dish

“Hamin” is a dish that came to be in order to solve a religious practice. The Jewish laws of observing the Sabbath, the day of rest, forbid cooking during this day. In order to still have a warm meal during Shabbat, the solution was simple: place the food in the oven on Friday evening, and let it cook slowly overnight on very low heat, until needed.

Pan Fried Haddock Fillets with Caramelized Mini Peppers

When I found a package of frozen wild caught haddock fillets at the store, I liked the fact that they were individually packed, and decided to buy it, not exactly having any special type of preparation in mind.
Haddock is a member of the cod family, and has a fairly firm texture and mild sweetish flavor. It can prepared in different ways, with the most popular is dipped in batter and deep fried. I wasn’t into that, and so decided to simply pan fry it with olive oil and butter.

Hazelnut, Banana and Lemon Muffins

Hazelnuts are a favorite of mine, whether for baking or for savory dishes. Their earthy, somewhat sweetish flavor, and their creamy texture, elevate any dish they are added to. So, it was no wonder I ended up using them when I was preparing to bake some simple banana-lemon muffins, and wanted to give them an interesting twist.

Orange Vegetables and Pineapple Soup

One of the best remedies for grey gloomy days, is to have a bowl of bright colored, velvety tasty warm soup.

Eton Mess with Spiced Red Wine Syrup

Eton Mess is a simple British dessert, which is made with three ingredients: strawberries, whipped cream and meringue cookies. Over the years, many variations were created to this tasty dessert, all based on the same ingredients.

Braised Pot Roast with Pear Cider and Leek Gravy

After successfully using hard apple cider in a few dishes recently, I’ve found myself looking at a sparkling hard pear cider at the store, wondering if it will give a dish similar tasty results.

Blue Cheese and Goat Cheese Appetizers

When entertaining, whether a small or large party, it’s always a good idea to have a plate of finger-food style appetizers, to keep the guests busy while serving drinks, and preparing to serve the food.

Crispy Crusted Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenderloin is the name for a piece that is located under the chicken breast. These elongated pieces are very moist and tender, and they don’t require any cutting or handling before using.

Leeks with Rice

After the fairly heavy meals of Thanksgiving weekend, I opted for a lighter, vegetarian dish. As I had some nice fresh leeks at hand, I recalled a simple and tasty dish from the Sephardic cuisine:  “Prassa con Arroz”, i.e. “leeks with rice” – and was quickly set on making it.
The dish includes mostly leeks, with very few other ingredients and minimal seasoning, which let the unique fresh, oniony leeks flavor shine.

Cranberry-Blueberry Crisp with Spelt Flour and Chai Masala Spice Mix

Fruit crisp is one of my favorite desserts, and I make it often, with various fruits and different toppings. The version I have here was made last year, with leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving dinner. It was so tasty, that I plan to make it again for the coming holiday, to be served as the dessert.

Turkey, Mushroom Duxelles and Chestnut Meatloaf

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and I was set on making a turkey meatloaf that can be served instead, or along with, the traditional roasted whole turkey.