Jewish Holidays | Simple By Cindy

Noodle Kugel

Sep. 16
2015

I am not usually fond of anything sweet. Therefore, when I was searching for a non-dairy noodle kugel, this one initially did not appeal to me. However, since my holiday dinners often have 10+ people, I had the feeling that some of my guests might enjoy it so I gave it a try.

This kugel, adapted from The Hadassah Cookbook, was a pleasant (and “sweet”) surprise! It sounds like a recipe my grandmother would have made.

Maybe it was an old recipe, but it turned out to be a flavorful, delightful dish! I did not expect to like it, but after I tasted it, I was transformed! It was delicious! Give this one a try, you will not be able to stop taking many yummy bites! You can make this kugel for any holiday. Your guests will thank you for it!

Ingredients for the Kugel

1 pound medium egg noodles, cooked 3 minutes less than instructions
7 eggs, lightly beaten
2 sticks unsalted margarine or butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Combine eggs, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, crushed pineapple and raisins

.

Add noodles.

Pour into pan.

Combine brown sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over top of mixture.

Bake about 45 minutes, until kugel is golden brown and bubbly.

It’s that simple!

Pecan Noodle Ring

Sep. 11
2015

This is a side dish from one of my favorite cookbooks, “The Kosher Palette” by Susan Fishbein and Sandra Blank. The book was written to raise funds for the school her children attend and is a collection of the authors’ most delicious recipes. You do not have to be kosher to use this book! I have tried and shared many of these recipes with many of my non-kosher friends who love them. You will find that many of the recipes that I will share with you come from this book!

Ingredients for Pecan Noodle Ring
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 (16 ounce) package extra wide noodles
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine pecans, brown sugar and margarine and spoon into Bundt pan coated heavily with cooking spray.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and transfer into large bowl.

Add eggs, sugar, salt and cinnamon, stirring well. Pour into noodles. Mix well with spoon. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool on rack for 10 minutes. Turn over onto a serving plate.

Mmmm! Yummy!

It’s that simple!

Cornish Hen and Rice

Sep. 9
2015

This recipe comes from my mother’s collection. Cooking does not get any faster or easier than this! Cornish hens are a hybrid chicken which are sold whole. Although the bird is referred to as a “hen”, it can either be male or female. They always come out juicy and delicious, even the white meat! This is one of my favorites! The number of people whom you are serving will determine the number of hens you buy. They tend be very small, so I usually consider 1/2 of a hen per person. For my family of 4, I cook 2 hens.

The rice recipe was given to me by a friend, who grew up up with it as a staple in her home country. Once you start eating freshly made white rice, you will never be able to go back to the packaged kind again! I stood next to her and carefully measured the ingredients while she threw it together…it was second nature to her! I am happy to now share her recipe with you, as it comes out perfectly every time. Of course you can substitute brown rice or your favorite grain, but I prefer the white rice, as it blends flawlessly with the sauce from the cornish hen. You should try it!

Ingredients for the Cornish Hen

1 or 2 Cornish Hens
1 jar of Gold’s Duck Sauce (Hot and Spicy or regular)
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Sprinkle garlic powder mixture over entire hen.

Place in baking pan breast side up. Pour Gold’s duck sauce over hen.

Cook for 1 hour. Check hen to see if it is fully cooked. Juices should run out clear when fully cooked. If you need to, set your timer for 10 minute increments and keep rechecking.

Once your hen is done put your oven on broil and leave it there for 3 minutes. Top of hen should be slightly charred and nicely caramelized.

Ingredients for the Rice

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups white rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. Kosher salt

Rinse rice.

Put water and oil in pan on stovetop over medium high heat uncovered. Bring to a boil.

Add rice and salt. Stir to mix. Bring temperature down to medium heat. Set your timer for 7 minutes. After about 7 minutes water will cook down.

Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

Turn off heat, and fluff rice. Cover again, and wait for about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle sauce from cornish hen over the rice.

Done!

It’s that simple!

Mini Bilinis

Aug. 17
2015

This is another yummy recipe from “The Kosher Palette” that I consistently cook for holiday parties. This is a fantastic appetizer and is a genuine crowd pleaser. The greatest thing about this recipe is that you can make the bites in advance and freeze them. Take them out the day of your party and bake! The aroma alone while baking will make your guests mouths water!

Ingredients for Mini Bilini
2 (8 ounce) packages Cream cheese, softened
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 loaves sliced white bread, crusts removed
1 cup butter, melted
Cinnamon
Sugar

Mix a handful of cinnamon and sugar together on a plate. Set aside.

Beat together cream cheese, egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Roll bread slice as thinly as possible with a rolling pin.

Spread each slice with cream cheese mixture. Roll each slice up and dip in melted butter.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Place on baking pan, cover with freezer paper and freeze.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400.

Remove Mini Bilinis from freezer, remove freezer paper and cut each piece in half.

Place in oven and and bake 10-13 minutes.

It’s that simple! This is a great one!