SHAKSHUKA – This is my latest favorite dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 1 large jalapeno chile, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I use minced garlic from the jar)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika (or regular paprika)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (or regular if you don’t feel like grinding)
• 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped, or spinach (either works well)
• 8 to 12 large egg

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeno and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and saute for another 2 minutes.
2. Pour in the tomatoes. Stir in the bay leaf, sugar, salt, paprika, cumin and pepper and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Layer the Swiss chard or spinach on top.
3. Crack the eggs into the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are no longer translucent.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

(Just like Houston’s, for those who remember)

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 can chopped artichoke hearts (drain & chop)

1 package of cream spinach (thaw in microwave)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon garlic (in jar)

Use pie pan or corning ware dish

350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, when top is slightly brown

Sushi Salad

 2 cups sushi rice

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 handful shredded carrots

1 avocado, cubed

Cucumbers, diced into tiny pieces (about 3 mini-cukes or half a European one)

 Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup Gold’s wasabi sauce

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

 Optional:

Mock crab – diced

Black and white roasted sesame seeds

Nori – torn up (seaweed)

 Add 1 tsp salt to the water. Bring to a boil. Stir once. Cover with lid. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand in covered pot for 10 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons rice vinegar over rice and mix. Put into a Ziploc bag and refrigerate, or use immediately (when it comes to room temperature.)

 Mix together the dressing ingredients – you can do this ahead of time.

 For a pretty presentation:To plate, spread the rice out on a large platter. Top with mock crab, then nori. Sprinkle shredded carrots, and the avocado cubes. Finally, top with cucumber bits and sprinkle with roasted seeds. Pour the dressing over the salad.

**Search up “kosher sushi salads” on the Internet and you’ll find many varieties and ideas. This recipe is a combination of one by “Busy in Brooklyn” and my friend, Chana Kaplan of Chabad of Potomac Village.

Carrot Chile and Cilantro Soup – (Printed from Allrecipes.com 12/10/2014)

• 1 tablesppoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (I use frozen cilantro in the little teaspoon cubes)
• 1 teaspoon chile paste (I couldn’t find this – I added a little vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes per someone’s comment from the internet)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced (I used a little more)
• 1 large potato, peeled and chopped
• 5 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Heat garlic, cilantro and chile paste. Saute onion until tender. Sitr in carrots and potato; cook 5 minutes and then pour in vegetable broth.
2. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are soft. With a hand blender, blend until smooth.

Spicy Smoky Lentils

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed (I used green)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (drained, if oil-packed)

Steps

• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and stir to coat; cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the cumin, salt, smoked paprika and chili powders; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste, sesame oil, lentils, water, vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes; increase the heat to medium-high to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat so the mixture is barely bubbling, cover, and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are tender but not falling apart, 30 to 40 minutes. (If the lentils are dry before they become tender, add water 1/3 cup at a time and continue cooking.)
• Serve family-style, setting out the lentils along with tortillas, salsa, tortillas, cheese, cabbage, scallions, avocado and sour cream and limes in separate bowls on the table.

Adapted from “The Southern Vegetarian,” by Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence (Thomas Nelson, 2013.) 4 servings