Sundays with Marlena Spieler-Onion Rolls and Hearty Salads

Beetroot with Fresh Mint-refreshing!
Tunisian Potato and Olive Salad...lusty!
We wait for the dough to rise...it smells heavenly
Top with more onion and poppy seeds and wait for another rise......
Ah...they are out of the oven. When I tasted one, I wanted a bierock! I wanted to stuff the inside with whatever they put in those bierocks. Sauerkraut, ground beef...???? These rolls rock! They are huge...great for a sandwich..where in the hell is the pastrami and mustard? Get me a sour pickle please.

Recipes below:

Onion Rolls [happily made by my sweet husband, Dave]

Ingredients: makes 12 - 14 rolls

1 TBS dry active yeast
1 TBS sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
2 TBS veggie oil
2 eggs lightly beaten
4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour (see how dough feels..not too sticky)
2 onions chopped very finely
1 tsp poppy seeds

Mix together the yeast sugar and water in a mixer or food processor with a dough hook or dough blade. Sprinkle this mixture with a little dough then cover and leave for about 10 min or until bubbles appear on the surface.

Beat 1 tsp of salt, oil and one of the eggs into the mixture then gradually add the rest of the flour and then knead in mixer for about 8 minutes or so until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. If dough is still sticky..add a bit more flour.

Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in it and turn to coat. cover with dishtowel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles.

turn dough out onto floured area and punch down...then knead for 4 minutes and then knead half of the onions into the dough. Form dough into egg-sized balls and then press down till about 1/2 inch thick. Put parchment paper on baking sheet and then place rolls on sheet. make sure they have room to rise.

Lightly beat the last egg and add about a TBS of water and a pinch of salt. push a slight indentation into each roll and then brush with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the remaining onions over rolls and then a bit of poppy seed over each one. Leave to rise again...don't cover..about 45 more minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes..or until golden brown. Serve hot with a hearty salad or two ...and I would use some butter or cream cheese..some lox too! Oh, and some pickles.

Tunisian Potato and Olive Salad

Ingredients: Serves 4-6

8 large new potatoes
large pinch of salt
large pinch of sugar
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 or 2 TBS vinegar...I used rice wine vinegar but you can choose your own
large pinch of ground cumin or cumin seeds ...I used some toasted and ground cumin
pinch of hot paprika or cayenne..to taste
3 or 4 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
3 TBS of chopped fresh cilantro or chopped fresh parsley
10 - 15 dry-fleshed black Mediterranean olives (I didn't have any..so used Greek Kalamata..but a dry more wrinkled variety would be even better...which I guess is why Marlena suggests it).

Chop the potatoes into chunks and boil until just tender. Add the salt and sugar into the boiling water. Reduce and simmer until a knife slides easily into the potatoes. Don't overcook! About 10 minutes is all it takes. Drain into colander and leave to cool a bit.

Slice potatoes thinner if you like, then sprinkle the garlic, vinegar, cumin, and paprika or cayenne over the salad. Add the olive oil over the top and then the cilantro and olives. Mix gently and then chill.

Beetroot with Fresh Mint

Ingredients: Serves 4

4-6 cooked beets, medium (or buy them vacuum-packed at Trader Joe's)
2 tsp sugar
1 - 2 TBS decent balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
1 small bunch of mint leaves, rolled up and then cut crosswise very thinly
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste

*you can make it Tunisian by adding harissa to taste and use cilantro instead of mint
*you can make it Ashkenazi by adding some finely chopped onion and some dill instead of the mint.

So our wonderful adventure continues...cooking thru Jewish Cooking by Marlena Spieler and learning all about their/my culture through food. Please be sure and check out my blogger buddies, Eileen at Just the Two of Us and Shankari at Sacramento Spice to see what they are offering up today!

Your feedback helps us. Don't be shy. My blogger buddy in Missouri made the onion rolls too..check out A Fridge Full of Food..and nothing to eat.

Sundays with Marlena Spieler-Sweet & Sour Cabbage, Beet, & Tomato Borscht

My new favorite thing at Trader Joe's. Find on the top shelf near produce! Click on photos in order to smell it cooking.
So it begins. Actually...I grated first when I should have diced the beets..but it worked out!
The cabbage crashes the borscht party! A few more diced beets too. Beets are always stragglers.
Voila. This is killer soup. Serve hot or cold. Recipe below. Marlena...this is a very good recipe. My first time eating borscht and I loved it...so did Dave. Sweet and sour heaven in a bowl.

