Monthly Archives: December 2013

Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup (and a mini-tangent about eggs)

Easy Weeknight Meals, Low Calorie, Soups, , , , , ,

Matzo ball soup is a traditional Ashkanazi Jewish dish made from a meal of matzo, the traditional unleavened bread eaten during Passover.  Traditionally, the matzo meal is combined with eggs, and “schmaltz” (chicken fat) and cooked in a chicken stock with vegetables.  My version is vegetarian with an amped-up amount of herbs.  

Winter is soup season, and this one is a crowd-pleaser.  If you haven’t tried making matzo ball soup, you should.  It’s delicious and couldn’t be easier.  When paired with a salad, it makes a great weeknight dinner.

matzo ball soup
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Potato Fans

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Sometimes a baked potato and a salad make the perfect easy winter meal when you don’t feel like cooking .  This easy recipe is a little more interesting than a regular baked potato, but still simple enough to manage without feeling like you are a slave to the stove.

These potatoes are also referred to as Hasselback potatoes, which references the hotel in Stockholm where they were first introduced (The Hasselbacken).  I recommend using russet potatoes for the best texture, but other varieties will work in a pinch.

potato fan

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Panettone French Toast with Apples and Pomegranate

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Let me start by staying, this is not a typical breakfast in my house.  This is a rich and decadent holiday breakfast, suitable for Christmas morning, or a pre-soccer game brunch for 11 year olds.  ðŸ™‚

Panettone is a traditional Milanese sweet bread that is enjoyed around Christmas and New Years throughout Europe.  It is an egg bread with a light and fluffy texture, and usually contains raisins, currents, candied orange, or other dried fruits.   It is widely available in the US around the holidays.  I have seen it at Whole Foods and Trader Joes.

I had some panettone left over from a holiday snack mix that I was making, so I decided to use the remaining pannetone to make a holiday french toast.  The results were delicious.  Enjoy!

pannetone french toast

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