May 15, 2011

The Shabbos Menu


I haven't posted a Shabbos menu in a while, but I was particularly pleased with the outcome of this past weekend's nosh. The variety of cookbooks used, too, I think will boggle your mind. Are you ready?

We had guests over on Saturday, so most of my oomph was focused on Saturday, so we'll start there. The menu:
Challah
Mexican Salad from Quick and Kosher 
Broccoli and Raisin Salad from Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free
(Vegetarian) Kishke (that I couldn't eat)
Maple Chicken (Tuvia's favorite these days)
Polka-dot Squash Quinoa from No Whine with Dinner (recipe here)
Mixed Sweet and White Potatoes (and I made my own homemade onion soup mix, sans the sugar)
Blueberry Crisp in Ramekins from the Eat Clean Diet
Chickpea Brownies (click for recipe)

If you click on each link, it will take you either to a website where I got the recipe, or to a Google Doc I've created for the recipe. If you try anything out, let me know what you think.

Now, as for the challah -- it wasn't my own, personal recipe. In fact, it was something I picked up in Dallas when I was visiting my good friends @susqhb and @ravtex for Shabbos before SXSW Interactive. We went out to dinner that motzei Shabbos and the restaurant Cafe Finos happened to be selling this interesting product called Simply Add Water. Essentially, it's a bread mix to which you just add water, you mix, you let rise, you go. BAM! You have challah. Now, I love making challah, but I hate the mess I always make, and although this product turned out dense (from the feel of it), my guests and Tuvia loved the taste. They said it was "dense in that good way." So, for what it's worth, it might be worth buying a few and keeping them as standbys when you want homemade, fresh challah but you don't have or want to make it yourself. And really, the fun of challah is the braiding anyway, so it's like you get to do that, without the mess. I just wish I had taken some photos ...

Stay tuned for a full review of The Meal Makeover Moms' "No Whine with Dinner" cookbook (I made their other quinoa recipe for dinner Friday), as well as a post on my trip to the Sabra factory in Richmond, VA, as part of the Sabra Tastemakers Panel!

5 comments:

{ T G L } said...

What an eclectic menu! I am especially intrigued by the 'polka dot quinoa' :) The challah sounds interesting too. If I am lazy, I let my bread machine knead the dough (but not bake it), then I take out the dough, separate challah, braid and bake it. Hardly any mess either. If I am feeling virtuous/frum/vintage, I'll knead the dough from scratch. It's a great hand workout :)

The menu sounds delicious!

Bivrachah,
This Good Life

Tamar SB said...

Sounds delicious! The quinoa and squash combo sounds delicious!

Chaviva Gordon-Bennett said...

@TGL The challah, for me, seems to be one of those things good to have around for a last-minute challah making decision, if anything. Thanks oodles!

@Tamar The quinoa and squash combo was amazing. Loved it!

Miriam said...

I pretty much always use the Simply Add Water mix when I make Challah - the whole wheat is my favorite. It always gets compliments from guests.

Shannon said...

I make Susie Fishbein's Bread Machine Challah (from Kosher by Design)...very simple because you mix it in the bread machine, then turn it out, braid and allow to rise. So easy! Her recipe says rise 1 hour but I have read reviews from people who allow it to rise 4-6 hours with success. I've done about 2 due to children and their after school activities, etc. (basically what I am saying is it is a flexible recipe in terms of timing!) Everyone raves about it and I don't know if I will ever use any other recipe now that I've found it!

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