Chard, Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese Fritatta

Swiss chard is one of the most popular Mediterranean vegetables, while every vegetable has its own unique qualities, this one is rich in antioxidants and more. It is considered one of the most nutritious vegetables around, second only to spinach. Having said that, let’s face it we all remember the healthy food that tasted horrible, the foods that mom had to preface with: “Eat it, it’s good for you!” Well, surprise, surprise, Swiss chard actually enhances the flavor of any dish it’s used in!

This morning, for breakfast, I made frittata from a recipe I found in Sara Jay‘s Knives Cooks Love:

knives cooks Love, detail from photo on page 130

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound Swiss chard
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup cup minced shallots
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 2/3 cups (5 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. trim the stems from the chard leaves. discard the stems. immerse the leaves in water to rid them of grit. Lift them out and drain. Crop the leaves coarsely.
3. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a 10 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden brown, for 5 to 7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the shallots, and cook until the shallots are softened but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the chard a few handfuls at a time and cook, tossing with tongs, until soft and wilted, about 4 minutes.’ Add 1/4 spoon of the salt and continue cooking and tossing until all the liquid in the pan evaporates, about 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Whisk the eggs, half and half, mustard, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper together in a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese. add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. spread the out the vegetables evenly and, when the pan is hot, pour in the egg mixture. cook until the bottom is set, about 3 minutes, and then transfer the skillet to the oven.Bake in until the eggs are set on top, about 15 minutes.
5. Place the  frittata under a broiler a few inches from the heat source until the top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. remove from from the heat and let rest for a few minutes; the fritatta will pull away from the sides of the pan. Slice in the pan or else flip the frittata onto a plate and serve.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy; I did!

CS

Saddle-up for Some Fine Fixins’ at Smokey Joe’s!

You don’t have to be a Texas long-horn to enjoy this round-up of superbly smoked and southern rustic Tex Mex cuisine at Smokey Joe’s (494 Cedar Lane; Teaneck, NJ. 07666; Telephone: 201.836.7427).  Décor is sun-burnt orange against ranch-rawhide woodsy panels; Marlboro manly man and stallion photos adorning the walls. Brown butcher block paper covers tables set with colorful southwestern china (don’t forget to ask Joe for doodling crayons).

A partial view of the dining area

Joe, the owner, looked for a unique niche in the market and not only found one, but honed it like an art form till it yielded a product that fills the house on a regular basis. Joe, or Yossi to his chevra, told us “Food is life; food is kodesh.” “It’s about craft and high quality. You’ve got to give it the time and attention it takes to develop.” And indeed Joe has done so. His 74” smoker (which he lovingly dubbed Dimona-2) is the nucleus of his operation, but just as important is his approach to food and business. “You’re not producing a widget or stereo; my personal commitment to making great food is a life-time journey!” “It’s also about having a good sense of hospitality when Jews come calling at your restaurant. It’s a little different than the hachnassas orchim (welcoming guests) we do at home.” Joe certainly shared that hospitality with us.

...it was hard to keep myself from reaching into that smoker... I confess...

Joe served up vittles Stephen J. Austin or Sam Houston would raise armies to fight for! The table started to fill up with outstanding home made cornbread with onion jam spread (you got to taste ‘em together to understand how awesome those flavors are together), refreshing iced tea and fresh squeezed lemon-ade and home made. Still warm tortilla chip (seriously, dangerously, addictive!) with freshly made guacamole for starters.

We were then treated to an assortment of Smokey Joe’s favorites. The Joe Dawg, the lamb merguez sausages, were marvelous; superbly smoked and flavored.

Lamb Merguez Joe Dawg

They’ve got six types to choose from, it wasn’t easy deciding which to try…

We then demolished their Beef Brisket (well… really… CS did, he kindly let me have one forkful before it was gone!) – smoked for up to 14 hours. The smoked taste did not overpower the brisket taste which was rich, marvelous. In a very uncharacteristic (well you saw the pictures of those ribs, how can you blame me?) uninhibited Flinstonian way, I dug into their long ribs which had been basted in a secret BBQ rub and smoked for around 5 hours in Dimona-2. (Surely, not first date action, unless you want to provide an instant inhibitions dissolver, right from the get-go) They were meaty, packed with flavor and delicious. I literally felt the spices coming through my pores. Quite unexpectedly, my favorite smoked entrée was the chicken.

