Perfect Pie Dough

I often see pie dough as a luxury of time.

Never say no to luxury--especially when it's quick on time

Lets face it, most pies or quiches can be made without a crust. This recipe is not only quick time wise, it makes a non-stick pie dough, which is simply hassle free to make. It can be used with either pies or quiches.

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Oil

(*I use a bit less)

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Cup Boilig Water

*Add 2 Cups of Sugar for Sweet Dishes

Preparation:

Combine Flour, Oil, and Salt (& Sugar) in a bowl

Mix Well

Add Boiling Water

Kneed

Let rest for 10 Minutes

That's it!

*Credit goes to Michal, once again

Tasty Tomato Basil Chicken

What should I serve on Shabbat day? It can't be liquidy, cholent isn't something that we can handle every week, deli roll (which I have introduced to Avi!) is really not so healthy....Be'kitzur (in short) the main course for Shabbat day is always a doozi for me. This elegant recipe was passed on to me none other than by Michal. It is easy, tasty, elegant and healthy.

Ingredients:

Chicken cutlets ~12-15 slices

2 Large Tomatoes

1/2 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves

4 Cloves of Garlic

5 Sundried Tomatoes

18 ounce bottle of Italien Dressing

(*I use Good Seasons-courtesy of my mother)

Preparation:

Cut tomatoes in large chunks and Puree

Add Basil, Garlic, and Sundried Tomatos

Puree

Add Italien Dressing

Mix

Marinate Chicken for at least an hour

Bake until chicken is white

Elegant Tip:

Roast Pine nuts and sprinkle on Chicken before Serving

*Halachik tip: If you take the chicken out of its sauce it can be warmed up on Shabbat day

Succulent Shabbat Sauce- Chicken or Meat

My Fridays are never complete without a phone call to Michal. The swapping of recipes on a Thursday or Friday afternoon has almost become a ritual. This succulent sauce is just that and makes a chicken or roast festive in honor of a special Shabbat meal.

Ingredients:

1 Clove of Garlic

1 small onion

1 Tbsp Ketchup

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

A Bit less than 1/2 Cup Sugar

1/4 Tsp Dry Mustard

(*I use Yellow Mustard--add a bit more than 1/4 Tsp)

1/4 Tsp Chille Powder

(*I use Harissa)

1/4 Tsp White Pepper

Preparation:

Use immersion blender or food processor to finely grind

Garlic and Onion

Add Remaining Ingredients

Mix Well

Pour over chicken or meat

Marinate

(*Best if marinated over night)

Cover with Foil

Cook on 400 degrees

Remove Foil when half way done

Broil for last 10-15 minutes

Best if Served within 1-4 hours after having been cooked

Krazy Kubeh Soup

Soup is often an appetizer--I love it when it's an entire meal.

Avi does most of our grocery shopping at Rami Levi, which is right next to Modiin where he works. One day he brought home frozen Kube, which are round pieces of dough filled with ground meat (sort of like Kreplach). At first I wasn't sure what to do with them. I have seen them served fried at weddings in Israel (fried food is always a last resort for me), but I also remembered that while we were dating Avi's mother once taught him how to make Kube beet soup. I'm not such a fan of beet soup but Michal, my cooking guru, gave me the perfect Kube tomato soup recipe and thus the perfect solution to a cold, winter night's dinner.

Ingredients:

Ready made Kube

(you can make your own but this is faster)

2 Onions

4 Carrots

2 Zucchini

(leaving on the Zucchini peel leaves more nutrients...scrub them well though)

4 Stalks of Celery

2 Tomatoes

Minced Parlsey

{Amounts of vegetables are approximate and can be tweaked according to your

soup pot and personal preferences}

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes

Tomato Paste

Salt

White Pepper

Cumin

Garlic powder

*Michal adds 1/2 tsp of Citric Acid (or lemon juice) and 3 tsp of sugar--this gives it a tangy taste

Preparation:

Chop vegetables

Saute Onions in the soup pot

Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste

Add water for soup

Add vegetables

Add spices to taste

Bring to rumbling boil

Let it cook for 40 minutes (~) on a low light

Stir Occasionally

Add the Kube to the soup and cook for 30 minutes (~)

Serve with Green Salad

Shortcuts:

Don't saute the onions, add them with the rest of the vegetables

Use 1 fresh tomato

1 can of crushed or diced tomatos

3-5 carrots

Follow the Classic Directions from here on

Enjoy!