WInter Bean soups - 3 soups in one

 

See video of its making

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmvM9ruTenE

Ingredients

black beans

white beans

red beans

onions

my spice combo (optional)

paprika

tumeric

black pepper

salt at end - serving

Cumin

Coriander seeds grounded

Tomato paste/can tomatoes

veggies roots; optional 

celery is nice optional 

coriander/parsely is nice  optional 

can take out in end

Tip leave in bunch - snip at end for looks

Kishkah (Amos) not the meat just regular kishkah in the oven from frozen
Fantastic added to bean soup. 
Bake two goes fast!!

Optional serve with boil egg

Don't add potatoes / yams - will not freeze good

Post-soak beans overnight at least or take out of freezer post soaked

soften chopped onions

add spices

add beans

add water

add tomato paste

add veggies accordingly to softness desired

cook for hours till soft

Meat broth

Clean and roast bones till brown in oven
Pour bones and oil into a separate pot 

add water to the brim of the pot and cook lowest heat for ages till meat falls off the bone

add onion  - optional

add bay leaf - optional

Can make over night cooking 

vegan version

spoon some bean soup in separate pot and add:

shitakke mushrooms whole is great for beans vegan soup

chestnuts 

puffy tofu

continue to cook - may add shitakke liquid for flavour

add my spice combo optional -taste to check if need

above will give the bite and needed texture when meat is absent.

ALways taste each pot adjust seasoning.
I add salt only at the end of cooking, just enough, so that even at the table there could be still more space for adding salt.
"Less is more"

serving

using the main bean soup as base. 

scoop into bowl.

options:
add meat or just the broth or just a few bites of meat 

can really customised just how much meat you'd like to eat right now

or just flavour? then just the broth!

No meat?
Vegan
No problem scoop in the bean soup - base

add from shitake overnight soaked. keep liquid its gold use for soups, gravies, sauces

Or and add tofu/chestnut pot how ever much you want.

really mix and match.

enjoy

This recipe/dish is one of those that fill the whole house is smelling of a warm cozy home
Minimum work. 15 mins max of arranging.
Hours on the stove. Aroma therapy. 
Comfort food at its essence.

See video of its making

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmvM9ruTenE

Sinya

Green tahina
stalks corriander
lemon juice

salt

garlic

water

tahina whole

sprinkle with pinenuts or walnuts

above is meat filling

ground beef

sumac

tumeric

b. pepper

no salt - kosher meat

cinnamon

cumin

paprika

mushrooms

onions

original recipe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaT0YRDdo7w&ab_channel=TheCookingFoodie

vegan filling

mushrooms

cauliflowers

chestnuts

onions

baba ganoush

eggplant split bake in the oven
1.

tahini,

lemon juice

coriander chopped

salt

garlic

2.

eggplant

salt

Schug

baked, peeled red bell pepper

drizzle with pomegranate juice

 original recipe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJiThZlgeWU&ab_channel=HungryManKitchen

