Purim is coming twice this year! There are so many things to love about Purim: I love reconnecting with people, even if it’s for only a few moments or just leaving a mishloach manos at their door to let them know I am thinking about them.
I love the whole concept of Purim – that nothing is as it seems. It is a reminder that Hashem is here and that He loves us. It looked like the Jews were going to be destroyed, but HA HA, Hashem put Esther in place, and all turned out not only okay but great. Purim reminds us that Hashem is running this world, and when things do not seem to be going the way we want them to, we can redouble our emuna and truly search for the good He is sending, even if it is not readily obvious to us.
Everyone has challenges; that we know for sure. No one has a free ride in this world. What exactly someone else’s challenges are I do not know, but I know that, just as I have challenges, so do others. And I know with perfect clarity that, thus far, Hashem has sent me exactly what I needed. Thank G-d, we have never gone to bed hungry (except when I was trying to stay within my 1300 limit!). We have a roof over our heads every night. And, most thankfully, Hashem has always given me a chance to help others. In my bleakest times (and there have been a few), the one thing that has always made me feel better has been the ability to help someone else – with a smile, a meal, a phone call….
Purim is another one of those times. It’s all about building our community by sharing food, sharing money with the less fortunate, and sharing our time and our tables. You can even go further and share your joy and laughter with those who see the children in their costumes. This is the time to invite someone who does not have a place for the seuda and to take one of your two required mishloach manos to someone who will not be getting 100 of them. Be the unexpected light that shines this Purim.
In that vein, since nothing is what it seems on Purim, here is a seuda menu of unexpected dishes that are not what they seem at first glance. Look for the rest of the seuda recipes in the next issue.
Meatball Surprise!
Make these unexpected meatballs for an appetizer or main dish. Don’t tell anyone they are green inside! The avocado brings a lot of moisture, flavor, and texture to the meatball.
2 1/2 lb. ground beef
3 T. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1 T. grainy Dijon mustard
1 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt (separated)
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 large avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine the beef, tomatoes, mustard, basil, and 1 tsp. salt. In a separate bowl, mash the avocado, then add lemon juice and remaining salt. Stir to combine. Form the meat mixture into small (golf ball-sized) balls and, working with one at a time, create a dimple in the center. (The meat should be about 1/2-inch thick.) Fill the center with about 1 tsp. of avocado mixture and then carefully pinch the edges to seal it in. (You may need to add a tiny piece of the ground meat mixture to seal it tightly; you don’t want the filling escaping during the cooking process.) Place each meatball on a lined and sprayed cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until browned. Can be served plain, with a sweet and sour sauce, over pasta, or however you serve your meatballs.
Iron Steak Surprise
The stuffing here is a surprising one. You can make it gluten-free by substituting almond flour for the Panko bread crumbs and omitting the flour for the gravy. Serve this wonderful main course with mashed parsnips and green beans.
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
10 pitted prunes, diced
1 1/4 c. dry red wine
1 pound salami, diced small
4 cloves garlic
4 oz. vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts
1 T. chopped rosemary
2 sprig rosemary
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
2 flatiron steaks
2 1/2 c. beef broth
2 large shallots
2 T. all-purpose flour
In a large glass measuring cup, cover the prunes with 1/2 cup of the wine. Microwave at high power for 1 minute or until the prunes are soft. (If you use a saucepan, heat the wine to a simmer and turn off heat). Let the prunes steep in the wine for about 15 minutes.
In a large, deep, ovenproof skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add one-third of the salami and cook over moderate heat until seared, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, add the salami to the prunes. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Scrape the garlic into the bowl. Add the bread crumbs, chestnuts, chopped rosemary, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs.
Put the steaks on a work surface and season both sides with salt and pepper. Press half of the stuffing over each steak. Roll up the steaks lengthwise with stuffing hidden inside and tie at 2-inch intervals with kitchen string.
Turn the oven on to 350°. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet until shimmering. Add the steaks and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Turn the steaks seam side down. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of wine to the skillet along with the broth, rosemary sprigs, and shallots; bring to a boil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise the steaks for about 25 minutes, turning once, until a thermometer inserted in the steaks registers 145° F for medium-rare to medium meat. Transfer the steaks to a carving board to rest for 5 minutes. (This is super important. It lets the juices get reabsorbed in the meat, which makes for a delicious, tender steak. Cut it too soon and the juices might run off.)
Whisk the flour into the pan juices and simmer over moderately high heat, whisking a few times, until the gravy is thickened and slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, pressing on the solids. Season with salt and pepper, and keep the gravy warm. Untie the steaks and slice crosswise 1/4-inch thick. Serve with the gravy.
Cookie-Filled Pretzels
This recipe from HalfBakedHarvest.com is ah-MAZ-ing! It’s a chocolate chip cookie inside(!) a pretzel. Or is it a pretzel outside a cookie!? There are a “few” steps – I know, it’s not my favorite to have a ton of steps. (Just kidding; I actually love lots of steps.) But this dessert is worth it. (To make it milchig, substitute butter for the margarine.) Perfect for Purim, because it is not what it seems but superlatively delicious. That’s my kind of surprise.
Pretzels
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. light brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted margarine, melted
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
4 1/2 to 5 c. all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
Course sea salt for sprinkling
To make the pretzel dough, combine the water, sugar, yeast, and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups flour to the mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands. Coat a large bowl with oil or cooking spray, add the dough, and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean moist towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. This will take about 1 hour. About 10 minutes before you're ready to roll out the pretzel dough, make the cookie dough.
Cookies
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) salted margarine, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
2 eggs
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat the margarine, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs and beat well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Divide the pretzel dough into 8 equal balls and roll each into a rectangle (about 11x3 inches). Spread a little cookie dough along the length of each piece. Starting with the opposite side, roll the dough into a log, enclosing the cookie dough inside. Pinch the seams together and then very gently roll the dough with your hands to form an even cylinder and fully enclose the filling. (It is okay if some of the chocolate chips peek through, but try to avoid any large tears in the dough.)
Take the two ends of each rope and form into a circle that is overlapped by a couple of inches of dough on either side, twist the ends and lay over the opposite side to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends under the pretzel to seal.
Fill a bowl with warm water and 2 teaspoons baking soda. Dunk each pretzel in water and then place on a parchment or Silpat baking sheet (no more than four pretzels per sheet). Brush the tops with beaten egg wash and season liberally with sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are very lightly golden and the cookies that have oozed out are golden. I started checking mine after 10 minutes, turned the pan, and baked them another 6-8 minutes. You do not want to over-bake the pretzels.
Bracha Shor is president of Sweet and Good Catering and a sought-after speaker for workshops, retreats, classes, camps, bar/bat mitzvahs and more. Email her for your next event at bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com, or call 410-900-6640.
