Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish tradition. Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement, and it is a day of fasting, however before the fast there is a festive meal. This year my brisket with vegetables made a wonderful centerpiece.
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Celebrating Mother’s Day with family is truly a wonderful privilege. On this day we take the opportunity to show our moms how important and special they are to us and shower them with a large serving of unconditional love.
Comfort, warmth, and care are some of the words that come to mind when I think of my mother, and these two dishes encompass those wonderful feelings. Salmon Lasagna is both comforting and delicious, with wonderful hints of lemon flavor. The chocolate lava cake is warm, gooey and sweet on the inside, a dessert that is sure to put a smile on your face, just like mom.
Mother’s Day Salmon and Spinach Lasagna
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1-16 ounce box of lasagna
1- 32 ounce container of ricotta cheese
3 tbsp unsalted butter for sauteing the onion and spinach
2 pound skinless salmon fillet
1 large onion chopped
6 garlic cloves minced
2-16 ounce bags of frozen spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1- 8 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella
1/2 bunch of parsley chopped
1 bottle of white cooking wine (optional)
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
9×13 baking dish
non stick cooking spray
For Sauce:
5 tbsp flour
5 tablespoon butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
1. In a large pot bring water and salt to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the directions on the box. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. Defrost the spinach, drain of excess water and set aside.
3. In a medium sauté pan melt the 3 tablespoons of butter, and sauté the onion for 4 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Then add the spinach, season with salt and pepper to taste and combine well. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes then remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a medium pot add 4 cups of water, 1 1/2 cups of white wine (optional), and juice of one whole lemon. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, and add the fish and simmer for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes with a fork. Remove the fish from pot and let cool. Flake the fish, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
6. In a medium bowl mix the ricotta, eggs, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
7. For the béchamel sauce melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Then add the flour and constantly whisk. Season with salt and pepper, slowly add the heavy cream and continue whisking. Then add the nutmeg and whisk until sauce thickens and becomes smooth.
8. Spray the baking dish thoroughly, covering the bottom and sides. Spread 3 tablespoons of sauce so that the pasta will not stick. Spread 3 pieces of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish. Then layer 1/2 cup of spinach over the noodles. Next, layer 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture over the spinach. Then layer a 1/2 cup of the flaked fish. Lastly, add a 1/4 cup of the sauce and spread it evenly over the fish. Repeat the process until you have 12 layers.
9. The last layer, which will be your top layer, you will end with only lasagna noodles. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
10. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
Mother’s Day Chocolate Lava Cake
Makes 8 cakes
Ingredients
10 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/4 stick unsalted butter
4 whole eggs ,plus 4 yolks
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
baking spray for greasing
2 tbsp powdered sugar
assorted berries
8 -5 ounce ramekins
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
1. In a double boiler set on low heat melt the chocolate and the butter, mixing frequently, until smooth. Set aside and let cool.
2. In a bowl whisk the whole eggs, and in a separate bowl whisk the yolks.
3. Pour the sugar into the chocolate mixture and combine well.
4. Add the flour, vanilla, the eggs and yolks to the chocolate mixture. With a hand mixer on medium speed mix until fully combined.
5. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and spray with the non stick baking spray.
6. Fill the ramekins 3/4 full with the chocolate mixture.
7. Place the baking tray in the oven on the center rack and bake for 12-14 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
9. Flip each ramekin over onto individual plates, dust with powdered sugar and decorate with your favorite berries.
Lets raise a glass, to all the moms of the world who provide unconditional love and endless support, and wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day!
The Petite Gourmande
© 2018 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved
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Springtime brings forth beautiful traditions and holidays such as Easter, days filled with spirit, joy and blessings. Special meals are prepared such a holiday ham glazed with pineapple, asparagus with hollandaise sauce and rosemary potatoes, are just to name a few. The soft pastel colors of springtime flowers and surroundings inspire beautiful recipes such as Easter Rolls with eggs and various cookies.
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Feeling Lucky? Green frosted doughnuts are an adorable dessert to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
These wonderful treats are sure to put a smile on your face and maybe even bring some rainbows and lucky charms your way. These are a cake type of doughnut, and they are baked instead of fried, so that’s a good excuse to eat more than one! They are excellent with a strong cup of coffee.
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While there are a few important components that make up a good dining party—menu, timing, the right mix of people—it’s often the impact of a first impression that sets the tone for the event. And how do you set the tone for a meal? By designing a fabulous table!
Even if it’s your very first party, creating a beautiful table is within your skill set. Here are a few tips that will help you make the most of your table:
1. Keep your space in mind. If your table is small, keep it simple. Use the space you have in a way that makes sense. Try removing a few pieces of decor and see how it looks. A simple table always looks better than cluttered.
2. Make the most of the food. Remember that no matter what’s on the table top, the meal you serve is still the star. The plates, centerpieces, flatware, napkins…everything should compliment the food. Even better…
3. Incorporate food into the design. Fill vases with citrus, mix in leafy greens or artichokes into flower arrangements, or fill containers with colorful candy for a whimsical look. Not only are natural designs special, but they are cost effective.
4. Choose a color palette. There are so many things you can do that it’s easy to become overwhelmed with options. Picking a color scheme in the beginning gives you a framework to work within and helps determine what you need to buy or what you already have on hand.
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During the month of March the Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated. Children dress up in costumes, sing songs and give baskets full of goodies to friends and family. It is customary to eat cookies called hamentashen, which come in a variety of fillings such as raspberry, apricot, prunes and halva. Read post
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One of the most fun things for me to do when getting for a party or dinner is coordinating the table décor with the type of food that I’m serving. For example, if I do a Greek meal, I’ll do an ethnic Greek blue and white tablescape. As I’m decorating, I think about what the country looks like and I try to match the décor to the scenery. I think that makes dinner interesting and something talk to about, a conversation piece. Whether it’s simple or fancy, I always try to make my table decorative. If I were doing seafood, I’d do the shells, the color of the ocean, and the sky, the birds, shells, lanterns remind me of lighthouses.
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Shopping for the décor to do my tablescapes took a long time because I wanted it to look authentic. I had a lot of fun putting all of the colors together, lots of reds and golds and purples. Looking for all of the décor led me to meet lots of different people, like a Moroccan vendor who finally found the decorative camels that I had been searching for. They complete my tablescape perfectly, and add personality and flare. Of all the exotic tablescapes that I have created, the Moroccan design is the prettiest.
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