Baba Ganoush Ingredients: • 2 large or 3 medium eggplants • 2 green chilies • 1 paprika pepper (or red bell pepper) • 1 tomato • 2 cloves of garlic • ½ red onion • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 2 tsp chili flakes (optional for the heat) • 1 tsp salt • ½ tsp black pepper • Chopped parsley to garnish Instructions: 1. Poke the eggplants and roast on the stove top for 15 minutes until nicely charred, rotate every 5 mins 2. Roast the chilies and the tomato in the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C / 390°F 3. Transfer eggplants to a bowl, cover with a plastic wrap or lid, this will make the peeling easier 4. Peel the skins of the vegetables and roughly chop the eggplants to small chunks 5. Transfer the chopped eggplants to a bowl 6. De-seed the chilies and roughly chop the chilies, tomatoes and add into the bowl 7. Finely mince the garlics and finely chop the onion add into the bowl 8. Add 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp black pepper and optionally 2 tsp chili flakes (pul biber) for heat 9. Finally add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and mix to combine 10. Transfer to a bowl and gently layer the mixture 11. Serve and garnish with pomegranate molasses and chopped parsley Mutabbal Ingredients: • 2 large or 3 medium eggplants • 1 clove of garlic • 3 tbsp tahini (substitute or add yogurt to taste for the Turkish version) • 1 lemon (juice) (about ¼ cup) • 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp salt • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper • 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil to garnish • pomegranate seeds and sumac to garnish Instructions: 1. Chop the peeled and roasted eggplants in small chunks and add into the bowl 2. Mince and grind the garlic together with 1 tsp salt and add into a small bowl 3. Squeeze 1 lemon (1/4 cup lemon juice) and add into the garlic together with 1 tsp ground cumin 4. Mix and let the mixture sit for 5 - 10 mins for the garlic flavor to infuse 5. Strain through a sieve (optional to filter garlic bits and mellow down the flavor) and add into pot. 6. Season with a pinch of freshly ground black pepper 7. Finally add ¼ cup tahini and mix with a fork or whisk to smash and combine 8. In Turkey and Syria, along with tahini, equal amount of yogurt can also be added 9. Garnish with olive oil and pomegranate seeds and optionally with fresh mint and sumac

Flank sandwich

Exiting Corona, one son still here before leaving back to the dorms, another back for 24 hours to attend an exam. So its flank all round on an a long baguette sandwich. Just like old times.
Nine years ago!! Here's the proof

https://2tired2cook.blogspot.com/2011/12/entrecote-sandwich.html

Soldier son is slicing
Note my old recipe on the my blog
https://2tired2cook.blogspot.com/2011/12/entrecote-sandwich.html

 Perfect - pink and juicy in the middle!

 Youngest getting cold drinks for everyone. Teamwork folks. Teamwork.

Look at that GREEN!! Home made Chimichurri! First time!
Why didn't I make this before?!!

 Soldier boy home, tucking in meat sarny.

 Eight-year-old kiddo home, tucking in meat sarny. Minus two front teeth. Can he do it.
Oh yeah!
Ate ALL of it.
D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S

And me busy taking photos

Chimchurri recipe:

A Winter's stew

Army boy calls about food on his way home for the weekend.

Been a long week.  Israel's freezing under a cold front and blustery winds whipping the coastline and hurling palm branches recklessly across the sea front and motor lanes.

I arrived home late and get a big hug.

"Mum that soup on the stove was DELICIOUS.  I really like the chick peas and beans inside.
Scooped up with fresh home made bread all waiting in the oven :)

When a house becomes a home.

Goulash / Cholent / Kishkeh stew

Barley
White beans (post soaked - taken from freezer) - no need to thaw
Chick peas (Frozen)
Carrots
Fresh Coriander (stub of bunch)
Potato
Tomato paste
Goulash meat 0.5kg
Onion
Garlic (lots used 4 cloves)
Cumin
Coriander seeds
Turmeric
Kishkeh

Fry and seal the meat, add chopped onions.  Stir till soft.
Add spices.  Stir.
Add garlic, carrots, potato (any other veg you may have ie courgette)
Add frozen chick peas and beans.
Add water to cover, bring to boil,
Place in pre-heated oven at 150 for ages (about 6  hours)
After 3 hours in the oven.  Place kishkeh on top of stew and return to oven for further 2 - 3 hours till done.  If drys or thickens too much to your liking, just add more water.  Cover and continue to cook.
If your kishkeh begins to fall apart in the liquid (depending on the kishkeh, some behaves differently from others) Just take out carefully while still relatively firm and set a side.  Cover, wait till the rest of the stew is ready.
Serve by cuting slice of kishkeh cover with soup/stew and serve hot.  With black pepper or chili flakes - I like mine quite chili.  Serve with fresh warm bread if possible.  Or grated cheese, or freshly baked scones.