Brisket, Grilled Chicken and Sweet Potato... mmm, mmm!

I just loved the way the subtle smokey flavor worked its way into the soft flesh of the chicken resulting in a fabulous taste. We had no room for their burgers and chocolate mole sauce, which we heard are outstanding. We’ll have to come back and try those as well as some of their other popular dishes.

A great homey place to come with family and friends to chill an’ enjoy southern smokin’ Jewish hospitality.

SYR

Summertime, and the Cruisin’ is Easy

Summertime, vacation time! You’ve worked hard all year, saved up a few dollars and you just need to get out of town, leave behind the oppressive heat, relax a bit at sea. But… that’s not always been so easy for a frum yid… Well, it is now!

There are a few companies offering Glatt Kosher Cruises and Tours. Kosherica has their Music Festival at Sea, Summer 2010 (August 1-8),  what an opportunity to chill, what an opportunity to recharge your batteries away from the hassle and bustle of the city, amidst performances by Dudu Fisher, Avraham Fried, Lipa Schmeltzer, Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot and more.

The all-inclusive package will travel the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to Canada and New England, with ports of call in Maine and Novia Scotia. The ship will leave and return to port in Bayonne, New Jersey, allowing tri-state area residents the convenience of a local port of call.

Kosherica, a family-run organization, is the leader of glatt kosher cruises since 1992, with family members on every cruise to ensure the best and signature Kosherica quality possible.

Those who book passage on Kosherica’s Jewish Music Festival at Sea will be experiencing world-class luxurious accommodations; daily minyanim and shiurim by Rabbi Steven Weil and Stephen J. Savitsky of the Orthodox Union; incredible gourmet food that is both glatt kosher and chalav yisrael; and all to a live soundtrack of the best in Jewish music, with world-class entertainers from a variety of music genres that run the gamut of Jewish music.

Offy Schiffman, Kosherica’s Culinary Director, stated, “The whole point of going on a Kosherica cruise is to experience a five star luxury vacation that has world class glatt kosher gourmet cuisine, which is very rare. Additionally, Kosherica cruise passengers can travel and see the world in style, rather than staying stationary their whole vacation. Finally, considering the all-inclusive price that covers amazing luxury ocean-liner accommodations, strictly kosher food, and entertainment, it’s really one of the most affordable ways to take a vacation.”

“Nu, so what’s on the menu,” you ask? Kosherica’s food, as always, will be top-notch, carefully prepared to the highest caliber by culinary teams trained by Chef Arik Porat, of the Dan Arcadia in Israel. Dishes will span international cuisine and include grilled rib-eye steak; rack of veal; duck l’orange; eggplant gratin; lasagna Florentine; moussaka; risotto; and vegetarian paella. There will be fish and vegetarian options for the entrée at every meal for those who do not eat red meat, and special requests – such as no salt or low fat – will be honored.  Everything on the menu will be glatt kosher and chalav yisrael, and supervised by expert mashgichim. Wifey may be an excellent cook, the restaurants in the city are great, but such mouth watering offerings while the whole family is relaxing at sea? What could be better?!?!?

As for the cruise’s main attraction, Jewish music will permeate the air at every turn, with concerts by Fisher, Fried and Schmeltzer, all veteran performers who engage the audience and ensure a rousing time is had by all. Helfgot, Benzion Miller, and Daniel Gildar, all celebrated cantors, will participate in an exciting concert that will add an element of awe-inspiring liturgical music into the cruise as well. I’ve heard all three, each has a unique quality to his voice, each has his unique musical interpretations; each will stir your heart!

Finally, as if that wasn’t enough to satisfy the most demanding vacationer, the ship will make stops in Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine the Bay of Fundy at New Brunswick, and Halifax, Novia Scotia. All sites are rich with history, replete with museums, lighthouses, art galleries, and the rustic beauty of nature at its finest. Exploring these seaside villages offer an extraordinary experience on land, which are perfect to complement the adventures at sea.

Passengers from the previous Kosherica Jewish music cruise called it “the best vacation of my life”; “like a five-star Jewish version of Woodstock”; “on a scale of one to ten, ten being the best, this vacation was a ten-plus”.

Kosherica’s Jewish Music Festival at Sea is the perfect getaway for groups, couples or families. For more information, visit http://www.kosherica.com or call 877-724-5567.