By www.GourmetKosherCooking.com for Matzav.com
With Pesach only weeks away, it’s important to start compiling your recipes now so as to prevent stressful last-minute planning. In these weeks leading up to the chag, we will post several brand-new for 2011 delicious gourmet Passover recipes, for use at your seder, or for over chol hamoed. These recipes are so delectable, you may even start cooking them throughout the year. If you plan on using a particularly intricate or difficult new recipe, try doing a test-run in advance, to see how it tastes and how the cooking process feels.
For Passover 2011, Gourmet Kosher Cooking presents an entire Passover site, complete with hundreds of new recipes, tips, and products: www.GourmetPassoverCooking.com
Yellow Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 teaspoon curry
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup white wine
3-1/2 cups chopped yellow peppers (about 4 to 6 peppers)
3 cups chicken broth
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, melt margarine over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add curry, ginger and garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in wine and cook for about 2 minutes, until it almost evaporates. Add peppers, broth, apple and potato. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about ½ hour. Purée with hand immersion blender. Chill for at least 2 hours. Stir in lemon juice.
Fresh Tuna with Tomato Coulis
Ingredients:
4 medium-size ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds fresh tuna steaks, 1 to 1½ inches thick, divided into 4 equal portions
½ cup finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted margarine in small pieces (optional)
Preparation:
Seed and finely chop the tomatoes. Place in a colander over a bowl and allow the excess liquid to drain at least 30 minutes. Set aside.
Brush a heavy skillet, large enough to hold the fish without crowding, with a little of the olive oil and place over high heat. Heat oil until very hot. Dry the tuna pieces and sear them until they are browned on the outside and still pink in the middle, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the fish to a platter, cover loosely with foil and keep warm.
Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet. Sauté the onions over low heat until they are tender but not browned. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, wine and rosemary and cook over medium-high heat until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If desired just before serving, over very low hear with the mixture barely simmering, stir in the margarine bit by bit. The sauce should become slightly creamy. When all the margarine is incorporated, return the fish to the pan, baste with the sauce, then serve immediately. Once the margarine has been added to the pan it is important not to allow the sauce to boil.
Balsamic Chicken with Pears and Cherries
Serves 6
Ingredients:
6 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup good quality aged balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons potato starch
1/4 cup dried tart cherries
Preparation:
Pound chicken breasts to a uniform thickness of 1/2″. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the chicken and brown on both sides; turning once, about 3 – 4 minutes each side. Remove from heat and transfer to a platter, cover, and keep warm.
To the same pan, add the shallots, and sauté over medium high heat for 2 minutes until soft. Add the pears, continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 3 – 4 minutes, until the pears are soft and golden brown.
In a separate bowl, combine chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and potato starch. Pour over the pear mixture; add the cherries. Increase heat to high and simmer, stirring frequently for 6 – 8 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Return the chicken and juices to the pan. Bring the mixture back to a simmer; decrease heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat.
Honey-Glazed Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 – 10 red potatoes, quartered
3 to 4 zucchinis sliced into rounds
2 red onions, thickly sliced
2 red peppers cut into chunks
4 carrots cut into chunks
1 large sweet potato cut into chunks
1 eggplant peeled, cut into 2 inch cubes
Preparation:
Placed the cubed eggplant into a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let it rest for 20 minutes and then rinse in cold water. Remove from colander and pat dry.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl combine the honey, olive oil, vinegar, crushed garlic and thyme and mix to combine. Add vegetables and toss. Drizzle honey mixture over the vegetables and then mix to make sure everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Grease a roasting pan and place vegetables into the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
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