Burgers - Almost meat-free

Carrots
Onions
Greens: Parsley - Corriander
250g ground meal
Burghal
garlic -optionalsalt and pepper



Recipe 2
carrots
greens
burghal
garlic -optional
salt and pepper


potatoes

Lasagna

Ingredients

Tomatoes canned
Carrots chopped
Onions chopped
Garlic chopped
Thyme
Basil
Soy sauce
Worcestershire
Courgettes (options)
Mushrooms (optional)
Broccoli (optional)
Peas (optional)
Lasagna sheets
Ground meat (optional)

I pack whatever veggies I ha oing on in the fridge.  Then PACK with flavour using soy for salt, pepper, Worcestershire, herbs ie Thyme, and basil or whatever you like.

Cook root  veggies ( ie carrots, broccoli stems)  in water (chopped ensures faster cooking time)
set aside the water, this can used to water down a too-thick-a-sauce.
Fry onions and garlic to brown.
Add all to tomato sauce.

* I don't bother soaking the pasta sheets, just make sure there's plenty of liquid for the sheets to soak up.*

When using meat, I like to brown my meat separately and then add to the rest of the sauce.

Here making two lasagnas, I made a huge pot of red veggie sauce, made the veggie lasagna first, then added the browned seasoned meat to the rest remaining half of the veggie sauce and made the secondary meat lasagna.  Perfect.

Both lasagna looked the same so basically tasted the same.  Meaning the meat was definitely not missing.  Will ask my boys and update that bold statement later.

Layer as usual, I don't bother with white sauce normally, it's supposed to be easy and convenient to make.  But feel free to take the time and make bechamel.

Topping:
Mature cheese grated on top with some panko for crunch
Bake in oven for 50 mins 180oC or till crispy and light brown.

Wait to cool, preferably overnight to solidify more to slice and freeze.
Can microwave straight from frozen.  I have this in the works freezer as my emergency back-up.  Saved me on numerous occasions ;)

Pies: Steak 'n' Kid

Prime Entrecote (rib eye) steak!  (sale; 150nis/kg)

 Brown -  Separated and fried fat first, then added cubed steak

Added soy, worchestershire (Lea & perrrins) black pepper.
Fried in own steak fat for MAXimum flavour

Add chopped carrots

Added onions, garlic, and mushrooms (sorry Oren)  

Same for kidney

Note: for next time, don't cook kidneys.  They came out a bit tough after baking...

Short Crust Pastry

Ice cold water; Plain flour; Salt; Butter.  That's it!
Recipe here

Rest in fridge, so it gets nice and chilled

Super easy to roll out when cold.  Plus Winter in Israel is just GREAT!

2nd pastry added chopped dill for that "Oh fancy pastry" look!


Line tins

Child labour

Child fun

More fun

Childhood Baking - best memories of all..and tastiest

Fill

Top and freeze

LABEL - very important!!   Steaks only,      Kidney only;     Steak 'n' Kid

All lined up like soldiers,   quick and ready meals for those days when all I want is the kids to threw straight from freezer to oven a homemade pie.  And hey presto!!

Oh washing up after...

Child labor....

Not only cheap

best play time ever

Almost done!

So let me tell you....
After work and a looooong day.  Winter:  17:00  and it's pitch black Mid-night outside.
Came home STARVING, threw 4 pies and some sliced potatoes - 7 minutes work MAX.

And I am a  free woman for at least an hour..WOW!!

Soaked in a HOT bath, hair, oils....Bathed kiddo.  All out.  Dried and cleaned.
Added  a handful of greens from a bag of  already washed baby leaves.
Haha (worked so hard - NOT - well "did" - making the pies, oh ages ago, forgotten, almost, now reaping the rewards - YES!)
Dinner is on the table!

Best pastry I've ever made, very light and airy, crispy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Yup, tasted as good as it looks.  And I got to have my bath AND a clean kid.
Happy me.