Ingredients: Serves about 6, although I made enough for 12. :)

One chopped onion
1 chopped carrot
6 baby sized beets..cooked and cooled..or buy em like I did.
grate 3 and dice 3...saved the diced to add 10 minutes before serving
4 cups of veggie stock
1 14. oz can plum or diced tomatoes
3 TBS sugar
6 small new potatoes..or fingerling's..diced into bite size pieces
1 small white cabbage..or 1/2 of a large one, sliced thinly
2-3 TBS white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
3 TBS chopped fresh dill or about 1 1/2 TBS dry dill
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Sour cream to garnish ( omit if meat is added to borscht..which makes it Kashrut and serve with unbuttered rye bread)
If you have it, garnish with fresh dill or use chopped flat leaf parsley..which is what I did.

Put everything in a large pot except for the diced beets, vinegar, sugar, and dill.

Bring to a boil and then simmer until potatoes are just tender. I covered the pot while it simmered. It took about 15 minutes or so. I then added the vinegar a little at a time..and the sugar..tasted as I went for that perfect sweet and sour balance..like Marlena says to do. Taste people! I let it simmer a bit longer. Add the dill to taste. Serve hot or cold. We had it hot with some flatbread. So very good and hearty. [btw..my husband suggested that we add a tsp or so of the fabulous horseradish that we bought today...and it just made the soup more fabulous]

It is a variation on a classic Ashkenazim soup. Like the checkout guy at Trader Joe's said to me today.."are you making borscht?" I say yes. "I know all about that...grew up on it. My parents are from Russia." I told him I was cooking and blogging thru a Jewish Cookbook and he smiled and said, "there are lots of us from Russia."

Be sure to check out my pals blogs for their servings from Jewish Cooking. Eileen at Just the Two of Us and Shankari at Sacramento Spice. Keep checking back this week for more yummy recipes and photos!

Shalom. P.S. I know that I spelled thru wrong. **there is a song called B O R S C H T by Peter Ostroushko..found the lyrics at gumbopages. I am looking for the CD now

Wednesdays with Marlena Spieler-Herring Salad with Beetroot and Sour Cream

That is the name of the recipe straight out of the book..I have to change it to "smoked herring salad" because I bought that by mistake. It was delicious! I changed the recipe up a bit, but not much. :)

Ingredients: Serves 4 (unless Phil is eating..then maybe 2)

1/2 large tangy-type apple..I used a "jazz"--small chop
One oblong can of smoked herrings (kippers) drained and cut into nice slices
1 small pickle ( I used kosher dills) diced up
1 tsp fine baking sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar..or cider vinegar
1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup thick plain yogurt
1/2 cooked beet, diced small (buy vacuum packed beetroot)
lettuce to serve, sprigs of fresh dill, chopped onion or onion rings for the top

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl, except for the diced beets, sprigs of dill, lettuce and onion. After mixing it up with a fork, plate salad on a bed of lettuce and put diced beets and onions on top. Chill. Serve when ready. So good! I served some toasted pumpernickel with mine. You can also boil a few red potatoes, cool, and dice them up. Let guests add what they will to their salad.

This dish is traditionally served on Shabbat mornings, after services.

Please be sure to check out Eileen and Shankari's blogs for their Wednesday recipes...which have all been great to use for Hanukkah or any holiday dinner. Check back this Sunday for even deliciousness from Jewish Cooking by Marlena Spieler.

Speaking of....Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I am off to Monterey for a few days.

Next Recipe for Sundays With Marlena

I'll be posting my version of Marlena Spieler's Fragrant Beetroot and Veggie Soup with Lamb Kubbeh. Apparently, in the U.K. beets are called beetroots and you can actually buy them in a vacuum sealed container. I found out that they sell them at Trader Joe's..in the refrigerated section above the frozen food. I roasted my beets..then peeled, etc. Next time, I am buying them already done.

There are many steps to this making this dish, but it was well worth it. I plan on having the condiment that is drizzled over it on hand for many other things! This dish is not for beginning cooks..in my opinion. Dave said it was one of the best things he has ever eaten..and it was.

If anyone is interested in making it ahead of time, post a comment and let me know. Otherwise, I'll see ya on Sunday. Also, until Hanukkah, we will be posting Marlena's recipes on Wednesdays as well. Be sure to check out Eileen and Shankari's blogs for their recipe posts too..as all of our dishes together would make a nice addition to any holiday celebration this year, and certainly Hanukkah.